Word of the Year 2026: Abundance

Word of the Year: Abundance 

I had a challenging time this year choosing a word to focus on. I needed to appreciate the blessings that I already have. Really, I have been given so much. I dislike the lies that the world tells us that we can't be happy until we have MORE, or the newest, latest & greatest. I have plenty of clothes, books, "toys", purses, candles, food, etc.,

Part of it is the time after Christmas when I want to purge some things. But I really just want to be happy with the "abundance" that I have been given. I chose Ephesians 3:20 for my verse to memorize, and it will help me remember that He can do way more than I think or imagine, and to God be the glory. I don't deserve anything, no matter what anyone says. I deserve punishment for the way I have betrayed my Lord. I have disobeyed Him and dishonored Him. The world says to take a break or buy this thing because "you deserve it." I say no, I deserve nothing. 

God deserves all of the praise for all that I am and all that I have. I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for God in my life. I need Him every moment of every day. So I honor God, and say, Now to Him who is able to do ABUNDANTLY more than I ask or think... to God be the glory!

I also found a song that goes along with this verse, called "Abundantly More" by North Point Worship. You can listen to it here. I like the line that says, "Your love for me is better than I imagined." So good!

Did you choose a word of the year? I'd love to hear all about it!

Ephesians 3:20

NKJV      Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

26. 
    
    
    
    
    Matthew 25:29
      For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have, will be taken from them.

    
    
27. Luke 12:15
    Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

Be still...

I have a sign on the wall in my family room that says, “Be still, and know that I am God," a verse from Psalms. I have been thinking about this verse a lot lately. I don't seem to be still very often-- unless I'm trying to go to sleep. I am a busy Mom at home-- cooking, cleaning, grading papers, reading, crafting, driving to places, eating, drinking water, texting, reading emails, making phone calls... you get the picture.  I may be still while I am reading a book, but I am still doing SOMEthing. Sometimes while drinking coffee in the morning, I will sit and stare out my front window. 

Our society seems to value busyness. Everyone I know seems to be busy and has many things on their to-do lists. I always have a stack of books to read. We hear from all around us how many things we need to fit into each day to "be successful" including: 

-get 30 minutes of exercise and/or stretch

-drink 8-10 glasses of water

-cook and eat 3 (healthy) meals

-have a daily quiet time (for Christians)

-clean the kitchen

-interact with our children, friends, and spouses

-brush our teeth 2-3 times (and flossing!)

 -get outside

-get 7-9 hours of sleep

-read a book for 30 minutes

-spend time in prayer

-make your bed, etc.,

Just reading the list can be overwhelming, especially when you have a job for 8 hours a day on top of all of that! But what does God say? 

Psalm 46:10
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Exodus 14:14
"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

A few years ago, I read a book called "The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry." In that book, the author, John Mark Comer talked about slowing down, taking time to rest, being still, and taking a Sabbath. I think of that book a lot, it made a huge impact on me. So often in our daily lives, we are in a hurry. Did Jesus hurry? I don't think so. He was quite purposeful in what He did. There is NO instance of Jesus saying, "Hurry up!" to his disciples or anyone whom He interacted with. He took time for everyone. He was often stopped on his way to another place or town. He stopped and listened, often granting someone's desire for healing or help. 

I want to be more like that. I need to be more like that. I am preaching to myself as much as anyone else. I need to slow down, to take more time to be still. I am trying to take time to stop, (put my phone down) and listen. Social media or some game that I am playing is never more important than my child, spouse, or friend sitting or standing in front of me. It is easy to get our priorities out of whack. I want to stop, sit still, and listen for God's still, small voice of direction. I hope that you will join me. I'm praying that you will.

Other verses about being still:

1 Samuel 12:16
“Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes!

Nehemiah 8:10-11
Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” The Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for this is a holy day. Do not grieve.”

Psalm 37:7
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Zechariah 2:13
Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.”

Mark 4:39
Jesus got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

(bold emphasis mine)

2024 Word of the Year: Thrive!

A friend asked questions about 2023…
What was your highlight of 2023? What about your challenge? 

Do you have a word of the year or goal for 2024?

Here are my answers…
Turning 50 and having a fun party was my highlight, and losing my Dad was my biggest challenge…

My word of the new year is Thrive! 

I desire health, strength, and more of God in my life! This past year, I began walking or doing yoga nearly every day, and it was SO good for me. I plan to keep it up! It is good cardio exercise and good stress relief! I struggled a bit mentally after my Dad passed away, for about 6-7 months. I still journal about him and about other things, and that helped. Seeing a therapist 5-6 times helped too. I am doing well now, but I can always do better!

