Weeping....

".....weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5

I love this verse. It is such a reminder that sorrow doesn't last forever....there will be JOY again. The night may be dark. It may seem long. It may bring pain....trembling....foreboding....

but, in the morning, there will be joy.

There will be peace.

There will be comfort.

There will be rest (no matter how un-restful the night had been.)

There will be celebrating.....

REJOICING.

I absolutely love this weeping willow tree. It stands so regally near my home. I took this picture when I was running one morning. The sun was rising beautifully behind the tree. As I thought of the sad tree, the weeping willow, the sun was a reminder that in the morning there will be

JOY.

Blessings!

Pushin' with you, girls....

Have you ever been desperate for God? Have you experienced a time when it seemed God had abandoned you? A time when you just couldn't "feel" God's Presence?

Most of you know that my father-in-law passed away right before Thanksgiving. Then....we went right into the holidays. I felt immense pressure being a first year homeschooling family. My church is going through HUGE struggles right now. We have been here since we moved to Iowa- for 13 years- this is my family. And of course, just "life" seemed to deal me a blow at every corner. Andrew has been asking tough questions about his faith and God (he is 14). Bills, laundry, the cares of home of family....

I found myself avoiding God. Instead of crying out to Him, I ran away from Him. There were plenty of distractions to keep me busy....the Wii, the computer, the TV, activities....anything to avoid facing the "work" of allowing God to heal my heart.

Boy, the enemy LOVES when we do this. It is a perfect opportunity for him to kick us when we're down. He brings everything possible into our lives to further discourage us- a forgotten bill to pay, a cold, fighting kids- you name it. You know, "what ever CAN go wrong DOES go wrong!" And, then he whispers in your ear, "You're a failure. You are not good enough. You are unloved. No one appreciates you. God isn't there."

Sisters, know those are COMPLETE lies from the enemy!

I (you) are loved. Yes, I could never be "good" enough, but thanks be to God, I don't have to be! I am perfect in Christ! In Christ, I am MORE than good enough....in Christ I have everything I need and His grace is sufficient for me. I am NOT a failure, but "more than a conqueror" in Christ Jesus. God appreciates me. He has numbered the very hairs on my head. I am "precious and honored" in His sight. God is here. He has never left me. He calls to me. Whispers to me.

"I will never leave you. I will never forsake you. I am with you wherever you go."

So, as I walk through this wilderness, the Promised Land in my sight, I cry out like David, "O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You. My soul thirsts for You, my body longs for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

I have seen You in the sanctuary and beheld Your power and Your glory. Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You. I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your name, I will lift up my hands."
I am at Laced with Grace today sharing about SPIRITUAL BATTLES and how I fought this latest one.... I hope you jump over there to read it!

Also, THANK YOU so much for all of your prayers as I have been walking this road. Many days they have truly gotten me through. Thank you, friends.

I rebuke the puke!!!!!!!

Well.....after eight or nine times of getting up with Aaron last night ( and several days of Abigail and Aly already having this junk!), I remembered this blog post from February 2008! I was giggling at 3:00 A.M as I was REBUKING the PUKE!!! Rereading it has encouraged me and I hope it blesses you as well! Here it is:

First published 2/8/2008
OK, now that I have your attention with that title.........!

It has been sooo long since I posted anything- since Jan. 18th. I have "written" so many posts in my head over the past few weeks. Does anyone else blog in their head?????? Anyway, it has been a crazy time for the Berta family and the enemy has been in full force on the prowl, attacking at every opportunity.

It began right after Christmas, with my hormones taking a weird swing, which resulted in a 36 day long period, trips to the doctor, exams and an ultra sound. I am great, praise God! But, I have a whole new appreciation for the woman who bled for 12 years and was healed by Jesus!

January continued with two repair man visits for our washing machine, extensive dental work replacing two crowns and 3 hours of drilling (ouch!), purchasing an elliptical machine that was malfunctioned (and several phone calls to Nordic Trac and Sears, who were both wonderful!), my 40th birthday (which was awesome, including a big party), 3 ice/snow storms, about 25 inches of snow, four snow days with the kids home, various school projects for my 3 oldest kids, and now the "sickies" running through 4 of my 5 kids, including Abigail, our baby. Ashley, the second child to come down with this junk, threw up blueberry oatmeal, which took the whole morning trying to remove the stain. Just when we sure we over it, Aaron threw up in his bed. (Will I ever get caught up on the laundry?????)

Today, while praying for Aaron, I couldn't stop laughing when I said, in the name of Jesus, "I rebuke the puke!" Thank you, God that you have a great sense of humor and that truly you do not give us more than what we can bear.

