Life and Times of the Getter Family - Megan's Blog

I don’t know if it’s the time of year. I don’t know if it’s my particular season in life. I don’t know if it’s because I’m a woman or particularly sentimental or emotional or what. But I watched this clip online and just cannot stop myself from weeping.

Hundreds of people using the amazing voice God has given them to gather in a consumer-driven department store to pause and give glory to God. This might not have been their intention, but their words are straightforward and uncompromising…

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 

The kingdom of this world

Is become the kingdom of our Lord,

And of His Christ, and of His Christ;

And He shall reign for ever and ever,

For ever and ever, forever and ever, 

King of kings, and Lord of lords,

King of kings, and Lord of lords,

And Lord of lords,

And He shall reign forever and ever,

King of kings! and Lord of lords!

And He shall reign forever and ever,

King of kings! and Lord of lords!

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Hallelujah! (slightly abbreviated)

In this world where it seems like at every turn, my faith is being questioned or attacked or challenged, this chorus just exudes hope. I’m certainly tired. Lack-of-sleep-tired (and loving the sweet face that greets me in those early morning hours). But also lack-of-strength-tired. Not in the physical sense, but emotional strength and resolve. Whether it’s family or friends looking at me like I’m crazy because I have made certain decisions for our family as I struggle finding the balance between living life and faith and don’t want to buy into the lies of this world but want to be true to what it is I believe. Or the culture at large allowing, and even encouraging, everything under the sun because it’s fair or a right or a choice, never mind that it leads to pain and suffering and heartache and struggle. I know I stand against a tidal wave of culture telling me to do everything differently.

And then this. King of kings. And Lord of lords. In the middle of Macy’s. A choir of angels giving praise and glory and honor to the Lord.

Amen. Amen. Amen.

(I learned a long time ago that Amen in it’s original language means “truly”, so that is how I always think of it now when I write it.) 

1.  Be ready.  Like the bridesmaids who took both lamp and oil to keep watch, I must be ready because I do not know the day or the hour.[1] Life is so short. It’s not just a cliché. I have absolutely got to make the most of my time here on earth. From knowing my Lord, to making right my relationships with others, I cannot lose sight of what is important. I need to be careful how I live – not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.[2]

2.  Heaven is the best place for us.  There is not the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started the great work in my father has now carried it onto completion.[3] He prayed for so long for his thorn to be taken away.[4] My dad needed to be made whole. Now he is. As shocking as his death is, he is now in the arms of his Savior. The earth is not his home, it’s not my home. I must believe it, my faith compels me.

3.  I will never think twice about going to a viewing or funeral again.  Real friends are willing to make the time to visit. There are always extenuating circumstances, and I’m not trying to make someone feel bad, but to emphasize how important it was to know at a time of great loss that I was loved and cared for by those in this world. To see a friendly face. To receive a loving hug. It meant so much.

4.  Make end of life plans.  Do it for my family.  Share it with my family.  I have to deal with my mortality. It will happen. There are so many earthly decisions that need to be made when someone dies. It is quite surreal. And we did it, because we had to. We didn’t have time to dwell. But if you know someone’s intentions, or if some of the decisions have already been made, it makes those first few days so much easier on those you’ve left behind. Never mind the horror stories of family fighting that might occur because your wishes weren’t made known. Or the fact that the government takes a lot more money if proper arrangements aren’t made, which makes me just sick.

5.  It is not good for man to be alone.  Especially in the first few days, all I wanted was to not be left alone with my thoughts, but to be in someone’s presence. Phone calls are nice, but they require talking, which I really didn’t want to be doing a lot of, especially not about what has just happened. “Being with” is so valuable, having someone by your side, you might not ever say a word, but being there makes all the difference in the world. It’s not enough to say, let me know how I can help. Go. Be. I suppose that is partly why God sent His Son, Immanuel, God with us. He knew something about our desire to be in relationship, to commune, to be with.

6.  I am struck by God’s divine providence.  I don’t know if there is a correlation, but as one of my favorite tv characters always says, there are no coincidences (I, of course, look at this from a faith perspective instead of science). My brother and I both lost our dogs this year. We had had them for over 10 years. My brother and I had the only grandchildren in the family. So earlier in the summer, we both were dealing with a loss in our families. Granted, it was a dog, but a faithful dog friend nonetheless. I just feel like in some divine way that was a preparation for what has happened. We had to deal with death, talk about death, move on from death. While the kids continue to not fully understand the passing of their grandfather, I think it has helped to continue the conversation.

7.  The smallest of circumstances can cause a great wave of emotion, but I am in control for more poignant conversations.  I will be talking to someone about what has happened, and I am very matter-of-fact. I know that I am deeply hurt by the loss, but no sign of emotion anywhere. At least not visibly...So then I was in a store trying to exchange something without a receipt, but had forgotten my license at home. I have been trying to get to this store for such a long time, and finally here I was, and I am not able to make the exchange. While waiting to talk with a manager to see if I could use another picture ID, I could feel my eyes beginning to water, and emotions just welling up inside me. Over not being able to return? No, not really. But today is not an ordinary day. Emotions are just looking for a way to come out. And so I hurried to the car with tears streaming down my face. Sorry store manager, really, it wasn’t you.

8.  I will never think of heaven the same way again.  In the past, it’s been the place where Jesus lives. God is there. It will be my home one day. I was worshiping in my church singing something about heaven, and there it dawned on me, my dad is now there. I had thought that in days previously, but in praising my Lord, I realize, my dad is now there. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.[5] My dad is now there. And while maybe I’ve had friends or other family members pass through this lifetime, it’s just different. My dad is now there. Walking on streets of gold, passing through gates of pearl.[6]

9.  Life goes on, but it will never be the same again.  We got back in town after being in Baltimore for the week. School was still going on. Work was still taking place. In fact, some people didn’t even know why we had left, or that we had left at all. I want to shout, "Wait. Stop. Don't you know what just happened?!" In some ways, I could go about my day as if nothing had happened.  But I don’t think that is what God has in mind.  He tells us, do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live.[7] To rejoice in our sufferings because it produces perseverance, character and hope.[8] To give praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ because He can and will comfort us in the time of troubles, so that we can, in turn, comfort those around us.[9]  So I will make time to talk to my children about their grandfather. I will consider my grief a character-building process. I will give all praise and glory to my heavenly Lord, who in His sovereignty, knows how He will work this out for the good because I do love Him.[10]

