Top Ten Posts of 2013!

Here are the top ten most-read posts of 2013. If you have liked, shared, commented on, or pinned any of these best-loved posts, I am grateful! Thank you!

#10 - Haven or Hollywood? (Pin it!)

#09 - How to Deal with the Fools in Your Life! (Pin it!)

#08 - Our Afternoon Routine (Pin it!)

#07 - Take cover! (Pin it!)

#06 - Confession of a messy mom. (Pin it!)

#05 - Unfulfilled Dreams? (Pin it!)

#04 - You just don't understand! (Pin it!)

#03 - Teaching children to sit through church (Pin it!)

#02 - No wonder she's not listening (Pin it!)

and the most-read, best-loved post of 2013...

#01 - Our Morning Routine (Pin it!)

Thank you all! I am waiting with great expectation for the lessons the Lord has for me to learn & share in 2014!

Writing as He moves me,

for His glory!

~Lisha

I may be sharing this at these wonderful Link-up parties!

If this has blessed or encouraged you, please comment, pin it, or share!

Whatever the weather

This is a note I wrote on 6/18/2009. I was reminded of it tonight as the girls & I played out in the rain:

----------------------------
My girls love to be outside. Love it. It doesn't matter what is going on; snowstorm, sunshine, downpour, etc (we haven't tested things like hurricanes, cyclones, or earthquakes, but I'm willing to bet they'd love it for a couple minutes until they got carried away!).

We were outside playing in the rain today and as I was watching them, and playing with them, I was thinking about some of the more unpleasant times Will & I have had in the last 6 months or so. The "storms of life," if you will. How many times do we come into a storm in life (financial crisis, death of a loved one, etc) complaining and moaning about how bad things are, worrying about how much worse they'll get, crying "why me?" I'm not saying these emotions and doubts are bad, but we seem to psychologically prepare ourselves to be miserable for the long haul (at least, I do!).

I watched my girls embrace the rainstorm. They didn't care about how cold and wet they were. They didn't worry about how they were going to have to change their clothes when we got inside. They just enjoyed the time in the storm, in the safe and comforting presence of Mom & Dad, feeling the rain soaking them, taking it all in with joy. And that's how God wants us to enter the storms that He allows us to go through...His Word tells us to count it all joy when we go through various trials (James 1:something). Embrace the storm with open arms. Look for what you have to learn from it. Know that God sends us these times to grow our character, and know that He is present to comfort us and keep us close! Just as He does not waste rainy days (He sends the rain to help the crops grow!), He does not waste our painful times - He sends them to help us grow, too.

If you are going through various trials, be encouraged. Embrace the storm! And trust in the God who controls the storm!

Original photo posted with this note:

A (1 1/2), & E (3)

 Updated photo:

E, A, & H (7, 5, & 2)

Embracing the storm,
for His glory!
~Lisha

I trust you so much, but...

The surgery went well. E peacefully drifted off to sleep with Will by her side and she woke up with both of us right there. Her first words upon waking were "...I liked that." I asked "what did you like?" "...the surgery." Thank You, Lord, for sweet and funny answers to the prayers of our hearts.

image of a cecostomy port from wikipedia

We were in the hospital for the remainder of Friday and most of Saturday. The doctor was concerned about a few things and spoke of keeping us for an extra night. There was a lot of vomiting and other stuff (I'll spare you the details!) - it was a rough time for all of us. But E, through most of it, had a great attitude. Thanking the nurses, apologizing for screaming, being patient when the answers were not what she wanted to hear. I know she was a blessing to the nurses, housekeeping & food service staff, and to the doctors from the OR. 

Tonight was the first night that we had to flush her system out by hooking her up to the IV bag at home. The cecostomy site is still quite sore and there was a lot of screaming and crying. (Will has been amazingly patient and just incredible in his care of E. I am so thankful!)

Toward the end, when we were getting ready to change her back into a new diaper and get her ready for bed, and Will needed to remove some of the gauze from her wound, she said to him "Daddy? I trust you so much, but this really hurts." 

Well, if my own 6-year-old didn't just express the depths of my heart in ten quick words.

My Heavenly Father loves me fiercely. And sometimes, the things that are best for me are not fun or comfortable; sometimes they are painful. But He bids me to run to Him with my fears and problems and doubts and failings because He knows what's best and how to care for me when I'm afraid and sad. And the same way that E's body will be made stronger on the other side of the pain, so my Father knows my soul & character will be made more like Jesus when I've walked this journey alongside Will & E!

Daddy? I trust you so much, but this really hurts. 

Praise God for the way He speaks so poignantly through the lips of little ones.
How has He spoken to your heart through your children?

Trusting,

(and so grateful for E),

for His glory!

~Lisha

I'm sharing this post over at these great link-up parties!

This is the day...

My sweet Elizabeth! Photo by Molly Viglione, 2012

I just want to share some of the verses and thoughts on my heart this morning. E goes in for surgery today!

This passage is most precious to me; it reminds me of what I'm truly here for. And God spoke it to my heart gently last night as I was praying over E - because I think He wants me to remember that this is not so much about E's broken body, but how He is touching other lives through our story and His undeniable faithfulness to our family:

And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God! [1 Corinthians 2:1-5]

I also love the Psalms. And this one sums up what is going on in my heart. God, here are my troubles and my wearied mother's heart, but more than my troubles I choose to focus on You and Your unfailing faithfulness & power! 

