He Won't Let Go

For this is God, Our God forever and ever; 

He will be our guide even to death.

Psalm 48:14

September 11, 2001. My life stopped. As I watched tragedy unfold on the tiny 9" television screen, my life froze. For months. I couldn't find God in that horrific mess. I lost all confidence in His sovereignty. I felt abandoned. Why? God, why us? 

I was so mad!!! And afraid! I ran from God. 

I refused to go to church. When my husband took the kids to weekend services, I stayed home. I turned up the stereo, loud, trying to drown Him out. But no matter how high the volume, I couldn't drown out His word. My mind filled unbidden with praise and worship songs. He wouldn't let me go.

I screamed at Him. I threw my Bible at the wall. Yet, He wouldn't let me go. 

I told my husband there can be no God. He wouldn't let this happen to us. Yet, God wouldn't let me go. 

No matter what I did, His precious word just wouldn't leave my head. 

When I finally opened my heart just a crack, He let me know in a big way that He loves me. He is hope for the hopeless. He is comfort to the uncomforted. He is peace in the midst of pain and confusion. He is love.

Tragedy is part of living this life. It is unexplainable. For me, the difference now is that I know -- with all my heart -- that God is bigger than my pain, confusion, and hurt. He loves me. He will not leave me. 

As I write, my heart goes out to all the students at WJHS who are asking God some of the same things I did on 9/11. Why God? Why did they have to die? 

There's no answer for why. God promises to guide us, though, "even unto death." 

For anyone facing tragedy, it's okay to grieve. It's okay to ask God the tough questions, questions that have no answer. It's okay to cry, scream, hurt. The Bible says, "In this world you will have trouble." 

But please remember the second half of the verse, "I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) One day, it won't hurt so bad. You'll know that this pain is temporary and that God will never leave you.

Why this? Why now?

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted 
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 34:18

My heart breaks for my son and all his friends in band. They've been hammered with bad news and tragedy over the past couple weeks. Someone they looked up to as a role model was arrested and sits in jail. They wonder why. And they grieve for him as families grieve when a loved one goes astray. Deeply, they hurt.

Yesterday, two band members died in a tragic car accident on a flooded road. Their lives cut short. Again, the kids ask why? Why them? Why now?

There's no way to explain tragedy so it makes sense. It just is. And life goes on. School. Rehearsal. Homework. Life. "Why" presses in as they press on.

Many of the kids in this band know Jesus, but these past eight days leave some questioning. They haven't lived long enough to know God really will work it all out. Their faith is tested.

It's understandable that some look at all that's happening and ask what more they can take. How much pain must they endure. Yet, God offers peace. He does not want them to fear what's next or break under the strain of what's now. He offers peace to those who love Him. I pray that while this is hard (even for me as a grown-up with lots of life experience), the kids will look to God for peace in their confusion and hurt.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27 

I pray for comfort in the storm. Comfort that offers rest, deep comfort to calm anxious hearts filled with fear, pain, and confusion.

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green
pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of
righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow
of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort
me. Psalm 23:1-4 

I pray they will trust that God will work it all out in the end, just as He promises. Someday. Just believe.

Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. Romans 8:26-28 (MSG)

My heart grieves for Chris, Alissa, their families and friends. But there will come a day when there will be no more death, no more pain, no more tears. God will make all things new. I pray that now, in the midst of pain, we each will hold on to the love of Jesus, our comforter, our peace, and our assurance that this will not last forever.

Memorial Box Monday: Gotcha!

I knew long before today what I'd write about. Five years ago yesterday, we held our little girl in our arms for the very first time. 

From the moment God called us to adopt, our entire family was consumed with the effort. To raise money, our sons walked dogs, washed cars and pulled weeds for the neighbors. God blessed Rob with a temporary second job - that came to him. He didn't have to look for it. We ate a LOT of peanut butter sandwiches!

Finally, it came. We flew from Beijing to Guangzhou the morning of March 28, 2005. At the hotel, we were herded into a conference room awaiting room assignments. I pulled out my camera to snap a photo of the guys goofing off and my camera wouldn't work. Can you imagine?

