An Introvert Living in a House Full of People! A Link-Up in "Pages in Our Heritage of Faith"

A friend asked me an interesting question not long ago. He didn't believe me when I told him I was an introvert, so he asked me if it "recharges" me to be around a group of people, or if I "recharge" by being alone. I told him it was most definitely and unequivocally when I am ALONE! 


But that almost never happens!


My sweet husband has, several times over the years, said he would love for me to have a "break." (Those comments are usually forthcoming when he gazes into my eyes and notices that I'm "glazing" over.) Brainstorming for ways that a "mom's time-out" could be accomplished, he would dream up several different options, all of which involved me going somewhere, often times with a friend/sister, to "do" something fun.


I told him that what sounds blissful to me is simply to check into a room in a hotel here, in town, for a couple of days. I could stay up as long as I wanted, sleep until I woke up, and take the stack of books I'm reading at the moment. Now, that's what I call a "break!"


Hasn't happened yet. It's not because he wouldn't let me, it's just that I haven't felt like the timing was right. Yet.


Hope does spring eternal. After all, I'm only 24 1/2 years into this journey of motherhood. 


It could still happen.


You just never know.


In the meantime, this introvert will continue living in the "antbed," learning to trust His Grace when my batteries need to be recharged, even in the midst of the mob. 


And He does always recharge me.


Today was a perfect example. 


Our homeschool is intense. Very. Intense. 


Today, I wanted to run away. I had a stack of math, spelling, grammar, Greek & Latin, and dictation papers to check, the boys needed me to help review their rough drafts in composition, the girls needed me to help them check their final copies of an essay, and I felt my spirit tensing up. The thought went through my mind, "Just tell them to go do their reading and you can go hide for a little while in your bedroom." 


There are times when that is actually a wise choice. 


This wasn't one of them. 


This was a time to not leave a single thing out, not using any excuses from the "emotional duress" category, but allowing His Grace to flow over and through me. 


That's not always what I choose. I sometimes choose what I want instead of what He wants. I sometimes give myself excuses to not do what is best because it's hard. 


It was precious, though, because Grace (the power and the desire to do His Will) allowed me to choose Peace, and to go through every assignment with each child, just the way it needed to happen. For them and for me. They needed to complete their work with excellence. I needed to facilitate that process in a cheerful, helpful way. 


If I had chosen what I wanted, I would have bolted. 


At least, my heart was telling me that's what I wanted.


The Truth of the matter, though, is that I really didn't want to choose the "easy way out." But it required His Grace for me to know that and for Him to accomplish it in me. My strength was not sufficient. It never is.


When we made it through the thick of the daily assignments, and everyone had worked hard to faithfully finish what their responsibilities required, we all felt a sense of accomplishment that only comes through pressing through the "sticking places" to finish the race.


I'm so thankful He helped me choose what I needed to choose.


Now, if it does work out one of these days where I can go check into a hotel for a couple of days to allow this introvert-who-is-constantly-living-outside-her-comfort-zone "recharge" in that way, you won't have to worry about the door hitting me on the way out. :)


Until then, I'm supposed to learn how to dive deeper into His Fathomless Grace. Wonder if I will ever learn to do more than a "dogie paddle" . . .

I would love to hear your stories of His Faithfulness in your life. Link up with us here and tell us all about it. He has been Faithful this week, this month, this year, we just have to pay attention. 


Thank all of you who have linked up in the past. What a blessing you have been to me!

Receiving His Blessings: A Link-Up in "Pages in Our Heritage of Faith"

This season in our lives has been one of great blessing. We don't deserve them. We haven't "earned" them. They are simply Gifts from our loving Father. 


When I stop for a moment and contemplate the incredible quantity and quality of them, I can have several negative reactions: 

• Guilt--I don't "deserve" them. Other people are going through hard times, I could feel badly for enjoying myself. 
• Fear--things can't be this "good" for long. Something "not good" may be just around the corner.
• Embarrassed--I may want to "hide things" from others because I don't want them to feel "less blessed."
• You get the picture

Any of those responses reveal a wrong understanding of His Blessings. 

It is easy for us, from the perspective of the world, to define Blessings as "good things." Things that are fun or comfortable or enjoyable. But that is not a true definition, when we are His.

A Blessing is ANYTHING that causes us to:

• More clearly recognize our need for Him
• Look more like Jesus
• Understand His Father Heart more truly
• Love others more
• Release our hold on this world to a greater degree
• See things through His Eyes
• Die to ourselves
• Grow more in the Fruits of the Spirit

To define blessings only as "things we like" is much too narrow a view.