And I said, “This is my anguish;
but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High!!!”
I will remember the works of the Lord;
surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
I will also meditate on all Your work, and talk of Your deeds!!
Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary;
who is so great a God as our God?!
You are the God who does wonders;
You have declared Your strength among the peoples!
You have with Your arm redeemed Your people...!
[Psalm 77:10-15]

And the verses that have been on my lips and mind moment by moment the last couple of days:

You will keep him in perfect peace,

whose mind is stayed on You,
because he trusts in You!
Trust in the Lord forever,
for in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength!!
[Isaiah 26:3-4]

At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes! Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest!! Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls! For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” [Matthew 11:25-30]

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you!! [1 Thessalonians 5:16-18]

O God, may people see less of us and more of You in the coming days. Please, no matter what happens, move in our hearts to point to You and what You've accomplished. Christmas is coming - a time to remember the glory of Your birth - make it so that we might be a testimony to Your purpose for being born: the redemption of a broken and weak humanity, that we might bring You glory and enjoy You forever!!

Overwhelming this morning by the goodness of God,

for His glory!

~Lisha

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10...9...8...7...

10 days till E's surgery.

13 days till we move.

I cannot tell you, friend, how thankful I am that in God's timing the cecostomy and the move are happening within 3 days of each other. It leaves me no time to sit around and mull over all of the "what ifs" that I was anxious about weeks ago.

I am physically spent. For three weeks now I have been packing, cleaning, and moving stuff around as much as I can during the day (while still caring for the girls, one of whom likes to unpack and unclean as I try to pack and clean!), and then packing and cleaning still into the wee hours of the mornings. [Will has been so sweet to let me sleep in most mornings for a couple extra hours while he gets the girls up & fed!] My hope is to be done packing and done with the cleaning a couple of days before leaving for the hospital so that when we get back, all that's left is to load up the van and any other vehicles and move.

For those who have been praying, thank you.

Thank you!

I have had a few days lately where I can feel that I'm being carried to the throne of grace. To be reminded that it's His strength I lean on and not mine, and that He is holding me up in answer to the prayers of others is very humbling and encouraging!

Please continue to pray!
-for the doctors, that their hands would be steady & sure and that the diagnosis & treatment are exactly what E needs. for the nurses, for wisdom, clarity, & energy as they tend to E and the other sweet kids on the children's floor.
-for us, that we would not fear nor give a moment's worry about our daughter. because the King of the universe has her in His mighty & tender hand.
-for the needs that come with moving, and a blessing over the people who will be taking time out of their lives to help us.
-for patience and joy and kindness toward the girls and each other in this season of big changes!

The countdown is on,
and His timing is perfect,
for His glory!
~Lisha :)

have I not commanded you?

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." [Joshua 1:9]

The next few weeks are going to be very full around here.

Dartmouth rescheduled E's surgery (see I did not sign up for this part! for more details), which turned out to be a blessing because that means Will can come without having to miss work. So that's happening soon. And last Monday we were offered a chance to move - and we took it. So we're moving 2 days after E comes home from the hospital.

For those of you who pray, and those who have been faithful to pray for us in the recent weeks: please continue. As God brings us to your mind, please pray. And if He lays a verse on your heart and you happen to think of us, please share it. It feels kind of selfish to beg but my heart can get easily overwhelmed at times when I'm packing up a home we've lived in since E was 3 months old and trying to mentally prepare for all of the changes in the upcoming weeks. Our home surrounding will be new, and we'll be adjusting to E's new needs too.

My sights are on Jesus and my heart yearns to be more like Him, but I'm too much like Peter to not stumble. "Get out of the boat - I'm doing some great and miraculous things here!" Christ says to me, but I look around at the storm that is coming at me from multiple fronts and sometimes I just start sinking!

I'm thankful for this season of life because it is a daily (hourly! momentary!) reminder that apart from Jesus and His sovereign plans, we cannot do anything. I am not strong, nor wise, nor sufficiently organized to do these things. I do not have the fortitude to hook my daughter up to an IV every night. or to purge & pack our home with 3 small ones around. or to make a house into a new home. But God's grace is sufficient for right here and right now!

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace,
whose mind is stayed on Thee,
because he trusteth Thee.
[Isaiah 26:3]

not afraid, nor dismayed,
for His glory!
~Lisha :)

www.pinterest.com

It's JESUS!!

The girls & I read a Bible story or two every morning. It's part of our school routine, but more importantly than that, it is precious to me that we get to spend time thinking and talking about God's Word!

This morning, we were reading about Daniel's friends Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego, and their refusal to bow before the King Nebuchadnezzar's golden idol, thus worshiping a false god. For the account, see Daniel 3. The punchline is that the king has the three men thrown in the furnace - and yet, to his surprise and terror, they are not consumed by the flames!

Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?”

They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.”

“Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." [Daniel 3:24-25]

www.access-jesus.com

As I finished reading, Abby was very excited and blurted out: "The Son of God and man walking with them is JESUS! It's JESUS next to them in the fire!! Yay!!"

...The Lord, in His wisdom and great love, speaks so clearly to the hearts of little children, because they are receptive to His truths!! And I needed to hear that truth this morning, and be tenderly reminded that when we feel that we have been thrown headlong into the fiery furnace (even when we have been earnestly walking with the Lord in obedience!) that it is Jesus who walks alongside us in the midst of the flames. And oh! that the ties that bind us are burned off, but we are called out, refined yet not even singed by the fires of our enemy. He covers us. It is a balm to my heart in this season of intense fire and refining - He is here! Now! Walking in the furnace with me!

