Joanne Heim

Made it to the lake!

We left yesterday at 3:38 a.m. and rolled into the condo at 4:30 yesterday afternoon. A long day that went surprisingly quick.

Sunrise over eastern Colorado:

Sleeping (and just waking up) girls:

Welcome to Kansas at 80 mph:

Playing cards:

Reading books:

Off I-70 and south on highway 87, my favorite part of the drive:

I'd love to live along this road and maybe own a barn:

Taking pictures out the window:

Mom waited for us to arrive so she and I could go to the Walmart together to grocery shop. We loaded all the groceries in the back and she said, "You have your camera?"

You bet. We take this picture every year:

We spent today reading, fishing, laying around the pool, doing a 1000-piece puzzle, eating popsicles, going out for custard, and generally eating. It was a good day!

Headed to the lake

We're getting packed up today (and cleaning house and washing sheets and mopping floors and doing laundry and all that good stuff) to head to Lake of the Ozarks tomorrow.

(Assuming, of course, that Audrey is done throwing up. Poor baby. Too much tempura last night. Or at least, that's what we're hoping it is. She seems to be feeling better now that it's out of her tummy. Prayers would be greatly appreciated!)

We head to Osage Beach every summer for a week with my family to hang out, float on the lake, play skeeball on Bagnell Dam, hit the batting cages, eat shave ice, play tennis, float in the pool, eat frozen custard, read books, shop at Ozarkland, watch movies, go to the WalMart, water ski, and generally have a ball.

This year it's just going to be the four of us and my parents--it's a little far of a drive from NY for Kristen and her family.

I will be taking my computer--and my camera--and keep you updated. And if you live along I-70 between here and there, I'll wave as we drive past!

Shredding

Okay, so I'm on day 8 of shredding, and let me just say that it's been a wonderful adventure of having a new part of my body hurt each and every day. But the shorts I put on this morning feel a little looser than usual, which is good.

Lots of you have asked on Facebook or Twitter what this is. So here's the scoop.

I'm a total joiner. And so when I saw that everyone else was doing it, I jumped on the band wagon. And the "Lose up to 20 pounds in 30 days" claim was pretty compelling too.

Wanna be a joiner with me? Here's the link to bring mean old Jillian to your home. And by day 8, you'll still hurt, but a lot less than you did on day 2 when you can hardly walk down the stairs.

Living Proof Live, Laramie: Notes

After a conference, I pretty much always type up my notes succinctly and print them out, sticking them in my Bible at the passage from the weekend. It helps keep it all fresh in my mind. Do you do that too?

This may get long, though I'll try to keep it succinct!

(By the way, my thoughts are in parentheses--some of what I've been thinking, not necessarily what Beth said.)

So, grab your Bible and head to Psalm 66. We're talking about "Strict Training."

"He trained us first..."

Psalm 66:10, The Message

(I love this. All too often we're ready to head to that place of abundance, that well-watered place so often mentioned in Scripture. But we forget that there's a journey to get there. We don't get to apparate like in Harry Potter, we have to get there the old-fashioned way: one step, one day at a time. At it takes training. Strict training.)

Here's the challenge Beth gave: 

Are we willing to train?

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 shows us what it looks like:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly. I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave...

What if we told ourselves no? What if we said no to the flesh to say yes to the Spirit? What if we remembered that just because all things are permissible, not all things are beneficial? 

What do we want to be like when we grow up? What if we kept that in mind and pursued it with concentration, rather than aimlessly running and hoping somehow we might end up there at the end?

So how does God train us?

(It helps me to remember that God is the one who trains us. Yes, we have work to do. But not on our own, with our own power. It is God's power that works within us, causing us to act. If we try to do this on our own, in our own power, it's not going to last. At least I know it won't for me. I'll go a week or a month and then slack off. I need God pushing me, spurring me to action.)

1. He trains us to think bigger.

As big as God is--creator of the whole universe--he is focused on us. He created heaven and earth to have some place to put us.

Out of the whole universe, his eye is focused here on earth, on us.

Take a look at Ephesians 1:4-6 in The Message:

Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.

God is HUGE!

2. He trains us to praise louder.

Psalm 66:1-2 says we are to make his praise glorious! The Hebrew word for glorious is kabod and has to do with weight and how heavy something is. Worth was measured by weight in the ancient Near East. Our praise shows the worth of God, gives an impression of his worth to those around us.

