Sitting on the Sidelines?

“Taste and see that the Lord is good . . . .”  Psalm 34:8 

I used to be the mom that sat on the sidelines . . . . or in the beach chair.

A few years ago, I was comfortable with things in my life I was familiar with.  I had gotten a bit relaxed and downright boring.  I was overweight and uncomfortable stepping out of my regular routine of being a mom.  I was a set in my ways.

You see, at heart, I am an adventurer.  At least, that is how I view myself.  I have always been the one who is game to eat anything.  I will taste almost any food.  I have eaten wiggidy grubbs (worms in the Outback of Australia that tastes like peanut butter), crocodile in the Everglades, rattlesnake in Arizona, fish brains in Egypt and sturgeon with cod liver oil in Moscow.  So I am not afraid of many things.

I am also game to travel anywhere!  God has taken me to the most exciting places!!!  I have served him door knocking in Manly Beach, Australia and in the jungles of Costa Rico at an orphanage camp.  I have found myself teaching English in Cairo and digging up 1st century artifacts in Caesarea Philippi on an archeological dig.  I have seen danger being bombed by the Lebanese and lost on a bus alone in El Salvador with no passport.

Living on the edge was my middle name in my twenties.  I loved it!  So what happened to me when my kids came along?  I no longer liked roller coasters, crazy food choices or anything that looked dangerous.  I was happy with constant, routine and structure.

I am not saying that any of those things are wrong. Quite the contrary, my family thrives on constant, routine and structure.  But, for me, that just couldn’t be the end of my story.  There was so much I was missing . . .

I believe that God has this special “switch” that turns on after you have babies.  The one that keeps us alive for the offspring we have “created”.  I feel it at the top of a black diamond ski run and on helicopter trips over volcanoes in Hawaii.  It is something innate that God gives us to stop us from danger.  But, for me, this internal switch, along with laziness, was keeping me from so much more.

When I was diagnosed with cancer, I had a moment – a weekend – where they told me on Friday night that I had all the symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer, which had a 10% survival rate.  They could not tell me until Monday what the test results were - so it was a very long weekend.  I had a lot of time to ponder life and death that weekend.  Not that I would ever wish that weekend on anyone, but honestly it was EXACTLY what God wanted for me because I had been missing the BEST things in life. 

So now, I embrace the verse:  “Taste and see that the Lord is good”.  It has come to mean so much to me.  I am more willing to explore and be the adventurer again.  I get in the water at the beach, instead of sitting in the beach chair.  I am windsurfing, skiing, hiking, bike riding and playing!  My kids love that I am doing these things WITH them!  I am enjoying God’s creation because there are so many incredible things out there that He created for our enjoyment.  My friend, Sally Clarkson, says it best, “God is the artist who throws the stars into place, he created peppers for fajitas, music to dance to, chocolate for brownies, fingers to massage, hands to hold and life to enjoy”.

Where are you sitting back and letting life happen around you?

Where must you “Taste and See” God today?

I am right there with you!  Let’s get out there and experience God’s goodness!

Reality Hit

Shortly after moving into our remote village, reality hit! 

                        Jungle living is a challenge at best! 

I was buried near the headwaters of a jungle river with . . . .

no electricity,

running water,

mud floors,

 and a very scary outhouse!!

I regularly found myself at the river washing three dozen diapers and hanging them twice daily because we lived in a rain forest that lived up to its name! The river could swell 8 feet in a morning rain!  Sweeping the village with the Kuna women twice a week plus sweeping my mud packed floor daily was a given.  I had to keep my dirt floors “clean”, I had a crawling baby, after all. 

My house was made with bark walls that had Indians peering through them day and night. I carried my 6 month old on my back and my 3 year old by one hand and  with pad and pencil in the other hand, we would jot down phrases or words for a linguistic box (what I would have given for an iPad!).  I would walk the village listening to the people talk, wanting to communicate, but not having the language yet.

