Growing the Kingdom

Yesterday while shopping, I ran into a church friend who I hadn't seen in about two years. We spent time in the store catching up with each other's lives, and I was thrilled to finally meet her youngest child, a little girl. She has four children under the age of 7 and when I asked, "Are you done?" she responded, "Not yet!" She commented, "Don't get me wrong, this is a lot of hard work, but we figure when they are all grown, we are going to have the time of our lives." I commented back, "You are having it right now."

Daddy and I were talking about this recently. With my children now grown and beginning new lives of their own, it gives me time to reflect on my own life. And when I think back on those times when they were growing up, I realize those are the greatest memories of my life. Not my career, successes, adventures or even the amazing vacations we took ... but the moments I had with those precious children. See, the Lord told us to grow the kingdom. And there are a couple ways to do that: 1) evangelize to tell the world about Christ and 2) raise children in the Lord. If I could do it all over again, I would have focused a bit more on #2 adding more children to our family, because the rest of my life is all about #1. I see the value in larger families now. Having children is one of the most important things I have ever had the pleasure of being part of.

We pray our children have children one day. Of course, so we can be grandparents, I mean, how fun will that be! But more so because we know this world needs all the Christian soldiers it can get. And in a country where families have 1.8 kids (yeah, we don't know how you have .8 of a child either), the current birthrate is doing little to grow the kingdom.

Trust us, we're not looking at this with rose-colored glasses. We know having kids is work. And expensive. And fraught with challenges and crazy adventures. But we wouldn't change a thing. It's been a blessing all around. And think of the souls who will be blessed by them!


God already knows, my children, all about your families, how many children you will have, what their names will be and the number of their days spent on this earth. God knows all about their accomplishments and how they will serve Him. We just wanted you to know as we look back on our married life together, how precious those childhood years are to us. And how we pray you embrace and delight in the future families our Father has planned for you.

Discussion: Have you ever thought of having children as growing God's kingdom? How many children would you like to have?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank You in advance for the sweet ones we will welcome into our lives as our children have children. We ask for your blessing on their future families. And we pray these souls to come will bring you glory in a mighty way. In Christ, Amen.

Cosmic Powers Of This Present Darkness

The other day Daddy and I were talking with some friends who were sharing about their communication problems in their marriage. Both where assuming things about the other. Both were perceiving comments the other had made negatively. Both made finite decisions about the other based on those perceptions and assumptions. And what was frustrating was that neither one was correct in their assumptions or perceptions and both were frustrated with their spouse. It was a sad circle of miscommunication and misunderstanding. Both needed to step back and look at the situations from two different viewpoints: from their spouse's side ... and Satan's.

That last bit may be creepy, but that doesn't make it any less true. See we are warned in Scripture that "our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12). What Paul was writing the Ephesians was that Satan and his minions are working overtime to cause havoc, misunderstanding, paranoia, anger and frustration. And one of Satan's greatest battlegrounds is marriage. What better way to disillusion people on the relationship between Christ and the church than through the dissolution of marriages? He is searching for every opportunity to get couples to nitpick at each other, demean and be selfish. When we look at it from the perspective that Satan is working on us, we can wisely ask ourselves what lies we are believing that he's pushing today.

My dear children, please understand that you are at war. When you wake up on the morning, Satan is immediately at work looking for ways to defeat you. Lifehouse's Everything Skit is a wonderful visual of this. Thankfully we know God is on our side, we have the Word as our sword and the Holy Spirit to give us discernment.

So when you get into arguments or do not understand where your future spouse is coming from, go to God and ask Him. Look at the situation from their standpoint. Ask yourself if there are forces at play to get you to forget to Whom you belong and who you love. It may be tough to remember to do this, but know that Satan is counting on you forgetting.

Remember, the battle is every day. Every. Single. Day. Learn the Word of God. Memorize it. Recite it. Pray often. Be battle ready. And know that an army of angels is ready and waiting to help. And may the victory and glory be God's.

Discussion: How does knowing there are spiritual forces at work desiring to destroy your relationship give you a different perspective on arguments? How can you prepare for and prevent these situations?