10.  God’s will be done.

Kindergarten is killing me!  Well, and preschool.  And fighting to get Colin some good solid naps.  Those are the big three.  Plus, there’s grocery shopping.  And laundry.  Dishes might be good to do sometime too.  Nathan just put some dishes in the sink and told me, “Woa, it’s almost full to the top of the house!”  I guess it’s time.  Oh yes, and how could I have forgotten dinner?!  That pesky thing called “dinner” really is my nemesis and foe.  Not that I mind making it.  I just never know what to make.  And never have time to make it!  Well, if my kids never wanted to play outside.  But sadly, yes, they enjoy life in the great outdoors.  Me?  Give me some warm summer sun and I’ll sit right under it!  But there’s this tiny little phenomenon known as the mosquito.  You might be familiar with it too.  As I am sitting here watching Nathan ride his bike in the culdesac, fully covered with long sleeve shirt and jeans, several mosquitos have landed on my hands while typing.  The nerve! 

Anyway, back to my time.  It’s filled with lots of new things these days.  Trying to fit it all in, how do moms do it?  So then I begin to hear the old adage, “You can’t do it all.”  But what does that mean?  Do I get to skip brushing my kids teeth?  Or scrubbing my shower walls?  Just did that yesterday, and I don’t want to tell you how long it’s been!  Finding time to pay those bills?  Or drop off a library book?  Send that gift in the mail?  Calling back a friend?  My goodness, those were just off the top of my head!  All, incidentally, things that I have not made time for.

I have been a big holdout on being the busy mom, trying not to fill my life with stuff to do, to go from here to there and there to here, without stopping and realizing what this might be for, what eternal significance this has.  I know that not everything I do will have that significance, but I wholeheartedly oppose just “living”.  In fact, I have that conversation with my husband at least once a week.  What are we doing with our life?

In the midst of all the craziness, and I have certainly felt my share over the last couple of weeks, I hope that I can often stop and be reminded of what life is really about.  That I am not here to just go through the motions of breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  That I am certainly called, first and foremost, to be sharing breakfast, lunch and dinner with the ones God has given me, my family, and to somehow use those moments to do what Deuteronomy 6:4-9 commands us to do…love God, put His commandments on my heart, impress them on my children, talk about them when we’re sitting at home and driving all over town, when we go to -bed and when we get up.  Do whatever is necessary to remember them, keep them at the forefront, write them down all over my house if I have to.  And I think I have to.  Because when I’m feeding the kids, putting on tennis shoes, packing up backpacks and then out the door, He’s not the first thing on my mind.  But if Deut 6 has any place in my life, He can be. I know He can.

And my life can't be just about me and my family.  I have to look outside just living.  I need to go, like Matthew 28:19-20 tells me to.  What does my "go" look like?  I think it looks different in each season of life.  It could be a friend who needs to chat.  A neighbor who needs some help.  A church that needs me to serve.  An organization that needs my time.  But there is someone or something that needs me.  Something greater than myself that I can give myself to.  Something outside of my comfortable everyday living (or the not-so-comfortable everyday living that I've shared about!) that might be hard or difficult or time-consuming or require patience or a commitment or money or a change of plans or, or, or.  I hope that I can be that person, because often I feel like I am just living, and I really really really don't want to be that person.

Matthew is a very friendly little guy, one might say, “huggy”.  He is certainly not afraid to go up to anyone and talk to them, big or little.  In typical childlike style, he’ll say or ask any question that comes to mind, hopefully without mom wincing.  And it usually involves a hug or two.

I’ll give you a couple of examples. 

Our grandmotherly neighbor is often going to and from her car when we are outside playing.  She is so sweet on Matthew, because every time he sees her, no matter what he is doing, he runs up to her and gives her a great big hug.

We were walking the mall the other night at an outdoor concert, tons of people, and Matthew gave a complete stranger a hug.  I told you, he’s friendly.  After apologizing to him, because we didn’t know who he was, I asked Matthew if he thought he knew him.  He said “No.  I gave him a hug, because everyone likes a hug.”  Of course.

We recently mourned the loss of a dear friend to cancer.  We had been praying as a family for our friend, so Matthew knew exactly what had happened.  In an effort to keep him from being too blunt that day, I shared with him that maybe we shouldn’t say anything, that a good hug would be just what’s needed.  So as we were finishing expressing our sympathies with the family, we look to find Matthew literally giving each person in the entire room a giant hug.  Young and old, family or not, he knew his job that day, to give people hugs to make people smile.  We tried stopping him in the beginning, but then let him do it, because the hugs truly did turn out to be the best way to sympathize with others, especially as a child.

It’s good to know he’s heard us mention being friendly to others a time or two.  We’ve learned about being kind and caring.  But he’s really taking seriously our call to love one another.

Yesterday, Matthew went to his first day of kindergarten!  He was ready to start “big school”, but a little apprehensive about the unknown.  Mom, Dad, and two little brothers walked him to school.  It was great.  No tears.  Just excitement.  But then, I felt so sad for Matthew.  He told me on the way home that he asked someone to be his friend. . . and she said no.  He had felt this common bond with another little girl.  Matthew had a Diego backpack, she had a Dora backpack.  Destined for friendship, he thought.  He even knew that Diego and Dora were cousins, a natural connection. So why shouldn’t they be friends?

I have two thoughts.

First, bravo Matthew, for even having the want to be friends with another, for stepping out, being brave, and putting yourself out there.  Thank you for being that boy who befriends another.

I’ve been overcome this week by the fact that we really do have to learn everything as human beings.  I’ve seen it in all three of my boys this week, at different stages and levels of difficulty.

