Matthew 5: 11-12

Prayer
Lord, open our eyes to see that you are with us in everything that we do and say, and in every experience, both good and bad. Help us to have an eternal perspective, and to live each day focused on building your kingdom and sharing your good news, whatever the cost.

Scripture
11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Devotional
As Jesus spoke about persecution during the Sermon on the Mount, I can’t help but wonder if he thought about Paul, who in a few short years would become practically synonymous with the experience of Christian persecution. Through the centuries, how many Christians experiencing insult and injury for their faith have leaned upon Paul’s writings?

35Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?...37No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. (Romans 8)

Today, as we go about our comfortable, modern American lives, we may not often experience what might be considered persecution. We are able to listen to Christian music, watch Christian television, go to Christian church services and shop at Christian bookstores. While there are ongoing debates about matters of faith, such as the definition of marriage and allowing prayer in schools, we live in a nation where our religious freedom is protected in our constitution, and we are able to live out our Christian faith in relative peace. And while many of us have undoubtedly experienced challenges for the Christian way of life we have chosen, we don’t often fear for our own safety in living it out.

But even in the 21st century, there are Christians around the world being persecuted for their faith. To gain a better understanding of the current plight of many of our fellow believers, I encourage you to visit www.persecution.com, the website of Voice of the Martyrs (the world headquarters of which is right up the road in Bartlesville, by the way).

Did you know that, according to VOM, North Korea is the worst perpetrator of persecution against Christians in the world? From as close as southern Mexico and Cuba, to as far away as Uzbekistan and Belarus, there are hostile and restricted nations around the globe. And in all of those countries, there are faithful Christians who are spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and worshipping him as their Lord and Savior, even in the face of the very things Jesus spoke about 2,000 years ago: insult, persecution and false accusations of wrongdoing.

What an example of revolutionary love this is, for Christians who love their God so much that they are willing to sacrifice everything, including their own safety, to follow Him. Perhaps God is calling you to pray for these modern martyrs, to support their work, or even to join them in a mission field.

Prayer
Lord, we thank you that we can worship you freely and without fear. We remember your people all over the world who are experiencing persecution for their Christian faith and praise you for their faithfulness. We pray that you will protect them, bless their work, and help them to rejoice and be glad, knowing that their reward in heaven is great.

Thank You

Thank You

Thank you, Byron - for being my brother and my friend. For taking on so much of this burden. For being there for Dad, taking him to the doctor, to the emergency room. For so many hugs, so many memories shared. For standing with me while we made the biggest decision of our lives, and all the other decisions in the days to follow.

Thank you, Jason - for being my husband and my friend. For taking care of everything so I could go to the hospital six hours away, for dropping everything and jumping in the car just because I said I needed you. For scanning a hundred photos. For being right by my side, for praying when we needed prayer and saying what needed to be said. For being the one always holding my hand.

Thank you, Jolene - for being my mother. For coming when we needed you the most, even though it was so hard. For feeding us, listening to us, comforting us like only you can. For knowing where we needed to look.

Thank you, Kim and the Cummings family - for supporting Byron so staunchly. For being right there, serving as our chauffeur, sorting through the detritus of life.

Thank you, Melanee and the Emel family - for loaning blazers and scanners. For Kentucky Fried Chicken and barbequed pork. For reminding us how important it is to be a family.

Thank you, Paul and Sharon - for being the best Nana and Papa. For taking on two kids and a dog and a cat. For making it possible to be in Missouri for 11 days. For going to the McDonald's PlayPlace when it rained. For buying new pj's when it was Pajama Day at school.

Thank you, Pat - for giving my dad 13 years of loving companionship. For talking with him on the phone every day. For never having a fight. For letting us know that Dad would have been proud.

Thank you, Toni - for answering the phone every time I called. For being my lifeline back home.

Thank you, friends - for more than 150 Facebook wall posts, messages, emails and phone calls. For your prayers, support and offers of help.

