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LETTERS FROM STEPH>
YOUR FIRST LETTER FROM STEPH
August 6, 2007
Thanks so much for joining me in this new adventure! God
put the website/newsletter idea on my heart many months
ago, but of course, I procrastinated and delayed and put it
off. Well, here I am and I hope you enjoy this letter as
much as I have enjoyed writing it. My goal is to encourage
all of you and make you laugh now and then.
On the website (www.stephmounier.highpowersites.com) are
more personal notes, a page of fiction I have written and
even a Message Board. Please go there and sign my guest
book, write your testimony and share your prayer requests.
By the first week of September (after school starts
probably), I hope to have pictures of my jewelry taken and
posted and the shopping page operational.
Please write to me if something here has touched you or
there is something else you would like to see. My email
address is artistmomof5@gmail.com.
Your sister in Christ,
Steph
*****
CONFESSIONS OF A NORMAL PERSON:
Dear Friends, I have a confession to make. I’m a grumbler.
Every time I have to pick up garbage or kids’ stuff up off
the floor, every time I have to wipe the counter because
someone forgot to clean up their mess and every time I am
interrupted by a kid, I complain and grumble, sometimes out
loud, about it. Even though the Bible says, “do all things
without grumbling and faultfinding and complaining [against
God] and questioning and doubting [among yourselves].”
(Phil. 2:14) This verse is from the Amplified Version of
the Bible. I like the Amplified Version because not only
does it include the text of other Bibles, it includes
asides or additions to it, that really help bring the
meaning out. This verse not only says, do not complain,
fault find and grumble; it says when you are doing those
things, you are doing it against God. (gasp!) My next
thought, after reading this, was great, now not only am I
saying I don’t want to do all of the things that it takes
to take care of my family, I’m telling God that I don’t
want to do the things He has asked me to do as a mother and
wife. Wow!! What a revelation!
God has put us in the place He wants us to be. He has a
plan and it’s always the plan that is best for us. Our
plans always go awry don’t they? So, if you are a wife and
mother, that’s what God wants you to be. If you are a
working mother, that’s where God wants you to be. If you
are without children, that’s in God’s plan for you. Now,
don’t think that these plans will always be the same. If
God wants you to do something else, he will tell you, and
that’s another newsletter altogether….
IT WORKS FOR ME:
Usually I end up grumbling for a little while and then
finally get so sick of my negative attitude that I wise up
and begin my little chant: this is what God wants me to do
and I will do it to the best of my ability, this is what
God wants me to do, this is what God wants me to do…………and
it works, for a little while!
So, dear friends, let’s try not to grumble and complain so
much this month. Let’s let God plan our lives and thank him
for it everyday.
I am Thankful…
By Nancie J. Carmody
I am thankful for…
…the mess to clean up after a party because it means I have
been surrounded by friends and family.
…the taxes I pay because it means that I am employed.
…the clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I
have enough to eat.
…my shadow who watches me work because it means I am out in
the sunshine.
…a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and
gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.
…the spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because
I am capable of walking.
…my huge heating bill because it means I am warm.
…all the complaining I hear about our government because it
means we have a freedom of speech.
…the lady behind me in church who sings off key because it
means that I can hear.
…the piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved
ones are nearby.
…the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because
it means that I’m alive.
…weariness and aching muscles a t the end of the day
because it means I have been productive.
*****
NARROW VS. WIDE: Which path to choose?
Imagine yourself standing in a beautiful meadow. The sun is
shining brightly in the perfectly blue sky. But the
temperature is not unpleasant. There is a slight wind and
the sun’s warmth is just right. The grass is a beautiful
range of greens and, surprisingly, devoid of weeds.
Interspersed with the grass, are flowers of every type and
color. There are copses of trees whose branches are filled
with the sound of birds. All around you are the signs and
symbols of the perfect garden.
Looking down, you see that you are on a dirt path but not
sure where it leads. One direction leads toward more of
this perfect garden and the other toward a more rocky path
and mountains. But you can see a strong, steady, golden
light beyond the rocks that draws you toward it.
The dirt path becomes rocky and makes it harder to stay on
your feet. Then the rocks get bigger. Soon you are having
to climb uphill and the rocks become boulders. The boulders
become a solid cliff face and you are having difficulty
finding a hand or foot hold. But you are determined to get
to the top and find out what is on the other side.
