I can't believe it. Summer break has flown by and the kids are back in school. Yesterday was the first day and it was so good to see them both come home with smiles on their faces. Hannah had been especially nervous, but she seems to really like her teacher and her class.
Kaelie was really eager to get back to school, in part because she made the volleyball team...hooray! We were so excited for her. Today they had a scrimmage and won, a great way to start the season. Kaelie was one of the two starting setters and it was so much fun to watch her play.
I'm so proud of Kaelie because she has worked really hard to earn that starting position. Last year she tried out for the team but didn't make it. Instead, she was offered the chance to be a manager. She was so disappointed and upset, but she chose to get past the hurt and take the opportunity to at least work out with the team and hone her skills, even though she would never get to wear a uniform or take to the court for games.
There were days when being a manager was really fun and she thoroughly enjoyed it. There were also days when she came home saying she felt like some of the girls on the team treated her like a slave and a second-class citizen. Nonetheless, she decided that she would work hard and be the best manager she could be. She set a goal for making the team this year, and after playing in a travel league through the winter and attending a volleyball camp this summer, she saw her hard work pay off.
In my opinion, Kaelie's experience with being a manager taught her something even more valuable than volleyball skills. It taught her life lessons in humility and serving. 1 Peter 5:5 says "...All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble'."
During her time as manager, Kaelie swallowed her pride over and over, doing her best to work and serve for the greater good of the team. She was rewarded by getting to be a part of a remarkable undefeated season, and ultimately by making the team this year.
Oh, if only we in the church would just learn that lesson. It is so easy to gripe and complain about how the same people do all the work all the time, or to be jealous about someone else's ministry or the growth of the church down the street. Think of how the world would change if, as Paul urged the Philippians, we would only in humility consider others better than ourselves. Talk about a winning way to serve...better than any ace serve on the volleyball court! :)
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Lost and Found
Last night as I sat here blogging about my girls getting their class assignments for the year, God reminded me of Jeremiah 33:3: "Call to me and I will tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." I was thinking of it in terms of teachers, and relating it to how blessed we are to have Jesus as our ultimate, unchanging teacher. (see yesterday's "Teachers Revealed" post)
Meanwhile, bedtime drama was going on upstairs with Hannah. She had not been able to find her wallet since the day before, and she had all her money and a mall gift card in it. She was upset and worried, and also fearful that we would be angry with her because we've told her over and over not to take her whole wallet and all her money to the pool, only a couple of dollars at a time. She was pretty certain she had left it at the pool, however it did not turn up there in the lost and found.
I finally got her calmed down and off to bed, reassuring her that we would find it today. This morning during my quiet time with the Lord, I was again reminded of Jeremiah 33:3. "Lord," I prayed, "you promise that when we call to you that you will tell us great and unsearchable things we do not know. I'd say Hannah's wallet is pretty unsearchable because we've searched high and low and still don't know where it is. But you do know Lord, so I'm asking you to reveal its location to us today."
A couple of hours later, I decided to check Hannah's backpack that she had taken to the pool the day the wallet went missing. She had gotten annoyed with me earlier when I asked her if she had checked it thoroughly, snapping "only like a million times!" Sure enough, my hand went straight to the wallet in the second pocket I opened. She was greatly relieved, and also a little red in the face.
The best part of the whole episode was that I was able to share with her right then and there about my prayer that morning, and how good and faithful God was to lead us to the wallet so quickly. How often we fail to take the so-called "little things" to the Lord in prayer. But he loves us so much that he wants to be involved in all aspects of our lives, not just the "big things." What a beautiful demonstration of love from our Heavenly Father to his daughter, and all it took was a "call to him."
Meanwhile, bedtime drama was going on upstairs with Hannah. She had not been able to find her wallet since the day before, and she had all her money and a mall gift card in it. She was upset and worried, and also fearful that we would be angry with her because we've told her over and over not to take her whole wallet and all her money to the pool, only a couple of dollars at a time. She was pretty certain she had left it at the pool, however it did not turn up there in the lost and found.
