Hosanna in the Highest!

Palm Sunday. The triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.

There's my sweet Samuel, serving as acolyte. This morning, he lead the procession into church, carrying the cross as the children followed shouting their hosannas of praise. It warms this mother's heart to see her son serving in the house of the Lord.

In our adult Sunday school class, we have been following the video lessons from teacher Ray Vander Laan (from Focus on the Family) called That The World May Know: The Mission of Jesus. Ray takes his students on a tour of the Holy Land, teaching us about the historical importance of lessons, and connecting the dots between the old and new testaments. If you ever get a chance to see any of his videos, I highly recommend them!

Last week, he spoke of the concept of Triumph, and how it related to the Roman tradition and ultimately Jesus procession into Jerusalem.

Jesus triumphed over sin on the cross, and Jesus triumphed over death on Easter morning.

And now Jesus reigns as King...not our future king, but our very present king today. Not only king of heaven, but king of earth.

God's kingdom reigns wherever His word is accomplishing His work, where God is "kinging", where His will is being done.

I made this page in my bible today to remember that though the world seems at times like a dark place, Jesus rules this world with his grace and truth.

Hosanna in the highest!

Breaking Up With Bible Studies

Several years ago, I had a conversation with one of my dear pastors from Indiana about a new study bible that had recently been published. I asked him what he thought of it, if he owned it, did he like it.

I'll never forget his response.

He said "I try to be really careful when reading from a study bible. You have God's word at the top of the page, and then man's word at the bottom. Who do I need to listen to? God's word or man's word?"

I've been having this same line of thought with bible studies in recent months.

I started to take a good hard look at what the publishing industry is selling. Make no mistake. Even though they are a "christian" publisher, they are still in the business of selling a product for profit.

So what sells?

Pretty sells. Popular sells. Buzz sells. Hype and Movement sells. Agenda sells.

And this is what seems to pop up in my Inbox on a daily basis. The next great personality! The next trend! Hurry! Your church must do this, too, if you want to be like the popular kids!

Ask yourself this question: when was the last time you saw a bible study from a wise, grey haired sixty-five plus year old woman being marketed to the next generation?

Increasingly, we are in a church culture that looks a lot like the secular culture. We segregate into small groups that make us comfortable without challenging us. I'll just stick with the person I can relate to who looks like me and is in my same socio-economic age bracket. If I have a question that needs answering, I'll find it on Pinterest.

Sadly, we are all in desperate need of mentors, and we don't even recognize it.

I understand that there is great power in studying the word with fellow believers. But I also know that there is often a time when you just need to pair down to what really matters.

You, God's Word, a book, and a journal.

No gimmicks. No Facebook groups to join in on the movement. No hashtags and Instagrams and tweets to follow.

Just you and God time.

I'm reading a study that was first published 30 years ago, and it feels as fresh and relevant as if it was published today. That's the thing about truth. It's timeless.

No hype. Just a holy moment carved into my day.

What I'm Working On This Week

I've been working on a new stitching project from Shepherd's Fold called Reach. 

I picked up this kit at Designer's Desk in Geneva. It holds a stitching ruler, with a pattern that folds over and is worked on both sides of the linen. 32 count linen. That's some small work for these old eyes, my friends! Notice the cheaters in the previous photo. Very necessary!

I loved the beautiful colors used in this project. Overdyed floss is so pretty. I'm stitching this pattern according to directions...one strand of floss over two linen threads. Normally, I'd use two strands of floss for something more substantial. But the one strand gives this project a fine and delicate look, similar to a period piece. I suppose that one strand of floss probably helps the linen from getting pulled too tightly as well.

Just before I started this pattern, my Mom called and told me to read this book. Max Lucado's "Safe in the Shepherd's Arms" is a small devotional that highlights passages from many of his books into a cohesive study of the twenty-third Psalm. The photos in this book are just beautiful. I confess to having a weakness for sheep. That's one of the reasons I picked up the pattern to stitch!

It was so nice to read from the book and then stitch this project while I meditated on the words.

When you spend a lifetime in the Word, some passages become so familiar that you can recite them without much thought. That's true for many people when it comes to this psalm. But every now and then, you can read something that gives a new insight and allows the word to fall fresh on you in a way it may not have done before. Like this:

"David has found the pasture where discontent goes to die. It's as if he's saying, 'What I have in God is greater than what I don't have in life.' "

Wow. Those are powerful words.