Let’s take Colin…as a newborn, he is obviously learning how to do everything.  I say over and over again to Matthew and Nathan, “Can you believe Colin doesn’t even know how to ___?!” fill in the blank.  He’s learned how to smile and laugh.  He’s learned how to hold his head up and roll over.  And now he’s learning how to eat and go to sleep.  Still learning…

Nathan’s got the basic functioning of life down.  And he’s learned to ride a bicycle.  Pee-pee in the potty.  Get dressed himself.  Write his name.  Now for more abstract learning.  The boys were fighting and Nathan ended up saying something mean to Matthew.  So I asked Nathan to now say two nice things to his brother.  You could see the wheels spinning…something nice, hmm.  What does that mean?  He ended up saying, “I love you Matthew,” and “You’re my friend, Matthew.”  Pretty good first try.  But he’s learning too.  What is character?  What does it mean to be nice?  How do I learn to be patient, and kind, and peaceful, and loving, and joyful, and?  Still learning…

Matthew knows what some of these words mean.  And he can even do them well, when he wants.  Now he’s learning how to use words meaningfully.  In listening to him talk at several points this week, I was struck by the fact that he’s using words without having the knowledge and understanding of being able to spell them.  He listens to Mom and Dad talk and tries to use those same big words in his sentences too.  For example, he picked up an old cell phone when Daddy was leaving one morning and said, “I’ll call you on your cellophone!”  And another time, Matthew was writing the birthdays of all the family members into a little book of his, which he called a “diary-a” (aka diarrhea).  I couldn’t help but laugh out loud.  He kept saying it over and over because he knew he was making me laugh.  He eventually realized what it was he was saying (he knew that word too) when what he was truly trying to say was just “diary”.  So, still learning…

And then I began to wonder, where am I on that journey of learning?  I’m well beyond all three of them in years and education.  I’ve done my duty in K-12, and even further in college.  I’ve learned life lessons growing up in a family of six, being on my own, having been married for twelve years, and now a mom for five.  I’ve had countless friendships over the years, some lasting longer than others, some deeper than others.  I’ve worked for some great bosses that treat me really well, and some who could care less; some jobs that are long hours and great pay, and some with no pay; some work that I loved doing and couldn’t wait to get back to, and some that I wouldn’t want anyone to ever have to go back to.

But what does all that say about my relationship with Christ?  Have I used the learning in all the other aspects of my life… physical, emotional, intellectual…to grow my spiritual life?  Or have I let that fall by the wayside?  Where am I on “learning” in my walk with the Lord?  Do I look at my relationship with Christ as something that is finished, I’ve been there, done that?  Or am I constantly challenging myself to move forward?  Am I comfortable with where my faith journey has taken me, or am I looking to continue to get to know Him? through His Word, His followers, my family?  My husband and children teach me so much, about myself and my faith.  So often they are the greatest pictures of God’s love and sacrifice made for me.  So I guess the best thing I can say is, still learning…

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." ~2 Timothy 4:7

Thursday night I participated in the greatest gathering of pro-life voices for a webcast ever, regarding the greatest threat to human life since Roe vs. Wade.  Over 36,000 people gathered online listening to twenty dynamic pro-life leaders speak to the issue of federally-mandated abortions!  I was just wonderfully amazed at the gathering of voices across the spectrum desiring to come together to stand as one for life.  Truly.  Men, women, black, white, Catholic, Protestant, Democrat, Republican.  Many family values groups were represented, as well as those with “feet on the ground” who work with the women making difficult choices.  (Listen to the taped event online at www.StopTheAbortionMandate.com)

Now, you may be saying, seriously, are we really facing that grave of a threat?  Roe vs. Wade paved the way for abortion-on-demand, what could be worse than that?  How about federally funded abortion-on-demand, that is, your tax dollars going to fund abortion.  At a time when 51% of Americans define themselves as pro-life, 71% oppose tax-payer funding of abortions, and more and more Americans say that abortion should be legal in only a few circumstances, we are met with current healthcare legislation that will significantly expand abortion.

Over and over again, the pro-life leaders shared that if we do not specifically exclude abortion in the healthcare legislation, legislators will add where there are blanks.  Even worse, they may leave it up to the courts, who as you know, redefined the abortion debate for generations.  You might ask, what could be included if there was no specific statement regarding abortion?  There may be an abortion clinic mandate, making sure access to a clinic is available to all, increasing the number of clinics across the US.  It may be an end to pregnancy centers as we know them, as they may be forced to refer women to abortion facilities, and doctors and nurses volunteering their services may no longer be able to help with facilities that will not perform abortions.  Doctors and nurses have always had a “right of conscious” clause to choose to perform procedures that are in line with their belief.  They may now be forced to perform abortions or related services.  Churches will essentially be subsidizing abortions, because as people give money to the church, the church will in turn use it to pay for employees healthcare, which will go to fund abortions.

I could go into more of the gory details, like the fact that Planned Parenthood, who is the leading provider of abortions in the US, already receives 34% of their funding of $1 billion from the government, and continue to see profits year after year, enabling them with taxpayer dollars to continue to promote and advance their agenda.  Or the fact that while President Obama says he want abortions to be “rare”, he views “reproductive care is essential care”, and has top officials meeting with abortion supporters telling them that it is not their goal to reduce the number of abortions and that there will be an abortion mandate in the bill.

So what can you do?  First and foremost, as with anything we want changed, PRAY!  Only the Lord can change the hearts and minds of those in power.  Well, maybe a few constituents contacting their elected officials can make a difference too, so call, write, email, and visit!  They need to hear from us.  And just get the word out.  I know it seems like who are we, surely one voice cannot make a difference?  But you can.  Together as one, we all can!

If you were in the area last night, then you more than likely experienced a very strong thunderstorm pass by your home right about bedtime.  My boys are usually pretty sound sleepers, but Matthew is starting to be more aware of storms, and figuring out that they might be a little scary.  He cried out a little, and we convinced him to go back to his room, that the storm will go away soon.  I reminded him that God is always with us no matter what happens, so even if we get scared, He will protect us, and Mom and Dad will come and keep him safe in case anything happens (twinging a little, because I know I can't really control all things!).  Well, it really got loud and scary, tears began to fall along with the rain, so as the storm passed, we watched it together from the comforts of the family room with the lights on. J  We turned on the television to see what the weather guys might have to say about it, sure enough, we were in the middle of a severe thunderstorm warning (we saw that big blob of “red”!) complete with damaging winds up to 60 mph and golf-ball sized hail (that I think we were hearing right about then), along with the normal thunder and lightning.

Since we let him get up, watching the storm became a fun thing.  He was staring out the window, fascinated by the rivers of water streaming from our house in all directions.  He wanted to see the hail bounce off the windows.  He was following the “red blob” moving over our area on the tv.  At that point, even the strength of the storm didn’t seem as scary anymore.  Once it stopped really pouring down rain, Matthew thought the storm was over, when it was probably raining as hard as it does any other day, but because it just wasn’t raining so much, it seemed as though it had stopped altogether.  It’s amazing how perspective can change your life.  All alone in a dark place, a storm may seem scary, and you can become terrified and feel completely helpless.  Yet with people who love you and who are there for you, a storm can become something entertaining.  Even the strength of the storm can seem less daunting if you've already made it through the peak!

