My Daily Sunshine

One thing I have learned living here in Alaska is the value of the sun.  Sunshine is something that you have to learn to live without for a while.  One thing for sure is that I appreciate the sunshine more now than I ever have in my entire life.  When the sun is out I will find myself just stopping and soaking it in, like I did the other day when it was actually above 50 and sunny.  But I remember it might not last long.  April here is a hard time for me.  It seems more like November in the midwest.   Right now, it is in the 40′s, slowing melting, mostly dirty, yucky looking snow, and LOTS of brown!!  It is cloudy and gray!  It is mostly rainy and just icky out at the moment.  The thing is, the weather forecast says it is going to like this for at least another week!  I am definitely in need of some sunshine!

To add to the dreariness of the weather, I am not feeling well.  That is to be expected.  When one is feeling yucky and needing to just lounge it adds to the blahness one is already feeling.  The children are starting to feel the effects of daddy being gone.  The younger ones really do not realize that is why they feel the way they do.  But they act out at times and are grumpy, whiny, tearful, and sometimes even mean.

Life can sometimes seem to be filled with clouds.  Literally and figuratively.  One must always remember though that clouds come with a silver lining.

Even when the sun outside isn’t shining I still receive my daily dose of sunshine in different forms:

• Knowing the great God I serve and his grace, his mercy, his love, his providence, his protection, his holiness.
• Knowing that the literal sunshine will soon appear.
• Knowing that after April comes May.
• Seeing my littles dance and play in ballet shoes, high heals, and pretty little crowns.
• Knowing that when they are down I can cuddle and comfort them.
• Hearing from my hubby and seeing him on Skype.
• Listening to my children play beautiful music on the piano.
• The phone call from a friend when I needed it the most.
• The vitamin D I can take when skies are gray.
• The joy of new child on the way.
• Being able to laugh with hubby who is on the other side of the world (Skype is great).
• The knowledge that my first trimester is half way over and better feeling days are ahead.
• Comments of encouragement from my great blog readers.
• friends who stop by with lunch and a birthday cake
• friends who come over when I am out and clean my house and do my laundry
• more time in prayer
• Hearing a little one say “mommy I love you”
• many, many, many other things………………………………..

There are so many blessings one can miss if you are focused on the clouds rather than looking for that ribbon of silver that is woven throughout the gray.  Who knows, the sun may shine sooner than the weatherman thinks!  God IS indeed so very, very good!

Melting Expenses

I serve an amazing God! He is sovereign over all, fully of mercy, grace, and justice. He is one who acts providentially. He provides all things often times above what we can ask or imagine.  This past week during our daily devotion time we have been going over question number eleven of the Westminster Shorter Catechism and studying through the book of Esther.

Q. 11. What are God’s works of providence?
A. God’s works of providence are, his most holy, wise,and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures, and all their actions.

Westminster Confession – Chapter 5: Of Providence by Westminster Assembly

I. God the great Creator of all things does uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least, by His most wise and holy providence, according to His infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of His own will, to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy.

God has shown himself once again to be abundant in his graciousness and providence in our lives.
In two days this past week there have been expenses adding up to thousands of dollars that have just melted away. Some may chalk it up to coincidence or good luck and timing but I know what an amazing God I serve. I see his handiwork in how he orchestrates my life and am awed. To God be the glory!  All the while we are studying about his great providence, he provides us with tangible examples in our daily lives.

Let me share with you how God provided for us this past week.

• My older children were going to be attending an event which they told us would be at a cost of $60.  This fee was waived!
• My older girls just joined a figure skating performance competition class.  One daughter received a discount I did not expect and another was able to take her class for free due to the fact that she teaches there.  Another $60 waived.
• My hubby’s pay raise was more than anticipated by an amount of $85.
• My son, who has had a problem tooth for almost nine years, was in need of a root canal.  We have been putting it off because we just could not afford it.  We do have insurance but they did not have a preferred provider who works with our insurance that they would refer us to and with the dental costs being higher here in Alaska our portion was a very large amount.  My husband decided to take him in to the military clinic just to see if his case would be deemed an “emergency” case and could be treated there.  This was just a quick look over kind of appointment on a walk in basis that he was hoping to be able to get him in to be seen.  When he arrived they said they had an appointment that had been canceled and would look him over.  They went ahead and did the root canal then and there.  He has an appointment next week for the crown.  A total cost to us of $0!  This saved us close to $2000!

The Lord knows our earthly needs.  He knows our desires.  He providentially provides both when in his plan!  His plan for us is best.  The creator of our life knows what is truly needed and even provides that which is not needed but desired.  Praise be to God!

More importantly than our earthly needs and desires, He knows our eternal needs!  He provides that for his children!  Praise be to God!  In fact, that is his priority.  I am thankful that even when I miss seeing his hand at work, when it seems that earthly needs are not met, that I can trust in the fact that he has a plan and is working it out.  I can trust that he has eternal benefit at mind first and foremost.  He causes me to be amazed all the more and I pray that his glory is seen when at work in my life!

