Prayers

Last week I was struggling. I felt like I was having thoughts whispered into my ear by someone other than the Holy Spirit. Honestly, it was a huge burden on my soul. I felt weighted down. The thoughts I was thinking were things I didn't even want to say. I didn't want to give the evil one a foothold. I wanted to write someone, tell someone, do something to unload these cumbersome contemplations. Instead, I silently struggled.

The Sabbath came and with it a peace I hadn't felt in a while. Yesterday I felt the same peace. Today was when I realized that I am not feeling the attack that I was last week. The enemy's campaign against me has been thwarted. Praise the Lord, that He has fought off the enemy from entering my thoughts. Jesus has triumphed for me, again!

I myself was barely able to pray last week. I felt so unworthy to even speak to the Lord because of the things in my mind. I needed someone to pray for me. I needed someone to lift me up and carry me to Jesus in prayer. But I didn't ask anyone. I didn't talk to anyone.

However, I am positive that someone, somewhere, has been praying specifically for me. I am so thankful for that care and concern! Thank you, whoever you are, for your prayers on my behalf. Please know that I am feeling God's love and grace and protection because you have taken the time to speak to our Father in heaven on my behalf.

I thank Jesus for putting me on your heart.

Taking a Breath

A year ago we were traveling around the country visiting family. It was a fun trip, but during parts of it we experienced quite a bit of stress. I felt that our marriage was under direct spiritual attack. I was needing to take a deep breath and feel God's peace in my heart. Then, as we were traveling, God gave us amazing evidence of His love for us, and His watchcare over us. I know that I have shared these pictures in other places, but I just had to share again. God's timing is so perfect, and He knew just how to lift our hearts and gave us just what we needed. The amazing views in these photos took my breath away and overwhelming peace filled my heart. Praise the Lord!

Grand Tetons, October 2010

Jenny Lake (Grand Tetons), October 2010

Out of Babylon

I have a confession. I spent a good part of last month, and the month before, watching an old TV show. I had never heard of it when it was actually on TV, but the basic plot of the show was interesting, and so I started watching the episodes on the internet (you can watch almost any show on the internet). There came a point where I kept watching just so that I could find out how the show ended. And then it was over.


Well, after wasting all that time and mind space, I have been doing some contemplating. Yes, the basic plot of the show was good, but there were many things in that show that were not good. I'll name some of them: premarital sex, homosexuality, abortion, atheism, hedonism, pantheism, and so much more. There was a concerted effort in this show to blur the lines between right and wrong. There was a concerted effort made in the show to proclaim that there is not one way that is right. Everyone can be right at the same time. I'm okay, you're okay. Anything goes.


As I was contemplating, I kept thinking about the verse in the Bible that says, "And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues." (Revelation 18:4)


I know there are many things in my life that need reevaluating. I don't need to fill my mind with raunchy jokes, extramarital affairs, homosexuality, murder, torture, kidnappings, spiritualism, pantheism, occultism, and all the confusion that is Babylon. God is calling me to come out of Babylon. I think I am ready. 


What about you?

Counting My Blessings... 151-170

151. Garlic
152. Windows that open when the door won't
153. Playing at the park

154. Time to rest
155. Toddling steps
156. Learning to stand up

157. The many ways God answers prayer
158. Daily miracles
159. A beating heart
160. Breathing lungs
161. Amazing, life-giving blood

162. Pungent curry
163. Open-mouth baby kisses
164. Goodnight snuggles

165. Bedtime routines
166. Dry nights
167. Sleepyheads who are asleep almost before their heads hit the pillow
168. Rainbow promises
169. Sunshine at sunset
170. Sabbath at sundown

Two Years Past

Who knows what would have happened if not for the sorrow we endured two years ago.

I still think about that baby. The little lifeless form on the ultrasound. The pain and heartbreak that I felt. I never attached a name to that child. I don't know why not. I know some people do. I know that Jesus had a special name for "him" though. I always believed that baby was a boy.

Without that disappointing sorrow, we wouldn't have the joy of Haven today. I know that God is Love. I will never forget the child that might have been, but I am so thankful to God for the joy and laughter He has blessed us with through our two wonderful girls. 

Taking Hope to the zoo during that weekend two years ago.

Miracles

In the beginning, God made our world out of something formless and empty. 

God spoke and there was light, air, earth, sun, moon, stars, trees, plants, fish, birds and animals.

God breathed into man and he became a living person.

I consider these all pretty miraculous. Who else could do any of this?

God sent a flood, that opened the fountains of the deep and poured water from the sky as had never happened before, to cleanse the earth of man's wickedness.