I felt isolated. 

I had confrontations with some of the largest spiders, snakes and scorpions known to mankind. In the first months of moving into our village, some kind of large black cat (jaguar) came in at night leaving huge paw prints on the path near our house and carried off a mama pig, squealing for her life!!...

                                        You get the point…a lot of survival living! 

One sultry morning, I sat down discouraged and burst into tears. I was tired, overwhelmed and realized I was a total failure as a mother, wife, teacher, missionary…you fill in the blank!   Right on cue, our partners came walking into our house, asking what on earth had happened.  I quickly explained my dilemma and to my astonishment, they smiled!!  Now…I was thinking maybe a little word of encouragement and some comforting verses from the Word for all my effort was appropriate.  BUT NO, they kept smiling and agreeing with me!  “Yes, Jackie, you are a failure!

                                               WHAT??? WHO SAYS THAT???  

They went on…”You are NOW in perfect position to receive the grace and power of God!”  I began to process the biblical truth…it was true!  I could offer God nothing.  APART FROM HIM, striving on my own, I am a failure!  11 Cor. 12:9 say,  “HIS grace is sufficient for those who know they are a failure and weak and in need.  At that point of agreement with God, HE makes HIS power perfect in our weakness”! 

                                          Failure had become my best friend!

As the years passed and I listened to other Christian women struggling and striving to live the Christian life, doing good things BUT apart from HIS empowerment, my heart broke with compassion to see them set free, as God had freed me in the jungles in 1972.  Discouragement and the sense of failure are my “red flags” or signals that tell me I am striving in my own strength and I need to humble my heart and let HIM do it!  “Faithful is He who calls us who will also do it”. 

Today when I hear people choosing to “live off the grid” (a life of complete time-consuming inconvenience!) in remote areas (Alaska, for example), I am wondrously swept back to a time when I was driven by an intense desire to see an indigenous group of people hear the name of Jesus Christ…just once…

What to get your husband for Valentine’s Day

“My lover is mine, and I am his” Song of Solomon 2:16

Valentine’s Day is so filled with expectations for me!  My love language is “gifts”, so I am anxiously awaiting the perfect gift from my husband that shows that he has listened to me, he has taken notes, he has read my crazy, not-even-sure-what-I-want mind and got me the perfect gift that he has exquisitely wrapped.  Yeah, that doesn’t ever happen.  But for me that is OK this year!  I can get buried and disappointed with the expectations, but this Valentine’s Day I am coming into it with a fresh perspective.

Instead I am going to focus on him.  He always says,  “Remember to think of me, just as much as the kids”!  He says this is what all husbands want.

Okay, I think, what does that look like?

As we prepare for Valentine’s Day and showing our husbands love, I want to go over the Word WIFE and put some meat on those letters.

 W= Our husbands want us to be Wordly-wise.  

When you think of yourself as a wife, would you say you are wise in the scripture?  One gift we can give our husbands is to know what the Bible says about our role as wives.  Not only know it, but live it out.

If I know what the Bible says about being a good wife, I have everything I need to do the job.  If I am walking with the Lord, I know my husband will feel it. I will be praying for him and lifting him up daily.  I have to make sure that I am filled with God’s word daily and use it as a filter for the things of the world.  Because I can’t do it alone!  I want to be the best wife I can be and I can’t do it without GOD!  I can really be ugly on my own! 

I have to ask myself the hard question : How wordly-wise am I when it comes to being a wife?  Do I know and follow all verses that God has given me?  When it comes to being a wife, do I know what God’s charge is to me? 

I have put together a bunch of scripture that tells us about what God says about being a wife.  Listed them for you. Gen. 2:18; Proverbs 31:10-31; Col. 3:18; Titus 2:3-5; Eph. 5:33; Gen. 2:24;  Eph. 5:21-31

Thought to ponder: the OPPOSITE of Wordly-wise is Worldly-wise.

