thankful...#39

39. The seven thousand who will not bow the knee.  I am not alone.

"I have left 7,000.. which have not bowed the knee to Baal..."

~1 Kings 19:18

 "God created the world out of nothing,

and as long as we are nothing,

He can make something out of us."

~Martin Luther

(What is 1000 Gifts?)

thankful...#37-38

37. bare feet
38. baseball hats and freckles

(What is 1000 Gifts?)

"The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth

to strengthen those who's hearts

are fully committed to him."

~2 Chronicles 16:9

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this."

~Daniel 5:22

What did Belshazzar know?
He knew the mighty works of the Mighty God and yet refused to acknowledge Him and humble himself.

"That very night Belshazzar...was slain." ~Daniel 5:30

So Belshazzar wasn't ignorant of the works of God and because he knew, God held him responsible to do the right thing.  But in Belshazzar's pride, he refused to do it.  And God held him accountable.

When unrighteousness is revealed to us, and we pursue it anyway - justifying our excuses and lusts - we fail to humble ourselves and we become disobedient, rebelliously defying Holy God.

"God resists the proud..."

~1 Peter 5:5

"God can still love us and oppose us..."

~Beth Moore

I choose to not be willfully ignorant.  I choose to seek out the truth so that I wouldn't even unknowingly sin.  I choose to do my very best to not put myself in opposition to God.  I choose to resist Christian mediocrity.

More gleanings from Beth Moore's study on the book of Daniel.

an extraordinary spirit

"Caleb and Daniel...refused to blend in.  They never assimilated.  Neither did they settle into the lowest common denominator of devotion practiced by their closest friends or kin.  ...  Anyone who goes overboard or takes it too seriously is considered eccentric, not extraordinary.  For some, the flow of the world can be easier to resist than the flow of Christian mediocrity." ~Beth Moore

NEVER SETTLE FOR CHRISTIAN MEDIOCRITY.

Oh, that there would be revival amongst Christians!!  

Where is principle? Where is conviction? Where is righteousness no matter the cost?

"You and I want God to be able to look on us amid our overindulged, self-absorbed culture, then glance to His right and say, 'She has an extraordinary spirit, doesn't she, Son?'  Perhaps Christ will nod His head and, while thinking the thoughts of an anxious bridegroom, lean over and say, 'And isn't she beautiful?'" ~Beth Moore

O God, could this ever be me? 

thankful...#36

36. Making lemonade from lemons.

It seems a downed tree is way more fun

than one of those boring upright ones.

(What is 1000 Gifts?)

God by default

We drove through Garibaldi on the Oregon Coast the other day.  A “G” appears on a low hill. Jamie and I bantered back and forth over what the G could stand for, and Brandon speaks: “That's God's mountain!”

We drive further down the 101. A sign comes into view: “Welcome to God's Country”...wait, no, it says “Welcome to Coos County.” My first observation was better.

Oh, that God would be our default always. I hope I will be ever mindful of God that, like Brandon, or like my poor physical eyesight, my spiritual eyesight will reign where everything is God's...because truly all is His. (1-21-12)

"If the Lord wills, we will do this or that..."

We left our Monterey hotel this morning with grand plans to end up in L.A. at a friend's house.

Silas: "Mommy, where are we going today?"
Mommy: "We are hoping to make it to Mr. Wayne's house."
Silas: "What if we don't make it?"
Daddy: "Oh, we'll make it."

So we made our way down the coast on highway 1.  We fixed our gaze out the window across the ocean.  For days we've been hunting for whales and haven't seen a single one.  I gave up, picked up a book and began to read aloud.  After the first two pages, I glanced up.  
What was that?!  Did I see a whale spout?  
Yes!  
Stop the car!  This is it!  
How could I have seen it in one little glance?  I was reading after all.  
But, yes, there it is again.  A whale.
Finally.
The truck coasts to a hasty stop and out we jump; camera, binoculars in hand.  We see him fluke and spray and roll...way out in the distance.

We are captivated.

The spray center right in the photo is our whale. :)

After a long pause as we spy this one in the distance, we finally decide to continue on.  If we don't, we'll never make it to Los Angeles.  We drive 15 more minutes...  ROAD CLOSED. 
What?  A rock slide? Were there signs?  How far back is the detour?  50 miles?  All the way back to Monterey?  Really?  This will add 4 hours to our day.

There were signs.  We were too busy looking for whales.

What's that verse again?

"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit'; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life?  it is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.  Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.'  But now you boast in your arrogance.  All such boasting is evil." (James 4:13-16)

Right.  AS THE LORD WILLS.

Jamie met a CHP officer who told us about a secret waterfall and a beach with purple sand and elephant seals.

We found the waterfall.  

We found purple sand.  

We found the Lord's will for our day

...and it was way better than our plans. 

L.A. will come tomorrow, as will the elephant seals.  ...if the Lord wills.
Today, Brandon said it was "a great and fun day."

It was.

 We're in Cambria tonight at a cozy motel.  Just south of San Simeon.

Thank you, Father, for being so totally sovereign.

thankful...#29-35

"Being in a hurry.  Getting to the next thing without fully entering the thing in from of me.  I cannot think of a single advantage I've ever gained from being in a hurry.  But a thousand broken and missed things, tens of thousands, lie in the wake of all the rushing...  Through all that haste I thought I was making up time.  It turns out I was throwing it away."

