It doesn't seem possible. We've graduated to all double-digits in our house. My baby turned 10 yesterday. How often have I heard the wisdom offered up from those older and wiser than I to "enjoy them while you can because they'll be grown and gone in the blink of an eye." It's so cliched but I'm finding it to be so very true, especially this year with Hannah kissing the single digits goodbye and Kaelie becoming a teenager this Saturday!
There are still some little-girl remnants remaining though. Today Hannah left for a four-day trip to church camp. Even though she went to this same camp last summer and loved it, she was a wreck about leaving home. She went to bed at 8:30 last night but was up and down until midnight, nervous and crying and complaining of a stomach ache because of the stress.
This morning she was doing much better until we were on the way to catch the bus at the church and she called her daddy on the cell phone to tell him goodbye. I listened as her voice started to quiver and catch, and in the rearview mirror I saw the tears sliding down her cheeks. She had pulled herself together by the time she got out of the car, but then the group was half an hour late leaving so it turned into a long, drawn-out goodbye. I don't know if that was better or worse for her.
Just before they took off, she reached out for one last hug and I wasn't sure if she was going to let go. I patted her on the chest and asked "Who goes with you wherever you go, Hannah?" She pointed at me. I looked into her eyes and said "My love certainly goes with you, but more importantly than me, who goes with you?" She looked upward then and I knew she understood.
"That's right. Don't you forget that even though Mommy and Daddy can't be there, Jesus goes with you no matter where you go. He is always there." At that, she nodded her head and I saw the slightest bit of a smile and I knew she would be okay. She still made me promise to stand in the parking lot and wave until the bus was completely out of sight, which I was glad to do!
So, if you think of it, please say a little prayer for Hannah this week, my baby in the double-digits!
"This is my command--be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
Monday, June 30, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
From the Beach to the Mountain
I'm back! It feels good to be sitting down to my blog again, it has been almost two weeks! They have been two jam-packed weeks, though, and I honestly have not had time to sit down and write. What happened to long, carefree, summer days? I know there was such a thing not so long ago in my life. I'm thankful that we did get to enjoy some of them a couple of weeks ago at the beach in Hilton Head. It was a great vacation and it was hard to come home and jump right back into the busy schedule! At least we got to follow it up with a long overdue visit from my sister, brother-in-law and nephew. Getting to spend some time with them made coming home much less painful!
Ever since a sermon I heard Sunday before last, I've been thinking a lot about Elijah, the great prophet of the Bible whose ministry is chronicled in 1st and 2nd Kings. I finally decided it was time to sit down and write out my thoughts, because otherwise they become jumbled up with other things and I forget what the Lord is teaching me.
I've always wondered why Elijah's faith seemed to falter so quickly when God had done so many powerful things through him and in his presence. God used Elijah to prophesy to Ahab, one of the most evil kings in the history of Israel. Time and again Elijah went boldly before Ahab to deliver the Lord's messages, which always included such bad news and judgement that Ahab called Elijah the "troubler of Israel." (1 Kings 18:17) Elijah predicted a three-year drought, during which God used a brook to provide Elijah water to drink and ravens to bring him meat.
(1 Kings 17: 6) When the brook dried up, God sent him to a woman who was using her last bit of flour and oil to provide a final meal for her and her son before they would die. Instead, she showed enough faith in Elijah's God to share her provisions with Elijah. In return, God kept them supplied with food throughout the drought. (1 Kings 17:13-16)
When the woman's son became ill and died, Elijah cried out to God to restore the child's life. God obliged, and the woman's faith increased. (1 Kings 17:22-24)
Later, God sent Elijah to present himself again to King Ahab, whose evil Baal-worshipping wife Jezebel was busily killing off all the Lord's prophets. What a picture of bravery and total trust in God's protection to go seeking out this powerful king who wanted him dead! That meeting led to a showdown on Mount Carmel, in which Elijah called down fire from God and proved to Ahab and the Israelites and the Baal prophets that the Lord is God. (1 Kings 18:36-39)
At that, the drought ended as Elijah predicted, and as King Ahab rode off to town in his chariot, God gave Elijah supernatural speed to run ahead of Ahab all the way. (1 Kings 18:48) Here's where I begin to get confused. After Ahab gets home and reports the events of Mount Carmel to the evil Jezebel, she gets all hot-headed and sends word to Elijah that she intends to have him murdered.
It is certainly not the first time Jezebel and Ahab have had a price on his head, so why is Elijah's response so different this time? 1 Kings 19:3 says "Elijah was afraid and ran for his life." He actually goes out into the desert, and saying that he has had enough, prays for God to take his life.