Hours away from meeting our daughter, probably the most anticipated day of my life, the shutter wouldn't open. After some panic, yes - I freaked out a bit, Rob and I finally remembered to pray for it. We didn't pray so much as we begged. "God, please... let us get pictures today. Please."

We got our rooms and headed upstairs to freshen up for the big event. It wasn't all that refreshing. We had to gather all the required documents and force down a snack. It's not easy to eat when your stomach is doing flip-flops. I insisted on a final photo of us as a family of four... if the camera would let us. I situated the guys on the couch, set up the camera, sucked in my breath and pushed the on button. Voila! The shutter slid open and we got the shot.

We hurried downstairs to the bus for the drive across town to our little girl. They herded us into the dreary office building, up a couple flights of stairs, and down a hall. We passed Chinese women holding little bundles of love in their arms. Had I just passed her in the hall? My mind filled with thoughts of the moment. Meeting her. Would I recognize her when they carried her in? Would she cry? Was she big? or little? Cuddly?

Then we waited. And waited. And waited. (We really didn't wait too long. It just felt that way.) The dads arranged to videotape for each other so we could catch every precious moment. And then....

The babies arrived.

Thankfully, Ellie was one of the first couple babies they brought in. I did recognize her immediately. She cried. So did I. So did the guys. She was little. Tiny, in fact, and oh so sweet.

We have photos of it all. Thank you, God, for answering our prayer about the camera... With thankfulness, I place a copy of the first photo ever snapped with Ellie into our Memorial Box. The tears came just seconds later... and flowed for quite a while.

Memorial Box Monday started at "A Place Called Simplicity." A friend of mine introduced me to it, and I love it! love it! love it!!! Memorial Box Monday provides an opportunity to remember all the good things God has done. Huge, gigantic things and little things that might seem insignificant. God's word is clear: "Cast every care on Me, for I care for you." (1 Peter 5:7).

Rainbows and Mudpies

On our way home from gymnastics class, my daughter announced, "Sun and rain make mud and rainbows." I paused before responding. After all, what can you say after such a profound statement?


Yet, I was curious about what she was thinking. Rather lamely, I asked, "Is that good?"


She replied, "Yes, it is. I can play in the mud and watch the rainbow at the same time. Isn't that cool?" She was serious, too!


Oh how I wish I could see the world the way she does. She sees it as magical and filled with endless possibilities made of mudpies and rainbows. When I see mud, I instantly think mess. When it rains, I wish it would go away and come again some other day. Maybe in ten years.


Maybe that's why God designed families. If the world was filled with adults, we'd be pretty boring. Logical. Wise.


Kids remind us to savor every single bit of this life. They help us remember that mud IS magnificent. And rainbows make rain worthwhile. Perhaps they're the wise ones.

Mudpie photo by http://mikegothard.wordpress.com/. Isn't it a great picture?

Taxes are DONE!!!

Just thought I would share my excitement.

HAPPY DANCE!!! Now I have at least 11 months before I have to tackle that again! :)

Talk to you all soon.
Love,
Karen

Memorial Box Monday: Hands for Haiti

About 10 days after the earthquake in Haiti, my husband boarded a plane headed there to provide medical relief. He learned of the opportunity to go late Wednesday and left home early Sunday morning. In that time, did some mad shopping for needed supplies: waterproof work boots, cargo pants, and miscellaneous needed medical supplies and packed his bags.

The only hesitation came when he asked that Wednesday, "What about missing eight days of income? Can we handle that?" I replied, "If God wants you to go, don't you think He'll take care of us?" (I just love it when I actually get to be the wise one instead of the doubter... and I love it more that God put together a marriage of incredible faith balance!)

Now back to the story...

While he prepared, our church family stepped in and helped too, providing more than 50 pounds of medical gauze. Gauze is NOT heavy... 50 pounds is a lot of gauze!

One store gave him a 20% discount on everything he needed as soon as they learned of the trip.

The airline waived baggage fees for checked luggage and brought him and the rest of his team meals at no charge. You know how the airlines are these days -- that was totally amazing!

