Refuge

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge...
Psalm 91:4

Like a Child - the other side

My kids inspire me in lots of ways.

Today I indulged in a pop tart for breakfast. My son, of course, loves to have a bite or two of such a treat. But today, after slicing off the perfect piece, cooling it down, then handing it to him, he protested. He threw the piece back onto the table with a grunt.

What on earth? I hand him a perfect, succulent treat and he complains about it? Too small, too hot, too big? What could possibly be wrong with such a gift? I mean, come on, it's a pop tart.

And then I realize...in many ways, I am my son. God presents to me a perfect gift and I find something to complain about. Do I even recognize the gift? The love with which it's given?

Today I just want to say Thank You. Thank you for my warm home, thank you for my healthy children, thank you for my husband. Thank you, Lord, for friends. Thank you for two cars that are paid for and run properly. Thank you for soil to grow a garden and for money to buy the things I can't grow. Thank you for the ability to earn a living, for the chance to play on the floor with my children. Thank you, Lord, for all the gifts you give...those I don't recognize, those I don't appreciate, and those I don't always want.

Thank you for letting me learn so much from my kids.

Like a Child

I am certain that God intended for most of us to become parents. After all, how much of the Bible is so much more understandable, so much more relevant, after becoming a parent?

Today (as she often does) my daughter shocked me. She's 6 years old and has an amazing view of the world.

My husband was quizzing her on reading words. She reads the word, then uses it in a sentence. They make a game out of it and she has fun using her imagination. Today her new word was this. "This is powerful!" Powerful...a word she easily uses.

Tell her that her outfit doesn't match and she'll tell you that it doesn't matter what she looks like, she's beautiful on the inside. Her self-esteem is solid and real.

Ask her if God exists and she'll look at you like you're crazy. Of course he exists. Her faith is simple and steadfast.

God tells us to enter the kingdom of Heaven like little children (Luke 18:17). I think my daughter portrays exactly what he means.

God wants us to be confident.
God wants us to be secure in who we are.
God wants us to have a faith that does not waver.

I want to grow up to be just like my 6 year old.


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smlasP

I've been reading my Bible daily now for a little over 2 weeks. Why? Well, it goes like this: I'm a grumpy old grouch if I don't keep in close touch with Jesus. I tend to have a poor attitude that infects everyone around me. So much fun, yes? Perhaps I exaggerate a bit, but my days do go much better if I spend time daily with Him. Years ago, I had a habit of reading a bit every day and I did that for several years. But life eventually intervened and I lost the habit. I want to know the joy I had before.

Anyway, the first few days I randomly opened my Bible and read whatever was in front of me. I quickly settled into Psalms. But not the beginning or the middle, oh no. I started at the end.

And I highly recommend it.

Having a bad day? Things not going well? Start at Psalms 149 and work your way backwards. Not literally backwards because that doesn't make much sense and definitely won't bring you peace or joy. But read 149. Then 148. So forth.

King David wrote most of Psalms but he wasn't always happy or cheerful when he wrote them. Sometimes he's angry, sometimes he's brokenhearted. That's not always what you need when you're having your own bad day. But by the end, David is joyful, thankful, and full of praise. Just what the doctor ordered!

So go ahead, start at the end. It's okay.

Becoming who?

I wish I could say that I followed my own blog posts and had a perfect week. I wish I could say that after two weeks of reading my Bible daily, I'm now well on my way to Becoming Myself.

But I can't say those things.

On Wednesday I forgot altogether about trusting God and instead had a terrible day. I even cried. (I never cry.)

On Thursday I yelled at my daughter and had to ask her forgiveness.

On Saturday I yelled at my husband and I had to ask his forgiveness.

On Sunday, I sat in church again and remembered my idea to breathe God in and breathe Heather out. I took deep breaths and wondered why it's so hard to remember those things when your day isn't going well. When the house is a mess and the kids are chaotic and you're not speaking to your husband.

So I'll try again. This week I will breathe deeply of God's grace, peace, and mercy. I will exhale stress and worry. I will sing a new song. I will!

Sing a new song

My daughter has a litany that goes something like this. "Mom. Mom. Mom. Mama!" For some reason she thinks I have poor hearing. After a long day of this, I sometimes beg her to stop calling me Mom or Mama. "Call me something new. Call me anything, how about Ralph?"

My son is only a year old. The first few months were really rough with all-day crying due to colic and poor sleep at night. And to top it off, he hated car rides. He'd scream from the moment he went into his car seat to the moment he came out, even if there was an hour in between. All of us would get sick of hearing it. Shannon would say "Colby, find something new to say." Or Camille would say "Colby, sing a new song, we've heard this one already!"

Today I was reading in Psalms 149. The words hit me like a ton of bricks "Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song..." (Ps 149:1)

Do you suppose God gets tired of hearing my litany?

"God, help me through this day."
"God, help our finances."
"God, make Colby sleep tonight."

Praise the Lord. Sing to him a new song. Today I will look for ways to sing a new song. And I will praise him!