God gave an old couple a child of promise. He parted the Red Sea, parted the Jordan River, and caused the walls of Jericho to tumble. God sweetened the bitter waters, many times in fact. Water gushed from the rock at God's command. Manna came from heaven. God routed armies, told the sun to stand still, and even turned back time. God can work miracles for His people!

God sent oil and flour without fail, with water in the well. He brought a boy back to life. He carried his prophet away in a whirlwind with chariots of fire. This is only scratching the surface. There's lots more!!!

When Jesus came:

A virgin conceived and bore a son. An old, barren woman also conceived and bore a son.

Water became wine. Paralytics walked, the dumb spoke, the blind saw, the demoniacs were freed. The dead rose to life again. Jesus is able to do the miraculous. He can still do these things!

Five thousand were fed with five loaves and two fish. Water walking was not out of the question. The wind and waves obeyed His command. A woman's faith and the touch of His garment brought healing. A little girl woke up. Lazarus came out of the tomb. The widow's son was returned to her alive. I could go on and on and on... Even the Bible says that there was so much more that Jesus did than what they were able to record.

Miracles. God performs them for His people. Jesus says, "Whatever you ask in my name, that will I do. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you."

Oh me of little faith! Lord, I believe. Please help my unbelief!

Counting My Blessings... 131-150

131. Crunchy almonds
132. Raindrop sunshine
133. Toddling steps of a one-year old
134. Increasing vocabulary of same one-year old
135. Fun trips to the store with Hope
136. Night-training successes that outnumber the failures
137. Growing chickens that go to roost by themselves
138. Developing friendship between young sisters
139. A peaceful nighttime walk in our neighborhood
140. Riding a bicycle with no fear of dogs
141. The Lord's protection
142. Sundown on Friday
143. Juicy lamyay and red dragonfruit
144. Breakfast for dinner
145. Hope's stories
146. Character development through trials
147. Homemade applesauce
148. Emails from good friends
149. Anticipation of new babies to be born this month
150. The lessons ants can teach

For My Friend

Dear Friend,
I know your heart is hurting. It's been one awful thing after another, and to top it off your body has decided to take a break as well. Please know that I am praying for you. For your heart and for your back. Healing for both.

I know that it is so easy to blame God and to want distance from Him. He is more than big enough to handle the yelling, the raised fists and the blame. He's still right beside you, though. He's holding you in His arms. He's crying with you and knows all the pain that you're feeling.

I've been thinking about you today, dear friend. And I want to tell you something that Jesus said, and that I believe He is saying to you right now. He is saying, "“Come to me, you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." I believe that the pain in your back is a blessing of rest given to you from God. He knows that you need time to just be, to sit and cry, read and pray. A time to heal.

I am praying for you, dear friend. I am praying that your back will be brought back to perfect strength and health. I am praying that your heart will find healing as well. May you have Christ's peace in Your heart, and may you again know His joy. You are and will continue to be in my prayers.

Your sister in Christ,
Kelli

Take It From Me

Tomorrow will be our five year anniversary. I think that entitles me to give some advice. Especially to those who are not yet married, and those who are considering marriage, and those who are engaged but not yet married. As a woman, I feel that I especially can speak to other women from my five years of experience. This is especially for those women who are in the age group of 18-23 (since that is how old I was when I got married).




Our first five years of marriage have been wonderful, but challenging. We've experienced time apart (not separation, just a summer job that took me to France while pregnant with our oldest). We've experienced sorrow with the loss of our second baby (a miscarriage at 11 weeks, I still consider it a baby).

We've experienced joy with the births of our two girls, and watching them grow. We've also experienced our share of frustration, humor, excitement, anger, romance and adventure. Most of our first five years together were spent on American soil. Our next five will be spent mostly on foreign soil. I wouldn't trade life with Robbie for any earthly thing. He is my lover and my best friend.

With all of this said, I want to say something to those yet unmarried women out there...
TAKE YOUR TIME!!!
You don't need to rush into this. It's not a race to see how many friends you can beat to the altar.
Live your life before you get married. Go backpacking around the world. Spend a year as a student missionary. Work at an orphanage. Get a job. Finish college. Volunteer. Be a literature evangelist or a Bible worker. Let your life be a witness to those around you.
Life is about more than getting married. Marriage is about more than just sex.
Don't go searching. When it's God's timing, He'll arrange it perfectly.

I have no regrets about dating Robbie for only eleven months before pledging my life to him. I had spent two years in Thailand as a student missionary, been a literature evangelist, volunteered, and I had waited for God to make clear His will. I was not searching. I was waiting for God and He arranged it perfectly.