God's little miracles tickle me and make me smile.

This trip, though, God decided to show off a bit. He's God, so He's allowed to be grand whenever He wants! When Rob returned to work, he received a bonus check. The weird thing was he had already received his year end bonus in December. It turns out that the accountant recalculated based on something (I didn't pay too close attention to that detail) and determined that the bonuses needed adjusted. That bonus check was less than $5.00 different than what Rob makes in eight days of work!

Don't you just love it?

Totally and completely thankful for God's provision, I am placing a picture of my husband faithfully serving God by caring for the precious people of Haiti.

PLEASE CONTINUE to pray for Haiti. The rains have come, and the living conditions are deteriorating. This nation needs our love and support. Don't forget Haiti! Check out Praying 4 Haiti to see how you can help. The cool t-shirts are only $20 and all proceeds go directly to relief work in Haiti.

Memorial Box Monday started at "A Place Called Simplicity." A friend of mine introduced me to it last week, and I love it! love it! love it!!! Memorial Box Monday provides an opportunity to remember all the good things God has done. Huge, gigantic things and little things that might seem insignificant. God's word is clear: "Cast every care on Me, for I care for you." (1 Peter 5:7).

Taxes

Taxes, slavery, unemployment and diseases all 

contributed to the fall of Rome.

This sentence, from our Classical Conversations homeschool curriculum, could be the theme of my week!

Taxes clutter the dining room table. Will I ever finish? Ugh.

Slavery - well, not quite - just motherhood.

Unemployment - again, not quite - or I wouldn't be doing taxes...

Diseases - or allergies, perhaps.

When the taxes are done, I will resume blogging. Until then, I will try to stay healthy, be thankful for my freedom and my husband's job!!!!

Back again soon. I hope! :)

Burdens - Not God's Plan

A couple weeks ago, I shared that I am overwhelmed by God and a lesson He wants to teach me. I'm finally ready to share what I've learned... well, not learned... AM LEARNING!

If I could sum up my life so far in one word, it would be "expectations." My parents always expected me to do well in school. They expected me to make good life decisions. I expected me to be a great wife. I expected me to be a "good girl." I expect me to be a good leader, yet humble, compassionate, encouraging.

It's a lot of pressure - not ill-intentioned - but expectations are a heavy burden. God never intended us to carry this load. He wants us to trust Him and give Him our burdens. Galatians 5:1 says, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery." (NIV)

"Do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery." Slavery is defined as a condition of exhausting labor or restricted freedom. It's exactly what we experience when we try to live up to unnatural expectations.

"Do not let yourselves be burdened again." Again. That's exactly my problem. I know I can't live up to expectations -- my own or others. Yet, I try. Again. I fail. Again. I am disappointed in myself. Again.

Maybe you, like me, carry burdens that wear you down. Do you try to be the "perfect" wife? The "perfect" mom? Or friend? Do you juggle work, home, children and marriage wondering what will fall through the cracks next? What about guilt - do you hide your mistakes, worries and fears hoping no one will notice you're not really "all that and a bag of chips"?

My prayer today is this verse, Galatians 5:1. Thank you God for my freedom in Christ who sets me free. Help me stand firm and do not let me be burdened again by the yoke of slavery. Help me let go of those unreasonable expectations I put on myself. Amen

Life is too precious to live in regret. It's a gift too precious to waste in exhaustion, stress, worry, and frustration. What do you need to give up once and for all? Will you do it?

Memorial Box Monday: Cha-ching

During my undergraduate years at Ohio State, I worked to pay for school. I worked dorm security my freshman and sophomore years, 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. at least four nights a week, but it wore me down. College is hard enough without the crazy sleep schedule.

I scoured the campus for a new job with better hours. Some wouldn't take me because they wanted students in their area of study to fill their positions. Other jobs weren't open to underclassmen. A couple times I thought I got the job only to get a call telling me they'd decided to give it to someone else.