I love my dear children. And as I live with and learn from them, I love Jesus even more. What a wonderful Savior!

In the furnace, but not alone,

for His glory!

~Lisha :)

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I don't know!

We closed up the Bible House storefront a month ago.

and there is still no employment for Will as of right now. He has an interview on Monday...but he's had other interviews in the last four weeks that came to nothing.

I don't know. I don't know where the money for the rent, or the past due rent, or the increasingly past due electricity, or the hot water are going to come from. By all accounts, we should have been evicted by now. Or at least we deserve to be without the luxuries of electricity and hot water!

But God, who has more than covered us with a miraculous grace in those areas, is the same God who moves in the hearts of people to leave cases of diapers on our doorstep. Who compels anonymous people to send gift cards in the mail with the note "Love, Jesus". He is the same God who, for His glory and delight, moves people to stop by with treats for the girls that wouldn't be possible for us right now, and who answers their tiny heartfelt prayers for things like new shoes or new construction paper. He's the same God who, miraculously, keeps the needle on our gas tank at least 3/4 full, all of the time. Even when I know it should be empty, and I try to "fill the tank", it never takes more than $25-30 before it stops.

And what in the whole wide world am I supposed to make of this?!?!? I don't know!

These days I spend a lot of time crying - crying out to God, and crying tears. The causes range from confusion ('why us, why now? Haven't we learned our lesson about what it's like not to have money? Won't You just help a family out and pay the bills today?'), to disgust with the deepest parts of my depraved nature, to sheer thankfulness that He is in control of it all, because clearly I am not.

And I am SO THANKFUL that I don't have to know all the answers to my questions. I will repeat that: I am thankful. Abundantly grateful that I do not need to sit and overanalyze what God is doing right at this moment in our lives. That my response just needs to be to praise Him and obey Him, no matter where He directs us. Because while I don't know what He's doing, or where we'll end up, I know because of His Word and His character that His plan is perfect. That none of this has been a coincidence, or a waste, or a hoax, or a crutch. That because we have been allowed to go through these trials, we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is a God, and He alone is God, and that we have seen His mighty, sovereign hands at work.

So, I don't know what the near future is going to look like. I don't know how we're going to possibly pay the rent. I don't know what's going to happen when we run out of diapers or toilet paper or gas. I don't know specifically how God is going to finish the good works that He has started in Will, the girls, & I. But my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness, and because of that hope, I don't have to know anything else!

Not knowing anything except Christ Jesus and Him crucified,
for His glory,
Lisha :)

And Now What?

Sometimes, God asks us to do things not because He plans on making them "successful" the way the world sees success, but because He's working something out for another time - something we can't see yet.

[I think that bothers some people. Whether they claim to follow Jesus or not. The idea that God will not always financially prosper us when we obey Him is a frightening concept for people who place a lot of their security in money. Does it bother you?]

Obedience to God always brings blessing. He says so in His Word, therefore it is true. Those who are obedient are promised blessings and prosperity. But blessings and prosperity are not equal to money, the newest cell phones, cable, new clothes for you or your kids, a cushy house, your new SUV, or great health. The greatest blessing from the Lord that we can receive is to be close to Him, and if a struggling business, or losing a baby, or a chronic health condition is what will bring me to that point of closeness, I will walk through it in faith that He knows what is best.

And now what? We don't really know. In 9 days, we'll pack up and close the Bible House. So far, there's no other employment; Will has applied but we're waiting. And through it all, God will continue to be faithful.

My prayer through this time is that you, dear friends, see clearly the hand of God's provision and His unyielding faithfulness even when we fall short of His glory (which is often!). Do not look at what we've done as a waste, for nothing in God's economy is wasted. He is conforming us to the likeness of Christ; He is using our story to draw people to follow Him for eternity! How can there be anything more blessed or prosperous than that?!

For His glory!
Lisha :)

Come and hear...

Come and hear, all you who fear God,
and I will declare what He has done for my soul!
I cried to Him with my mouth, and He was extolled with my tongue.
If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.
But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer,
nor His mercy from me!!
[Psalm 66:16-20]


I feel like now is a grand time to declare what the Lord has been doing for my soul these past few months! He has been renovating my life in so many ways! Bear with me; my thoughts are unorganized. I'm about to pour out what's on my heart & mind...

My desire to know more about who God is and what He has done and is doing and will do is intensifying. Some people can't start their day without coffee; I find that I can no longer start my day well unless I've had ample time to read the Word and pray. What a difference it makes! No, it doesn't magically make everything go well; I mean that it makes a world of difference in the way that I react to what is happening around me. I still have days when kids pee on the floor or sisters fight or break things or scream at me or lie. I have days when people I love die or end a friendship with me or I'm berated for the choices I've made. But in all those things, there is a peace that passes all understanding; there is patience with some to spare; there is on my tongue the law of kindness and wisdom - all mine from the Lord if I'm but willing to take time to ask for it!

God is bringing peace and restoration to our marriage. I tend to be stubborn, selfish, and critical often with Will. And the Lord is convicting me and softening up this ugly heart. I am finding that the more I let the Word of Christ dwell richly in me - the more I just am so overwhemingly grateful for the gift God has given to me in having Will as my husband (corny joke time: I married God's Will!! pahahahahahaha. OK.)

