"Mommy, Have You Finished The Bible?"

 

Joshua is in kindergarten and has recently learned to read. He is so excited and we are so proud. When I say he reads, I mean he really reads. He reads the title, the author, the illustrator, the title page, the dedication page and then from start to finish. At dinner the other night he said, "Hey mommy, have you finished the Bible yet?" I wasn't sure what he meant by finished so I asked "How do you mean finished?" "You know, like you have read it all and you are done with it." I explained to Joshua that it is important to read through the whole Bible and to know the whole counsel of God's Word, but that we are never finished with the Bible."You mean you can read it over and over again?" I shared with him Psalms 119:130 NIV "The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple."  Joshua and I talked about how each time you open God's Word it is new and as we unfold it and study it, God uses the power of His Word to shine the light of understanding in our hearts revealing to us what He wants to teach us. "That's neat mommy, how God's Word always has something new to teach us." I agree with Joshua. It is neat. It is beyond neat. It is supernatural. It is the power of the Holy Spirit revealing God's Word that is alive and active.Hebrews 4:12 NIV "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart"  I explained to Joshua that it is different from when you watch a movie and see something you haven't seen before or read a book and understand it differently. The Word of God is living and it is active. It is powerful and it is life changing. We can read it over and over and over again and God can use it to reveal sin, encourage passions, form visions, build testimonies, tear down strongholds, the list goes on and on. Does that not get you excited???? I got so excited explaining this to my 5 year old. I was even more excited that he understood and thought it was neat. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ this understanding of His Word should revolutionize our lives and make us ravenous for His Word. Matthew made an interesting observation the other day. We go to school and work 5 days a week to prepare to stay in this world for a short time and we go to church 1 day a week to prepare for eternity. "Something just doesn't seem right about that." he said with furrowed brow. I agree, but just as I told Joshua, we have God's Word 24/7 and His Word is always preparing our hearts for eternity. We just need to be in His Word. How could we stay away from a "book" a "letter" that is living, that is active, that is sharp, that gives light, that penetrates deeply, that judges our thoughts and attitudes? God's Word does all that and more. How can we not read it cover to cover and again cover to cover and devour every morsel asking the Holy Spirit of God to divide our soul and spirit, joints and marrow and to transform our thought and the attitude of our heart? So I ask you, "Have you finished the bible?" As I told Joshua, you are never finished with the Bible. So grab your coffee and find a cozy chair and unfold His Word. The light and understanding are there.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is "responsibleness"?"

Before I begin I want to make a disclaimer and tell you that my Caleb is one of the funniest, most talented kids that I know. He keeps us laughing all the time. He has an extremely quick wit and is very laid back until it comes down to playstation football. Caleb likes to win! He has been known to repeatedly start a game over when loosing to ensure that it does not get recorded in the computer and if by chance someone else wins, then they must have cheated or the equipment was not working properly. Now I love that he has a heart to succeed, but this week it went a little too far. I am one of those moms who said I would NEVER have a television in my child's room and I am also one of those mom's who has learned to NEVER say NEVER. We have a rather large television in the boy's room that was given to us by their grandparents and it is an awesome screen on which to play video games. (Don't judge me!) On any given rainy day you can find at least 3 but usually 7-9 boys huddled around the screen trying to have their day of glory as they take their electronic hero down the field for a touchdown. On this particular day Matthew, Caleb and Joshua were playing football without the aid of their neighborhood teammates. Apparently Matthew was beating Caleb pretty bad and in a fit of anger, maybe rage or just a plain lack of self-control, Caleb ripped the glass doors from their hinges and the TV stand was left open to all the elements in the Hawkins' home, namely Jacob. It seems that no one felt the need to inform Mommy and Daddy of this. Maybe it is some "brother code of loyalty" that I do not know about, but nevertheless it remained a secret until I went in to vacuum and found the doors neatly hidden "behind" the television. I think my exact words were..."What in the world happened in here?" Caleb's response was "Looks like I've been working out. I'm stronger than I thought." These are the moments that you want to laugh, but you dare not for fear that the punishment to come will not be as effective. I called for backup (aka Daddy) and we quickly informed Caleb of the severity of the situation. Matt was able to repair the TV stand, but the bigger, more important repair was Caleb's heart. I want to raise children of Godly character, not consumed by the acts of their sinful nature, but walking victorious over sin as they seek God's word and listen to the Holy Spirit speaking to their hearts. This is my mission and I have chosen with gladness of heart to accept it. Matt told Caleb that he was not allowed to play Playstation until 2010. (Sounds like forever, but actually it is only 3 1/2 weeks away.) And he is to have Galatians 5:22-23 memorized by the end of the week. Matt asked Caleb if he knew the fruit of the Spirit and began to list them...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and do you the know the last one. Caleb answered "Is it something like responsibleness?"  "Caleb Galatians 5:22-23 says "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Caleb prayed to receive Christ as his Savior in August. Now it is time for Him to understand the truth of Psalm 119:129-130"Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them.The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple." I want Caleb to understand how incredibly awesome it is to go to God's Word and to see it unfold and shine the light of truth on every part of our lives. God's Word is personal, it is true, and it provides the wisdom we need to overcome this world and the sins of this world. Caleb was faced with a choice- He could allow the Holy Spirit to fill him with self-control or he could, in a fit of rage, pull the doors from their hinges. He chose poorly. As his parents we are taking him to God's Word and helping him understand that as he unfolds the Word and obeys it, our furniture can stay in tact, but more importantly he can grow to become a man who honors God in his words, his actions and his attitudes. I pray that we too will unfold God's word and allow its light to shine in our hearts so that we can obtain wisdom and understand and obey His wonderful Word.