Another goal of mine this year is to give up SUGAR! I've been reading a few books which have motivated me, including "The 40-day Sugar Fast" by Wendy Speake, and "The Case Against Sugar" by Gary Taubes.  The Sugar Fast book is more spiritual, focusing on growing closer to GOD and craving HIM instead of sugar. There is one daily reading, a small chapter and I have really enjoyed it so far. The other book was recommended by Wendy Speake and goes into the science, history, and facts about sugar in the USA and around the world. It was been VERY interesting! SO giving up sugar is one way that I hope I will THRIVE!

This is the verse that I have chosen to go with it..."That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers."
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Actually, all of Psalm 1 is what I'll be thinking about and focusing on this year. I hope to strive to thrive! (see what I did there... haha!) I don't want to just survive, I want to thrive!

Definition: To thrive means to prosper, grow, or develop, flourish, bear fruit, radiate, bloom, blossom, or advance. I want to flourish in my physical, mental, and spiritual health, as well as have healthy relationships too!

Giving up sugar was partially motivated by several things:

1. I have aches and pains every day, mostly in my back and neck. My shoulder muscles have been hurting since I began college in 1991! I am fed up with feeling terrible half of the time. I know that sugar has been a big inflammation factor for me, so I hope that giving it up with reduce some or all of my inflammation!

2. I have noticed over the past 3 months that when I would eat sugar (ice cream, cookies, etc.,) in the evening, I wouldn't be able to sleep for a long time, or not sleep well at all. Caffeine has done the same thing to me before, and I cut out all decaf and regular coffee after 1:00 or 2:00 p.m. years ago! I don't eat dairy either and dairy-free, sugar-free ice cream seems like a waste! I've found other great desserts that I like a lot.

3. I have a lot of diabetes in my family. Both of my grandmothers dealt with it, both of my parents did at one time, and my two older brothers also have diabetes. My sister recently found out that she is borderline diabetic, so that is not good either! The Case Against Sugar talks a lot about diabetes and its history, and it even calls Alzheimer's "Type 3 Diabetes!" I have noticed that sugar affects my memory sometimes. 

I have basically given up sugar since Thanksgiving. I had pie at Thanksgiving and was achy for 2-3 days afterward. It is not worth it to me! I have noticed that my Candida has been feeling lower, and I know that is fueled by sugar too. While I have not had high blood sugar in a blood test before, I want to be careful. All of this is to say that my health is another area that  I want to THRIVE in 2024!

What about you? How would you answer the questions above? Do you choose a word of the year to focus on? 

Matthew 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Isaiah 52:13
See, my servant will act wisely(or prosper);
he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.

Proverbs 29:2
When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice;
when the wicked rule, the people groan.
Proverbs 29:16
When the wicked thrive, so does sin,
but the righteous will see their downfall.

Psalm 92: 12-15
The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
planted in the house of the Lord,
they will flourish in the courts of our God.
They will still bear fruit in old age,
they will stay fresh and green,
 proclaiming, “The Lord is upright;
he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”

Praying for your teen's spiritual health

 As a Christian parent, I often pray for my children. At times, my prayers seem stagnant or almost insincere. I feel like I pray the same things over and over and over. So when I read something that talks about a different way to pray for my teens, and especially for their health in any way, it sparks some interest. I recently read an article by Crossway about ways to pray for your teen's spiritual health. I really appreciated the article and found it to be thought-provoking. It called me to action on behalf of my teenage daughters.

You can read the full article here: https://www.crossway.org/articles/how-to-pray-for-your-teens-spiritual-growth/

I will sum it up for you below. 

1. Pray for their salvation, and/or that they will be a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

2. Pray for gospel friendships, and for others that will follow Jesus together with your teen (1 Samuel 18:1).

3. That God would give them a growing appetite for His Word (1 Peter 2:2–3).

4. That their faith would move from their head to their heart (Psalm 42:1).

5. Pray for influential voices in between your age and theirs (Titus 2:1–6), that would speak into their lives and reinforce the truths that parents teach.

6. Pray for a growing love for the church, for fellowship with other believers (Ephesians 2:19-22).

7. That they would have the courage to live for Christ in a pagan culture, treasure Christ above all else, and not conform to the pattern of the world (Romans 12:1-2).

So parents, let's pray.

I took a few moments and wrote the above list on an index card. I like this list because I can pray for one thing each day of the week. I hope that by sharing these ideas you will join me in praying for your children each day. What a privilege that we have to bring our child before HIS throne each day!

Romans 12:1-2

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.  Do not conform 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.

1 Peter 2:2-3
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

My testimony

Definition- Testimony: (noun) an open declaration or profession, as of faith.

Attention: This is a very vulnerable post for me to share, I have prayed about it...

 I heard a podcast recently that talked about writing down your testimony, in an effort to share it with others but also to make it able to condense into a few minutes to talk about. I thought that that was something I have never really done, so I decided I should do that.