Once you have finally gotten to the top, you see that there
is a fork in the road and you have to make a choice about
which way to go. You’ve come to the fork in the road where
you know what Jesus meant when He said one road is narrow
and one road is wide. The narrow road is the one that is
lonely and isolated. There are only a few people going that
way, but they look like they have a purpose and a
destination in mind. At first, the grass on each side of
the road is dry and trying desperately to grow grass. But
later, the brown dirt and grass turns into green and then
there are trees and green plants of all kinds hiding the
rest of the path. The people you can see are hugging each
other and seem to be sharing their tears and happiness. The
scene leaves you at peace and wanting to go there. At what
must be the end, there is a wide and tall gate made of
gold. Not much else is visible because of the glow coming
from beyond the gate.
When you look toward the wide path, it is crowded with
people. But they are wandering and don’t seem to have a
purpose. Some of them are having a good time, but most of
them are lost and sad. It is hard to see the landscape with
all of the people in the way but you can tell that the way
is green but more sparse than the other path. Farther down
the road, where the narrow path becomes greener, the wide
path does the opposite and gets dry. You can see dead
vines and thorned bushes. And at the end, only dry and
rocky ground.
So what do you do? You can follow the narrow road, which
might be lonely but seems to lead to a glorious end. Or you
could choose the wide path, which seems to be the popular
choice. But it also leads to dry desert. Drier and rockier
than you’ve ever experienced before.
So are you going to make the popular choice? Walking down
the path of wrong, maybe taking your own revenge, drowning
your troubles in drugs or alcohol or ignoring God’s laws?
Or are you going to walk down the path God desires you to
go? The path that is hard but that leads you closer to God
and in the end will lead to His reward?
Life is full of choices, that’s for sure. So what are you
going to do? To be or not to be? That is the question, as
Shakespeare says. Are you going to be brave and righteous
and God’s servant? Are you going to be strong and resist
temptation? Are you going to have courage and go the way
that may be lonely but the people you travel with are
blessed and faithful? Or are you going to take the easy way
out and follow the crowd and go the devil’s way? Whether
you live or die or choose to do right or wrong. God will
always reign over His people from Heaven. Wouldn’t you like
to be a part of that kingdom?
Do you have wise and helpful friends who will guide you the
right way? Is there someone you can turn to who will walk
the narrow path with you? You need to take not only human
friends, but God to walk with you every step of the way.
After all, if God is with you, who could be against you?
But even if you take the wide path that leads to a bad end,
there are trails leading to the narrow way called
Repentance and Forgiveness. They will always be there to
help you find the right way. The way back to God.
;-) -----------------------------------------------------
"God writes with a pen that never blots, speaks with a
tongue that never slips, and acts with a hand that never
fails."
;-) ----------------------------------------------------
THOUGHTS FOR MOMS
Recently, I went on a week’s vacation with my husband to
Yellowstone National park. We spent the week alone, away
from kids. And it was close to Heaven!
One day, we were having a picnic near the river running
through the park and I said to John, “I’m going to have to
lie to the kids.”
And, of course, he asked me why.
“If they say, I missed you, I’ll have to lie and say, I
missed you too.”
Because, at that moment, I really didn’t miss them. You
know how often we hear:
It’s my turn!
I didn’t do it!
Can I have……?
When are we going to……?
I don’t know about you but I get really sick of hearing
it!! And so it was really resting and peaceful not to hear
all the bickering and complaining and asking that they do
everyday. It was a wonderful respite to just spend time
with my husband, be a person called Stephanie and not a
Mom.
But by the end of the week, I was ready to go home and back
to real life. In the airports on the way home I saw lots of
kids and it made me want to be with my own. So I did miss
them eventually. But it sure did feel good to take a break.
Even God says we need to rest. Even Jesus took a break
sometimes, even though the people didn’t want him to.
So to all mothers out there, it’s okay to rest and take a
break now and then. Go to the movies with friends; take
your sister or brother or mother out to lunch. Even if you
only have time for coffee with your husband, DO IT!! You
can’t take care of your family very well if you don’t take
care of yourself first.
*****
INTERVIEW WITH A “SAINT”
Of course, these are not people who have been formally
named saints by the church, catholic or not. But this
segment of the newsletter will be an interview with someone
I, or you, consider to be a faithful and wise servant of
God both in their private and public life.