Instead, God twice provides hot bread and a jar of water, which Elijah consumes at the command of an angel. On the strength of that food, Elijah then travels 40 days and 40 nights, fasting throughout, to Horeb. You would think at this point that Elijah would be expecting some kind of amazing experience with God. Look where he has ended up, the very mountain on which God gave Moses the 10 Commandments! Has he gone there seeking a "mountaintop experience" of his own?
It would appear that Elijah is still depressed, lonely and fearful, because he hides out in a cave. When the word of the Lord comes to him and asks "what are you doing here, Elijah?," his response is "I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." (1 Kings 19:10)
This is where I have to ask, "Come on Elijah, what more do you need? God has used you in powerful ways, working through you to bring a dead child back to life and answering your call to rain fire from heaven to prove his divinity to the Israelites! How can your faith waver now?"
My personal opinion is that Elijah has been very wrapped up in his ministry. He is right when he says he has been very zealous for the Lord. He has done the Lord's work over and over without hesitation. Perhaps his problem is more than loneliness and depression. Could it be he has become so used to and comfortable with God working through him that he has not paid enough attention to his own need for God to work in him?
I can totally relate if that is the case. I love it when God gives me a task to carry out. It makes me feel energized and empowered, and it is honoring and humbling all at once to get an up-close view of God at work, to actually be partnering with God, and to see the impact in someone else's life. There is nothing else like it!
I know, however, how easy it is to fall into the trap of self-sufficiency. When the heat is turned up, I think it's human nature to either seek a quick fix or to just want to give up. It takes discipline and raw faith to turn first to God and wait patiently for him to work. I'm not saying that Elijah didn't have those things, he obviously did. I just think it's easier when God is putting our discipline and faith into action on behalf of others than it is for ourselves in our own lives.
It would appear from reading both chapters 18 and 19, that this is the first time as a prophet that Elijah is without a specific mission to carry out. He has won an amazing victory on Mount Carmel. Suddenly his work appears to be finished, he is without instruction from God on what to do next, and his life is being threatened by Jezebel. Is he afraid this time that without a specific task before him that he is of no more use to God and therefore no longer under God's protection? After all, he ran off to the desert and asked God to take his life. Surely that would be better than dying at the hand of Jezebel!
The good news is that even though Elijah's faith wavered, God did not abandon him. In the cave on Mount Horeb when God spoke to Elijah, it wasn't in anger through the powerful wind, earthquake or fire that ravaged the mountain. Instead, it was through a gentle whisper, which I think is just what Elijah needed to quiet his soul. In retreating to a place of solitude, the prophet was able to receive the peace and reassurance that he needed in his own life, which God delivered in a gentle and loving way.
So often, I want the big, emotional, life-changing event, God showing himself in mighty and powerful ways. But I need to remember that sometimes a "mountaintop experience" is just that, a quiet time with God while sitting on a mountain (or in some other solitary place.) And truly, that should be all I really need.
Ever since a sermon I heard Sunday before last, I've been thinking a lot about Elijah, the great prophet of the Bible whose ministry is chronicled in 1st and 2nd Kings. I finally decided it was time to sit down and write out my thoughts, because otherwise they become jumbled up with other things and I forget what the Lord is teaching me.
I've always wondered why Elijah's faith seemed to falter so quickly when God had done so many powerful things through him and in his presence. God used Elijah to prophesy to Ahab, one of the most evil kings in the history of Israel. Time and again Elijah went boldly before Ahab to deliver the Lord's messages, which always included such bad news and judgement that Ahab called Elijah the "troubler of Israel." (1 Kings 18:17) Elijah predicted a three-year drought, during which God used a brook to provide Elijah water to drink and ravens to bring him meat.
(1 Kings 17: 6) When the brook dried up, God sent him to a woman who was using her last bit of flour and oil to provide a final meal for her and her son before they would die. Instead, she showed enough faith in Elijah's God to share her provisions with Elijah. In return, God kept them supplied with food throughout the drought. (1 Kings 17:13-16)
When the woman's son became ill and died, Elijah cried out to God to restore the child's life. God obliged, and the woman's faith increased. (1 Kings 17:22-24)
Later, God sent Elijah to present himself again to King Ahab, whose evil Baal-worshipping wife Jezebel was busily killing off all the Lord's prophets. What a picture of bravery and total trust in God's protection to go seeking out this powerful king who wanted him dead! That meeting led to a showdown on Mount Carmel, in which Elijah called down fire from God and proved to Ahab and the Israelites and the Baal prophets that the Lord is God. (1 Kings 18:36-39)
At that, the drought ended as Elijah predicted, and as King Ahab rode off to town in his chariot, God gave Elijah supernatural speed to run ahead of Ahab all the way. (1 Kings 18:48) Here's where I begin to get confused. After Ahab gets home and reports the events of Mount Carmel to the evil Jezebel, she gets all hot-headed and sends word to Elijah that she intends to have him murdered.