Interestingly, I am speaking in February at a ladies' retreat. Now, experiencing attack before a conference or retreat has been something I have come to expect from the enemy. He doesn't have any new tricks. He tries to distract me and steal the joy from my life. I know the temptation is there for me to question/doubt what I am speaking and teaching: God is great..... that "He that is in me is greater than he that is in the world."...... that "I am more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus"..... that I will have trouble and tribulation in this world, but praise be to God, Jesus has overcome the world! And, "I can do all things through Christ Jesus who gives me strength."

Now, you may be wondering what I am speaking on at the retreat. The message is about leaning on Jesus in daily life- depending on your relationship with Jesus Christ to triumph over the mundane day-to-day trials and tribulations of life, all the while experiencing joy and peace. God is so good! He always gives me lots of examples/experiences from my daily life to use as examples in my talks. LOL. Seriously, God does allow me, as a speaker, to live out the Truth I am going to be sharing with women. I am able to sympathize with their daily trials and share how God helps me.

The enemy wants us to believe that our God isn't interested in the "small" things of life. So many times it is not the HUGE disasters or crisis, it is the accumulation of all the ordinary things that get us down. We get distracted with life and all of its circumstances and we forget to bring it all to the feet of the One who can help us. Or, we think we should be able to handle it. The enemy whispers to us, "failure" when we struggle. We allow Satan to suck the joy from our lives, and we get "down trodden."

Beloved, our God is able to do "immeasurably (can't even measure it!) more than all we ask or imagine..." The Amplified says, "He is able to carry out His purpose and do super-abundantly, far over and above all that we dare ask (love that) or think[infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]...." And, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." God doesn't want to be there just in those horrible, devastatingly hard times of life, He wants to be there when we are living every day. He wants to be our joy, our peace, our Rock, and strength.

James tells us, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4.

I want my faith to be complete! I want to be mature in my faith! I don't want to lack anything! I know that in this life the washing machine will break down. I know kids will sometimes get sick. I know sometimes I will oversleep. There will be snow days. Things won't always go the way I've planned. But, my attitude in these daily trials is so important! I am going to purpose in my heart to remember that "the joy of the Lord is my strength." In all things, I am going to rejoice in Him. "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

Finally, because I have an enemy, because he does try to suck joy from my life and discredit my testimony of Jesus Christ, I need to put on the armor of God daily, standing firm against him. Ephesians 6:10-18, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood (our husband, our kids' teachers, the check-out clerk, our neighbor, a friend who has betrayed us....) but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of the dark world...Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when (not IF) the day of evil comes, (the trials of daily living), you may be able to stand your ground....Stand firm with the belt of Truth buckled firmly around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish ALL the flaming arrows of the evil one (all of his plans and schemes- sickness, disease, broken appliances, disobedient children......). Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With all this in mind, be alert (that is a BIGGIE!) and always keep on praying for all the saints."

Father God, I come before you and praise your holy name! Jehovah, you are awesome, amazing, glorious! I love you, Lord! Father, I thank you for this opportunity to write, write, write all that has been on my heart. Thank you for sleeping babies and a quiet house. Lord, I pray this entry may encourage some precious heart that has been "down trodden" with the burdens and worries of life. Jesus, you tell us to come to you with our daily burdens. And, you promise that you will take them and trade them for a yoke that is easy and light. Lord, you promise that "you will give us rest." Remind your people, remind ME, daily that you are a God that cares about every struggle, no matter how big or small. Fill us with inexpressible joy that your Word promises. Remind us that this earth is not our home and that we have a glorious inheritance waiting for us. Remind us that Jesus tells us we will have trials and struggles here in this fallen world, but to take heart because He has overcome the world! Hallelujah! Lord, you don't want us to be depressed, beaten down, ready to give up. No! Lord, your Word tells us that we can have abundant life here on earth and that our joy is NOT tied to our circumstances, but tied to you, Jesus! Fill us, fill me, with this Truth to overflowing! In Jesus' precious name I pray. Amen and amen and amen!

Anyone want a dog????

AAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! I came downstairs to find this mess on the floor yesterday. OH, I was mad at that dog! Me bad....it happened 3 times- should have taken the garbage out the first time it happened! This was the worse (and 3rd) mess. Had to capture it forever in a picture.

Do you ever feel like your LIFE is a mess....like this photo? Thankfully, God turns our MESSES into MIRACLES. God will take the messes WE have made.....the messes OTHERS have made....and turn them into MIRACLES of beauty.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

"Some Christmas this turned out to be..."

This is a repost from Christmas last year...

Did you ever see the movie, "Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas"? One of the short stories in the movie has Donald Duck's three nephews reliving Christmas day over and over. Until they learn the "true" meaning of Christmas, they reek havoc on Christmas morning. They hurt the family's feelings, ruin Christmas dinner, even cause the tree to fall, breaking all of the ornaments. In sad disbelief of the total disaster all around, the aunt cries out, "Some Christmas this turned out to be."