Another word in the definition of kabod is "copious"--one Beth had us say a lot. How copious, how big, how huge is God to us?

What is he worth to us? Does our praise reflect that?

Never forget that our praise silences the Enemy. Psalm 8:2 says so. If he's attacking, whispering lies, the sure way to make him shut up is to praise God. Out loud. Loudly.

(Of course, not all praise is loud. There are times we must be appropriate to our surroundings. Sometimes praise is even silent. However, the car is an awesome place to praise louder. Especially driving alone--turn it up and sing your heart out!)

3. He trains us to live livelier.

In The Message, Psalm 66:9 says, "Didn't he set us on the road to life? Didn't he keep us out of the ditch?"

We are meant to live. Really live. To be interesting! 

A couple of quotes from Beth:

"You can't ride if you're driving!" God is ready to take us on the ride of our lives, but we have to let him drive. Our job is to enjoy the ride.

"Stay in your own lane!" Beth told the story of a boy she knows who won the gold medal at the Special Olympics. He came in dead last in his race, but won the gold because he was the only runner to stay in his own lane. We can't run our race trying to be someone else, trying to live life in someone else's lane.

(Our pastor preached on joy, on happiness on Sunday. And made the point that as believers, we should be happier than the world around us. We should have something--even in the midst of heartache--that makes the world take notice. Our lives should be fuller, richer, happier. We should live the kinds of lives that others want too!)

4. He trains us to prove mightier.

Trials and tests that come our way are designed to prove our faith genuine. To show that we are not frauds, but full of real faith that stands the test.

1 Peter 1:6-9 says this:

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

(There's that idea of joy again! Funny how that keeps popping up.)

Satan is betting on us. That we will faith. That we will prove unfaithful and that in the midst of trials that we will think that God himself has proved unfaithful. That's what he's after.

But God is betting on us too. That we will prove genuine. Will we trust his faith in us? Will we have faith not just in God, but in what God could do through us?

Beth reminded us of Peter walking on the water. He trusted that Jesus could walk on water. He never doubted that. What he doubted was his own ability to do what Jesus called him to do. That God could do it for him. Part of Psalm 66 is remembering what God did for Israel (see v. 5-7). If God did it for them, he can do it for us.

Verses 8-12 describe some common experience in the lives of those who move from bondage to abundance. 

"You brought us into prison," literally, a net. God often allows us to be caught in a snare so we realize we are created for freedom. We are meant to resist bondage! And when we know what it's like, we appreciate freedom all the more.

"You laid burdens on our backs." Burdens and pressures will get heavier over time. That's the nature of addiction. Again, it's going to get worse and worse until we start to resist it and are desperate to be free.

"Men ride over our heads." This often involves actual people and things like jealousy, unforgiveness. We must learn PMPG: People make poor gods.

"We went through fire and water." Two extremes to describe two types of experiences--being burned and drowning. But both fire and water are used by God to cleanse.

(My coffee got cold...off to get a refill... Okay, let's do the second half. Told you it would be long!)

5. He trains us to emerge pure.

Purity is a priority to God in 2009--no matter what the culture around us says. God's power operates in purity; we must turn from all forms of impurity. Impurity will erode our souls.

Impurity often looks like verse 18: Cherishing sin in our hearts. Dwelling on it, not letting it go. This will hinder our prayers! 

We must be sorry for our sin, pray for godly sorrow.

Beth talked about being stuck here. About wanting to move into abundance, about wanting the Spirit to move in and through our lives with power. But for some of us, we just aren't getting there. We want passion and power, we pray for it, but we're not getting it. This could be the heart of the matter. She described sin that we still think about with longing, sin we know in our heads was wrong, but in our hearts we miss. That's cherished sin.

Her instruction was to pray for sorrow over it. To ask God to help us hate our sin. And she warned the consequences will often continue until we let go of it.

(One of the things that struck me about this was how this affects Audrey and Emma. I want them to know "I am expensive!" early. To be mighty women of God early. Not to wait until they grow up. As they get older and we talk about issues of sexuality and such, I want them to see that it's only a part of purity. That purity is about what they eat, what they wear, what they read. That purity is a whole life thing.)

6. He trains us to follow through better.

Verses 13-14 describe fulfilling vows we've made to God when we were in trouble. The "I'll do _____ if you only get me out of here!" kinds of prayers we've all prayed. The vows we've made to God but haven't kept.