Where the "rubber really meets the road?" Do I receive His Blessings, all of them, with a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving? That's easy to do when it's something I "like." 


If I am really trusting Him, then my heart is ready with gratitude in every circumstance. And in His perfect Love, the Grace I need to have that response is already available to me so that I may respond in a way that will bring Him Glory.

He is so Faithful.

As I look over the past several months, He reminds me that there have been many challenges, too. There have been many things that have been a blessing because they have showed me just how much I need Him, situations that have required much prayer and weeping and waiting on Him. 

And the most amazing thing? He had to remind me of them. Those situations and challenges aren't heavy in my spirit. I don't know if that makes sense, but the very fact that He has brought us through some very difficult situations that could have caused me to despair (in my own strength), and I had to be reminded of them is, to me, miraculous! His Faithfulness is so complete, His Love so Perfect, that my heart walks in freedom. I don't have to dwell on the problems. He calls me to lay them at His Feet and trust Him, and I am free. 

Now that is what I call Blessings!

That doesn't mean that He won't take me deeper into the Truth of this understanding. That doesn't mean that there won't be temptations to fear and chaff under the circumstances that lie ahead. It does mean, however, that His Faithfulness to supply my need and teach me through every trial I must face is guaranteed. 


His Nature will not change, no matter how my circumstances do. And that gives such Peace.

So in this season in the life of our family that is filled with blessings (that we like), we will praise Him. We will give Him the Glory and thanks for the amazing fun we had on our trip to the Caribbean. And may we, with equal enthusiasm and gratitude, give Him thanks for all His Blessings--even the ones we don't "like."

Our understanding of His Faithfulness is foundational to how we will experience this life. If we choose to use it as the lens through which we see things, we come to understand the "whys" behind the "whats." That's not to say that we will have "the answer" for all our questions in this life, it will mean that He will be Enough. 


I need to understand Him better, to know Him more deeply, to long to dwell closer to His Heart. Seeing His Faithfulness in every second of every minute of every day helps me get there. 


Will you join us here, giving a testimony through your words of His Faithfulness to you? To your family? We are blessed by your stories. It encourages us to walk in faith. 


Grab the button in the sidebar and add it to your post, if you like. Link up anything you have that testifies to His Faithfulness. Add another Page in Your Heritage of Faith.

The Ache of a Heart Longing for Home

The more deeply I fall in love with Jesus, the more I long to forever dwell in His Presence. In worship, the ache is often physical. (This one's for YOU, Kirsten! :)  It's not that I'm unhappy here. I'm so very blessed and our life is incredibly rich and fascinating. 


But this is not Home.


And that Truth is becoming more and more real in my soul and my spirit. 


There are so many songs of praise that speak to this "other worldliness" that He created into the fiber of our beings, but one that always "gets me" is this one:

 
There is nothing like standing, surrounded by my family on a Sunday morning, singing this song together. I think I want it sung when He calls me Home.


Another one that makes me weep every single time I hear it is this one:



"If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world."          C. S. Lewis

He wants us to understand the Truth of our situation. He wants us to know that there is more, that we were created for more. There is such strength to be found in recognizing our Citizenship. It frees us from things that could otherwise distract or dilute our mission and message while we walk this Earth. It causes us to discern circumstances correctly. It teaches us "to number out days aright so that we may gain a heart of Wisdom."


And, even though the ache is fierce, it is the most Loving way for Him to allow me to feel. Walking through these years with a heart that is so very tender to His Touch is the desire of my heart. I don't want there to be any hard spots in my spirit, my soul. I want to allow Him to turn my heart of stone into a heart of flesh that quickens to His smallest Whisper. 


It's the opposite of the message that so much of our culture thinks of as truth: that we should be independent, pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps, be dependent on nothing and no one. It is thought that freedom is the absence of need.


True Freedom is being completely and totally dependent, knowing that every need is met only in Him.


As I learn more about the true nature of my need, I give Him thanks. 

You're up! Join the link up and testify to His Faithfulness in your life. We can't wait to read what He has done for you! I love it when you give Him Glory for His Faithful Provision, Protection, Wisdom. Whatever it is, as long as it brings Him Glory for His Faithfulness to you or your family, it's "fair game" for this link up. 

My Beloved: A Link-Up in "Pages in Our Heritage of Faith"

As 2011 winds to a close, reflection is natural. And we've had a great deal on which to reflect this year. 