We expect Christmas to be "perfect." The decorations. The lights. The presents. The food. We expect it to be a Norman Rockwell painting.

Or....a Thomas Kinkade Christmas card...

Our Christmas was much more "Some Christmas this turned out to be" than Norman Rockwell or Thomas Kinkade.

We had gotten weather that prevented us from spending very much time with my family. What was supposed to be a whole weekend celebration of visiting turned out to be a few rushed hours spent with only part of the family making it due to weather. Hours spent planning and searching for "perfect presents" and anticipation to see their faces when they opened them were traded for the disappointment of leaving the gifts with relatives to be picked up at another time.

Brian had not been feeling well since Thanksgiving. So, with Daddy sick off and on, many of our usual traditions were not done this year.

My sweet friend Jamie passed away right before Christmas. Attending her wake and funeral made some holiday activities just seem irrelevant.

Illness struck our house. Many of the usual traditions were skipped because someone was sick. Even Christmas morning present opening had to be postponed due to the flu.

As I spent Christmas Day wallowing, praying, being angry with God, rebuking the sickness, asking for Jesus' healing....I thought about our message on Christmas Eve. The pastor had told us how his family had picked the "perfect" Christmas tree that year, but, even on Christmas Eve, that all of the "perfect" preparations were still not finished at their home.

He then went on to remind us that the perfect Christmas didn't have a tree, or decorations, or a fancy meal....the perfect Christmas didn't have Christmas cards.....the perfect Christmas didn't have fancy wrapped packages....the perfect Christmas had a humble baby in a manger that came to love and live and die for us. The perfect Christmas was when Jesus was born and His promise to all of us.

The "perfect" Christmas isn't about presents, but about His Presence.

In bed, Christmas Day, I thought about all these things....praying and pondering.

No matter what our circumstances. No matter what the weather. No matter if we get to "do" all of our favorite traditions.

Even if we "lose" a precious loved one.

These "things" don't "make" Christmas.

Jesus makes Christmas.

His gift to us makes Christmas.

His love makes Christmas.

The "perfect" Christmas was when a sweet young girl surrendered to her Lord and when her husband obeyed Him. They traveled to Bethlehem. There was no room in the inn for them to stay so they found a stable on the outskirts of town. Sometime during the night, a precious baby was born. A Savior. Immanuel. Messiah. A soft, warm, crying baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger. Angels glorified Him. Shepherds worshipped Him.

What a Christmas this turned out be! Hallelujah!

Is the earth shaking?!

“God is our refuge and strength (mighty and impenetrable to temptation), an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” – Psalm 46:1-3

Wow! This psalm says so much, and we could so easily skim right over it, reading it without giving it much thought. But, let's ponder it together....

Have you ever felt like life was crashing in around you? Have you felt like the earth was “giving way” under your feet? Have you ever felt like mountains were going to fall down all around you? Have you heard waters roar in your life? Has it seemed like life was falling apart? Have you felt afraid, unsure, stressed, attacked, or that life seems too difficult? This is exactly what the psalmist is talking about.

But, he has an answer for us.

Verse 1 says, “God is our refuge.” Don’t miss the first point- God is OUR refuge. This is personal. He is not someone else’s, but MY refuge. I can claim this for myself!

What is a refuge? It is “a place of shelter, protection from danger or difficulty, a place of safety, a safe retreat.” GOD is those things to us- He is our safe place- our protection from danger and difficulty.

God is also my strength. The Amplified Bible says “mighty and impenetrable to temptation.”

God is mighty- able to defeat any temptation or trouble that would come my way. Strength is “the state or quality of being strong, the power to resist strain, stress, and the power to resist attack.” This verse doesn’t say that I am my strength- it says “God is my strength.” I don’t have to draw upon my own strength and power, thankfully, because my strength always falls short! I am never strong enough, but God is.

Then, the psalm says that God is “ever-present.” He never leaves! He is ALWAYS here with us (even when we don’t “feel” like He is here, the Truth is that He is always, ever present). Psalm 121 says God is always watching over us. “He who watches over you will not slumber nor sleep (you don’t have to “lose sleep” with worrying, God is NOT sleeping). He watches over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” So, God is always with us, ever-present.

Well, not only is God always present, but He is an “ever-present HELP in trouble.” Sometimes we may have people in our lives that are always there in times of trouble, but they are not a help. God is a HELP. He is full of wisdom, He knows how to help. He sees the whole picture of your life, not just what you are going through at the time. He knows what we need even more than we ourselves do. And, “He works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.” Sometimes, God is the only One who can help and we can trust and know that He has a perfect plan.

