He is Greater.....John 3:30 says He must become greater, I must become less"

I've been trying to avoid writing about the politics of 2016......I don't really want to dive into this can of worms.  Unfortunately, as I was sitting in church today, I felt like God was giving me some new thoughts and ideas about the upcoming election for our next president of the US.  Only.....and I mean ONLY....because I really do feel that they are God's things to consider, will I share them. Sigh. Let me preface this by saying that this past week, on vacation, we watched the DNC playing on television.  (side note:  television should not be allowed on vacation!) and my family members, at least in part, had lots of conversations about who should or should not win and why.  I have really mixed feelings about the 2 likely candidates.  Most are not good feelings.  I've decided to keep quiet and just listen to what people I know and respect think.  (Well, mostly listen, except today.  I will write and then listen some more.).  Last ...

I got home from our get-away at the lake this afternoon around 4:00.  It was a long ride home, entertaining Josiah in the back seat while Claire drove and her cousin rode shot-gun.  It was fun to hear them laughing and singing and being teens, and Josiah did great considering it was about a 6 hour car ride start to finish.  "Ideal" says that I was relieved and grateful to get away and be home.  And that's all true.  "Real" says that when I got home, I had to dash out and get food for Claire to eat at work, then go wash the car because we rode through nasty road construction ick, and get gas.......and then fly home so that Roger and I could go get our "most reliable vehicle" from the repair shop and write a $1,000 check for the repair.....oh.  And then figure out supper.  The guys have been eating leftovers and restaraunt meals for 3 days.......and since I was feeling pretty financially tapped out, I scraped together a dinner from leftovers a week ago ...

Tonight, I am sitting in the bedroom in the dark with my Precious Maryn.  She is going to sleep and she feels most safe if me or her dad is with her when she does.  Felt safety is a powerful thing.  She has had an exhausting day playing with kids, swimming, playing, swimming....and just because we have a pool....some more swimming on this hot July day.  I haven't seen her much today.  I had a really long work day today.  There is a phrase bouncing around in my thoughts and conversations this week, and it is this.  Sacred spaces.  I have always known them, but now I seem to identify them more clearly and I can appreciate them in the moment that we are moving through these sacred spaces.  I cannot claim to author this term.  In fact, I googled it and there is a website called Sacred Spaces and their purpose is "a liturgical design and consulting company creating and preserving religious art for churches".  Huh.  That's all well a...

I am committed to a season of Worship.....and with that comes thoughts on worship.  Most of us think of worship as songs of praise in church and if we are truly "worshiping" we will have our hearts into it and have our hands lifted high, or our heads bowed low or eyes closed to really experience worship.  That's all true for me.  I worship that way often in church.....especially when we have had a hectic morning and I am feeling frazzled......it is not a sign of my peace or contentment, I assure you.  It is a plea..... With that, I want to explore a bit more about "worship".  I think that true worship is when we reach high for Jesus.....knowing He is reaching low for us.  Worship is conversation, prayer, communion with him.  Worship is bowing down to His Sovereignty.....His reign.....His power.....His plan.  At least it is for me. Recently, one of my children has had to make some hard decisions and there were good things on the pro and the co...

I fully realize that my posts do not follow any order other than the one that comes from Father God.  He nudges me when there is something I should write.  It's true.  There is no other rhyme or reason to the blogs but that.  I'm having a moment or an epiphony or a a a ....day, and then there is this little nudge to consider something for the blog.  Holy Spirit decides, I just type the keys.  Here's what we've got for tonight.  At least for now.  My family all left for the weekend and its just Claire, me and the dogs til Sunday so I may be blowing up the feed of blog posts. Only He knows...... Circles. Last night, Claire and a friend and I had a conversation around THE DINING ROOM TABLE.  (It's all caps because I feel like there may be a bigger writing coming about things that have happened around this table.......like, maybe a book or something.  My dining room table has so many stories to tell.  Please don't tell me someone a...

We continue to have conversations in this house about missions and trips and how to care for others both near and far.  My heart soars in this, because for me, this is what I was created to do......find Jesus' plan for me, raise my children to love the plan and plan bigger and further, and be able to also bring it right home on a Sunday afternoon. I was tired this morning after lots of family busyness this weekend.  The road to church was paved with adversity.....and once seated, I was exhausted and expectant.....and without coffee.  I didn't have time for a cup this morning.  Church was awesome.  I heard something from our pulpit (aka our youth pastor Ryan who is such a good speaker!) that I had heard somewhere before but did not expect to hear in my home church.  Ryan said that he planned to read scripture, then pray, then share a message about Jesus and then the last 2 songs would happen and he hoped the message would prepare us for worship in those l...

James 1:27 says this, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this; to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." I have been a believer in Jesus and His saving grace my whole life.  For about the past 25 years I would say that I have been a more serious follower of the Lord Jesus and what He deems relevant.  I have had a heart for the fatherless and the orphan, the lost, the hurting, those with no voice.......since forever.  For about the past 25 years I have had an ability to not just care, but to also act.  This is such an honor and such a burden all at once.  To care so much, and not be able to do more than just a little bit of it to help make the wrong things right....... It is with joy and deep humility that I can begin to now see a bigger work happening.  God took my little bit of "what can I do, Lord?" and He called me out of a life of comfort, of worldly success...