Leaving Versus Going

It has never been easy for me to leave a church and a people we know and love to follow God’s leading to a place where we knew no one. Would they love and accept us? Would it be a difficult or easy transition? Will I be compared to their previous pastor’s wife? Will God provide a good friend there? How will God use us for His glory? Typically the questions would mound in my mind as we prepared to leave one ministry and go to another. Thankfully, we have not had to move very many times!!!

In my previous blog I mentioned that we finally just sold our house after 2 ½ years. We went back to West Tennessee last week to pack, sell, give away, and move our stuff. Every bit of what we owned was “touched” and a decision was to be made. Do we keep it? Do we sell it? If so, for how much? Do we give it away? Do we throw it away? An exhausting process for sure! By the end of the week we had a garage full of stuff to sell….or give away….and every bit of it was GONE!!! I can’t tell you how grateful I was/am for that! We got rid of a lot of stuff!

There was one theme that kept playing in my mind all week as we packed—even though we had moved years earlier—we knew we would always be back to check on the house. And we were. And when we did we could spend time with people that we dearly loved. This time, however, there was finality. Oh, sure, we’d be back to visit…or would we? It certainly would not be as often. So, I was experiencing the grief of leaving that ministry and those precious people all over again. Cried buckets of tears and hugged a zillion necks.

Here is what was different this time though. When we left 2 ½ years ago I had no idea who we were going to. I could not see their faces. I did not know their names. Did not know their hearts. This time….I did! I saw the beautiful faces and hearts of the people at our current church and knew they loved my Jesus/us/me. I could see their hurts and struggles and needs. I was sad to leave but super happy about going!!

I don’t know if you are in the process of transition right now. I don’t know if you love it or despise it. But I do know that God is faithful and He is Provider. Sustainer. Friend. The next time you “move”…try not to focus on what you are leaving….but who/what you are going to—even if you don’t know anything about it. just like Abram!!!

SOLD!!!

Approximately two and a half years ago God called us from a fruitful ministry in West Tennessee to an amazing church in the Indianapolis area. We arrived with only our clothes, toiletries, a few picture frames with special pictures and Bibles…but not much more than that. Everything else stayed in our house—furniture, linens, mementos, kitchen stuff….all of it….waiting for a buyer. Waiting. Praying. Often anxious and fearful. Trusting God for His perfect timing.

Our church here has a sweet little “mission cottage” that is totally furnished so that missionaries who come home on furlough have a place to stay...and we have been so blessed during these 2 plus years because the church has graciously allowed us to live here while we waited for the sale of our home. God is Provider.

I have missed my “stuff”. Every Christmas that rolled around—and there have been three—I yearned for our Christmas tree, stockings, special ornaments, etc. There have been many times that I so wanted that certain baking dish that I always used for broccoli and rice casserole. I longed for the sweet sleep that would come from sleeping in our bed. God is Sustainer.

Today….in exactly one hour….we will close on that house in Tennessee. GLORY to God!!! I cannot tell you how grateful to the Lord I am!! I did not realize how much a burden it was on me as I would think about the house….the stuff in it….would anyone come break in? Would we ever sell it? Will my mother's special baby grand piano be OK? Will we be able to continue to afford the house payments and utilities? My God is faithful. My God is good. My God is sufficient. My God is Provider.

The Perfect Life

"Oh, your life is so perfect. I know you never worry about anything because you're married to the preacher." Have you ever had a similar comment made to you? I certainly have and my first thought is invite this clueless inidividual over for a month stay. Instead, I just fall on the floor laughing. In the course of our 30+ years of ministry, I can attest today my life is perfect and chocolate has no calories-IN MY DREAMS!


Do you sometimes wish you could allow the congregation or even the lost world to come to your home and experience the "perfect" bliss? Right now if people were to walk through the front door of my home they would immediately be bombed with the ripe odor of wet dog. Once you catch your breath, you would proceed into the kitchen and discover muddy paw and shoe prints on the aging white flooring which is rolling up. (Girls, it has been raining or snowing for weeks and my poor Swiffer mop needed a vacation.) Continuing to the living area you would discover that I have attempted to dust and vacuum but dog hair reigns (or rains) in our home. Upstairs you will find the laundry baskets overflowing and ironing has piled up as well. However, there will be one bed made and the bathrooms are clean. (Hey, at least something is half way done!) Oh but wait! Don't attempt to look our the windows. They're dirty.