I finally got her calmed down and off to bed, reassuring her that we would find it today. This morning during my quiet time with the Lord, I was again reminded of Jeremiah 33:3. "Lord," I prayed, "you promise that when we call to you that you will tell us great and unsearchable things we do not know. I'd say Hannah's wallet is pretty unsearchable because we've searched high and low and still don't know where it is. But you do know Lord, so I'm asking you to reveal its location to us today."
A couple of hours later, I decided to check Hannah's backpack that she had taken to the pool the day the wallet went missing. She had gotten annoyed with me earlier when I asked her if she had checked it thoroughly, snapping "only like a million times!" Sure enough, my hand went straight to the wallet in the second pocket I opened. She was greatly relieved, and also a little red in the face.
The best part of the whole episode was that I was able to share with her right then and there about my prayer that morning, and how good and faithful God was to lead us to the wallet so quickly. How often we fail to take the so-called "little things" to the Lord in prayer. But he loves us so much that he wants to be involved in all aspects of our lives, not just the "big things." What a beautiful demonstration of love from our Heavenly Father to his daughter, and all it took was a "call to him."
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Teachers Revealed
Well, it has become obvious that it is time for the kids to return to school. It's like pulling teeth to get them to go to the pool. Today I actually had to tell Hannah that she didn't have a choice in the matter. I had a lot of things that needed to get done, Kaelie had to go to volleyball practice, and "you're going to the pool whether you like it or not," I said. She and her friend ended up going and having a good time, but they are definitely ready to get back to the structure of the school routine (and so am I)!
Last week the big excitement was over the classroom assignments. They were both checking the mail every day for the much-anticipated letters. Kaelie was very happy about her teachers and her schedule, and Hannah was excited to get the teacher she was hoping for. She also has a couple of good buddies in her class, so it appears that all is well.
I can remember the anxiety over the first day of school so well. When I was a kid it seemed impossible to fall asleep the night before. I would lie awake fretting over adjusting to new teachers, whether they would be nice or mean, how much homework they would give, and of course, figuring out what I could and couldn't get away with. :) Now I get to relive it all over again with my girls...I'm just glad I don't have to be the one in the classroom!
It's so wonderfully reassuring that I do have a teacher who is always a constant. Hebrews 13:8 says "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever." I believe that because I believe Jesus when he says "I am the way, the truth and the life." Truth is truth, it doesn't change. If it did, how could we ever know what really is true and what isn't?
The God of the Universe invites us to sit at his feet and learn from him! Wow, can you even imagine a better teacher?! I love the invitation he offered through the prophet Jeremiah:
"This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name: 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.' (Jeremiah 33:2-3)
Doesn't that sound wonderfully mysterious and exciting?! The "great and unsearchable things you do not know" part really gets me pumped because I'm a former news reporter and I have a natural curiosity and a burning desire to know stuff! This invitation is marvelous to me because it makes me feel like God wants to share his secrets with me. I believe he does...and all he wants me to do is call to him! I can call to him through prayer or by digging into his word, either way it does require some action on my part. No anxiety though, this is some teaching (and a teacher) I can get excited about!
Last week the big excitement was over the classroom assignments. They were both checking the mail every day for the much-anticipated letters. Kaelie was very happy about her teachers and her schedule, and Hannah was excited to get the teacher she was hoping for. She also has a couple of good buddies in her class, so it appears that all is well.
I can remember the anxiety over the first day of school so well. When I was a kid it seemed impossible to fall asleep the night before. I would lie awake fretting over adjusting to new teachers, whether they would be nice or mean, how much homework they would give, and of course, figuring out what I could and couldn't get away with. :) Now I get to relive it all over again with my girls...I'm just glad I don't have to be the one in the classroom!
It's so wonderfully reassuring that I do have a teacher who is always a constant. Hebrews 13:8 says "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever." I believe that because I believe Jesus when he says "I am the way, the truth and the life." Truth is truth, it doesn't change. If it did, how could we ever know what really is true and what isn't?
