We are snowed in AGAIN! But as I was looking out my window this morning I saw ice cycles lining my gutters and I was reminded of this video: You Make All Things New. A couple years ago I was asked to write a piece on winter to accompany a Kanakuk Ministries video.
Whatever season you find yourself in today, I pray that you are encouraged by this.
He ALONE makes all things NEW!
Through the month of November, we are selling the e-book version of our book, Dancing On My Ashes, for a special price! Our publisher gave us a price break and we’d like to pass it on to you! Soooo, you can purchase the e-book version of Dancing On My Ashes from us (using our paypal link) for $5! {Our publisher sells it for $13.99, and Amazon sells it for $9.99!}
If you’ve already purchased a copy of our book, but you’ve always thought you’d like to buy one for so-and-so, this is the PERFECT opportunity! No pressure over here, we just want to pass along this price break. We are confident that it will find its way into the right hands at the right time. God continues to blow us away by the incredible testimonies we hear of God working in hearts, minds, and souls. May His good news go forth!
Thankful for what God is doing and has done with our story, which is truly His Story of redemption, hope, grace, and unfailing love! (If you have no idea what our book is about, you can go here and read a bit of our story OR you can watch our short video.)
{Note: After purchase, you will receive an email from us that includes instructions on how to download your e-book! We’ll get that to you as soon as we can!}
SALE ENDS NOVEMBER 30, 2013, at MIDNIGHT.
Here’s where you need to go:
by Heather Spring
Dear Sweet Boy,
You’ve probably noticed I’ve been a bit weepy this week, as we’ve gotten you ready for school. You are so big!
How did we get here so fast? I mean, wasn’t it just yesterday that I was staring at your 6-pound self as you slept in the bassinet a few inches to my left? Wasn’t it just yesterday that I was changing your diapers and begging you to say Momma? I know you don’t have those images etched in your memory the way I do, but these were life-changing moments for me that will always make my heart swell when I pause to take them in. So, yes, I’m teary today as my heart plays catch up with your independence. Time does fly when you’re having fun, and as quickly as we’ve gotten here, I’m reminded by just about every parent with older children, that in a blink of an eye, I’ll be writing you a letter as you leave for college. {Okay, cannot go there!} Your daddy and I have worked so hard to teach you how to do things by yourself, and now everything in me wishes we hadn’t. But that’s just a little piece of me. The other piece of me loves watching you do, be, and create. Which brings me to the second reason I’m teary…
I’m sooo stinkin’ proud of you! You are a little person—so grown-up at times. You are becoming generous, helpful, courageous, considerate, and a leader. God has made you super-duper unique and I’m speechless at times as I witness His design through you. There’s nothing like hearing your questions and seeing your brain at work. I pray that your sweet spirit will not be squelched by this world.
I am your mom. I take my role seriously. And it’s hard for me to be away from you for so many hours in a day! So here’s some thoughts to take with you… it’s my way of “going” with you:
1. Tell the truth, even if you think you’re going to get in trouble. I promise it’s worse to lie, or try to cover it up. That feeling in the pit of your stomach when you don’t tell the truth is worse punishment than just coming clean. There will be times you disappoint people in your life, but just remember our love for you remains, and there is an unending well of grace that you can draw from.
2. Listen to your teachers. Show the adults in your life respect. You are going to see some of your friends be unkind to teachers, or not listen to the rules, but don’t follow their example. Teachers are there to encourage and guide you as you grow up. We, your leaders, don’t always get everything right all the time, but even so, show us grace as we grow. You’ll do this momma’s heart good to hear you show the adults in your life proper respect—“Yes.” “Please.” “Thank you.” “I will.” “What can I do to help you?”
{Now if someone you don’t know tries to hurt you or you feel like you’re in danger, remember: NO, GO, YELL, TELL! You can also kick them in that place I told you about.}
3. Eat your lunch. There are starving children in Africa. There really are. Eat your food.
4. See God in others. If you look—really look; you’ll see it—beauty. God has made everyone so special! He’s put his fingerprints on us. It’s one of my favorite things to do, to look for the special qualities in others.