The next verse says “THEREFORE (therefore, because He is our refuge and our strength and is an ever-present HELP in times of trouble), we will not fear.”

This is a bold statement. It doesn’t say we shouldn’t fear, or that we don’t have to fear, maybe we won’t fear, but is a confident faith statement WE WILL NOT FEAR. I will make the choice to NOT fear, but instead to trust God because He is ever present and never leaves me, because He is my refuge, my safe place, and He is my power, my strength to resist stress and attack. Even though my circumstances may be awful- the mountains are falling down around me and I am in an earthquake of life- I am going to CHOOSE to trust in God. I am going to encourage myself in the Truth. I am going to resist fear and keep my eyes set on the One who can save me. I am going to believe this Word and live it, no matter how I may “feel.” I am going to repeat over and over to my heart that “God is my refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.” I am going to declare this Truth and choose to believe it.

This psalm ends with a verse you may be familiar with, “Be still and know that I am God.” Let’s quiet our hearts and our minds and KNOW in our hearts and minds that He is God. He is Creator of the Universe. He is Creator of each one of us. He is the Alpha and Omega- the Beginning and End. He is our Father, our Savior, our Friend. He is our refuge and strength and ever-present help.

Father, we praise You. We love You. We know that You are God. We stand in awe and amazement of Your love and Your power and Your glory. We thank You that You are our safe place, our strength. We thank You that You take our burdens- You are strong enough. You help us in times of trouble and we need not fear. Lord, I pray for anyone that is experiencing an “earthquake” of life, they feel the earth giving way beneath them. Come to them, Lord Jesus. Remind them that they are not alone. Whisper to them that You are here, waiting for them to lean back upon You, to depend on You. Make it reality to them of who You are. Praise You, God! In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.

Don't Ignore the Holy Spirit's Warnings!!!!!!

Oh, my. What an end to a TERRIBLE day! (Scroll down to read all about the earlier mishaps!)

I just received YUCKY news. My computer died the week of the "A Woman Inspired" conference, so I have been without my laptop for weeks. My friend, who had been out of the country, returned and had some time to fix it. It wasn't as easy as he thought it would be and as it turned out, I LOST all of my Word documents.

Gone.

Forever.

Years of work.

Devotions.

Documents for my speaking ministry.

Hundreds of documents.

Gone.

No problem, you say because everything was backed up, right?

Nope.

For months now the Holy Spirit had been warning me, whispering to me, to back up my computer files.

Yes, I will do it.....tomorrow.....next week.....when I have a few more minutes....when I have some free time.

So, each time the Holy Spirit again reminded me to do this, I put Him off, assuring Him and myself I would do it.....eventually.

What is that about delayed obedience? Disobedience! And, when we (I) choose to go our ways, ignore God's warnings, do things in our timing, well.....we (I) get into trouble!

The Holy Spirit is our Helper. He wants to lead us and guide us. God wants to help us in our walk. "When we trust in the Lord with all of our hearts, lean not upon our own understanding, then He will direct our steps, straighten our paths." I should have trusted God, heeding His warning. I should not have leaned upon MY understanding, stubbornly doing it my own way.

So......I am IMPLORING YOU- don't ignore the Holy Spirit! Listen and heed that still, small voice within You. Trust in what He tells you.

Mama said there would be days like these!

OK....what a crazy day....

Got up late (set the alarm for PM instead of AM).

Began with a run. Time to be with Him. Worship to awesome praise music. Prayed over my day, it was going to be a busy one. Asked God to be over it all. Told Him I surrendered my time to Him.

Hmmmmmmm.....

Cut beautiful lilies for inside. Went upstairs to wake Ashley for swim practice.

"Mommy, I don't feel good."

"You'll feel better once you wake up and eat a little something. Come on, you can't miss practice." (Unspoken translation: I don't have time for you to be sick today. Have to stick to our plan. )

Took Ashley to practice. Came home to make toast for the rest of the kids. Aaron came running down. "Mom, the bathroom is FLOODED! The water is running!"

Ran upstairs to find 2 inches of water on the floor, water running in the sink, overflowing.....

"No! No! Please help, God!"

Every towel from the linen closet soaking up the flood. (Just washed, dried, folded and put away yesterday.....another mess to clean up).

Run downstairs to make sure water isn't flooding through family room ceiling.

It is.

More towels.

Holding towels to ceiling. Run to get fans!

All the kids pitching in to help.

Soaking water.

Phone rings.

Ashley threw up at the pool.

Andrew, hold the towel while I get Ashley.

Paint chipping off the ceiling.

Tuck in Ashley. Check the ceiling.

Fight with Andrew.

After 2 hours of taking care of flooded bathroom, time to do basics and chores.

Take a shower (still had not from the 7 AM run!)