Okay, so you do not keep a perfect house but you do have a perfect family. Well, I think my family came pretty close to perfect one day. Let's see I have a husband and one son who have the gift of prophesy so that means neither see a gray area only black and white. Boy, that sure makes life perfect in minister's home. Another son is a fun-loving, mischievous, sports-loving guy. He brings broken parsonage windows from balls and pranks of all kinds. I, being the sole female in an all male home, gave up the frilly, girly life long ago in order to be ready on a moments notice. Did you know that you do not wear high heels, perfect hair, and panty hose to ballgames? Instead a ponytail and comfortable tennis shoes work just fine. Yep, I think we are pretty close to the Cleaver family. Okay, I admit. I am not June Cleaver. Seriously, who wears pearls or a dress to cook? Plus, the Lee household know our meals are ready when the smoke detector goes off.


So see girlfriends, our lives are not perfect. I believe the only perfect person who will ever grace the face of the earth is Jesus. We are simply humans who get the awesome privilege of being called out to serve the Lord and spread the Good News. No, my life is not perfect but I would not change it for the world (or for all the chocolate in the universe).


Be Blessed!


"Okay Lord, I still would like to have my heavenly banquet table filled with chocolate." : )

Encouraging Your Discouraged Husband

A couple of weeks ago I spent some time with a young minister's wife who asked, "How do I encourage my husband when he is ready to give up and quit ministry?" Since I did not have a package of Peanut M & Ms (my special nerve therapy and comfort food) to share with this sweet lady, I could only listen quietly as she shared briefly about a situation at their church.


I felt so inadequate offering my advice to this fellow sister. Each wife of a minister will face this stuggle in the course of ministry. We have to be our husband's cheerleader. Girlfriends, we are not just any cheerleader. We are the All-American, All-Star head cheerleader who must encourage their man to follow God's leadership to lead the church and draw the lost to the Savior. We have to remind our man that he is God-called. Just like in any football game where the discouraged home team is behind and there is only a few seconds on the clock, the cheerleader must keep her chin up and offer words of encouragement to rally the team to stay with the course and strive to win.


If you find yourself faced with a discouraged husband (and who hasn't), let me suggest a few ways to rally your man.
*Brag on him.
*Cook his favorite meal and you and your children make a card that expresses
love and encouragement to him.
*No kids at home? Sit down together and make a list of the blessings your family
has experienced through your years in the ministry.
*Name people in your church family that you know pray and support you. Take
time to thank God for those people.
*Pray daily, hourly for your husband.
*As a couple seek godly wisdom from a fellow minister/mentor who can give you
solid advice.
*When your husband states that he is ready to quit the ministry, ask him to tell
you about his call to the ministry. Help him to rediscover that call.


Sisters, these are just a few ways to encourage your man whom God has called to serve in His work. I know my sister who shared her heart with me will be reading this blog. What I am asking is that you share a comment on how you personally encourage your husband when he is ready to throw in the towel.

Snoopy Dog Dance

Fling open the windows. Pull out the deck furniture. Spruce up the yard. Kick off your shoes and do the Snoopy Dog Dance! Woo Who it's springtime! Wait, you do know what the Snoopy Dog Dance is? Surely you have seen the Charlie Brown specials where his dog Snoopy gets happy feet and dances for joy. Well girlfriends, I just feel like doing the Snoopy Dog Dance barefoot through the green grass.


Now, I love wintertime with its snow and comfortable, snuggly clothes. Wintertime means delving into my favorite comfort foods like chili, homemade soup, and yes, chocolate. However, I can honestly say for the first time in my life I am ready for spring after this harsh winter we have had.


Spring means a new beginning. There is an expectation in the air. There is a hope that breathes in the gentle breeze. I believe it is time for the Spirit of God to renew our hearts and minds. I believe God wants to do something big beyond our human capabilities. For myself, I am praying that God will awaken my soul with a new freshness to carry out His will. I want to set aside the worries of the day and think about the good that God is doing in the world right now.



For example, in just the first three months of 2011, the world has experienced earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, death, war, and much more. The world, including myself, can get so caught up in the misery and dispair that we forget that God is in control. I believe that each earthquake, flood, or tsunami brings about an opportunity for Christians around the world to share the gospel and bring true hope to the lost world. Personally, I am so thankful to be a Southern Baptist where we cooperate with each other by pooling our resources. As a result we are able to send out diaster relief teams who go in to impossible situations and bring hope to hurting people around the world by providing for them physically and spiritually.