Thank you, University Hospital - for unbelievable doctors and nurses who supported my dad and my family every step of the way.

Thank you, Kent Funeral Home - for taking care of the details and making sure our dad was just the way we wanted to remember him.

Thank you, Rev. Northcutt, Linda and Joyce - for sharing in the service. For lifting your voices in praise. For honoring our dad in such a comforting way.

Thank you, Kevin, Jimmy, Jeff, and Aaron - For serving as pallbearers. For making sure we made it to the most beautiful hillside in Sullivan County.

Thank you, Friends of Erwin - for your kind words, your cards, your emails, your flowers, your memorial donations, your presence.

Thank you, Lord Jesus - for giving us a dad who loved us every day for 32 years. For taking him home to be with you in heaven forever.

Thank you, Dad - for everything you taught us. For every time you went out of your way to help us. For showing us how to pursue our passions. For teaching us that there is so much to be learned. For loving us, no matter what. Thank you.

Psalm 32

Our church is going through a forty day study of Psalms for the Lenten season. Our staff have been taking turns writing brief devotionals to along with the day's psalm, and each day a new devo arrives in our email in-boxes. It's a great way to start the day and hear new perspectives from our talented staff. Anyway, Jason asked to contribute a devotional, and I drew Psalm 32. Thought I'd share.


Opening Prayer
Heavenly Father, I thank you that you want us to live in joy and not sorrow, that you want us to be set free from sin, guilt and shame, and that you show us your plan for an abundant life in your Word. As we meditate on your Word today, may it come alive in our hearts and fill us with gladness. Amen.

Psalm 32
1 Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!
2 Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
3 When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long.
4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Interlude
5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, "I will confess my rebellion to the Lord." And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Interlude
6 Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.
7 For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. Interlude
8 The Lord says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.
9 Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control."
10 Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.
11 So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!

Devotional
Sin and I have had an on again, off again relationship for quite some time now. Sometimes I am able to recognize my sinful ways, lay them down, look to the throne of grace, and move on. Sometimes I'm able to deflect those various temptations to sin so easily - I would almost be prideful about it if pride weren't itself a sin. Other times, I seem to have no resistance at all. An opportunity to sin presents itself and there I go, head first into the mess. And in other, harder times, the sin seems to latch itself on to me, virtually refusing to let me confess it, let it go, and receive the Lord's merciful forgiveness.

Of all the many things we have to praise God for, surely one of the most tremendous is His forgiveness of our sins. After all, this is why He gave His one and only Son for us! That we might not perish, or as it says in verses 3 and 4, that our bodies might not waste away as we groan all day long and our strength evaporates. We've all been on the other side of sin, and know the weight we can carry day after day as we wallow in the muck of sinfulness and disobedience. Isn't it good to remember that is not God's desire for us at all? He wants us to be set free from that, to shake that off, don't look back, and let him direct us back to his (best!) pathway for our lives.

One of my prayers for this new year of my life (my 32nd birthday was just a few days ago) is to welcome more joy into my life - to dwell in the amazing truths of God's love, his faithfulness, his grace, and the basic realization that life is good simply because he is at work in it. And here is the perfect example of a source of joyfulness in verses 1 and 2: Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! 2 Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,whose lives are lived in complete honesty!

With a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old in our house, we are well-versed in the complete works of Walt Disney. Do you remember the scene at the end of Aladdin when the Genie gets set free? "I'm free! I'm free!" the Genie exclaims as he whoops, hollers, and whizzes through the cosmos. That's the feeling God wants us to have when we do as the psalmist did in verse 5: 5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, "I will confess my rebellion to the Lord." And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone!

Closing Prayer
Praise you Lord, that you forgave me and all my guilt is gone! I couldn't do it on my own, but you could, and you did, because your love for me was greater than my sin. Thank you for your unfailing love and for your constant guidance. Help me always to turn to you; help me never to try to hide my guilt. Thank you that your unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord. May we trust you more and more, and rely on our own strength less and less, each day. Amen.