Prayer: We are grateful, Father, that you have promised us this weapon in the Word and pray we learn to wield it. Father, give us insight through your Holy Spirit to know when we are dealing with spiritual forces and not just each other. Give us grace, the power to forgive, wisdom and much love towards one another. In Jesus, Amen.

Never Alone

I was watching the 2000 movie Cast Away the other day and something struck me. That entire time Chuck Noland (played by Tom Hanks) was stranded on the Pacific Ocean island, he never once prayed. Not once. I kept waiting for him to make an appeal to God, but the only time he ever invoked the name of God was in vain when he was injured. Instead he sought comfort from a volleyball. His bloodied injured hand left an imprint on the ball (which had washed ashore in a FedEx box) that he made into a face. His conversations over the next 1,500 days that he spent on that island were with this volleyball he named Wilson. It made his loneliness seem less so. And when the ball was lost at sea, Noland was in despair. His hope came with the sun, tide and time. It made me sad.

See we are never, ever alone. In the greatest despair, God is with us. When we are betrayed by others, God is with us. When we are confused about circumstances or direction, God is with us. Even cast away on an island, God is with us. He will never leave us, never. And it breaks my heart that no one in the movie told this fictional character that very thing. The only hope in him seeing God amidst his troubles and in his future that I saw was in the illustration of encircled wings on another FedEx package that washed ashore. He told the female illustrator in a note that package saved his life. Perhaps she would introduce him the Creator and Comforter. The movie ends ambiguously before that can happen.

We want to be sure our children know they are never alone. We want to be sure our children know they can hold a conversation with our Father any minute of any day.

Last month, a teen named Aaron Rose from Texas was adrift at sea near Honduras where he was on a mission trip. He liked to kayak out to watch the sunset and was pulled by the current further and further from shore until he could no longer paddle himself in. A wave toppled him and his oars drifted away, leaving this boy floating helplessly away from the island. His response? He prayed and sang hymns. After singing "Amazing Grace, with the poignant words, "I once was lost and now am found," he said this to www.christiantoday.com:

"I've always loved that song, and I needed something to calm me down. Almost immediately, I felt a real sense of peace. I started singing other songs and hymns, and I prayed a lot, throughout the entire time." 

Then he added:"I just knew the only thing I could do was to trust God to do what was best. I was thinking of where Paul says 'for me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.' I know, and I knew then, that my relationship with Christ is strong enough to keep me safe through death. At the same time, I knew I wasn't ready to be done. I told God that I wasn't yet the man I wanted to be before I stood before him, and I wanted another chance to become that man."

Before Rose was found, his father, a pastor, posted this to social media according to www.dailymail.com: "Thank you, Father, that my son will never be truly lost or alone because of your love." Rose was never alone and he knew it. His father knew it. The boy was miraculously rescued the next morning when a plane spotted him 18 miles from Honduras.

That is hope. Hope in Christ. Comfort in God. That is what I want for my children. When they have a question or concern, they go to God. When they feel the world has isolated or abandoned them, they go to God. When they rejoice in their circumstances, they go to God. Please, children, always remember you are never alone. Rest assured He is there for you. Deuteronomy 31:8 promises us He "will never leave you or forsake you." Please count on that. We'd hate for you to find your solace in a volleyball.

Discussion: Do you know with all confidence that God will never leave you? Do you go to Him first and foremost when you have concerns, joys or feel lost and alone? What are ways you can remember He is always there for you? Is there a time when you felt God with you when you were alone? Has a hymn ever brought you comfort?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank You that we are never alone. We have You there with us, Father, all the time. Lord, remind us through Your Holy Spirit, that we can always come to You with concern and questions and for peace that passes all understanding (Phil 4:7). In Christ we pray, Amen.

God Gave Us Liberty

God bless America. Today we celebrate our nation's independence. It's our 239th birthday as a country. We celebrate in all the ways John Adam's predicted when he wrote his wife Abigail:

"...with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forever more."

Pretty good prediction on his part. It's a freedom fought and died for in this country under God. But there was one other thing, the first thing actually, that John Adams wrote that we should do to commemorate our "day of deliverance." He said with "solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty."

