Fear is a powerful thing. It overstuffs us with anxiety and nervous energy then leaves us bound without any true nourishment. When we allow fear to fill our hearts and minds we end up malnourished, underdeveloped and weak, both internally and externally.
What are your fears?
I have seen a disturbing theme that emerges from my heart- one that I have been purposing in my heart to change. While I wholeheartedly believe not only that God is good, all powerful and that He will accomplish the renewal and redemption of all things, I also believe that He deeply loves and delights in me personally. So, why am I afraid of what is to come? My heart needs realignment with TRUTH; with LOVE. Today, I will put my heart in the hands of God who is worthy of my trust and who cares for me deeply.
If only I could see things from His perspective, maybe I wouldn’t fear so much. - Yes, that’s it. - Seeing from His perspective; seeing, knowing, trusting, living from the reality His heavenly view.
Lord, give me your eyes to see this world and its terrors, both globally and in my own life, from a heavenly perspective. Give me grace to speak, live and bring the heart of heaven to the earth with all that I am. I will choose to trust today; I will put my confidence in God, who is mighty to save and who is in my midst.
WE CANNOT HAVE BOTH- THERE IS A CHOICE TO BE MADE
Two power-filled, four-letter words: LOVE – FEAR. They are opposites, and by nature require you to choose one. Danny Silk, a pastor from Bethel Church in Redding, California says that the more you get of one, the less you have of the other. If you have more fear, the less room you have for love. The opposite is also true. I want more love, less fear. I choose love over fear.
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18
God’s love casts out all fear. His love blows my mind, captivates my heart and gives my feet a solid and spacious place to stand when everything around me seems unstable and insecure.
Today my prayer for me, my prayer for you, my prayer for our world is that we exchange anxiety and control for peace and rest. Exchange fear for love. This exchange is not always quick and easy…it is a daily, moment by moment exchange of perspective, exchange of confidence- from fear to Love. It is a conscious shift of habits and beliefs. It involves learning to rest, trusting God’s character and promises to be above what we see with our eyes or feel in a moment of panic. It is about relying on His love to be strong enough to hold us, sustain us and to make all things right.
So, how will I choose love today?
God bless you as you walk in love today. God bless all the nations of the earth.
~Wrapped In His Affection~
Windshield Wipers: The PEOPLE God sends when the windshield of life gets foggy.
Have you heard of this type of person? The Bible calls them iron…today, I am calling them windshield wipers.
But no matter what name you give them, these people are the friends who help us see more clearly, live more purposefully, and love more intensely; especially when the windshield and lens of our life get foggy.
I realized that lately then lens of my parenting has become a bit foggy. I have forgotten the JOY of investing in my kids hearts and minds, and instead have been in “survival mode”, feeling overwhelmed by the slow hours that some days just don’t seem to pass. I have felt overwhelmed by their needs and stages instead of seeking wisdom and peace regarding my role in meeting them.
I am sure it’s normal to feel this way sometimes, but I believe it is dangerous to have a foggy lens for too long; if we stay in the fog, we start losing ground that we are called to actively be taking and we miss precious opportunities that are here one day and gone the next. We lose our passion and our hearts get hardened to the sweet gifts of everyday life, whether that’s our children, our spouses, our work, or our friends.
How often does the windshield of my life gets foggy? For various reasons, too often. This tells me two things:
Recently I was privileged to spend time in the home of a wonderfully godly wife, mother and an overall brilliant woman. She is raising kids about the same age as mine, yet she has much more life experience and wisdom than I. I was blessed by her clarity, her conviction in her child raising methods, and her fierce love for her family. She is a woman of strength, character and confidence. I witnessed how she is imparting those qualities and so much more to her children. I want to be more like her.
I realize time with my kids is limited. I want to be fully present and intentional with every day I have with them, but I know I can't do it alone. I need friends who understand the journey and who can encourage me along the way.
After spending time with a wiser and more seasoned woman, I am seeing my life and my priorities with more lucidity. While I realize I do not have a firm grip on every area of parenting, I gained a deeper peace about settling into this new season of expecting a third baby, being intentional to love and instruct my older my kids and to “drive” in a more purposeful direction as a mom.
Time with this godly woman allowed me to see more of the mother I want to be and it gave her the chance to take the windshield wipers of love, truth and living by example and wipe them across the lens of my life, helping me to see more clearly and to better hold fast to the vision God has given me as a mom.
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I believe we are all called to be “iron” and to have “iron” in our lives, ever sharpening others and being sharpened so that we will be able to run with passion, purpose and clarity the race God has set before us. Sometimes this is a friend, sometimes a mentor, sometimes a spouse. Either way, don’t waste another day driving with a foggy windshield. Our days are limited and we were designed to live life as each day were our last. Ask God for help and seek out godly people who are already living the things you want to live. Watch them, learn from them and pass along what you have gained to others.
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Cheers to good friends and clear vision!
~Wrapped in His Affection~
What is a MOPS mom in suburbia USA to do when she sees the image of a mother of preschoolers, about her same age in famine struck Somalia and feels a strange but familiar connection?
