Gateways to Joy

Lessons of grace, wisdom and patience's learned from Queen Ester: Stop- Before trying to rightly handle a wrong situation, Esther paused.  She didn't rush headlong into just any course of action. Wait- Time is a precious asset which cannot be bought.  Waiting gave Esther time to gather the facts {Esther 4:5} Consult- Waiting also meant important time for Esther to seek counsel from her wise cousin Mordecai {Verses 12-14} Pray- Waiting gave Esther time to fast and pray about her task and how she would approach the king {Verse 16} Decide- Time, counsel, and prayer moved Esther to choose a plan of action and move forward with the triumphant attitude of "If I perish, I perish!" {Verse 16} Act- Before she asked for what she wanted, Esther prepared a special dinner for King Ahasuerus and Haman to test the waters and assess the king's frame of mind. {5:4-5} Adjust- Discerning and sensitive to the situation, Esther wisely waited and prepared yet another din...

G etting good at life.  Isn't that a commonality among us all?  We all want to become better at the life we're living.  About a week ago, I signed up to host a blog talk radio program: Gateways.  After I finished signing up I browsed around the blog talk site for a while, and came across a picture that caught my attention.  "Wow that's a pretty lady,"  I thought and "what a gorgeous smile. The next thing to catch my eye on the picture were the words,  "Getting Good At Life," hosted by Dr. Carolyn.   "Is that Dr. Carolyn, I asked myself or is that a model?" I wanted to hear her, but I didn't want to waste my time listening to anything boring.  "Should I chance it?" I asked.  I began to scroll through her archives, when immediately I saw where the last show dealt with codependency.  It was actually the second show on codependency that I was about to listen to. "Whoa!"  I thought....

H ow did I get here?  Here is so different from where I thought I would be as a mother.  I mistakenly thought that "with time parenting got easier."   In many ways things are much easier for me now as a mother, now that my children have gotten older.  But when I ask, "How did I get here?" I mean in a place where it doesn't seem like much of what I'm teaching is being grasped by my younger children anymore. It seems as if they are going backwards right before my very eyes, and this causes me a lot of mental anguish—seeing the default of their character. Even though I've taught them at home all of their lives, even after teaching them line upon line—precept upon precept God's Word, right from wrong.  Even after instilling values in them.  I see attitude.  Ungrateful hearts.  Sin abounding.  There's just no way of eluding that sin nature. Little ones bicker, and I hea...

I get lots of emails from hurting souls.  Pain caused from a spectrum of situations.  Some of you are at a place of anger—feeling that the pain is unjust.  Some of you feel that it's God's will and you are going to go through it, and some of you believe that due to the consequences of your sins, you are reaping what you've sowed.  Whatever your reason: pain is pain, and it hurts.   I know pain too.  I've given it and I've received it.  Some of it was just and some was unjust {from my perspective}.  Regardless of how we view our situations the Lord is the one allowing it .  He allows it for various reasons.  Some reasons He allows us to find out on this side of heaven, and some He does not.    What I'm finding out through my own experience and hearing from some of you is that  we are willing to go through pain when we feel it is just.  What is difficult for many is accepting t...

P ain.  Many of us despise it—find it despicable and do our best to avoid it.  Have you ever stopped to think, to conclude  that pain is not your enemy, and very well could be your gift? I know it sounds crazy, but what does pain do, what is it for?  It alerts us to problems or potential problems.  It tells us to check out a situation, to dig deeper and go further.  If there is no pain, how would we know to seek out the care of a medical professional?  If there is no pain, what would make us draw nearer to God? My hope this morning is to encourage those of you who are experiencing pain now, and for those who will come to experience it in the future to remember, " There is always purpose beyond our pain."  I f you take nothing else away from this blog today please carry that with you close to your heart.  And even more so remember that this is particularly true of pain when you are a child of the Alm...

H e loves me right?  I don't feel loved.  I wonder:  Why are things so hard for me?  Why can't I have a few of my heart desires?  Sure, He cares for my basic needs:  food, shelter and clothing, but can't I have just a little more?  Can't I see what the other side is like?  You know over there.  Can't I have a few of the things that ... has? "Lord forgive me for a heart so ungrateful and foolish.  I don't mean to be.  I just want more and wonder why I can't have it?" Am I simply meant to be a wife, mother who homeschools, and blog?   Just be a keeper of the house, clean and take care of the laundry, cook ...?  Be the one to point others in the right direction?  I love it, don't get me wrong.  I just want more.  I think. Is that bad— me wanting more?  Is it too late for me—have I become to old?  After all I'll be 45 in May.  Are all my dreams and goals just that?  A th...

T oday we're going to look at part 2, of the video Beyond The Gates of Splendor . I hope you were blessed, last week, by the story of the five missionary men who gave their lives for their faith.  It is my hope, too, that you were inspired to make your ordinary life an (extra) ordinary life—just by doing whatever it is He's called you to. Wherever you are—yes, wherever,be all there and let Him work through you. These men and their families were no different from you and me.  If there is a difference, the only difference is they were obedient where some of us may not be.  I don't know.  What I do know is just like God used these men to impact lives in their time and season, He means for us to do the same.  And who knows 40 plus years later...someone may be reading or writing your story.  Sharing how you in your "ordinary" way impacted them extraordinary.  Remember— "What makes our labor holy, what makes it eternal...

T his is one of my most favorite stories—it's tragic and triumph on so many levels.  It's remarkable to see how the lives (and death) of  such (extra) ordinary men and what they lived and died for are still touching the lives of millions world-wide today. If you click on this link, Valerie Elliot Shepard Interview, you can read my interview with Jim Elliot's daughter Valerie and see a few pictures of his grand kids.  Jim (Val's son) resembles his grandfather tremendously. I will post part 2, next Saturday

T here's nothing like the pain of harsh words coming from a soul that is wrong, and has wronged you, but won't admit to the wrongness: pain. Our words—the utterances that flow out of our mouths... we praise with these utterances, and we lash the soul with these same utterances from the mouth...from the heart. Friendships are built and friendships are torn down by the choice of our words.  Words give us a glance into the soul of the speaker, sometimes a troubled heart is able to hide, seemingly fool with their words, but it's only for a season.  Eventually the true heart and true self give way to truth. His Word tells us ... A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.  The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, but the mouth of fools spouts folly.  ~ Proverbs 15: 1-3 This week my heart has been broken...shattered into pieces by the harsh words of a friend. I want to fade away, but I don't....