You know there probably won't be many worship services today with solemn acts of devotion in reverence and thanks to the God of providence who permitted the creation of this country. People may give thanks to God when saying grace before they devour their barbeque. And chills will run up their neck when they hear "God Bless The U.S.A." as sung by Lee Greenwood with bombs bursting in air. But the solemn acts of devotion will be sorely lacking. And in a country that desperately needs our Father at the helm, we can use all the devotion to God we can get.

My children, we are fiercely patriotic. We love this country. We love our flag. We are grateful to the men and women who gave so much for our freedoms. You know of the 56 brave men who signed our Declaration of Independence on Aug. 2, 1776 (the final wording the document was approved on July 4, 1776), nine died in the Revolutionary War or from injuries sustained in the war; five were captured and tortured by the British; twelve had their homes ransacked or burned and three died in poverty after losing all their possessions to the British. Signing that declaration, while an act of bravery, was an act of treason, and they all knew it. And many paid the price for it. And that doesn't count the thousands who died for our freedom in many wars. Or those persecuted for their efforts.

Never take that freedom for granted, and never forget where those freedoms originated. Not with our founding fathers, but rather our Almighty Father. To quote the author of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, who died on July 4, 1826 (the same day as John Adams, interestingly):

"God who gave us life, gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God?"

Make an effort to spend some time today in solemn devotion to our God. For it is He who holds us in His hands. Praising God He is sovereign. Praising God for our freedom. And praying He continues to bless the U.S.A.

Discussion: What does your patriotism mean to you? Have you made an effort to thank God today for our country? Where do you see God at work in America?

Prayer: Our Lord God, our nation was founded on You. We thank you for this country and the good it does throughout the world. We thank You for our freedom. Father, please, as You fold the future of our nation in your hands, please guide and protect us. Bless us, Lord. And I pray we always remember where our liberty comes from. In Jesus, Amen.

Does That Really Say, "Submit?"

A week ago when Daddy and I were traveling to the beach, he asked me to read Ephesians to him. He is thinking about doing a sermon series on this epistle of Paul's and wanted to hear it read to him again. I say "again," because he had just recently listened to it on Bible Gateway. You can always get a fresh perspective of Scripture every time you listen to or read it (as we mentioned in Wednesday's post). So I read it to him. When I got to chapter 5, I read this aloud to him from verse 22:

"Wives, control your husbands..."

I stopped and looked out of the corner of my eye at my husband. He looked back at me out of the corner of his eye and said, "Stop it," as I burst into giggles. He knew I was not reading the Word directly. It actually says, "Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything." For someone as independent and in control as me, that verse can be a tough pill to swallow. Submit? Are kidding? If there is one thing my personality does not willingly agree to it's that whole submit thing. I mean, for crying out loud, he could be wrong! And I'm just supposed to submit to that? 

But God does not intend that wives submit in a doormat fashion. Matter of fact, Paul clarifies his comment in verse 33 of Ephesians 5 where he tells wives to "respect" their husbands. God wants husbands and wives to be a team. He calls the wife a "helpmate" in Genesis 2:18 when He first creates woman. While the husband is submissive to God, Paul says just a paragraph later in Ephesians 5 that God calls the husband to care for his wife as Christ does for the church. It's a pretty good system. 

Someone is the CEO of a company. Someone makes the decisions and is responsible for them. In God's eyes, the husband is that of the married couple. While those decisions are made jointly, in prayer and with love, the buck stops with the hubby. Now we know our girls: both Ayla and Kayla are strong women. They are stubborn, intelligent and independent ladies. Praise God for that, because Rob and Anton are not getting patsy girls. They can count on getting honest advice from their future wives. But with that means, the girls will have to sometimes tone it down a bit in respect to their future husbands. Speaking from experience, trust me, that can be a difficult process. But know that God places quite a bit of responsibility on the husbands as head of the household. And with prayer, as a team, you couples will do so well in serving and making decisions in Christ for God.

So hang in there, couples. God's got a workable program there that requires cooperation. And having watched you interacting in the past, we already see it working.

Discussion: Is submit a tough thing for ladies to hear? Guy, what do you think of the responsibility God places on you as head of the spiritual household? How do you couples think that will play out in your future marriages?

Prayer: Lord, we are yours. We submit to your rule, authority, love and direction. We know You have our best interests at heart. Father, we pray we can be a good team in serving you. That wives will respect their husband and husbands will love their wives sacrificially the same way Jesus does the church. May you be glorified in it all, Lord Jesus, Amen.