Even though Elizabeth is testing her ability to be both openly AND passive-aggressively defiant, and Abby spends quite a bit of time some days standing with her face to the wall, and Hannah has a blatant disregard for the term "no" - I am finding joy! real joy! in loving and training my girls how to be women of the Word of God and enjoying the privilege of being their teacher (and all of the other roles that I get to fill). When I get frustrated with them (which happens often some days, especially those days when I haven't fed my soul with Scripture!) and snap, mock, or yell at them, God is teaching me and humbling me by giving them such forgiving hearts. A wife and mom - what a noble calling, for them that are called!

And most noticeably (for me), is the increase of faith in God as Jehovah-Jireh (The God who Provides!). Will and I were obedient to God's call on our hearts over a year and a half ago to start the process of opening up His Bible house here in town. We don't know what we're doing in the way of running a business - we just follow His lead. And there have been periods of time when we haven't heard His voice as clearly because like Peter, we've stopped staring at Jesus and instead looked around to realize He's got us doing something dangerous. "Lord! Save us! We're drowning! We don't have an income to rely on! Bills are due! Girls need shoes! Phones are shut off! Jesus! We can't do this - it's not natural!!"

And the reason it doesn't seem natural to leave a decently-paying job when you have a wife and three small girls at home to open a Christian bookstore in the middle of a recession is because IT ISN'T NATURAL. It's super-natural. All that has been accomplished through the Bible House is because God alone has orchestrated it. We're not faithful superheroes. We are a couple of ordinary, uninteresting people whom God has chosen to render others speechless and uncomfortable.

We have seen God's miraculous doings. When we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, He adds unto us that which we need.

Lately, our faith in this area is being tested. We are going through a deeper refining. Though the Lord has always been faithful to provide for our true needs (food and clothing), it has been His way for the last four months to not allow completely for rent, hot water, electricity, college loans, car insurance, and other things. We have not shared this before - partly out of pride, for which I beg your forgiveness - and partly because we did not want people to think we felt that God was not providing and/or being unjust. Will recently made the decision, however (and I believe it's a wise and obedient one) that if the Lord does not provide all of the money that we need to pay late and next month's rent on time (January 5th), that he is going to take that as the Lord's sign that we are to close the store and move on to the next chapter of God's story for us. We are praying for a miracle!! To us, the amount that we owe is so great, so insurmountable, so impossible that it gets so easy to get sidetracked from the truth that God owns all of the money everywhere ever and can meet that need in a heartbeat. All of those weeks when we made less than $100 might have been because He wants to display His ability to provide huge things now.

I grapple with the reason why He hasn't done it yet. If He hates debt so much, why hasn't He allowed us to pay each of our bills on time?! We don't need more than that; just enough so that the collection phone calls stop and we don't live with the real possibility of being evicted. But God is sovereign, my friends, and everything He allows (good or bad) is used to glorify Himself and to make us more like Christ!!! And that is one of my deepest heart's desires, that I identify with Christ so much that people look at my life and their minds are blown because they see that Christ is REAL and ALIVE, working in my life!!! and that He came to set them free from their slavery to sin if they would just accept that gift!!

Bookstore or no bookstore, whatever God has for us in the coming days/weeks/months/years, I trust Him completely and absolutely. He may ask us to close the store because He's got something more amazing for us - another way that we can live a life that is dedicated to sharing the hope of Jesus with people full-time - or He might provide the thousands we need in the next two weeks because He wants Will to stay behind the register for now. We don't know. We are waiting on His answer. And His answer will be perfect.

Come and hear, you who fear God. We are not doing anything extraordinary. We are following Jesus. And He is worth everything we've 'given up' and He will be worth whatever else we have to leave behind to go where He leads us.

By His grace, and
for His glory alone!!
~Lisha

To Live Is Christ!!!

The letter that Paul wrote to the church at Philippi is one of my most beloved parts of Scripture. I don't think that it is more important than any other piece of the Bible, but I find it's one of the parts that I visit over and over again. Like spending time with a dear friend, it never gets old - and it knows me well!

Today I was reading and meditating on a verse in Chapter 1 that many believers know and love to quote:

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

[1:21]

And I was thinking about how it's easy for me to get sucked into the lie that because I trust Jesus, my life should work out pretty well all the time. To live is Christ!! How exciting!! I know Jesus; I have an in with God. My life is going to be great!

But as I considered the weight of the second half of the statement, I was hit hard with the weight of the first half. To die, Paul says, is GAIN. For the one who has trusted Jesus for salvation, death is a bonus! It only gets eternally better after we physically die! Can I truly say that I am looking forward to the time when God calls me to my heavenly home by ending life as I know it here? ...some days, yes. I yearn for no more sin struggles; I yearn for peace in my relationships and I yearn most of all to just fall at the feet of Jesus and worship Him for all eternity. But some days, I beg God not to take me before I get to spend decades loving Will, or before I get to see my girls grow in grace and truth, or before I know that some of my family and friends have decided to trust in Jesus, too. 

To die is gain.

And to live is Christ.

What does that mean? 

Does it mean that life is going to be easier? Jesus is God! If living is like Jesus, then...will life be better? Will He prosper me by giving me all of the wonderful American Dream-y things that I want because I keep His rules and do lots of wonderful things in His name?

Christ lived a sacrificial human existence. He laid down all of His rights for the sake of His Father's plan to redeem and restore a wretched people (read: all of humanity). He did not live a Christian take on the American Dream. He wasn't pampered because He was God's Son. He did not complain. He did not whine. He gave. He healed. He prayed. He fasted. He extended dignity to the outcasts and sinners. He did not worry about His reputation as He called out the hypocrisy of the self-absorbed, self-worshiping religious leaders of the time. He did not fight with physical force, but He warred constantly and ferociously against the spiritual filth that was and is rampant. He spoke truth unabashedly even when it meant His dearest and closest friends and disciples left Him. 