It is certainly not the first time Jezebel and Ahab have had a price on his head, so why is Elijah's response so different this time? 1 Kings 19:3 says "Elijah was afraid and ran for his life." He actually goes out into the desert, and saying that he has had enough, prays for God to take his life.
Instead, God twice provides hot bread and a jar of water, which Elijah consumes at the command of an angel. On the strength of that food, Elijah then travels 40 days and 40 nights, fasting throughout, to Horeb. You would think at this point that Elijah would be expecting some kind of amazing experience with God. Look where he has ended up, the very mountain on which God gave Moses the 10 Commandments! Has he gone there seeking a "mountaintop experience" of his own?
It would appear that Elijah is still depressed, lonely and fearful, because he hides out in a cave. When the word of the Lord comes to him and asks "what are you doing here, Elijah?," his response is "I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." (1 Kings 19:10)
This is where I have to ask, "Come on Elijah, what more do you need? God has used you in powerful ways, working through you to bring a dead child back to life and answering your call to rain fire from heaven to prove his divinity to the Israelites! How can your faith waver now?"
My personal opinion is that Elijah has been very wrapped up in his ministry. He is right when he says he has been very zealous for the Lord. He has done the Lord's work over and over without hesitation. Perhaps his problem is more than loneliness and depression. Could it be he has become so used to and comfortable with God working through him that he has not paid enough attention to his own need for God to work in him?
I can totally relate if that is the case. I love it when God gives me a task to carry out. It makes me feel energized and empowered, and it is honoring and humbling all at once to get an up-close view of God at work, to actually be partnering with God, and to see the impact in someone else's life. There is nothing else like it!
I know, however, how easy it is to fall into the trap of self-sufficiency. When the heat is turned up, I think it's human nature to either seek a quick fix or to just want to give up. It takes discipline and raw faith to turn first to God and wait patiently for him to work. I'm not saying that Elijah didn't have those things, he obviously did. I just think it's easier when God is putting our discipline and faith into action on behalf of others than it is for ourselves in our own lives.
It would appear from reading both chapters 18 and 19, that this is the first time as a prophet that Elijah is without a specific mission to carry out. He has won an amazing victory on Mount Carmel. Suddenly his work appears to be finished, he is without instruction from God on what to do next, and his life is being threatened by Jezebel. Is he afraid this time that without a specific task before him that he is of no more use to God and therefore no longer under God's protection? After all, he ran off to the desert and asked God to take his life. Surely that would be better than dying at the hand of Jezebel!
The good news is that even though Elijah's faith wavered, God did not abandon him. In the cave on Mount Horeb when God spoke to Elijah, it wasn't in anger through the powerful wind, earthquake or fire that ravaged the mountain. Instead, it was through a gentle whisper, which I think is just what Elijah needed to quiet his soul. In retreating to a place of solitude, the prophet was able to receive the peace and reassurance that he needed in his own life, which God delivered in a gentle and loving way.
So often, I want the big, emotional, life-changing event, God showing himself in mighty and powerful ways. But I need to remember that sometimes a "mountaintop experience" is just that, a quiet time with God while sitting on a mountain (or in some other solitary place.) And truly, that should be all I really need.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Fun in the Sun and Surf
Greetings from Hilton Head, South Carolina! I don't believe I have ever been to the beach in the summer (and I have been to many different beaches) and not seen a single raindrop or heard a single rumble of thunder. It's day 4 and we have harldy even seen a cloud in the sky! Suffice to say it is absolutely beautiful and we are having a great family vacation!
So far we have played in the ocean, Joey and the kids have ridden some crazy-looking beach bikes, we have shopped, played in the pool, eaten two yummy seafood dinners, watched amazing sunsets (including one while swimming in the ocean), gotten a little sunburned (although not too bad, we've tried to be careful), watched a movie, had a picnic dinner on the beach, watched a fireworks show, and I have even managed to read a good book.
We've also gotten to see lots of really cool sea life. Today at the stretch of beach in front of our villas the lifeguards had to call everyone out of the water because there was a large school of fish swimming by, and they were being chased by sharks. One lifeguard told me that sharks were actually jumping through the water. We were happy to know that they had all passed by toward the other end of the beach! We spent the rest of the day playing in the water with no further scares.
The other evening, as we swam and watched the sun sink behind our villa, we caught several live sanddollars by shuffling our feet across the sand in the water. Of course the girls insisted we come up with names for each one before returning them to the ocean floor, so I trust that now they are all on a first-name basis with one another beneath the sea!
This morning, on a walk down the beach there were tide pools containing live crabs, starfish and more sanddollars, as well as a couple of large jellyfish and a very strange-looking sea worm. Kaelie and Hannah have really enjoyed seeing all these sea creatures so up-close and personal. Tomorrow morning we are going on a dolphin excursion, a small six-person boat that will take us out into the sound to get up-close and personal with the dolphins. We are all really looking forward to that! Once I get home and back to my docking station for my camera, I'll add some photos to my post.
