Lost and Found

I haven't posted a blog on this site in ages because I had to give up writing my book for a while. However, God is good, and I'm back on track. At this point, I am editing and adding to early chapters, so I won't be posting excerpts for the book for a bit. In the meantime, God continues to work in ways that always amaze me!

Darrell and I have started teaching a career and college class on Sunday mornings (ages 18-25 with most in the 18-20 range) as well as leading a small group for them on Sunday evening. The size varies from week to week with a faithful core group who rarely miss. Johns Island is such a diverse culture, so we benefit from that in our group. We have kids who were previously in serious trouble in high school, including gangs and drugs, while others lost parents from early childhood and still others grew up in Christian homes. We have transplants from New York and Johns Island natives. As we felt the call to teach and meet with these young adults, we never dreamed (not sure why since it's not really a surprise) how God would use them to shape us as well. Just a few of the lessons we've learned:

1. Trust is sacred. Now this is one of those things I always knew but never really felt was tested in my own life. However, these adults have seen enough to realize that without trust, there's no point in being part of a group. Some have been hurt in the past, but all made it very clear that they expect us (and all of them) to hold confidences. They hold one another, and us, highly accountable in this area.

2. It doesn't matter what you say, it's what you do that counts. Many of our small group members have been promised a lot, but ended up experiencing so much pain instead. They watch us closely, their expectations are high and that feeling of being held to the standard God established was overwhelming at first. Now, I feel blessed...God gave them to us to teach us how to live by our words and His Word, and act as we preach.

3. Life can't be all serious. I am a person who easily pushes fun aside to get tasks completed. Our group likes a balance of education and fellowship. We went bowling recently (as a sidenote: we saw Bill Murray there bowling with his sons) and that evening was a balm to my seriously high stress level. Laughter truly does help heal the wounds of the day.

4. Tough questions sometimes mean tough answers. We've had some really challenging questions thrown our way, and the answers aren't always pretty. The truth may not be what the questioner wants to hear, but if we're not honorable to tell the truth, then we shouldn't even try to answer the question. As our Pastor says weekly, "I love you enough to tell you the truth."

5. Respect means more than popularity. We don't need to be anyone's best friend in this group, but they truly desire someone to respect. Mentors and role models haven't existed in many of their lives, or the role models have been so negative, their ability to respect others has dwindled. However, in their hearts, they desire to have a mutual relationship of respect with us. These young adults are over high school...they're making decisions that affect a lifetime and they know it. The world isn't an easy place to live in...and they know it. Popularity means nothing outside of high school...and they know it. Praise God that they also know Him and are seeking to know Him even more. 

The beauty of God working in each of truly translates through our relationships with this sweet group. If you saw some of them on the street, you take your child by the hand. Yet, their hearts belong to Christ, while the tattoos and piercings will be left behind when their time comes to join Him eternally.

Please pray for us and for them. Praise God for all that He is doing in each of our lives!

In His Holy Name,

Seeking Beauty in an Ugly World: My prayers

I spent some time with the news on today as I was working on curriculum. Primarily, I learned about a mass murderer, a baby who was kept in a box under a bed (although she ended up being saved, Praise God!), the horrible attack on Fort Hood, Texas and a lot of information about a health care plan that it seems many in our nation oppose. I had to stop and pray over my own heart! This is the world we live in. I looked over at John Paul and immediately praised God that he was sitting next to me, healthy and happy.  I said a prayer for Darrell and Ally that God would protect them!
I don't think never watching or listening to the news is the answer. I tried that a while back and found that it didn't really help. I eventually heard about it all from one source or another. So, what is the answer? How do we find beauty in such an ugly world?


As I try to do with conundrums in my life, I turned to Scripture. Immediately, I thought of Philippians 4:8 - 

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, 

whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

And I prayed: Heavenly Father, lead me to Your beauty, place a desire in my heart for what is noble and right, help me to long to be pure and reveal all that You have created that is lovely. Let me think upon these things, as Your Word commands, and help me to not be overcome by the ugliness of this world!

Another verse that the Lord allowed me to recall is Romans 12:2

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

And I prayed: Gracious Lord, transform and renew my mind and my heart. Do not let me succumb to the fear and evilness of this world. Reveal Your good and perfect Will for my life.

How could you ever question God perfect will for our lives? 

He who so lovingly designed not only a beautiful but perfectly balanced atmosphere?

And yet another verse from Romans 8:15,

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, 

but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."

And I prayed: I do cry out to you, Abba, Father, to remind me of the Spirit you have instilled in me...a spirit of love and not of fear, no matter what is happening in the external world around me.

And finally, 1 Corinthians 2:12

We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, 

that we may understand what God has freely given us.

And I prayed: Thank you, God, for Your Holy Spirit, freely given by You. Help me to remember that I do not have a Spirit of the world and that this world is temporary, unlike your heavenly realm that I have been adopted into. 

Fear became compassion, uncomfortableness became hope, concern became confidence...not in myself or anything that I can do about this world, but in my Lord and Savior who works through me and is always with me in this dark world. 

May your day be filled with all of the beauty of the Lord!


Many thanks to my sweet husband, Darrell, for taking these pictures for my blog. I love you!

In Him,

Love, Obedience and our Heart's Desire

I was chatting with another mom today about Charlotte Mason's teachings. This other mom made a comment about the habit of obedience. While I agree that the habit of obedience is a wonderful immediate blessing, at the same time, obeying out of love rather than habit seems so much more significant to me. I thought of a friend who has the most polite children, they never forget to say "Yes, ma'am", but it has become such a habit for them, I wonder if it still retains any meaning of respect. They sound so rote at times. Some would say that it's awesome that they're always outwardly respectful and that is great. But I am much more concerned about the heart of my children, to be honest.

This brought to mind being taught that we show God we love Him by obeying Him. I was reminded of a verse in 2 John (if you know me very long, you will learn that John is my favorite disciple!): And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. When we can get our children, and ourselves for that matter, to toss aside the worldly conditional definition of love and embrace true Biblical love, found through obedience to our Father, then they and we will find our heart's desire. I pray that over anyone who reads this blog...that you will discover that love in Christ, for Him and for one another!

Spiritual Pictures

Recently, I have become attached to photos. I think I am just extremely content in my life for the first time in a long time and I don't want to forget what that contentment looks like. For example, the photo that is in the heading on my blog is valued by me for a couple of reasons: 1. my son, John Paul, took the photo and 2. it's a photo from my backyard dock. The flower right above this post is one of the first photos taken by my husband, Darrell, with a new camera. I love all of the aspects of that flower...the vibrant color, the way it's so up close and the fact that it was growing in my front yard. Look to the right and you'll find a photo of my son with our dog. Again, the simple joys of a life of peace. God is so good!


So as I was discovering my desire to document my life, I began to think about spiritual pictures. If God were taking photos of my life, what would He see? I immediately think of those photos I would never want to be shown...times when I'm angry or when I say something thoughtless. But it goes deeper than that. God knows my heart. 

God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.

Acts 15:8

What pictures are revealed to God in my heart? My joys and triumphs over sin, my sorrow and pain of letting Him and those I love down at times. God sees all of the pictures of my life and as I write this I realize that I want to be very careful about the pictures I produce for Him. I want to be that woman who treasures God's opinion above all others.