"Leaning On The Everlasting Arms" x 7

Okay, this is just fun. This worship leader interprets the old hymn, "Leaning On The Everlasting Arms," as it might sound if written in different decades of the 20th century. I think you will enjoy it. :)

Weariness of Spirit

When our spirits grow weary, when it seems pointless to continue, when we are grieved to the point of losing hope, when He brings us to the very end of our last ounce of strength, when we feel we have nothing left to minister to anyone, He is calling us into a time of intimate communion. He desires us to learn an ever-deepening dependence on Him, completely letting go of any ability, talent, gift He has previously used through you to serve others.

I’m there.

I have no idea what is next. But, if it means more of Him, I’m in.

I’m very thankful Hannah sent me this link to Mike Bickle’s lesson on prayer. I needed it now, today.

Ten Prayers To Strengthen Our Inner Man

Notice that the notes for this lesson, if you’d like them, are included in a PDF link below the video window.

Traveling Lightly

If you know us at all, you know we love to hop in a vehicle or two and take off for destinations near and far. As many trips as we have made, one would think that I might have learned by now to pack more lightly. 

Nope.

My imagination conjures up images of all the lovely opportunities we will have to experience a myriad of wonderfully enriching, exciting, educational, ennobling, and edifying events. 

And I pack accordingly.

Of course, we end up not needing a large percentage of the equipment I meticulously arranged, piecing it all in like a jigsaw puzzle so that there actually is some room left for the boring stuff, like clothes.

Now don't get me wrong, we have used many of the resources we drag along with us for thousands of miles. But, the energy expended to continually manage the multitude of items realistically needs to be weighed against the actual fruit borne. 

A musical interlude here for one of Michael Card's classics. I'm stretching the application a little, but I want to expand it beyond packing too much for a road trip, and beyond owning possessions that end up owning us. 

The Lord has been impressing upon us a new lesson for a new season.


Not only am I learning to shrink our packing lists for trips, but we are asking questions about shedding things that would prevent us from being flexible enough to go any direction the Lord asks us to go. What if He doesn't intend for us to continue to "settle in" where we are, with what we are doing now, expecting that to be the pattern for the rest of our lives? What if He wanted to prepare us to do something radically different than what we've always known?


He's done it before.


One example was several years ago. Kregg and I ended up on a plane to far eastern Siberia to bring home two little brothers for the five children He'd already blessed us with. He prepared us ahead of time, before we ever knew adoption was on the radar.


We find ourselves on the very cusp of a season that offers the potential for much more flexibility for our family than we've experienced for the past two decades. There are options potentially opening to us that cause us to ask the question: Is He preparing us for something that we may not anticipate?


We don't know.


But the thought keeps going around in our hearts that we need to be more careful than ever about any additional long-term commitments. We need to allow Him to tell us exactly what He wants us to use this season for so that we are not so encumbered by responsibilities that we can't respond when He asks us to, however He asks us to. We need to allow Him to keep our hearts open, so that we don't reject anything He might have for us.


That's kind of scary.


What if we don't like what He asks of us? What if He wants us to do something really nuts? 


We have to stand on the fact that, whatever He asks of us, His Grace will be sufficient for obedience. 


It may be that what we're doing now is what He'll have us doing when we're 90. Even if that's the case, learning to travel lightly will make us more efficient in any of the responsibilities He's already given us. Carrying more than He intends wearies our souls. If He ever plans to change our course, learning to travel lightly now will allow us to be ready when He calls. 


When we look at how Jesus walked this earth, He was completely unencumbered from ANYTHING that would interfere with His Purpose. He didn't own a bunch of stuff. He didn't commit to anything that would keep Him from moving toward His appointment in Jerusalem.  


I love The Message translation for Matthew 11:28-30:
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."


That's the desire of our hearts in this season: to live freely and lightly in the unforced rhythms of Grace. Taking that as a mission statement helps us to have the wisdom and discernment to choose well how best to go forward from here.

"Chick Fil A Song"

I'm assuming here, that all of you love Chick-fi-A restaurants as much as we do. The drive-thru at our little one close to my house is often wrapped completely around the building, sometimes even 1 1/2 times. So when Caleb showed me this, we had to laugh. :)

If Shakespeare Told "The 3 Little Pigs"

Photo credit

Okay, I don't like the "fake cigarette," but this is hilarious! As a homeschooling parent who intentionally attempts to expand the vocabularies of our kids, I can really appreciate his efforts. I think you will enjoy this little video:




And then, here's the video explaining the cigarette, just in case you wanted to know. 

Come, Lord Jesus, Come

Of course, I was weeping this morning in worship as we sang this song. This is one that will just wash over your spirit. What a blessing to be given the ability to worship Him through song with His Body!

Bob Hope's Definition of Democrats (And We Have to Include Many Republicans, Too)

Okay, politics is not a common topic here at the Antbed. A friend showed me this video clip and it is pretty funny. Who knew Bob Hope understood things so well? But, we can't just limit it to Democrats. :)

Do Everything: SCC

All Those Precious Souls

Photo Credit

Psalm 11

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 everyone on earth;

his eyes examine them. 

