Counting My Blessings

A new year is a good time to stop and count my blessings...so here it goes in no particular order - 35 things I'm thankful for:
1)God's love
2) Hubby's love
3) Thing 1
4) Thing 2
5) Thing 3
6) Mom and Dad
7) Brother and family
8) Mother in law, FIL and the rest of my crazy family
9) A ministry I can be a part of
10) The opportunity to stay home with my boys
11) T1 is liking K so far and I'm getting used to him liking it
12) T2 will fulfill his lifelong dream next week and start preschool
13) The UPS truck just stopped in front of our house...hmmm
14) It was a box full of Nav tshirts - I guess I can be thankful for that even
though the color is all wrong - black and white! (sorry - inside joke) Brad your design has been re-birthed!
15) The giant - and I mean GIANT - sunflowers in our garden, I finally planted something that will outgrow the weeds! And they are really fun and pretty.
16) Watching my boys wander out to the backyard and eat all the raspberries
17) Enjoying a few when they remember to share...
18) My new ipod touch - very spoiled
19) Making some progress on the TMS - again - so far it has taken 35 years, hopefully it won't take 35 more for me to get all the way through it without forgetting the beginning.
20) Living the dream - even if there are some unexpected storms - He Holds me even closer on then
21) Pandora
22) One Place - how did I ever get time in the Word before this?
23) Hymns
24) Friends!!! Oh- I can't make it without them!
25) My Bible study - you ladies rock my life!
26) The sunrise this morning - it was even better when I went outside to watch it.
27) Making cookies
28) NAPS - theirs and mine!
29) Writing
30) Pictures of those I love
31) Generosity - toward us and from us
32) Good books
33) Chocolate
34) Running
35) Wrapping up my baby after a bath and smelling his head

Capturing their Hearts

If someone were to make an action/ adventure film about Jesus' life, they would probably use Mark as the script. It is full of action, always something happening and told in a dramatic way, capturing my attention the past few days as I spend time in this book.

"And passing along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net in the sea, for they were fisherman. And Jesus said to them, Come after Me and I will make you to become fishers of men." Mark 1:16, 17

Here they are, two brothers out fishing just like they do every day, day in and day out. And then on this ordinary afternoon something extraordinary happens, Jesus appears. They had probably heard Him speak before, teaching about God and repentance. But this time He speaks directly to them! And not only does He speak to them, He invites them to come follow Him. And not only does He invite them to come follow Him, He even promises them a new identity in their following.

Jesus spoke to Simon Peter and his brother Andrew in a word picture that would grip their hearts. They were fishermen through and through, it was who they were and how they lived. When Jesus recruits them to be His followers He paints a picture that they can immediately identify with, casting a vision for them that they can grasp and get excited about. He asks them to leave their nets behind and learn to become fishers of men.

Jesus didn't have to promise them anything, didn't have to tell them why He was calling them or what they would be able to gain from leaving all they knew behind. But Jesus did. And I love that about Him. He doesn't owe us any explanation but gives it anyways. He gives us just enough information to help us surrender to Him and enter into a whole new life beyond our wildest imaginations.

This encounter with Jesus challenges me as I seek to lead others to Him. Do I call to them in a way that they can identify with? Do I describe…or even more convicting, do I model being a disciple of Jesus in a way that grips their hearts just as Jesus' word-picture of becoming a "fisher of men" must have struck Simon and Andrew? Or do I just blithely quote Romans 6:23, draw out a little picture of their depravity and expect them to sign up immediately? I don't really want to confess right here and now how many times I've miserably failed in this area….so I won't!

From Mark's description of Jesus' calling I am challenged and motivated to do a better job next time – starting with today. And I'm praying for inspiration – insight and knowledge into each heart that will help me paint word pictures that will capture them for the LOVE of a Lifetime.

Reflections on Suffering

I wrote this article about suffering...and about Heather, of course, for SAGE. Check it out here along with a lot of other great articles and resources:

http://www.sageministries.org/sunshine-in-a-dark-room