One rainy day, I interviewed at the student health department. It didn't look good. I walked slowly back to my dorm, my hair dripping wet and my heart heavy. When I got to my room, I went to the dresser, pounded my hands on its top and looked in the mirror at my pathetic reflection. "God," I screamed to the empty room, "I need a new job. I just can't do this anymore." I burst into tears.

The phone rang. Really!

The university's department of occupational safety and health, responsible for tracking every chemical on the Ohio State campus, from bathroom cleaners, to paint, to chemistry lab supplies, to the hospital supplies. The staff responded to chemical spills of minor and major proportions and did a whole lot more.

They were computerizing. This is in the old days, when PCs had no memory and everything was stored on floppy disks. You know, when word processors consumed whole rooms. The student position would assist with word processing and enter all the chemical forms, many full-size cabinets full, into the new computer.

You might guess, I got the job! :)

And I loved it. I worked there for more than three years. The staff loved me like family. When the dorms closed for the weekend, they took me in. The boss let me use the word processor to type dissertations off the clock so I could earn extra money. One of them had graduated from Michigan. Somehow, he got U of M stickers into my diploma at graduation (OSU actually gives students their real diploma at the ceremony - not a blank piece of paper). Hilarious!

To remind me of God's provision in my time of need, I am placing a dollar bill in my Memorial Box. When I was desperate, God gave me more than a job. He gave me a family, a support system to help me navigate through college. When I finally got to the end of me, He stepped in and gave me more than I could have hoped or imagined.

Memorial Box Monday started at "A Place Called Simplicity." A friend of mine introduced me to it last week, and I love it! love it! love it!!! Memorial Box Monday provides an opportunity to remember all the good things God has done. Huge, gigantic things and little things that might seem insignificant. God's word is clear: "Cast every care on Me, for I care for you." (1 Peter 5:7).

Little Gifts

Rob left the house long before I woke up today, off to pray with the men at our church (Go, Warriors!!!) and the hospital and work. When he leaves early, I get up early to send Nathan off to high school... before the sun!


Rob set the alarm for me - and selected the sweetest song to wake me.

So let it go and turn it over to

The one who chose to give his life for you

Leave it to me

I'll lead you home.

So let it go and turn it over to 

The one who chose to give his life for you

Just leave it to me

I'll lead you home.

Leave it to me

I'll lead you home.

Jesus suffered and died on that cross for me. For everything I've ever done wrong and ever will do. All I have to do is let go and let him.

He did the same for you.

You gotta use it!

My dear husband gave me a massage gift certificate this past Christmas. I love it!!! There's nothing like an hour in quiet, peaceful calm, with no kids around - anywhere. Such a thoughtful man.

Here's the problem... That gift certificate still sits on the shelf, unused. I know it's there. I know I'll love that blissful hour of pampering. But I still haven't used it.

Yesterday I wrote about how I struggle to appreciate the gift of God's forgiveness. He tells us that "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." (Ps. 103:12 NIV). Spread your arms out wide. Our sin can never touch our lives once God has forgiven us. He also says, "Turn to God so your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." (Acts 3:19 NIV).

My husband gave me a generous, loving gift in that gift certificate. I received the gift. I know the massage will refresh and renew me. Yet, sitting unused, it is of no benefit. It can't refresh me. In much the same way, I am a Christian. I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior long ago. That gift includes his forgiveness when I mess up. Like the gift certificate, though, His gift of forgiveness means nothing if I refuse to let it into my heart. It sits on the shelf, so to speak, unused. I keep beating myself up, and I do not get refreshed.

My prayer today is for all of us who struggle to accept God's forgiveness for our past sin. If that's you, will you join me and ask God to help you accept his generous, loving gift so you can be refreshed?

