I’m a Weirdo…

and I’ll prove it to you. Fishmama tagged me to write seven weird things about me.

1. I love fuzzy baby heads. I can’t keep my hands off of them.  I think my kids had bald patches from where I had rubbed their heads. And one time I unthinkingly rubbed one of my friends’ kids heads because it was so irresistible. She gave me an odd look, and then I realized that her little guy had to wear one of those little head-shaper helmets, so she thought I was noticing his misshapen head. Nope, just being weird.

2. I get lost really easily. I am seriously phobic about driving outside of my five mile bubble. My brain can’t seem to reverse directions, so getting there is okay sometimes, but getting back is traumatic. I think I even ticked off the GPS one time.

3. Growing up my sister would love to play princess. I would play only if I could be Chim-chim the monkey from Speed Racer.

4. I have an uncontrollable urge to squeeze the muscle connecting Jason’s thumb to his palm (you know the part I mean?) when we are holding hands. I have done this since we were 15. He thought it was weird, but he’s used to it now. I think.

5.  I like junky sugar candy (Mike and Ikes, gummy bears, hard candy, fireballs) more than I like fine chocolate.

6. I still walk on my toes. Going downhill especially.

7. Having majored in English, I never could get into Shakespeare.

Told you I’m weird.

I tag Briana, Sacha, and Sarah Z.

Happy Birthday, Granny!

The Reyes’ have this thing with birthdays. Parent/child birthdays must coincide or be very close. Emily and Asher share a birthday. Chris and Iris are a day apart. Tom and my twins are 2 days apart. And Debbie and Granny are back to back. Once again, I have a perfect opportunity to honor and say thank you to a lady (and she is the quintessential lady) I respect very highly.

Jason’s grandmother turns 90 today. I wouldn’t have said the age, but it was already projected on a huge screen at church this past Sunday, so I figure anyone who reads this probably already saw it . Granny was born in a Christian family and has loved the Lord her entire life. She has endured trials and pain that I can’t comprehend, and yet she has consistently walked through them with grace and faith.

What I love most about Granny is that she is still following hard after God. She attends her caregroup faithfully. She hosts weekly intercession in her home every Thursday. She often participates in the women’s Bible Study, and does her homework thoroughly. In a recent conversation  I had with her she shared that one goal she made for this year was to be more proactive in pursuing biblical fellowship. In her golden years she is truly growing spiritually as much as ever.

One specific area I really want to thank Granny for is her ministry to my family especially this past year as we were seeking God about Ohio, waiting for our house to sell, and then making the move here. Granny has prayed and prayed for us. Not just a passing prayer or two, but laboring in prayer over us. There have been at least two times when she has prayed through the night for us. On the first occasion we were having trouble with the sale of our home. Granny says that the Lord woke her in the middle of the night to pray for us. She prayed until the morning when she felt a release in her spirit to stop. Sure enough, the house sold within days of her prayers. More recently, after hearing we were having a difficult week, Granny woke up again and prayed through the night. Our hearts were strengthened and encouraged later that week.

I’m sure I won’t know until eternity the grace and ministry that have come from the prayers of Jason’s Granny. What a privilege to know such a godly woman. My words of honor truly fall short.

Happy Birthday, Granny!

We love you!!!

Happy Birthday, Debbie!

Today is my mother-in-law Debbie’s birthday providing a perfect opportunity to honor her.

I could honor Debbie for the model she is of balancing career and domesticity. Debbie is able to use her gifts of teaching and music in a public classroom setting, while keeping her husband, family, church, and home a priority.

I could honor Debbie for the hard work and excellence she applies to whatever she does. Whether it’s her immaculate home, directing the church choirs, preparing for school, or preparing a meal, Debbie does it as unto the Lord.

I could honor Debbie for raising the man I am privileged to be married to. I benefit from her godly investment and influence on a daily basis, and I am so grateful.

I could honor Debbie for being an outstanding grandmother. She genuinely enjoys my children and makes memories with them whether it be taking them to a jazz concert, or playing Crazy 8’s.