I was raised in a Christian home. We went to church every Sunday morning and a lot of Sunday evenings. My mom said that I accepted Christ when I was young, but I don't remember that. I remember learning Bible verses and chapters in Sunday School and learning about God, but it almost seemed like book learning in a way.

We moved several states away and left our Christian school, family and church when I was almost twelve years old. We went to a different denomination of church in our small town. One summer (age 13 or 14) not too long after we moved, I decided to attend a Christian camp with friends from church. It was a beautiful place in the mountains, and I loved my time there. While I was there, I accepted Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of my life. During a quiet time one evening, the leaders asked if we had accepted Christ, and talked about what it was and what it meant. I thought about it and couldn't remember doing this before.

This time, my heart seemed to change. I desired to read my Bible more and wanted to learn more about Jesus. I grew slowly over the years in middle school and high school. I moved away from home to go to college. In high school, I attended Young Life and really enjoyed my Campaigners Bible Study group. When I went to college, I contacted a Young Life leader there. I was a Young Life leader in college for 2 years. I struggled to find a church in my new town. I attended a large church for a year but decided I needed a change. I changed churches and eventually came to the same church that I still attend today.

We had a good size college group and I really enjoyed the Bible Studies and Sunday School classes. I learned a lot about having a daily quiet time, mentoring younger Christians, and sharing the Lord. Over the years of my marriage, having children, raising kids, homeschooling, etc., I have continued to have daily quiet time. It's really important to me. Church attendance has been a staple in my life. I have loved hearing different pastors, learning about God, and His Word, and deepening my relationship with Him.

My relationship with God is THE most valuable thing in my life. I look forward to going to heaven when I die and seeing many friends and family who have gone before me. I love having the hope of heaven in my life.

What about you? What is your testimony?

Matthew 24:14
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Acts 14:17
Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”

1 John 5:9
We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son.

Music Monday: "The Goodness of God"

 This song was recently played at a young man's memorial service, and I really enjoyed the lyrics. I've had it in my head since we sang it again yesterday at church. It still makes me sad for the family, but it is a great praise song. Because in all of the good times and the trials, God is still good.

I hope you'll read the lyrics and take a listen. 

 "The Goodness of God" by Jenn Johnson

I love You, Lord
Oh, Your mercy never fails me
All my days, I've been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

And all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
And in darkest night You are close like no other
I've known You as a Father
I've known You as a Friend
And I have lived in the goodness of God, yeah

And all my life You have been faithful, oh
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God, yeah

'Cause Your goodness is running after, it's running after me
Your goodness is running after, it's running after me
With my life laid down, I'm surrendered now
I give You everything
'Cause Your goodness is running after, it's running after me
'Cause Your goodness is running after, it's running after me
Your goodness is running after, it's running after me
With my life laid down, I'm surrendered now
I give You everything
'Cause Your goodness is running after, it keeps running after me

And all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I'm gonna sing of the goodness of God
I'm gonna sing, I'm gonna sing

'Cause all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I'm gonna sing of the goodness of God
Oh, I'm gonna sing of the goodness of God

We love You for that
One for all my days

You can listen to this song here.

Psalm 73:1

Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.

Psalm 73:28
But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.

Psalm 84:11
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

Psalm 147:1
Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!

VBS 2022 highlights

 We had a wonderful VBS this year at our church. My whole family served this year, no more kids in VBS! That was different... My oldest daughter and her husband were in town for 4-5 days and she even held workers' babies in the nursery at VBS! We had SO much fun hanging out with kids all day but we are exhausted! I'm thankful for the amazing week that we had, and for the time to relax this week. 

My husband played guitar and led the band again. We played live music, which is always a bit of work for him, but the kids really do enjoy seeing their helpers and leaders on stage. He had a bigger band this year, with an extra electric guitarist and a cellist, alongside the usual bass & electric guitar, keyboard, drums, and 4 singers/ dancers. The music was so great! The kids learned the daily song each day during snack/music time with the 4 singers/dancers.

My son served as the games' leader for the second year in a row. His friend from church was an assistant leader, as well as a crew of 8 other teenagers/ young adults. They did great and it was very organized outside!

My 15-year-old was a leader assistant in the 2nd-3rd grade group. She had lots of fun with them, knew their names, got to know them, and was sad at the end of the week because she will miss her new friends. She made them thread bracelets and gave them out to 35-40 kids! She was an asset to our crew, for sure! She was also in the VBS band as a singer/ dancer (pictured above ^^).

My youngest daughter (age 13) helped this year with our Pre-K group. She wasn't so sure that she would like it, but she did. She had a good time with the little guys. She led the games group outside. She also helped them learn the motions for the daily songs. She also worked in the sound room on the projector, posting the words at the correct time when the kids/ group was singing.