  I = Our husbands want us to be Intentional. 

I am so intentional with my kids.  Aren’t you? I am planning out their activities and their parties, their entire lives!  I am always trying to find ways to tie their heartstrings to mine and that takes so much time and energy.  I have to plan out my day and be intentional with those moments that I have. I am looking for a key to their hearts. 

But am I being intentional with my husband?  Am I planning my day with him in mind?  The gift my husband wants from me this Valentines Day is to plan on how to love him.  What if I were intentional with each moment I had with him? How much would that bless him and make him feel loved?

For Christmas this year, I did the 12 days of Christmas for my husband.  Twelve days before Christmas I began with something each day for him.  3 types of hot chocolate . . . 4 sleeves of golf balls . . . 7 chapters of a book . . . 8 cuffs to wear. . .  9 snacks for work . . . a 10 minute massage . . . 12 socks for his feet, you get the idea.  And you know what the outcome was? My husband LOVED that I thought of him each day.  I was intentional with my time and he noticed.

Thought to ponder: the OPPOSITE of Intentional is IGNORANT to his needs.

 F= Our husbands want us to be FUN!

I want to be the fun mom on the block.   If you are like me, I am constantly thinking of what would be fun for my kids.  I love when they have smiles on their faces.  I find joy in the things that bring them joy.  But my husband is a grown man, he can take care of himself.  I don’t need to worry about him.  He should be thinking of me and how to bring me joy, right?

I know I don’t think that much about my husband and the fun he may or may not be having.  My husband married me first because I was a Godly woman, but secondly because I was fun!  I think there is a degree of the fun button for each husband.  Because in a study of men, their number two need was for us to be a “recreational playmate”.  You are all probably wondering what number #1 was:  Sex!  What exactly does “recreational playmate” mean?  According to the book His Needs, Her Needs by William F. Harley, “A wife needs to develop an interest in the recreational activities that our husbands enjoy and tries to become proficient at them.  If we can’t enjoy them, we need to encourage him to consider other activities that they can enjoy together.  We want to become his favorite recreational companion and he will associate us with his most enjoyable moments of relaxation.  We want him to want to be with us, because our #2 need is conversation.  If we are his recreational playmate, we will get our needs met because our husbands open up and want to talk to us.”

When I was single, I learned to play golf so that I could be his recreational playmate.  Today, I can’t afford the 5 hours it takes to play a round, but we do love to get away and travel any opportunity that we can.  My husband loves date nights, too!  That speaks love to him.  What does your husband like to do?  Can you do this with him?

Though to ponder:  The opposite of FUN is fatigued.  It is impossible to be fun if I am too tired.

  E = Our husbands need an encouraging cheerleader!

I am my kids’ cheerleader.  How about you?  I am  always encouraging them to do their best and helping them through situations that are hard.  I want them to know that no matter what “I’ve got their back”.  I cheer them on in sports, activities, Christmas plays and academics, just to name a few.  I put notes in their lunch boxes, hug them for each mealtime and talk with them as we tickle their back at night.  I listen to them and help them along the way.  What happens when our young men won’t talk to us – only grunt or say “fine”?  What do we do?  We read books on how to draw them out!  Also what does mama bear do when someone hurts our kids or makes fun of them.  What do we do when their reputation is threatened?  We are the ones ready to fire all guns at their accusers.

So now if I think on my husband, do I do all these things for my husband?  Do I listen to him when he is struggling? Do I give him my full attention or am I doing something else?  Do we write him love notes – love emails – put them in his lunchbox?  Do I tickle his back at night to listen to him and encourage him?  So many women say – “but they won’t talk to me!”  Are we drawing them out?  Do we protect their reputation when other people talk about our husbands or are we the ones that are trashing our husband’s rep?  Do we hang out with people that do?  