As Kregg finished his time with his former employer, it became very obvious that he would be sorely missed. The president of the company told me that the thing he most valued in Kregg is his ability to just know when something is "off." To put that statement in context, you have to have some background. 


The company that Kregg has spent half of his life working for has grown from a small business owned by a family into the largest employer in West Texas, other than the government. He has worked his way up, over the years, to be the Treasurer and Vice President of Finance. The man who started the company, passed away suddenly several years ago. His wife told Kregg that he had always considered Kregg to be another of his sons.


Because of Kregg's long years with the company, and because of his God-given talents, he is able to know when the numbers don't add up. He always has a total in his head for how much something should cost, or how much something should add up to, and so he can tell instantly when something has a mistake in it. It's is truly amazing to me because my brain just doesn't work that way. At all! 


Kregg's boss told me that he just can't hire that.


Now, after interviewing people from all over, the president of the company has decided he will need to hire three people to replace Kregg. But, at the Christmas party the other night, he told me that he is going to tell these replacements that, if Kregg decides to come back within a year, they will be out and Kregg will get his job back. Incredible! This is a company that had over 1.2 billion dollars revenue last year. And my sweet husband can account for every penny. 


It's one thing to have the people "over" Kregg feel this way about him. But, it is also very telling to hear what Kregg's employees think. 


Last Friday, his last day, was brutal.


Kregg cried off and on all day. And so did his employees. I picked him up at the office that afternoon, because he had to turn in his company truck, and his eyes were red and swollen. Knowing ahead of time that it would be hard, he had planned a hunting trip. He took Josh, Ben, and Elizabeth with him from here and then met Caleb at the deer lease. It was a good plan. It would give him time to unwind and process his feelings while just having fun with the kids. 


But that evening, he received an email that started him grieving all over again. Two of his sweet employees, a married couple, told him they had gotten home from work that day and received our Christmas card in the mail. They said they both just sat there and wept, realizing that Kregg wouldn't be back. It ripped his already tender heart out again. And, of course, I had to cry, too. Again.


As the kids have watched and listened to all of this about their father, they have come to better understand just how blessed they are. Caleb sent Kregg a precious text telling him how much he admires him and how much he has learned about the need for a work ethic of excellence through his dad's example. Priceless!


As hard as it has been on Kregg's heart, it has also been so very dear to him. When you work with someone for years and years, it can be easy to take them for granted. Kregg is the very last one at that company that anyone would ever have thought would leave. He could have stayed there for the rest of his career and they would have been thrilled to have him. But knowing he was leaving made him realize just how much they loved and respected him. And that fed his soul in deep places. So very precious.


And this process has reminded me, again, just what an amazing man God has blessed me with. My husband is such a gift. He is such a rare, priceless treasure to me. And the Lord has used him over and over and over again through 26 1/2 years of marriage to show His Faithfulness to me, to our children. I am so thankful. It's hard to take it all in, at times. Through Kregg's faithfulness to me and our family, I see daily a reflection of the Father's Faithfulness. Our family is far from perfect, but through the godly leadership of my husband, we are blessed beyond measure. 

God is Faithful! In our lives everyday, there is evidence. Proof. Are we paying attention? Or are we merely taking it for granted? I have to be careful to intentionally notice and take notes. That's the purpose of this link-up every Friday: to encourage all of us to keep a record of ways the Lord shows Himself Faithful to us. Recording it builds our faith in Him. Having a written record serves as an anchor in the storms we will face in this life. When we can sit and reflect on all the ways over all the years that He has always been Faithful, it gives us courage to walk without fear, regardless of the circumstances we face. And the blessing your testimony will be to your children, and their children after them, is without price. You cannot put a value on a Heritage of Faith. It is one of the most precious gifts we can give to the future generations of our family. 


Have you started your "Pages in Our Heritage of Faith?" If not, you should. It will bless you. And if you link up with us here, it will also bless us! It is such fun to read your testimonies here. I am so thankful for each of you who have linked up over the last several months, telling of what He has done for you. And I look forward to reading what you have to say this week!  


Will you do me a favor? Grab the button in the sidebar and add it to your post. We would love for others to join us here. Merriest Christmas to each and everyone of you!

A Tragic Tale

He had only been coming to our little church for a couple of months, but loved it. His parents said he had never felt as at home as he did with our young people. 


When I got the text Saturday morning, I wasn't even sure at first which young man he was. 


It didn't matter. 