More amazing was Matthew’s thoughtfulness on God.  When we went back to his room, we chatted a little about the storm, in much better spirits.  I kept reminding him that God is with Him no matter what, that He loves us and will take care of us.  But he was pondering…and said, “But why did God send the strikes if He’s supposed to take care of us?  That might hurt us and break things” etc. etc.  He wanted to understand that God is always with us and that He will take care of us.  But in his mind, taking care of us is not the same thing as lightning striking and hurting someone or some thing.  How could he reconcile these two things in his mind (as we hear sirens rushing by our home)?  How do we reconcile those two things?  It has to be that God’s love is not based on the circumstances.  And that hurt in this world does not come from God.  But that God works through those times of heartache and struggle and reveals Himself to be the God who in all things works for the good of those who love Him.  We have to rest in the fact that no matter what happens, He is with us.

So now about The Truth Project, or TTP.  Is your interest just a little bit peaked since my last writing?  I hope so, because I LOVE talking about this stuff!  Here’s a little tidbit from TTP’s website www.thetruthproject.org,

“In a recent study, the Barna Research Group revealed a stunning statistic that continues to reverberate throughout the evangelical world. Only 9 percent of professing Christians have a biblical worldview.  Because of this, today's believers live very similarly to non-believers. A personal sense of significance is rarely experienced, we spend our money and time on things that fail to satisfy and we begin to wonder what life's ultimate purpose really is. We are, in short, losing our bearings as a people and a nation.”

Is this shocking to you?  Or no big deal?  Do you live similar lives to nonbelievers because you are purposely trying to “become all things to all men so that some might be saved” like Paul?  Or because it is easier and more convenient and uncomplicated and trouble-free?  Do you know exactly what you are working towards?  Or are you one who may feel less-than-satisfied with life and its purpose?  Do you know the direction you are headed?  Or are you kind of wandering through life as things are thrown your way, not purposely pursuing God’s will and plan for your life?

And so TTP tries to give us a starting point to view life from a biblical perspective, discussing every area of our life, how God is relevant and important.

Simply put, TTP is a small group dvd series produced by Focus on the Family featuring the work and teachings of Del Tackett, president of Focus on the Family Institute which exists to impact culture for Christ.  (To get a little flavor of the content of the series, I highly recommend going to their website and listening to a quick trailer, it’s right on the front page).

More specifically, TTP is nothing short of a life-transformation, systematically detailing God’s view of the world, giving you a new set of “lenses” on which to see life and the circumstances of our every day.  And it will not stop there.  It will lead you to seek the Lord in understanding how He can use you, an ordinary person, to make an eternal difference in our world.

It has been quite a while since I last wrote, here on this blog anyway (I did get to upload pictures and write some musings on what our family has been up to).  It's not because I didn't want to, not a day goes by without me thinking of something I want to share...something I've observed during the day (the uniqueness and sweetness of my little ones) or something I've read about in our world (Supreme Court nominees, the killing of an abortion doctor, Obama on a date night) or something I've learned about or from the Lord (against all earthly wisdom and common sense, God spares King Hezekiah and his people from certain destruction because of a prayer! can I say that about my life? do I have that same kind of faith and prayer life?)  But I mentioned The Truth Project, and am so excited to share about it!

I’d love to go right into all the nitty gritty details, but feel like I first must explain how I got to be where I am today.  It has been quite a process and journey.  And as I look back, it began many years ago!  Getting to something like The Truth Project depended on me continuing on that journey of becoming a disciple of Christ.

On a side note, I love that!  A “disciple” of Christ.  Of course, when we think of disciple, the first 12 disciples come to mind, those who walked among the Lord, listening to His every word, being in the presence of God yet not truly understanding who this Man was, is.  But I heard someone describe the term disciple differently recently…saying that in the early Church, there really was no term for “Christian” as we think of today.  Saying the word “Christian” may conjure up all sorts of ideas and images, different styles and methods, even levels of commitment to the Church.  But back then, they were simply called “disciples”.  An interesting thought… 

So anyway, some of my journey…In college, I was leader in student ministry with a parachurch organization called Young Life.  Being a leader really grounded my faith and challenged me to know what I believed enough to be able to share it.  Even more so, I was challenged by fellow leaders to not just talk the talk, but walk the walk.  I grew and matured in so many ways.  And I was in great company.  But because so much time was invested in ministry, it was very difficult to feel connected to a church, and I longed to be a part of the body of Christ.  That opportunity presented itself when my husband became a youth pastor.  We were excited to be a part of a church where we could find fellowship and community among the larger body of Christ while serving in ministry to teenagers. 

Unfortunately that excitement did not last long as we soon found there was a culture inside the church of people and leaders who did not believe in the basic Truths.  Things I completely took for granted were now being questioned…the authority of Scripture, Jesus being the only way, among many others.  I was really stunned.  I had never faced something quite like this.  And while I never really questioned my faith, I wondered how it was that this normal everyday American church could have people as its leaders with such beliefs?  Is this not heresy?  This made my understanding of Truth become a search for Truth.  I devoured teachings on scriptural Truths and sound biblical doctrine.  Praise God for Christian radio.  I became great friends with people like James Dobson, Chuck Colson, Larry Burkett, Ken Conner and then Tony Perkins.  I willingly filled my day with Dennis Rainey, Ken Ham, George Barna, Ravi Zacarias, Dr. D. James Kennedy.  I began to study with Anne Graham Lotz, Beth Moore, Kay Arthur.  Things I may have been hesitant to take a stand on, I became rock solid in my convictions. 

Throughout this time, I began to realize that the Church had become less of an influence on culture as culture had on the Church.  Which is why a church like the one I was involved with could believe the things they believed.  I wanted to change that, I mean really change that.  But how?  The problem boils down to your worldview.  A worldview is simply the lenses by which you view the world.  We all have an individual worldview.  There are some shared aspects, for instance our faith.  But there are also things we’ve been through that have “colored” our life, experiences that have shaped and defined how we view the world. 