He suffered. He was bruised. He was humiliated. He was hated. He was executed.

To live is Christ.

If you consider yourself a Christian, are you willing to proclaim "TO LIVE IS CHRIST!!!" and fully take on that identity? To be hated for Jesus' sake? To be bold and speak the truth in love even if it means you'll lose friends, or a job? Are you willing to give up your "rights" to all of those things you think you're entitled to (a nicely decorated house, a new car, that prestigious career you worked so hard to get) to carry the message of repentance to a world that does not know just how holy and righteous God is?

As I was thinking about this, I was overwhelmed by a fear of the Lord that I have not had in a while. My salvation, though it's a gift, was NOT a free gift. It is given freely - meaning that I need to do nothing except receive it by faith - but oh, Christian, after we have received the gift of eternal life, Jesus demands a radical thing. He asks that we die to ourselves and let Him live in and through us. After salvation, we are no longer our own - we are His. We belong to Christ. And a life lived to Christ is going to be a life full of trials and tribulation and suffering and being hated for His Name. The fear of not laying down everything that I am at God's feet daily (and moment by moment!) - that I am bringing reproach on the name and honor of Jesus because of my preference for comfort and predictability and being liked rather than unashamedly taking on the identity and suffering of Jesus - that fear just flooded me today. And provoked me to search and weed out those areas in my heart where I am coddling the flesh instead of exclaiming "to live is Christ!" with my life.

Are you ready to abandon all you have built for yourself, to live for Christ, should He demand it of you? If not, oh friend, spend some time in prayer and the Word, until you come to that place when you can proclaim that indeed, 'to live is Christ!" and find all joy in it.

To live is Christ, and to die is gain. What a beautiful statement. What a life-altering concept. What a holy, merciful, awesome God.

By His grace and

for His glory!!

Lisha

I may be sharing this post at these Link-up parties!

If this has inspired, blessed, or encouraged you - please comment, pin, or share it!

A Very Hunter Update

...And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen! [John 21:25]


I feel like this verse is more than adequate to sum up what has been going on in our home and hearts over the past year. If I listed all that Jesus has done, you'd be reading this for a long, long time! And though I want to share all He's done, I know you have other things to do and other blogs to be reading and Facebooks to be checking, and I have a home that needs cleaning and a puzzle that needs putting together - so I'll cover the highlights.


Highlight #1: The Bible House is still open. Oh, friends, that the Bible House has not closed again is purely by the staying hand of the Lord and His blessing!! The inventory is still small, because we find that certain companies and indivduals (like our landlord) would appreciate that we continue to pay them what we owe - thus, no splurging on massive amounts of Bibles, books, music, etc for the store yet. We pray and hope that some day the Lord will provide for those things, but for now about 80-85% of the business we do is still from special orders and church groups, so having a large inventory isn't necessary. I cannot explain to you how thrilling it is to be used of God in this way - to be running a Bible bookstore right smack in the middle of downtown Jaffrey - when really Will and I have no business running a business. We have no business degrees, financial training, or anything that would qualify us to do this, except that God has asked us to do it. It may not be a success the way you define success, but we know that God is being glorified because we are walking in obedience to His calling on our lives!! And that is 'success' enough for us!


Highlight #2: Elizabeth is doing much better. As many of you remember, Elizabeth was hospitalized for about a week up at the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth (CHaD), because of some lifelong digestive troubles that got grossly out of control. I'll spare you the details if you haven't already heard them, but since we came home we have been so thankful that the Lord has been healing her slowly and surely. We've been taking her to see Dr. Josh at Jaffrey Chiropractic and we have been very pleased with the results that we've seen from good chiropractic care! So good, in fact, that Hannah has also started seeing Dr. Josh - she loves being adjusted, and we've seen major progress in her movement since she started going. This ties into...


Highlight #3: Hannah has the same struggles as Elizabeth did when she was younger. Low, low muscle tone and hyperflexibility mean that Hannah (at 10 months) has not rolled over yet, nor can she bear any weight on her legs. We praise the Lord that we have already walked this road with Elizabeth. The doctors at Dartmouth had prepared us to expect that Elizabeth might never walk or speak - and look at the work the Lord has done in her! So, whatever the outcome with our sweet Hannah - we know that the God who created her did it perfectly [see Psalm 139:13-14] and His purposes will be accomplished through her whether she ever walks or not [see Romans 8:28]. But we are very hopeful that Hannah, like her sister, will be fully mobile and talkative in a relatively short period of time!


Highlight #4: We have been without a van since April. The week before Elizabeth's trip to the ER that ended up in her being transferred to CHaD, our van sputtered out completely after a few months' time of almost-being-dead. And since we didn't have the money to a)have it towed, b)have it fixed, or c)fill the tank with gas anyway, it's been sitting there for the last five months. The Lord has been mighty and gracious to provide transportation to and from the grocery store and to do laundry about once every two weeks. Running errands, play dates, and other side trips have not been able to happen. And, if I may be so bold - spiritually speaking this is one of the best things that has ever happened to me (and consquently, my family). God has taught me how to love being home - really BEING home instead of being a 'stay at home mom' who is outside of her home more often than not. [Read my post Busy, busy, busy to get a glimpse into the work the Lord's been doing in my heart over the past 5 months!] I've gotten used to not having a way to get around whenever I want, and now that I've adapted, the Lord has seen fit to send the money and resources to fix our van. We received an amount of money recently equivalent to the garage's estimate of what it's going to take to fix the van. The garage called tonight, and as long as I can pay to register the van (pray with me! We don't have the money!) soon, the van is done and just waiting for us to pick it up! 