Walk into the kitchen.....Buddy (the dog) threw up.

Clean it up.

Start on lunch. Oops. Forgot that the pasta was boiling on the stove.

Lord, what a day. (and it's only lunchtime).

Lord, I know there are things that You want to teach me through the trials of life. Days when "everything seems to go wrong"....I know You are there. What is it, God that You want me to learn from all of this?

I sang this morning that I want to depend on You....to trust You. I know that it is so much easier to say, pray, and MEAN when I am running with praise music playing in the ipod.....just me and You, God. No worries. No chores. No tasks. Just me and You on a country road, basking in the beauty of Your nature.

But, when I come home, that is where I have to live it.

When the ceiling floods. When the dog throws up. When life doesn't go how I would like it. This is where I must live it. To choose to surrender to You. To choose to trust in You. To choose to turn to You, depend on You.

I love You, Lord. Thank You, God.

Blessed be Your Name.

And.....I ALWAYS APPRECIATE your prayers! :)

Thank You, Lord!

Thank You, God and thank you, bloggers and friends who have been praying for me and for my computer!!!!!!

It turns out that my problem was so silly! When Brian began investigating the problem, he found that our wireless router simply needed to be be reset. Aaaahhh (sigh of relief!). But, my power cord is still not working, thus I am borrowing Brian's laptop......So, I am limited on my computer time. I am just not able to comment as much as I would like. But, please know that I read ALL of your comments and pray for your needs.

God did teach me MUCH through this experience and I have grown in my faith and dependence on my God. It has also given me a renewed understanding of hurting hearts feeling separated from God during hard times. God truly can take ALL things and work them together for the good of those who love Him!

I am excited to be "back" and look forward to hearing from all of you! I am so thankful for the Body of Christ in "bloggyland." It is such a joy to worship God with all of you and to grow in our faith together!

At the Well

Persistence

The discussion questions are:

Think about your daily life as a wife, mother and child of God.
What are some ways that you have persisted when you have been knocked down?
How have these circumstances brought glory to the Father?

This was such a great topic today at the Well....

I began pondering the idea of our daily trials and circumstances of life, the times "we have been knocked down." Like so many of you, I, too have experienced the HUGE trials that have brought me closer to God... a broken childhood and abuse, many addictions and strongholds, two miscarriages, a move away from family and friends...

But, what I thought about today was the "little things" that we experience daily...the day in and day out circumstances we face on a day to day basis...how these mundane, "trivial" things can build up and knock us down...IF we allow them.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:2-4

I won't be MATURE or COMPLETE....unless I face trails....unless my faith is tested.

But, what we forget is that we face trials everyday..

the milk spills

there aren't any matching socks

the dog makes a mess

the car breaks down

the bill comes due

my kids argue

Tragedies often bring us to our knees, but do we seek God in "the dailies?" When I face the "daily grind," do I persist in the Lord, or do I try to do things in "Tracy strength?" When I hear of a friend battling cancer, I hit my knees. When my mom is waiting for the results of her test, I hit my knees. When a friend's husband loses his job, I hit my knees.

But, what about when my child has the sniffles?

What about when my day is full of activity and I don't know what to do first?

What about when I have to help my kids with homework and make dinner at the same time?

What about when I have to chauffeur my children to activities?

Do I hit my knees when these "little" things that come up every moment of every day?

It is our relationship with Jesus that will sustain us when "living in the dailies" tries to knock us down. This brings glory to God....abiding in His peace....trusting Him through daily life.

I was thinking about the Parable of the Sower this morning. (Matthew 13)

A farmer went out to sow his seed. He scattered the seed and some fell along the path and the birds of the air came along and ate it. Some fell on rocky places where it didn't have much soil. It sprang up quickly but when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop- a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

Jesus explained the Parable.

When anyone hears the message about the kingdom of God and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the Word at once and receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the Word, he falls away quickly.

We will face trials everyday...some that devastate us...others that we ignore because we think we "can handle it" on our own. We must be rooted in Jesus, in our relationship with Him.

That is the only way we persevere.

Please take a few minutes to visit the Well if you haven't! There are many women gathering today sharing about being persistent for His glory!

Come, sit awhile for a Cafe Chat.....

Kim has asked us to ponder an incredible question this week. She tells an incredible story of Helen Roseveare, a missionary in the Congo that endured tremendous suffering but continued to trust God and praise Him.

“There was no bitterness within her, though Helen had experienced terrible,
mindless evil. It would have been so easy to demand of God why He allowed these
atrocities, when she had been so faithful to His service. But in her heart of
hearts, she felt that God’s question would be, “Can you thank Me for trusting
you with this experience, even if I never tell you why?”