I’ll give you an example:  we were trying to sell our house last summer.  Built in 1929, it had gone through many renovations over the years but one thing that had not been changed was the pipes.  Granted, the Getter family and all the previous owners and their children lived with the pipes.  Previous inspections had passed with these pipes.  Insurance companies were willing to insure the house with these pipes.  Water quality tests had proved the water in the pipes to be well within guidelines for good drinking water.  You can see where this might be going.  So, we had a contract on the home with a family and as a result of the inspection (and old pipes), they backed out.  Because you see, they had a family member who had a son who had been exposed to and hurt from lead through these same kind of old pipes.  And no matter what you said to try and convince them otherwise, these pipes were going to do the same damage to their children.  They were living out what they really believed, enough to not even buy their dream home (or so that’s what they told us! J)

What do you really believe?  And if you really believe it, how does that effect the way you live your life?

Enter, The Truth Project.  This study has literally summed up what I’ve been thinking and feeling for a very...long...time!

I will continue this discussion next time.  Hopefully not a month from now!

O faithful one, do you sense the confidence and peace that is yours when you know these truths for yourself?  Doesn’t your heart grieve for those who profess to know God but don’t really know who He is or understand His ways because they don’t have time for His Word?  Pray, Beloved, pray, and tell others the benefits – the peace, the steadfastness, the rock-like mind there is for those who trust in Him (Isaiah 26:3-4).       ~ Kay Arthur (Isaiah Precepts bible study)

Ok, so I’m “telling others” about the benefits!

I must say, it is so great to open God’s Word and study it, not because I’m trying to learn about something in particular, but just to know God’s Word for what God’s Word says.  That doesn’t mean studying topically isn’t beneficial, I’ve done that many times and have learned many things.  But to just read a book of the Bible to read a book of the Bible.  Why is it even in there?  How does it relate to the rest of God’s Word?  What is the message for me?  What about God’s character does it reveal?  The list goes on and on.  Particularly because it is in the Old Testament, it might seem less than essential reading.  We 21^st century Christians (and I might add 1^st – 20^th century along with us) tend to like reading the New Testament, and why not, it contains the message of the Gospel, Jesus’ life, death and resurrection...the central Truth to the Christian faith.  But I have come to truly appreciate, not just in my head but in my heart, that the Bible really is one complete book!  The message contained in Isaiah is no different then the one in John.  Jesus didn’t come into the picture in Matthew.  He was there from the Beginning, woven throughout the entire Old Testament, shows up where we are most familiar with Him, and makes one big final comeback in the End.  Can you believe that entire message is contained in just Isaiah?

If nothing else, studying God’s Word puts meat on the bones of my faith.  I know that I believe certain things…the bones.  But do I always know why?  Or am I truly confident in those things?  Did someone just make them up?  Was it something I just heard?  Can I adequately explain what those things are?  In other words, can I share what I believe with someone else?  It doesn’t have to be a stranger on the street, could just be someone in your family, or a friend who is in need, maybe a co-worker.  God’s Word makes what we believe real.  It provides a foundation.  This does not come from me.

If you know me, you know that I am very confident in what I believe, rock-like perhaps? J That is not something I take lightly.  And it is not because I am confident in me.  I am confident in God.  I am confident that He is who He says He is.  I am confident that He will do what He says He is going to do.  I get that info from the Bible, and yes, many teachers and ministry leaders and fellow followers of Christ.  But the Truths are ultimately found in scripture.  And if I really believe He is and will do, then that gives me all the confidence in the world to be able to stand up for those Truths.

Which leads to my enormous heartache, truly, for those who don’t really know God or understand His character and ways.  Truly, truly it is there for all to know and understand.  It doesn’t take a scholar (although they do help!) for we have all been given the same Holy Spirit.  God has been made plain for all to see, you just have to look at creation to know He is there, we are without excuse!  We may not understand all the ins and outs, but if we don’t even try?  And there truly is a peace that comes from knowing Him, it is like no other, it surpasses understanding.  I am not worried about tomorrow, for I know where I am going.  That does not mean I understand every problem or pain that comes knocking…as I've certainly lamented a time or two!  But I do better understand where pain comes from (sin) and that no matter what happens, He wins, which means I win.  All I can do is remain faithful to what He wants me to do, and rely on Him for strength.

Confidence.  Peace.  Strength.  Available to all!  Just get to know your Lord!

“Sow for yourselves righteousness,

reap the fruit of unfailing love,

and break up your unplowed ground;

for it is time to seek the LORD,

until He comes and showers righteousness on you.”

~ Hosea 10:12

I absolutely love this verse!  I had never read it before, which really wasn’t much of a shock given it’s location in the Minor Prophets of the Old Testament.  But I have just had it in my mind for almost a week now.  A women's group that I go to shared this verse with me, and as I've been pondering it for a couple of days, so now I am sharing it with you!

sow for yourselves righteousness…this is what we are to be pursuing, our goal, planting seeds, if you will, of righteousness, having been given the gift of salvation, either through the covenantal relationship in the Old Testament or through Jesus’ sacrifice which covers all, we are to behave as people of the holy Lord! 

reap the fruit of unfailing love…“If [we] would only do what was right, [we] would be blessed by God” says my Bible commentary which puts Israel in the parentheticals, but we might as well put our name in there.  If only…why can’t we just do what He wants us to do?  Obedience always leads to blessing.  Can you imagine, unfailing love?  Have you ever experienced unfailing love?  It comes from a Hebrew word ‘besed’ that can refer to right conduct toward one’s fellowman, and loyalty to the Lord, or both, what God requires of His servants.  How could one not be blessed by the fruit of our love toward fellowman and our love to God?

break up your unplowed ground…this command is for you, for me! we must do the work to break up the ground.  God will give us the strength and guidance, but He will never make us do something we aren’t willing to do.  Appropriate in this gardening season of life, a garden must be tilled in order to plant seed, water, even to cut out the weeds.  It is YOUR unplowed ground…“Be no longer unproductive, but repentant, making a radical new beginning and becoming productive and fruitful.”  What is an area in my life God wants me to till?  Do I just need to plant His seed in me to grow?  Or am I an old bush that needs cutting back?  Do I need to prepare my soil so water can get through to revive me?  Do I have any weeds growing up that need to be taken care of?