"In our rushing, bulls in china shops, we break our own lives."  ~Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts  

29. down comforters like clouds
30. spiritual moms (He truly sets the lonely in families.)
31. the incomparable ferocious might of the God of all
32. pursuing "impossible" adventure - just to see if it is, in fact, possible.  Ignoring nay-sayers.
33. Being victorious in the impossible...because with God ALL things are possible.
34. The mighty, lethal ocean.

"Praying with eyes wide open is the only way to pray without ceasing." ~Ann

35. Little boy quiet, eyes-closed prayers, self-initiated and spied by mommy.

(What is 1000 Gifts?)

thankful...#20-28

20.  The ability to scrub and clean and vacuum and persevere for the end result of something lovely, neat, and clean again.
21. Sarah Palin.  She's sassy, straight, honest, and brave.  I like that.
22. My patriot neighbor, Wilson.

23. Mountains silhouetted at dusk.
24. Lost dogs returned home.

25. Full moon: a lesser light to rule the night.
26. catching snowflakes on the tongue underneath flying saucers.

27. snow-drunk boys
28. cousins.

(What is 1000 Gifts?)

thankful...#19

19. Chuck Smith.  Pure joy.  Love.  Peace.  How I want to aspire to be.

Greg Laurie interviews Chuck Smith.

Watch this.  It will bless you beyond imagination.

(What is 1000 Gifts?)

Why I love Sally Clarkson's Mom Heart Conferences

I love Sally.  After having my first little sweetie, I was horribly depressed.  Crying everyday, unmotivated...literally hating my life and could see nothing but my 4 walls, piles of laundry, exhaustive all-night feedings (I had trouble nursing), and just not keeping up with life.

Life was mundane and meaningless to me.

My pastor's wife (Marian Mellor) invited me to attend Sally's conference in '07 and I went.  God used Sally to give me permission to be a mom and it totally liberated me.  I think culture (which as an entertainer, I had been totally immersed in) doesn't give value to moms and I was feeling like I was wasting my time doing nothing but changing diapers and existing.  I literally felt like my life was that movie "Groundhog Day": the same meaningless existence day after day after day.

I was an awful mom to a newborn.  

I did not transition well.  

I did not love it.  

I did not like my child.  

I was only mindful of my own selfish sufferings.   

I was totally floundering.  

Sally showed me how totally valuable it is to be a mom and inspired me without being negative or guilt-tripping.  She said that as moms we already feel guilty that we're not doing enough and she wanted to encourage and inspire.  She is certainly gifted at this.

Now, I feel influential every day of my life...for these two little boys who will be the heart of the next generation.  I feel like every day I am a world changer through 2 precious lives.  And it has inspired me to become involved in the history, politics and righteousness of my country.  This is not the result for all so don't worry if you don't want to be a political nut case (lol) ...but this is an extended way Sally's message has affected my life.  I not only have influence over my family, but God has used my passion to influence the generation my boys are in, and my church, and in whatever area of influence He places me to speak boldly and confidently the truth of history, politics, and God's word.

I AM FREE!  And I thank God for using Sally in my life.  She is an excellent example to us as moms!

I hope you can come to Sally's conference.  You will never regret being an intentionally passionate mommy to your precious children.

Register here!  

True Biblical motherhood must be intentionally pursued.  It doesn't just happen all by itself.  We gotta stick together and urge one another on toward godliness, righteousness, and joy in the every day wonder of raising our children.  I will be your cheerleader in this great responsibility and mission!  We matter!  Don't grow weary in doing good.  God has chosen you to be the very best mommy to those little hands and feet and hearts in your home.  He will enable you!

thankful...#8-18

Ann Voskamp's book is shaking my world.  To be truly thankful for everything handed to us by the open fingers of God...  From my earliest remembrance, my Mom and my Grandma urged the pleases and thank yous, yet I am now learning these 37 years into life how to be truly thankful by the beautiful example of this Ann.  I want to be an Ann Voskamp copy cat.  ...so, as I make my own list, know it was her idea first.  Taking pictures is her idea.  I don't mind mimicking if it leads me to the fuller life of true thankfulness and depth.

"...slapping a sloppy brush of thanksgiving over everything in my life leaves me deeply thankful for very few things in my life."

"...life-changing gratitude does not fasten to a life unless nailed through with one very specific nail at a time."

~Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts, p. 59 

8.  Christmas leftovers so abundant I can't get creative enough to use them all up in time.
9.  When you unknowingly prep too much food, then an unexpected guest arrives.
10. Early bird shopping in a quiet store.
11. 2-seater shopping carts that allow little boys to hop on and off like stuntmen

12. The ability to teach old dogs new tricks.  I'm attempting to learn how to run the sound board at church.  I love this!
13. Congressman Duncan Hunter who accurately represents my family and so many others.  How thankful we are to have an ethical man of integrity and righteousness interceding on behalf of the government for us.
14. Lazy New Year's Day mornings watching The Tournament of Roses Parade.
15. Late nights with kindred-spirit friends.
16. Underdog winners.  (ok, so he was 8 votes shy of actually winning.  Go Santorum!)

17. Pandora

18. A little 6-year-old boy voice lofting "Gloria in Excelsis Deo" from the bathroom...10 days after Christmas...immediately followed by pretend-play battle cries.

(What is 1000 Gifts?)