Here is a precious woman with her young children. We are worlds apart, but really, aren't we living in the same world afterall? Our worlds can and maybe should be more connected.
She can relate to their shared mother’s heart but cannot begin to relate to the struggle to provide food and water for her children. She cannot imagine walking (especially without her cute exercise attire, smooth rolling stroller and no-drip sippy cups handy) close to one hundred miles to give her children the chance to survive. She feels helpless, yet mysteriously connected. She feels burdened yet compelled to know more. Aware of the scale of the crisis yet unable to turn away…
…she senses a deep urge to act…
I am the epitome of a MOPS mom. But I wonder, how do I stay engaged with the wider world around me in these preschool years; how do I live as a global mom?
But How?
How can she take action for such a huge issue all the way around the world, in the midst of her kids’ playdates, her relational commitments, her long but oh-so-worth-it Starbucks lines, and her never-ending grocery lists?
How can one mother love another mother across the world and offer compassion instead of ignorant silence?
Below are a few specific response ideas from our household. This is not to claim that we have done anything unheard-of, nor that what we are doing is “world-changing”. It is simply what we know to do for now, and it is my hope that sharing it here jump-starts your imagination for how you can respond in your own compassionate and creative ways.
Giving - We went online and donated to World Vision’s emergency relief for the Horn of Africa plan. Such a simple action that can enable much good to be done. Click here to find the link to their donation page. World Vision Donations:Horn of Africa Food Crisis. There are many great organizations of all faiths and backgrounds at work for the poor in the Horn of Africa. It is a dangerous place to be an aid worker, and I appreciate them all. From what I have experienced personally, I deeply admire the work of World Vision. Do some research and find an organization that fits your liking, read about their work and find out how to support them.
Prayer- We have been praying for these nations. Praying for wisdom for the leaders of these nations as well as our own, and for the terrorist groups that are oppressing these people and preventing food and relief from reaching the people of Southern Somalia. I have been praying that the closed doors of the terrorist groups would no longer be a hinderance to aid. Praying that even they would turn and experience God’s healing love and transformation. Praying for strength, aid and relief for the families that are hungry and that their help will be quickly delivered. Praying for protection and grace over the aid workers.
Personal Awareness- I try to read every article that is in the paper about the crisis to continue learning about the issues at hand. Reading these articles keeps the issue from becoming just another current event that deeply stirred my heart one day, but then promptly forgot about two days later.
Our "World Wall". This map is in our kitchen where we spend most of our time...it helps us to remember the least of these in the midst of our abundance.
Family Awareness- Talking about this crisis with our family creates a missional mindset that helps us take seriously our call to love the least of these. To foster this, I cut out an article about the crisis and put it on our world map that we have in our kitchen. Having this article in plain sight reminds our family of their faces, their dignity, and their burden, and reminds us that we are called to help them carry it. By seeing them daily, we are carrying them in our hearts and carrying them to the Lord who loves them and is sending out His aid to help them. We are carrying their burden into our spheres of influence and trusting God to take our two fish and five loaves and multiply what little we have to offer, in order to impact those who are in need.
Serving the Local Community- I try to remind myself (in the midst of all my self-inflicted busyness) that we are all a part of a global community, and that that community starts with my neighbors. I did a quick google search and learned about the poverty stats and the outreach programs in my town. I wanted to involve my kids in this process, so I called them into the kitchen and we stood at our map, looking at Africa and talking about the hungry people there. I then asked them if they realized that there were also people here, (I pointed to where we live in Va) who are hungry. We talked about how God wants us to always care for those who are hungry and in need. When I asked them if they wanted to help people who are hungry in our own city, the kids jumped with excitement. Together we loaded up a bag of goods and took them to a church nearby that has an awesome outreach to the hungry of our city. Kids are more than eager to learn and to act on the tender compassion that is so readily flowing in their hearts. It did me good to stop and sit on the kitchen floor with my kids to reflect on God’s heart for the world from their innocent and simple perspective.
Our God is the source of all creativity and compassion. I am excited to hear how He inspires you to act on behalf of your neighbors, both near and far. I know I am not the only one who feels a heart connection to these people and this issue. Please share your responses and ideas in the comment section below so that we can encourage each other in this journey to becoming global citizens…global moms, connected to and serving our suffering world.
Thank you for your precious hearts that I know will respond with tenderness.
God’s grace and provision for us all,
~Wrapped in His Affection~
HUNGER: What happens when you are still in your pj’s sipping your hot cup of joe, feeding your kids a nutritious breakfast and you come across an article that stops you in your morning tracks? The article is about the nearly 12 million people suffering from the worst famine in a generation and on brink of starvation in East Africa.
What do you do?
Do you quickly turn the page and ignore the reality?
Do you stare at the paper in disbelief, while shrinking with intimidation at the magnitude of the crisis?
Do you determine to find a way to act?
I have had a mixture of all of these responses for the past few weeks. I cannot seem to get the reality of the crisis in the Horn of Africa out of my mind. I see the images in our newspapers of the starving families traveling up to 100+ miles for food throughout Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya and I just want to collapse on the inside.