The God of the Universe invites us to sit at his feet and learn from him! Wow, can you even imagine a better teacher?! I love the invitation he offered through the prophet Jeremiah:
"This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name: 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.' (Jeremiah 33:2-3)
Doesn't that sound wonderfully mysterious and exciting?! The "great and unsearchable things you do not know" part really gets me pumped because I'm a former news reporter and I have a natural curiosity and a burning desire to know stuff! This invitation is marvelous to me because it makes me feel like God wants to share his secrets with me. I believe he does...and all he wants me to do is call to him! I can call to him through prayer or by digging into his word, either way it does require some action on my part. No anxiety though, this is some teaching (and a teacher) I can get excited about!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
A Mothering Mishap
Not one of my better parenting moments, to be sure. Just after walking in the door from a lunch meeting this afternoon, there is drama in the house over the kids' afternoon plans. I, in my motherly wisdom, conclude that Kaelie has manipulated Hannah and tried to orchestrate things to go her way. I angrily tell Kaelie that I don't appreciate her attitude, her unwillingness to be helpful long enough for me to attend my meeting and Joey to get the lawn mowed, or the way that she has manipulated her sister, to which she angrily responds "how have I manipulated my sister?" before storming into her bedroom.
It was the perfect demonstration of Proverbs 15:1, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." If I had only taken a gentle approach to the situation the whole episode surely would have gone a different, and better way.
It only took a few minutes for me to start feeling guilty. I had not even been home, for heaven's sake. How in the world could I know what had transpired or what the kids had said to one another? I had been totally unfair in accusing Kaelie that way. I apologized to her, of course, and she gave me a hug and a kiss and assured me of her forgiveness.
Contrary to popular belief, we moms do not have eyes in the back of our heads and even though we sometimes think we do, we really don't know everything. I'm so grateful that our Heavenly Father does! Proverbs 15:3 says "The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good." Because of that, I can trust his judgement to be right and his discipline to be fair. I just need to remember to seek his wisdom before dishing out my own judgement and discipline where my kids are concerned!
It was the perfect demonstration of Proverbs 15:1, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." If I had only taken a gentle approach to the situation the whole episode surely would have gone a different, and better way.
It only took a few minutes for me to start feeling guilty. I had not even been home, for heaven's sake. How in the world could I know what had transpired or what the kids had said to one another? I had been totally unfair in accusing Kaelie that way. I apologized to her, of course, and she gave me a hug and a kiss and assured me of her forgiveness.
Contrary to popular belief, we moms do not have eyes in the back of our heads and even though we sometimes think we do, we really don't know everything. I'm so grateful that our Heavenly Father does! Proverbs 15:3 says "The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good." Because of that, I can trust his judgement to be right and his discipline to be fair. I just need to remember to seek his wisdom before dishing out my own judgement and discipline where my kids are concerned!
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Family Ties
Last night was so much fun. My neice Molly is in a band called the Barrel House Mamas and they were in town to perform at Steppin' Out, our local summer street festival. The band is from Asheville, NC and is absolutely terrific. I'm trying to learn how to put a link to one of their songs in my blog, but until I do, I'll just encourage you to visit http://barrelhousemamas.com/, click on the music tab and take a listen.
Anyway, we hadn't seen Molly since she and the "Mamas" were in town for Steppin' Out last year, so it was really great to get together with her. Not only did we get to enjoy hearing them sing, but we went to dinner afterwards and were able to spend some good time just catching up.
My in-laws were also with us, along with our nephew Bobby. Bobby is 13 and lives in Macau, China, and we had not seen him since last summer either. My girls have been very excited that Bobby is going to be spending a few days at our house with us.
I got to thinking how cool it is that these two special people are in our lives. Molly is not related to us by blood. She's actually my step-neice, the daughter of my sister's husband from his first marriage. Bobby is not a blood relative either. He is the son of my husband's brother's wife. None of that matters though. We don't look at them and think they're not related to us by blood. We just look at them and think how happy we are to see our neice and nephew who are part of our family and who we love very much. We're grateful that we get to spend time with them, and that God brought us together in a way that only he could have arranged.