The LORD examines the righteous,

but the wicked, those who love violence,

he hates with a passion. 

On the wicked he will rain

fiery coals and burning sulfur;

a scorching wind will be their lot.

For the LORD is righteous,

he loves justice;

the upright will see his face.

As we remember what happened that day, we all think about the ones whose lives were lost, and our hearts ache.

All those precious souls who thought that day was like the one before
All those precious souls who unknowingly said their last goodbye that 
     morning
All those precious souls confronted with the face of evil
All those precious souls had no idea their time had reached its fullness
All those precious souls whose eternal destiny was determined that day
All those precious souls, each one lovingly created by their Father

All those precious souls for whom Christ died

All those precious souls, each known and loved by Him

All those precious souls, did they know and love Him?
All those precious souls we grieve again today

The tragic end of all those lives reminds us that only in Him are we safe.

Only in Him. May He comfort all those whose hearts were broken that day. May they turn to Him for healing and peace. 


May He teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain  hearts of wisdom. May we hold this precious resource of Time, given to us by Him to be spent in His service, with humility and reverence. 

John Piper: Make War!

Rick Perry's Opening Address at "The Response"

John Piper and Owl City

Daughter number two (aka as Mackenzy) loves Owl City. I mean she really loves his music. A lot! 


So when I saw this video that combined the teaching of John Piper with an Owl City song, I figured it had to be good. 


It is. 


Enjoy. 

"Happy Birthday" As You've Never Heard It, I Hope!

We celebrate many birthdays during the summer in our family. The only explanation I can offer for what I am about to share is that perhaps Caleb was trying to change things up a bit, to avoid our celebrations becoming too similar. After all, we wouldn't want them all to run together. 


Prepare yourself. 


It's scary.

An Invitation from Rick Perry to Pray

                                
For any who are unable to be physically present in Houston on August 6th, you can host a satellite gathering at your church or home. Here's the link to information on how to do that.  There are, of course, lawsuits challenging Perry on this and we need to pray they will be unsuccessful. 


2 Chronicles 7:13-14 says:
 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Have You Seen This??!

The Creativity behind this technology is mind-boggling! 
 

Governor Rick Perry Calls the Nation to Prayer

                  
                 The Response: A Call to Prayer For a Nation in Crisis      

Fellow Americans,

Right now, America is in crisis: we have been besieged by financial debt, terrorism, and a multitude of natural disasters. As a nation, we must come together and call upon Jesus to guide us through unprecedented struggles, and thank Him for the blessings of freedom we so richly enjoy.

Some problems are beyond our power to solve, and according to the Book of Joel, Chapter 2, this historic hour demands a historic response. Therefore, on August 6, thousands will gather to pray for a historic breakthrough for our country and a renewed sense of moral purpose.

I sincerely hope you’ll join me in Houston on August 6th and take your place in Reliant Stadium with praying people asking God’s forgiveness, wisdom and provision for our state and nation. There is hope for America. It lies in heaven, and we will find it on our knees.

Sincerely,

Rick Perry

Governor

Unexpected Blessing

As our children have gotten older, we have allowed them to explore ministry opportunities in churches other than the one we attend as a family. This has been such a blessing. It expands their understanding of the fullness of the Body and allows them opportunities to serve they might not otherwise experience. It also allows them to meet some wonderful people. 

Caleb has been helping lead worship at a small house of prayer for over a year. They meet for several hours once a week for prayer and worship. Since Caleb was leaving here Friday morning, we took him out to the dinner of his choice Thursday evening. After we finished, he asked if we could run by the house of prayer for a few minutes because there were some people who wanted to pray over him. We told him that would be fine, we'd just walk in and wait until he was finished and then we'd go home and finish getting his bags packed.

We had NO idea what the Lord was about to do!

The worship time had already begun, so Kregg and I were going to grab a seat in the back so it wouldn't disturb anyone. Well, that didn't happen! This house of prayer is lead by a husband and wife team and then staffed by volunteers. As we came in, an adorable little lady scurried over to meet us. She wanted to know if we were his parents, and when she found we were she couldn't say enough about him. It was so precious. What a joy to a mother's heart. 

Then her husband came. Oh my! 

I had been FINE! I hadn't cried. I had been cheerful all day. But that bubble burst!

He ushered us up to the front where he seated us. Then, when the song ended, he got up to speak about our son. And the floodgates opened! I'm crying now just remembering those precious words! 


Next, they brought us up and gathered around the three of us. They prayed blessings and Scripture over us and spoke such powerful words in the Spirit. My eyes were leaking. My nose was leaking. And there were no kleenex to be had. I was completely overwhelmed. They truly understood what was happening in his heart. They understood this is bigger than just a month spent helping a missionary. We were standing on holy ground as they prayed. I will never forget it.

As if that were not enough, Kregg led us in prayer as a family when we got home. He even had missing members on speaker phone. I was, once again, fine! Until Kregg prayed. Oh my!! The floodgates once again opened. What precious words. I was weeping for Joy! 

