Contentment?

"Do not be anxious about anything,

but in everything 

by prayer and supplication

with thanksgiving

let your requests be made known to God.

And the peace of God,

which transcends all our powers of thought

will be a garrison

to guard your hearts and minds

in Christ Jesus."

Phil 4:6-7

Our part:  Pray. Thank Him. Find the lovely and true.

His part:  PEACE!

Can it be that simple?  Yes, because His word is always true. 

We feel anxious over a situation or circumstance. We have a choice. Do we worry about it, tossing and turning in our sleep? Or do we pray about it? It's so easy to forget this verse, this promise. We pray, He brings peace. 

Yes, it's a battle at times to choose the way of Peace. And keep choosing. But choosing prayer and thanksgiving over worrisome thoughts brings about true contentment. 

In Linda Dillow's book, "Calm My Anxious Heart: A Woman's Guide to Finding Contentment", she shares a treasure found in a journal of an African missionary friend on contentment.

Ella Sprees Holy Habit of Contentment

*Never allow yourself to complain about anything-not even the weather

*Never picture yourself in any other circumstances or someplace else

*Never compare your lot with another's

*Never allow yourself to wish this or that had been otherwise

*Never dwell on tomorrow-remember that tomorrow is God's, not ours

I'm not a big fan of a list of "nevers." But reading the back story on Ella Sprees and the conditions she endured as her family served on the mission field, her list of "nevers" becomes quite inspiring, if not convicting, in a good way, for me.

Today, let's choose to keep our eyes up on Him....dwelling on and thanking Him for whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent and wothy of praise. (Phil 4:8.)

A Mother's Day Message - The Invisible Woman

This is a Mother's Day repost from last year. The video is too good to not share again. Happy Mother's Day!
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I stand in a circle of friends who are laughing and sharing about their lives. I begin to join in the conversation.... and no one notices I've spoken one word. The talking and laughing continues as if I weren't even there. Did I just think I spoke and really didn't? Am I invisible?

I fall into bed exhausted after a long day. What exactly did I do to make a difference today in the life of my children? Did they even appreciate the roast  for dinner, the laundry all washeddriedfolded, the lessons carefully planned? Am I invisible?

Most of the time, I'm fine with being invisible. Let our little family just live our lives quietly...stay out of the limelight. When I walk into a room and no one notices, I'm usually fine with that. But then... there are those times when I struggle with it - the feeling of invisibleness.

What am I doing that makes an eternal hill of beans in this life? Does anybody really care that we homeschool? Is this sacrifice for our family really going to make a difference?  Is being "just" a Mom really a high calling compared to what other women are doing? Do I really have anything of value to offer a friend? Does anyone take me seriously? Can anyone hear me? Am I invisible???

I know I can't possibly be the only mom out there asking these questions.....

A few months ago, a children's group of orphans from Uganda sang at a local church. One precious tiny boy came to the front and sang this beautiful song with all of his heart....

He Knows My Name

I have a Maker, He formed my heart;

Before even time began, my life was in His hand

I have a Father, He calls me His own;

He'll never leave me, no matter where I go. 

He knows my name; He knows my every thought;

He sees each tear that falls, and hears me when I call.

You know what?  I am not invisible. To the world, my life might seem insignificant and invisible. But I know the truth. And I know The Truth. I am not invisible to HIM. You are not invisible to HIM. He knows my name, He knows YOUR name. As a matter of fact, every day of my life and your life was written in His book before we were even born! 

And if you don't believe me, go read Psalms 139. I promise you won't feel so invisible anymore. 

This video hit me "up side the head" today. It's called The Invisible Woman. I hope you take the time to watch it and be blessed.

And remember, Moms. ..You are not invisible to the one who made you...The Creator. Happy Mother's Day!

Rayray and The Orchestra Concert

A little Mozart,

a little Vivaldi,

 a little Beethoven,

even a little Michael Jackson.

And a little Rayray 

and a little orchestra 

with a big sound!