So girlfriends, kick off those winter boots and chunk those bulky coats. Step outside, breathe deeply, and do the Snoopy Dog Dance. Now your neighbors may think you have lost it but the bible says that if we do not praise the Lord then creation will cry out. Let's start expecting God to do something BIG!

Happy Spring!

Yield and Learn

I spend a lot of time meeting with minister's wives. I love meeting with them and listening to their stories. Each woman is special and has her own strengths and struggles.

Recently I have been meeting with a wonderful young lady whose husband is waiting on God to lead him to a church. In other words, he is currently out of work. This is such a difficult place to be. His heart's desire is to preach, yet as they have been interviewing at different churches, God continues to shut the door.

In order to help with finances he has taken a job at a fast food restaurant. It is hard work for very little money. It is definitely not his heart's desire. It involves a little bit of humility.

As I visit with this young minister's wife, I see her faith growing and her love for God and her husband growing. She loves him for his willingness to work hard to support them, in spite of the job. She loves him because he has been unwilling to compromise his beliefs to fit a church. She loves him!

I know our Father in Heaven is also loving this young pastor. He is refining him and seeing him stand firm. He is testing and seeing him yield instead of resist.

Where are you in your service to God? Are you fighting or yielding? Are you learning or pouting?

Jesus is our example: Hebrews 5:8 "Though He was God's Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered."

Be Ready

I have been absent this week due to the fact that my computer lost Internet access. It is amazing how helpless you can feel with no Internet. I am able to check my phone for messages, but for some reason it was not updating!

I am grateful that I never lose access to my God. What an amazing gift to each of us from our Heavenly Father. He is always accessible and is beyond up to date.

I continue to watch the signs of the times with you. I want to encourage each of you to be on the alert for those God is calling to Himself. As you work along side your husband, never assume that the ladies you see at church are redeemed. I am finding people are more open to discussion and have many questions. I Peter 3:15 reminds us to be ready with the answer of the Hope that is in you.

II Peter 3:8-9 "Dear friends, don't let this one thing escape you: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance."

Sisters, open your hearts and eyes to those around you. He is coming soon!

Shaken

Unless you are in some kind of silent isolation you could not be unaware of what is happening in Japan. The earthquake there is on every station of radio, television and in every conversation as I walk through my day.

As christians, we know what God says about earthquakes, wars, famines, etc. We hear sermons about the 'signs of the times' on a regular basis. As a believer, you must be aware of the fact that Jesus is certainly returning, sooner than later!

How do you feel about that? Are you excited, scared, ready, have a few more things you need/want to do? I have to tell you that when I woke to the news of the earthquake in Japan, every plan I had for the day seemed unimportant. I could only think of one thing. My brother, still does not know Jesus! I picked up my Bible and began to read. As I was reading through my daily Bible plan, God clearly spoke to me. He reminded me of things He wanted me to get rid of in my life. I was reminded of His forgiveness and love. I was reminded that this life on earth is just a flash of time and eternity is ETERNITY - FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER!!!

Do you believe that? I have always heard that you do what you believe Soooo, I picked up the phone and called my brother in Florida. I did not expect him to be home, yet he answered the phone. He immediately mentioned Japan and I asked Him if he understood what was happening. He was raised in church and commented, "People have been saying Jesus is coming back as long as he could remember." We talked a long time and he promised to call me back later. I still haven't heard, but I am praying.

Do you have family members that need Jesus? Do you have church members that need Jesus? Do you need Jesus? It is time that we live what we believe. Jesus is coming and He wants us to be ready and be telling the Good News.

My brother did not accept Christ this week, but I am praying and will be calling again. He is looking for answers. Those around you are looking for answers and we have The Answer.

Psalm 62:1-2 "My Soul finds rest in God alone. He alone is my rock and my salvation, He is my fortress. I will never be shaken."

VERY URGENT PRAYER REQUESTS

-----Prayer Request # 1. I have a very URGENT PRAYER REQUEST. I teach sixth graders and one of our girls had a place come up on her arm four weeks ago. They went to the doctor and he burned it off. It came back so they cut it off and sent it to the pathologist. The results came back Melanoma. She has since had another surgery where they removed a larger chunk from her arm and removed a lymph node from under her arm. She has been diagnosed with at least stage 3 cancer.

The girl is scheduled for a complete body PET Scan today and they will meet with the doctors afterwards. Please PRAY that they do not find anything else. She will have to have at least one more surgery and then will have to undergo Interferon treatment three times a week for a month. Then, more tests to determine if it is helping.