5. Be a friend. I know you’ll want friends, but to make friends you need to be a friend. When you’re bummed that you don’t have anyone to play with at recess, be on the lookout for someone else that might be “all lonely” (as you like to say). To have friends, you must first BE A FRIEND.
6. You don’t have to be first. It’s okay to let others go before you—it can be a lot of fun actually. You’ll be the line leader at times, soak it up and live it up, but there’s other ways of being a leader and sometimes that’s by letting another go before you.
7. This learning stuff takes work. Don’t lose heart if for some reason you’re not getting everything as fast as your neighbor. Just keep after it! We can waste time and energy comparing ourselves to someone else, so instead, strive to keep your head in the game—you’ll get there! I know how easily you get distracted, you might get that from me, but just remember how long it took you to figure out how to put the straw in your Capri Sun? Seriously! That took some practice, right buddy? But now you’re a poking machine!
8. Have fun. Laugh. Be a six-year-old. Talk about poop and legos until your heart’s content. I love your little brain that is obsessed with turtles, Lego-Batman, and revving up your imaginary motorcycle (which is actually in the shop getting fixed, you mentioned). Honestly, I probably don’t have to tell you to have fun, because you can’t help it, you are the PARTAY! So, maybe this one’s for me. I don’t say it enough! I usually hear myself saying, “hurry up” not “have fun!”
9. It’s not a bad thing to be different. I know we’ve talked about how not everyone loves Jesus. I know you still can’t fathom that being the case, but it’s true. Not everyone’s going to believe what you believe and that might make you feel “different” at times. But I promise, this is normal, this is natural, and it’s a reality that you will feel for the rest of your life. But once you really get this, a confidence will trump any other negative feelings you may be receiving from others. He’s worth it, sweet boy! He’s worth it!
10. Kids can be mean, but you don’t have to be. Bullies are out there, unfortunately. And when you come home torn up over what someone said to you—that was intentionally meant to hurt you—it will take everything in me not to go to lunch with you the next day to give them the mom-stare over some s’mac and cheese. But I won’t. But just know, that kids that want to hurt your feelings, probably are themselves…hurting. So let’s pray together for them.
11. Girls can be your friends. Ignore anyone that bugs or teases you about having a “girlfriend.” We’ll talk about girls in MUCH greater detail later, but for now, just remember you’ll want to be nice to girls now because I promise you’ll want to get to know them more later. Dad already had the sex talk with you when you were a day old, so he thinks you’re good to go, but I think we’ll probably have to revisit it later. You finally have come to terms that I am off-the-market and we won’t be getting married, even so, I am more than okay with being the “girl” in your life.
12. You are loved. This really is the most important thing. That’s why I say it so often. Because when people know that they’re loved, it changes how they live. When you, Noah, really grasp how much you are loved—not only by your momma and daddy—but by the God who knit you together in my womb, then everything else will come naturally. The loving, the listening, the working… all of it, will be an outflow of the inflow. Believing you are loved is empowering. It’s humbling (I know you don’t know what that word means, yet, but it’s a good word). Being loved frees you from feeling like you have to be “good” enough for my love. Your understanding of all of this will grow—but for now, as you walk away from the car and disappear inside your elementary school, hear my words: I LOVE YOU!
13. You are my arrow. There will be a day that I release you, but (thankfully) the time has not come. But even today, you, my arrow, are being made. And over time, by delicate art and focus, your daddy and I, striving to follow God’s leading, are crafting and shaping you into an arrow with grand purpose. Our God will direct us every step of the way. And I have a feeling before I know it, I’ll be placing my arrow into the bow, drawing you back to release and watch you fly.
But even tomorrow, as you’re walking through the double doors I see a foreshadowing of things to come. Go, my little arrow. You are not alone. Our God is with you and your momma is praying for you like crazy.