I could honor Debbie for a host of excellent qualities and evidences of the grace of God I see in her life, but this year I want to honor her for something new I have come to love and appreciate about her. It was hard to tell our parents that we were even considering leaving Maryland. I remember the beginning conversations. We all cried every time. But as it started looking more and more likely that this was God’s will for our lives, Debbie became a source of much encouragement and faith. Through her own experiences of moving frequently, Debbie learned that God was always faithful to her and to her children. She was able to confidently say to me many times, “your children are going to be ok. You are going to be ok.” She has shared specific examples of times when God did something profound and somewhat unexpected in her life as a result of relocation.

The last time we visited Maryland, I wanted to look at her old photo albums. (I love seeing my husband at the ages my kids are so I can compare and see who looks like him). In one album there were pictures of the Reyes’ in New York. What stood out to me were the pictures of a group of about 10-15 kids. Debbie explained that they were in her Bible club. Here my mother in law, having just left her mother, sister, and grandmother to come to live in an apartment in New York City took her children door to door to give invitations to be part of a Bible club. Amazing! They didn’t just meet weekly for their club, they took field trips to fun places in the city. In a time marked with hardship and loneliness, Debbie still reached out to minister to those around her.

Now that I have moved I have a whole new respect for what my mother in law did so many times. I hope to be like her and have a vision to focus on others around me, perhaps even the neighborhood children. I am grateful for Debbie’s example in many ways; but this year, it is her wisdom and faith in the midst of this entire process that I want to say thank you for.  The longer I know my mother in law, the more I see of gold and silver in her life. I pray God’s continued blessing on her this year and am grateful for so much work He has already done.

Happy Birthday, Debbie.

I love you.

With Unveiled Face

It’s morbid, and perhaps a bit shocking, but thinking about my guilt and failure actually comes a lot easier than dwelling on the glories of Christ. I sometimes think I am hardwired to fixate on ME. Even my heart-probing, sin-detecting, motive-examining thoughts can turn into morbid introspection or expressions of self-centeredness. Funny thing is, no matter how long I look at my ugliness in the proverbial mirror, I don’t change. It is crucial to look in the mirror and see what is there. It’s biblical.

James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

So how do I get from looking to doing? I think one way is to turn from myself to beholding my Savior, Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, [1] are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

This is hard to sustain in everyday life. It makes sense that the world and the enemy of our soul would conspire with our flesh and do everything to keep us from what will really motivate and result in lasting change for the glory of God. In writing this, I am reminding my own soul of what I am all too quick to forget. It is a struggle to remember to read the Bible for what it says about God and the story of redemption, not just for what it says about me. It is a fight to memorize scripture to call to mind throughout the day. It is a battle to always be reading a Christ centered book to stretch my small mind about His glory. But I have seen the value so strikingly in my life that it is worth the effort regardless of how many times I default back into self-sufficient, self-centered me-ism.

I want to remember the glory of Christ. His glory before He came to earth. The Creator and sustainer of all things. Perfect fellowship with the Father. Perfectly worshiped by the angels. Foretold in every prophesy. Represented in every covenant. The embodiment of all wisdom. The theme of every Psalm.

I want to remember the life of Christ. The Prince of Glory became a man. A helpless baby. A carpenter’s son. I want to remember how many times Jesus responded to the needy who believed. A blind man. Ten lepers. A bleeding woman. A tax collector. A father. A soldier. A harlot. I want to remember how many times Jesus scorned the self-righteous legalist. The pharisee. The rich young ruler. I want to remember how patient Jesus was with His disciples. With James and John’s selfish ambition. With Peter’s denial. With loaves and fish to feed a multitude. With sleeping disciples in His hour of agony.

I want to remember the death of Christ. His humility in washing the disciples’ feet. His struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane. His betrayal. His beating. His crown of thorns. His being nailed to the cross. His cries from the cross. The blood and water that flowed. His resurrection from the dead. His appearance to the disciples. His great commission. His ascension.

