Our Only Hope

Precious Samantha and I were in the car yesterday headed up to Md when I heard the following on the radio:  "Our only hope is this election coming up in 2012!"

My stomach fell.  The weight of the words are heavy and couldn't be further from the truth.

While I may agree with the frustration of the broadcaster in regards to the topic being discussed.  I don't place my 'only hope' in man's elections.

I place my hope, my only hope, in the Elected One of YHWH.  Messiah, Jesus.  Born to give hope to the hopeless, sight to the blind, forgiveness to the sinner and for those that choose Him, a Glorious Home for all Eternity.

I will rejoice, I will declare, God is my Victory and HE *IS* Here.  My living hope, My Strength.

All of my life, in EVERY Season, You are still God and I have a reason to sing.  I have a reason to worship.  

May you all be filled with the wonder and comfort and mystery that is the Gospel of Messiah, your ONLY hope.

How we are celebrating this time of year

It had been my goal last December to celebrate entirely the Festival of Lights this year.  But we are finding our seeking of YHWH and His ways to be much slower than I'd anticipated.  Yet, we are moving forward to a fuller understanding of Scripture.

This year, for us, we've pared down.  The santas are gone from our decorations, as are all glass balls from the tree.  To my T.O. friends, don't laugh, but we have only German Handcrafted ornaments up this year. We did throw away the last of my hand painted eggs and Ishtar bunny linen John had put in the holiday decoration bins.  We'd considered saving them for our children for their future, but after looking at them again over Thanksgiving weekend, they had to go.

I spent years stitching the family's Christ-mas stockings and we've elected to hang them on the mantle this year.  Its a tenderness in our family between all of us that means a great deal.  I'm thinking of other ways we could use them in our home throughout the year as the children grow.

We continue to seek nothing but Truth in our home and have enjoyed a few of Jim Staley's sermons this year.  Especially the one on Threshold Covenant.  Powerful stuff.  It's been ruminating in John's heart and I enjoy seeing John lead our family.

So this year, we are taking a long weekend vacation!  I can't say where we are going as it's still a surprise for the kids, but they are all going to love it.  For now, they think we are going to WA state to dig Yukon Gold Potatoes during a 2 hour super window we have for free potatoes from coupons this year I've collected.  It's been a great teaser the last couple of weeks and kept our minds on being together as the most important and not the commercialization of spending money in December.

YHWH continues to bless us and provide so many daily miracles and all of our Hope is found in HIM.

Here are a few ways that we continue to count our blessings and realize that ALL is GRACE.

Lyndsay passed level 3 in nursing school and is truly on tap to graduate this May!  Bring on level 4!

All charges dismissed against our beloved prodigal.  We are done with the court system after 30 months of attorneys and judges and probation officers!!

SATs and ACTs taken, Girl Scout giggles, family pictures for the first time in years, making home made pie crusts, pumpkin-butterscotch cookies, morning glory cookies, blueberry muffins warm, new computers, retirement planning, hugs of reunion, iPhone-FINALLY!, growing children, successful school semester at home, Precept Bible Studies that reveal Sukkot in my heart when the rain ruins the celebration this year, planning for the future with John, only 8 more years of homeschooling ahead, girlfriends growing in YHWH with me, cards in the mail, taking a meal, receiving a meal, new bread recipes, baptism desires for one of my children and girlfriends who pray for my heart to absorb all He has for me when I don't know how to-ALL of those prayers have been answered-THANK YOU!

So much to be grateful for.  So much to praise Him for.  So many ways we are blessed.  Have a great long weekend.  I'll post pics on Tues.

Shalom!

Grab Hold and Lean In

A lesson taughted in the ten Boom household is one that I need to pass onto my children:  " When Jesus takes your hand, He keeps you tight.  When Jesus keeps you tight, He leads you through your whole life.  When Jesus leads you through your whole life, He brings you safely Home." 

Is 8:11  The Lord spoke to me like a firm grasp of the hand.

John 13:23  Now there was a disciple leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples whom Jesus loved. 

I don't know where your life or circumstances have you today or what preparation the Lord is taking you through for your future, but I've learned over the last 2 and a half years specifically the simple truths I've read the last 2 days.

The Lord grasps our hand-  Grab Hold!  Hold tight!  Hold tight as you pray, grow, laugh and watch His plans unfold before you.

Lean In- When the waves crash, sorrows come, don't be afraid to lean in and rest your head on your  Abba's chest.  The Old Testament (Tanach) is full of examples of His feathers or Prayer shawl/mantle covering us.  What a comfort to know that we can crawl into His lap, lay our head on His strong chest and be covered!

Today in our home is an especially tough one.  We are in need of yet another miracle to see us through and provide for our family on so very many levels.  But I choose in the midst of the trial to grab hold and lean in fully aware that He, Messiah/Yeshua, will bring me and my family Home.  

Resting in our Great Provider today.

Perfect Preparation

After John's last 7 and a half month deployment to Kosovo, our family took a vacation up to the Netherlands.  While we were there we endeavored to see the Corrie ten Boom house and 'the hiding place' inside.  We were carefully escorted through the narrow home where first we learned of Corrie's life before WW2.  At the time, I was familiar with her famous work, The Hiding Place.  The Hiding Place is the story of Corrie's life during WW2 in the Netherlands hiding Jews in a closet in the house and subsequent imprisionment and spreading the Gospel in a Concentration Camp in Germany.  Corrie survived the war and later went on to Tramp for the Lord and minister to the Germans, and many others, who suffered so much during the devestating time of war in europe.

Corrie's first book, In My Father's House begins with the following Introduction:
Today I know that memories are the key not to the past, but to the future.  I know that the experiences of our lives, when we let God use them, become the mysterious and perfect preparation for the work He will give us to do.

So, one of the best things we brought home from our trip was a Triology of Corrie's writings and we began to read it aloud in the evenings with all 4 children.  We cried as we read her story of such great suffering.  Now, with 2 of those children gone from home, it's time for the little 2 to hear this life story of an amazing hero of the Faith.

I've wanted to blog so much about the Perfect Preparation times of our lives that lead us survive and mature during our own suffering.  However, I feel more compelled to prompt you to read In My Father's House. 

In the Believer's life, suffering is assured.  We have choices to make with the free will God gave us.  We can choose to cling to every exprience God's used in preparation to bring us closer to him, or run the other way.  Here are a few preparation times I'm grateful for that gave me the ounce of hope in Him I needed to stay faithful.

sick children, lengthy deployments, moving, extensive training and schools for John, bible studies, over coming new languages as we moved, financial ups and downs, conflicts, insecurities about homeschooling, dyslexic children to teach to read, homemaking skills to hone....

During all of the above, I had a choice, take it all to Him and allow Him to use these experiences to grow me into who He wanted me to be, or throw all the training He offered away.  Now, at times, I'm quite a hard learner and I had to have exposure over and over again to certain circumstances as opportunities to do even better 'the next time'  but I can honestly sing this morning....

He leadeth me, O blessed thought!
O Words with heavenly comfort frought!
What ere I do, where ere I be,
Still tis God's hand that leadeth me!

Shabbat Shalom!