Home with the Hills

Today I'm going to delve into the more traditional blog entry - an update on our lives - as opposed to the personal essay I tend to favor. Let me start with this topic sentence: Geez, is it busy around here!

In the past ten days - we have had a visit from Jason's parents, hosted a second birthday party, built a fence, found a puppy, nursed a sick boy with serious tummy troubles, gone to Bible study, checked out Owasso's newest department store, and had a 2 1/2 hour salon appointment, bought puppy supplies, attended the overnight district women's retreat, made the best punch on the planet for Beth's baby shower, and wrapped up the five-week Starting Point class. Whoo!

Jason said recently that we know our lives are going to be hectic right now, and we need just to embrace the busyness. He's right. Even with all this going on, we're still doing great. We're feeling good (except for Jake, but he's better now and had a great couple of sick days with Nana), resting well, and having fun.

I think the rest of March looks to be pretty unscheduled, which is a good thing since the arrival of Lucy the Puppy on Friday is going to demand a lot of our attention. Next we look forward to more family birthdays, with mine on the 26th (here I come, year 32!) and Jacob's on the 31st -- the big 5.

Happy to be home...
Jessica

Love Me Some Grandparents

My Facebook status earlier today said "Grandparents are a great invention." Jason's parents have been here this weekend and they have been a welcome addition. I have an increasing appreciation for cultures where multi-generational families live together in one home, or at least in adjoining grass huts. Not that I'd want to make a permanent arrangement of it, but occasionally it is just great to have some on-site helpers.

Papa & Nana arrived Friday afternoon and baby-sat the kids so that Jason and I could go to an awesome worship night at the HOP [House of Prayer, for the non-Family Churchers out there]. Then they helped Saturday morning prepping for and celebrating in Caitie's birthday party. On Sunday they got the kids ready and brought them to church so that Jason & I could go early. Nana even kept an eye on Jake so I could take a Sunday afternoon nap! Not to mention the dinner-making, laundry-folding, trash-removing and kid-entertaining that's taken place.

And of course, there's the Big Project, much documented by both Jason and myself, the fence-building that Jason's dad is helping him with. It's saving us so much in both time and money. They'll be here through Wednesday so should come very close to finishing it up.

I was never that close to my own grandparents. They were older, lived further away, and in the case of my mom's parents, had eight other grandkids to occupy them. So, it's great to see my children developing these special relationships with their Nana & Papa.

All hail the grandparents! You rock!

The Mid-Major Holidays

As a child, every holiday is a big deal. They are celebrated at school with various observances; teachers make special bulletin boards; sometimes a parade is involved.

As an adult, there are certain holidays that remain "major" - namely Christmas (the presents), Thanksgiving (the food), and one's birthday (again, the presents). However, other holidays tend to shift to "mid-major" status. These would include Halloween, Easter, Valentine's Day, Independence Day, etc. You remember they are coming up, you perhaps send a card or attend a friendly function, but they don't really figure into your plans too much. Then there are the minor holidays, still important but mostly remembered because the mail doesn't come and the banks are closed: President's Day, MLK Jr. Day, Columbus Day.

When one crosses over to parenthood, suddenly all the holidays are a big deal again. And the mid-major holidays somehow turn into a huge amount of work.

Observe:
Halloween involves decoration of the home, visit to the pumpkin patch, mutilation of the pumpkin, research and selection of the costume, purchase of the candy, scheduling of the trick-or-treat festivities with other families, attendance at the church "fall festival", involvement with the pre-school party, and extensive picture-taking throughout. Notice we have not even gone trick-or-treating yet.

Easter involves decoration of the home, purchase of adorable Easter outfits, preparation and decoration of eggs, embarkation upon Easter egg hunt, assemblage and presentation of Easter baskets, participation in church Easter festivities also to include Easter egg hunt, and extensive picture-taking throughout. Notice we have not even mentioned the celebration of the resurrection of Christ yet.