We no longer can afford to take our husbands for granted.  Remember 65% of all men, Christian or not, will have an affair before the age of forty. Remember there are beautiful, bright, charming or caring women in the workforce in big numbers who are better at seducing your husband than your husband is at being able to resist.  That alone should keep us from taking them for granted.  And many of these affairs start with an encouraging word – something he isn’t getting at home.  It seems harmless to them to love it, but it is dangerous.

Thought to ponder:  The opposite of an encouraging cheerleader is an EXHAUSTING NAGGER! Proverbs 21:19; 27:15; 25:14

Ultimately, my husband wants a helper – a lover – and a friend.  So this Valentine’s Day, I am committed to be his WIFE and think on him as much as I do the children.  Who is with me?

This weekend is Valentines Day!  Won’t you be a Godly wife, intentionally plan something fun for you to do so that you can tell him you are his biggest fan!!!!

Jackie’s Journey

Child Neglect!?

Once born, a wildebeest calf has 15 minutes to stand and run with the adult herd, or it will be killed by predators (usually, hyenas).  The wildebeest mother will take on a pack of hyenas and sacrificially, single-handedly fight…until death to preserve the life of her calf. (Bill Gothard, Character Sketches)    There are countless “hyenas” that will be used to devour the life of these God is entrusting into our care.               

What is our commitment!??  

Our Alertness To His Will And His Way Is Imperative! 

Being intentional is our only option!

“Life is a stewardship; not an ownership; A TRUST; NOT A GIFT. With a gift you may do as you please; but with a trust you must give an account (Ephesians 2:10).  God holds us responsible. We will answer to HIM!

AND…Time is short!! 

The journey of life brings trials, triumphs, tragedy and achievement.  Through all of this, a dedicated mother’s love remains constant.  Would you consider yourself to be a dedicated mom: a mom that is committed to the success of your child first, above yourself? I know we are fraught with the demanding activities and social media that keep us exhausted from one day to the next; but are we, through it all, rejoicing moms that keep the ultimate goal in view?  By the way, what is your “ultimate goal”?  Do your children view the goal and actively participate, involved in “giving” of themselves, or are they “me first”, “takers”, full of entitlement?

 Let me encourage you with all that you are in Christ and to give you the promise He left with all of us that bear the title MOTHER:  1 Thes. 5:24 says,  “Faithful is He who calls you, Who will also do it.”  However, it is a conditional promise…we have to let HIM!  On that day of accountability there will be NO excuses!    This is our call to action…

HOW DO WE DO THIS??  Where do we start?

When I think “steps of action” I think work, HARD WORK!  In that same thought comes the comfort of new direction and hope for a positive change.  In the introduction of our Princess Parable Blog site we looked back at 2014 only to find 2015 “approaching with stomping feet demanding Action”…Steps of ACTION!

Are you ready, Moms?  Here is a test of our dedication and commitment…

(1) Do we “Walk Our Talk?!”  Or do we make excuses for our wrong responses?  Do we call impatience what it really is…ANGER? And how about overuse of social media…CHILD NEGLECT?  Or MISSED OPPORTUNITY?!  There are no “socially acceptable sins”… Rudeness is self-first; Discouragement (or “I deserve better”) is Entitlement (the very attitude we battle in our children!)  Purpose to pursue holiness; moment-by-moment… Mothers of conviction, not compromise!

(2) Are we open to Teachable Moments? Please note: Most interruptions are the teachable moments!  Purpose to take advantage of the moments we are least wanting to take advantage of!

(3) Are we Intentional and Consistent?  All decisions we make carry a consequence…positive or negative.  Purpose to teach your child this truth and in doing so, enable him/her to learn to hear the voice of God.  Dial your life into the kingdom of God…Have HIS purpose wrapped in HIS WILL, not your own!

(4) Are we Character-focused? Note the attitude in which the words or eyes are speaking to you…read your child’s spirit and you will identify the REAL NEED!

(5) Are we Grateful…regardless of the circumstance?  Gratefulness wards off discouragement.