Highlight #5: Elizabeth and Abby start kindergarten very soon! At home! Yay! The theme for this year's curriculum for History/Geography/Reading is Intro to the World: Cultures. Science is an experiment-based introduction to biology, earth science, & physics. Bible stories, Memory Verses and the Firm Foundations weekly study make up the faith curriculum! Sonlight's Language Arts focuses on learning to read, and we use Alpha Omega's LIFEPAC Math program - which you can order through the Bible House!


There are many, many more great things which He has done. Our marriage, which has been rocky over these past many months, is being renewed and restored by a God who is about the business of binding up broken hearts. We are seeing the fruit of His Holy Spirit grow in our sweet children as they come to terms with their own sin and process the message of the gospel. He brings people into our home who need the love and hope of Jesus Christ poured into their hearts - and He has been pleased to let us be the hands, feet, and words of a Savior who rescues to the uttermost they that come to Him in faith!! He has miraculously provided for each of our needs in our most desperate hours (like when we can't afford toilet paper - toilet paper! Have you ever taken that for granted!? - and a friend shows up with a bag full of the stuff on your doorstep when you're down to the last roll!!). God has supplied toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, paper towels, soap, diapers, wipes, and iced coffees [ok. That last one isn't a necessity...] in direct answer to prayer when we lacked the money for them. And although He has not provided all of the money to pay off all of our bills yet, we know it's because He doesn't recognize "cell phones" and "car insurance" as needs. But He has not once left us without food or clothing or shelter. He has not ever failed us. And we are so thankful to be His and to be daily dying to self to see Jesus Christ magnified as the Lord of our hearts and home!


Friend - oh, friend! Trust Him in all things. Following Him to the ruin of life as you know it is exciting and beautiful. And it is of eternal worth. 


All for His glory and honor!
Lisha :)

Hide and Seek!

Elizabeth and Abby love to play hide and seek! In fact, they can and will play for an hour or so if I let them; longer if they've got some good hiding spots. However, they don't play according to the rules - they play backwards.

"Okay, Mom, you stay there, and I'll go find you!" That's how Abby starts every single game of hide and seek that we play. The rule is that I sit on the couch, and Abby runs into the other room, counts loudly, and then slowly makes her way back toward the couch "looking" for me in every place she can think of.

It's quite comical. Eventually, she finds me - even though she really knew where I was all along because she told me where to hide.

That sounds an awful lot like my relationship with the Lord lately. I like to play Hide and Seek with Him, but I don't play according to His Word. I make up my own rules and I play backwards.

How does He want us to "Hide and Seek", according to His Word?

Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
hide me under the shadow of Your wings,
from the wicked who oppress me,
from my deadly enemies who surround me.
[Psalm 17:8-9]

For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
in the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.
And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;
therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD!
[Psalm 27:5-6]

Hear my voice, O God, in my meditation;
preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,
from the rebellion of the workers of iniquity,
who sharpen their tongue like a sword...
[Psalm 64:1-3]

The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
a refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
for You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.
[Psalm 9:9-10]

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints!
there is no want to those who fear Him.
The young lions lack and suffer hunger;
but those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.
[Psalm 34:8-10]

Oh, give thanks to the LORD!
Call upon His name;
make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name;
let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!
Seek the LORD and His strength;
seek His face evermore!
[Psalm 105:1-4]

There are so many other verses about hiding and seeking. To me, it is clear that God wants us to hide in Him, not from Him; to seek Him at all times, not just when life is at its worst.

And that's where I tend to get it backwards!

It usually starts when I get lazy about taking every thought captive obedient to Christ. When I think, "hey, it's okay to overeat/not do chores/snap at the girls/just go a bit above the speed limit/be rude to Will...just this once. I mean, I'm justified...I've had a bad day (insert any lame excuse here). When I give a place to a "tiny" sin. Then I have to save face before God, and I start hiding FROM Him. It's ALWAYS a bad idea. Adam and Eve tried it too - and they didn't get away with it, either (see Genesis 3).

Then that little sin can get out of control and before I know it, I'm cranky, proud, stubborn, easily provoked, and a whole host of other nasty things. Hiding from God (by not praying and not being in the Word daily and by "covering up" my sin by doing other good things) leads to ruin. Ruin in my home. Ruin in my spiritual life. And that leads to needing to seek God and His mercy. Don't get me wrong - I am SO thankful that His mercies are new every morning, but I think He'd rather me not choose sin in the first place! He wants to be sought because of my love and passion for who He is, not because I've told Him "okay, You stay here, and I'll go find you!" only to wander back to Him at the end because I knew where He was all along and I'd exhausted all other possibilities.

Friend - are you hiding in God's love and grace, or are you hiding from God because your sin prevents you from wanting Him to find you out? Are you seeking God because you delight in Him and want to see His face and give Him glory, or are you seeking Him because you've exhausted all other possibilities and He's your last resort?

