Pray for Ava

I can't help but draw a connection between Psalm 4 and a recent development in the life of an acquaintance of mine.

My friend Joel's 5-year-old niece was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer just this week. I went to middle/high school with Joel, and his dad was my pastor for almost all of the years my family lived in Florida. They went in with her complaining of headaches and within 24 hours or so after a CAT scan she was in surgery to remove a tangerine sized tumor. The initial pathology shows that it is not only rare, but especially rare in children, and resistant to traditional methods of cancer treatment.

All that to say, even in the last 4 or 5 days it's been... encouraging? I don't even know what word to use... to see how each member of the family has responded to the crisis (I've been following Josh's blog--the father--and his brothers, Joel's and Isaac's blogs since I got home). They are admitting to deep despair and confusion but also deep trust and confidence in the love of God. As the notes in the ESV Study Bible state, Psalm 4 is a "perfect example of expressing trust amid troubling circumstances." David makes two urgent requests, but sandwiched between them is this recall of his past experience with God: "you have given me relief when I was in distress." The notes continue: "Past experience emboldens the faithful to confident prayer."

As I read on the father's blog today, they are praying and praying. Praying for healing here, but also knowing that there is perfect healing for her in another place, they are confident in a God who heals. Whether that same God chooses to heal in the here and now or in the world to come, one thing is for sure: He will comfort and strengthen them. And they rest in that as much as they can. They are godly people, like those mentioned in verse 3. The Hebrew used there for "godly" is the adjective form of "steadfast love." It means that they are people who trust in God's steadfast love.

Today in my reading from Beside Still Waters, Spurgeon says "God's thoughts are toward you. He is refining you, and He desires your highest good." God loves with a perfect love all those who are His.

Everything He does in our lives, even allowing cancer in our young child, is for our highest good.


Please pray for Ava, her parents Josh and Lisa, and the entire Hunter family.

Safely Home (2)

Our summer lineup of books has books that aren't so much discourses as they are stories. The beauty about them is that they are chock-full of theology, most of which we pick up without fully realizing. This month we are reading Randy Alcorn's Safely Home. Story? yes. Pure fiction? no.

Moms, have you considered taking advantage of "story" books by reading them out loud to your kids? My mom read books to us when we were kids. The book I most clearly remember is our book for next month, The Hiding Place, which gripped me and still hasn't left me alone. As a youngster I learned a lot more about God from listening to that book than from any "children's" book or video. The exposure to a non-Disney story is a good thing.

I encourage you to make reading a family event. Have someone in charge of the dictionary to look up words you don't know. Be prepared to pause frequently to explain or to talk through themes. Don't wait for them to ask you questions. Ask them the hard questions first. If you have an older child, have him do some of the reading. I think that when the summer has ended, you will look back on your family reading time and see it as a great blessing.

"Hope does not disappoint"

As Jenn blogged yesterday, every year when June 24th draws near, we both find ourselves thinking about and talking about our mom more than usual.

This June 24th, I find myself thinking about another woman who is facing breast cancer. Joni Eareckson Tada is undergoing surgery on Monday, June 28th to determine the severity of her cancer. Joni, a quadriplegic for more than forty years, is no stranger to suffering.

Many people will ask, 'Hasn't this woman suffered enough?!?!'

Still more will wonder, 'How can a loving God treat His faithful servant in such a way?'


This is what Joni says:
“I’ve often said that our afflictions come from the hand of our all-wise and sovereign God, who loves us and wants what is best for us. So, although cancer is something new, I am content to receive from God whatever He deems fit for me,” she said.

“Yes, it’s alarming, but rest assured that Ken and I are utterly convinced that God is going to use this to stretch our faith, brighten our hope and strengthen our witness to others.”


I'm sure Joni has shed tears over the past few weeks. She has probably had moments full of fear and anxiety. But she is doing what our own pastors at TFC have been exhorting us to do: she is beholding God--the self-revealed God of Scripture.

