Latest update (written a week ago...)

(So apparently I am getting really good at writing a post and then failing to publish it. Life is a bit crazy right now as we have Family VBS this week. Most of my extra time has been spent planning, purchasing, meeting, etc... but enough about all that, here's some of what we have been up to.)

Soccer season has ended for both Jack and Stephen. Our evenings, while still busy, have less to contend with as practices are no longer an issue. Last Saturday, Stephen's team finished their season with a tournament. I think that this may be the only still picture I have from his season. (That's what happens when the main family photographer is a coach.)

 Here are some fun pictures from the pool. The kids are in it almost daily now and loving it. The last item is a video of Emma, who went from barely moving off the steps three weeks ago to jumping in and having a great time. She is getting braver and braver and her swimming skills have greatly improved as well.

Jeremiah-Part 3

It has been awhile since I did a Jeremiah post. I have continued to study and read this book, but finding time to type out a post has been difficult. And this post...well, it might offend some people. Remember these are my thoughts and feelings.

I want to look at one verse and really challenge you and myself to consider how far our American Christian culture has fallen.

"A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: The prophets prophecy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?" Jeremiah 5:30-31

As the American culture has transitioned into a postmodern world view (basically that each person defines truth for themselves and they would rather question than accept absolute truth), the American church too has chosen to become more like the world rather than set apart in many ways. Now please understand that I do believe that there are churches that are taking stands to be all that God has called them to be and they are wrestling with how to reach this culture but not become part of it. However, I do also believe that the majority of the churches in American have been swayed to accept in even the smallest of areas part of the postmodern worldview.

When I read Jeremiah 5, I actually wrote in my Bible right next to these verses, "This could be speaking of the church in America."  We have been speaking less and less absolute Truth from the pulpits. We work hard to keep everyone comfortable and desire that they walk away in awe of the show, rather than the power of God. 

Now of course this begs the question, "If I simply keep my mouth shut about something that I know to be true, am I then lying?"  I believe that when pastors and church leaders fail to speak about the absolute truths in God's Word that they are liars, false teachers, and ruling by their own authority. They have in essence decided to "play God" as they determine what is necessary to speak on and what is not. The entire Word of God is necessary for the believer. We cannot pick out the nice fuzzy stuff and dismiss the hard and difficult.

I think, even though I am in ministry (and I have been challenging myself in the area of Truth telling) it was actually the phrase "and my people love it this way" that really struck me. We in America are all about comfort and pleasure. We don't want to be challenged to think deeply about things. We want someone to hand us our spiritual food in the "happy meal package".  I call it the "happy meal syndrome" in the church. We want it hot, fast and with a toy. We don't want to be inconvenienced if the service goes over by even just a few minutes. We don't want to feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit, we would rather just be affirmed that we are good because we are at church for one hour. And we want to be entertained in the process.

One thing that bugs me is when people become upset over a style of preaching or worship. Yes, we all have preferences in these areas, however if we are in tune with God and His Spirit then He can speak to us and grow us and change us no matter if the style is not "our style".  God is not bound by style. He wants our hearts to be open and submitted to Him.

Consider your church. Oh, the preacher may indeed be preaching from the Bible, but is he challenging you to live radically different from this world and to be transformed more and more into a fully devoted follower of Christ? Maybe you are in ministry, are you challenging people to be changed by and through the power of God or are you making it easy for them to get by with a "good" life? Honestly, this hits home to me as a person in leadership within a church. I continue to wrestle with how this looks in our church.

Disclaimer: I am NOT speaking about using the Bible to promote an agenda for political gain. The Bible speaks to the sanctity of life and to same sex relationships and those types of topics; however it again becomes a "priests" own authority when they use those topics to further a personal/political agenda.

Memorial Day

Below are some pictures from last weekend. I actually had these pictures uploaded a few days ago (along with another post that I started last week) but I am just now getting around to posting. Better late than never I suppose. Enjoy!!

Over the weekend our house looked like a beach house with all of the towels hanging out to dry after a day in the pool. To me, this is the look of summer!

This is my new friend "Red". He is beautiful.

What we have been up to lately...

The school has a yearly Arts and Science Fair that is a showcase for the entire school (Pre-K thru 12th grade). For the elementary classes they focus on a few different science projects. Both Jack (presentation on the left) and Stephen did projects dealing with animals and they both chose elephants. Both boys did an excellent job.

Emma's class had an Olympic theme for a few days. During this time I got to teach a soccer clinic and then one of the other moms taught field hockey. Since the field hockey demonstration was just outside my office I got to go watch. (I played field hockey when I was younger and it is a sport I still love.) It was fun to watch Emma learn some basics.

These are our kiddos. (The one that is all dressed up is our "adopted" daughter.) It was Jr/Sr Banquet night and we played the honorary role of mom and dad (aka-photographers). Not quite sure we are ready for high school and dating and all of that...

 Jack is busy playing soccer. He is doing a great job on the field and in the goal. It is fun to watch! (Stephen is also playing soccer, however since I help coach his team, I haven't gotten any pictures. He is also doing really well, he has scored multiple goals in each game.)

At Jack's "home" field there is a walking path. It is a little over a mile long. Stephen and Emma usually run 2-3 laps while Alex will run up to 5. I think they are crazy! But they are having fun.

The school had a fundraiser at a Lancaster Barnstormers game (independent baseball league). It was fun as the school had a section of seats you could purchase tickets from, so we were close to friends. The game was fun and the home team won, plus the evening ended with a fabulous fireworks display. We are grateful and blessed to be a part of this school family.