HORN OF AFRICA: I cannot stop thinking about these people, so I have continued to read and educate myself about this dilemma. I learned that after walking tens, if not up to 100 miles, to refugee camps for aid, most of those traveling have lost multiple family members along the way who were too weak to complete the journey. I also learned that when they arrive at the refugee camps in Kenya and Ethiopia there is often a major shortage of food and shelter to accommodate the thousands who are coming for help everyday. As if things were not already overwhelming, I discovered that some of those areas most affected by the drought and famine (specifically southern Somalia) are controlled by terrorist groups which increases the difficulty in getting them the needed foreign aid.
There are 11+million people affected by this crisis. REAL people.
"Poverty is not an image, or a statistic; poverty has a face, a name and a story." - Richard Stearns, President of World Vision
HEARTBROKEN: I truly believe, however difficult it is for me to understand, that God’s heart breaks more for the world than mine ever will. I also believe that in God’s heart are the answers for the disasters, tragedies and horrors of this world. I believe that we were made to know God’s heart. Not just for ourselves, but for the world in need. As we know Him, we are to act for the good of the world with His power, wisdom and grace as our source of strength.
HOPE: I deeply desire to know His heart and for the world to experience the fullness of redemption, hope and healing that will come when He comes again to make all things right. I can hardly wait for all of humanity to be restored to the dignity that was intended from the beginning when God brings His full healing. For now, as we have that Hope that is working from our hearts out into our world, we are His empowered agents of dignity and redemption…now…even now in East Africa.
Let’s bring it home. As moms trying to stay on top of laundry, grocery lists, and our children’s manners, all the while trying to maintain a clean and happy home for our families, what can we do to contribute to this massive crisis? How can we engage such a devastating problem when it seems so foreign and huge?
HOME ACTION: Join me for my next post to find out more information on the crisis and the simple yet meaningful things my family is doing as a response to the East African famine. I pray you’ll be inspired to do something too!
For now, my challenge to you is to read up on the issue. Let me know your thoughts and how your heart responds to this devastation. I would really like to hear what you have to say, so please comment and let’s continue the conversation. A great article to give you some perspective is below:
Reflections on the Horn of Africa Drought; Jesus, Stalin and Casey Anthony
God’s abundant peace for you today,
~Wrapped in His Affection~
Three years ago I started my masters degree with a 6 month old baby in tow. This week I have been in Wheaton, Il for my last week of intensive classroom time. Very soon I will give birth to my third baby and will be close to finishing my masters (hopefully in December!).
The past three years have given me some of the happiest but most blurry times of my life: 3 kids. 2 relocations/moves. 1 Masters.
Do I feel scattered and a bit stretched? Yes, MOST days.
Have I totally loved the process and felt the grace of God? ABSOLUTELY.
Am I completely indebted and grateful to my husband, kids and extended family for laying down their lives to help me achieve my dreams? MORE THAN I CAN EXPRESS.
Just wanted to let you know where I am and what I am doing this week– thinking about you today and what you are up to…and how you are staying cool during this heat wave!!!!
For now, back to class!!!
Stay cool!!!!
~Wrapped in His Affection~
Today I read a book to my son about complaining. It seems that my kids like to read the same books and watch the same movies over and over and over and over and over and over and over again, and if you try to sneak in a new one…well, I wouldn’t suggest that as a good idea, let’s just say that. That’s okay, because I am convinced that the repetition not only helps my kids grasp concepts and new skills, but I have seen how God regularly uses it to get through to my busy-bodied self, when other tactics are probably not working as well. For example, it’s not until I have heard the soundtrack (b/c I am driving and the DVD screen is in the back) of the movie Daniel (about the character Daniel from the Bible, his life as a captured Israelite and witness for God to pagan kings and leaders as their “wise man”) that I hear a strong message for my own heart come forth. Or after reading the “Big Fish” story, as my son likes to call Jonah’s life story from the Bible, a few hundred times that God stops me in my tracks with fresh insight into my own disobedient heart that mirrors Jonah’s.Anyway, what I am saying in all this is that God speaks to me constantly through simple, everyday experiences, especially through teachable moments I am having with my kids. In reality, the student is the grown woman I see in the mirror, receiving another much-needed lesson from her patient and faithful Teacher.
After having poison ivy two times in two months and a dose of pregnancy discomforts, I feel very aware of how blessed I am not to feel these discomforts, or any significant problems for that matter, all the time. I cannot imagine the daily struggle of dealing with pain, illness, sorrow, sickness, or any other life-affecting issue on a consistent basis. God is merciful and faithful, always sustaining the weary, this I know. For today I just needed to stop for a minute and give Him my heart-felt thanks.
Thankfulness should be my constant M.O. but so often it takes a thorn of some sort in my flesh to draw it out. Ugh. Lord, forgive me and give me eyes to see the wonderful deeds of your hands all around me, and to thank You consistently for them, when I feel the wonder and when I don’t!
Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind. Psalm 107:8
What is it that your heart is thankful for today? Have you told God about that?
What wonderful deeds of God can you share with someone you see today?
~Wrapped in His Affection~
