first of summer days

The first of our summer days have my heart bursting with joy...my daughter is with her daddy on another continent loving on children and exploring some of God's incredible creations...

My son and I are holding down the fort...building bonfires, serving teachers, winning baseball championships, having time with friends on the lake, playing scrabble, and adding mystery ingredients to our basket for dessert (our family version of the Food Network's Chopped!

And during his down time, he's busy making videos...of himself!

We continue to learn more and more of God's faithfulness, recognize the gifts of "ordinary" in each day, and remind one another - through Scripture, a prayer, or a song of how much our Savior loves us! Yes, all of God's World is our classroom!

Life in Mercyville...so thankful it's where my family resides.

Give me the "easy button"

The "easy" button seems to have taken over our way of doing life in our culture of ease, even in the life of believers.
Let's take the easy road.
If it's hard, don't do it.
If it makes me uncomfortable, I won't.
It's too risky, no thanks.
I may loose friends.
If I admit wrong, others will see my weakness.
I will look the other way, it's easier.
The cost is too much.
The sacrifice is too high, we just can't.


What do we forfeit by taking the easy way?
What would happen if we chose to not be so quick to hit the easy button?
The building of character.
Teaching our children by example.
Growing in endurance, a proven faith.
An opportunity for the gospel to be on display in our lives.
Transformation, sanctification.
The process of being refined, the ridding of idols, sins, etc. that keep us from being useful.
Fruit that seems to flourish after having gone through difficulties (because we abide in the Spirit) - love,  joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

In light of Scripture:
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." James 1:2-4 ESV
it seems that pressing the "easy" button, or taking what seems to be the easy route will in the end be the greatest loss.

Sticks and stones may break my bones,

but your words have the power to choke the life out of me.

Preparing to share with a group of women who are in need of guidance and encouragement to be better moms because they didn't grow up in an environment that fostered the love of Jesus. They live in difficult circumstances, not having life's advantages that so many of us take for granted...then God speaks to my heart. 

It isn't just His word for the women that I will be sharing with, it is His words to me.

Listening attentively to the sermon being taught on James 3 with my children on either side of me, the pastor asked "Parents, how are you doing? Do your words encourage your children?" Then the pain...literally. I get little elbows from both sides into my ribs, I turn to see little accusing eyebrows raised. 

WHAT? My children think that my words are harsh and I don't encourage them?! 

Later, finagling my way, I explain to my children that correction is not the same as being hurtful with words. However, as the day goes on His spirit within me raised little red flags each time I spoke harshly, my words were accusing, my tone unkind. One red flag should have been enough, but there were several. Then came the defeated voice of my child,
“Can I not do anything right today?”

Ouch. Sticks and stones may break my bones but your words make me feel like a failure.

I realized that all day I had noticed those little things that irritated me (and said so). I saw what was undone or not done correctly (and was sure to point it out). I missed the mark – big time. I failed to say out loud all of the good stuff, to point out what was pleasing and right, missed getting to laugh off a mistake and say the words “you’ll get it, just keep trying.” I hadn’t stopped to say, “I love you” out of the blue for no reason at all, except that we all need to hear it.

Research on the power of words tells us that for every one negative word spoken, there needs to be two – five positive words to negate the one negative. Our brains remember the negative, and dare I say our hearts begin to believe it.

That’s why God’s Word has so much to say about the tongue. Here are just a few verses…

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue…”Proverbs 18:21

“When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth. The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense.”

Proverbs 10:19-21(ESV)

James 3, read the whole chapter!

Yep, God is using much in the ways of my mess ups to teach me about His great love for me and to change my heart to be more like Him each day.

My prayer today: Help me, Father, to speak with gracious words, those like honeycomb that are sweetness to the soul and health to the body. If at any point Lord, my words are not, PLEASE put your hand over my mouth (and of course keep changing my heart)! Amen.

Now, because I am reminded that I don’t have it all together, I am ready to share with these moms and encourage them to measure their words by God’s Word too.

Memories in a snapshot

Memories in a snapshot... the adventures that God took us on while in Costa Rica!

Click here to view this photo book larger

a comfy sofa

Looking for an investment piece for your home?

I highly recommend a comfy sofa. This single piece of furniture welcomes guests to linger a while longer, and it's the best Sunday afternoon napping spot.

The profit from this investment? More investment. 

Our comfy sofa has held a daddy napping with little ones - until they grew too big! It cradles a mom with her children on either side for reading books and having early morning quiet times.

Our comfy sofa has the been the plopping spot for a young ladies Bible Study every Wednesday night for over three years. Gathered around God's Word, hot coffee (sometimes tea) in hand many tears were shared - some from heartaches, the rest from laughing and sharing joys.

Our comfy sofa has cushioned many missionaries as our family gathered to hear stories, learn from those serving in hard places, and pray with them.

Our comfy sofa has been the hang out spot for the "twenty something" crowd, aka the Big Kid Youth Group, where we dress outrageous, don't take ourselves too serious, and laugh a lot.

Our comfy sofa has welcomed soon to be husband & wife couples, where tough questions have been asked, sweet stories shared and young love abounds!
It's where the neighborhood children gather to play the wii, get a snack, and just be kids!