Her God is bigger than cancer cells. In fact, Joni's God is making cancer cells serve her. She is more than a conqueror of cancer----in Christ!

Let's pray for our sister in the Lord, that she persevere in the faith and triumph through grace.


"Whatever affliction we bear shall be for our soul's gain." --Thomas Case

What Chance?

This is conjecture and based completely on guesswork with no experience involved--but I would imagine that being a parent can be really, really scary. Just babysitting, to me, has the potential to be frightening. Driving a car with someone else's baby in the backseat is one of the bravest things I've ever done. I can't imagine being the one permanently responsible.

I would think that being a Christian parent in the midst of a ragingly ungodly culture--correct me if I'm wrong--would have to be pretty scary. You do your best to train, to shape, to nurture, but you know that slavering outside your door is a horde of enemies just waiting to snatch your little one up. Even scarier would be to know that you are going to be separated. The world is going to break down your door and snatch your child away, and you can't stop it.Your time of influence is over. Do you then give up hope?

In order for her baby to even live, Jochabed had to give him to a pagan princess, who would train him to serve a pantheon of gods. What chance did Moses have to hear God's voice?

Hannah prayed for his birth, and then she had to give him up and hand him over to a notoriously wicked pair of surrogate brothers and their selfish, foolish father. What chance did Samuel have to learn righteousness?

He was carried away into exile, a slave in the court of the most barbaric, ungodly ruler the world knew of. His parents might have been killed in the invasion, or they might have been carried away themselves, never to see their boy again. What chance did Daniel have to serve Jehovah?

Parents are a wonderful gift, and you are so important in the life of your child. But isn't it good to know that God is greater, that you can trust him to take care of your son or daughter, no matter what happens to you? You might live until you're ninety and have years and years to be a godly and wise influence on your child, and I hope you do.

My mom wasn't planning on dying when I was eleven. We had planned out our future together. I was going to be her housekeeper when I grew up. God's mercy in giving her cancer gave us time to prepare, and she never once seemed to be frightened about my future. She trusted God and knew that He is good.

I think about it a lot this time of year, because Thursday marks the twelfth anniversary of her heavenly birthday. I'm so thankful that God is greater than my mom. She is dead--He is alive. She could control my behavior--He can change my heart. She did not make me become a Christian. Jesus saved me by substituting Himself in my place, bearing my sin, paying my debt, giving me the gift of salvation, and entering heaven in my behalf. He's going to bring me there someday, and I'll stand next to my mom and we'll praise Him for what HE has done. Not only could Mom not save me--she did not have to.

I love this final stanza from John Newton's hymn "The Lord Will Provide." It reminds me of twelve years ago around this time

 When life sinks apace and death is in view,
This word of his grace shall comfort us through:
No fearing or doubting with Christ on our side,
We hope to die shouting the Lord will provide

Possessions

I read yesterday that if I am a believer, Christ is mine, and I must take hold of all that is mine in him. "Why are we so dispirited by infirmities? We know that Jehovah is our strength and our song, but we do not possess our possessions" (Beside Still Waters, by Charles Spurgeon).

I'm in the midst of getting everything in order for our vacation that starts tomorrow. Tim and I are headed to Sequoia National Park, CA and the little guy will be staying at the Grandaddy and Granmommy's house.

On top of packing for us (which I have to fit into two carry-ons since we don't want to deal with checking luggage at a busy LA airport), I'm trying to organize everything for the little guy, including clothes, food, diapers, schedules, etc. etc. I'm also trying to fit into our luggage a few things my mom asked me to bring to them, and burning CDs of sermons for them since internet is spotty on the road and streaming doesn't work so well. And making numerous lists, triple and quadruple checking them, and then double-checking my triple and quadruple checking.

Whew!