When you hear that someone has chosen to take their own life, even if you didn't know them, your heart breaks. How could a sixteen year old, a talented musician, athlete, popular, happy son/brother/student/Christian reach the point that he welcomed death? There were apparently no clues. No hint of what he was contemplating. Everyone said he was the last person they would ever guess would take his own life. 


I think about his poor mother. They had worked together to clean the pool, then shared a pizza for dinner. She had gone to fix him some hot chocolate. As she was taking it to him, she heard a pop and thought something had fallen. She had no idea what she would find when she went to her son.


And then there are his dad and sisters, who had left town to watch the high school championship football game. Even though they kept his body going for a few hours, his dad and sisters didn't make it back before he was gone.


There have been seven suicides here in the last month.


Those left behind always ask themselves what they missed? What could they have done? Why hadn't they known what was coming? Could they have said anything that would have prevented it?


A few hours after he died, there was a gathering at church of the youth and several adults. We cried and prayed and loved on each other. But we also spoke Truth out loud. 


We have an enemy who seeks to destroy us.


We must recognize that his goal is to isolate us so we believe we are alone.


He tries to burden us with shame that causes us to withdraw from others.


Our Father is always seeking to draw us nearer to Himself.


Any guilt we feel because of sin in our lives is intended to bring us to the point of repentance and confession so that there is nothing "between" us and our Father.


NOTHING can separate us from the Love of Christ. NOTHING!


Nothing we can do will cause His Body to stop loving us.


The Lord will always provide a way for us, no matter what.


We were created for Life.


We were created to reflect His Glory here so that others may come to know Him.


He IS SUFFICIENT for whatever concerns us today.


He is bigger than any problem we could ever encounter.


There are people who love you and will help you.


Suicide is NEVER the best choice.


He has plans for us, plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future.


As His People, we need to be looking for those in pain, reaching out with Love. We need to go deeper than just a "How are you?" We need to be vulnerable and open about our struggles and problems. We should never be guilty of painting a false image of ourselves as problem-free and perfect, for then we close the door to ministry. 


As parents, we must do battle for our children. We must ask the Lord for Wisdom and Discernment to see our children, or those whose lives we can speak into, as they really are. We need His Eyes to recognize the ways the enemy is attacking them. We need to speak Truth and Blessings over their lives, out loud and often. We need to talk about big issues. Our children need to understand that they can talk to us about ANYTHING, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE. We need to tell them that we love them, daily. We need to hug them and laugh with them and poke our noses into their business. Anytime we believe something like this CAN'T happen to our family or friends, we are deceived. We don't need to live in fear, but we do need to be alert, aware of the threats the evil one brings against us. We truly must pray without ceasing.


For the record, our family is NOT perfect. No where close! The story of our lives contains one messy, problem-filled chapter after another. I sin, our children sin. But He continues to Love us and make us more into the image of His Son. We love to live in His Light, but that doesn't mean we don't have to cry out to Him to beat back the darkness.  

She Was Slipping Away: A Link-Up in "Pages in Our Heritage of Faith"

This is my mom during the few months she lived in the Alzheimer's Unit here. We had moved my parents near us because there was no place for her where they lived. By the time this picture was taken, most of her memories were gone. She knew that she knew me, but she couldn't remember why. She couldn't remember my name. 


It was such an incredible blessing that she was so happy during those months. She simply smiled or laughed the majority of the time.


It had taken several years for the disease to progress that far, though. Looking back, it's hard to know when it all began. There were odd clues sprinkled through those early years that something wasn't right. But there is one Thanksgiving that stands out vividly in my memory as the point where there was no longer any doubt. Living 300+ miles away, that realization was probably slower in coming than it would have been had we seen her more often.


But I will never forget that Thanksgiving morning when my mother, who had always prepared a wonderful feast for all of us, stood in the middle of her kitchen with a blank look on her face and said, "I don't think I've ever made dressing before." Her dressing had been one of the highlights of the yearly celebration. But suddenly, it was gone. She had no idea how to fix it any more. She had no memory of ever having made dressing.


As I sat there reeling from the shock and the grief, my precious husband, without missing a beat, said, "Doris, you don't worry about that. I will make the dressing for you." She thanked him. And I loved him so much in that moment. She went on about her list of things to do. We helped when her mind went blank. And my husband made the dressing for us. And it was delicious. He's been making it ever since. 


Later that same day, things got ugly.


It was all so new to us then that we didn't understand. We didn't understand that when she became tired, the frustration level for her would reach a boiling point. She grew very irritated and vocally angry with our children. They weren't misbehaving, but it suddenly became unbearable for her to have them in the house. We were unsure what to do. But Kregg and I knew we had to leave. Right then. We gathered up the kids and explained that we were going to have to change our plans and go. I remember making it out to our car with the kids, loading them all up and sitting there in the driveway crying. 