What have we promised but not done? That's the heart of this point. It might not be easy, but if there's something we know we need to follow through on when we listen to our hearts, then we need to do it. And not be surprised that a kept vow always demands a sacrifice.

"Quit putting it off!"

(I don't know about you, but follow through is something I could use. Especially as we look to this move and this next year and the hopes and dreams we have for it. I want to follow through on the plans we've made. To think about what I want to be and then be that!)

7. He trains us to pass the Word plainer.

Verse 16 describes the power of a personal testimony. We must testify to others what God has done for us.

As Beth said, "We are responsible for the next generation. Our job is to show the next generation how to live."

(Again, this so made me think of this next year--and the years to come--and all of my hopes for teaching Audrey and Emma to be mighty women of God. Early. And here's where I need the follow through too. What am I waiting for? Just do the thing!)

Beth had all the women under 30 sit on the floor, and everyone over 30 sit up in the stadium seating. She had us do a pledge to each other that was so amazing. And she made no apologies for insisting that every single one of us needs to take someone younger under our wing to show them how to live this victorious life. Every one of us. Whether we think we have it figured out or not. We are all responsible.

She also issued a one-year challenge to us. To pray every day for one year for a heart to love God more than anything else. To commit to training for this next year. And to be prepared for the work God will do if we will commit.

(I'm in. Every day for one year to pray for a heart to love God more than anything else. To pray for an appetite for his Word. Are you in?)

8. He trains us to trust him deeper.

Verse 20: "Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!"

This love of God is hesed. It is loyal love, faithful love. Love that will not fail. Cannot fail.

(Again, we are in strict training with God. And with each other! We are not alone, not running aimlessly trying to figure out how to make this work. God is at work with us. He will never leave, never forsake. He's with us every step of the way, cheering us on, helping us up when we trip and fall. His love for us is real. And when we get to the finish line, "IT'S ALL TRUE!")

So, are you ready to enter into some strict training? (As Beth said, "Don't be a sissie!")

Living Proof Live, Laramie: Pictures

Thought I'd start by posting some pictures from the weekend...notes coming later!

This is how you know you're in Wyoming:

And it gets beautiful really fast:

Can you feel the Love?

Kristin, Yvette, me

When I came out of the bathroom at this place, I noticed a purse in line at Wendy's and thought, Holly has a purse like that. And wouldn't you know? It was Holly. And Patty and Georgia! Small, small world!

We got to Laramie, checked into our hotel and had the most amazing carpet picnic that Kristin and Yvette packed. Salad, bread, cheese, Pellegrino. All on real dishes, with silverware and cloth napkins. They were so sweet to let me just come along for the ride!

We headed over to wait in line and ran into Holly again. And Patty and Georgia and Melana.

We got seats on the floor and sat down to wait and chat.

Kristin, Yvette, me

Holly, Melana

The countdown began to get our praise on!

Beth taught and I was too busy taking notes to take any pictures!

Afterward, we took some more pictures before heading back to the hotel.

Patty

Patty, Melana, Georgia, Miesta Moose, me, Veronica, Holly

We got back to the hotel and got on our jammies in time for the fire alarm to go off. We grabbed our mini bundt cakes and sat in the car, licking the frosting off our fingers until we could go back inside.

Then the phone rang and Kristin and I raced around putting wet towels at the door, unplugging everything like we were told. But when the guy told us to break the window we'd just opened, Kristin figured it was a prank call. Which it was. And a prank call cleared the whole hotel with that fire alarm too. Glad we didn't actually break the window!

Got a little sleep, then up bright and early for Saturday and some more praise.

That's Holly

And that's Beth bringing the Word--in a really cute jacket (and there were cute shoes too, though in true Beth fashion she took them off half-way through the morning and taught in her bare feet)

And that's a blurry photo of Travis singing his heart out

At one point we moved off the floor and sat on the outside edge where we could see behind the stage. As Travis was singing, I could see Beth behind the curtain, fully participating--arms waving as she conducted along. It was so fun to see! 

I am struck by the fact that this is not a job for any of this team. They are engaged in worship along with the rest of us. The worship team sitting across from me during the teaching was paying attention to Beth, taking notes, nodding their heads. There's no performance, no sense of obligation or duty about it. They are just as involved in what's happening as the rest of us.