Love,
Mom
Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. -Psalm 127: 3-5
by Heather Spring
My son Noah is five and is learning so much this year! He’s been working on writing words. He’s learned how to break down sounds and write what he hears. I am a VERY proud momma! So the other day he handed me this note:
I held it in my hand and sounded it out: ” I am mad at you!” Staring down at the penguin notebook, I immediately started praising him for writing a sentence, “Buddy, that’s GREAT! I can read this—good job!” As I began to look up, still commending him for his job well done, I was greeted with a big scowl and arms folded in disgust. “Ooooh,” I said, “I get it… you’re mad at me! I’m sorry I’ve made you mad… but, YOU ARE WRITING!”
I’ve been thinking about this over the last few days. And it’s made me think about my relationship with God. (There’s nothing like a good old fashion hate note to get you thinking, right?) When we accept Jesus as Lord, we are told that we can call Him Abba! Daddy! (Romans 8:15) He says we can speak to Him. We can crawl up in His “spiritual” lap and enjoy simply being with our Daddy. We can tell Him anything… even that we’re mad at Him. We can storm off to our room and then slip Him a note on a penguin pad that says, “I um mad at yo! (Insert mad face with VERY furious eyebrows!) We can fold our arms and give Him the best pouty face we can dare muster up.
Communicating our frustration with Him is better than the alternative… not talking to Him at all. Not trusting Him with our feelings, with our frustrations, or with our disappointments. Growing distant or giving God the silent treatment does not grow our relationship—it hinders it.
I have to admit, that’s a habit/cycle in my life that I’ve had to work really hard to break. There have been times I’ve thought I could teach my spouse a lesson by giving him the cold shoulder. I’ve grown cold to friends in hopes that they would get the message that “I am not happy with you!” I’ve even thought I could teach God a lesson, by pulling away. But lack of communication with God hurts us. Distance cannot mend. It cannot bring about healing or understanding. It is not a relationship builder—it is a relationship breaker. It thwarts growth and steals the opportunity to love despite differing opinions. And lets be honest, we have a skewed and limited perception of real love and what that looks like. Can’t we just take Him at His word that Father knows best?
I’m thankful Noah felt comfortable enough to say to me, “I am mad at you!” I want to know how he’s feeling. Maybe truth will reign as we communicate. And maybe he’ll hear my heart as I seek to show him there is love even in discipline. There’s love even in the “No’s.” That simple expression of frustration might usher in deeper intimacy and trust despite feelings. Honesty is vital! You can’t understand His love for you if you are not willing to be real before your Daddy.
Maybe there’s someone out there that needs to stop being religious and start being real. Sometimes we play the “I’m fine” card when we are anything BUT fine!
Have you had this conversation?
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m fine,” I say, purposefully not making eye contact and scrubbing the counter.
“Are you sure? You don’t seem fine.”
“I’m FINE!” I say with more force as I seek more things to clean in a rage. (Sidenote: you think you can get a lot of cleaning done when you’re mad, but you just start cleaning in circles. I don’t recommend it.)
My husband won’t let me play the “I’m fine” card. Here’s one of my favorite moments when I tried to play my card and Dallas called me out! We’d had the above conversation and at that point he had been following me around as I cleaned in huff. After tailing me from room to room with no interaction he said, “I feel like Patrick Swayze in that scene in Ghost when he’s following around Demi before he realizes he’s a ghost.” At that point I turned and made eye contact with him and began laughing so hard I seriously forgot what I had been fuming about. And after I remembered… I was mad again… just kidding! We had honest communication and the relationship was strengthened.
God’s not Patrick Swayze. He’s alive! He longs for us to be real and talk to Him… even if we need to confess, “I’m mad at You!”
Tell Him how you are feeling even if you know that you are not justified in your feelings! Honest confession is not only beneficial in this relationship, but it’s necessary. And the good news is… if He has anything to do with it, you won’t stay mad long. His kindness leads to repentance and repentance leads to our growth and growth leads us to wholeness and in our wholeness we mirror our Daddy. And there’s nothing like looking more like Him.
So what do you need to say to Him today?
by Holly Ann (artwork provided by Kathrine Tripp)
Often, when Heather and I share our story, we close the service with a time of “remembering.” We’ll place river rocks in designated spots throughout the room, and invite people to pause and reflect on the difficult times that God has seen them through. The next step is for each of them to write words on these rocks that identify those times. Finally, we encourage everyone to take their rock and place it somewhere in a prominent place at their home or work as a visual reminder of God’s faithfulness.
I have a rock that sits on my dresser at home. The words “FAMILY, HEALTH, DREAMS” tattoo my rock as a reminder of key moments in my life that God intervened and turned my circumstances around. There have even been times when I catch a glimpse of my rock that I physically have to pause. Overwhelming peace rushes in as I remember once again how faithful of a God I serve!
This practice is very similar to what is seen throughout the Old Testament. Recently, I’ve been camping out in the book of Genesis and have been reminded of the importance of altars. Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Moses, just to name a few, regularly built altars to worship the LORD. These altars were extremely significant. They symbolized communion with the LORD. They were a place of worship and a place to remember His covenant and promises.
Last week I found myself asking, “What ‘altar’ have I prepared for the LORD lately?” These moments in Scripture captured the heart of God; they got His attention. I wanted a visual—SOMETHING—even a physical act that I could perform to thank God for His goodness in my life. I wrestled with these thoughts all day. Later that night, after sharing this growing tension inside of me with my hunk-of-a-man, Aaron reminded me that it’s not about the “altars” we prepare, IT’S OUR LIVES.
Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice” – 1 Samuel 15:22
Honestly, I REALLY didn’t like this answer. It seemed too simple. I wanted something a little more complicated. But the more I pondered this, I realized that this is the ultimate sacrifice to the LORD and there is NOTHING easy about it! Scripture is actually quite clear.
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” – Romans 12:1
HERE’S THE PRACTICAL TAKE-AWAY:
The way we honor Him… the way we remember His faithfulness… is with our lives.
Today, we don’t build our altar and then walk away. Our altar moves. It walks. It talks. We remember His goodness in how we respond to conflict. We remember His faithfulness when we show compassion to those in need around us. We remember His grace when we honor our spouse. We remember His love when we choose to forgive the person who’s devastated us. We celebrate His death and resurrection when we work at our daily, mundane tasks with a grateful heart.
It is our constant, rising aroma of worship.
I fully know that I will FAIL maintaining this level of “remembrance” in my life, but when I do (and unfortunately that is more often than I’d like) I fall back on His grace and remember once again…
LORD, this LIFE is yours!
And I will remember you with ALL of me.
I’ve been a bit teary this morning as I’ve been reading God’s Word. It’s in these moments when the Word seems so clear…
an exposing of deeds,
of thought,
of motive,
of desire.
There’s nothing like it. There’s NOTHING like Him! How can a book contain such treasures that I can read it until the day I die and still continue to have awakenings and “Aha” moments that leave me speechless? I have to confess, I’m fearful of growing cold. I’m fearful that I will miss Him, simply because I don’t care. But this morning was a reminder that,
The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)
We have a personal God. And by His very Spirit that has made it’s home in every believer and through His Word that’s alive and active, we are
ushered into peace,
given hope,
promised a future,
granted joy that sustains.
We may fear that we will fail Him… but HE WILL NEVER FAIL US!
HE WILL NEVER FAIL YOU!
His promise to never leave or forsake US is one aspect of His love that draws me back to Him every day. Today was one of those mornings. It was almost as if God Himself nestled Himself beside me. In one hand he cupped my shoulder, pulling me in as if to cradle me in an embrace, and with the other He held His book and read His Letter into my ears. His voice is peaceful but strong. It’s thick and full, yet quiet all at the same time. I remember a time that all this black, white, and red didn’t mean much. I knew that it should, but it didn’t. Being “born again” is real. A new Heather came to life with new eyes and a new heart. I’m not bragging here… well, if I’m bragging I can only brag about the grace that’s been extended to me. The veil has been removed.
… but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:17)
Do you know Him? Have you let Him speak His Word over your heart today? What is He saying to you? I’d love to hear what you are learning. Feel free to post a phrase or maybe a Scripture that’s been heavy on your heart as a way of fulfilling our calling to…
… encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3:13)
Dancing On My Ashes 