"That's NOT my mother!" I screamed through blinding tears and pain. 


Kregg was my rock in that moment. 


I told him we couldn't stay there another night. He found us a hotel. I knew our budget was really tight, so his gesture meant even more. His goal was to protect his family, and he would do whatever it took to accomplish that goal. 


I see Kregg's faithfulness to us and in Kregg's faithfulness, I see the Faithfulness of my Father. Kregg was the Provision for me in that crisis of my soul. Through him, my Father provided for us. As painful as that day was for me, and still is when I think of it, I can't remember the pain without also remembering the Provision. My Father WILL supply ALL of my needs. Period. End of story.


And in those moments when my heart shatters in pieces over whatever new grief this life holds, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, to the marrow of my bones, that I am not and never will be alone. Ever. And the Peace that fills my spirit testifies to His Faithfulness. Even in the darkness that seems devoid of hope, His Provision is already there before I even know of my need. 


I never need fear. His Faithfulness is the very nature of His Being. He cannot deny it. He cannot act contrary to it. He will always be and has forever been Faithful.

It's Friday again. You know what that means if you have frequented the Antbed for more than a week. This is where I say, "Tell me your story. Tell me of His Faithfulness. Declare it. Write it down. Add a Page to Your Heritage of Faith." Grab the button in the sidebar and add it to your linked up post, please, so that others may understand what we are doing here. Your post can be anything about how the Lord has shown Himself Faithful to you, to your family. 


We want to intentionally, habitually take notes so that "the next generation will put their trust in the Lord." Begin a volume of Pages that tell of what He has done for you, through you, in you. We are a people of forgetfulness. We need reminders. And these reminders, as they accumulate, provide us with ammunition to combat the lies of the evil one, as he hatefully whispers lies in our ears that our Father doesn't move on our behalf, that He doesn't care about us. Collect your stories. Create a strong heritage of those stories for your family, for future generations.  

Decision Time: A Link Up in "Pages in Our Heritage of Faith"

"My God is SO Big, SO Strong, and SO Mighty, there's NOTHING my God cannot do!"

Our life is complicated, lots of "moving parts," lots of "variables," each piece in the puzzle affecting the others. At this stage in our lives, our choices have widespread consequences. It's always that way, in every stage, but it seems to be even more pronounced than ever before for us because of the season of life in which we find ourselves. 


Because of that, decisions, more than ever, need to be bathed in prayer. 


We know we do not have the "foresight" to anticipate all of the consequences that would radiate out from a major decision in our lives. We need His Guidance, His Wisdom, because He DOES know. He knows how any particular decision would affect the two of us, our children, our son-in-law, our grandson, our church, our friends, and the ripples go out from there to a horizon we cannot see. Not only are there immediate effects, but there are also future effects. 


We have been in a time of decision making for our family. Kregg has been at the same company for 25 years. He has a great job and the Lord has blessed us richly through it. During those years, he has been approached several times by other companies who wanted to offer him a job. He has always graciously declined. Until now. This opportunity has caused MUCH reflection on where we're headed, which is always a good thing--allowing Him to continue to sift us and refine our aims and goals. 


I like to ask the Lord for specifics when I need direction. Remember Gideon's fleece? He asked for specific, definite direction because he desperately wanted to do exactly what the Lord wanted of him. I have prayed for that kind of direction many times over the years, and the Lord, in His most precious Mercy, has answered. Over and over and over again. 


There have also been times when we haven't received specific, definite marching orders. Looking back, I know I have at times allowed fear to make some decisions and there have been other times when I arrogantly felt my wisdom sufficient for the situation, to step into a choice without truly bathing it in prayer. How foolish! 


Having seen His direct answers before, why would I ever, ever choose on my own?


His Patience amazes me. Constantly amazes me. He continues to show me the better way. He continues to tame my stubborn spirit, wooing me, teaching me to be more and more dependent on Him for everything.


When confronted with the choice we just faced, I asked the Lord to make it abundantly clear so that no "guessing" would be required. I had no idea how He would accomplish it. But He did. The choice could not have been any clearer! It is miraculous! From our point of view, neither direction was "bad." There were very strong arguments to be made for either choice. But we didn't want to "reason" it out. We didn't want to weigh them on a balance of our own making, bound by the variables we could see. We wanted Him to reveal His Will for us. And we asked Him to do just that. 


