Toes

What do classrooms, churches and tables have in common: assigned seats. Though it's unspoken and unofficial, each of us sits in the same place at each meal. (exceptions: when one or more persons is absent, seating arrangements may vary) But, if we're all present, we are creatures of habit. For several years Jackson has been seated next to me (mommy). It all began when he was a really little guy and needed a lot of help while eating. Even though he's moved into the independent-eaters club, he still sits next to me. I thinks it's because of this that I never noticed. All this time he's been right beside me and I never noticed how he sits. The strongest toes award goes to... Jay-bird!!! I heard him complaining that his toes were hurting and I looked over to see why. I saw him sitting like this and started laughing, "Of course your toes hurt, buddy. Don't sit like that." He replied, "I always sit like this." This funny interaction has made me wonder: what else don't I know about the people I sit beside everyday? And, if it's true that the Lord is with us wherever we go (Joshua 1:9), then He's probably saying, "I always walk this way" or "I always love this way" or "I always forgive this way". Today, I want to notice these things.

Rubik's Family

The family that cubes together - stays together.

25 days

I will start by recapping what is happening right now. We were approached, soon after I resigned(mid February), by the director of the Bible camp we live next to. He asked if I would consider taking the position of directing the camp since he would not be directing any more. Even though we thought we were heading across the world for international missionary work,we felt at peace about pursuing that and we had our interview last week. Thank you to all who lifted us up in prayer. We felt the interview went well. The current director is deciding between me and one other person. We feel confident that he is seeking the Lord and will decide as he feels God leading him. He let us know that he will make the decision by May 1st. That's 25 days from now. So I am inclined to become anxious. That is a long time to wonder how I'm going to take care of my family.... And there's the problem. I worry and am afraid because of one thing. My confidence has moved from being found in God, to being found in myself. --In the story of David and Goliath, Goliath yells out to the Israelites, "Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul?" The Israelites were afraid and ran away. But then David comes along and says, "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" So David went and killed him. What a contrast. David's confidence was in God, and the Israelites confidence was in themselves, just as the enemy was telling them it should be. God chose to use David to defeat the Philistines, but David knew this was not David vs. Goliath, it was God vs. Goliath. Jeremiah 17:5-8 says there are two types of people. Those who trust in man and those who trust in God. It says those who trust in man "will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives." And those who trust in God "will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." The Israelites were the bush in the wastelands. David was the tree, not fearing, no worries, and bearing fruit. -- I have concluded that if I'm worried, fearful, anxious, stressed, etc. it is because of one thing; my confidence is not in the Lord. I want to be the tree by the water. I want to see the problems around me as David saw them. My confidence must be in God and God alone. So for 25 days we wait. But we will wait having confidence in the Lord, knowing He is our leader and He will provide. Thank You, O Lord, for your word. Thank You, O Lord, for the next 25 days.