This summer, our Pastor is doing a sermon series on the Psalms, and we are reading through them together as a congregation. And this coming Sunday's sermon is...you guessed it. Psalm 23.

Everything's coming up sheep this week.

Perhaps God is telling me something. And maybe these words from Max Lucado are what He's trying to tell me:

"The psalmist rejoiced to say 'The Lord is my Shepherd,' and in so doing he proudly implied 'I am his sheep.' "

Blessings, cafe friends!

It's Not Over Yet

I was in the car last month, listening to the radio, when the guys from the band "For King And Country" were talking about the story behind their song "It's Not Over Yet".

They told how they were inspired to write this song for their little sister, who had suffered from chronic Lyme disease. They talked about her struggle...to get a diagnosis, to get help, to get healing. They wanted to write a song for her to tell her to fight the good fight and keep the faith.

As I listened, I remember thinking "Oh yeah. That was me."

I struggled with a chronic form of Lyme disease for years. There were the missed diagnosis by doctors. And then, after diagnosis, there were the cycles of treatments and remissions and recurrences. I lived in Indiana for five years, and I honestly think I was sick more than half the time I lived there.

It was a hard thing for friends and family to understand. They heard that you took antibiotics for a few weeks, and presto, you were better. Only I wasn't getting better. My Lyme disease had turned into an autoimmune disorder. Chronic joint pain, fatigue, rash, fever, swollen lymph nodes, and a host of other problems to battle.

On many days, the battle wasn't just physical. It was a daily spiritual battle to hold onto the faith and the hope that things would get better. In the end, I honestly believe that the devil tried to keep me in sickness and defeat.

I was broken.

The best part about being broken? Sometimes, that's exactly where God needs you to be so that He can do a miraculous work in your life.

And He did. He brought me healing. Physical and spiritual healing.

I still get anxious every spring, when my flare ups would occur. I know that I could have a recurrence to deal with in the future. But I also know that I have a God in heaven who is my Comforter and my Healer. He is Jehovah-Jireh, the God who provides. He is Jehovah-Rophe, the God who heals.

And because He Heals, I know that I can keep on fighting the good fight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmTmTMcdxOs

Glory Art Scripture Challenge #4: Legacy

One of my sons, who shall remain unnamed, forgot my birthday a few weeks back. And then, to make matters worse, he told me that he made his father the beneficiary of his Roth IRA.

"That's it!" I told him. "First, you forgot my birthday. Second, you made your Dad the beneficiary? That does it! I am cutting you out of my will! You aren't going to inherit ANY of my stamp sets when I die! I'm leaving them all to your brothers!"

He laughed, and so did I. When it comes to worldly possessions, my sons will have nothing to fight over when I'm gone except who is going to post the photos of my craft room on Craigslist with the heading "Free To Good Homes!"

This begs the question: What will be my legacy?

My hope is that each of my sons will grab one of my bibles.

My one year chronological bible, where I wrote in the margins while propped in bed each night.

My journaling bible, where I poured out my creative offering to the Creator.

My tear-stained, coffee-splashed, worn out NIV bible that I bought at the bookstore of my St. Louis home away from home church more than ten years ago.

Three testaments of my faith. Three records of the journey God has brought me on in this decade of my life.

Deuteronomy 6:4 opens with the Shema, the great statement of faith of the Jewish people.

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one."

The Shema. The Hebrew word for "listen".

And then it continues:

"Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."

Here is our legacy.

When I walked in to our Pittsburgh home for the first time, I told my husband and the realtor that it made me happy. I didn't know why. It just did.

And then I met the sweet couple who had raised their sons in this happy home.

They made it happy.

It wasn't until we painted our front doors that I finally discovered the foundation for this happy home.

There, on the doorframe, I had discovered the spot where the previous owners had once mounted their mezzuzah.

In Jewish tradition, a mezzuzah is a small cylinder mounted to the doorframe where a roll of scripture is placed, in keeping with the command here in Deuteronomy. Through all of their comings and goings, they built their home upon the word.

This is the same legacy I inherited from my own parents, who studied the word and spoke about it with their children.

I have a family where I can talk with brothers about the theory that young David was really a pretty skilled warrior when he took on Goliath. I can sit at mom's table and hear my sisters speak with passion about their new missions and ministries.

And I can come home to my own table and talk with my own family about what it means to be a Berean, and how I had to testify to the visitors at my front door with the message of grace.