I want to remember His present and future glory. He is seated at the right hand of the Father. He is interceding on our behalf. He is ruling and reigning over everything according to His good plan. And one day He will return. One day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Angels sing Holy, Holy, Holy. Saints from every time in history and every tongue cry out Worthy is the Lamb who was slain.

I want to remember these things so that when I think of verses like,

“if we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (John 1:9),” or

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16),” or

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil 4:13),” or

“it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure(Phil 2:13),” or

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, (2 Peter 1:3, 4)”, or

“…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God”(Hebrews 12:1,2) , or

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (from Romans 8)”,

I believe it. And I run from legalistic good works, or from my guilt and shame, or from my idolatry, or spiritual apathy, and I run to my heavenly Father who welcomes me not because I remembered the Savior, but because He remembered the Savior, and sees His righteous blood shed on my behalf.

So hard to sustain in real life. So worth the attempt.

 

 

Failed A Pop Quiz Lately?

Yesterday I mentioned that sometimes it seems easier to pass the big tests of faith than the little pop quizzes that come with everyday life. Ideally, we can humbly identify our need for God’s help right in that moment and experience sweet victory. Briana mentioned in the comment box how by God’s grace, she did that and we can all rejoice with her in the blessing of appropriating grace. It is right for us to celebrate such outpourings of grace in our lives when we experience them. I admit that when I “handle” a situation with some level of grace I arrogantly pass it off as, “that’s just what Christian moms do.”  When we see victory in the pop quiz, let’s celebrate it with the same enthusiasm as we would a big test.

Success is sweet indeed, but what do we do when we fail the quiz? The Bible is a book about redemption. Scattered throughout its pages are mini-stories of redemption. Many characters in the Bible failed a pop quiz or something even greater. We know the stories: Eve with the forbidden fruit; Abraham and Sarah’s Ishmael experience; Jacob’s deception; 10 jealous brothers; Moses’ second strike on the rock; grumbling Israelites; doubting spies; David’s not guarding his eyes; Solomon’s wives; Peter’s betrayal; John the Baptist’s question;  Thomas’ doubt and on and on. These are not unbelievers. They are believers and yet they failed the test of faith at some time or other.

The entire Bible is one big story of redemption: the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus who is fully God came to earth as a man to rescue sinners like you and me. He lived a perfect life of faith that we could never live. He passed every pop quiz we fail. Then he offered Himself up on the cross in our place, suffering the wrath that our sins deserve. He rose from the dead proving His victory over Satan, sin, and death and now He rules and reigns on high, seated at the right hand of His Father.

Because of Jesus’ redemptive work, when we fail we can run to the throne of grace and find mercy and forgiveness for our sin. We can remember that our righteousness is based on Jesus’ life and not our own. Where I failed, He was utterly successful! We also can receive fresh grace and strength to walk obediently even in the small, insignificant moments of life. So while we should be sobered by our sin, we shouldn’t be obsessed with our daily performance report card (good or bad for that matter). Once we’ve confessed our sins, let’s look to the performance of One whose perfection offers far more incentive for growing in faith than our guilt from failure ever will.

I love this quote by John Bunyan about our righteousness in Christ. I think I originally heard it in a Piper teaching about Bunyan’s life.

“One day as I was passing into the field…this sentence fell upon my soul. Thy righteousness is in heaven. And methought, withal, I saw with the eyes of my soul Jesus Christ at God’s right hand; there, I say, was my righteousness; so that wherever I was, or whatever I was doing, God could not say of me, he (lacks) my righteousness, for that was just before him. I also saw, moreover, that it was not my good frame of heart that made my righteousness better, nor yet my bad frame that made my righteousness worse, for my righteousness was Jesus Christ himself…Now did my chains fall off my legs indeed. I was loosed from my afflictions and irons…now went I also home rejoicing for the grace and love of God”.