She is playing Red Light, Green Light with bags of clay (above), and Duck Duck Goose (below).

As the director, I had fun wearing different silly hats each day. I wanted to be easy to find in a crowd since we had about 350 people on our church campus every day! I had a good time wearing them, and the kids often commented on my different hats.

The kids LOVED the flamingo hat, so many said it was silly and "Why are you wearing a flamingo hat?" I said, "Why not?! It's fun!" It did get heavy and warm on my head after a while.

Here is a friend wearing my hat...

Another view of the flamingo hat...and of the red hat with a flower.

Here is the green golf-type hat, 

I also wore a cheeseburger hat...

...and my Disney Cinderella ears! 

I also did the skits with my daughter, Mallory. The pictures are all from the back of the room, but you can get the idea. (Sorry they're blurry!) I wore my oldest daughter's black graduation gown and a big, blue top hat with silver snowflakes on it. I was "Professor Spark" and we did mini science experiments. I had a good time doing them, it brought back my drama days in middle and high school.

One boy told me that he knew it was me on stage because of my shoes! So attentive to details!

We had 260 different kids come to VBS and had over 100 volunteers for the first time ever! Usually, we have about 75-85 volunteers! We had 8 children accept Christ, which is a total blessing that I (we) 

had a small part in it! I was the emcee on stage again and acted in the skits with my daughter. 

Here is a picture of our yummy-looking snacks...

This was called "glitter glue," and it had fun-fetti cake mix, whipped topping, and vanilla pudding mixed together. I never had a taste of it, but everyone said it was delicious!

Lastly, here is my oldest daughter holding a sweet babe in the nursery.

 Here is our theme verse...

Ephesians 2:10 

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Psalm 104:24
How many are your works, Lord!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.

Matthew 21:9

 The crowds that went ahead of Jesus and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

Book review: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

 I recently read a very thought-provoking book called, "The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry" by John Mark Comer. It was so good. It changed the way I think about many things in my life. It changed the way that I view rest and Sabbath.

First, I need to back up a little bit. Several months ago, in the fall I heard about a podcast called "MomLife" while listening to the Christian radio station. As it turned out, I found a different one than was advertised, but no matter. The one I found is one that I really liked. In the podcast, the ladies were discussing this book that they had all read, "The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry" and how it changed each of their lives. I was intrigued since I had heard of the book.

There were four different podcasts that I listened to. Each one talked about a different chapter of the book, which was Silence & Solitude, Sabbath, Simplicity, and Slowing. I listened to each podcast, took copious notes, and became more intrigued about this book. I put it on my Christmas list, talked about it a lot, and then received it for Christmas from my husband.

I found this book to be an easy read. I was not crazy about the layout, which has many paragraph separations but I got used to it. The author begins with his own story of how he became convicted that the "hurry" lifestyle of our culture is not the way of Christ. The main verse that he quotes is...

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

The author discusses how this is an invitation for all of us stressed-out, burned-out, tired people behind on their to-do lists just to make it through the day. He says that if you want to experience the life of Jesus, you have to adopt the lifestyle of Jesus. (pg. 82) Jesus realizes that the most restful gift He can give the tired is a new way to carry life, a fresh way to bear responsibilities. He offers us a whole new way to bear the weight of our humanity: with ease. With Jesus doing the heavy lifting, at his pace... slow, unhurried, present in the moment, full of love, joy, and peace. (pg 88)

The author goes on to discuss Jesus' life and lifestyle as presented in the Gospels. He was not stressed out, he did not snap at others, he was not in a hurry. His schedule was full, but he never came off hurried. He was constantly interrupted, yet was not agitated or annoyed by them. Jesus commonly woke up early and went off to a quiet place to be with his Father. You don't read stories of Jesus out shopping, grabbing the latest sandals or new clothes. He spent time with people. He shared meals with them. Jesus put on display an unhurried life, where space for God and people were his top priorities. Because he said yes to his Father, he said no to many other countless invitations. (pg 92-93)

John Mark Comer breaks down getting rid of the fast pace of our lives in four major areas: Silence and Solitude, Sabbath, Simplicity, and Slowing. How many of us really allow times of total silence to our day? I know I tend to fill the quiet with music or a podcast. Instead, we could pray more. What if we put down our phones (stop the dopamine hit we get from it) and stare out the window? What if we appreciated nature and God's creation instead of the latest meme? What if we talked to our family at breakfast instead of playing a game on our phone? What if we talked to someone in line or prayed instead of checking our email all the time? 