Dear God, Thank you for the gift of new life through your Son, Jesus. Thank you for sending him to die on that cross to pay the price for my sin. Please help me today to receive that gift fully and accept that you really did wipe the slate clean. I want to be refreshed, Lord. I want to walk in complete freedom and not dwell on my past mistakes. Lord, I lay my own inability to forgive myself at your feet. Please help me leave my past there. I love you, Lord. Thank you for loving me so much. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen

I am set free... or at least I want to be

It was custom to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. When the crowd gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas or Jesus, who is called the Christ?" He knew it was out of envy that they (the religious leaders of the time) had handed Jesus over to him... The chief priests and elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and have Jesus executed instead. Pilate asked the crowd again, and they insisted again on Barabbas' release. "What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify him!" (Paraphrased from Matthew 27:15-22)

Barabbas, guilty of crimes that historians believe might be called terrorism today, was set free. He got a fresh start. Jesus took his place on the cross. Like Barabbas, I am declared free because Jesus took my place. He died on the cross for my sin, so that I don't have to. 

Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God." We have all sinned. We have all done things that are displeasing to God. Jesus took our place on that cross.

Romans 6:23 explains the consequences of our sin. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Without Jesus, we deserve death on the cross for our sins, just like Barabbas.

Romans 5:8 explains why Jesus willingly died on the cross though he didn't deserve it. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." He died. For every one of us! Jesus' death and resurrection proves that God accepted Jesus' death as the payment for our sins.

Because of Jesus' death on our behalf, all we have to do is believe in Him and trust His death as the payment for our sins. We will be saved. Romans 10:9 says "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sins and set us free. 

Barabbas was a guilty man set free. Jesus took his place. He was a man given a new start and he never looked back. That's the end of his story. I wonder if he really knew who stood in his place that day. Or if he even cared.


I am guilty. I am prideful, lazy, quick to anger, and so much more. Jesus, who is my Lord and Savior, took my place. He has given me a new start. I don't want my story to end. Unlike Barabbas, I want my life in Christ to show, not for me, but to honor and glorify Him.


Yet, I find I am more like Barabbas than I want to be. I have the new life, but I don't always accept it. I let the sins of my past weigh me down. Even though I know Jesus has already paid the price, I hold on to them. I don't forgive myself. It's time for me to let go of my past and really be set free. 


I don't want my story to end.

Memorial Box Monday: Patience

A couple weeks ago, I shared the remarkable story of God's provision in a Chinese airport. Perhaps most incredible is that I trusted God. Completely. Yes, I felt panicky, but I knew God would work. He amazed me with His instantaneous provision.

Today's memory comes from that same day. We enjoyed our flight in first class, the food served on real plates, all the beverages we could drink, and the comfortable leather chairs. We arrived safely in Beijing, gathered our luggage and headed to the hotel we would call home for three days. The kids and Rob swam in the indoor pool, enjoying a little downtime. I snapped photos. Then bedtime came.

Most hotel rooms in China, as in much of Europe, are too small to accommodate four guests. Because of that, we requested adjoining rooms. While our rooms adjoined one another, they were not connected. My sons were far too young to sleep in their own hotel room anywhere, so Rob bunked with one and I bunked with the other. We said our good-nights and went our separate ways.

Turning off the lights, I settled into bed and my young son snuggled in beside me. I couldn't sleep. My heart pounded. I tossed and turned. My chest tightened to the point I could barely breathe. Panicked, I called my husband in the next room and told him to come right away.

He woke Nathan, the world's soundest sleeper, and came over. He settled Nathan into the unused rollaway, and crawled into the crowded bed beside me. He held me and I cried. And cried.

For the remainder of our time in Beijing, my kids shared a twin rollaway and my husband stayed close beside me through each night.

You may wonder where is God in this? Isn't Memorial Box Monday about God's provision?

Obviously, I wasn't a shining example of trust in God that night. Twelve hours earlier, God had rescued me from an impossible situation and there I was, blubbering, whining, panicking because my husband was sleeping on the other side of a wall.

God, though, never changed. He was there in that Beijing hotel room, waiting patiently for me to ask for comfort and peace (which I never did), just as I had boldly asked for provision at the airport. I was the problem, not Him.

I could beat myself up about it, but God understands. I was no different than the Israelites. How often did God provide for them: manna, parting the Red Sea, and more. Yet, they whined. They forgot. They took their eyes off Him and got self-righteous. They even considered slavery in Egypt better than freedom in the desert!