"Lowes T"

Have you seen the new Lowe's commercial? You know the one where you see the Lowe's logo sign and then you see a capital T at the end of the word. I have been wondering for weeks what that T stood for. I know, I know, stop laughing. My brunette is from a bottle, but I promise it is natural. (I love you all my little blonde friends, but you know the rumors.) Sometimes it takes me a little longer than it takes others. Today in the car Matthew says "Hey mom, what do you get if you add a T to the end of Lowe's." I confessed my air headedness aloud as I said, "Matthew, I have been wondering that for weeks." Matthew immediately yelled out, "lowest." Ding, ding, ding, I got it! All this time I had been trying to find a reason for the T. Maybe they were saying they were the Top. Maybe no one could beaT their prices. It was right in front of me and I honestly never saw it. I was trying to make it mean something that it did not. I consider myself pretty witty, quick and smart, but I could not get this. I would like to say it was bad advertisement on the part of Lowe's but apparently not, since my 10 year old son got it. I wish this was the only time I had done this, but way too often the answer is right in front of me, spelled out even, and I keep trying to make it mean something else. God says to me..."For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

A precious friend and mentor shared something with me recently that has resonated in my mind over and over again. "Whatever your first thought or reaction is...it is usually not the right one. We must change the way we think and react in order to make it come under the authority of the way God would want us to think and react." This verse confirms that. His thoughts are different from ours and so are His ways, but it is before us. We have seen it in His word and in His past actions. Yet, why is it so hard to get it  "this" time? I see it before me and I know what His word says, but I want to make it something else. He IS who He says He is and He CAN do what He says He can do. I want to see Him for who He is!! I don't want to watch, see and study and never "really" get it. The answer is here and it is in the person of Jesus Christ. Why do we make it about anything else???

"How much does the $5 footlong cost?"

Tonight Matt, Matthew and Caleb had soccer practice. With 3 out of 4 boys playing soccer, we are on the fields 5 nights a week. They decided to stop and pick up a Subway sandwich on the way home. (No, I did not have a hot 3 course meal waiting on them tonight. I was at a Miss Patty Cake Concert. More on that to come later.) Anyway, while waiting in line Matthew asks the question..."How much does a $5 foot long cost?" This is now our new Matthewism. No he is not air headed or ditsy, he just asked the wrong question. How often do we do this in our spiritual life? How often do we ask the question when the answer is in the question? For Example: Is this something I need to pray about? Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God ." Do you think God would want me to share the gospel with this person? Matthew 28:19 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Is it ok to lie in this situation? Colossians 3:9 "Do not lie to each other."  James 5:12 "Let your yes be yes and your no be no or you will be condemned." Do I really have to give 10% back to the Lord?  Malachi 3:10 " Bring your whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." Do I really need to go to church? Hebrews 10:25 "Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching."  God's word has provided the answers we need! His word is our guide, but how often do we seek answers to our questions from an outside source? (friends, neighbors, magazines, self-help books, websites) God wants us to seek Him while He may be found and KNOW Him and KNOW His word. He has the answers! He IS the answer! So when you find yourself asking..."How much does the $5 footlong cost?" Remember where you need to go to find the answer to your question.