And then there’s this view from Ira Progoff,

Under the pressure of events, our lives become hard packed like soil that has not been tilled for many years. One experience is added to another so rapidly that we have neither time nor opportunity to consider their implications, nor the possibilities they open. We do not have time to savor their pleasantness, to feel their pain deeply, nor to establish an inner relationship to them. They pile up and are pressed tightly together inside of us, leaving no room in between for the fresh air of consciousness to enter, nor for something new to grow.

Progoff speaks about how events in our lives just continue to pile up one on top of the other, never really being able to be experienced, enjoyed, disliked.  So in essence he's saying our lives are "unplowed ground", packed so tightly together, nothing can get through, especially the work of the Lord!  Consider your "harried" life, what are you just "packing in"? 

for it is time to seek the LORD…“It is time!”  I always think of the movie The Lion King.  At some point Rafiki, the sage of the jungle, realizes that Simba is alive.  Knowing that the Pride Land was desperately in need of a real king, having been ruined by a scheming lion and his hyena friends, he says, “It is time” and goes to find Simba.  It is time for us to seek the Lord.  Start doing what He has called us to do.  Live the life that would honor God.  Find out where He wants us to serve and go serve.  As the saying goes, there has never been a better time to start then now.

until He comes and showers righteousness on you…“God’s covenant blessings that in righteousness He would shower on His people if they in righteousness were loyal to Him, their covenant Lord”…He showers righteousness on YOU!  Shower…again, an illustration of the natural process of rain that has to happen for gardens to grow.  Isaiah 5 speaks of God's love for His vineyard, that is, the people of God.  He wants to take care of it, tend to it, allowing for it to produce good fruit.  Here He promises to bring rain, if we are only willing to do our part, to plant the seeds and break up the ground so that we can grow.

Ok, so we know what Just War is.  But even though this is how wars have been fought for at least the last century, most people being able to agree on the “good guys” (i.e. those who follow Just War principles), we have a culture war happening in America today where morality is dependent upon the person.  And even though, by definition, terrorism is not just war, complete with beheadings and bombings with no regard for innocent life, ask 5 people about the current War on Terror and you’ll probably get 5 different answers, many people siding with the “so-called” terrorists.  The common American sentiment that terrorists are human too and only want what we want is a gross misunderstanding of the culture and philosophical foundations of terrorist actions…enemies who act without a similar moral compass.  While the terrorists have followed the model of the “bad guys,” we are now in a place where people can’t make up their mind who is who.  Unfortunately, in the name of religious tolerance, Western cultures may actually be emboldening terrorists in their society…Islamic radicals do not feel that these concessions are olive branches of peace; they see them as weakness that is inherent in depraved Western culture.  They also believe it will logically result in the infidels eventually recognizing and honoring the “superiority” of Islam.

So what might be my response?  Now that I do have a first hand understanding of war, of war on my own homeland, of feeling the need to defend someone - myself, my family, the defenseless, the innocent - what should I do?  What can I do?  What can the Church do?

I love the ideas in the book!  When asked "what can we do" to Christian leaders from Europe and Africa, their message was this:  radical Islam is on the march around the world, and the Church in America is a key player in meeting this challenge.  They asked us to redouble our efforts at personal evangelism around the world.  This is a great example of what everyday believers can do to truly fight terrorism over the long term.  We should support ministries that go into the Middle East and present the Gospel, and missionaries who evangelize Muslims in this country.

What a great word.  While I may not take up arms or go to the steel factory to build fighter planes, I can give to the Mission of sharing Christ with the lost, particularly those in Muslim countries.  Knowing Christ is really the only thing that will change their hearts.  It has to start from within.  God can and will use us in this battle.  Let us be a new "greatest generation", known for giving our lives to the work of the Lord, if not personally, supporting with our finances those who do! 

I am reading a great book called Personal Faith, Public Policy by Harry R. Jackson Jr. & Tony Perkins.  It’s the type of book that I love to read right through because I want to get all the information out of it that I can.  But it’s also the type of book where I want to study each chapter for what it really is saying, to get a full understanding, to be able to use the information to have informed thought and conversations on the issues.  So, I’ve done my “read right through” a while back, and am now trying to process the individual ideas contained in it.

Incidentally, it is the most beautiful day outside, I got to sit down in the warming sun and read a whole chapter.  Kids are “napping”, used lightly because as I sit here and type, Nathan is singing “Joy to the World” over the monitor.  I am unfortunately back inside, scared off by a wasp and bumble bee that kept flying around my head!  But that has given me a chance to write once again!

So the chapter is about The Value of Life, particularly as it pertains to war.  I know war is not the most enjoyable topic.  But to be a student of life, we must be willing to talk about even the difficult stuff.  As a child of the 80’s, my comprehension of war began in a 9th grade social studies class when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait.  Of course I had studied about other wars, from Roman invasions long ago to world wars of the 20th Century.  While I had read about them, seeing someone actually just advance into a country they didn’t “own” to get something they wanted still seemed so inconceivable.  And yet here it was.

War wasn’t something I necessarily feared like my parents, hearing sirens warning of nuclear threats and conducting bomb shelter drills as grade school students during The Cold War.  War wasn’t something I felt necessarily emboldened to support, like “Rosie the Riveter” during WWII, helping to keep America going at home while at war abroad.  I am not part of the greatest generation who stood up for his country, no matter the cost.  Not to say I wouldn’t stand up in a time of need, but the question was so far removed from my mind.  I never had to answer it, thanks to the actions of the brave before I was ever born. 

That is until September 11.  While I still haven't had to make that choice, reasons for war may be a lot clearer.  War, at it’s root, is based in the sin nature of man and should be strenuously avoided.  Unfortunately, there are times when war cannot be avoided.  In a fallen world, war is sometimes the only option we have to defend innocent life.  Out of this thinking, the Just War Theory was born.  Here are it’s principles:

I. Justice in Resorting to War (jus ad bellum) - (1) Just Cause, (2) Legitimate Authority, (3) Comparative Justice, (4) Right Intention (war is most moral when its primary objective is to stop genocide or accomplish some other noble aim...many nations wage war based on less honorable purpose…to gain access to natural resources, ethnic cleansing, economic gain, expansion of territory, increased international influence), (5) Last Resort, (6) Reasonable Chance of Success

II. Justice in Conduct of War (jus in) - (1) Proportionality (the amount of force used should be in proportion to the military objective pursued), (2) Discrimination (soldiers should fight soldiers…we should seek to minimize the number of noncombatants that are hurt)

**All italicized words are taken from Personal Faith, Public Policy**

OK, so I signed up to be a delegate at the Virginia Republican State Convention.  What does that mean?  I’m not totally sure!  Somehow my name got on a list...I say somehow, but really I know.  I made calls for John McCain for the presidential election (lots and LOTS of calls, if you didn’t get a call from me, I’m shocked because I made so many phone calls!), so I'm sure someone used that info to make a contact list for future political endeavors.  I don't really mind.  I like being "in the know", which to me just means that I get lots of mail and calls for things I don't really want to do (I know how to say "no"!) in order to hear about the one thing I do!?  I know, I'm crazy.