Our comfy sofa is audience seating for countless, special performances by our children, their cousins, and friends.
It's where life is shared.
This investment is more than a piece of furniture - it's inviting others into our home and into our lives. The real profit of more investment is priceless.
Be wise with your spending, get an investment piece. Are you inviting others into your life?

sometimes, it's just too heavy

Have you ever noticed that children are the best question askers? They do not beat around the bush, they just ask it! Favorite question around our home..."but why?"
I simply cannot jump on the band wagon of "because I said so," especially to the "BUT WHY's?" to the serious, hard questions. Yet there are times when the WHY is just too heavy.

No doubt you have, if not you will, receive the "but why" when it comes to decisions that you make as parents that affect your family -whether it is relocating, downsizing, or a moral question where the answer is simple, but the weight of it heavy.
So recently when a decision of change came into our family and the "but why?" followed, I drew from the wisdom of another parent. Corrie Ten Boom's father, his response when she asked a question that at her tender age required too heavy an answer:

"And so seated next to my father in the train compartment, I suddenly asked, "Father, what is sexsin?"
He turned to look at me, as he always did when answering a question, but to my surprise he said nothing. At last he stood up, lifted his traveling case off the floor and set it on the floor. Will you carry it off the train, Corrie?" he said. I stood up and tugged at it. It was crammed with the watches and spare parts he had purchased that morning. It's too heavy," I said.
Yes," he said, "and it would be a pretty poor father who would ask his little girl to carry such a load. It's the same way, Corrie, with knowledge. Some knowledge is too heavy for children. When you are older and stronger, you can bear it. For now you must trust me to carry it for you."  excerpt from The Hiding Place

Be encouraged that when the difficult questions come, God will give you the right words. Sometimes our words may need to be few so that we do not give our children such a heavy load to carry. 

Oh, and that heavy bag that you and I, as adults, try to carry...our heavenly father wants to carry that for us too!

family missions together

we love missions, near us or abroad. My husband gets to travel all over, loving on orphans and encouraging those called to serve in hard places - he loves it. I have opportunities to travel abroad speak to women, teens and teach children God's truths - I love it. Nothing tops getting to do this as a family. We know this is a tremendous blessing!

Taking our children with us is huge for us. We have been asked, "But what can you REALLY do when you have your children with you?" My answer: be a family.
Many that we have the opportunity to serve are not surrounded by healthy families. The children we get to love on do not see many outside dad's and mom's just getting to be dad and mom. The women I share with are often wives and moms - in need of encouragement.

Our children get to serve by playing - tough job, but somebody's got to do it!
When in India our son played cricket, soccer, and just got to be himself. He couldn't communicate because he doesn't speak Tamil and the children didn't speak English. In Costa Rica the boys speak Spanish. Thankfully for boys grunts are universal and sports are an automatic connection.

Man Time with boys - playing soccer, devo time & ice cream!

Our daughter loves to hold the little one's. In India, most of the time there was a child on her hip. In Haiti, she smiled, held them and played. In Costa Rica she smiled, held them and played.

playing & loving on the little ones

If you have been thinking of going on a family mission trip - stop thinking and start planning. It's not as easy as going solo...but the worthwhile things in life are rarely the easy ones!

church on the road

This summer we have hit the road! Lots of traveling, so we decided to have church in while in Florida, just the family. Maybe we could watch a good church service. So with a click of the remote we join the local televised church service. The choir was bellowing, by hymn number three I could feel eyeballs staring at me. Then the pastor began his welcome with the rising and falling and extending the endING of everYYYY worDDDD. Then a soft, “ummm” came from the mouths of the heads that had the eyeballs staring at me!

Ok, television off. Get the ipod out we will worship through song with some Josh Ridings Band, que up a podcast from Mars Hill and have church!

My sons sermon notes from Pastor Mark Driscoll’s sermon on

Jesus and Zacchaeus.

Then we headed for the pool, where we reviewed the sermon. I would ask the children a question as they gave their highest jump into the pool. Mid air into the pool came an answer that usually was finished under water!

A wee little man = __________________ (Zaccheus)

Legal but _______________ (sinful)

The “b” word _______________ (booger)

Repentance + Restitution = ______________ (rejoice)

Only gospel that shares about Zaccheus = ____________ (Luke)

You could say that this summer Sunday sermon ended in a splash!

fifteen years

Celebrating fifteen years of marriage to the man I love! It all began eighteen years ago, we had met just three weeks earlier on a mission trip. One evening we sat outside by the pool...talking, sharing with one another our hopes and dreams when he reached out for my hand. He cupped my hands in his and asked if he could pray.

One of the most tender, heartfelt prayers I had ever heard...somewhere in there he thanked God for having our paths cross and committed us to Him...if that was just a friendship or if we would grow old together, serving him...rocking side by side in our rocking chairs some day. When he finished praying, I looked up to see a tear coming down his cheek. In my heart, I was already saying "I do."

It was three years later that I got to say those words before our family and friends, confessing that covenant of marriage before our Lord.

Thankful for a faithful God who has held two sinners who love one another.