Am I bringing this up for your sympathy? By no means! As I was sitting here writing the titles of all TFC's Behold Your God series on the CDs for my parents, I was reminded of all that we've heard about God, especially these last two weeks on God as creator and sustainer and the God who never sleeps.

I am bordering on overwhelmed with my pre-vacation to-do list. And I'm tired--no one in this house slept well last night. God is never overwhelmed by his to-do list. He could take care of it with a twitch of the tip of his pinkie finger. And he is never tired! Especially for us moms, that seems like such a foreign idea!

But you know what else is cool about all that? That is the God who sustains us. I am so grateful that I do not have to rely on my own strength to accomplish anything, including getting through each moment.

Today I am trying to possess these three truths instead of just knowing them. What truths about God do you need to possess?

Changes

A woman is never quite the same after pregnancy, and birthing a baby. Her life (physically and in every other way) is forever changed.

So it is with trials.

I could go on for weeks on this topic but this will be my last post. Many excellent theological books, hymns and biographies have been written to equip believers to be spiritually prepared to face trials and to comfort believers who are presently living in trial. I want to encourage everyone to get hold of books like: Knowing God, by J.I. Packer; Be Still My Soul - 25 Classic and Contemporary Reading on the Problem of Pain, edited by Nancy Guthrie); The God I Love - a memoir, by Joni Eareckson Tada; and Beside Still Waters - devotional readings on comfort, by Charles Spurgeon. These are just a few of the many book written that will strengthen a heart that is hurting with the solid truths of God's word.

But these are the best words which help bring into perpective the changes God has in mind for the believer facing trials:

Therefore, since we have been justified (free from God's wrath), we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Romans 5:1-5).

What have you been reading that God has used to help change you (for good) in your trial? How is God preparing you for future trial? I'd love to know.

Safely Home

Time for true confessions. I just finished reading this book. I couldn't help myself. It was calling my name every night. It pulled me in and I could not resist. I let it happen.

I started reading back in May, rather innocently. I thought to myself, "let me see what this book is like. I'll just read a little. I just want a little introduction. I don't want to get ahead of the book club. I'll just read a few pages."

That's how it happened. I finished it this week. Do I feel guilty? No. Not at all. I'm just trying to decide if I should read it again with everyone else. Why not, you can never get too much of a good thing.

Despite what I said about getting pulled into the book, I will say that I thought it started a tad slow. I also thought the writing seemed a bit awkward. But either the writing got better, or I was so pulled into the storyline I didn't notice it after a few chapters. I was hooked.

The thing about this book is its believability. Though a novel, it is based on real characters.

The city I've called Pushan is fictitious. As far as I know, there is no Pushan in the area I've described. If there is, I've never been there and have no knowledge of it. While many things in this book have actually happened in one way or another, I have made up the story. Still, I have attempted to keep it authentic and true to life in as many details as possible. Nearly all my characters are fictitious. Some are composites of several real people. Whenever I was thinking of someone in particular I changed his name and life details so it would be impossible to identify him.

(Notes from the Author pg. xi)

This book is a novel. It is fictitious but it is true. This book tells the story of the persecuted church in China and it tells us of heaven. It is soul stirring, challenging and comforting.

I hope you enjoy your reading.

I'll be waiting for you when you are finished and we'll start the next book together.

He Will Heal (Hosea 6:1)

I read this yesterday and thought it fitting for Tim's sermon from Sunday. God made the stars, He knows everything about them, and he provides all they need. If them, then surely you. God cares for you.

I believe that God, who has appointed it, has also measured your trouble, set its bounds, and will bring it to an end.  His gracious design is in all your difficulties.  Do not think that God deals roughly with His children and gives them needless pain.  "He does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men" (Lam. 3:33).  "He has torn, but He will heal."

Has not God helped you out of one trouble after another?  Do you suppose that He will leave you in this trouble?  "He shall deliver you in six troubles, yes, in seven no evil shall touch you" (Job 5:19).