I'm always sad when it's all over, but so glad to have good friends to drive home with so we could keep talking about what we'd learned, what we'd heard, what had made us sit up and think, That was for me.

I'll share my notes just as soon as I get them typed up!

Memory Monday: Time for some strict training

Confession: I haven't worked on my verses at all this past week. Why? Because I never took the time to print them out on a card and put that card where I can see it. Seems like such a small thing, but not doing that small thing has totally set me up for failure.

I'm going to run upstairs and print out my verses just as soon as I post this. In fact, maybe I'll print two cards--one for the bathroom mirror and one for the kitchen sink or the center console in the car.

Beth talked about strict training this past weekend in Laramie and here's the deal: If I want to be a woman who knows the Word like the back of my hand, I'm going to have to step up and do the work.

I'll be posting notes and pictures from the weekend here in a bit--it's one of the things on my list for today, along with cleaning out the linen closet and washing the blankets I took off the beds last week.

Leave your link below if you took part this week. And if you want more information on Memory Monday, click the button on the sidebar on the right. Happy Monday!

Headed to Wyoming

I'm getting ready to head out the door to Laramie, WY, for Living Proof Live with  Beth Moore. I'm so excited to go with my friends, Kristin and Yvette, and to see other friends there--Holly, Patty, Georgia, Melana.

Yvette told me the other day that she's probably going to cry. I told her that I'm definitely going to cry. There's nothing like worshipping with a huge group of girlfriends to make me bawl. But I have to say that I'm looking forward to it--sometimes a good cry is just that--good.

I'm not taking my computer since I'll be home tomorrow, but I am taking my camera (the battery is charging as I type) so I'll be back with updates and pictures tomorrow afternoon sometime.

Hope you all have a great weekend. Thanks for being part of my life. I love you!

New house

Because you asked, here are a few pictures of the new house! 

It's pretty small--three bedrooms, two baths, kitchen with a tiny nook, laundry room, and this living/dining/great room. (Somehow it looks like a lovely yellow here, but I think it was really all just a creamy white.)

This is looking the other direction from the sliding glass doors toward the front door. The kitchen is tucked back into that corner on the right.

And to the left of Emma is the hallway to the girls' rooms and bathroom. Our room and bathroom are right on the other side of the build-in on the left. You can see it better in this picture.

Here are the girls' rooms. Right next to each other and exactly the same, just mirror-images of each other. Their bathroom is to the left of the picture. 

The backyard is all rock and patio. I'm guessing we'll avoid it in July, but come October, it'll be great! Our bedroom also opens onto the patio.

And that's the whole thing! 

I woke up super early this morning, making lists in my mind of what to bring, what to buy, what to do without, what we can't do without. Think it's time to grab some paper and get it down in ink!

I've loved reading what you all had to say about what you need to make a house a home. Family photos and kitchen stuff are topping the list!

Makes my Mama heart happy

Watch this

So I've seen this here, there, and everywhere on line in the past day or so. If you haven't seen it, go ahead and take the nine minutes it'll take. It's worth it.

I needed to be reminded of this. And I'm guessing you may need to hear it too.

YOU are God's masterpiece. Never forget it.

ADDED LATER:

Some of you are getting messages that I removed the video. I didn't. Anyway, here's the link to YouTube.

We have a house

First and foremost, thank you for your prayers yesterday. The girls and I ended up having a GREAT day that only got bicker-y toward the end when we were all hot and tired. It was good. There was an ease to the day, if that makes sense. 

(And we got to have lunch at In-n-Out Burger! Mmm... And we swung in to Trader Joes and devoured a whole box of popsicles on the way to pick Toben up from his office.)

Okay. So we have a house. All the pictures are still on my camera--and I didn't take a picture of the outside. Or the screen door that features a cowboy and a cactus! Oy. In fact, I'm not sure any of the pictures are great, more just to help me remember size and shapes of rooms.

Toben's thrilled with it. Me? It'll be fine. We had planned to do a vacation sort of rental--furnished and with a pool. Instead we have an unfurnished house with no pool. But in a great neighborhood that does have a pool. So it'll work. It's just a change in plans that I'm still adjusting to.

It's small and well within the budget we've been given. As Toben and I were talking last night, that feels right. We could spend extra to get a house with everything we want, but then we'd be spending extra. And part of this next year for us is paying off debt and being responsible with what we've been given.