Kim writes, "That question stopped me in my tracks, and for today’s Chat I
would like to hear your thoughts about this question...Of course this is the
question that Helen felt like God was asking her, but I think it is a good
question for all of us to ponder."

Wow. Can I THANK God for trusting me with my painful experiences? Do I even want to have this attitude? Or, do I run from the idea of any pain or suffering, despite the New Testament promise that we rejoice when we share in the suffering of Jesus Christ?

This question brought me to weeping as I again was reminded of those suffering with suffering children, like Abby Riggs (scroll down). I posted about her last night and asked you to join me in prayer. Just before I checked in at the Cafe, I was praying for the women I met last weekend at the conference. So many praying for loved ones suffering from cancer....Others who have lost jobs. As I prayed, I was thinking how our lives would change if Brian lost his job. What would we do?

As I read this question, would I have the heart attitude of thanking God for HIM TRUSTING ME with this trial?

Or, what about cancer? Would I THANK HIM FOR TRUSTING ME with this trial?

Or, like Helen....being gang raped, beaten, and left for dead....would I thank God for TRUSTING ME with this trial?

Or, like Paul, beaten, stoned TWICE, shipwrecked and lost at sea, bitten by a poisonous snake, and imprisoned in chains, would I have the same heart attitude that cries,

"But whatever to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of
Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the
surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of the His resurrection and the FELLOWSHIP OF SHARING IN HIS SUFFERINGS, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow , to
attain to the resurrection from the dead."

Wow. A lot to think about today...

Please take a few moments to ponder this question and visit the Cafe to join the chat....

I'm at Laced With Grace....

Have you ever wondered this question...sometimes faintly under your breath, sometimes at the top of your lungs?

Please visit me at for today's devotion....

Lord, we trust in You......Cedar Rapids flooding

"My God is changeless in His love for me and He will come and help me."-Psalm
59:10 TLB

This was the quote in my daily flip "calendar". I knew God was speaking directly to me on the morning I read it. It was the quote for June 13, the day the flood waters were high and my emotions were low. This little flip calendar is a "Mother's Prayer for Every Day of the Year," an inspirational quote of the day. Most of the quotes are little prayers dealing with motherhood. On Friday, however, it was a verse from Psalms that I needed to hear. When I looked this verse up in my bible, NLT, it sounded very different, and may not have spoken to my heart the way the TLB translation did.

God is a ever-present help in our times of need. When we come to Him, get still and quiet before Him, we can hear the gentle whispers He is always speaking to our spirits. God is always present- He never leaves. It is us that allow fear, doubt, worry, distractions, lies of the enemy, fleshly desires to drown out His sweet voice. He has already spoken so much to us in His Word- verses of hope, encouragement, love, peace.....

But, how easy it is for me to turn on the TV, watching more of the news coverage than to open my bible and pray His verses and promises. But, that is exactly what I need to do in times of trouble and trial. I must choose to quiet my heart and the voices all around me and listen to Him....to seek Him with all of my heart, mind, soul, and STRENGTH.

Jesus tells us that we will have trouble in this world. Because of the sin that Adam and Eve brought into the world, we live in a fallen world. This is a world where there are floods....a fallen world where the waters flood over their boundaries....a fallen world where homes are destroyed....a fallen world where there is cancer. There is disease. There is heartache.

If that were the end, then all would be lost. Our lives would only be as meaningful as what we could manage to do with them in the blink of an eye that we are here. But, praise God, Jesus said, "TAKE HEART, I have OVERCOME the world." Jesus has overcome the sin of this fallen world. This brings hope. This brings security. This brings comfort.

We may have to endure trials of all kinds here on this earth, but there is a day coming when He will wipe away every tear. A day when there will be a new Heaven and a new earth. A day when we receive our perfect bodies free from disease and injury.

And today, we have the peace that passes all understanding. No matter what we are enduring through, Jesus gives us rest. He says, "Come to me all you who are weary and burden laden and I will give you rest." Jesus restores our soul. He leads us beside still, quiet waters. He fills us with comfort. He brings hope of a better today.

"I will take refuge in the the shadow of your wings until the
disaster has passed."-Psalm 57:1

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you b name;
you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you
pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.- Isaiah 43:1-2

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His
great mercy He has given us new birth into a living HOPE through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can
never perish, spoil, or fade..." -1Peter 1:3-4

Father, we praise You and thank You. Lord, You are the same yesterday, today and forever. Lord, we put our hope and our trust in You. We come to You, Lord, who daily bears our burdens. We cast all our care on You. Lord, help us during this time, strengthen our faith. Lord, in our weakness, You are strong. Praise You, Jesus. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

Will I Walk in It????? Part 1

Oh boy! What a day! We had an awesome looooonnnnngggg weekend- the kids had Friday and Monday off of school, so we had lots of fun being together.