This particular water, in which you are now struggling, is intended and included in this promise, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you" (Is. 43:2).

It is, I must confess, sometimes difficult to apply the promises to a particular case.  Sometimes unbelief fights hard.  But remember, unless the promise is applied it is like medicine that is not taken.  It may be powerful, but it is worthless unless applied.

Ask for grace, that you may believe while you are still under the cloud.  Regardless of how dark the cloud, it contains blessings.  "If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth" (Eccl. 11:3).

(Beside Still Waters, C.H. Spurgeon, page 166)

Temptations in trials (more lessons from labor)

We've all seen or heard stories of laboring women yelling at their husbands. Words like: "Get out of here! I never want to see your face again... I'll never forgive you for this... this is all your fault" make us laugh. Often when a husband tries to serve his laboring wife nothing he does or says is the right thing. We laugh when we hear these stories because we know (or hope) the wife doesn't really mean what she is saying.

During those moments the wife's verbal lashing is her way of taking the focus off her own pain by placing pain on another person.

No one likes pain. No one likes going through trials. When we do find ourselves in a trial, we are often tempted to become angry, impatient, jealous, and hyper-critical of others. Can you relate to this?

Think with me for a moment will you?

When people have tried to offer you encouragement, an understanding word, an offer for help or prayer, has your perception been skewed so rather than being thankful for the care that the person was extending (however imperfectly) you focus on a word, or a tone, or an "implied" meaning and turn that act of love into a reason to be angry with the person?

Or, have you ever been tempted to become angry, bitter, withdrawn because people didn't do, call, write, or pray enough?

What is going on in our hearts when this happens? We are becoming self-focused; full of self-pity and pride that insists what was spoken or given or offered was not good enough. We think we deserve better.

In our trial we have a desire to control the pain and suffering so in an effort to shift our focus off our pain we find fault in others. Rather than "looking unto Jesus" for our help, and rather than looking into our own hearts for what we need to learn in our trial, we place our attention on others to find some kind of sinful satisfaction that all isn't well in their world either (after all how could they be so thoughtless?).

There are times when people do fail to love and care. But it would be far better for us to extend grace to them and trust that they were not being intentionally hurtful. It would be far better for our soul and theirs if we would pray like Stephen, "forgive them for they know not what they do." So often people do not know how to care in the way we think they should, or they do not know what we want them to say. If they do not know, then even the sincerest attempts to be kind will most likely disappoint you.

Have you ever done or said something wrong to a person in trial? Have you ever missed an opportunity to extend love to a suffering sister? Did you do it intentionally? Probably not. How did the person respond? Did she draw near to you in love and grace, or did she distance herself from you and keep herself in a cocoon of self-pity and bitterness? If you've lived the Christian life for even a short while you've probably experienced both. How did you feel in either case?

Have you ever been the one sinfully judging the intentions of the "caring" person? Like the woman in labor yelling at her husband, have you been the sister inwardly rebelling against the imperfect gesture of love and care? Did you find your soul drying up from unconfessed resentment? Or did you cover it all with love and grace and find your soul expanding in the midst of your trial?

Where do we go with all of this? As always, we run to the cross. There we find forgiveness for the sin of self-pity, anger, and pride.

At the cross we find our perfect example to follow.

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed (1 Peter 2:21-24).

If Christ was betrayed by a friend, and forsaken by the hundreds who had once loved him when the miracles were flowing, if he was beaten nigh unto death and then hung on a tree to die, all without a word of complaint, then we can call on Him to help us walk through our trials without lashing out at others.

Dear sisters, let us love and care for others in their trials as we would want them to love and care for us in our trials.

And may we forbear and forgive others who we think have failed us in our trials as we would want them to forbear and forgive us when we fail them in their trials.

As with anything we cannot do this on our own. Our sinful hearts will always lead us away from love and grace. But by His grace let us keep "drawing near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).

