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LETTERS FROM STEPH>
Growth and Maturity
October 8, 2007
Hello friends!
Is it really October? Can you believe how fast time flies?!
My oldest son will be 17 in one week and I’m still shaking
my head about that one. I don’t want to be old enough to
have a kid who’s driving!! But it’s not like I have a
choice right? Kids grow; they mature, change and leave home
eventually. And we need to grow too, not only into better
wives and mothers, but better servants for God, our Father.
I hope these words of wisdom (not mine, but God’s) will
help you grow into a strong and mature servant of Christ.
Always remember that God loves you…………. Love and hugs from
Steph
*****
SHARING BURDENS
We’ve all been there at one time or another, the different
stages of our lives when we are close to God or as far as
we’ve ever been. There are stages when we praise God with
every breath we take. And there are stages when we want to
curse Him. But we know, as Job did, that no matter what
happens to us, He is still God.
Imagine the worst thing that has ever happened to you.
Someone has died, or your child or a friend has
disappointed you and hurt you. Someone that you never
suspected was capable of such a thing. Imagine that you are
just walking through each day on autopilot. You do the
laundry and go to work and make meals for your family and
kiss the kids goodnight. But you’re only doing it because
you’re not sure what else to do. You want to take revenge
or rant and rave and scream. But you know you can’t because
God says revenge is his and you‘re not even sure what
revenge would be for what happened. You can’t make your
child stop making bad choices. You can’t bring your friend
or relative back. You can’t make the hurt stop. But you can
lean on God when there is no one else to lean on. God is
there to welcome your praise.
Imagine a time when every interaction with your husband or
your children is a blessing. You can’t imagine your life
any better. You praise God with every breath, even when you
have a bad day now and then. Your friends are the best
you’ve ever had. Your family is not at war. Everyone is
peacefully interacting and you can’t wait for the next day
to start and bring more blessings to your life. God is
there to welcome your praise.
Imagine a time when you hate to wake up and start a new
day. You feel like there is a cloud hanging over your head
everyday. But you can’t put your finger on what is wrong.
Life goes on and everyone around you seems go be joyful and
content. But you’re constantly thinking of things that are
wrong and can’t seem to find anything right. You are only
seeing the negative. You are not yourself and there
doesn’t’ seem to be any way to get back to the person you
want to be. One day you find something good in your day,
but your depression does now allow you to enjoy it. Is God
still in heaven? Does he still care about you? God is there
to welcome your praise.
Or maybe you are a normal Christian and each of these
stages happens for a day or two, maybe a month. But then
you are able to recover and get back to your life of
serving God with joy and faithfulness. But what if you
can’t? What if your autopilot is failing and you can’t seem
to fix it?
The Bible says were are to share each other’s burdens. When
we have something that is making the load of life heavy.
When you are carrying the weight of your stress on your
shoulders and you feel like you might collapse because of
it, find someone to share it with you. That’s what friends
are for. That’s why God created so many people. He wanted
us not only to share the beauty around us, but he wants us
to share our good times and our bad.
There are some things we are ashamed of telling another
person. Some things we don’t want another person to have to
carry. But if the person you are telling is a true friend,
they will want you to share your anger and tears. They will
feel privileged to be able to relieve some of your burden
and become the person you will lean on.
But don’t dismiss the role God wants to play in your life.
He wants to be the first person you turn to in time of
need. He wants to be the first person you turn to for
answers. He is the one who has the answers to your prayers.
And he tells us in the Bible what we should do in this time
of need.
Your friend should be a person who is also seeking God for
answers and turns to him first. But this friend is someone
who will loan you a shoulder to cry on and has an arm to
wrap around you to extend God’s comfort.
I personally have always found it hard to share my burdens
with friends. My mother taught me that you have only
yourself to rely on and there is no one that can help you.
My mother is also a very lonely woman.
I always thought that my friends didn’t want to know about
my problems. After all, we all have problems to deal with
and why would they want to add my problems to theirs? But,
in sharing others’ burdens, I have found that it is a
relief to be able to listen to someone else’s burdens and
not have to only think on my own. It is a privilege and an
honor to know there is someone who trusts you enough to
tell you things they might not share with everyone. So go
forth and share your life with your friends!