Today though, at Chuck E. Cheese's we went out to the car to find the tire FLAT as a pancake. And, as usual, Tracy can never do things simply, so I also had three extra children along with my own five. When I called Brian for help, he was so busy at work that he told me to call him back in about 20 minutes (he was in the middle of a review)! Well, I had our guests picked up by their big brother and my kids went home with a neighbor who was also at Chuck E. Cheese. That left me alone with just Abby, who happened to be sleeping. So, I thanked God for few extra minutes to be able to pray (and possibly read the Word, depending on how long it took Brian to get there).

So, I settled in and began to pray. I was praying that I would be a light shining for Him, no matter what the circumstances are (like flat tires and things like Andrew teasing his little brother and sisters- exact words!) Before I had much time to pray anything else, my knight in shining armor rode up to change the tire. The plan was to use "Fix-A-Flat" to pump up the tire to drive it ACROSS THE STREET to Sear's to be fixed. Well, the tire was off the rim, so.......... Brian was not able to change it to the spare until after work, I have Bible Study on Monday nights, so now what will I do????(Notice my first opportunity to be a light- the tire was NOT fixed the way I expected. Now, I was without a car. What would my reaction be?) Well, both Brian and I were very calm. He drove me and Abigail home- not much more to do for the moment.

Well, opportunity #2 came along as soon as I opened the door! The kids were supposed to be finishing up their chores (folding some laundry and sweeping the floor). I was hoping it would all be done then we could "snuggle" together, take a nap, and rest the rest of the day (ever been to Chuck E. Cheese??????????). But, when I walked in, the kids had been fighting, Andrew had been teasing, and the chores were NOT finished!

I wish I could say I had a peaceful reaction. I wish I had been a quiet and gentle spirit!!!! NOT!

Praise God that He is a God of second chances and I know I will get yet another opportunity to react in the Spirit and NOT the flesh.

Remember my prayer? More on that later.........

To be continued..................

It's the "little" things!

I am getting ready to speak at a women's retreat in a couple of weeks. It has been my experience that the closer the time comes for a speaking engagement, the more things go wrong! You know- the kids get colds, Brian is swamped at work, there is project needing done at school, rescheduling dr. appts. that I made 4 months ago (What was I thinking? Like I would have lots of free time the week before a retreat????), and then this morning- the dishwasher went on the "blink." Literally- the "clean" light was blinking, which, when you consult the owner's manual, means "dishwasher has malfunctioned." Now, as this in and of itself means that Satan has NOTHING NEW under his sleeve- no new bag of tricks! Because, last Oct. when I was preparing for a woman's retreat, the exact same thing happened! So, I knew what to do! I would simply call the service phone number on the manual, they would give me a series of buttons to push on the dishwasher, and it would restart. Well............this time, when I called, the operator could no longer help me because the dishwasher was two years old. We hadn't bought the service warranty, so she couldn't connect me to a service representative. That was last night. So, I figured, I would call back this morning, get someone who would be nicer and that person would help me. Wrong-o. Same story. I was so frustrated! And, of course, I explained to the operator that my dishwasher didn't need service- I just needed to know the order to push the buttons on my dishwasher to reset it! I had done it before- it was easy! Again, the operator told me that since I hadn't purchased the extended warranty, I could not be connected to the service dept. that could help me. (Boy, are there so many spiritual lessons right there! But, for sake of time, I will stay on track!)

Well, I tried to remember which buttons I pushed and in what sequence from the last time. It didn't work. I prayed and prayed (and I had prayed before the 2ND conversation for mercy!). I was mad! I was frustrated! I did not have time to unload all of dishes and start washing dishes by hand. (What did our mothers and grandmothers do without modern conveniences?!). So, I called my dear prayer partner and began to "vent." And pray. And, within a few minutes my attitude began to change.

I know a sweet woman battling cancer right now. She has 1 year old triplets. What flew into my mind was "this is such a little thing- just a minor inconvenience." And, it was. But, so many times that is what Satan uses to trap us. It is the little "dailies" as my friend puts it. The little inconveniences of life that grind us down, little by little. I knew what the enemy was trying to do. He wanted to distract me from my priorities- preparing for the retreat and praying for the women. He wanted to steal my joy and excitement. And, if he could plant seeds of bitterness over a little offense, he could distract me as he kept my focus on me while I had a little pity party. Praise God that He that is in me is GREATER than he that is in the world!

Like I said, as I prayed, my attitude began to change. I prayed that the dishwasher wasn't such a big deal, and if I needed to have someone come and fix it, that was OK. I knew I was in God's hand. He is taking care of me. I don't have to worry about the little inconveniences of life. I purposed in my heart to NOT let him steal my joy, to get me down. We prayed together for God's mercy and help (her husband got online to see if he could find out how to reset the dishwasher). But, I felt completely at peace, resting in Him. No little "daily" or circumstance was going to steal my hope or joy! My God is big! He is watching over me and taking caring of me and loving me! Whew! What an attitude change! I wasn't mad or frustrated anymore.