Also, remember the rest of my Middle School in your prayers. We are a sixth through eighth grade small school, so as you can imagine this is impacting the entire school body. This is the first time most of the students have experienced someone close to their age with CANCER so it is scary.

BTW...I would like to brag on my homeroom class. It is probably because they know that I am a PW "preacher's wife" but they are the "most praying" little group of kids that I have ever seen. They had asked once if they could pray out loud in my class. I told them that by law I am not allowed to lead them in anything like that. (On their own, they meet outside my class and have prayer together most mornings.) When the little girl came back to school Monday, my class went over me (I've told them that if they ask I have to say no....smile) and asked her if she would come into our classroom and let them pray for her. One of my boys then prayed one of the prettiest prayers. He asked that God be with the girl during her next surgery and during all of her treatments and that God would help her not to be afraid. He also prayed for the doctors. What a witness!!

PLEASE add this young girl to your prayer list and have everyone you know to pray for her and her family. Her first name is Chrissy.

-----Prayer Request #2 - I have another student who is having severe pain in her hip area which is affecting her mobility. She has undergone lots of testing and even had the "shock treatment" this week to check the nerves. So far, they have not been able to find out what is causing this problem and it has gotten worse during this school year. Please remember Cora in your prayers.

-----Prayer Request #3 - One of our boy's mom has cancer and is going through chemo right now. Please remember her and her family in your prayers.

Thank you for the prayers. God bless you and have a great day!

RECIPES

I mentioned in a previous blog this week that I LOVE to eat. I would like to share ten of our “favorite” recipes. Some of them are “healthy” and some of them you just have to practice portion control, but ALL OF THEM are SUPER EASY.

1. Strawberry Smoothie – 1 cup of skim milk and 1 cup of frozen, unsweetened strawberries. Place in a blender until smooth. Add artificial sweetener if desired. Yummy!!!


2. Pineapple Upside Down Cake – 1 box of angel food cake mix and 1 can of crushed pineapples in it’s own juice. Add together and bake in a 9x13 inch pan as directed on the cake mix box. *NOTE….pineapple may be substituted with diet or light cherry or any other flavor of pie filling.


3. Company Mashed Potatoes – Instant mashed potatoes, prepared as direction; sour cream; shredded cheddar cheese; salt & pepper to taste. Prepare the instant potatoes. Add the other ingredients.


4. Easy Lasagna – 1 lb. ground round, 1 can of Meat Flavored Hunts Spaghetti Sauce, 1 box of lasagna noodles, bag shredded mozzarella cheese, and bag of shredded cheddar cheese. Brown ground round and drain. Add spaghetti sauce. Spray pan with oil. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom. Place a layer of dried, uncooked noodles. Add a layer of meat mixture. Sprinkle with both cheeses. Continue layering until the pan is full. Last layer should be meat sauce. Pour ½ can of water around the edges and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator overnight. Take out and cook for 375 degrees until warm. Add lots of cheese on top and melt.


5. Corn Salad – two cans of nibblet corn, 1 red pepper, small sweet onion, enough mayonnaise to wet the mixture. (approximately ½ cup) Chop up onion and red pepper. Add mayonnaise and mix well. Add one bag of chili & cheese Frito chips just before serving.


6. Hominy Casserole - 2 cans of hominy, peppers and onions, (mushrooms; optional) can of chopped tomatoes and several slices of pre-cooked bacon. Saute peppers, onions and mushroom in a tiny bit of oil. After brown, add hominy, bacon and tomatoes and heat until warm.


7. Baked Pork Tenderloin – line your baking pan with heavy duty foil. Take whole pork tenderloin and rub with Nature’s Own Seasoning (or if you prefer, garlic powder). Place in the foil lined pan and pour half a bottle of Low Sodium Soy Sauce over it. Completely cover with foil and cook in oven at 400 degrees for approximately thirty minutes. Check it half way through cooking and spoon mixture over meat. After thirty minutes, take it out of oven and check to see if it is done. If it is, leave foil off the top and put back in the over until brown. Slice and eat. Very tender and tasty.


8. Baked Salmon – line baking pan with aluminum foil. Wash fresh salmon and lay on foil with skin on the bottom. Season with lemon pepper and rosemary. Cook in oven for approximately 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees.


9. Easy Punch – 1 large can Pink Minute Maid Lemonade and 1 two-liter Sprite Zero. Mix together and serve. (If you do not want pink punch, use regular lemonade and add ½ small pkg. of jello mixture for coloring.)