Wouldn't it be great if we could get as excited as Christians about siezing oppportunities to spend time with our brothers and sisters in Christ? Why don't we put the same emphasis on Christian fellowship as we do spending time with our families? Christians ARE blood relatives, by the way, adopted into God's family by the blood of Christ.
Tomorrow is Sunday, and my family will be attending Sunday school and church as we do each week. I look forward to that dedicated worship time each week, and I also look forward to the opportunity to connect with my church family. I'm also in a weekly prayer and accountability group with several other women. We share with each other about how we have experienced God at work in our lives, the ways in which our faith has been tested, and what we are doing or should be doing to minister to others. We laugh, cry and pray together, and encourage one another in our faith journeys. I don't know what I would do without these opportunities to be in fellowship with these sisters in Christ.
The summer is always difficult to meet on a regular basis because of vacations, trips, etc. But I also know people who just decide to "take a break" in the summer. Instead of getting up for Sunday school and church, they may choose to sleep in on Sundays or go do other things. You can always tell on Sundays when school has started back up because the pews are full again!
Forgive me if I sound judgemental here, it is not intentional. I totally understand the need for taking a break from the busyness of life...I've even blogged about it! I just miss seeing those faces I have come to love and who are a source of encouragement to me in Sunday school and church. I hope that perhaps my family is missed as well on those days when we are absent. I want to make fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ as much a priority as time spent with my extended family. I guess you can take this as a challenge to do the same.
"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25)
Anyway, we hadn't seen Molly since she and the "Mamas" were in town for Steppin' Out last year, so it was really great to get together with her. Not only did we get to enjoy hearing them sing, but we went to dinner afterwards and were able to spend some good time just catching up.
My in-laws were also with us, along with our nephew Bobby. Bobby is 13 and lives in Macau, China, and we had not seen him since last summer either. My girls have been very excited that Bobby is going to be spending a few days at our house with us.
I got to thinking how cool it is that these two special people are in our lives. Molly is not related to us by blood. She's actually my step-neice, the daughter of my sister's husband from his first marriage. Bobby is not a blood relative either. He is the son of my husband's brother's wife. None of that matters though. We don't look at them and think they're not related to us by blood. We just look at them and think how happy we are to see our neice and nephew who are part of our family and who we love very much. We're grateful that we get to spend time with them, and that God brought us together in a way that only he could have arranged.
Wouldn't it be great if we could get as excited as Christians about siezing oppportunities to spend time with our brothers and sisters in Christ? Why don't we put the same emphasis on Christian fellowship as we do spending time with our families? Christians ARE blood relatives, by the way, adopted into God's family by the blood of Christ.
Tomorrow is Sunday, and my family will be attending Sunday school and church as we do each week. I look forward to that dedicated worship time each week, and I also look forward to the opportunity to connect with my church family. I'm also in a weekly prayer and accountability group with several other women. We share with each other about how we have experienced God at work in our lives, the ways in which our faith has been tested, and what we are doing or should be doing to minister to others. We laugh, cry and pray together, and encourage one another in our faith journeys. I don't know what I would do without these opportunities to be in fellowship with these sisters in Christ.
The summer is always difficult to meet on a regular basis because of vacations, trips, etc. But I also know people who just decide to "take a break" in the summer. Instead of getting up for Sunday school and church, they may choose to sleep in on Sundays or go do other things. You can always tell on Sundays when school has started back up because the pews are full again!
Forgive me if I sound judgemental here, it is not intentional. I totally understand the need for taking a break from the busyness of life...I've even blogged about it! I just miss seeing those faces I have come to love and who are a source of encouragement to me in Sunday school and church. I hope that perhaps my family is missed as well on those days when we are absent. I want to make fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ as much a priority as time spent with my extended family. I guess you can take this as a challenge to do the same.
"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)