*****
Is your life wrinkled with burdens? Come in for a faith
lift.
*****
CONFESSIONS OF A NORMAL PERSON:
Friends, it’s confession time again. This time I have to
tell you that I am nothing like Paul. He says he is
content in all things. Unfortunately, I am rarely content.
It seems I am always wanting things to change: a new
scrapbooking tool or new beads, a new car or clothes. But
then I remind myself that if I had those new things as
often as I wished for them, we may not have the money to
buy food for the kids or shoes (which I’m sure you know,
they need often!).
So how do we know what material things might be what God
wants for us vs. things we are just wishing for? The first
criteria should be: do we have the money for it? And I
don’t mean putting it on a credit card that you can pay off
gradually, with interest added. I mean money in the bank
that you can withdraw by writing a check or using your
debit card. (I love my debit card! It saves paper and I
don’t have to lug that book around.)
The second criteria is: do I need it? Do you really need a
second pair of tennis shoes? Or a 10th pair of red shoes?
Sometimes we need new things but did you just buy a new
whatchamacallit last month? Then you don’t need a new one.
And thirdly, will it be used for the glory of God? Now,
don’t say, “I can’t use a new pair of shoes to glorify
God!” yes, you can. Each time you put on those tennis shoes
to take your kids to a soccer or basketball game, each time
you put on your clogs to go to the grocery store or put on
those high heels to escort your husband to a company party,
you are glorifying God by the way that you interact with
them and others.
So go forth and glorify God by making wise decisions with
your money! And I’ll try harder to do it too!!
*****
Better not let the devil in the car (house or mind), he’s
the world’s worst back seat driver!
*****
Practicing the Presence
by Max Lucado
How do I live in God's presence? How do I detect his unseen
hand on my shoulder and his inaudible voice in my ear? A
sheep grows familiar with the voice of the shepherd. How
can you and I grow familiar with the voice of God? Here are
a few ideas:
Give God your waking thoughts. Before you face the day,
face the Father. Before you step out of bed, step into his
presence. I have a friend who makes it a habit to roll out
of his bed onto his knees and begin his day in prayer.
Personally, I don't get that far. With my head still on the
pillow and my eyes still closed, I offer God the first
seconds of my day. The prayer is not lengthy and far from
formal. Depending on how much sleep I got, it may not even
be intelligible. Often it's nothing more than "Thank you
for a night's rest. I belong to you today."
Give God your waiting thoughts. Spend time with him in
silence. The mature married couple has learned the treasure
of shared silence; they don't need to fill the air with
constant chatter. Just being together is sufficient. Try
being silent with God. "Be still, and know that I am God"
(Ps. 46:10 niv). Awareness of God is a fruit of stillness
before God.
Give God your whispering thoughts. Through the centuries
Christians have learned the value of brief sentence
prayers, prayers that can be whispered anywhere, in any
setting.
Imagine considering every moment as a potential time of
communion with God. By giving God your whispering thoughts,
the common becomes uncommon. Simple phrases such as "Thank
you, Father," "Be sovereign in this hour, O Lord," "You are
my resting place, Jesus" can turn a commute into a
pilgrimage. You needn't leave your office or kneel in your
kitchen. Just pray where you are. Let the kitchen become a
cathedral or the classroom a chapel. Give God your
whispering thoughts.
And last, give God your waning thoughts. At the end of the
day, let your mind settle on him. Conclude the day as you
began it: talking to God. Thank him for the good parts.
Question him about the hard parts. Seek his mercy. Seek his
strength. And as you close your eyes, take assurance in the
promise: "He who watches over Israel will neither slumber
nor sleep" (Ps. 121:4 niv). If you fall asleep as you pray,
don't worry. What better place to doze off than in the arms
of your Father.
From Just Like Jesus
Copyright (W Publishing Group, 1998, 2001) Max Lucado
*****
HOME DECORATING TIPS:
10 Things You Can Do to Change Your Home for Under $50
1. A new toilet seat - At the home improvement store there
are tons of colors or themes, you could even prime and
paint it yourself. Add a new soap dispenser, toothbrush
holder, etc. and voila! New bathroom décor!!