So anyway, I'm a delegate!  How?  Someone asked me, I filled out a form and I’m in.  It was really that easy.  I didn't even have to give my SSN!  Have you ever wondered what it means to be a delegate?  We heard that a lot during this year’s election cycle, particularly in the Democratic Party when Clinton and Obama spent forever trying to get a majority of their “delegates”.  To give a quick government lesson (sorry to bore you!), basically each political party nominates a candidate to run in the general election.  This works for every political office.  It is at the party’s convention that the delegates not only formulate the party’s platform (principles and policies), but also to vote for the candidate of their choosing.  It works a little different in every state.  You can have county conventions, state conventions, national conventions.  Delegates decide who does or does not become a candidate for election.

Well I opened my inbox the other day and noticed several emails from people I didn’t know.  John Brownlee.  Dave Foster.  And I've gotten calls and mail from another, Ken Cucinnelli.  What do they have in common?  They are all running for Attorney General in VA, have found out I am a delegate, and are now asking for my vote.  I’m not annoyed.  I’m glad they are actually taking the time to inform the electorate of who they are and what they stand for.  And I get to be a part of the decision-making process.  Incidentally, my vote goes to Ken Cucinnelli.  He is a strong conservative attorney, from life issues to tax issues, his positions are grounded in what he truly believes, not what is politically expedient.

I guess I go into all this just to say that you do have a voice.  I have a voice!  I get to go and help decide who will become a candidate.  Politics seems so untouchable, incomprehensible, so vast and immense, and unfortunately corrupt, shady, dishonest.  But there are good people out there.  It might be YOU!  It might be someone you know.  It starts at the local levels.  You do have the ability to decide what happens in your neighborhood.  Each state has different committees and councils on which to serve.  And each state elects their officials differently.  But I would encourage you to get involved.  Make a difference.  Find someone you know who can take a real stand on the issues you are concerned about.  Support them!  Don’t just complain about politics.  Do something about it.  You don’t have to run for President, but you can sure change the politics of what’s going on in the area around you.

So Matthew's been sick over the last couple of days, and I think I've caught a little of it.  Nothing terrible, just really tired.  But for mothers out there, you don't get to turn the lights out and close the door at the end of your work day, unless you are going to bed!  You are always on.  My mom gave me a little sign when Matthew was born that said, "Mothers work from Son up to Sun down."  :)  That says it all!

And while we love the blessings of our children, some days you just need a break.  T.G.I.H. Thank God I have a Husband!  Doug is such a blessing, a wonderful father AND husband.  He totally picks up my slack.  He let me take a couple naps over the weekend to recover from my extreme tiredness.  I don't know what I would do if he wasn't there.  I could never handle being a single mother.  You absolutely would never get a break.

So I recently read that more babies were born in 2007, 4.3+ million, than any other year in history, including the original baby boom (around 4.27 million babies).  Unfortunately, 40% of those births were out of wedlock!  Can you imagine 40% of the babies (that's 1.7+ million babies for your non-math sort of folks!) being raised without a married mom AND dad?  And that's just for one year.  Tons of research has been conducted over years and it all says that children thrive and are at much less risk for risky behaviors when they are raised by a married mom and dad (never mind the fact that moms need a break every so often).  Hopefully those who are single and mothers have a network of family and friends around them who can help out when needed, but it just can't be easy.

And you know what, life is never easy when we live against how God intended it!  He truly had our best interest in mind when He gave us His Word in which to live by.

"Haven't you read," [Jesus] replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

~ Matthew 19:4-6

It's best for the husband.  Best for the wife.  Best for the children.  He created us!  Just like when you make things, you know how best to use it (like when you make a casserole for someone, you send directions on how to cook it).  Or if you buy something, you go to the directions or instruction manual.  The Bible is our instruction manual.  Unlike one included with some toy you've purchased, this one was written by a loving Creator that had a plan for us from the beginning.  And while it's big and confusing at times and maybe hard to understand because it was written about people we don't know and can't see, that doesn't make what He has written any less real and purposeful and good, and let's face it, right.

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

He called a little child and had him stand among them. And He said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea."

~Matthew 18:1-5

The view of the world that a child has is priceless.  They have complete trust in Mom and Dad. You are their world.  As they learn to talk and communicate what they are thinking, you can hear from the child's perspective what this means.  Matthew reveals this to me all the time.

They are also soaking everything in.  I find it interesting what is in their minds.  Like when we sit down to read a story together.  Sometimes I change the word in the book or leave off a word that is written down, and Matthew knows it!  He'll correct me, because in his mind, this is the way it's always been, how it is supposed to go, and Mommy left it off, or changed it.  I don't always have that perspective.  What I would call "trivial" details like this aren't in my mind.  My mind's filled with much more important things!  :)  But they are important to him. 

I truly truly believe that our relationships with our children model our relationship with the Lord.  Not so that we have an unreachable goal, for God is always good and knows what to do, but so we have an example and perspective of what God has done for us.  So just as Matthew totally believes in me to love him unconditionally and to be there for him no matter what, he has that same view of God.

Matthew got some terrible bug bites last night.  We're not sure where they came from, but unfortunately he inherited my sensitive skin because they are really swollen, itchy and uncomfortable.  He actually woke up in the middle of the night with them, and as I tried calming him down and easing his pain, we prayed to God to make him feel better and that He could make them go away.  In the morning, they were still there.  Now so often in my prayers, if something I've prayed for to be taken away was still there, I'd have one of two reactions.  To either keep praying for it, hoping this was in God's will to be taken away.  Or to question why He didn't answer my prayer.  What was Matthew's response?  He said, "The bugs didn't obey God.  They didn't listen to Him."  Several times throughout the day, as we encountered different people in our activities, he would tell them the same thing.  Never did he question whether God would heal him.  He put the onus on the bugs.