I pray for all those young women who are considering marriage, that they would wait on the Lord. Take it from me, it's worth it!

Child Training

Recently I've been reading a book called Raising Kids Who Hunger For God. Also, I am part of a group of moms on Facebook that I asked a question of recently. I asked, "Who believes in using the "rod of correction?" The answers I received from the other mothers in this group made me think about how we look at child training these days.

First of all, I am a Christian Seventh-Day Adventist. I believe in following the Bible in all areas of life. I believe it when the Bible says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." 2 Timothy 3:16 Teaching, rebuking, correcting and training sounds like child-rearing to me. Isn't that what we do with our little ones every day?

What else does the Bible have to say? Let's take a little look...

"He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him." Proverbs 13:24

"Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him." Proverbs 22:15

"The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to itself disgraces his mother." Proverbs 29:15

"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it." Hebrews 12:7-9

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11

The question that I have is why do Bible following people seek the world's input on how to train their children. When I asked that question about the "rod of correction" on the mother's group page on Facebook, the number one recommended source of child-training guidance was The Supernanny. Nobody believes in the "rod of correction." One source on the Internet said that Jewish and Christian scholars are trying to "explain away" the mention of the "rod of correction" in the book of Proverbs. Some just throw it out entirely. Our culture has watered down godly parenting, and even Bible following parents have fallen for it.

Who has more children, God or Supernanny? Who has been around longer? Who is wiser and more loving? Who can see the bigger picture? Who should I trust my children to?

 Is there a biblical way to discipline our children? Yes, there is! The God of the Bible does not change. He is the same now as He was in the New Testament and He was the same in the New Testament as He was in the Old Testament. He never changes. His ways of disciplining, therefore, do not change either. In His Word, he has shown us ways to train our children. If we would see our children trained in righteousness, we must follow the Word of God.

Our commitment to the Bible and the Bible only should encompass all of our lives, including how we raise our children. The book that I mentioned at the very beginning, Raising Kids Who Hunger For God, is an amazing, Bible-based book that I have really been blessed by reading. I would recommend it to anyone who is seeking to follow God's method of child training and discipling.

May God bless us all, and our children, as we seek the best way to raise them to be workers for Him. May we see them give their hearts and lives to Him.

Sabbath is a Happy Day

Today was a special day in many ways. When Hope woke up this morning, I went in and snuggled with her for a little bit. She said, "I love you," and gave me a big hug. I hugged her back and said, "I love you too." Then she said, "I'm a part of your life." Of course, I agreed wholeheartedly. I don't know where she got that from.

Before we got up and started getting ready for the day, I decided to walk Hope through what was going to happen. I told her everything that would happen and what I expected of her in each setting. Then we got up, ate breakfast, took a shower, got dressed and went to church (with a slight detour on the way to help a friend who was lost). At church, Hope sat quietly beside Robbie for the whole church service.

Then, Hope, Haven and I went to Hope's Sabbath School. I don't know if Hope remembered our conversation from earlier in the morning, but she behaved herself very well, and did not attempt to hug any unsuspecting children (she loves to hug other kids, and does it without their permission. We're working on that.).

After Sabbath school, we came home, ate lunch, read some stories, and Hope took a nap. I had told her all about needing to take a nap and that after her nap we would get ready and go to her cousin, Leila's, 1st birthday party. In our conversation in the early morning, I had told her how I expected her to act at Leila's birthday party. When she woke up from her nap we got ready and went to the birthday party.

Hope behaved herself so well. I am very glad that I prepared her ahead of time for today. We stayed late to watch the end of the Rangers game, and Hope did not have any major meltdowns until the very end when the cat scared her.

It was a happy day today. It was busy, but happy. So, I go from one day where the end makes me feel like an unfit mother to the next day feeling that with the Lord's help I am teaching and training my child well. I am sorry for yesterday and grateful for today.

Now for  a little bit of bragging:

Haven will be three months old on the first of November. Already she is smiling (since she was about four weeks old), cooing (for at least a month already), rolling over from belly to back consistently, rolling over from back to belly occasionally, bearing her weight on her legs while in standing position (being held of course, she still has no balance), laughing occasionally, and holding her head steady. According to one developmental milestone chart, Haven is extremely advanced in several areas. Oh, she also brings her hands together and bats at toys. We can see in her eyes, and how she is always watching and observing, that she is a very intelligent little girl.

Okay, enough bragging. But I am very happy with our children. I praise the Lord for giving such blessings in our lives. Father, please give us wisdom to raise these girls to know and love You. Thank you, Father, for this happy Sabbath day.