And now, Valentine's Day. The latest holiday to be promoted to mid-major status. This blessed day is no longer relegated to besotted couples. It is now the territory of pre-school aged children. "Why do we give Valentines, Mommy?" asks my four-year-old. "Your guess is as good as mine," is the response I'd like to give. "So that we can show our friends how much we like them," is my answer.

So, we select the valentines. (Bonus points if candy is attached.) We assemble the valentines. We prepare the box our friends' valentines will be placed in. We purchase additional valentines to give as gifts to our children. We make and decorate valentine cupcakes. We purchase and wear special valentine shirts. Valentine's Day turns into Valentine's Weekend. Somewhere in the process Mommy and Daddy manage to sneak away for a Valentine's lunch and the bringing home of roses. Extensive picture-taking throughout.

There's a lot of love in the air. On to St. Patrick's Day.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2016995&id=1384386249&l=b18a7

A Precious Reminder

Yesterday, baby Caitie had to have "a procedure". That's what I called it, because it made it less scary than "operation" or "surgery". And in reality, procedure is probably also more accurate, because having a myringotomy (drain fluid and insert ear tubes) and an adenoidectomy (removal of adenoids), is not really that big of a deal. It's actually one of the most routine surgeries performed on thousands of toddlers in one-day surgery centers all over the country. In fact, Jacob had it done three years ago, and Caitlin had the ear tubes part last year.

Still. When it came time to go to the hospital (at 5:45 a.m.), I was more than a little nervous. As I held my little girl in my arms, wrapped in a blanket fresh from the warmer, and watched her slowly grow calm and quiet thanks to her "happy juice," and whispered one more prayer for her protection, I was reminded of just how precious she is to me.

Caitlin is a beautiful little girl. She has the bluest eyes, the blondest hair, the happiest gap-toothed smile. She loves to sing, to talk, to hold her bunny and suck her left thumb. She loves Jakie, and Daddy, and most of all, Mommy. And I can't believe how much I love her back.

So when the gentle nurse came to take Caitie to the OR, I was definitely blinking back tears and reminding myself that everything was going to be just fine and that God was watching over her. One last kiss, one last "I love you!" and thankfully she was already too dopey to be anxious.

I'm grateful that there was a kind older man in the family waiting room whose wife was having cataract surgery, who kept me company until Jason arrived from dropping Jacob off at school. Within minutes it seemed, Dr. Sawyer was there to say that everything had gone perfectly. And then we were able to go to the recovery room and hold a very grumpy girl who definitely did not want an IV in her wrist or a heart monitor on her toe.

While I'm hopeful that this will be the last ENT procedure either of my kids will need, I'm grateful for the reminder that they are a precious gift. Sometimes it takes a little drama to open our eyes to all the blessings that are present in our lives each day.

Adenoidectomy - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adenoidectomy

Starting Out

For some time now, I have been contemplating a blog, but there were a number of obstacles, real and imagined, to be overcome.

1. I am ridiculously busy. Husband, home, two small children, full-time job, part-time job, and multiple church involvements.

2. I hesitate to share most of my personal views with the world. I am more conservative than most of my liberal-leaning friends, yet more liberal than my conservative-leaning friends. I am not entirely comfortable sharing my "Christian worldview" in case others don't share my perspective. If I talk about my kids, am I alienating those who aren't parents? If I talk about my job, how do the stay-at-home moms feel?

3. I have a continual fear that something I say will be misconstrued. [closely related to item 2] Sometimes my sarcasm just doesn't register the way it's intended. Sometimes I come across as arrogant and other times as a person in serious need of a self-image boost, and oddly enough both are probably true.

But in the end, I've decided just to be myself, as genuine as possible, as true to myself as I can manage, and to document my life and my family's comings and goings in a new way. So, enjoy, cyber-readers, and don't hold it against me.


Jessica