I wish I could think like that all the time.  It's not because God doesn't want to bless us.  He does.  It's not because He doesn't like us.  He loves us no matter what.  And is just waiting for us to surrender to Him.  Unfortunately for our sake, when we don't obey Him, we have to live with hurt or pain or being uncomfortable.  He doesn't make that happen.  Our own disobedience does.  And Matthew gets it at 3 years old.  It's simple to him.  We older people make it so difficult and complicated.  But that's what God means in His Word when He writes we need to "become like little children".

So I'm doing a Precepts Bible study by Kay Arthur this semester.  It's funny we still think of life in semesters.  Didn't that end with college?  But all of life is based on school starting in the fall and again after Christmas, taking a break for the summer.  I guess if our kids' lives are organized that way, ours should be too?

Anyway, I've been studying the book of Isaiah with a group of women from our new church called Hope Church.  Precepts is just a method of Bible study that allows you to discover the Truth in God's Word for yourself (an inductive Bible study).  So of course I've been learning a lot.  It's the type of study that has homework almost every day, but nothing that if you didn't get it done, would leave you confused during our weekly get together.  But the more you put into it, the more you get out of it.  It's also the type of study that doesn't answer all the questions for you.  It makes you search the Bible to find out.

So I was sitting down this morning to "get more out of it".  As I was working through the passages of Scripture, I just wanted it to be easy.  I really didn't want to have to think about it.  Probably because I was tired, or maybe because I knew Nathan was about to wake up soon so I just needed to get through it.  But isn't that exactly what we need to do when we read Scripture?  Thinking about it?  Figuring out what it means?  Understanding that, if this is Truth, what kind of implications does this mean in my life?  It wasn't spelled out for me in black and white.  The Bible study writer wasn't answering the questions for me.  I actually had to study the passage to find the answers.  I was going to leave it blank.  Interestingly enough, on this particular day in the study, she was even giving me an out, relaying that it was a particularly long lesson.  But I persevered.  And when I finally started to truly focus on what I had sat down to do, I got it!  I was proud of myself.  And I learned something.  Something that had implications for my life.  Implications about who God is and what will come to pass.

Doug and I watched the second movie in The Chronicle of Narnia series, called Prince Caspian.  At one point the little girl Lucy is talking with Aslan the lion, who is the Christ figure in the movie.  She is trying to figure out why he hasn't come to help out.  Aslan replies, "Things never happen the same way twice, dear one."  Isn't that just so true about the Lord!  He doesn't do everything the same.  One way He has taught us may be different from the next. Or from someone else.  From blessings and peace to true heartache and struggles.  No matter the situation, He is there and He wants us to grow to become more like Him.  Like my study this morning, I just wanted it to be easy.  I can learn things easily, can't I?  Maybe not dear one!  It takes heartache to teach us patience.  It takes a struggle to truly be able to identify with the hurts of another.  If we hadn't gone through it, how can we be there for others who have?  While He came to us in the Garden of Eden in the beginning, walking and talking alongside us, He came as a baby when we needed Him to save us.  Who would have thought the Savior of the world would die the most gruesome death on a cross?  The Jews were expecting a king!  One who could liberate them from the oppression of Rome, Babylon, Assyria, Egypt.....pick your country.  But they got a lowly Son of a carpenter.  From the grandness of God in the garden, to the meekness of God in the manger.  He can meet us where we are.  It won't always happen the same way twice.  But it will happen.  He is there, ready and waiting!

Well, I wasn't even going to go here on this blog, at least not right away, but I have really just had it.  And this is what's on my mind.  And the kids are asleep, so I have time to write about something, so... I just got off the phone with "The White House".  Have you ever called them before?  I never had.  Kind of funny, for all the calls and emails I've made to state and US congressmen, never The White House.  But I did.  I don't even really know what I said.  The guy who answered was really nice.  And after rambling for a few sentences, I asked if he got all that.  He just laughed and said, I've been here a long time.  I'm sure he has heard it all.  And probably they just tabulate whether people are for or against the President based on the issue.

What did I call about?  The "trillions" of dollars that we are spending.  I've just had it!  Have I mentioned that yet?  It seems most people are not happy with all the spending, everyone I talk to at least.  But apparently people are still happy with the President, or we'd be seeing more backlash.  Maybe it's starting to happen.  But my take is that people don't match the policy with the person.  I think most people want him to succeed.  He was SO optimistic in his rhetoric and hopeful in his mission.  But when the mission got spelled out on paper, and then forced upon you because of an economic emergency, something got lost in translation.  He used the "Emergency Stimulus" to get things passed that had less to do with the economy and more to do with his agenda.  And he can have an agenda.  He should have an agenda.  He's the President!  I hope he has an agenda.  Unfortunately, his agenda is not an emergency.  There has to be discussion and debate.  I know I certainly wouldn't like it if Doug came home and told me we had to buy something that was a lot of money and that I never got to at least help pick out.  I probably wouldn't like it more because I didn't think we needed to spend that kind of money on something like that.  (can you think of anything in particular?)  Isn't that really the rub too?  We all have to manage our households, why can't the government manage its?  Unfortunately, some of the responsibility lies on We The People.

Well, I know I have journaled in the past, so this really isn't something new, but it does seem new. Taking my thoughts online? So that everyone can read?

It's not like I don't want to know what everyone else is thinking. I am the queen of research! No matter the topic, from sleep rituals for children or buying a new kitchen table, I have to look into all the aspects. I want to read all the viewpoints out there so that I can then make a sound decision.

So, I guess now it's my turn. I don't even know what exactly I am going to say. I am a mother, who is home with her children, so since they are my life right now, I'm sure they will influence what I write about. I am a wife, so some will be sharing the joys of marriage! But I am also a follower of Christ trying to learn how to become more like Him. This will definitely be a place to share about my relationship with Jesus. Some of what I am learning comes out of a sense of concern for the times we are living in. The Lord has given me a sense of urgency, even a need to express to someone, anyone who is willing to listen, what is happening in our world. So, hopefully this can be that place too. We'll see what happens!

 Radical

by David Platt