I found the chapter on the Sabbath to be intriguing. I have decided to be off of my phone as much as possible for the WHOLE day on Sunday. The author actually turns his phone OFF for 24 hours. With my aging parents and being in charge of our church prayer chain, I don't feel like I can turn my phone totally off. But I don't pick it up 34 times either. If someone texts me, I will respond. If someone calls me, I will answer. But I try to REST as much as possible. I take a break from social media for a whole day. I do not play games on my phone. I have found it to be wonderfully freeing. One Sunday I did not look at my phone all day until 7:00 p.m. when I face-timed my oldest daughter. It was so great!

On Sundays, I also try not to work. I do not shop and make others need to work. I am not legalistic about it. I do not send emails for my Tuesday classes. I don't turn on my computer unless I really, really need to. I go to church, do the Sunday crossword, relax, read a book, play games, make a good dessert, take a nap, talk to my kids and hubby, go for a walk, etc., Whatever I find to do that is restful, slow, delightful and worshipful. I slow down to enjoy life with God, who offers everything that materialism promises but can never deliver- contentment. (pg. 169)

I was not one who was caught in the "rat race" of America. But I do like to do things quickly. I walk fast. I type fast. I noticed that I try to wash my hands quickly. Does rubbing them quickly make 20 seconds go by faster? No! I like to drive fast. Pastor Comer addresses this too... drive the speed limit! He talks about many, many ways to enjoy a restful lifestyle. He admits that he has days where he still tries to hurry. Of course, so do I. But then I remember how Christ slowed down to pray. So I will too, as I eliminate hurry from my life.

I hope you will take the time to read this impactful book. I may need to read it again next year!

1 Thessalonians 4:10-11
"I urge you, brothers and sisters... to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life."

Matthew 6:33

"Seek FIRST the kingdom of God..."

Ephesians 5:15-16
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

Sunday Ministry Spouse

 My husband is the worship pastor at our church. This article that I read in a Christian magazine called, "The Banner" resonated with me, as a "Sunday ministry spouse." It reminded me that October is Pastor Appreciation month, please don't forget to thank your pastor and family for their ministry in your life!

It was written from a wife to her husband, and she is the director of discipleship ministries at her church in Ohio. I felt it was written to me, so I will tweak it slightly and include it below:

To the spouse who supports me in Sunday morning ministry (and the many people with family members) who serve in churches:

I know Sunday mornings are not the peaceful, relaxed times that so many of your friends enjoy.

There are no tranquil Sunday brunches, no sleeping in, no impromptu weekends away at the cottage, a few weekends away at all.

We are among the first at church and the last to leave.

For four hours in the day of rest, you keep track of our children while I am leading other people in ----- (fill in the blank... worship, Bible Study, prayer, or helping their kids). On Sunday morning the sacred time that most families spend together, you are on part-time parent duty.

You are my go-to last-minute nursery (or praise team) volunteer. You jump in as greeter for newcomers, basketball teammate for children, and server for meals at special events. 

You listen and listen and listen as I process what ministry means, as I struggle with the challenges of finding volunteers, of church politics, of trying to get others on board with my vision, or striving to bring growth in a slow-moving, albeit wise, institution.

You didn't know when you said your vows that you'd be signing up for all this-- saying no to weekend social events because we are booked every weekend; leaving Saturday evening events early because Sunday is my Monday; saying no to vacations during Christmas or Easter; becoming a default volunteer for most activities on our church's calendar; staying home with the kids on evenings during the week when I have to work.

My ministry is in the foreground- the children's messages, the preaching, the worship leading, the games, and teaching, and songs and activities (whatever the role may be for me). My ministry can be measured and recognized by hours and smiles on faces. I'm the one who gets thank yous and hugs. Your ministry is in the background, and like so many in Scripture, you do the quiet, seldom-recognized work of supporting.

And you do it willingly. Over and over again you offer to step in. Over and over again you hear my frustrations and joys, my prayers, and my challenges.

A helpmate. When I see all that you do Sunday after Sunday, I can think of a few better words.

I see you and the pastors' spouses and ministers' children and families of people in vocational ministry. I know there are thousands of hidden hours that you put into our callings. I am so grateful. Thank you for all of the work that you do to make my work possible.

-adapted from an article by Melissa Kuipers, 2021

Genesis 2:18
The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

Ephesians 5:31
“For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”

Philemon 1:4
I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers...

"Concrete and Cranes" VBS 2021

 This week our church is holding our VBS, called "Concrete and Cranes," which is from Lifeway. When we heard about this theme 2 years ago, my first thought was, "What about the girls?" I read a blog post at Lifeway about that, and they said that with all of the STEM teaching happening these days that they thought that girls would really enjoy it too. And surprisingly, the girls have loved it as much as the boys! 

With a year of COVID behind us, we initially began planning in late February to have VBS all outdoors. We planned to rent some large tents and discussed how we could make it work. Our restrictions relaxed in our county in March, and we decided to do a few more things inside. It is a good thing because this week has been part of our hottest June yet! It usually doesn't reach 100+* here until mid-July, but this year we got those temperatures in mid-June! Our snack and games have still been outside, though.