He makes it clear in the Bible that He wants to be our refuge in times of trial and in the 'regular' times too. He is a strong tower and a mighty fortress, and He longs for us to place our safety and trust in Him. To hide our vulnerable, mortal selves in His everlasting strength and might. So, run to Him. Hide in His strength. Seek Him in the good times - He says that when you seek Him with all your heart, you'll find Him! Don't wait until you're at your most desperate hour to seek Him. Let today be the day that you recognize that you can't hide your sin from God, and that you can find freedom and hope and life in seeking Him right now!

Only by His grace!
Only for His glory!
~Lisha :)

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. [Hebrews 4:12-13]

Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity... [Jeremiah 29:12-14]

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The Refiner's Fire

A couple of dear friends and I discovered a wonderful resource to motivate us to clean our homes & hearts. The book is "31 Days to Clean: Having a Martha House the Mary Way." The second part of the title is an allusion to the story of sisters Mary & Martha (see Luke 10:38-42). 

Each day there is a "Martha Challenge" - a house-cleaning task. There is also a "Mary Challenge" - a heart-cleaning task. Today's Martha Challenge was to clean and organize the kitchen drawers. It took about 15 minutes, but the drawers are less frightening to open now. :)

The Mary Challenge was this: Think back to a time when God refined your character through difficult circumstances. Write it down and thank Him for His faithfulness.