Today, I am thankful for a God of infinite patience. That's what this little episode in my life always reminds me of. He waited patiently. When I get too self-focused, taking my eyes off God, this life lesson creeps into my head to remind me to trust Him again. Even in our weakness, God is made strong.

I took a picture of my boys sleeping in that tiny rollaway. I am placing that photo in my Memorial Box to remind me that God waits. Patiently.

Memorial Box Monday started at "A Place Called Simplicity." A friend of mine introduced me to it last week, and I love it! love it! love it!!! Memorial Box Monday provides an opportunity to remember all the good things God has done. Huge, gigantic things and little things that might seem insignificant. God's word is clear: "Cast every care on Me, for I care for you." (1 Peter 5:7).

"For the Lord Gives Wisdom"

Navigating my way through my first round of parenting teens, I am not sure I'm doing a good job. The past couple months have been especially tough. Every day has looked about the same. 

Me, "Why did you...." OR "What were you thinking?" Yes, I really said that and worse!

My son, "I don't know." OR "What, me? It wasn't me." OR "Yeah-h-h-h-h." The unenthusiastic response trailing behind as he stomped up the stairs to his room. Normally, he's a relaxed, chatty, hang-out-with-the-family kind of guy. He's not this angry kid.

I don't want this kind of relationship with him. I want to encourage, guide, and support him as he becomes a man. There's little time left to "help him" prepare for the world. In two short years he will be an adult, managing his own schedule, finances, coursework, and daily decisions. I won't walk every step alongside him.

Desperate for change, I called a Christian friend to ask for direction. My friend suggested that if my son acts up over insignificant things, then those things aren't probably the problem. My friend encouraged me to look deeper and find the source of our tension.

The rest of the day, as I washed laundry, made dinner, and changed sheets, I spilled my heart to God. I dumped my fears, frustrations, and even my anger at His feet. He's God, after all. He can take it. Mid-afternoon, I prepared a cup of tea to enjoy as I read scripture. My favorite mug has Proverbs 2:6, "For the Lord gives wisdom. From His mouth come knowledge and understanding." written across it. I smiled for the first time all day.

God, You give wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Please help me understand my son and give me wisdom to parent him. I prayed. Then, I sat. Quiet. Listening.

When my son got home from school, rather than grill him about homework, chores, and piano practice, I actually asked him how his day went. And listened. Really listened. My mind didn't jump ahead to the familiar grilling he'd been getting.

I brought up our major source of contention and could see him tense for the attack. But, I didn't attack. I apologized. For jumping to conclusions, for being unfair, for not respecting his feelings. Cool moment. His face softened. He relaxed. HE apologized for his part in it. Really! Just like that.

"The Lord gives wisdom." To parents navigating the teen years for the first time. Even to teens. God's just waiting for us to ask His help and direction to parent His way. For me, it meant changing my attitude, my tone, and my approach. It meant stepping into humility and away from pride and authority.

My son told another friend yesterday, "My mom's really cool." I'm not trying to be cool, but I want to be the right mom for this almost-man at this time. With teens, parenting is a little less about the first time obedience of childhood and more about the heart. Parenting means helping him learn to listen to the Holy Spirit's guiding - so he doesn't need to listen to me.

Parenting a teen means letting go. Letting God lead him by letting God lead me.

What do you think?

Hello dear friends,
I shared recently that I plan to pursue my passion to write. The past couple weeks, I've been researching opportunities, studying how to write more effectively, and praying. Would you help me, please?

Take a few minutes - or if completely into it, a few hours - and read through old posts to share your favorite. Let me know which post speaks best to you and why.

To make it easy (we're all pressed for time):
1. click on a tag that interests you (That's the big jumble of words to your right. The bigger the word, the more blog posts have been written on that topic.)
2. read through the posts on that topic.
3. let me know your favorite -- or your least favorite -- by posting a comment below this post. (Click the word "comment" below this post and all the comments appear, including a new comment box.)
4. THANKS! :)

I hope that somewhere in what I've already written lies the spark of a genuine article waiting to grow into its full-size self. Maybe somewhere in here my style stands out.

Thank you for helping me become more of me!