Operation Denali

Saturday night my hubby and I attended the annual banquet for the Society of American Military Engineers.  It was a good evening out.  Hubby and I were all dressed up and had an evening out together.  The key note speaker at the banquet was the best speaker we have ever heard at one of these events.  I want to share a bit with you.

The speaker was Marc Hoffmeister. Marc is an US Army officer and 1992 West Point graduate currently stationed at Elmendorf AFB, AK.  Marc was wounded by a roadside bomb while serving on a Military Transition Team as an embedded trainer with the Iraqi Army.   He shared with us a bit about trying to deal with the devastation of his injuries and how his wife Gayle challenged him to overcome.  He told us that she announced one day that she was going to climb Denali!  Realizing that she was determined and he could not let her go alone, he determined to take up the challenge and Operation Denali was born.

Operation Denali Mission Statement:

Enable four Warriors wounded in the Global War on Terrorism to overcome devastating combat injuries and successfully summit 20,320 ft Denali, the highest mountain in North America, symbolizing the strength of our Nation and those who defend it.

He shared with us a very inspiring story. He spoke of not only the challenges of the climb in which only 40-60% of those who attempt actually summit. Denali is a dangerous mountain in which people loose their lives each year attempting to summit.  Imagining the challenges of attempting such a big climb is intimidating but image doing so without all of your limbs.  Yes, these wounded warriors climbed and summitted the mountain with prosthetic limbs.  He told stories of how they even passed other teams on the mountain.  That was rather encouraging for them, not so much so for the other fully bodied teams.  Why even try to attempt such a feat?  Reaching the summit was the goal but more importantly than actually reaching the summit were the following objectives.  Even for the few who did not actually summit, their objectives were reached.

1.  To raise awareness for the needs of severely injured service men and women
2.  To  work together to overcome our physical limitations and achieve a common goal made to seem insurmountable by the impact of our injuries on our lives.
3.  To demonstrate by performance and example that no obstacle is so great that the human spirit cannot overcome it

Let me give you a little bit of perspective on this challenge.  A little lesson on Denali.  Denali meaning the High One or the Great One is the Native word for the mountain that outsiders refer to as Mount McKinley. Denali, being North America’s highest peak, rises to an elevation of 20,320 feet amidst a sea of glaciers and other peaks that compose the Alaska Range.  Here is a photo I took from Anchorage, several hundred miles away.

For a closer look and updated photos check out the webcam from Denali National Park & Preserve. Their view is from Wonder Lake.

Please make sure to do your part in supporting our veterans.  They give up so much for the freedoms we all enjoy!  I ask that you share this story and encourage others!

To read more on this inspiring story visit Operation Denali! You can also see a slide show of the expedition. You can read their expedition journal too!

Take some time to learn more about Operation Denali and be sure to leave me a comment too!

Do You Fear?

I find that fear is a constant battle for me.  I tend to worry about so many things that I shouldn’t.  I fully acknowledge that this is a major weakness.  It is one that can only be overcome by the working of the Lord in my life.  I need to continually seek him for healing from fear.  I came across a quote today that slapped me upside the head!  It is something I already knew but when you come face to face with the bare bones of the issue it often makes your head spin.

Our fears are grounded in either a failure to believe in God’s strength or a failure to believe His gospel. — RC Sproul Jr

Lord,

I praise you Lord, Creator of all, You are God!  Mold me into your image, may I be surrendered, softened, and easy to mold.  Cleanse me, heal me, create in me a clean heart, one that is absent of fear and clings to you.  I know that worry can not add a single day so let me not waste the ones you have given.  Draw me closer to you that I may never fail to believe and rely upon you.  Remove my self-reliant tendencies.  May you be glorified in my life!

Amen

Repent, For the Kingdom of God

I am not so sure it is considered in good form or not to repost an entire blog post from somewhere else but I thought that this was definitely worth sharing. It was posted on the Ligonier Ministry Blog today.  That is a great place for solid, toe-stepping yet encouraging Biblical guidance.  This is one I read today that I think everyone should read often.  (I am not thinking of anyone in particular, I was too busy rubbing my own sore toes).  We often take our sin more lightly than we should.  It is easy to point fingers and say we are not as bad as so and so.  That is an easy way to justify our own actions but it is not what we are called to do.  We are called to a higher standard than each other.  We are called to repent.

Lord, forgive me for where I have failed you, for thinking more highly of myself than I ought, for focusing on the apologies I should receive (and may never get) and remember to give the ones I owe.  May I bring honor and glory to your name.  Amen

Now for the article.  Watch your toes!

Repent, For the Kingdom of God

December 4, 2009 @ 6:40 AM | Posted By: Tim Challies
by R.C. Sproul, Jr.

How quick are you to repent? If you're anything like me, you've just this moment added several more things to repent of. First, pride. I suspect that you, if you are like me, think yourself a pretty decent repenter. You likely wish that others would learn from your wonderful example, and do likewise. Indeed, now that I mention it, you can think of several people that owe you an apology, and aren't you the one for being so gracious about it up until now?