Token of Thanks and Appreciation

They hold bachelor and bachelorette parties for you and showers. They buy matching gowns and tuxes which they will most likely never wear again. They sometimes travel long distances to be witnesses. They buy you a gift. They help you decorate and ready yourself for the ceremony. These are the bridesmaids and groomsmen. So for all they do for you, what do you do for them?

Typically brides and grooms will give gifts to their bridal party. More often than not they will be matching gifts, like jewelry for the bridesmaids and beer steins and pocket knives for groomsmen. Some couples give each member of the bridal party a frame to put in a picture of them together from the wedding. For bridesmaids we've seen perfume, robes, slippers, candles, compacts, monogrammed bags, cups, cosmetic bags, nail polish and shoes. For groomsmen we've seen watches, money clips, belt buckles, ties, whiskey, flashlights, bottle openers, cigars, sweatshirts, suspenders, bobble head dolls, mugs and cufflinks. Anything goes, even gift cards.

Brad and I gave all the bridesmaids matching sapphire jewelry but then at our rehearsal dinner had individual gifts for each person in the bridal party representing our relationship to them. My sister got a Precious Moments statue (which she collected) of a maid of honor. My junior bridesmaid, Lizzy, got a doll (which she says her daughter plays with to this day). My brother, a groomsman, got a Walter Payton Bears jersey. My penpal got a plaque about how letters give wings to the heart. One of Daddy's friends got an 8x10 photo of himself on the California coast shot on a trip he went on with him. Each gift was unique and special from us to them. We wanted each person to know how much they meant to us and recognized them individually.

I know Ayla and Rob have both made progress on their bridal party gifts (and they are really nice). To be surrounded by your besties at this most important day of your life together is a pretty wonderful memory to have. So to leave them with a token of appreciation and an extra memory is so important. Philippians 1:3 says, "I thank my God every time I remember you." This is a precious way to do so.

Discussion: What have you thought about bridal party gifts? Have you ever received a bridal party gift? What do these gifts mean to the receiver?

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the precious friends and family who will participating in these weddings. We thank you every time we remember their value to us. We ask for blessings on them all and protection as wedding dates approach. And pray we find them just the right thank you gift. In Christ, Amen.

Plenty More To Learn

After inviting a man to Bible study once, I remember him saying to me, "I was confirmed when I was 14. What more do I need to learn?" I was surprised by both his ignorance and pride. Surely he didn't honestly believe he had learned all there was to learn about Scripture by the time he was 14? I've been reading it over and over again, and I'm 50 and certainly have plenty more to learn.

Two week ago, a group of nine people were shot and killed by a stranger who attended their Bible study in Charleston, S.C. A week later, 100 people showed up to that Bible study. Many were family members of the deceased. How wonderful that 100 people came to the same room to hear what the Word of God had to say to them, especially amidst such tragic, senseless loss. Looking for answers, looking for clarity, looking for hope, looking for support? Whatever the reason, the Bible study was the place they chose to find it. Praying 100 or more come tonight to their church study, and that it continues to grow and grow as they likewise do the same in the Word.

You will never know all there is to know about the Word of God. Just when you think you've got a particular verse or book figured out, God will open your eyes to new information to profoundly influence your spiritual life. No idea how many times I've read 1 Peter, but this verse (4:14) jumped out at me Sunday in worship: "If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you." It's timing was perfect and blessed me deeply. The Bible is called the Living Word for a reason.

We want to be sure you sweet ones continually seek out God's Word, reading, studying, listening. There is so much for you to grasp, absorb, memorize and apply. In this world of changing truths, the Truth of Scripture is paramount. We need our Father's guidance to know what Truth is. So dig in every single day. Study together. Study apart. Study with a group. Study morning, noon and evening. Don't ever stop studying. We promise you, there is so much more for you to learn.

Discussion: Are you currently doing - or are involved in - a Bible study? What book or section of the Bible would you like to learn more about? What is the best Bible study you have ever done?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we never want to stop learning more and more about You. Father, instill in us a desire to seek your Word every single day. Surprise us, Father, with Your Holy Spirit and teach us new each time we pick up our Bibles. In Christ, the Word made flesh, Amen.