Going forward from here, that answered prayer will serve as an anchor for our faith, knowing there will be challenges down this new path. Knowing that He is guiding our way gives us Peace and the confidence that His Provision for this new direction will be perfectly perfect. And so we give Him all the Glory. He is so very Faithful and His blessings are without measure. 

It's Friday again. You know what that means if you have frequented the Antbed for more than a week. This is where I say, "Tell me your story. Tell me of His Faithfulness. Declare it. Write it down. Add a Page to Your Heritage of Faith." Grab the button in the sidebar and add it to your linked up post, please, so that others may understand what we are doing here. Your post can be anything about how the Lord has shown Himself Faithful to you, to your family. We want to intentionally, habitually take notes so that "the next generation will put their trust in the Lord." Begin a volume of Pages that tell of what He has done for you, through you, in you. We are a people of forgetfulness. We need reminders. And these reminders, as they accumulate, provide us with ammunition to combat the lies of the evil one as he whispers in our ears that He doesn't move on our behalf, that He doesn't care about us. Collect your stories. Create a strong heritage of those stories for your family, for future generations.  

The Altar of Incense: A Link-Up in Pages in Our Heritage of Faith

Yes, I'm still thinking about the Tabernacle Experience. I will be for some time to come. 


I was blessed during the ten days it was open to serve in each of the volunteer attendant positions at different times. There were each precious in their own way, but my very favorite was the Altar of Incense Attendant. 


Inside the actual Tabernacle, in the Holy Place, there are three articles: The Lampstand, The Table for the Bread of the Presence, and the Altar of Incense. As guests would enter, they would first visit the Lampstand, then the table of the Bread. Then they would come to the Altar. The attendant was responsible for keeping the incense burning and for assisting guests as they entered the Holy of Holies. The incense was kept burning as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. Watching the smoke rise serves as a reminder of our prayers as they are offered up to Him. And our worship. 


Additionally, the most important duty of the attendant at the Altar of Incense or any of the other stations was to pray over the guests. 


As I stood vigil, lighting incense, listening to the wind rage outside, I watched. I watched them come. I glanced into their faces, knowing the message they were hearing in their headsets, knowing that at every station they visited they were hearing how it was a picture of Jesus. It was a picture painted by a loving Father of His Plan to redeem and restore us. Even then. Even when He gave Moses the plans for the construction of the Tabernacle atop Sinai, the Way was already made for us. 


And it still makes me weep. 


It has always been about restoring us to Himself.


As they came, I would pray for them that each of them would receive everything He had for them in this Experience. I prayed that they would see Him more clearly than ever before. 


As they listened to the instructions on the audio, they would choose a stick of incense and approach the Curtain that divided the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. As I drew it back for them to enter, I saw their faces. And I am weeping in remembrance. That look on their faces as they entered will stay with me for ages. And then. When they came out. After worshiping in His Presence around the Ark of the Covenant. Smiles. Tears. Wonder. Peace. 


I loved the smell of the incense and how that smell lingered on my hands and clothing even after I had left that station. Such a beautiful picture of the Aroma of Christ that is on every believer. 


The Altar of Incense. One of three Altars in the Bible that were made of wood: 

• The Altar of Burnt Offering-covered in bronze, an alloy of two metals made into a new metal, a picture of Jesus, God who became man
• The Altar of Incense-tradition says that the cloak of Elijah was stored inside after he left this earth and that was the very place where Zechariah stood when the angel foretold the birth of John the Baptist, he who would "go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Luke 1:5-17
• And the Cross--the Altar on which the ultimate Sacrifice was offered.

Our Father is so Faithful. He pursues us unswervingly. He reveals Himself to us in all He has made, all He has done. And it is all for the purpose of restoring us to Himself. 

How has He shown Himself Faithful to you? Write it down. Share it with us. Testify for His Glory. Testify so that your family will see clearly their Heritage of Faith. It can be old or new. As long as it brings Him Glory. Grab the button and add it to your post, please, so that others may join us here and hear these testimonies of Faith. 

  

Unanswered Questions: A Link-Up in "Pages in Our Heritage of Faith"

There are times when, no matter how "hard" you pray, it seems as if your prayers go unheard, unanswered. We know in our heads that's not the case. He ALWAYS hears, ALWAYS answers. But when the answer is, "Wait" or "Just Hold on to Me" or "Just trust," it can seem like no answer because nothing "moved." Nothing "changed." And our hearts question what our head "knows." 