2. New pillows - Who says you have to have the same ones
for the life of your sofa or home?
3. A different shower curtain - you can keep the same theme
in your bathroom but still change the curtain occasionally.
4. Make a valance - To make a valance,
a. measure the width of your window,
b. go to the fabric store for home decorating fabric you
like or to match your colors and the lumber yard for a
length of 1”x2” wood,
c. cut the fabric to hang 6”-66” over the window (this can
also be used to block an undesirable view or the neighbors
from seeing you!) and staple your fabric to the top of the
board,
d. turn the board so that the stapled side is hidden (the
staples face the ceiling)
e. and nail the board into the wall above your window (if
you have questions about this, call me! *636-1743*)
5. Paint! - A gallon of paint only costs about $22-25. The
average room takes 2 gallons.
6. Make your own art - get a frame (from the Dollar Store
even!) or a plain oil or watercolor paint canvas from the
craft store and use scrapbook paper, paint, and
embellishments to make your own artwork (or call me
636-1743 and I’ll make something custom for you!)
7. Reframe your photos - Using the same frame, or the same
color frame for groups of photos, makes them stand out and
draw interest.
8. Add shelves to display collectables or interesting art
and books - (Now that the kids are getting older and less
destructive, it’s time to get those treasured things out
again.) I’ve heard it’s better to display only 5-10 of your
collectables at one time so that your guests are not
overwhelmed by it all. Rotate your display so that each
time friends come over they see something new.
9. Change the knobs and pulls in the kitchen or bath - this
is the least expensive way to “redo” the kitchen. And this
is something you can do yourself with a simple screwdriver,
no more putting up with hubby procrastinating!
10.
*****
I’m introducing a new article by my friend Shelby Howard,
in place of “Interview with a Saint” this month. She is an
awesome speaker and servant of Christ and has great things
to tell us about her vacation(??!!) to Africa.
Kids grow up too quickly. It seems that one minute you are
in the midst of feeling all alone as you do your daily
routine: breakfast, cleanup, playtime, snack, more
playtime, lunch, naps, cleanup kitchen, squeeze in laundry,
more playtime, snack, make dinner, playtime, baths, snack
and bedtime. (Did I allow my kids too many snacks?) Then, a
few years fly by (literally, FLY BY) and you find yourself
with a whole new routine: breakfast, get ready for school,
drop off, come home, clean house, exercise, attend women’s
group, run errands, begin to make dinner, pick up kids, run
to soccer/football/volleyball practice, dinner, homework,
showers, bed time, clean kitchen, then make it to bed with
just under the amount of sleep necessary to repeat this
process again the very next morning.
As a parent, you seize opportunities to bring life to a
slower pace. For our family, this opportunity is called
vacation! With our kids growing quickly (they are now in
5th, 6th and 7th grade), there is one family trip that we
were compelled to take sooner as opposed to later…a
character-filled cruise to a private island, filled with
“magic for everyone of every age…world-class performances,
delicious dining experiences…there’s music all around and
magic in the air…” At least, that is what the brochure
promises. The enticement worked and we began to save money
for a family suite on a 7 night cruise. Time was of the
essence, considering the age of our children, with the
“magical mystery” being replaced by reality of growing up.
So, the finances were there and plans were being made.
Then, in a moment, an opportunity arose that totally began
to overshadow the fantasy-filled cruise. This opportunity
would be 3 fold: a dream vacation; a once in a lifetime
experience for our family; a chance to help those who
cannot help themselves. As a family, we chose to exchange
our passes that included a luxurious family suite, fabulous
food, breathtaking productions and tropical paradise for
passports, allowing us into a third world country, Uganda,
East Africa.
Over the next couple of months, I will be revealing to you
the magic of this country, the cultural experiences, the
moments that took our breaths away: the joy and, at times,
the sadness. By altering our vacation plans, our lives have
been forever altered.
Be prepared to discover our life-changing experiences…Out
Of Africa.
Shelby Howard
*****
Thanks for taking the time out of your day for reading and
growing. I hope you were blessed and come back next
month…………
Love and hugs, Steph
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