And so, here I am, reflecting and writing it down. We are encouraged throughout Scripture to share what the Lord has done in our lives - so please allow me to declare the mighty works the Lord has wrought in my heart over the past couple of years. It is a privilege - yes, a privilege! - to have walked through trials. It has allowed my God to soften my heart and mold me to the image of His Son! May He continue to refine through tribulation, as only He can do!

~~~~~

Two years ago, we were excitedly expecting our third baby. We had not planned this little one, but most assuredly the Lord had from before the foundation of the world! No matter how many times I get to experience pregnancy, I don't think I will ever get over awesomeness of the idea that there is a brand new life being created and that I get to assist in such a grand miracle!

On Will's birthday, we had plans to celebrate somehow (I don't quite remember what. Dinner, perhaps?), but I hadn't been feeling very well throughout the morning. And the cramps began. And the spotting. So the call to the doctor went out, and the suggestion was to rest and put my feet up. I did; it didn't alleviate the aching but the bleeding slowed down. We had to forego the celebration for a quiet night in with the girls. Then next morning (Sunday) came, with more intense cramping and bleeding. Another call in to the doctor; he suggested I take it really easy all day and make an appointment for Monday morning, but that the baby was probably gone. I remember that we sent the girls to my parents' house for a while and Will and I sat together and grieved. 

Monday morning, I did not make it to the OB's office before we actually lost the baby. I ached. My body ached, as did my heart. My spirit ached. I was confused; I felt spiritually violated. How could it be that the God who loved me so dearly would allow this kind of test? Ever since we found out that we were expecting Elizabeth, one of the deepest prayers of my heart had been that God would never, ever test my devotion to Him by 'tampering' with my children. My attitude since I first held my precious daughter was that He could have any other area of my life except the baby whose life had been forged in my womb. In whom I had invested time, energy, food, training, and everything that goes along with parenting. 

At that moment in time, I had a radical choice to make. Either I needed to acknowledge that the Lord was Lord over every single area of my life - including the life and death of my children - or I needed to walk away from Him and reject His love, grace, kindness, mercy, justice, and sacrifice. Did this trial show that God was unfair? 

I spent many mornings holed up in our bedroom, on my knees, audibly crying out to the Lord. I searched the Psalms for comfort. I needed to know that this grief, this aching, this death had not been without a purpose. I leaned hard on Romans 8:26-28:

[Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.]

I chose God. I chose to follow Him through the valley of the shadow of death [Psalm 23]. I chose to cling desperately to Him [Psalm 63:8]. I chose to trust that His ways are higher than my ways [Isaiah 55:9]. I did not allow my heart to become hard towards Him; I did not allow myself to 'blame' God in anger for the end of my baby's life. Job 1:21 states that the LORD gives, and the LORD takes away; regardless, His name is still blessed! He who created life has every right to then take it back when He does; it is not unfair.

And with a soft heart, and the magnitude of grace that He extended to me, He allowed me to see how He was working in the hearts of those around us who were walking this road of grief alongside us. We know that not everyone we love believes that they are wretched and that Jesus died to redeem them. We know that some of the people we interact with daily have outrightly rejected God and the Bible. And yet, He let us be a part of His story and the softening He was doing in their hearts as well. I eventually was able to pray - and mean it - that God would use our pain and our grief to show other people just how good God truly is. 

Since then, we have walked through other trials. Our marriage and family life, though a committed one, is not always pleasant - we are two big sinners who share a home with three other little sinners. There are sometimes arguements. Pride seeps in and destroys peace some days. We are trying to manage our budget without "enough" money coming (even though we have never lacked for true needs). And as we come to each trial, He gives enough grace for us to know that through the storm, He will be using it for our good and His glory. We have weathered the loss of a child - what I thought would be the worst thing to ever happen to me - and He has used it to make me understand a little more deeply the suffering of my Lord and to become a little bit more like Him.

I have since realized how grateful I am for the work that God did in my heart through that journey. And the journey is not over - it still hurts some days. I still grieve. He is continually refining. And He will continue to until He calls me home to Himself!

Oh, give thanks to the LORD!

Call upon His name;

make known His deeds

among the peoples.

[Psalm 105:1]

I expect it to be said that I am crazy for what I believe; may it never be said of me that I ever denied the lordship of Jesus Christ or the power that He has to redeem, restore, and refine a wretched heart like mine.

By His grace, and for His glory!

Lisha

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iLack

When he was writing the letter to the Philippians, Paul said:

If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.

 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 3:4-14]

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. [Philippians 4:11-13]

Paul knew that of all the things in this world that he could have - personal prestige, material goods, knowing all the right people in high places - that those things were not important compared to knowing Jesus Christ as his Lord. If you read through the book of Acts and the letters that he wrote in the Bible, you'll get to know a man who "used to be somebody" before he met Jesus, and who lost everything this world considers precious to follow Him (even his very life!). And he counted all that loss as TOTAL JOY!!

www.flickr.com

If owning a home, a car, nice clothes, the latest book by the most popular Christian author, really awesome Christian CDs, video games, or anything else gets in the way of the ability to follow Jesus wherever He leads; if being addicted to constant communication with the world, or food, or caffeine, or exercise, or sleep, or entertainment, or (what's your addiction?) hinders a deeper knowledge of Jesus Christ as Lord; if there is more talk about a car, weight, kids, dreams and aspirations, or life more than talk about the saving, healing, and redemptive power of Jesus Christ; if the iPad, iPhone, iPod and all other gadgets are more dear than the Word of God, then iLack what's important and iNeed to get my priorities straightened out and be willing to get rid of those things. God made me so that I would glorify His name, live in His presence, and proclaim His love to a dying, hurting, wretched world. Anything that gets in the way of that is rubbish. 

To many people, our life is strange. They can't figure out why, or how, we do the things we do. It's because we have seen what the mighty hand of a sovereign God can do with and for a couple of 'used to be somebodies' who are willing to count everything else in their lives as loss for the sake of knowing Jesus as Lord. We asked the Lord to strip away everything that was unnecessary to the work He has called us to, and He has been faithful to continually answer that prayer. What we lack in terms of the "American Dream", God more than abundantly makes up for in joy, hope, and love and a deeper faith in Him. And if the Lord asks everything of us, we're willing to give it if it means walking closer to Jesus. Do you think I am lacking in what's important because I don't have a predictable, comfortable, risk-free existence? No, my dear friend. iHave all iNeed when iKeep my eyes fixed on Jesus. :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. [2 Corinthians 3:4-6]

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. [Hebrews 12:1-2]

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,  but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. [Philippians 2:5-7]

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. [Matthew 16:24-27]

(He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose. -Jim Elliot)

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Dear Sarah,

Nine years ago tonight, at some point late in the evening, I received the news that God had called you home, peacefully, with your family at your side. I remember weeping, and not sleeping very well that night. I remember asking the God that I wasn't even sure existed why in the world He let you die when He could have healed you. I vaguely remembered the verse from the Bible that you had shared with me about God's many mansions and how you knew your room was almost ready and how very excited you were to meet Jesus and finally feel better. I wondered, again, if any of what you had said about Jesus was actually true, and for your sake I sure hoped it was.

I was surprised when I went to your funeral. There was grief; how can hearts not be broken when a child dies? But amidst the tears, there was a hope. It was something more than a 'well, at least now she's in a better place' hope; it was an unwavering hope that stems from a sure faith in what Jesus Christ accomplished by His death and resurrection (although I didn't understand that at the time). Your sweet sister gave me a butterfly pin to help remember you by. I still have it. I don't need it, though, to remember you.

For months after we all said our good-byes to you, I thought. I wrestled with the idea that anyone could be certain of God. I replayed, often, the conversation we had. You pointed out that I was a sinner in desperate need of God's magnificent grace. You explained, in your childlike way, that Jesus Christ had come and died (and rose again!), that my sins might be forgiven, so that when I too faced death I wouldn't have to be scared. I read lots of books about God. I even picked up my dusty old Bible that I got when I graduated Sunday School back in the day and I read some of it. I started praying, even. What a big step for a 19-year-old who had turned her back on anything that pertained to God.

Then I made my decision, Sarah, in April 2002. I decided that no matter what it cost me, I would follow and serve Jesus Christ. What a sweet relief to my weary soul, to know that all of my sins - large and small - had been washed away by His death, and to be so assured of my destination when my days here were complete.

Much has happened since then. I have been married for 6 1/2 years to a wonderful man and I have three beautiful little girls. Hannah just joined the family in October. Her older sisters delight in her, much the same way I'm sure Erin & Lauren delighted in you when you came along.

I'd like to think that I've given Jesus control over every area of my life; I would like to say that no matter what He asks of me I would give it in an instant because of all He has done for me. But there is one area that I struggle with so often. I wonder, if He asked of me one of my daughters for the sake of someone else's salvation, would I be so eager? The answer, almost all of the time, is one of hesitation. A mother's heart is jealous for her children. But, for my salvation, and for the sake of countless others, the Lord used you so mightily in your 9 years to draw people to Him through Jesus Christ. Your life impacted not only mine, but the lives of my husband and children. I am grateful for your life and I am grateful for the hope you had in facing death.

I pray nightly that God will use my precious girls as they grow to make others want to know more about who God is and how wonderful He is to live for. What a privilege to share the love of Jesus with them and to watch as they share His love with others. Because of you, I never take for granted how God can use the faith and love of a child to spread hope to a lost and dying world.

I look forward to worshiping Jesus with you on that side of glory, and to introducing you to my daughters!

Merry Christmas, sweet Sarah :)

Your sister in Christ,

Lisha