But not the four little guys. It started with Elizabeth and Rebekah. They began weeping when Kregg and I did. Josh and Ben were still holding themselves together. But not for long. When we finished praying, we went back to finishing up Caleb's packing. I heard something odd from the boys' room. When I stuck my head in the door, there were Josh and Ben, folding Caleb's laundry and weeping, tears streaming down their faces. Well, of course, that got Kregg and I started again. Just seeing their sad little faces would have made Chuck Norris cry. The girls were in the study with Caleb, and they were weeping. Josh and Ben were in their room, weeping. Kregg and I looked at each other with our "bewildered parent" face and just hugged each other. As hard as it was on the four little guys to say goodbye to their beloved big brother, it was so precious to our parent hearts to know just how much they love him. 

He has made it through security, both bags weighing in just under the maximum limit. (He is delivering lots of presents from people here to the missionary family there.) He will board the flight to Amsterdam in just a little while. After a layover of a few hours there, he will board the flight to Entebbe, Uganda, arriving late tomorrow. He will be met at the airport by a driver and a couple who will take him to a hotel in Entebbe tomorrow night. Monday they will make the 7 hour (I think) drive to Fort Portal where he will spend the next four weeks. 


What an incredible opportunity! What an incredible adventure! We know the Lord will expand his heart and deepen his message through this time in Africa. As he was about to leave his hotel this morning, he asked me to send him this song:

            

The Mighty Intercessor

            

Make us intercessors, Lord! Please help me to be become a rescuer! Show us how to spend our lives for Your Glory.

The Least of These

We were blessed Sunday morning to see several people we used to worship with. We have been helping with a church plant in a nearby city for the past several years, and one of the churches that helped plant us is the one we used to attend. We miss so many of our friends and mentors from that part of the Body, but we know we are where the Lord wants us. So when some of them come to worship with us, it is like a cool, refreshing drink from the Spirit. 

On Sunday, two of our very favorite came. These elderly men have served the Lord for decades and decades, and have been mentors to hundreds in His Body. Their faces shine with His Spirit. When I am in my eighties, I hope He will be so clearly reflected in me. Volumes could be written about their lives, as they have allowed Him to send them all over the world in His Name. 


One of these two, Gary Tate has been passionate about sharing the Gospel in NE India since his days there as a soldier in World War II. I will have to tell you about the other one another time.  
                    
Gary is the man in the plaid shirt in this video from a few years ago. Anyway, he and Kregg got to talking Sunday morning and Gary was so excited to learn about the things our children are passionate about. Mackenzy, in particular, has been working for several years on the issue of human trafficking. Gary became involved in this issue several years ago, and we didn't even know that. He is so adorable. He has called us several times since Sunday and is going to provide us materials and contacts for her to be able to serve more effectively. He is so passionate about this topic, and I love that this man of God didn't "retire" twenty something years ago, when most people do. He is MORE involved, more active, more passionate, if that is possible. 

He is hoping to meet with Mackenzy later this week. I think it is cute that he is so up to date with the technology that makes him more efficient. He wanted her email and cell phone number so he could set up a meeting. He has already sent Mackenzy's information to another young lady who is about to leave for a trip to that area. There are trips planned twice a year and Mackenzy is already hoping to go on one of them.

Rapha House is one of the ministries through which they do much of their work. "Rapha House exists to love, rescue, and heal children who have been rescued out of slavery and sexual exploitation. Operating as a 501(c)3, Rapha House began in 2003 to permeate cultures with love that heals and leads to restoration. Rapha House does this by providing safehomes and aftercare programs for young girls who have been rescued out of slavery and exploitative situations. All Rapha House homes are currently located in Southeast Asia, with the goal of expanding globally.

Slavery still exists in every culture. Rapha House is constantly partnering with advocates in an effort to build communities that extend unconditional love, physical rescue, and transformational healing." 

Then Gary sent me an email:

"Kregg, Anne & Mackenzy -  These are latest pics of 16
children rescued in the Nepal area by our worker in
NE India in last 4 months, ages 3 to 12, by our workers
in NE India.   They had been "abandoned" or in imminent
danger of being "trafficked".   Dimbeswar calls them
"Angels", and they have a Christian young couple as
"houseparents"... (Extreme poverty is a contributing
cause to their being abandoned or sold...)"

He attached these pictures, and my heart broke. 

They are so beautiful. Each of these precious little souls was snatched from the very clutches of the evil one, bent on their destruction. Praise God!! I cannot stop weeping over these little ones. I want to bring them all home with me!

What does He have in store for us? 

Lord, please show us what You would have us do in response to needs so great. May we not turn away. May we allow You to pour us out like a drink offering however You desire. Please wrap Your arms around each of these precious hearts. Help them to know what the Father's Love really looks like. You will never leave them or abandon them. Please be with their parents. I cannot imagine the desperation that would drive them to abandon these precious little ones. Oh Father, the need is so great. It overwhelms us. But You are Sufficient. Please raise up Your Body to meet the needs You reveal. May our hearts break with what breaks Your Heart. Help us to see how to be Your Hands and Feet to the least of these. 
Through Him Who Overcame,
Amen

                    

So Very Creative

I cannot even begin to imagine how much time it took to build this. It is so fun!