Lysa TerKeurst - Message of Hope

Lysa posted this timely video this morning on her blog. In light of the events of the past week, this message is straight from the heart of God for us all. I love the raw authenticity of the message...no "fixing up", no staged theatrical event. Just one woman with passion for Him who had a burning message to share from her home this morning.

Easter Sunrise - Family Style

Just can't keep the powder off the feet!

Easter morning 2010, our family had a very meaningful sunrise celebration together...just the 5 of us.

I taped off a rectangular path and placed a clean flat board on one end. I filled the path with baby powder.

Each of us was challenged to find a way to hop, skip, or jump down the path, landing on the board with not one, single speck of powder on our feet.

An impossible feat. (Feet? Sorry, couldn't resist.)

The board represents a holy area.  Holy, set apart and completely clean from sin. Of course, the board couldn't even have one speck of dust on it to be truly Holy, but that was impossible.

God IS Holy. He is completely clean, without even the tiniest speck of sin on Him.

The powder represented sin. Like our feet covered with powder, our lives are covered with sin.

Hero and Butter, nails in the cross

We walked across the yard to our wooden cross that the Butter and a friend made a few years ago. Each of us hammered one nail into the cross, talking all the while about Jesus and what his death on the cross meant for us....how he didn't deserve our punishment for sins but we are so thankful that he took it.

Then the kids dragged the heavy cross to the powdery pathway. We laid the cross over the powder, creating a bridge.

"Now! Who can get to the clean (holy) area without powder (sin)?" We all could!

Jesus' death on the cross created a bridge of sorts for us to reach God.

We also pointed out this very crucial fact....even though we made our cross ourselves, we can't make a way to get to God. People have tried all sorts of things to "get to" God...and they don't work. It's a gift of Love that can't be earned or created on our own. It's a gift of Love not based on anything wonderful we do or say. It's a gift, given freely and unconditionally. Accepted by us through faith, trust in Him.

A gift of eternal life.

Rayray walking across the bridge of love

Maybe you have a blessed Easter weekend, celebrating our Risen Savior!

(We used this book as a resource for the above activity.)

Yes, Again.

Twenty years ago this week, I said yes.

Flashback to April, 1991:

He cooked dinner for me. Steak and baked potatoes. I took pictures of the food, of him, of me.

After dinner, we were sitting side by side and he gave me a beautiful Easter basket, full of chocolate candy, jelly beans and one huge, hot pink plastic egg in the center. More pictures.

He said,excitedly, "See what's inside the egg!"

I opened the huge pink egg to find a small egg. I smiled and rolled my eyes.

I opened the small egg to reveal yet another smaller egg.

I looked at him inquisitively...my pulse began to quicken, palms got sweaty...like something vastly important was taking place.

I opened this next egg to find a teeny, tiny plastic pink egg.

"Wait." he said. And as he moved from the chair to his knees, I thought my heart would pound clean out of my chest. Was I dreaming? Is this it?

Together, we opened the last tiny egg to reveal a circle of gold with a pear-shaped diamond sparkling in the candle light.

I gasped. Then uttered the most profound words..."Is it real?" Silly me. Why would he trick me with a bubble gum ring??

Then, with shaky voice, he began to speak words of love to me. How the Lord brought us together. How he loved me like no other. How he wanted to spend the rest of his days on earth with me. ME! Then..... "Will you marry me? Will you be my wife?"

Oh, have mercy. My heart soars and tears prick my eyes just reliving this precious, divine moment, 20 years later.

Through tears of joy, I said, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" And he placed the very real, very shiny ring on my finger.


20 years later, I'd say "yes" a thousand times over without a single pause....because I'd know how well-loved I'd be by my Hero with the Easter basket.

Soul Surfer

Last night was opening night for Soul Surfer.....based on Bethany Hamilton's true story. It's a fantastic movie about courage, strength and faith.




We took the whole family. When my 7 year old crawled upon my lap during a particular dramatic, emotional scene, I wondered if we had made the wrong decision by taking her. But this movie made an impact on her.....she woke up this morning talking about how brave and strong Bethany was. She said it's the best movie she's ever seen....and that includes every single princess movie!