The neighborhood is what's going to make it wonderful. Clubhouse, gym, tennis courts, lakes, pools, and so on. Even boat rentals! We'll be in Val Vista Lakes in Gilbert, for anyone who wants to know or is familiar with the area. Or wants to drop by for a visit after July 1.

An empty house (and an empty house with the air conditioning turned off when it's 105 outside) is always just kinda sad. But we're starting to think about what we're going to bring and what we'll need to find and how to use the space creatively. And about what we need to bring to make it home instead of just a house. Even if that means bringing more than we originally thought.

So, what do you have to have to make a house a home? What can't you live without?

It's hot here

If you follow those Twitter updates in the sidebar, you know that we're in Phoenix. Toben flew out Sunday night, the girls and I flew in yesterday afternoon. And it was 106 when we landed. Hot, but not as bad as I expected to tell the truth.

We're really moving.

Somehow it's all seeming real to me all of the sudden. Not sure if it was walking through Target last night for toothbrushes and thinking This will me our Target, or if it was talking to my mom on the phone long distance, or driving past what will be our library. But it's all really happening.

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. Could also be that I didn't sleep well. And every part of my body hurts. (Today will be day 3 of the 30-Day Shred if I can work up the energy to do it.) And that I haven't had any coffee yet this morning.

I think I'm rambling.

The girls and I are going to run a few errands this morning after we drop Toben off (I ran out of time yesterday morning--perhaps from losing my mind and going on a super cleaning binge just hours before needing to leave for the airport) and then later today we have an appointment to go see the house we're pretty sure we're going to rent.

Yes, I have my camera. And, yes, I'll take lots of pictures.

I was going to sign off here, but I've gotta tell you that I'm also feeling overwhelmed as a mom. Would you pray for me? Audrey and I have gone through cycles in the past where we really struggle with each other. It's been good for a long time, but the past week or so has been hard. I'm sure it's the stress of everything that's going on for both of us, but it feels so bad.

My reading this morning was out of Titus 3--all about doing good. Would you pray that I do the good I need to with her. That I don't just think about what I should do or say to encourage her, but that I would actually JUST DO IT!

Thanks.

Memory Monday: Working on Ephesians 3

I've not made it more than a verse or two in the passage I'm memorizing. But I'm slowly getting there and will continue to work on it.

For this reason, I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to know how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

            Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21)

I've been struck by the very beginning: "For this reason I kneel before the Father..." We can pray anywhere, anytime, in any posture, but Paul knelt before God to pray this prayer for his friends.

And so as I've been praying this passage for some dear friends this week, I've been on my knees. Which, once I'm down on the floor, is my favorite prayer posture. I find I don't get as distracted and my mind doesn't wander as much.

Do you have a favorite prayer posture?

Leave a link in the comments (or type your verse out there if you want) if you joined in this week. If you want to know more about Memory Monday, click on the button over there in the right-hand sidebar.

Quest for Compassion

I got an email a while ago from Compassion International about a new kids' website they've launched: Quest for Compassion.

Here's what Audrey (10) has to say about it:

I love the new Compassion website because you get to make your own travel companion and go to different places around the world to learn about other cultures and see the homes, villages, and churches of kids in other countries.

You get to learn some of their language along the way!

I think kids should play on this site because it's fun and you learn about other places and people. You play games and find hidden items to pass each country's level. I've passed three!

I hope you have fun!

Love, Audrey

And here's what Emma (8) has to say about it:

My favorite part of Quest for Compassion is everything! It teaches you what it's like to be a Compassion kid in another country. I've learned about where kids live and even some words in other languages. 

It makes me want to go visit a new place in person!

Love, Emma

The girls seem to really enjoy this and have had fun traveling all over the world on their computer to learn about kids in other countries. If your kids need a new site to play on, go check it out!

And if you're interested in sponsoring a child, click on the link over there in the left sidebar. It will change your life!

It's NEVER too late

So I should be taking the next half hour before everyone gets up to do some last-minute studying for my final this morning. (How is it May 15 already? Really? I've been looking ahead to this day for so long that I just can't believe it's here.)

Anyway, I just got finished preaching myself a sermon and thought I'd share. Because you just may need to hear it too.

Oh, the drama. Yesterday afternoon was awful. Tears, meanness, sulky-sullen, withdrawn. That was Audrey. Tears, anger, frustration. That was me.