How can anyone come to a place like this and not believe that there is a God, a Creator who designed all of creation? I just cannot even fathom what people must think about how all this came to be! I'm going to end this post now, because who has time to sit around on the computer when there is so much to enjoy just outside the door?!
So far we have played in the ocean, Joey and the kids have ridden some crazy-looking beach bikes, we have shopped, played in the pool, eaten two yummy seafood dinners, watched amazing sunsets (including one while swimming in the ocean), gotten a little sunburned (although not too bad, we've tried to be careful), watched a movie, had a picnic dinner on the beach, watched a fireworks show, and I have even managed to read a good book.
We've also gotten to see lots of really cool sea life. Today at the stretch of beach in front of our villas the lifeguards had to call everyone out of the water because there was a large school of fish swimming by, and they were being chased by sharks. One lifeguard told me that sharks were actually jumping through the water. We were happy to know that they had all passed by toward the other end of the beach! We spent the rest of the day playing in the water with no further scares.
The other evening, as we swam and watched the sun sink behind our villa, we caught several live sanddollars by shuffling our feet across the sand in the water. Of course the girls insisted we come up with names for each one before returning them to the ocean floor, so I trust that now they are all on a first-name basis with one another beneath the sea!
This morning, on a walk down the beach there were tide pools containing live crabs, starfish and more sanddollars, as well as a couple of large jellyfish and a very strange-looking sea worm. Kaelie and Hannah have really enjoyed seeing all these sea creatures so up-close and personal. Tomorrow morning we are going on a dolphin excursion, a small six-person boat that will take us out into the sound to get up-close and personal with the dolphins. We are all really looking forward to that! Once I get home and back to my docking station for my camera, I'll add some photos to my post.
How can anyone come to a place like this and not believe that there is a God, a Creator who designed all of creation? I just cannot even fathom what people must think about how all this came to be! I'm going to end this post now, because who has time to sit around on the computer when there is so much to enjoy just outside the door?!
"How many are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you made them all, the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number--living things both large and small." Psalm 104:24-25
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Off to the Beach!
Wow, I can't believe how long it has been since I last posted! I've often said that May has become much like December in terms of busyness. As the end of the school year wind down, many of the activities do as well. That means May is chocked full of tons of "special end-of-the-year" events and celebrations.
The last day of school was May 30 and it has been so nice having the girls home, going to the pool, etc. We're still busy though, what with softball practices and games and getting ready to go to the beach. I can't wait...hopefully we'll be out of here in about an hour to hit the road! For that reason, this will be a short post!
I just really felt a need to sit down for a moment and express my thankfulness to God that we get to take this trip. He has brought us through so much in the last few months. Actually, just a few months ago we had no idea that I would even be able to make a beach trip this summer. But last month we decided to go for it, found an oceanfront condo to rent, and now we're about to take off. God is so good!
I think I'm especially glad for Joey that we get to go. He's had to shoulder a lot and he deserves a good break. In the middle of everything going on with me here at home, he has also made a job change. A position fell into his lap and the offer was too good to pass up. But he didn't feel right about leaving his former job while he was in the middle of a couple of major projects, as in preparing next year's budget and ordering furniture for a new building. So he has straddled the fence for several weeks, actually putting time in at both places and burning the midnight oil. Thankfully, that appears to be coming to an end as well.
As we get ready to leave for the beach, I'm praying that this marks a new chapter in the lives of the Altizers. Better job, better health, more family time, less stress, etc. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
The last day of school was May 30 and it has been so nice having the girls home, going to the pool, etc. We're still busy though, what with softball practices and games and getting ready to go to the beach. I can't wait...hopefully we'll be out of here in about an hour to hit the road! For that reason, this will be a short post!
I just really felt a need to sit down for a moment and express my thankfulness to God that we get to take this trip. He has brought us through so much in the last few months. Actually, just a few months ago we had no idea that I would even be able to make a beach trip this summer. But last month we decided to go for it, found an oceanfront condo to rent, and now we're about to take off. God is so good!
I think I'm especially glad for Joey that we get to go. He's had to shoulder a lot and he deserves a good break. In the middle of everything going on with me here at home, he has also made a job change. A position fell into his lap and the offer was too good to pass up. But he didn't feel right about leaving his former job while he was in the middle of a couple of major projects, as in preparing next year's budget and ordering furniture for a new building. So he has straddled the fence for several weeks, actually putting time in at both places and burning the midnight oil. Thankfully, that appears to be coming to an end as well.
As we get ready to leave for the beach, I'm praying that this marks a new chapter in the lives of the Altizers. Better job, better health, more family time, less stress, etc. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
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