I've mentioned before that Hannah was not a very happy baby. She screamed. A LOT! For months! Nothing helped. Nothing. We were rookies. People offered lots of advice for what helped with their babies. Didn't help. She wanted to be held and entertained and she didn't want to sleep. We were stressed. Bewildered. Sleep deprived. Glassy eyed. 


Kregg had started a new job while we were expecting her. It required LOTS and LOTS of hours. Then he would come home to a screaming baby and a flustered, exhausted wife. So much fun. 


During this season, he developed some serious pains in his midsection. His doctor wasn't really sure, but guessed reflux. The medicine didn't help. 


Another doctor.


The same guess.


The same treatment.


The same results.


Lots of pain. No real answers.


A screaming baby.


It started affecting his ability to sleep. It started affecting his job. We prayed and prayed. After months and months, there seemed to be no answer. It began to be scary. Why was the medicine not helping? What if it was something else? Something serious? Why could no one help? Why did the doctors just have to guess?


Pain + Fear +Stress + No Answers + Lack of sleep, added up to depression.


We really didn't know what to do. It was a long, dark tunnel. And we didn't know if it would ever end. We felt alone. We were scared. But He stayed beside us. He helped us keep going.


I'd like to say there was a miraculous answer and healing.


That's not what happened. 


We learned to cope. 


And to keep on going. 


Even through the fear and the depression. My precious husband just kept going. He would get up and go to work, even if he hadn't slept. Even if the pain was excruciating. He faithfully did his best to do his best in all the areas of his life. But, he felt like a failure. 


We both cried a lot during that season. 


There would sometimes be weeks at a time when he would be free of pain. And that was wonderful. But always in the back of his mind was the question, "When will it come back?" 


And it always did. 


We felt like we were holding our breaths, simply waiting for the next wave to crash over our heads. 


For eight long years, the tide of it all would ebb and flow, with no real answers to what it was or why it wouldn't stop. Eight years of questions. Eight years of waiting. Eight years of holding our breaths.


Finally, the Lord moved on our behalf. A friend of Kregg's he had known years before was talking to my mother in law. She mentioned Kregg's problem. This man just happened to be able to get Kregg in with the head of the gastroenterology department at Scott and White Medical Center in Temple, Texas.


We were scared to hope.


But we went.


We met the doctor. He personally ran tests on Kregg. Within 36 hours of arriving there, he said this, "In all my years of practicing medicine, you are only the second person I've ever seen who has this combination of conditions."


Kregg had two different medical conditions that contraindicated each other! The medicine for one problem aggravated the other problem and visa versa. That's why none of the regular doctors he had seen over all those years was able to help us. That's why the medicine didn't help. 


The new medicine he prescribed actually had nothing to do with the actual condition, but helped anyway without interfering with the second problem. 


It didn't fix things. There's still pain. But it's better. And just knowing what it really was relieved so much of the fear and stress. We would like for it to have been "fixed." But 23 years later, we can say that God is Faithful. He never left us. He never ignored us. And just because He didn't "fix" things doesn't mean He didn't answer our prayers. He did answer. And there is a reason why He answered the way He did, when He did. We don't have to understand. We stand in Faith because He IS Faithful. And we are okay not knowing all the answers. It's enough to know that "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."


In ALL things. Not somethings. Not sometimes. Always. In everything. Even when it makes no sense from our perspective.

Now it's your turn. How has He shown Himself Faithful to you? To your family? As always, it can be old or new, "big" or "little." Don't think you have to share some "parting of the Red Sea" story. It's all a testimony that brings Him Glory when we see His Hand move on our behalf. Grab the button on the right sidebar if you like and add it to your post so others can read what He has done. Your testimony is a blessing to us. Thank you!

The Lord is in His Holy Temple: A Link Up In Pages in Our Heritage of Faith

Some days, the darkness seems so oppressive. And we cry out in anguish as we hear one more horrible headline. We pray, asking Him to respond, to bring about Justice, but it can still look dark.

"Five people were killed and 45 injured after a stage collapsed at the Indiana State Fair"

Why, O Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

"Explosions Shake Tripoli As Libyan Rebels Advance"

In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises.

"Activists Say 18 Killed After Syrian Leader Assad Says Military Operations Stopped"

He boasts of the cravings of his heart;

he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord.

"Tampa High School Bomb Plot Suspect Spoke of 'Another Columbine'"

In his pride the wicked does not seek him;

In all his thoughts there is no room for God.

His ways are always prosperous;

he is haughty and your laws are far from him;

he sneers at all his enemies.