Parenting is hard.

And when it gets hard and when I'm tired and when it seems like nothing ever changes? Well, I just want to give up. I figure my hopes and dreams and expectations of what a family should/could be must be just plain unrealistic and that maybe I should just lower the bar. 

Maybe it's just going to be this way, I figure. Maybe I should just accept it. Maybe I should just sorta give up.

Discouragement strikes. (And let's face it, if parenting takes anything, it takes courage. So discouragement--un-courage-ing us--is a perfect way for the Enemy to strike.)

But then I read Psalm 128 this morning, which is the psalm for the week in my prayer book. And it's all about family. And I started thinking that my expectations aren't unrealistic--they're biblical. And that while they may be high, God can do anything. And that we must strive for them, but we do it with God's power and God's love at work within us.

So, the fact that I want to have a great family is good. That I want us to be each other's favorite people in the whole world? That's good too. That I want us to choose each other above all others, to delight in each other and enjoy each other and love each other or have fun together? That's all good too.

And then I turned to 1 John for the daily reading, which is all about loving each other. (I love that John calls his readers "dear children," don't you?) And I started wondering about God's dreams for his family--for us. So perhaps my dreams for my family aren't just biblical, but godly.

Anyway, here's the last few things jotted in my journal this morning:

How did it get to be Wednesday already?

I spent most of yesterday studying for my final on Friday. I sat outside in the sun (and then under the umbrella) and it was wonderful. The trees are leafing and everything is just so green and alive and new.

After class this morning, I'm hitting the books again.

Audrey's in the school play this week. Leaving for school at 7:45, doing a full day of school, and then staying for practice until 5:45. Much, much too long of a day for a ten-year-old. We came home last night, had dinner, popped her in the shower to wash her hair, and then the tears began.

Somehow she's behind on the book she's reading and felt like she had to read 100 pages plus do the math sheet she can't find anywhere. Not to mention some spelling homework as well as something else that I can't remember off the top of my head. Tears, tears, and more tears. Poor baby. She was so overwhelmed and out of control and terrified of being in trouble.

So she's staying home today for a mental health day. There's practice again today after school until 5:45, with two performances tomorrow. There's no way she can survive the week without calming down some and getting some rest.

So while I'm at school this morning, she's going to lay on the couch, finish her book, and get caught up on her homework. Plus just hang out with her daddy. I think it'll be good for her to have a chance to talk about all that's going on:

• Her teacher left to switch careers. And while she loves the sub they have for the last few weeks of school, she LOVED her teacher and that's been hard. From what I hear, it's been hard for all the kids--many of whom are acting up and out.
• She's facing a move and all kinds of change.
• She's seen the struggle Toben's having/had with switching up his meds. He said the other morning that he's felt present in body, but out of it with the girls.
• She knows that school decisions have to be made for next year. And the unknown is always a little scary.
• Not to mention all the families that she knows (families of her friends) struggling with things like cancer and divorce and job loss.

Sometimes I forget all that our kids have to deal with. All that sorrow weighing us down has an effect on our kids too!

Memory Monday: Psalm 34:3 and a peek at the week ahead

Psalm 34:3

Glorify the LORD with me;

let us exalt his name together!

You know the cool thing about this verse? It's who is being invited to glorify God with me. Verse two tells us it's the afflicted. That when we boast in the Lord, the afflicted hear and rejoice and then are invited to exalt God's name with us. Pretty cool, huh?

For next week? I think I'll start learning Ephesians 3:14-21. It's a long one, so it'll take a few weeks, but this is one of those that I sorta, kinda know and would like to really know by heart.

(Leave a link or a comment with your verse if you learned one this week. And click on the button in the sidebar if you'd like to join in!)

Today is the beginning of the last week of my semester at seminary. I'm handing in a big paper this afternoon and doing an oral presentation to go along with it. Then I'll get up tomorrow and start studying for my OT Prophets final on Friday. It's going to be a doozy.

Audrey's in the school play this week, so she has rehearsal everyday after school with a performance on Thursday night. (That means Emma and I will get some good after school reading time together--we're loving the Cam Jansen mysteries. We take turns reading a chapter out loud.) 

Then Friday is field day. And next week is the girls' last week of school, but they're going to end up missing most of the week since we're going to Phoenix. We all need to be there and this was the only week that worked.

