F.E.A.R.

Have you ever found yourself overcome by a fear that you know cognitively is irrational, but shaking it is tough? I think anyone who has ever been a parent has had moments like this because being responsible for the life of a bunch of little people is fertile ground for fears to take root and grow.

Acronyms are often a creative way to remember things and the acronym I heard for fear is one of my favourites...

False
Evidence
Appearing
Real

Can you relate? Have you ever been consumed with a fear that was based on nothing in reality, but was simply that ~ false evidence appearing real that caused you to freak out?

I have struggled, at times, worrying about something happening to my children. I have one particular child who I have dreamt 3 times drowned! Whenever we are around water, I can become stressed because I fear that what I have dreamt was an indicator of what is to come. I fear that which is not real becoming a reality in my life.

I shared with a girl today in Sunday school that the enemy loves to encourage our minds to dwell on this false evidence because then he can wander through our minds unscathed, pointing out all the potential snares and pitfalls. The one sure-fire way to banish him is to come back at him with the Truth of God's word.

2 Timothy 1:7 says, "For God has not given a spirit of fear or timidity, but of power, love and a sound mind."

1 John 4:18, "There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love."

Do you see it? For those of us who are "in Christ" and walking with Jesus, fear does not have to be part of our lives. Sure, we're going to have thoughts that descend upon us, but we do not have to dwell on them and allow them to take up residence in our minds and our hearts!

Join me in sharing with the enemy the truth of God's word every time we find ourselves confronted with fear. We shall walk in freedom and not allow ourselves to become slaves to his lies. What a way to live!

Spring is Sprung!

One of my favourite parts of spring...LILACS!!! Can you smell them?

Parenting Is Not for Sissies!

All I ever wanted to do was be a wife and a Mama! Didn't go to college because there were no Domestic Engineering degrees offered! Given that, when Rachel was born I was ecstatic...my dream had finally come to fruition.

Being a Mama has been the most fulfilling job I could have ever hoped for. Rachel, Benji, Jesse, Hannah and Caleb have exceeded my wildest expectations. It's also caused me many sleepless nights and days spent with knots in my stomach and today was no exception.

Rachel is 16 and today...she took her driver's test. I told our friend Mac that I was fasting til I found out how she did, but that I wasn't sure if it was for the purpose of prayer or because food might make me throw up! I desperately wanted her to pass because I knew how much she wanted it. I was scared stiff she'd pass because that means she is going to want to pull out of the driveway by herself now without Tim or me in the car!

Of course, my love for Rachel outweighs my fears as a mom so I was thrilled to get the call that she had passed! My baby girl is a driver now! Congratulations, Rach! We are so very proud of you! XOXO

And On the Third Day...

As I ponder Easter and all it holds for us, I have been contemplating what life must have been like on that Saturday after Jesus died. I imagine it was a very somber day...a day of grief and hopelessness for many! They had followed this man and listened to His words. They had heard what He said and had even begun to allow the truth of what He shared to take root in their hearts. The promise of a Messiah seemd to really be walking among them in flesh and blood.

But then Friday came and He was crucified. He died a painful and bloody death, publicly humiliated for all to see. His followers, even His closest band of brothers wondered if they had misunderstood. Where they duped into thinking this man who claimed to be the Son of God really was who He said He was?

Saturday seemingly must have been a day of soul-searching...of trying to come to grips with what had happened and what was the future going to hold now. After all, He said it was going to go down like this. He had told them He was going to be killed, but He also promised that on the third day he would rise again! Could He really be trusted?

I grappled with some of the same questions and soul-searching 25 years ago as I embarked on a spiritual journey to see if Christ could be trusted...could I really take Him at His word? I read and I prayed, I asked questions and waited for answers. Slowly but surely, the truth of Christ and the life He had to offer began to dance within my heart and and His resurrection power changed my life!

The same Christ Who overwhelmed death, hell and the grave and busted out of the tomb that first Easter morning can set you free from the chains that have kept you bound and allow you to walk in the freedom which leads to eternal life!

Below I have linked to one of my favourite songs to listen to as I allow the truth of what took place that morning to wash over me. As the sun began to rise and the birds began to chirp, as people began to mill around and go about their day, it was discovered that a large stone was out of place and a tomb that on Saturday had held the body of One crucified now stood empty for all to see!

Hallelujah He is risen!