Second, lying. I suspect that you, if you are like me, have in thinking all of the above, lied to yourself in an egregious way. You are deluded, your delusions springing forth from your deceitful heart like so many dandelions on a spring day. Third, pride again. Here your pride is less about you and more about Jesus. That is, our failure to understand what failures we are is in turn a reflection on the work of Christ. We diminish His work on our behalf when we diminish the scope of our own sin. Fourth, unrepentance. That is, because you are a bigger sinner, like me, than you are willing to face, you have not repented for your sins like you ought. You have repented lightly for dark sins.

What should you do? You could get mad at me for pointing this all out. Or, you could repent.

You could ask that God would forgive you for thinking too highly of yourself. Ask that He would empower you to be swift to see your own sins, and swift in turn to confess them both to Him and to those that we wrong. You could ask that you might have earned the right to have etched on your gravestone, “He was quick to repent.” And you could thank God for His provision of His Son, so that we can be forgiven. You could ask Him to gently remind you, each time you find yourself unhappy about the sins of your family, your neighbors, your fellow parishioners from your church, your parents, your elders, that such would be a prompt to you to honestly assess your own weaknesses. That we are sinners is a problem solved by the coming of Jesus the Savior. That we don't know we are sinners, that is a problem for the Holy Spirit, who convicts, and sanctifies.

The answer to every problem is simple–repent and believe the gospel.

As frustrating as our own blindness might be, the light has come into the world. As maddening as our weaknesses might be, the Sovereign One has come and dwelt among us. As embarrassing as our pride might be, the one who is poor in Spirit has sent the Spirit to lead us into all truth, including the ugly truth about ourselves.

The coming year is likely to bring political unrest. Were I a betting man, I would guess in turn that it will be a year filled to the brim with economic hardship. We can expect to see more cultural decline. All of which will be for nothing if we do not learn the first lesson, to repent and believe.

Before we take over the levers of power, before we dominion our way back to prosperity, before we press the crown rights of King Jesus over the culture, may we remember the crown of thorns, and repent. And when we have repented, let us repent again for the anemia of our repentance. Then, let us believe that He is at work in us, both to do and to will His good pleasure. And all these things will be added unto us.

via Repent, For the Kingdom of God | Ligonier Ministries.

Resolving Conflict in Blogland

I thought blogging was supposed to be fun.  It is a way to share our thoughts and our convictions.  It is a way to meet like-minded people and to encourage one another.  I am fully aware of the fact that many people (even those who should be like-minded) disagree.  It seems to me though that if you are not big enough to take a little criticism and to take it with dignity then you should maybe reevaluate your motives.  I do not mind criticism, after all,  healthy discussion brings about growth.  What I do object to is the underhandedness, dirtiness, mean spirited, name calling, slanderous parties out there!

I know that where there is conflict we do not always behave in the best manner.  I have had situations in the past which have risen from disagreements in convictions.  Some I handled well with grace and dignity and others I did not but dealt with them in a rather sinful manner.  In those cases where I did not handle things in a godly manner I have repented, asked for forgiveness from those involved, and done what works I could to make amends.  I have learned that in all cases of conflict I should flee to the Lord and beseech him to grant me wisdom, clarity of heart and mind, and graciousness even amidst difficult conversations.   I am not the best at this but am growing.

Some situations clear up easily and others do not.  Sometimes that is because of differences in personalities, differences in how to resolve issues, differences in convictions and beliefs,  an unwillingness or inability due to insecurity to let others disagree, unrepentant or perceived unrepentant hearts.  All this to say, conflicts arise and they may even be over very important issues but when one takes that conflict and rather than trying to resolve things in a godly manner begin to slander and back stab all the while justifying their actions, that is just plain sinful!  I am currently watching another one of these situations unfold online and it breaks my heart.  I see the godly character of those involved.  I fully realize that I may not be seeing the whole picture and not know everything that each individual is doing but I do see the underhanded vengeful things that are being done to them and know that these actions are not godly.

If you have a disagreement with someone here is a word of advice from one who has been there.  Make sure you are confident enough in your convictions to be ok with the fact that people may and most likely at some point will disagree with you.  Remember it is not your job to change their minds or their hearts; that is up to the Lord.  Most importantly, be willing to hear them, learn from them, and be willing to admit you are wrong!  You just might be!  Try to speak with grace even if you have words that are difficult to hear. There is nothing wrong with speaking boldly but try to have a heart of humility not arrogance.  The other party may not recognize that you are acting from a heart of grace and humility but you still need to make sure that the motives of your heart are godly.  Approach the situation with the idea that others are trying to act from godly motives as well.  They may not be but give them the benefit of the doubt.  Earnestly request wisdom, a clean and pure heart, mind, and speech from the Lord.  It is so easy to get caught up in who is right and who is wrong that you loose sight of behaving in a godly manner.  Do not fall into that trap.  Learn when you have said enough and leave the outcome of changing hearts, minds, and actions to the work of the Holy Spirit.

Pray that the Lord will reveal areas in which you may need to repent concerning the conflict.  Make sure that when you repent of those things that you also ask for forgiveness from the others involved.  Be specific too so they are fully aware of the fact that you acknowledge your part (and what that was) in the conflict and are truly repentant.  This is not necessarily required but it goes a long way to bringing healing, reconciliation, forgiveness, and humility.