And, God is so good! Her husband found the information online in about 3 minutes, told me over the phone the sequence of the buttons to push- heated dry, normal wash, heated dry, normal wash, and my dishwasher is fixed!

Dear friends, my prayer is that you purpose in your heart to refuse to let the "dailies" of life get you down- the daily grind, the daily inconveniences of life. Don't be offended when things don't always go your way. And, most of all, take it ALL to God! Little things, big things- everything!

"Do not be anxious about anything. But, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to the Lord. Then the peace that passes all understanding will keep and guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7.

Father, we praise You! You are glorious! You are awesome! Thank You that we can come boldly to Your throne asking anything in the Name of Jesus. Thank You that You hear our petitions! I pray Lord if there is a woman reading this who has felt buried by the daily grind, the little things of life, she will renew her mind in You. Fill her with such hope and comfort and peace. Return to her the JOY of Your salvation! Fill her to overflowing with JOY- no matter what her circumstance! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen!

Blessings, dear ones!

Mountains of laundry!

Do you ever feel like the laundry multiplies and grows on its own? With four kids and a newborn, laundry is an unending task at our house! And, for me, I tend to do the laundry in order of importance- who needs underwear, do we have towels clean, Abby’s blankets… Yesterday, Brian needed a shirt to wear to work. He has to dress up, but his office has gone away from wearing ties. Well, he has two categories of shirts in his closet- those he can wear without ties and shirts that only look good with a tie. Brian prefers the shirts he doesn’t have to wear with a tie, and guess which ones were the only ones clean? You got it- the shirts he has to wear with the tie. (But, he looks so handsome with the tie, though!) He didn’t complain about the lack of shirts in his closet, just gave me a hug and kiss when he left.

Now, the really cool part of the story is that when he got to work, he got called into an important meeting unexpectantly. He was so glad he had on a shirt and tie!!!!! God was looking out for him! What looked like an inconvenience turned out to be a blessing! Praise God! He does “work ALL things (even these little things!) together for good for those who love him and are called according to His purpose!”

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “Plans for hope and a future. Plans not to harm you, but to prosper you. Plans for good and not evil.” –Jeremiah 29:11

I have been praying a pray recently when I am out walking in the morning. I copied it from a great book I am reading, “A Woman after God’s Own Heart” by Elizabeth George. She was writing about giving ourselves to God daily and included this prayer written by a missionary who ultimately did give her life for her God!

“Lord, I give up all my own plans and purposes, all my own desires and hopes and accept Thy will for my life. I give myself, my time, my all, utterly to Thee to be Thine forever. Fill me, seal me with Thy Holy Spirit. Use me as Thou wilt, send me where Thou wilt, work out Thy whole will in my life at any cost, now and forever.”

Honestly, when I pray that, the first reaction of my flesh is to cry out, “Do I really want to pray this?!” I think, do I really want to GIVE UP my plans, desires, the things I want to do??? What if I don’t get to do the things I want to do, the things on my agenda, the things I am planning? The first few times I prayed this prayer, it was with hesitation, a little nervous about what God would possibly change.

Then, the Holy Spirit really spoke into my heart! How am I looking at my God? Am I really seeing Him as the good, generous, wonderful God that He is? Why would I assume that His plans for me are so different than my own? Hasn’t He placed these desires in my heart? I realized the enemy loves to whisper these lies into our minds that God is going to take away all of the things that are important to us if we surrender and submit them to Him. I replaced the lies with the Truth that God loves me and that He is good, everything He does is good, that He has good plans for me, and that He works ALL things together for good. As I continued to pray and talk to God, I also realized that IF God prunes away something from my life, then it isn’t for my BEST. As I prayed this prayer again, I earnestly told God that if there wasn’t anything in my life that was in His will, then take it away. I don’t want even good things- plans, purposes, desires, and hopes that aren’t God’s BEST for me. I truly want to give God my whole self and be used for His plans and purposes.

So, I have been beginning each day with this prayer. And, as I gave God my plans for today, writing a devotion WAS NOT in my plan- I have laundry to do! But, I knew I could not go through my day, filled with His peace, until I sat down and obediently wrote the things He has placed on my heart. He knew someone needed encouragement today!

Father, we praise You and love You! Thank You that You are good and that You have GOOD plans for us. Lord, we do submit ourselves to You today. We give you are own plans today. Lord, prune away the things that are not of You and bless the plans and purposes that are according to Your will. We praise You! In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.