Gotta go get lunches packed. (Can I just say that one reason I'm excited about homeschooling is not having to pack lunches?! We're in a baloney rut.)

The shape of God's love

I wrote this the other day for a friend who's really going through it. But, of course!, it's something I needed to hear as well. And I thought maybe you might too. So here's my prayer for you today:

For this reason, I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to know how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

            Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21)

 This is my prayer for you this morning.

            That God may strengthen you with his power through his Spirit. That when you come to the end of your own resources, strength, and ability, that God’s Spirit is right there, filling you with his power that surpasses anything you could do on your own.

            That your faith continues to grow roots and be firmly established as you hold tightly to him for life. That as new things cause you to shake, that your faith goes ever deeper.

            That you may know the shape of God’s love for you.

            It’s kind of weird to think of God’s love having shape, having dimension. But it makes sense too. Our understanding of his love goes high when we’re filled with praise, when we’re convinced of his goodness, when we feel the joy of knowing him.

            And our understanding of his love goes deep when we’re filled with doubt, anxiety, and worry. When we question his purposes for us and wonder if his plans really are good. If God really does hear our prayers. If God really does care. If God is ever going to come to our rescue. As we sink into the pit, his love goes deeper. Even in the pit of despair, we are never alone.

            And our understanding of God’s love grows wide as we stretch out our arms to accept what he offers. When we pick up our cross and follow through suffering, when our knowledge of him grows past our limits.

            And it grows long when we seek to understand and accept his love day after day after day. It grows long as we persevere in the midst of sorrow and heartache and pain. As we keep our eyes fixed on the hope of heaven, where there will be no more sorrow, no more tears, no more pain.

            This kind of understanding only comes by experience. And it pushes higher and longer and wider and deeper as we live our lives and move with this God whose love has no limit, whose love is immeasurably higher, longer, wider, and deeper than we can imagine.

            As God’s love stretches and its dimensions grow, we are the ones who feel the pains of its growth. It hurts.

            My sweet sister, I love you so much. I see God at work in you through your suffering. I wish it wasn’t happening, that I could carry some of your sorrow. And yet, God is being glorified in you. You are representing him well in the midst of it. Keep holding on.

The gift of one year

Good morning, sweet friends. (And friends is what you are--even if we've never met face to face...yet!)

I've had some thoughts swirling around in my head, had some questions from you, and have some time this morning to get it down on paper (or whatever this internet thing-y is actually made of) and process through some of it.

Today I'm going to finish up my last paper for the semester that's due on Monday. I'm going to do an oral presentation along with it--my chapel from the girls' school. I'm so excited to get to use that again. It was my professor's idea to use it as my creative presentation. So the mustache is coming back--for a few minutes, anyway.

Once that's done, I'll start studying for my Old Testament Prophets final on Friday. And then...the semester will be over. It has flown by.

I submitted a leave of absence to the seminary the other day. So I'm officially giving up seminary for the year we'll be in Phoenix. Yes, I could take on-line classes, but the experience of being in the classroom is one I value so much. I'd rather wait and come back to it in Fall 2010 when we return to Denver. After all, I'm not in hurry.

So. Phoenix.

I have to say that now that I'm over the shock (::ring, ring:: "Hey babe, we're moving to Phoenix for a year. Gotta run to a meeting now. Bye!") of it, I'm really seeing this as a gift.

One year. Set apart. To be intentional. To rethink some things. To dream about what we want to do, how we want life to be.

(And of course, I think about being led to the desert for a year and go all Old Testament, wondering what kind of preparation this year will involve and for what and all that good stuff. One thing I know for sure, there will be manna each day to gather!)

So here's some of what we're thinking:

Unplug. It was Toben's idea (shock, gasp, awe) to think about unplugging the television for a year. Not taking one with us at all. I love it!

Celebrate. Especially if we homeschool (see next item!), but even if we don't, we want to be intentional about celebrating biblical holidays. I have this amazing book and put all the dates for these holidays on my calendar earlier this morning. We love our Passover meal each year and want to experience the joy and learning of some of the others.

Homeschool. We're seriously considering homeschooling the girls. For numerous reasons. For the freedom it would give us. For the one-on-one opportunity to reinforce some difficult math concepts for Audrey, to grow Emma into an incredible reader. To pour into the girls. To build up their identity in Christ. To develop their friendship with each other. (If you homeschool and have some advice for me about what I really need to know, or a great link for me to check out, please leave a comment!)