As the director again this year, I looked online for a way to calm kids down, especially since we usually have over 150 kids in our worship rallies. It is tough to get them all quiet at once! So our tagline this year has been, "Who is our strong foundation?" and the kids answer "JESUS!" and then they all need to be quiet. It has been working pretty well. I've held a stop sign (cardboard) in my hand a few times too.

I'm so thankful for our great crafts crew, who found great ideas to make concrete magnets with rocks and jewels and crosses inside. The kids also loved decorating soup cans today (all cleaned out) with nuts and bolts, pom poms, googly eyes, rick-rack, yarn, and more. The kids have had fun making and creating different things, and I'm sure they'll enjoy what we have in store the next two days too.

Our games crew has been working hard to get kids playing different things, such as fun kinds of tag, dressing up in construction hats, gloves, vests, and more. My son has been leading games most of this week and has done a great job! The kids like him too and have climbed all over him since he is tall and strong.

The Bible leaders have been creative, doing things like having the kids act out the different stories, discussing the WHOLE Bible, and encouraging kids in their faith. Just today we had THREE girls accept Christ-- HOORAY!!!

I'm so thankful for our volunteers, this year we have over 80 people from our church and community helping us. We have several kids that have grown up in our VBS that are first-time helpers now. It is so fun to see! Everyone has been great, getting on their knees and keeping kids involved.

After missing VBS in 2020 (I cried at home on the day we were supposed to start), it is even sweeter to be all together this year. I LOVE hearing nearly 200 kids praising God in our sanctuary. I get goosebumps hearing them singing, "JESUS is everything you need!" There are wonderful truths put forth in our songs, and I thoroughly adore hearing God's name be praised! 

I will leave you with our verse of the week, and other verses we have used...

"I am sure of this that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion, until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6

John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Matthew 7:24
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock."

Lent 2021

 This year for Lent, I did two things. At the end of January, I took a blood test which showed food sensitivities such as peanuts, almonds, soy, dairy, and more. I began an elimination diet at that point in time. Several of my cousins suggested that I try to do the Whole30 diet. I researched the diet, and it was not much more than what I was already doing. The main difference between my diet and the Whole30 diet was that the diet said no gluten and no sugar. I thought I could try it for Lent. One of my sweet cousins sent me her Whole30 book AND her Whole30 cookbook.

I did not read every word of each book, but I read most of the intro to the main book, and then I copied a bunch of recipes to use. Every recipe that we made from these books was very tasty! They were well seasoned and had a nice variety of meats, veggies and fruit. 

 I did not follow the guide perfectly. The author says no smoothies because drinking your food sends a wrong message to your brain. Sorry, I did drink smoothies about once a week or so. They were only fruit, flax seeds, and Whole30-approved protein powder. I ate a lot of nuts (mostly walnuts and pecans) with raisins for snacks. They do allow nuts but try to restrict eating too many, as well as dried fruit, mostly because it usually contains added sugar. I did chew some gum, but not until after 20 days or so... a lot of gum contains soy. The author does not recommend replacing sugar with other additives, but just to go without. She says, "You will survive 30 days without cream or sugar in your coffee." I haven't put sugar in my coffee for years, and I've used alternative kinds of milk for several years. Right now I really like oat milk!

A yummy dinner with greens, pork chops, applesauce, and cauliflower rice... we loved it!

I did like the diet, there were so many great recipes that we enjoyed for dinner. I found eating eggs every breakfast to be getting boring, which is why I had a smoothie sometimes and varied the eggs and meat. For lunch, I ate canned chicken, cashew butter, and apple/ banana/ celery, or grapes, kiwi, olives, or leftover dinners. I felt like I missed gluten the most. I hadn't been eating a lot of bread or sugar anyway, but I do like a piece of toast, a tortilla, or an English muffin with breakfast. I was glad that I could still eat white potatoes. I missed legumes a little bit. In all, it was a good challenge for me. I do not know if I lost any weight, because we don't own a scale! That was not important to me, it was just that I wanted to eat healthier meals. 

Another thing that I did was I read a devotional book each day in addition to my other daily devotions. I found this book at Goodwill. It was a really nice book to read. It had some great challenges and different things to "fast," such as pride, appearances, spending for a day, apathy, revisionism, stinginess, and much more. It had a reading, a reflection, something to fast, a reading about the history of Lent, and a Bible reading each day. It was very well written, and I learned things that I did not know. I learned about the woman who broke an alabaster vial of nard, but that it was spikenard, an essential oil that I own! I was fascinated to think that Jesus may have smelled like spikenard for several days after that anointing, and probably even while He was on the cross! It has a woody, musky smell to it. My husband really likes the scent.