For this first interview, I have chosen Shannel Spenker.
She is one of the first people I met when I came to live in
Longview in 1999. And she has remained a good friend to me
the whole time, even through the ordeal my family went
through with my son and his jail time. She is the same
person whether she is with me, another friend or her
family. And everyone I have talked to about her feels the
same way I do.
So here is my interview with Shannel:
1. When and how did you become a Christian? I first gave
my heart to the Lord when I was 5 years old. My Mom's
family actually experienced a revival around that time and
we began going to church. I recommitted my life when I was
about 13. Being raised in a Christian home, there comes a
time when you have to choose it for yourself and not just
because your parents believe. That was my time.
2. How do you keep your relationship with God fresh and
active? I will be honest: I am a work in progress. One
of my favorite ways to focus on how amazing God truly is,
is through Christian music. There are some incredible
songs out that describe so Him so perfectly. I also try to
pray on the spot when there is a need, rather than waiting
until more traditional prayer times, such as dinner or
bedtime. If I'm chatting with a friend who needs it, we do
it then. If I think of someone while I'm driving, the
radio goes on mute and I pray. I even send up a prayer
anytime I see an ambulance with sirens on! I pray for
wisdom for the paramedics, good outcomes, and peace for the
family members that may be worried.
3. What is your biggest daily struggle? Its definitely
been to intentionally spend time in God's word and prayer.
In fact, this is something that I've recently been focusing
on getting back into my daily schedule. I'm better at the
spontaneous prayers I talked about in the last question
that I am at routinely praying. That, along with reading,
is such a vital part of any Christian walk and yet its
amazing how the busyness of the day can steal away the best
of energy!
4. What is your best advice on how to be "in the world, but
not of the world"? Boy, that's a big one. As a Christian,
we are set apart from the world, different. This means to
me that we will make different choices in life than most
others would make when it comes to so many things...movies
we watch (whether at the theatre OR at home), clothes we
wear, how we talk with others or ABOUT others. There's so
much more to it than that, but if we want others to see
what God has done for us and what He can do in their lives
and the only difference they can see in how we live life
and how they live life is that we have a Bible in our house
and we attend church on Sundays - what is the point? The
difference God has made in our hearts will be reflected in
the way we live our lives.
5. Tell me about a time in your life when it was really
difficult to have faith in God, when you wondered if He was
still there but, in the end, you discovered He never left
you.
A few years ago, we had a surprise pregnancy that, once we
got over the shock, seemed to be the most perfect plan for
our family. We had two other little ones at the time. Due
to another miscarriage between our first two babies, I did
spend some time worrying at the beginning of the pregnancy
but also prayed and trusted that God obviously had His own
plan going. Then, we received the news at our first
appointment that there was not a heartbeat. I was
heartbroken, and sent home to await the inevitable
miscarriage. During this time, I cried so many tears. One
day I felt God speak to me while I was picking
blackberries. I began thinking of not only how painful
picking blackberries can be but also how delicious and
sweet the reward of blackberry cobbler is that follows. It
reminded me of life...sometimes we have to experience the
thorns that come with the best and most rewarding
experiences in life. That still small voice helped to give
me peace during that very difficult time. A couple of
months following the miscarriage, a visiting pastor that we
had never met came up to us during worship and said that
God wanted us to know that He had our family and our future
family in his hands. Talk about reassurance that He is
always by our side! We went on to have two more blessings
added to our family.
6. How would you describe salvation to a person who has
never heard about God?
First of all, I love the fact that as humans, we have a God
"hole" in our hearts without Him. God designed us by
nature to have a longing for a relationship with Him.
People choose to try and unsuccessfully fill that void with
SO many other things! Until someone has accepted Jesus,
they will not feel completely fulfilled in life. So, I
would describe salvation as initially giving a feeling of
completeness and being able to see a clearer picture and
purpose to life. I can't imagine living life without God.
It is so good to know that no matter what we are
experiencing in life, that He knows about it and He's right
there with us.
*****
Thank you friends for choosing to read my letter. I hope
something you have read here will touch your lives in some
way.
The next letter in September will include segments named
Sharing Burdens, 10 Ways to Redecorate for under $50 and,
of course, more Personal Notes, Confessions and Thoughts
for Moms. I hope you look forward to it as much as I enjoy
writing it for you (I really do!). God bless you richly……
Love and hugs,
Steph
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