Uprooting Anger (5)

Uprooting Anger has proven to be an edifying read. As Brooke put it----everyone needs to read this book!

I guarantee that you will see yourself on the pages of this book even if you don't think that you have an 'anger problem.' Anger reveals itself in sooooo many ways.

One of the outlets of anger that Jones reveals is concealed anger. I think that women are particularly good at concealing their anger. Yep, we just let it come to a steady boil right under the surface, but we look fine on the outside.

How many times has your friend, coworker, spouse, child, pastor upset you and then asked, "What's wrong?"

"I'm fine!" Meanwhile, you're outraged that they don't know what has upset you. You fall into the trap of telling lies to yourself ('they don't even care about me...can't they see I'm upset?!?!').

It is all self-preserving behavior. You want to protect yourself from being hurt more than you want to reconcile with a fellow sinner. I am G-U-I-L-T-Y!

We need the cross. When we cling to Christ and follow His word, we can be free to humble ourselves and dare I say, become vulnerable for the sake of the gospel. The Lord will be there to comfort you when you feel ravaged by the world (and sometimes the church)--it will happen.

Living the gospel-centered life is at once full of joy and full of pain. You will feel deeply about people and that will result in excruciating pain at times.

Do you remember how Gayline used the imagery of pregnancy and labor as a metaphor for life? It is a perfect metaphor.

When someone hurts you think of it as a birth pang, a contraction. You will experience countless injuries from loved ones and strangers throughout your life.

You cannot do anything to change that. Only God is sovereign.

What you can do is monitor your own heart. Anger concealed turns into bitterness which poisons the soul.

Don't worry about 'them.' Worry about 'you.' Think of the day that you will stand before the Lord and give an account for your thoughts. Do your thoughts reflect Christ? Examine yourself.

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Please note we'll be starting our summer reading on Monday, June 14. We've chosen three novels for easy and fun but faith-grounded beach or poolside reading. Be sure to stop by the bookstore this Sunday to pick up a copy. Or click on the link in the right hand column to order from Amazon. I've heard good things and can't wait to get started!

Pure Joy

Fill in the blank:

"Consider it PURE JOY whenever you ___________________."

This is one of those bizarre paradoxes that the Bible throws at us. It's the kind where it sounds fine just reading it, but then one day it stands out to you that this makes no sense at all. James 1:2 says to consider it pure JOY, the kind of thing we get excited about and that makes it easy to do whatever it is you have to do because you’re so soul-delighted that laughter giggles up from the bottom of your belly whenever ...

... you face trials? Of many kinds?

Left by itself, it makes no sense. It's kind of macho-tough, laughing in the face of difficulty for no particular stated reason at all. Just be happy, keh? You're a Christian and Christians are happy, so be happy, keh?

Isn't God good to give us reasons, facts, indicatives upon which to base His instructions, commands, imperatives? Even in nature, He gives us illustrations. You don't tell a woman in labor to just enjoy herself in her pain, but you remind her that soon she's going to have a baby in her arms. You don't tell a person gasping halfway up a mountain to just relax and enjoy themselves—you remind them that if they keep going, they're going to reach a spectacular summit.

Similarly through James, God says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

And then, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."

Pure joy. May He give us that joy today and in the rest of our lives until the day when He gives us the crown of life.

Summer days...

As we move into summer (hasn't the weather been fantastic these last couple of days?!), I've been thinking about memories made and created. There seem to be so many more opportunities during the summer because there's no school, the weather's great, and for the most part, people are ready to DO something after being cooped up all winter.

Last summer's memories with the little guy included a trip to Denver to see my family, splashing in the blow-up pool in the backyard (not to mention the countless trips up and down the little slide attached to it!), and his first birthday party.

We're already on a roll this summer: the little guy's uncle came to visit over Memorial Day weekend, a drum set, the church yard sale, and this Saturday, his first trip to the beach.