"Girl, 6, allegedly videotaped mom having group sex"

He says to himself, "Nothing will shake me;

I'll always be happy and never have trouble."

"Man shoots at officers, is tazed behind Iroquois High School"

His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats;

trouble and evil are under his tongue.

"Internet Jihadist Calls on Muslims to Cut Off Letterman's Tongue"

He lies in wait near the villages;

from ambush he murders the innocent,

watching in secret for his victims.

"Killeen, Texas, police say Pcf. Naser Abdo admitted after his arrest to planning an attack on Fort Hood personnel, which would have been the second Fort Hood attack in two years."

He lies in wait like a lion in cover;

"Gunmen kill 7 in Israel in attack near Egypt border"

He lies in wait to catch the helpless;

he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.

"New Video Surfaces Showing Unprovoked Attack by Philadelphia Teens"

His victims are crushed, they collapse;

they fall under his strength.

"Suicide Truck Bomber Attacks U.S.-Run Base in Afghanistan"

He says to himself, "God has forgotten;

he covers his face and never sees."

"Baltimore County Police are investigating the murder of 19-year-old in Parkville."

Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God.

Do not forget the helpless.

"7 Killed on Way to Funeral in Central Philippines"

Why does the wicked man revile God?

why does he say to himself,

"He won't call me to account"?

"Witness in Florida Gang Killing Found Dead Before Trial"

But you, O God, do see trouble and grief;

you consider it to take it in hand.

"Former NBA Ref Kills Self on Day Wife's Body Found"

The victim commits himself to you;

you are the helper of the fatherless.

"Missing California Toddler, Father Found Dead"

Break the arm of the wicked and evil man;

call him to account for his wickedness

that would not be found out.

"4 Relatives Charged in Phoenix Girl's Death"

The LORD is King for ever and ever;

the nations will perish from his land.

"Israel's Channel 10 reports 4th Attack by Gunmen Near Border With Egypt"

You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted;

you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,

defending the fatherless and the oppressed,

in order that man, who is of the earth,

may terrify no more.

"Taliban Cashing in as Pakistan's Karachi is Torn Apart by Violence"

In the LORD I take refuge.

How then can you say to me:

"Flee like a bird to your mountain.

For look, the wicked bend their bows;

they set their arrows against the strings

to shoot from the shadows

at the upright in heart.

When the foundations are being

destroyed,

what can the righteous do?"

The LORD is in his holy temple;

the LORD is on his heavenly throne.

He observes the sons of men;

his eyes examine them.

The LORD examines the righteous,

but the wicked and those who love violence

his soul hates.

On the wicked he will rain 

fiery coals and burning sulphur;

a scorching wind will be their lot.

For the LORD is righteous,

he loves justice;

upright men will see his face.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,"

declares the LORD.

"As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

As the rain and the snow

come down from heaven,

and do not return to it

without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,

so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

You will go out in joy

and be led forth in peace;

the mountains and hills

will burst into song before you,

and all the trees of the field 

will clap their hands.

Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree,

and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.

This will be for the LORD's renown,

for an everlasting sign,

which will not be destroyed.
Psalm 10, 11 and Isaiah 55

And so we wait upon the Lord. He Who is Faithful will accomplish His Purposes on this earth. He speaks to us through His Word. Faithfully! And we rest in Him.

"Upon God's faithfulness rests our whole hope of future blesssedness. Only as He is faithful will His covenants stand and His promises be honored. Only as we have complete assurance that He is faithful may we live in peace and look forward with assurance to the life to come. Every heart can make its own application of this truth and draw from it such conclusions as the truth suggests and its own needs bring into focus. The tempted, the anxious, the fearful, the discouraged may all find new hope and good cheer in the knowledge that our Heavenly Father is faithful. He will ever be true to His pledged word. The hard-pressed sons of the covenant may be sure that He will never remove His loving-kindness from them nor suffer His faithfulness to fail."        A.W. Tozer  The Knowledge of the Holy

How has He shown Himself Faithful to you? Answered prayers? Strength for your day? Grace to walk through whatever lies before you? The comfort of His Word as a balm for your soul? The love and support of a dear friend as you walk through the valley of the shadow of death? His Faithfulness weaves Itself through all our days. Will you testify to it? Will you continue adding pages to Your Heritage of Faith? Or will you being by writing the very first page, to bring Him Glory and strength your own faith?

Whatever it is, old or new, "little" or "big," would you share it here? You will honor us and encourage us and help our faith grow stronger.