Did you fail a pop quiz today? I know I did already. Let us run to Christ who is our righteousness and find mercy and grace in our time of need.  Because of our redemption in Christ, both our victory and our failure can be to the praise of the glory of His grace.

Divine Power For Rush Hour

Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever passed a significant test of faith only to fail a rather small one? Like follow your husband to move to Ohio but whine and complain on the car ride there about being stuck in Frederick’s rush hour. Truth is there aren’t nearly as many big “tests” as there are pop quizzes so to speak. These pop quizzes are part of everyday life. A pop quiz in everyday life is found in the bathroom where we find our toddler has put an entire roll of toilet paper into the toilet…and then took it out again. One quiz takes place in Target where the person in front of us needed a price check on three different items. Then there is the pop quiz of the phone call from our husband that he is going to be home late…again. Or the high maintenance boss who is freaking out over a deadline. Or the break room where your co-workers are gossiping about that boss. It’s the mountain of laundry knee-deep, and PMS week and sick kids and…well you get the idea.

I think sometimes we encounter a bigger test and recognize it as an invitation to grow in faith and experience profound grace. Somehow in the big tests we see our weakness more clearly. We know our need for amazing grace. But the pop quizzes often are overlooked as invitations to grow in faith and experience profound grace. We think we should be able to handle this little thing on our own. Of course, we might not say it or even think it consciously. But the truth is, I really am too weak to encounter even small tests without an active dependence on the grace of God. This is humbling. But this is the way to experience the profound power of God at work in my life on an everyday basis, and not just when something significant happens.

2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to (everyday) life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.

Story of Stuff

If you haven’t watched it yet, the video called “the Story of Stuff”  is really thought provoking.  To see it, click here. It is about twenty minutes long, so you may want to do it while the kids nap or sleep.  Trust me it is very easy and interesting to watch. It isn’t Christian, but still exposes the power of greed and consumerism in American culture and potentially our own hearts.

HT:Joshua Harris (for an excellent and biblical perspective on the love of “stuff”, be sure to read/listen to Joshua’s series called Affluenza)

Compassionate Conqueror

 Temptation. It’s one of those things that we simply will not escape in this life. Sometimes with shocking intensity the lure of escape, entertainment, comfort, ease, power, control, selfishness, anger breaks in on my day with the empty promise of life. I find myself smack dab in the garden of Eden with the sneaky serpent whispering his lies. Eat fruit and live.

Knowing that temptation rears its beautiful head around every corner of my heart, it was with great comfort that I read this today: 

Hebrews 2:18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Jesus who is fully God has the power to help us when we are tempted. But what sweet comfort that Jesus who was fully man has compassion on us as well. He is not the cold removed heroic warrior, but the faithful, empathetic Brother.  We remember the deity of Christ reigning in omnipotence, able to give us power to overcome. And we remember the High Priest, Brother who understands the power of temptation and is inclined to help us by His mercy.

May I never make the foolish mistake of mustering up willpower to overcome temptation. But with fresh faith in the Savior, may I look to Him to grant power and help the next time I am tempted.

Just Wanted to Say…

Danielle, I loved your recent article on prayer. I especially liked your connection between humble desperation and fervent prayer. So true, friend.

Zoanna, I am glad things went well for you with the surgery. Never figured the rhyme out, so I hope it wasn’t too painful? Glad that your humor/wit is still in tact. You crack me up.

Beth, I think of you when I visit my Wal Mart Super center (which is weekly), and  feel myself getting uglier.

Libby, yikes about the shaggy shower guy.

Okay, gotta go. Just want to say how grateful I am to keep in touch via cyberspace. Keep on blogging. I miss you gals!!!

Please Help!!

Jason and I are excited to get to know as many people from our new church as possible. So it is definitely a season of increased hospitality around here. This is where I need some help. PLEASE post or email me your favorite “company dessert”. You know, your no-fail, everyone loves it, dessert. I really need to broaden my repertoire for baking.

Leave a comment to tell me if/when you post .

thanks!