Callaway Gardens Retreat

Tim and I got to get away for a little retreat this week and it was wonderful. Spring training is a tiring time for us both and so it was nice to have some time away to only take care of us. We went to Callaway Gardens which is absolutely beautiful this time of year. Here are some pictures to prove it! :O)

Cinderella Syndrome continued...

Spoilers to the Story

As relating to a movie or a book, a spoiler is anything that tips the reader or viewer’s hand as to what is to come before the story actually unfolds. For the purist who wants to allow the story to develop as it should, a spoiler ruins everything.

As it relates to marriage, I am a firm believer that spoilers are actually of incredible benefit because they allow us to know some of the difficulties we could encounter before we are faced with them. Space and time do not allow us to list all of them, but a few common ones are as follows:

Your leading man is subject to the laws of nature.

One of my favourite shows growing up was Emergency. Johnny Gage and the other guys down at the fire station were as dreamy as they came…and don’t even get me started on Dr. Early. With the lack of suitable programming for kids these days (and a little nostalgia thrown in) I ordered Season 1 of Emergency for my family.

Upon its arrival, we sat down to watch the first episode and I was immediately transported back in time. Amazingly enough, they all looked the same! Not one of them had aged at all, though many years had passed since I had last spent time with them.

Of course, we laugh at the absurdity of this because TV shows always make time stand still. Unfortunately, within the confines of reality, time marches on and we are all subject to the laws that God put into place before time began.

All of us will age and age can do strange things to the body. Time advances and brings with it gravity, weather, food choices and the desire (or lack of it) for physical exertion. All of these factors take their own toll and leave our appearances changed from their original state. For some, the changes are welcome and many improve as the years go on. Others are not so lucky and time becomes a cruel task-master.

That guy you set your sights on may look like a million bucks now, but down the road those looks will be altered and his initial appearance will be a distant memory. If our relationship is not based on more than outward appearances, it is destined to fade as quickly as his six-pack abs.

Excess baggage makes the journey more labor-intensive, but not impossible.

Many of us arrive at marriage with more than a few wounds tucked inside a carry-on. Past abuses, areas of unforgiveness and unrealistic expectations are dragged around behind us like the most fashionable American Tourister. So accustomed are we to its existence that we rarely even give a second thought to how tough it makes the journey.

We are often equally as blind to the baggage our potential suitors have and so off we go, into the sunset, happily carting our loads behind us. It’s only as the honeymoon phase wears off and the day-to-day interactions intensify that the baggage is even noticed much left opened and sorted through.

For those who do have significant pain in their past, there will need to be much sensitivity and grace extended in the relationship. There is often the need for counseling to begin to peel back the layers and eventually uncover the root issues that cause us to behave as we do. This process can be very time-consuming and exhausting and there must be a resolve on the front-end to slog through the muck no matter how tough it gets.

The emerging beauty of a heart set free from all that weighs it down makes the process more than worth the effort. Our patience and ability to encourage our mate as they deal with their baggage ultimately allows us to walk in a freedom of intimacy we could at one time only imagine.

Temptations will come…it’s just a matter of when and in what form.

Then only thing as sure and predictable as taxes and Murphy’s law is the knowledge that each of us will be tempted at one time or another. If satan chose to try and bring about our Savior’s demise through tempting Him, why do we think we’ll emerge from this battle unscathed. Temptation is one of his surest and most effective forms of taking us out of the fight.

Temptation looks different for each of us and what tempts one may not entice another. For some it is the lure of pornography, of which the internet affords us plenty. Others struggle with gambling, alcohol and drugs. For many marriages the final nail in the coffin is driven when the desire for an adulterous relationship becomes a reality. The problem comes when we think we are above being tempted and attempt to reassure ourselves and our mate that we have an iron-clad resolve that can rival any attempt he throws our way to take us out.

A well-known Christian author and talk show host told his audience many years ago that he had assured his wife he would never ever cheat on her. While I am sure his heart was right in wanting to give his wife a sense of peace about their relationship, his use of never should have been enough to make her buckle up her seatbelt and get ready for the ride.

Apart from a living, intimate and thriving relationship with Jesus, any of us are subject to temptation. Scripture tells us that no test or temptation that comes our way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All we need to remember is that God will never let us down; he'll never let us be pushed past our limit; he'll always be there to help us come through it. (1 Cor. 10:13 (MsgB)