And the pool is open for the summer! The water temp is a bit on the chilly side for me but I am sure it won't be long before we are all in the water. Alex is learning to help keep the pool clean. Emma is excited because she can touch the bottom and doesn't need her life jacket. Her goal is to learn how to swim this summer. Again, I am sure it won't take long.

Speaking of Emma learning new things. Here is a video of her after just two or three 15 minute lessons with daddy. No training wheels and even braving the speed bump.



Jeremiah Part 2

As I continue on this journey through Jeremiah, I was struck with one verse in particular. To me, it spoke volumes. (But I am going to include the verse before it as well.)

Jeremiah 5:19-20 "Yet even in those days," declares the LORD, "I will not destroy you completely. And when the people ask, 'Why has the LORD our God done all this to us?' you will tell them, 'As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners in a land not your own.'"

I can imagine that as you read that you wonder why this verse stuck out to me. Well, it has to do with the truth that all sin leads to bondage. God didn't eliminate the nation of Israel and wipe them out. He allowed them to live in the consequences and bondage of their choices. The same is true for us.

Think about it this way (disclaimer-this may be a real life scenario in our home): My son disobeys. He is confronted about his disobedience and chooses to lie. The lie is questioned and when confronted again the lie gets bigger. My son now has to remember the lies he has told to keep himself from getting into trouble. He is now bound by those lies. When the truth is eventually admitted my son must face the consequences of not only the disobedience but the lies he has told. The effects of his lies not only damage his freedoms (most of the consequences are the loss of privileges) but also with the trust level we have with him.

In this simple example we see clearly that had our son just simply repented of his disobedience his life would be a lot more free. Free to enjoy privileges and free to gain trust from us in bigger and bigger ways.

If the nation of Israel had simply repented and turned from their wickedness and hard-heartedness they too could have been saved.

Jeremiah 4:14 "...wash the evil from your heart and be saved."

In what areas of my life is God saying to me, "Come, be cleansed and saved"? "Come and be set free."?

Do you feel trapped or bound by something in your life? Do you even realize the areas of your life that are not truly areas of freedom? I know I am often in a state of shock when I realize, "Wow, I am not free at all in that area. I need to figure out my sin issue and repent." 

It comes down to knowing The Truth.

John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth and the life."

Do you really know Jesus? Do I? He is The Truth! He is the way out of bondage and into freedom.

John 8:31b-32 "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

A Vapor

James 4:14b (NIV) says "What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."

In other versions "a mist" is called a vapor. To me vapor seems even more fragile and fleeting than mist. And I am in a season of life where I am recognizing the full extent of just how quickly life is passing.

Tomorrow we will celebrate a birthday in our home. With this birthday comes the very real reminder that we are now just one year away from being the parents of a teenager. Wasn't it just yesterday that I became a mom for the first time?

And then as this school year wraps up within the next month, we are experiencing another "last" in our home. At the end of the month, we will have our fourth Kindergartner and with that ends our need for daycare or preschool.

Life is short. We most often see it in very poignant moments when a life is cut short or tragedy strikes. But I am noticing it in the everyday moments as well.

We don't know how long our journey will be but in the scheme of eternity our life is short. So I am being reminded that I need to cherish my children and my time with them, but also be sure that they are secure in the love of God. My love for them, though enormous, is like vapor compared to God's. 

This vapor, this life that is fleeting; what I am doing with it that has eternal significance?

Jeremiah, Part 1

I have not had a post like this for a while. (The kind where I get serious and somewhat preachy.) But this is where I am at the moment and I thought I would type it out and share it with you. In fact, this will come in a few "parts" and at this point I don't know how many or how often. No matter what, I pray you are challenged to think and consider some self-application.

I recently decided to read through the book of Jeremiah. I started this probably two weeks ago and I am only through chapter six. This is not the type of "easy read" that some other books of the Bible can be, plus I want to sit and really think and be challenged by this book. So I am not sure how long it will take me to get through the entire book (there are 52 chapters).

In the first few chapters the LORD has come to Jeremiah and told him to proclaim His word, and these were not encouraging words either. Israel has at this point forsaken God. They are now worshipping the idols of other peoples.

Jeremiah 1:11-13 "But my people have exchanged their [my] Glory for worthless idols. Be appalled at this, O heavens, and shudder with great horror," declares the LORD. "My people have committed two sins: they have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water."

Jeremiah 1:19 "Your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you. Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the LORD your God and have no awe of me." declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty.

Jeremiah 2:27b "They have turned their backs to me and not their faces; yet when they are in trouble, they say. 'Come and save us!'"

That last verse really struck me as I considered how often I try to do life on my own and then when I face trouble (that I created) I call out to God and beg for His salvation and help.  I will admit, as I was reading the first few chapters and was seeing how Israel was being compared to a prostitute, I had a few moments of self-righteousness. "Well, I'm not that bad. I'm no prostitute!" But then I paused at this following verse...

Jeremiah 3:10b "...[she] did not return to me with all her heart, but only in pretense," declares the LORD.

That verse combined with 2:27b, really made me pause. How often do I turn my back toward God instead of my face and then when I come back to him for help do I only do it because it's "the right thing to do" rather than because my heart is desiring transformational change?

While reading through the LORD's frustration, anger and disappointment in the nation of Israel, there are moments of great love and hope. He still desires to have them change and come back to Him. He offers them salvation and cleansing. (4:14)

God's desire is that no one perish but that everyone come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Rather than allowing Israel to suffer and be in bondage (that will be mentioned in part 2), I believe He would have been overjoyed to have Israel realize their wickedness and repent. I also believe the same is true for us. He wants to see our faces rather than our backs and He wants us to come with our whole heart.

"Love God with ALL you heart and with ALL your soul and with ALL your mind." (Matthew 22:37, emphasis mine)