Dream. This whole year feels like a new beginning, a chance to hit the "reset" button and determine what we want our family to be like. There are certain times of the year (New Year's, back to school) that are a chance to do this every year, and this feels like a chance to think long-term and big picture.

Explore. Because of our school schedule and the amount of homework to be done, our girls don't do extra-curricular activities for the most part. If we homeschool, we're excited for the girls to explore some of their interests. To have the time to pursue and learn something new.

Church. We'll be going to church here. We're not involved at our church here in Denver; we really see the girls' school as our place of ministry, the place where we volunteer and give. For this next year, we're excited to be at church as much as they'll let us. That means Sunday school for Toben and me while the girls go, and then sitting in the service each week as a family.

So naturally we've made a poster to keep track of our thoughts and ideas and so on. Cause that's just what we do around here! (See here and here.)

How can you pray?

For wisdom about school for the girls. We will be visiting a Christian school in a week or so when we're down in Phoenix as a family for some meetings. 

For peace and calm in Toben's anxiety (all that change causes some anxiety to surface for him). He's in the process of changing some of his meds and anxiety is troubling him.

For me to live one day at a time. It's easy to get overwhelmed by the big picture. So to do one thing at a time and then move on to the next thing.

For us to really live while we're in Phoenix and pour out our lives and energy, rather than feeling confined by it being temporary. For friendships and relationships to grow and flourish.

We do have place to live. No pool in the backyard, but an amazing community facility--pool, lake, gym, tennis courts, bike trails. But it's unfurnished. Not what we had planned. So wisdom about what to take and all that good stuff.

It looks like some friends will be living in our house here in Denver while we're gone. So wisdom and details surrounding that. It's definitely a God thing!

***

Okay, this is entirely long enough and Toben and the girls are headed to have a putting context at the driving range (free entertainment!). So I'm going to take advantage of the quiet and get my paper finished up. Enjoy your Saturday--and thank you for listening. I really do love you so much!

Something I NEED to know

So today is the National Day of Prayer. And the theme for this year is Psalm 33:22:

May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD,

even as we put our hope in you.

The girls and I read this psalm at breakfast; I read part of it at the girls' school today; we read the psalm from The Message after dinner.

And here's what I need to know: God's love is unfailing.

His love does not fail.

His love will not fail.

And here's the kicker...

His love cannot fail. Did you catch that? God's love can. not. fail. Period.

I need that today. Because there are some things I'm praying for that seem to be failing. I pray with all my heart. I trust God. I believe him. But it doesn't seem like anything is changing or getting better. In fact, things seem to be getting worse.

But God loves my dear friends. He loves them. And his love for them does not fail. It will not fail. It cannot fail.

I'm hanging on to this verse and share it with you. Cause I'm guessing someone else might want to hang on to it too: 

Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace.

(2 Corinthians 4:16, The Message)

Wanna help?

Anyone wanna go write a *nice* review of Misplacing God on Amazon? Here's the link! 

Thank you!

Here's the scoop!

Thought it would be more fun to tell you about the weekend! 

Okay, here's the song I was talking about. No matter what's going on in your life, he's calling your name to get back up. WE ALWAYS GET BACK UP until the day when we finally fall at his feet.

I forgot the pictures! Oops!

Here's the view out my window:

(And it rained all Friday and Saturday.)

And here are the shoes I brought:

As a Girl Scout I really should know better. But I just laughed at myself and drove back and forth!

Wow, wow, wow!

I miss you all! And I have so much to share with you. But I was at a parent association at the girls' school this morning, and am about ready to run to chapel at the seminary. Mondays are NUTS!

So, an update is coming.

But first I just have to say this: GOD ANSWERS PRAYER. Never doubt it for a second. Your prayers for me this weekend made all the difference in the world. So not kidding. Thank you.

More coming...I promise!

P.S. And it is Memory Monday! Feel free to go ahead and leave your link if you'd like!

Part of what I have to tell you is just how God used the verse I've been camping on (1 Corinthians 1:5) this past weekend. I felt so totally enriched! And it was all him!

So here's my verse for this next week:

"Glorify the LORD with me;

let us exalt his name together!" (Psalm 34:3)

(And, yes, I know that it really ends with a period rather than an exclamation point, but I'm taking a little license with it to make a point!)