What are your summer memories as a child? What summer memories have you made with your own family? What memories do you hope to make this summer? We'd love to hear from you!


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Please note we'll be starting our summer reading on Monday, June 14. We've chosen three novels for easy and fun but faith-grounded beach or poolside reading. Be sure to email Bruce to have him order your copy of Randy Alcorn's Safely Home, and stop by the bookstore this Sunday to pick it up. Or click on the link in the right hand column to order from Amazon. I've heard good things and can't wait to get started!

Falling in Love Again (Guest Post)

This morning I was awakened early after only a few hours of sleep. I felt the need to pray for someone I know who I love to pieces, but who is floundering in her faith. What the Lord prompted me to pray is that He would become the "pearl of great price" in her life. That she would fall in love with her Savior.

I pray that for myself and for all of us. Anything this world has to offer is worthless compared to what we have in and from our Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Why I cling to anyone or anything else is insanity and yet I do. Father forgive me.

Since I was up I drove to Seaside Park and watched the sunrise. It was gorgeous. And as an added bonus I found lots of sea glass and small pretty shells. He loves us so very much.

Today I read 1 Timothy 3 and 4. The verse that spoke to my heart was 4:14-16..."Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things: give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you."

How many times have I become complacent/compromised my "living out" what I believe. Someone is always watching or listening to us. I MUST give more and more of my time to prayer and reading and meditating on His Word so I can make a positive impact, no matter how small, in the sphere of influence He has placed me in.

Sharon Misiak

Uprooting Anger (4)

How's the reading going? I know the book's been helpful to me, so I've got a few quick questions for you today to see how it's helping you.

Do you (like me) often find yourself struggling with "legitimate" anger? Maybe your husband isn't the spiritual leader you hoped he'd be, or your kids misbehave more than they listen. Or maybe there's someone at church who's said unkind things to you. You feel like you have the "right" to be angry. How has the definition of anger in chapter one and the discussion on real righteous anger in chapter two helped you?

When it comes to how you handle your anger, are you a venter or a bottler? What did you find helpful in the explanations of sinful revealing in chapter five and sinful concealing in chapter six?

Do you struggle with anger against God? Maybe you do and you're not aware of it. What insights were you able to pull from chapter seven? What about anger against yourself? Are you a self-condemner; judge and jury to your own sin as if it were all about you? What encouragements were you able to draw from chapter eight?

Do you live with an angry person? Or maybe someone has come to you asking for help with their anger. What did you find most helpful in chapter nine?

Have you, like so many, bought into the idea that anger is a normal thing? That because it's so commonplace even in Christian circles it's really not that big of a deal? How did chapter ten challenge that perspective?

A question in there for everyone... so what's your anger issue?

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Please note we'll be starting our summer reading on Monday, June 14. We've chosen three novels for easy and fun but faith-grounded beach or poolside reading. Be sure to stop by the bookstore this Sunday and pick up or order a copy of Randy Alcorn's Safely Home. I've heard good things and can't wait to get started!

Learning how to listen

My grandpa got a new hearing aid recently. This one actually works really well, but he still can't hear any of our conversations. Although he can physically hear the sounds, he has forgotten how to listen. He asks you to repeat things that he clearly heard (but he didn't hear a word of it). In his own admission, he has to learn how to hear all over again.

We have all been guilty at one time or another of hearing without listening. On my drive to work, I try to listen to sermons or lectures, but I often find myself just hearing it while my mind is ten miles away. Listening can be really hard. Listening is active, while hearing is merely passive. I see it all over: kids not listening to parents, parents not listening to kids, husbands and wives, employers and employees, customers and workers, friends, television and viewer, computer and user--information is exchanged and lives are shared, but a lot of it goes right past us.

Here is my practical question - how do I really listen to others, actively participating in the exchange even though my mouth is shut? I have a few ideas. What are your suggestions?

Spiritually, my soul is sobered by Hebrews 4:2 - "For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened."