Investing in Kids

I am not a “kid” person.  Or so I thought . . .

Growing up, I wasn’t the person all the little kids flocked to.  Babysitting was not my favorite job, and I thought I could spend my time better elsewhere.  As a young adult, I vowed never to have children because I was not the right person for the job.

Then I met Christ in my 20’s and He transformed my mind, my heart and my soul.

I learned from God’s word children are a blessing from the Lord.  He loved children in scripture and He said, “Let the little ones come to me . . . the Kingdom of the Lord belongs to them”.  (Luke 18:16)  He changed my worldview and my beliefs that had been shaped by culture.

Now, I am (happily) a mom or four wonderful children who I love deeply. I write princess books on character for the next generation.  I homeschool my kids. I love to be with them.  I would still consider myself not a “kid” person.  Playing games with my kids on the floor and coming up with imaginary roles to play has always been a stretch for me.  I would rather teach the kids how to fold laundry or read a book.  For my own kids’ sake, though, I have learned to do these things.

But when it comes to their friends?  I am the mommy who sets up the play dates, but doesn’t invest in the lives of my kids’ friends.  Until recently . . .

At the beginning of this year, we started our Princess Parables Club.  We took each of the books in the series and created a fun day around it for my daughter and her friends.  Teaching, snacks, reading, crafts and playing.  I was doing this both for my daughter and also because I had felt God tug on my heart to do this. But it was something out of my comfort zone.

We just finished up our last meeting with a Princess Parables tea.  Our table was set with fine china.  Tasty goodies baked to perfection for our feast.  The girls each came dressed “fancy” with smiles on their faces.  We learned a little bit about manners and etiquette.  We read Princess Grace and the Little Lost Kitten with a character lesson.  Each girl received a bracelet with charms representing all the different lessons for the weeks we had “Club”.

While these moments are remembered as priceless, I have to say my connection with each of the girls was the greatest treasure to me.  Because of the time spent with them, I felt bonded to these sweet “princesses”.  Each with their own personality and gifts.  I poured in time, love and energy to each one.

I received the greatest gift – their friendship.  Now when I see any of the girls, they are quick to come give me a high-five.  They smile and talk to me as if I am one of their peers – not just their friend’s mom. I am able to be in a place of influence in their lives.  As I continue to pour into some of their lives in the future, who knows where that may lead?  God does, and He has plans for each of these children.

Can I encourage you moms?  As you begin to think about the new school year, ask yourself, “How can be in a place of influence with my kids’ friends?”  Start a group after school in your home.  You won’t be sorry!  I thought I was blessing them, but in the end, they were the ones blessing me!

Jackie's Journey: "If You Can Imagine..."

Life had become routine in the Darien jungles of Panama. The sounds of Howler monkeys, the screeching of magnificent multicolored parrots, and the beauty of the bright colored Toucan had become commonplace.  One morning we woke up to find two little spider monkeys on the front porch crawling on the girls’ bikes! 

I still could not reconcile with: the colossal spiders, the over-sized scorpions, the copious species of snakes, the blood-sucking vampire bats or the jungle army ants!  Nor would I ever find harmony with the dripping humidity and the ever-present roaches, chiggers and mosquitos!  However, I learned to appreciate the large iguanas for their tasty eggs.

Daily the Kunas would greet us early looking for sugar or oil and a morning visit.  We had become part of the community, and they had begun to accept us.  We had brought medicine, oil, and sugar after all!

The Indians had, somewhere along the line, become part of our family and we had become attached to them and their way of life.  We had learned so much from them and were amazed at their physical strength compared to their small stature.  Their ability to take one bullet and return with a deer or two bullets and return with two deer was uncanny.  We, also, learned much from their survival skills in the dense jungle.  But their openness to listen to the truth of God’s Word after a year and a half of total mistrust and resistance was the most astounding of all!   

Watching the young mothers with their babies and the respect and trust these women had for the older women in the village was heartening.  We had grown to love these very special people and had developed a mutually fulfilling relationship.  As they came to know Christ, our hearts were full of gratitude for the privilege of serving the King in such a rugged border region. 

The women swept the village once a week during dry season, and it was an opportunity for Sue Gunsteens, my partner, and I to listen to the women chatter and hear the community gossip.  You didn’t want to miss the sweeping because you would then become the object of their conversation that day!  The sweeping stirred up the tuberculosis germs.   

The Lord had given me a verse during missionary training that I claimed as I swept.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and future”.   Jer.29: 11

I was consistently on guard because of something my Uncle, an orthopedic surgeon, had told me while he was visiting us at Language School.  He spoke quietly: “Jackie, you carry the TB germ from birth; it lays dormant now, but could activate in the right environment or as you get older”.  I was 25, so I only had to focus on the environmental issue, I thought to myself at the time!  During Congreso meetings we knew we had reached a level of tribal acceptance when they offered us a gourd filled with “Chicha” and everyone would drink from it!  Needless to say, I did not want to offend by NOT drinking from that cup! 

 God’s promises are continually sufficient…

The Lord used these powerful words of promise, in the verse above, to banish my fear and sustain me as we swept the village, drank the “sugar cane-sweetened platano (cooking banana) drink” and treated the TB patients in their homes and the clinic.   

He knew my future and had it planned. There was, therefore, no reason to be troubled.  My focus was not on my fear but the need to keep in harmony with Him, His assignment and His will. 

Are you ever preoccupied with the future and what it holds for your life? 

In a world full of uncertainties, it is easy to “roll into” the pattern of helping God design your future, rather than simply submitting to Him and His plan, which comes with assurance and hope!

Parenting, Perseverance, and Porn

The following is a guest blog post from our friends at Generations of Virtue. 

If there is one virtue parents need when they decide to help their children pursue a lifestyle of purity, it is perseverance.

Recently a parent confided that despite her best efforts to keep her child away from pornography (teaching about the harmful effects, installing filtering software, being careful with media choices, etc.), she discovered her child had in fact searched for it. Thankfully, this parent had monitoring software installed on her child’s device, so she was able to tell quickly after the incident happened, what had actually happened. (For a good monitoring software, please check out our top pick: Covenant Eyes)

This parent was wise in her reaction. She didn’t respond in anger or shock, but waited a little while until she could calmly talk to her child about it. As she recounted the story, she was visibly upset. And rightfully so. It’s so traumatizing to know your child has searched out porn. It is shocking and very sad. It can make you feel like you have failed. Especially if you were taking steps to prevent this occurrence.

The temptation is to throw in the towel and say “well, I guess it didn’t work”. Please don’t do this, mom and dad. This would essentially be communicating to your son or daughter that he or she is not worth fighting for. It would also reinforce the myth that pornography addiction is not something you can overcome. Your kids need you to fight for them. They need you to roll with the punches and get back up when failure comes. They need you to remind them that there is nothing Christ has not forgiven and there is nothing that He did not overcome. And this ability to overcome He gives to us, too. Your kids need you to have relentless hope for them. They need you to pray for them and believe the best for them even when they can’t believe it themselves.

Perseverance is an essential element of relentless hope. When you hope for the very best for your kids, you start thinking that despite all the circumstances, despite what I see, despite all the evidence stacked up against me and my children, I choose to believe that we can pursue God’s holiness. We can seek to be like Him. We can overcome everything that is causing us to stumble. We can do this because of the blood of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.

There is a promise in scripture I encourage you to pray over your situation if you find yourself struggling to persevere. Galatians 6:9 says “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

I pray the Lord blesses you and keeps you and helps you to persevere as you raise your children. I am convinced you will reap a very great harvest if you don’t give up.

– Megan Briggs

Megan is a guest blogger from an organization called Generations of Virtue. It is the goal of Generations of Virtue to transform culture, one family at a time, by teaching about sexual integrity and holiness. Megan's position as Product Manager keeps her busy researching, reading resources, managing inventory and speaking to young people.

Jackie's Journey: Scarred for Life

In the early days among the Kuna Indians in the rain forest of Panama, we found ourselves sitting in the weekly meetings of the “Congreso”.  It was here the Kuna leaders decided the village life and activities.  Occasionally, the Colombian woodcutters would join the group and then disappear down the Tuira River back into the jungle.

One afternoon we heard an outboard motor coming up the winding river toward our village.  I could hear the Kunas running to the shoreline and in a few minutes they were screaming for help.  The woodcutter had taken the motor covering off to replace a pin and had not covered the motor again.  He had ducked to miss a low hanging branch, forgetting the blade was still open!  The sharp edge of the blade had sliced into his face and the gash was long and deep, the cheekbone exposed. 

As he cleared the 12’ river embankment toward our house, I could see he was leaning on the men assisting him and there was blood everywhere!  Within minutes the entire village was in our front room, whispering excitedly, each seeking the sordid details.

There was no exaggeration here!  His cheekbone was protruding through the skin and the skin had slipped back toward his ear, leaving a huge gap.  He had taken the only available cloth in the dugout, which was loose cotton, and packed it tightly in the wound to stop the bleeding.

He was now seated on the bench directly in front of me.  He sat silently, calm and trusting.   Looking up, his eyes inaudibly pleaded for help and my heart stopped for a second while I contemplated my next move.  We headed for the rushing clear waters of the river to thoroughly cleanse the wound and remove the cotton. 

My adrenals were now on steroids as I mutely cried out to God for leading and direction!  It had to be sutured from the inside out or it would not hold together…I had sutured fingers, arms, legs (usually machete accidents), but never a face!  Once the gash was cleared of debris, it looked even more intimidating than before!  After a close examination and gathering up the necessary tools to begin this procedure, I laid everything on a cloth…and froze!

In that moment God spoke quietly to my heart, ““I have chosen you, Jackie…so do not fear, for I am with you; be not dismayed.” (Isaiah 41: 10)

I picked up the tweezers and began to remove the last of the stained pieces of cotton before scrubbing the wound and suturing the interior.  Just pulling the two skin flaps together was challenging, but the truth of the matter was…the scar was going to be massive and it was on a very handsome face!

It seemed like forever before I finally dressed the wound and gave him an antibiotic shot.  He never flinched or spoke a single word through the entire procedure!  My husband was sharing with him the entire time.  We prayed for his healing and he stood and left. 

He was not one of the regular woodcutters that lived outside our village, so I thought I would never see him again.

Months later we heard an outboard motor coming up the river and to my astonishment, God brought that young man through our front door!  We were thrilled that he had healed with no infection and the scar that was left was beautiful! 

He was grinning from ear to ear, and he laughed at my little faith!

I am often reminded of the day God “chose me” and told me not to fear, that He was with me and would do what He had called me to do.  Since I am a person whose battleground often involves fear, God’s words to me are profoundly meaningful!

What would you say is your battleground? 

Where are you struggling today?

 Have you identified a pattern in your life that pokes its head up regularly? Maybe it’s anger or bitterness.

Can you hear God’s voice?

when He speaks to you with

promise, rebuke, or instruction regarding your battleground?

John 9:31

Cancel Cancel. And Replace

70% of the words you speak each day are to yourself . . . all inside your own head.

Of those 65,000 thoughts you have each day only 5,000 are new.

What are we telling ourselves?

The majority of us have a variety of negative things we say over and over to ourselves.  Much of it is subconscious, but so much is retold to ourselves in our mind.  We have a constant tape recorder replaying things people told us when we were young or things the Evil One throws out to deceive us.

What is a negative thought?  Whatever is not wholesome, or is proud, or just does not line up with God’s word or His plan.  These untruths bring us into a place of negativity.

Here are some of mine:

You are fat.

You are not good at that.

She doesn’t like you.

You are not a good mother.

I can’t. . . .

I should have . . . .

I know I am not the only one who struggles with negative thinking.  I am told I am a very positive person, but if you only knew the thoughts I struggle with in my head.  I can completely understand why God put this verse in the Bible.

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5

How do we take our thoughts captive?

The thing is, the thought comes in and there is not much we can do about it.  Or so I used to think.  Because my mind created such impulses and desires, I knew I needed to grab on to this verse.  I wanted to handcuff those negative thoughts and throw them in jail!

Once I attended a class on Mental Detoxing and I learned the key to this verse.  It lies in the words “cancel-cancel”.  I started to listen to my inner voice and hear what I had been saying to myself.  Once I identified a negative thought, I would say “cancel-cancel” to myself.  Then I replace the negative thought with a positive one, something more inline with God’s word.  For example, “My body is sick and I am not getting any better”.  I replace it with “God is healing my body and I will get better”.

Much research has gone into the idea that our bodies - our very cells - listen to us.  They take command from us.

Other thoughts I may have like “I am fat” can be replaced with God’s word, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made”. 

You can always substitute a lie, with truth . . . with God’s word.  “Cancel-Cancel” and replace.

So I am encouraging you mom, and myself.  Can we replace those thoughts in our mind with truth, with positive thoughts?

My prayer for us today is Philippians 4:7:

“Father God, I pray for all us moms.  Help us to take our thoughts captive.  May we have the peace of you, Father, which transcends all understanding, that will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus”.

Jackie's Journey: "The World's Changed...Try to Keep Up!"

ll of us have the need to be relevant in every generation.  Something in us wants to make a difference. The effectiveness of all advertising is based on this premise.  We hear the younger saying,  “The world’s changed…try to keep up!”

As a young missionary in my 20’s, my children needed me, my husband needed me, the tribal people needed us, our ministry was consuming and fulfilling, etc.  I looked to those older than I was and saw the need to glean from their experiences.  I had an unpretentious sense of relevancy!

For 5 years in our 30’s we found our relevance in pastoring, evangelizing, teaching, mentoring small groups and “trouble-shooting” in our home church.

We weren’t in that “older” group yet!

Returning to the field, still in our 30’s, we were busy dorm parents to 15 young people at the Mission School.  We had the “big dorm”, and we were blessed with students from five families.  Our need to “turn the hearts of the children to their fathers…” (Malachi 4:6) and the ministry in the local Chame community kept us relevant... we were still viable!

In our late 40’s our girls were in their teens and would soon start college.  Christina attended Biola and would bring her friends from school and church to meet us.

We were becoming the “older” group that had more experience”!

When asked to mentor a group of young college girls, I excitedly responded believing God would give relevance through His Word.  Eventually a group of their prospective husbands took form, which my husband taught!  We were busy church-planting Spanish-speaking churches and over the next 15 years we saw God raise up seven young churches in Southern California, Mexico and Panama.                

God’s was still using us!

Still relevant to our culture and generation in our 50’s, even honored for our faithfulness to our God and His calling on our lives, we actively taught in English and Spanish. 

Now we were really in that “older” group and yet…

God continued to open up opportunities to serve Him.  We had 7 grandchildren and they were magic!  Still church-planting, called to speak, teaching multiple mentoring groups weekly, trouble-shooting with young couples, and writing The Princess Parable Series were all welcomed responsibilities! 

In our 60’s we watched our tiny grandchildren grow like my garden weeds (really fast!!) and they now stand taller than I do!

Keeping relevant is an absolute pre-requisite to maintaining the open hearts of your grandchildren!  Finding that conversational relevance in a “generation time warp” is a prayer-filled occupation of mine!

Now… here is the rub.  The world’s younger generation looks at “age” and determines its value.  Consequently, they, then, turn their attention to the more appealing relevance of younger mentors, pastors, and teachers, rather than the older generation.   

We are, after all, each expendable to the more like-minded, trendier, faster-moving and thinking generation!

Can’t you hear it?  “The world’s changed…try to keep up”!

God never changes…cultures do, ideologies do, and philosophies do…

Relevance is a basic need to stay connected.

It is tied directly to an understanding of God and His inerrant Word!

Our present day cultural insurgence has been saturated in a declining morality of divorce, abortion, pornography, social-acceptance determined by social tolerance, adoption of the “acceptable sins” (you know…demanding personal rights, entitlement - I deserve this!, wrong attitudes, anger, deplorable speech, actions etc.).

The young are bent on convincing their offspring to:

(1)  “Stand up for yourself; be more aggressive” – disregarding God’s command to follow His example of serving others… first.

(2)   “Look for your own path in life” –disregarding the instruction in the Word to look for the Will of God…first

(3)   “Claim your rights; you are entitled” – disregarding God’s command to yield all your rights to Him… first.  No anger for your personal benefit.

(4)  “Be first” at everything  - disregarding God’s command to make others successful…first!  

(5)   “Live in the Now” - disregarding kingdom teaching. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God….and all these things will be added unto you”. Matt. 6:33

In a day when our culture is being eroded from within, our godly history is being re-written and the Word of God is being ripped of its inerrant integrity, we need relevance for our day if we are to present truth that promotes change.  

What can we offer that people need?

We ask ourselves that question whether overtly or subliminally every time we come in contact with another person.  We are relevant when we discern the need of the individual we are speaking to and risk whatever it takes to meet that need for the other person’s success.

It is not age that makes us relevant…it is His life in us as we aggressively stand up with Godly conviction and step into the space He puts us in…wherever, with whomever that may be!

The purpose of relevance is to keep the truth of God’s Word alive in us for the benefit of others! 

Will you make yourself relevant today in the life of someone who is in need?

Recharge Your Batteries

I have often thought moms do little for themselves.

We are busy taking care of children, being a wife and focused on keeping a home.  Yes, we are doing Kingdom work right in our homes.  And it is a 24/7 job!

But, honestly, are you tired?

Are you burned out?

Have you snapped at your children lately?  Or your husband?

A few weeks ago, in Yosemite, I stole the time to take one of the art classes in the National Park – four hours long!  My mom and friends watched the kids as I sat under the trees painting Half Dome.

I learned to see the world from a contemporary modern artist.  While this is not my favorite medium, I learned something new.  I was able to reflect on the glory of God amidst the towering granite rocks and small wildflowers at my feet.  God’s majesty is everywhere in creation and painting it brings me closer to Him.

I did not feel guilty.  Perhaps years ago I would have, but now after cancer, I see the value in time away.  Time to breathe.  Time to reflect.  Not only do I strive to do this daily in a quiet time, but now I seek out opportunities that fill my soul regularly. 

I take time to recharge so when I am present with my family and my husband, I am truly present.

This is no easy task.  At home and in my life, there are thousands of things to do and lists to accomplish.  I have to carve out the time and make it a priority.  No one else will do this, but me!

So can I encourage you, moms of princesses and knights?

Can you take time for yourself this week?  And when you do, put into action 1 Cor. 10:31.  Find your place and “bring glory to God” wherever you are.

A couple of ideas:

1. Do something active.  Take an exercise class, ride your bike, or take a walk.
2. Do something soothing. Take a bubble bath. Go to the spa, or get a massage.  Go to coffee with a friend.
3. Do something outdoors.  Go to nature.  Wherever you live, God is there in His creation.  The mountains, the beach, the desert.  Find a quiet spot and journal, hike or paint.
4. Do something quiet.  Read a book alone with a candle lit and your favorite drink.  Watch the sunrise.
5. Do something creative.  Take the hobby out of the closet.  Start it up again: quilting, scrapbooking, pottery class, whatever makes you happy.

Our kids and our husbands love it when mom is happy and joyful. 

How will you find time for yourself this week?

Jackie's Journey: Invisible...Who?

“Is not wisdom found among the aged?

Does not long life bring understanding?”

Job 12: 12

The “Mom Song” is the voice of the ever diligent, often-unheard invisible Mother.

However, there is another category of individuals that are even more imperceptible…grandmothers and great-grandmothers!

Regardless of our involvement in the lives of our children and grandchildren, they reach an age of development (if we have done our job) where their need for us lessens.  They now have their own friends and activities that occupy the time that was once ours!  Life is a whirlwind of academics, team sports, community outreach, horses, theater and musical practices and performances, tennis coaches and tournaments, swim practices and meets, church youth group activities, bible studies, revivals, camps, etc.…! 

Finally, one day… they get driver’s licenses!

Keeping pace with all of this is a tremendous challenge…for all of us!  I am a grandmother of seven; my mother is a great-grandmother of 25 great-grandchildren! She lives on her own, caring for herself, alert with a memory that would put an elephant to shame!  She gives new meaning to the verse in Job 12.  There are very few topics that have applicability to our everyday life, that if asked, she cannot wisely put in perspective, yet she speaks of her need to keep relevant.

I have thought about the statement made by Mom and Job’s proclamation and wondered why in our 21st century culture the advanced in age feel they are being set to one side, listened to less and invisible in a large group of the younger generation.  

These vital soldiers have earned their place among those who should be the most honored, respected and valued in our culture. Titus 2: 3-5 admonishes “the older” women to be reverent in the way they live and to train the younger.”  There is so much to be gleaned from these seasoned veterans that have gone before us, paving the way.  We will quickly step into the print they have left behind!

Our local churches defer to the younger generation. They fill the jobs in women’s ministry and teach the even younger.  The young no longer turn to the older generation.  They have been replaced with quick and empty answers found in the latest technology, social media and their peers.

BUT…“Is not wisdom found among THE AGED”?

While in Panama, our good friends, the Jenkins, a couple with perfect pitch and harmony put this definition below to music.  I have been humming it for years and sing it out loud when my natural inclination to think “I’m all that!” overrides what Scripture says should be the godly point of view!

“Reverence is acknowledging that God is using in my life, people and events to produce the character of Christ in me”.  It is wisely looking at life’s situations (all of them!) from God’s point of view, not my own,  

THEN… the warning:

So be wise my son (daughter), heed my instruction (instantly placing myself in harmony with Him and His will and directives), leave that road that leads to destruction, hallow my name (don’t walk in shame…Proverbs 23: 17,18)

The Word is rich with wise instruction concerning our attitude toward the “old”.  

Psalm 92: 14 gives us A PROMISE when speaking of the advanced in age that bear the fruit of the righteous:

“They will STILL bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming the Lord upright; he is my Rock and there is no wickedness in him”!

• Deut. 28:50 mentions “a fierce-looking nation without RESPECT for the old”…(Respect should be expected…this nation was noted for its disrespect!)
• The Third Commandment is devoted to the HONOR our parents are to receive from us!  (There is no designated age termination for this command!)  
• Joseph brought his father and his entire family to live with him in Egypt during the famine. (We are to be concerned for them and look for opportunities to meet their need)
• The Old Testament saints carried the dead bones (!) of their ancestors with them when God moved them to another country! (Talk about reverence!)
• Somehow the patriarchs of old wisely led nations for generations before dying a “good old age”.  “1 Chronicles 29:28”

Age does not define our relevance, but it often reveals our place of usefulness in our present culture.  All of us have the need to be connected.  You may be saying, “Well my mother, grandmother, great-grandmother (etc.) is not deserving of my honor and respect”.  We do not choose our place of birth but we do choose how we allow God to use our circumstances to produce His life in us! 

Psalm 39: 5 tells us what God thinks about age, spoken by David:

“You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath”!

I have been told that it is not how old you are, but how you are old.  I agree with Bernard Baruch who said, “To me – old age is fifteen years older than I am!”  My Dad used to say “Growing old isn’t so bad when you consider the alternative”.

Life is inordinately SHORT!  There is always enough time “to heed His instruction”.  There are no exception clauses to obedience…just the command!

So be wise, my daughter, heed His instruction, leave that road that leads to destruction…hallow His Name, don’t walk in shame…”

How do you wisely show honor for those who have gone before you?

Do your little princesses and princes see and hear your reverence for “the aged”?

Will you commit yourself and “heed His instruction” to acknowledge, honor

 and encourage your mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers this week? 

Don’t hinder God’s work!

These “invisible” personalities are God-given with the divine purpose

of producing the character of Christ in us!

The Difficult Child

Most of us have one.

The child who makes us more Godly.  The one who plays by his own rules, who makes us want to pull our hair out at times.  The one who keeps us up at night and who makes us leave the grocery store while in a tantrum.  Sally Clarkson calls him “the tail that wags the dog”.  Others call him “the difficult child”.

They are often the ones most like us.  The ones we see great potential in.  They become inventors, CEOs, actors, world changers and life shapers.  But first they are children in our homes.  Given to us, by God, to nurture, raise and build into. 

One year, we were headed to the Mom Heart conference at a nice hotel.  I was going to be speaking and my kids were going to be the welcoming committee in charge of passing out chocolate.  Dressed up with baskets in hand, my girls listened while I gave instructions in the car for the duties ahead.  One daughter began complaining about having to serve.  She didn’t want to help.  As I parked the car, I saw her get out of the car and begin to have a two-year tantrum on the hotel asphalt ground.

My first instinct with this kind of conduct is to reprimand in a very stern voice, “Get up off the ground! This is not the kind of behavior I expect!  You are embarrassing Mama. Get up this instant!”  The flailing continued.

Flashing before my eyes, I saw the sign hanging on my refrigerator. “Today, the moment when I am most repelled by a child's behavior, that is my sign to draw the very closest to that child.” ~ Ann Voskamp

Sitting down on the filthy ground, I began to cradle my very large baby and sing to her.  Speaking words of truth, love and grace, I stroked her hair and smiled at her.  The scene in the parking lot did draw attention, and my older children remained strapped into their seats, slightly embarrassed.  A near 10 minutes passed.  Suddenly, she reached for her basket of chocolates, jumped up and skipped into the hotel.

All she wanted was time from me.

While this is not always the case, my complex child continues to keep me on my toes.  She is my puzzle to figure out.  Every day can bring new challenges.

I often ask God, “Why did You think I was ready for the task of raising this kind of child?”

His answer is simple.  He knows what is best for me.  He knows what it will take to make me more like His son.  He knows I need to learn patience, strength and wisdom.  He knows I need to be more loving and understanding.  All of these lessons are wrapped up in one little nine-year old ball of energy, and she is all mine!

If I can remember to draw near to her in these moments, I will win her heart.  If I remember to stop my busy schedule and focus on her in the times she needs me, she responds to the King of the universe.  If I get down on my knees at these times on her level, she calms her heart and can enter into all God has planned for her.  “Draw the very closest to that child”.

How do you reach your difficult child?

Jackie's Journey: The Inspiration of Gratefulness!

“Give thanks in all circumstances (inclusive; no exceptions!), for this is God’s will for you…” 1 Thess. 5:19

Recently a missionary friend posted a picture from our New Tribes Missionary school.  It was taken in what we called “the little dorm” in our early years on the field.  In the picture of about 15 children were my two daughters.  Christina was about 4 and in the foreground was a less-than-2-year-old Kim.  The picture was not significant in itself but the fact that I could not recall when my girls could have ever been in that picture was significant!  I literally, burst into tears!

Christina, my eldest daughter, reminded me that they had spent 6 weeks in “the little dorm” after I was flown out of our village with a ruptured appendix.  There was unrest in Panama City (guns in the streets, riots, etc.) and the Military Police were closing the airport!  We were the last fight allowed to land or take off.  I was hastily loaded onto a gurney directly out of the plane and I watched our Cessna take off into the stormy skies with my two little ones inside! 

I was unaware of most of what was transpiring around me, but I knew my circumstance was bad.  I was rushed to the Military Hospital and was rapidly being moved down the corridor, when Ralph heard someone call his name.  He turned to see a Surgeon that we had recently met through our Pucuro partners.  She had been on duty for 72 hours when she caught a glimpse of Ralph in the hall and instantly turned to help us, never leaving our side until she had run tests, completed my emergency laparotomy and safely escorted us to the ICU hours later.  God had gone before us and sent her to us in His perfect timing…

This is the posted picture!  Are these not the cutest missionary children…ever!!

I am emotionally astounded that I was so desperately ill that I did not know where my two little girls were in those first days! My recovery was slow and I ran a low-grade fever for a year after this event.  Wanting to reunite our family as quickly as possible and return to the interior, which was our home, we found ourselves in a quandary because we could not get a release from the doctors to go back! 

As I’m writing this, my past and present merge and the surge of gratefulness is overwhelming!

How many people can you think of offhand who have benefited your life in the past?  Whose name immediately comes to mind?

Gratefulness is recognizing the benefits, which God and others have provided.

From the pilot risking his life to save mine to the missionary families who sacrificially opened their hearts and homes to us to see me recover, my heart overflows with inexpressible thanksgiving for their generosity toward our family during this conflicting time in our lives. 

Gratitude is the memory of the heart!  It is said to be the parent of all the other virtues.  My gratitude for those members of the field that picked up the slack and totally covered for me is overpowering.  

Norman and Barbara Slaymaker were the “little dorm” parents at that time and took the loving responsibility of my babies for six weeks after our pilot, Scotty, and his wife, Mary, filled the gap in those first few days in Panama City.  After leaving the hospital, John and Ruth Jenkins, our busy field leaders, “adopted us” for another six weeks (!) until the doctors would release us to return to our post!  What a tremendous weight we must have been…a family of 4 for months!!! 

My memories are scattered and few.  I isolated myself into a survival mode.  I really thought I was going to die.  I had no time for tears and cannot remember even wanting to cry during those weeks, although I am sure I must have and those whose care I was under would readily attest that I did!  My heart cannot express the genuine gratitude that is flooding my eyes and consciousness as I write this!  I am mentally rehearsing the personal cost of the missionary families that encouraged me during those days and blanketed me with prayer and hands of intervention!

Why this flood of overwhelming gratefulness?  Why now?  What is it about life that at unexpected moments God opens our awareness to the magnitude of His Sovereignty, Majesty, Grace and Mercy on our behalf?  

I am sitting here with a keen mindfulness of:

• My Unworthiness…and His Holiness!   
• My Pretense of thinking I have any kind of control in this life (other than to choose to walk with Him)…and His complete and encompassing Rule and Protection!
• My Powerlessness…and His Omnipotent Presence, faithfully accomplishing His purpose with my blindness to His silent footsteps all around me!
• My Desperate Need to express my gratefulness and indebtedness to God and others! 

Do you make it a habit to thank God and others for the many things in life that others take for granted?

I would like to express my gratitude to you for joining me each Monday morning and for your encouraging words.  I am so blessed! 

Will you take time today to reflect glory back to Him… the Author of every blessing?  Let’s take today’s opportunity to acknowledge those who have and are benefiting our lives!