What did you do for Lent this year? Did you learn anything new? I'd love to hear about it!

John 12:3
Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

John 16:32-33
 “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.
 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 15:5
 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing.

"The Noise we Make"/ worship

 Several years ago, I read a book that my husband has in his office at church by Chris Tomlin, called, "The Way I Was Made." I remember enjoying learning more about Chris, how he got started in music and how he wrote several of his songs. There was one chapter that stuck with me though. It was the chapter called, "The Noise we Make." It discusses worship styles, and how they can be so divisive in a church. There are many, many different worship styles in churches across the world, in our country, and even in our own church. Some people don't like drums. Some people are uncomfortable raising their hands. Some people don't even like to sing. I am not one of those people.

But worship is not really about US, is it? It is to God, for God and God alone. It is not about me, my comfort and my desire to be favorably looked at by others. This chapter changed the way I feel about raising my hands in worship. 

When I visited my sister-in-law's church in college and after, I was amazed how many people raised their hands. I tried it, and instantly began sweating, like other people were staring down my back. It took a long time until I felt comfortable raising my hands in church. Chris Tomlin talks about reasons that we raise our hands. We raise hands in school or classes when we need help. We raise hands with the police to show that we surrender, we mean no harm, or that we do not bear a weapon. We raise hands to cheer and support musicians or sports stars at a concert or game. We raise hands as a child when we want to be picked up and comforted by a parent.

I think that all of these (above) reasons apply to worship...we need help, we surrender, we cheer/ support God, we want comfort and acceptance by God. If we raise our hands to others, how much more should we lift up our hands to God? Psalm 134:2 says, "Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord." Why? Raising our hands to God communicates many different, important things.

Chris Tomlin goes on to talk about bowing down in worship, being still before Him (many of us do that well), shouting for joy, and even dancing. I tend to not stand still in church when I sing. I sway side to side, I tap my leg with my hand along to the beat of the music, and more. Ecclesiastes talks about there being a time to dance (3:4). When the ark of the Covenant (a symbol of God's presence) was returned to Jerusalem, David danced before the Lord with all his might (2 Samuel 6:14-15). David was so grateful for what God was doing that he just had to dance. Even when his wife Michal scolded him later for embarrassing her in public, David was defiant and told her that he would celebrate before the Lord, and would become even more undignified than this (vv. 21-22).

Worshipping God isn't about having the perfect voice, the perfect dance moves or a great sense of rhythm. It's not about how we look at all. Dancing and worshipping before God is all about our heart. We may risk looking uncool in public. It is not a cool thing in our world to give full-on praise, applause and glory to God. Worship calls for that kind of abandonment to the full joy of God's presence. Will we risk being a David-- putting aside what others may think and simply express to God how thankful we are to be in His presence?

Ultimately, worship styles, singing songs and music is not about loud or quiet. It's not about amplification or acoustic, contemporary or traditional. It's not about what you do with your hands or feet. It is about Jesus. He is the true object of our worship and affection. God sees into our hearts. Can we claim and declare, "Your name and your renown are the desire of our souls" (Isaiah 6:8)? Join me and others as we open our hands, hearts, throw back our heads to shout, dance and exult in the honor of our King of Kings.

(Many thoughts are taken from the chapter "The Noise we Make" in Chris Tomlin's book. I agree with his thoughts and have found truth in them. I challenge you to get out of your comfort zone and worship God in a new way. If it makes you uncomfortable or look uncool, that is okay. "We bring a sacrifice of praise..." (Heb. 13:15

"Holy Is The Lord" by Chris Tomlin

We stand and lift up our hands
For the joy of the Lord is our strength
We bow down and worship Him now
How great, how awesome is He

And together we sing

Holy is the Lord God Almighty
The earth is filled with His glory
Holy is the Lord God Almighty...

What do you think? Do you raise your hands when you worship God?

Psalm 54:6
I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you; I will praise your name, Lord, for it is good.

Jonah 2:9
But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’”

Hebrews 13:15
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.

Old hymns

 Recently, I was "laid up" with lower back & hip problems. I spent a lot of time sitting. There is only so much reading and crossword puzzles that I could do until I was BORED. Friends on Facebook had some good suggestions, but I still wanted a project or something to work on.

My hubby suggested that I help him with his work. He'd been wanting to do this project for a while but never made time to do it. I could do this proofreading on the computer, I could sit, and I could do it when I had time. Generally, my girls are on the computers in the morning during homeschool. I took time on several afternoons and evenings to proofread for him.

He has computer software that we use in our church. He had downloaded the lyrics to many old hymns but hadn't checked them against OUR hymnal. That is where I came in. I sat down with the hymnal, chose a song (they were in alphabetical order), and then I would read the lyrics on the screen and in the hymnbook to compare them. Many of the hymns had one or two words different, some had a phrase different, and some had extra verses or mixed verses that I fixed. Many times I would change a word like favour to favor or add a comma here and there. I like to proofread, so it was a good job for me.

What I didn't realize about this task was how much I would enjoy it. I love the praise songs that we sing in churches today. People always say that old hymns have better theology. Yes, some of them do. But many are just as repetitive as the praise songs. I love old hymns. I vividly remember singing them in church as a little girl, surrounded by my extended family. I especially remember hearing my grandmother singing (a little off-key) to "How Great Thou Art" and "Great is Thy Faithfulness."

There are so many great lyrics that I remembered as I reread them. One song I didn't know was a hymn was made popular several years ago by Aaron Shust, called "I Am Not Skilled to Understand." He added a chorus to the hymn and renamed it, "My Savior, My God." Casting Crowns did a similar thing a few years ago with their song, "Glorious Day."

Here are some verses of songs that I really liked...

"O worship the King all glorious above,

And gratefully sing His wonderful love,

Our Shield and Defender the Ancient of Days,

Pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise." (O Worship the King)

""Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His Word,

Just to rest upon His promise, just to know, "Thus saith the Lord."

Jesus, Jesus how I trust Him! How I've proved Him o'er and o'er!

Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus, O for grace to trust Him more!" ('Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus)

"We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing,

He chastens and hastens His will to make know;

The wicked oppressing now cease fro distressing:

Sing praises to His name-He forgets not His own." (We Gather Together)

"Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation!

O my soul praise Him for He is thy health and salvation!

All ye who hear, Now to His temple draw near,

Join me in glad adoration!" (Praise to the Lord, the Almighty)

And this one was an old favorite...

"Is your burden heavy as you bear it all alone?

Does the road you travel harbor danger yet unknown?

Are you growing weary in the struggle of it all? 

Jesus will help you when on His name you call.

He is always there, hearing every prayer, faithful and true,

walking by our side, in His love we hide all the day through,

When you get discouraged just remember what to do-

Reach out to Jesus, He's reaching out to you." (Reach Out to Jesus) 

There are many others that I love too... including "For Those Tears I Died," "Come, ye thankful people come," "Holy, Holy, Holy," and "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee." Just to name a few!

What are some of your favorite hymns? Any of the ones that I chose?

1 Chronicles 16:9
Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.

Psalm 13:6
I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.

James 5:13
Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.

Devotionals

In this challenging time when many of us are alone, or at home much more with just our family members, I feel that it is more important than ever to cling to God. I know many people have different views of God. This post will not be for everyone. But I know there are some very lonely people right now, and they need encouragement, just like anyone of us who has family members around. It is important to keep meeting one-on-one as we can in our homes, and calling each other too.

There are several on-line devotionals that I enjoy. Some of them are apps for the smartphone. Others will be websites that you can sign up to get an email each day or once a week. I just thought maybe someone could use some encouragement from God and other Christian believers in this way.

One app that I really enjoy, is called 1st 5. It is the idea that the first five minutes of your day is dedicated to God. It is mostly for women, however. It is a division of Proverbs 31 ministries and has daily devotionals from writers like Lysa TerkHurst, Grace Fox, Denise J. Hughes and many more.

I also receive a daily devotional email from Ann Voskamp. I loved her book One-Thousand Gifts and I enjoy most of her emails, written by her and guest writers that she has "on her porch". You can find her webpage here.

There is a website that I like called CrossCards, where you can find online Christian e-cards. They also have a daily devotional called "Your Daily Prayer." You can find it here.

Focus on the Family has different devotionals on topics too. You can also listen to their daily broadcast online. You can find their webpage here.

We like watching videos by the Bible Project also. We've find them to be informative and interesting. You can find them here. 

Another app that several people in our family enjoy is called The Bible App. There are many devotions on the app on different topics that you can enjoy for 5 days, 7 days, 10 days, 30 days, etc.,

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association also has a short devotion on their website. Just click on the calendar day and it brings you to another page for a reading and prayer. You can find that here. You can sign up for email devotions too.

My Utmost for His Highest is a popular devotional book. Did you know that you can read it online each day or sign up for email? You can find it here.

Another book that I really enjoyed reading a few years ago as a devotional was called Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon. You can sign up to get an email twice a day from them here.

Chuck Swindoll is another popular pastor and speaker, and he has a daily devotional called "Insight for Today." You can sign up for his email and read it online here.


I hope that you can find something new to encourage you and read about the best book in the world--God's Word, the Bible! Getting into His Word is so important, and it encourages me each day. I hope you can find a daily reading that you can enjoy too!


Verses on encouragement:

1 Thessalonians 5:10-11 
He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Acts 11:22-24 
News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

Hebrews 3:13-14 
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.