(6) Are we Diligently Prayerful?…Lamentations 2:19 “Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord.  Lift up your hands to HIM for the life of your child”!

The definition of the word “purpose” means “resolute, unwavering, deliberate”…Commitment requires sacrifice.

Whether a bush nurse, a missionary mom, a city mom or whatever our title may be…each of us is called to be a godly mother with a profound and sacrificial love for our children.  The calling is to “count the cost” and to love with the purpose of making these entrusted to us more successful than we could ever be for HIS glory!

Saying Goodbye

My daughter’s best friend moved to New Zealand this week.

In the light of this, many emotions faced my sweet nine year old.  You see, these girls are special BFFs.  They both share an unusual name – Emmalynn.  Having the same name bonded them instantly.  They both have the same nickname and have been tagged – Emmy and Emmi – since the start.  They are creative, outgoing, spunky, driven, spiritually aware, musical and full of energy.  They are princesses together.  They are kindred spirits.

Our friends decided to move to New Zealand to plant a church and move closer to family.  They made the plan last summer so it has been a long time coming.  Finally, the last week had arrived and we could hardly believe that the time had come.  The familiarity of seeing each other every day has now come to an end and they are on an airplane 1,000s of miles south of the Pacific.

As we had the last sleepover at our house and we talked of the last times that we were spending together, I noticed my Emmi was acting aloof.  She made comments about how she didn’t want to see Emmy and that she didn’t need to have her over for a playdate.  My Emmy said she had new friends now.  She said each sentence with such assuredness, but underneath I could see how much she was hurting.

Have you ever run away or hurt someone you love because you didn’t know how to deal with the feelings?

I have.

Funny . . . isn’t it?  Oh, how we humans try our hardest to self-preserve and not FEEL!  My sweet, lovely girl just wanted to stuff those emotions and even tried being mean to her dear friend, just because she couldn’t figure out how to FEEL.  She was afraid – really afraid to be sad and see her friend leave her side.

“New Zealand is really far away, Mom!”, she said more than once.  “Yes, yes, it is!” I would reply.

God’s reply is in I John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear . . .”

Emmi was afraid to love anymore because she knew she would have to say goodbye.  It reminded her of when I had cancer and she pulled away emotionally from me.  She thought for a season that I was going to die.  She pulled away from me to protect herself and it took months for me to bring her back.  I had to put in hours of alone time with her to win her heart again.

The day came to say goodbye for the last time.  There were promises of writing and of skyping, but we all knew it would be different.  Together we held hands, cried and said goodbye, but goodbye is only for a time.  We will see them again.  But we do mourn this season that is gone.  They will never be nine again, in this stage, seeing each other every day, sharing life . . .

God replies Ecc. 3:1 “To every thing there is a season, a time to every purpose under the heaven”.

Have you ever mourned a passing of a season of life?

So that day was hard.  Both Emmi and I had to discuss how we felt.  I made her put words to the feelings inside.  This was the teaching moment.  Then we focused on the things to thank God for.  Otherwise, the sadness would overtake us.  Being thankful lifts your spirit more than anything else.

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” 1 Thes. 5:18

We are so grateful for our friends.  We are grateful that God entrusted us with them for “a season”.  We are thankful to have been loved by them – in the way God loves us.  We are excited for them as they embark on their new adventure and we will pray for them.  We are looking forward to saving up points to visit New Zealand some day.  We are grateful for you, Emmy, Cyndi and the whole Weeks family.  You were a good idea.  We are so grateful God thought you up.  We love you!  Go and save New Zealand!

Share with us a time when you had to say goodbye, how did God use it to draw you closer to Him?

Time

I have never had a website, a Facebook page, Pinterest account or a Blog until January of this New Year 2015!  I am officially welcoming a new world of technological communication with the opening of all four at once!  With its availability comes a huge responsibility to use them wisely…they can become time consuming!  