10. Cheese Ball - 8 oz. cream cheese, 16 oz. shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2 tsp. Tabasco Sauce, 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce, 1 small chopped onion, approximately 1/2 jar of Bacon Bits and chopped Jalapeno Peppers to taste. Let cheese soften and add all ingredients together. Roll into a large ball or two smaller balls. Roll the ball into chopped pecans. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve with crackers of your choice. This is always a requested finger food.

I always welcome new recipes. Being the PW...pastor's wife, everyone is watching to see what dish I bring to the many "church functions".

Now...post your favorite recipe.... especially if it is super easy and even better if it is healthy. Smile.

TEAM PLAYER

Just a reminder from Monday's blog....Be a Great Team Player in all areas of your life and remember... to be on the winning team, you must keep your focus on God.

Love is in the air AGAIN!

"For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; and they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh."
Mark 10:7, 8

Last night our son proposed to his girlfriend of several years. (Vicki Lee...sorry, but I copied your heading from Valentines. Smile.) Cody and Melanie met his first year of college. This is an exciting time in the "Britton household". We had already staked claims on Melanie, but now it is official. They are so perfect for each other and they share many of the same interests, with God being the most important. I am looking forward to all of the plans that God has in store for this young couple. Please keep them in your prayers...as they prepare for the rest of their lives.

Our daughter got engaged five years ago and is about to celebrate their fourth anniversary. We gave birth to two children, but God gave us four children in all. (We feel very blessed to be able to call our son-in-law and our future daughter-in-law our children too.)

Portion Distortion

“Our bodies are the temple of God” as clearly stated in 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20. I feel like this means that not only should we glorify God in our spirit, but also in our bodies.

I must confess….I struggle with this. I LOVE to eat and being bi-vocational, we are CONSTANTLY on the road, so it is hard to eat right when you are rarely at home.

I am trying very hard to make better, healthier choices. Diets do not work for me, so I have given up on dieting. Right now, I am trying to make wiser choices, without dieting and so far it is working SLOWLY, but as well if not better than dieting. I am hoping that by tackling the food battle with this approach, I am making life changing habits that I can live with for the rest of my life. There is no food that I do not eat, but I try to make wiser choices and I try to use portion control.

Average portion sizes have increased so much over the past twenty years that now when you go out to a restaurant to eat, your single entree will have enough food on the platter to feed 2-3 adults. We have gotten used to the large quantities of food, so even at home our portions have increased. This is called PORTION DISTORTION.

I know that most of you probably already know these simple portion control secrets and possibly even use them, but I like to be reminded of them from time to time, so I am going to share them with you.

• A man's fist = one cup
• A tennis ball = 1 cup
• The cupped hand of a man = 1/2 cup
• A 60 watt light bulb = one fruit or potato serving
• The palm of a ladies hand = 3 oz. protein serving
• A deck of playing cards = 3 oz. of meat
• 1 book of matches = 1 oz. of protein
• A thumb = 1 oz. of cheese
• A tube of lipstick or three dominoes = 1 1/2 - 2 oz. of cheese
• Tip of the thumb = 1 teaspoon
• 1 dice = 1 teaspoon
• 1 handful of nuts or small candies = 1 oz.
• 2 handfuls of chips or pretzels = 2 oz.
• 1 golf ball = 2 Tablespoons of peanut butter
• 1 hockey puck = 1 bagel

Another portion control solution is to use a salad plate instead of a dinner plate and NEVER go back for seconds.

As I mentioned earlier, this is one area in my life that I really struggle with. I am always looking for new ideas. Do any of you have any other portion control secrets or any other helpful hints that I might be able to use? I would appreciate ANY HINTS OR IDEAS!!!

PLAY BALL!!!

We are approximately one month from the Atlanta Brave’s 2011 baseball season. Being from Huntsville, Alabama, all of my family, with the exception of our son-in-law, is Roll Tide fans, however, baseball is the sport of our choice. Our daughter played softball from a very young age all the way through high school and our son played baseball for twelve years so many, many springs were spent at the ball complex.
It is awesome to watch a winning team and how they all work together. No ONE person can carry the load of the entire team; it takes everyone working together. All positions are very important. It does not make any difference how good the pitcher is if he does not have a great catcher, infield and outfield. A great pitcher alone is just a great pitcher, but to be a WINNING TEAM, it takes ALL POSITIONS.

