The Week Ahead

As a mama, today i am feeling a mixture of sadness, pride and joy. This morning we saw Rachel off to camp. This week she and her friends from church will be serving by helping those in need. There will be so much to do; cleaning, yardwork and childcare to name a few of the known assignments. With so much to do the week should go by pretty quickly for the kids and their leaders.

On the other hand, for Jeremy, the boys and me the hours will tick by very slowly. We will miss her so much-we are already missing her. Though her absence makes it difficult for the next few days we are proud of Rachel. She is going with such excitement and wanting to help that it is hard to imagine not being proud of the young lady she is growing into.

Then there is the joy of knowing that Rachel is doing what she feels is God's will and we believe that the center of God's will is the very best place to be.

It is going to be so much fun to hear of Rachel's experience upon her return. I am sure she will be exhausted but more than anything she is going to feel a deep satisfaction knowing she has shown God's love to those who may experience so little of it in their own lives. The memories and the eternal rewards are going to be far greater than any temporary exhaustion she may feel at the end of the camp experience.

As a mama i ask everyone who reads this to pray for Rachel and her friends this week they act as the hands and feet of Jesus.

Thank you and God bless!

A Prayer for Restoration

Where is my faith? Where is my peace? Where is my joy? And where is my hope? All i really want, all i truly need can only be found in You. Apart from You i have no faith, no peace, no joy and i have no hope.

Why am i so fearful? Troubled? Downcast? Why do i feel so anxious?

Instead of running to You i find myself running from You.

I ask myself why i do this when i know that anything i put before You will only rob me of my joy and steal my peace. You want to restore these things to me and revive in me a calm heart and quiet spirit.

Still i find myself running...running away from You.

All i have to do is call Your name and You are there but the distractions are too much for me to bear. I wasn't meant to bear them alone but i keep trying...and it is a losing battle and i know it.

Finally i find myself, weary from the struggle. So tired of doing on my own-only to fail again.

Lord, i am calling on You now. My voice is weak but i know You hear me just the same.

Please lift me from this pit i have dug for myself and put my feet back on solid ground.

I need You, Lord. The battle is Yours and i am Yours too.

Spiritual Fruitiness

“He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall propser.” Psalm 1:3

Sometimes i can be a bad apple, sometimes a real lemon. On a good day you might say i am peachy keen. Good or bad i am bearing fruit of some kind. If i am to be known by my “fruitiness” let it be the fruits of the Spirit that they see in me.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22

She's Home!

Rachel the weary camper is now back in our midst! Her daddy, brothers and i picked her up at church around a quarter til noon. She came bearing candy and other goodies along with a new Webkin. Also among her goodies was a trophy for "Camper of the Day", which she won on Wednesday.

Rachel's group leader, Mrs. Kelley, told me how Rachel held doors for people, waited on them and never complained. What a joy to know she has such a sweet servant's heart!

I am sure we will be hearing more and more in the days to come and i can't wait to hear it all. For the time being, Rachel is pretty tired (as to be expected) and i sent her to get a shower because she had an orange scalp and faded writing on her face-remenants of "Organized Mass Chaos Day" that took place yesterday. Even though she showered last night the paint and ink lingered.

One exciting piece of news she did share with us on the way back home was that 8 kids gave their hearts to Christ this week! Now that is something to rejoice over.

As Rachel rests and catches up on her sleep she is sure to remember and share her camp experiences with us. We are all eagerly awaiting to hear of her adventures! Until then we are just glad to have her back home. I asked her if she wanted to do it again next year and she did not hesitate to answer, "yes!".

Now Rachel's brothers want to know when they get to go to camp. It will still be a few years before Reece and Sawyer get to go but Brogan will be going next year. He can't wait!

And now i would like to share Rachel's memory verse for the week at camp:

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

John 1:14

Sweet Friend

You’ve been silent too long, sweet friend; now raise your voice and sing again. No one else can do this quite the way you can, because this song is just for you; written by the Father above and created with so much love. So, if at first you sing off key, just look to Him and you will see-He will guide you with each note and every beat. The Father will direct your steps too. So get up and dance! However you feel led to express the song He has put in your heart, just do it with the joy of the Lord and you will do well. Now others are waiting to hear your song-stand up, sweet friend and sing sing sing!

Meditate on These THings

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8

Help me, Lord, today with its distractions and worries to keep my eyes on You. In You are all things true and noble. You are just and You are pure. You are lovely, true beauty belongs to You. You are all together good and virtuous. You are worthy of all praise, all glory and all honor! I meditate on Your Word and i am filled with joy ! Your Word sustains me and fills me with peace in a troubled world. In a dry and weary land You give me Living Water for my thirst and the Bread of Life that i might live. Your grace is sufficient! You are all i need and i look to You in expectation, Heavenly Father.

Treasure

And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of things he posesses.” Luke 12:15

How often do we look with envy at people who “have it all” according to the world’s standards? Wealth, money, fame…all the worldly posessions they desire, it seems, are right there at their fingertips. Yet what they truly seek: peace, joy, love and salvation elude them because their treasures are in earthly things and their lives are miserable. The world tells us we should strive to be one of these people. But is this what we really want?

Now consider those who are “poor” according to the world’s standards. They have little money, no fancy homes and their names are not well known. They are missionaries in far away lands. They are Christians being persecuted in foreign countries and they are people all around who put God and others before themselves. How can these men, women and children be so happy when they have so little and so many of them are suffering? It is because they have so much more than we can see in this present life. Their treasure is not here where it will rust, fade or be taken away. No, their treasure is in Heaven where it can never be destroyed or taken away. It is an eternal treasure, given by the the eternal, loving Father, God.

Now which treasure will we strive for? Will we covet the things of this world that do not last and bring more misery than they are worth or do we store up our treasures in Heaven that truly bring about abundant life? The choice is yours.

My Priorities, What are They?

"As in water face reflects face, so a man's heart reveals the man." Proverb 27:19How i would love to be able to say my priorities are as they should be:(1)God, (2)family and friends, (3)church (4)country. But with careful consideration i have to be honest and say this is not so. Sadly, i too often put myself in the top spot. What a lonely,pathetic place to be. Nonetheless, i do put myself in this position with selfishness and discontent. When i learn to get my priorities straight i will have JOY:Jesus first,Others second,Yourself last. That sounds real good to me and that is the place i want to be!

The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; Where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; To be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we recieve; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.