“Our greatest danger in life is in permitting the urgent things to crowd out the important.”  Dr. Bob Jones, Sr. used to say, “Never sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the immediate.” 

Everyone receives an equal supply of time.  The only difference between us is in the way we spend it.  Each week brings us 168 golden hours.  We spend approximately 56 hours for sleep and recuperation.  We spend approximately 28 hours for eating and personal duties.  We spend approximately 40-50 hours for earning a living.  We have 30-40 hours left to spend just as we wish.  But how do we spend them?  How many hours for recreation?  How many hours for family communication?  How many hours for the regular worship of God (devotion, fellowship, meditation, etc.)  How many hours for personal service in the name of Christ?  Will we rob God?  We can and we do! 

Perhaps we may be very busy with good things, yet too busy for the best things.  The great question is:  Have we made wise use of our time as good stewards of Christ?

Henry Clay Trumbull said, “Today is, for all that we know, the opportunity and occasion of our lives.  On what we do or say today may depend the success and completeness of our entire life struggle.  It is for us, therefore, to use every moment of today as if our very eternity were dependent on its words and deeds”…

I know for me with this new commitment of 2015, I am so challenged to be circumspect with the “Steps of ACTION” I am setting for myself to stay focused. Here are the first two:

1.  Define the goal and set the priorities necessary to hit the mark. This will fill my life with godly purpose and direction.  My commitment is to your personal success each Monday morning and my first priority will be to set a defined amount of time to reach that goal.  That will entail allowing the Word of God to “dwell richly” in me during my daily devotional and worship time with Him (Matt. 6:33).  My goal is to please Him first!  Gal. 3:3 is my monitor, for it admonishes and asks me “…Are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” Never, it cannot be done with eternal purpose!

2.  I am taking some of that time given each week to ask myself some important questions.

            When I get to the end of this year/life, what do I want to look back on and say I accomplished?

            Did I give personally with my service to God, with my family, friends, professionally…? 

            Who did I glorify…myself or my Lord?

How can I reach the full potential of what God has planned for me this year?  Philippians 3:12-14 says we are to press on toward the (set) goal, forgetting the past (no bitterness) and reach toward the future…  

Unplugging the Family

We love to get away.

My husband and I love to travel.  We love to explore and be adventurers.  We love to leave the worries of home, the to-do lists and the constant pressure of life behind and “get out of Dodge”.  Sometimes we hop on a plane or jump in the car for a long road trip, but most of the time we go just a hour or two from our home to somewhere close to nature.  Anywhere that God’s creation is close enough to touch the senses and join together in the harmony of life.

This last weekend, we headed up to our local mountains.  We took away cell phones, Ipads and went wireless for the weekend.  This is a Young family rule for getaways.  With two thirteen-year-old boys on the trip (my son and a friend), it is always a stretch to get them to leave behind their cyber world.  I find even my girls and my six-year-old son blossom in the non-technical world of yesteryear.

Have you ever wanted to grab away their phones and yell “Look at me!”?

Do you ever feel like the invisible friends they are texting are capturing their hearts?

How did my six-year-old learn to love all these online games?

Yeah, me, too!

But when we get away and unplug – something magical happens.  Sure, they complain at first, but eventually, my kids are my kids again.  This weekend, we played games – old-fashioned board games. They played for hours in the creek behind the house.  The older kids found freedom biking around the lake and through the very small mountain community.  They were bored for awhile, but then their God-given creativity took hold and they built forts.  They baked.  They cleaned up the cabin.  They created memories.

As a family, we reconnected hiking to a near by waterfall.  We went biking and antiquing and bowling.  We watched a couple of family friendly movies together by the fire.  We laughed and we joked.  The young men come up with very silly ways to express themselves.  We had home church on Sunday.

Why is this important?

There are so many great reasons to unplug from technology and get back to the simpler things in life.  We have seen Matt. 6:21 come to life “For where you treasure is, there will your heart be also”.

First, I see the addictive personalities in my kids and in myself.  This lesson is only really learned when we take away the object of our obsession.  It is funny how they act like a minute away is a death sentence, but after the weekend they tend to need it less.  Second, I feel like life is happening all around my kids and they may miss it!  The true experiences and conversations are happening in the moment.  I work hard to help my kids understand that these minutes in time will not be repeated.  Next, when we are always connected it is harder to experience the quiet times need to spend time with the Lord and evaluate our own lives.  Something is always beeping or flashing to get our attention.  They seem to always interrupt our family conversation times.  Lastly, there is something entirely unique and wonderful about being face-to-face with others.  Yes, we can text and facebook, but nothing will replace the experience of looking at another person in the eye and sharing our heart and dreams.  Family time is meant to be shared together and not all co-existing in our own worlds.

Our family has decided that family vacations and getaways are our times together.  We also take off certain days at home too as “non-tech days”.  We hold on to them tightly because we know the world wants to rob us of these special times together.  So unplug with your kids and see what happens.

Do you need an “unplugged” vacation?

Character marks the Life of a TRUE PRINCESS!

A Biblical worldview should influence all areas of life.  Articulating that worldview within our sphere of influence is what the Princess

Parables are all about!  While surface problems (hate, murder, anger, addiction) attract media attention, they merely reflect and are symptomatic of the deeper need we have as people...the need for character!  Character determines our actions.  Character determines our responses, regardless of the circumstances presented to us in life.   It defines us and tells others who we really are!  Character is written on the heart of every person.  It is universal and transcends culture, race, age, social status, religion, gender and nationality.    

Godly character marks the life of a true princess!! For seven years Princesses Joy, Grace, Hope, Faith and Charity have been a large part of my life and I have grown to love each of them, as distinct and separate personalities, with unique engiftments and an adventurous story to tell.  They form a cohesive body of work that speaks to the need for early development of godly character in our little princesses in a pragmatic way they can relate to with Biblical terms attached.  I recently read, “A dear old Quaker lady, distinguished for her youthful look, was asked what she used to preserve her appearance.  She replied sweetly, “I use for the lips, truth; for the voice, prayer; for the eyes, pity; for the hand, charity; for the figure, uprightness; and for the heart, love” (Jerry Fleishman).  The Princesses are designed to inspire godly thoughts and actions.  The key of this wise “Quaker lady’s” answer and the challenge to us is to maneuver victoriously through this new day and its many opportunities... each revealing our TRUE character through our moment-by-moment responses!  

Who am I really?

My daily response to life situations brings to light the REAL me!

Are you in community?

Mothering is hard work.
Mothering is harder alone.

Being a good wife takes effort.
Being a good wife without support is difficult.

Staying the course requires discipline.
Staying the course is easier with cheerleaders.

I was a tomboy growing up.  I had two younger brothers; we would play tackle football on the beach, wrestle and race to wherever we could.  I think it is funny that God took that tomboy and planned for her to author the Princess Parables.  Maybe that is why I wanted Charity to have boots on under her skirt!

In my teen years, something changed in me and I began to want to be more “girly”.  I began liking dresses, tea parties and pink.  Even in those days, I always gravitated toward boys for friends because the girls always seemed to have more drama.

As a newly married woman, I saw the need to have more girl friends in my life. It was no longer appropriate to have the “boy” friends, and my husband was now my best friend.  When I was a new mom, I longed for fellowship and deep connections with women, even though I saw much of the same drama as in Middle School.  The Lord had changed me, and I saw that I desired friendship with those in the same life stage as me.  I was blessed to be in the ministry of MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) for 8 years.  God brought around me women who loved the Lord and shared similar desires to serve Him in all we did.

Finding community is so important as a mom.  I am not just talking about women who have kids our kids like to play with, but real “kindred spirits”.  I prayed hard for women who shared my same faith and who had a desire to change the world.  I looked for women who followed God and listened for His voice.  I found a community of women who cheer me on, who came to my rescue when cancer hit, and who inspire me to be the woman God wants me to be.

This did not happen overnight.  There were many women who have come in and out of my life at different seasons who played a part.  There are many women who I didn’t connect with and there were many who moved on into a different place in their life.  But today I have a community of ladies in my Mom Heart group and in my Elements Bible Study that fill the need for community.  God continues to bring women into my life for each step He has given me.

I have heard too many stories of women . . . alone, who struggle as a mom, as a wife and struggle to follow God’s call.  I had struggles along the way, too, and I could not have survived without my friends.  They served practical needs: brought me meals when I had babies and watched my kids when I had doctors’ appointments.  They also filled in the gaps for me spiritually as they prayed with and for me.  They have inspired me to be a better mom, a happier wife and to go after the callings that I have felt God has placed on my life.

If you don’t have a community of like-minded women in your life, here is what I suggest:

1.  PRAY!  I really believe that God will lead you to the right group of women.  Be patient!  It will take time.

2.  START YOUR OWN GROUP.  I have either started or been on the leadership team for each of the groups I have been involved in.  Either at my home or church, I believe if you invite them, “they will come!”

3.  GO TO A MOM HEART CONFERENCE!  Sally Clarkson is a gifted speaker, writer and woman!  I have learned so much from her!  Going to her conferences have introduced me to like-minded women who have become my core group of friends.  Surround yourself with those who spur you on to becoming a Godly woman.  There is a conference coming up in either CA, TX or CO. http://momheartconference.com/register/

Do you have cheerleaders?

Do you have someone to pick you up?

Where do you turn for a shoulder to cry on?

Won’t you make it your goal for 2015 to find a community of women to BELONG?

Perseverance

“Perseverance is a lowly virtue whereby mediocrity achieves an inglorious success!” Ambrose Bierce

While attending Bible School, I met my husband and we were married a year later.  We had never heard of tribal people who had never had an opportunity to even hear the name of Jesus Christ!  Can you imagine?  God challenged us to take His Name to them!  My husband responded immediately to the need before him.  Yes, he would go!  He stood up quickly, as the seasoned visiting missionary, challenged the crowd for tribal missions; however, I stood frozen with my mouth wide open, in shock!  I could not believe his independent, instant response.   God had work to do in my stubborn heart.  My self-consumed willfulness held me captive!  

I was not equipped to live in the jungle…I hate spiders!  It took three days travel to get to this Indian village.  One and half days journey by banana boat (that’s right we slept on wooden benches) following the coastline, arriving in a remote small town to make a connection for the last ten hour day trek upriver in an open dugout canoe!  Let’s see, I have two babies less than three years of age fighting the rapids during rainy season!  Surely, there was someone in that crowd of churchgoers more mature than I am that is willing and ready to go…not me!  I, fearfully, contemplated another 24 hours before I silently knelt with my husband and acknowledged God’s beckoning whisper to submit to His will and His very clear call to GO! 

As a young student, untested missionary, wife and new mother I stepped out in blind obedience.  The unknown was my constant companion, as was my all-knowing God with His directing will and promises.  “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, so shall your offspring be.  Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead…since he was about a hundred years old…and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.  YET he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promises of God being fully persuaded that GOD HAD POWER TO DO WHAT HE PROMISED.”(Romans 4:18-21)

For almost 50 years now, God’s pursuing love has driven us to claim the name of Christ.  First, to those living in the remote jungles of Panama, “in the farthest corners of the earth” (Psalm 65:8), and today, to those living in the asphalt jungles of the United States.

We have counted it a privilege to walk day-by-day wrapped in His strength, following where He leads us.  Joyfully persevering has become a fulfilling way of life… His receiving the glory is our reward…

What are you facing today that seems unbelievably overwhelming and impossible?