In little league baseball, it amazes me at the end of the season when the all-star team is chosen from opposing teams. This new team of all-stars, while during the regular baseball season played against each other, now put their differences aside, and joins together as a new team.

How awesome!!! In church, shouldn't we all be team players working together?

One of the problems in churches today is we sometimes fail to work together as a TEAM. Many times we find ourselves on committees with folks that are not necessarily our friends; sometimes we do not even really know them; and sometimes we may not particularly personally LIKE them……….BUT….we have to learn to put our differences aside and work together. No one position in the church is anymore important than another one; it takes everyone working together. Every team member is important.

In churches, many times a few “gifted” folks seem to carry the entire load. This is not scriptural. You may not be the “pitcher” but you are just as important and the team needs you to be a winner. God gives an example of the importance of team-work in the first chapter of Mark. Jesus chose a small “team” of twelve “common men” as disciples to train and help him carry out the work that God had sent him to do. Jesus was perfect; he could do all things and could have easily carried out all of the work single-handed, however, he chose the twelve men to show the importance of teamwork.

In the beginning, the team of disciples were hardly a winning strong team, but with guidance, hard work and training, all of them with the exception of Judas, grew together to establish a winning team. The Atlanta Braves, or any other team, will not become a winning team without guidance, hard work and training.

Team players are very important whether at home, at church or in our secular world. But, all teams have to train, practice and work together to become a winning team. It does not just happen without a lot of hard work.

In all areas of our lives, let’s strive to be good team-players. I promise the rewards will be worth all of the hard work.

Okay ladies, Let’s Play Ball!!!

"THAT" Mom

I was "THAT" mom today at the grocery store. As I went up and down the aisles at our neighborhood Kroger, Piper went from her pleasant self to her "passionate" self. She did not understand that just because she was done with the shopping didn't mean that her mother was too.

As a passed the baking goods and tried to pick up some chicken, she started calling/chanting/wailing for her daddy. I felt like joining in. I really did wish Wally could appear from frozen foods and relieve me and her of her displeasure.

I gained a few sympathetic glances from some other moms who have been there and done that, but for the most part, no one else would make eye contact with me. I was "THAT" mom.

I could have given in. I could have given her what she wanted. I could have gone ahead and opened the powdered doughnuts (for my Sunday School Class) and allowed her to eat the whole bag.

But I couldn't really could I? I would have just set myself up to be "THAT" mom again next time.

Instead I had to teach Piper THAT she couldn't always have her way, THAT she wasn't in charge and THAT sometimes she would have to do something she didn't want to do. I needed to be "THAT" mom.

The longer I am a mom, the more I understand what Paul meant when he said that women would be saved through child-bearing. My kids teach me so much about our heavenly Father and they constantly keep me on my knees, praying that God would supply all my needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus.

I am still processing today's lessons . . . wondering how God feels when I totally lose "it" with Him, and feeling thankful that He proves I am His by disciplining me. And after my attempt to pay our cell phone bill at the AT&T store, I am also thankful that He hears me when I don't even know how to pray. Let's just say, Passionate Piper made an appearance there too and I will need to go back to pay our bill!

So what has God taught you through your kiddos? I would love to hear your life lessons!

Passionate Piper

In my last post I told you a little about my soon-to-be 2 year-old, Piper. My husband, Wally, used the word "passionate" to describe her the other night and I could not agree more.

Just as she passionately ate that Popsicle, she does everything she does with just as much zeal. When she is happy, she is really happy. When she isn't happy, she really isn't happy. Like a lot of 2 year-old children, she can really lose it LARGE.

Whether she is gently playing with a dolly, giving it tender kisses or throwing the sippy across the room because it was filled with milk instead of juice - she does it passionately.

As Wally and I talked about her the other night, he shared that he was praying that God would redeem her passion for His purposes and glory. I thought that was a perfect, personalized prayer for Piper.

So, this morning, as she "passionately" displayed her displeasure of leaving the house, I prayed as I wrestled her into the car seat, that God would one day use this "passion" to accomplish His means. I prayed that God would turn her "passion" toward Himself and that she would fervently seek Him with all her heart.

This morning as I post I am hoping that you can add some stories of how God has redeemed one of your (or your own's) "old" ways to bring Him renown. Is there a story of how you have seen God use a personality trait from your old sinful nature to use in the new nature in which you now walk?

This mama is looking for a little encouragement here! Please share how you have seen God use the old to make good in the new.