Love,
Karen

Macciato Madness

Some friends and I gathered last night for a lot of fellowship and a little bit of ministry training. In teams, we prepared a "caramel macchiato." No training on the machines. No recipe for the drink. Just make it. Our brave friend taste tested each one, with the appropriate display of horror after each sip! The girls won, of course, the best of the worst. Needless to say, all the baristas out there in coffee world have job security!

At home last night, more lessons just seeped in... things we all could benefit from, not just in ministry, but in life:

1. Others learn from our example. Kids are especially keen observers. From the moment they're born, kids watch us in the kitchen, on the phone, with the laundry, everywhere. They learn from what we do - our good example and our bad. So do our employees, our ministry team members, and even our friends.

2. A few moments of instruction can save a lot of heartache. After our feeble attempts at macciato making, the "real" coffee guy showed us how to properly prepare the drink. I think, maybe, I can make one now. Sometimes, I assume my kids know how to do something though I've never really instructed them. They get angry or frustrated. Me too. Wouldn't it be wiser to slow the pace just enough to instruct and encourage before expecting them to do it?

3. Laugh. Our coffee was a complete disaster, but we had fun. Life is too short to dwell on mistakes. Instead, learn from the mistake and let it go. Take a risk, embrace life, and love the journey.

Overwhelmed!

Have you ever been so overwhelmed by God that you couldn't put it into words? The thoughts sit there at the edge of your mind too big to articulate. They brew in your heart, filling you to overflowing, yet completely unutterable. So overwhelmed, it takes your breath away - literally?

I'm there today.

God's showing me something... I've needed to learn it for a very long time... But I'm just now getting my head around it.

Then, I'll share... cuz I know it is good. He always is!

Until then, I pray God fills you with wonder so amazing it leaves you with no words. I pray your heart will overflow with His goodness and mercy. I pray you will fall in love with Him in a whole new way - beyond anything you ever dreamed or imagined.

Talk to you soon,
Karen

Memorial Box Monday: God's Little Gifts

When God called us to adopt Ellie, we knew He would also provide the funds for her adoption. We were so sure of it - after all God is anti-debt - that we told him "Yes, we'll go. But you have to provide the money." For a change, we didn't wait until we had all the answers, we just trusted that he would make a way.

Our faith journey to Ellie was absolutely incredible. He could have provided the "instant gift" kind of miracle, which I admit I looked forward to. Instead, he gave us other miracles, many, many tiny miracles that made her homecoming possible.

The day after we said yes, we received a check in the mail from the student loan company, stating we had overpaid our payoff by $68. Really??? I had checked the total amount for the final payoff three times -- really, three times -- before I wrote the check. The last thing I wanted to do was give them more than they were owed! We said yes to God. The next day He said, "I will provide." Awesome!

On vacation a couple months later (scheduled and paid for before the adoption came up -- a different kind of gift, perhaps), we hopped on a bus to head "home" for the night, tired after a long, fun-filled day. Our kids told another family about their sister in China. As we got off the bus, the mom shook their hands and wished them luck as they traveled to their sister. In each of their small palms, she had pressed a $20 bill. My boys experienced first hand God's provision for a miracle.

At the county courthouse, we submitted our information for the mandatory background check. When we slid the cash across the counter to pay, the man just pushed it back. We looked at him quizzically. When has a government office ever refused payment? He answered our questioning look, "There's no charge today." Really? Awesome! We bounced home -- okay, I bounced. Rob's not quite the bouncy type -- rejoicing in God's little gift.

God provided every time, the money we needed, when we needed it. Our journey to Ellie brought us so much closer to Him... His little gifts, reminding us that He cares for us. Reminding us that He will make a way when we are obedient to His call.

To remember God's little gifts on our journey to Ellie, I am placing a small gift box wrapped in ribbon.

Memorial Box Monday started at "A Place Called Simplicity." A friend of mine introduced me to it last week, and I love it! love it! love it!!! Memorial Box Monday provides an opportunity to remember all the good things God has done. Huge, gigantic things and little things that might seem insignificant. God's word is clear: "Cast every care on Me, for I care for you." (1 Peter 5:7).