Category: Shares

Commonplace … Or Not

 

Just recently, I was putting the kids into the car and we saw a caterpillar.  It was fuzzy, green, and directly behind the front wheel of our van.  I probably would have forgotten about him, climbed into the driver’s seat, and gone into reverse without a second thought, but one does not do this in front of small children to whom each bug is a new best friend.
After once and for all time settling the question of whether or not the caterpillar could be our new house pet (“He could be like our dog, Mom!”), we decided that the best thing we could do for him is move him away from the path of the van so as not to “goosh” him (as Aid said).
I poked him with a stick, and then two sticks.  I tried to get him to climb onto one or the other so I could move him.  I tried picking him up in every way I could think of without the aforementioned “gooshing” occuring.  Still, the caterpillar refused to be rescued.
I finally got him to move enough that my car wouldn’t kill him and we were able to move on.

 

As we were driving, I got to thinking about this picture a little more…
Metaphorically, I think I must look a lot like that caterpillar … I’m often stuck behind a giant wheel of sin and pride that will “goosh” me, yet how often I refuse the gentle prodding of offered rescue because I – in a grand delusion of deceit – believe that the stick will hurt me and that I must move in my own strength, will, and time.
The verse that kept coming to my mind is a passage from the book of Hebrews: “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”   (Hebrews 3:13, ESV)

 

Even thought my little caterpillar picture is silly and ordinary, there is nothing silly, ordinary, or commonplace about grace.  Grace saved me and teaches me – now and until the day that I will see Christ face to face.
The hand of Grace is extended – have you reached for it?

 

He breaks the power of canceled sin, he sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean, his blood availed for me

Friends

This week, I’m on a cleaning rampage.  As I was cleaning, I came across this …

Special memory, special friendships … We’ve known each other for years and know each other still.

I should have some classy quote on friendship or a beautiful poem.  But I don’t.  These are some of my friends.  Good friendships are precious.

That’s all.

Something I Read

This summer, I have been reading through Comforts from the Cross: Celebrating the Gospel One Day at a Time, by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick.   Though I’m not finished yet, I wouldn’t hesitate to highly recommend this book.

Here’s a small section from what I read today.  It was so beautiful in it’s intensity and challenging to me that I wanted to share it with you.

“Shake off your boredom and apathy.  God’s love for you is fierce, self-afflicting, white-hot, life-transforming.  The goal of this love is that you may be called God’s daughter, God’s son.  All this pain and grief is bent in on one primary goal: your adoption and His eventual praise.  Your relationship with the Creator of all there is has been secured by the blood and tears of love’s delight.  Your Father is no longer far off, no longer a stranger, no longer a judge.  Now He’s your Father.”

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” 1 John 3:1-3, ESV
If you want to know more about Elyse M. Fitzpatrick and her writing, you can start here.  Please hear my heart on this though …  this isn’t an endorsement, advertising, or a book review.  What I’m sharing  is completely something that was on my own heart and mind from my morning reading.
What is the Lord teaching you?

Songs for Saplings

“Songs for Saplings makes music for kids. We want them to understand who God is and what He has done, as well as what He wants your children to do and to be.”

~from the Songs for Saplings website

A few weeks ago, we had the great pleasure of meeting Dana Dirksen and her family.  Dana and her husband James have six kids and live on the West Coast and (more importantly for the purpose of this post) are the creators of “Songs for Saplings” — A musical ministry to help teach children about God.  Dana has a great, mellow voice and is gifted on the guitar (parents, imagine a CD for your kids that reminds you of a chill afternoon in Starbuck’s), and her children sing and play (dejembe, keyboard, etc) with her as well.

While the music is good, the lyrics will blow you away!  These are such great and strong biblical truths!  Kids will hear such songs as “Who is God?”, “Who are the three persons of God?”, “How can you glorify God?”, and much more!  These three titles that I just named are just the first three songs on their CD: “Questions with Answers: Vol 1: God and Creation”. Each CD they’ve produced is equally jammed with similarly deep themes.

I feel like this music is suitable for all ages.  I really enjoy listening to these and both my 5 year old AND 2 year old love listening and singing along.   (The 1 year old likes it too, but he’s 1 and also likes to watch parked cars, so take his interest with a grain of salt)

In addition to providing this amazing music, the Dirksen family has a strong heart for missions and travels internationally to sing and share.  According to their website “Songs for Saplings music is currently being used in Bangladesh, Malawi, Romania, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Zambia.” Supporting the Dirksen family and their music is another way to support international missions.

So, whether you “like” them on Facebook,: www.facebook.com/songsforsaplings

Or, go directly to their website: http://songsforsaplings.com,

Check them out!!  This family, their music and ministry is worth your time!

 

**This youtube video is a little funky with it’s images, but it definitely gives you an idea of their style.**

*This post is something that I felt led to write after meeting the Dirksens and hearing a little bit about their ministry.  This is not a paid endorsement.

Something Better

Occasionally, (or more often than that) I anticipate sharing from whatever I’m reading. Today’s quote comes from my current study on the book of Hebrews — “Hoping For Something Better“, by Nancy Guthrie —

“God does not intend for us to wear ourselves out with meaningless religious activity, filling ourselves with theology, working for him but never knowing what it is to enjoy knowing him and being known by him.”

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