When we sit at home, and when we walk along the road.

When we lie down and when we get up.

This is the legacy of love. Because the word wasn't God-breathed. The word IS God-breathed. He breathes it into my life every day. It is there, like a breath of fresh air ready to fill my lungs.

To my sons: I'm sorry if you were hoping for earthly riches, but you know me. I spent it all at the craft store. Serves you right for forgetting your Mama's birthday! {just kidding}

I made this page today for Patter's Glory Art Scripture challenge!

Blessings, cafe friends!

Musings on Easter

I was sitting outside, singing hymns to Jemma the other day.

What?

Doesn't everyone sing hymns to their dog?

I figure if Father Tim could quote scripture to his dog, Barnabas, in the Mitford novels, then surely I can try singing hymns to Jemma to make her behave.

Right now, she's at that toddler phase of parallel play. She wants to play by you, but when she plays with you, it's usually inappropriately. Like biting. See? She really is like a toddler. I am constantly redirecting her behavior. It's a good thing all those skills from all of those years of teaching preschool can still come in handy.

So there I was, singing hymns to Jemma. And she seemed to like it, so that's good.

I was singing the words to one of my favorites, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.

"Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it
 The mount of Thy Redeeming Love"

And I started to weep, right there on the back stoop of the patio, with my dog playing in the sunshine.

It hit me. The mount of His Redeeming Love was right there, on the cross.

Have you ever wept for that kind of love?

If not, then you have to ask yourself if you are really seeking His presence.

God tells us in Jeremiah 29:13:
"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you."

It's pretty hard (okay, I will even say impossible) to look for Jesus and not hear him say "Here I am, at the cross. On the cross for you."

For all of my pettiness. For all of my selfishness. For all of my moodiness. For all of my brokenness. For all of my sin.

I find Him there, on the cross for me.

Redeemed. For me. Because He loves me that much. And because He loves you that much, too.

I made this journal page to remember that love. And I am laughing because I spelled Redeemed wrong. Apparently, only God is perfect, so I can quit trying. (Will I fix it? Probably. Because I'm OCD that way.) But see? I'm showing you my mistakes, so that means I'm making progress.

Praise the mount! It leads to an empty tomb! And because Jesus conquered sin and death, I have eternal life...today. I don't have to wait for it. It is mine. The gift of God's grace. His Redeeming Love.

Peace to you, cafe friends! Blessings on your Easter.

Make Our Home

I spend a lot of time thinking about home. What is home? What makes a house home? How can I feel "at home"?

My word for this year is "Rooted", which connects so beautifully with thoughts of home.

I read this in a devotional recently, and it really struck me in a profound way.

"Praying for God's kingdom to come is praying that the Holy Spirit would lead us to receive Jesus, believe Him, and keep His word. He (Jesus) says that when we keep His Word, He and the Father and the Holy Spirit will come and make their home with us."

Making home.

When you move four times in a ten year period, you start to collect a lot of ideas on what home is, and what it isn't. What it should be. What it could be. What it needs to be.

My husband and I had a rare Saturday morning alone together. We ate brunch at our favorite local spot and just talked about the mundane and the meaningful.

When we moved to the Chicago suburbs nine months ago, we thought we'd have all kinds of visitors...friends and family popping over as an excuse to get to the city. What we found has actually been the exact opposite. We've had one weekend of family visitors, and beyond that no one has come through our door. The drive...too far. The traffic...too scary. The weather...too unpredictable. For whatever reason, this house in this location has become the most remote for us.

We spoke about this, over coffee and muffins. My husband voiced what I thought was only in my head and heart. We are just not connecting here, for whatever reason. There is something missing. It isn't one tangible thing. It is just a feeling of exhaustion that comes from working so hard to make all things come together. House. School. Work. Connections.

Now I know what some of you are thinking. Wow, you haven't even lived there a full year yet! Aren't you going to give it some time before you throw in the towel?

Trust me, when you've relocated as often as we have, you know pretty quickly if things will work out or not.

I think that if we'd moved to this area twelve years ago, we'd have made it our home and been pretty content. But we are older now, and in a different place in our lives than we were back then. Some things that once mattered just don't any more. And other things that didn't seem so important back in the day are now at the forefront. Time. Perspective. In this season of life, we know what we want, and what we want is home.

We have decided to look for home.

We may not get there this year, but we will get there soon. If it means a downsize, we are totally on board. If it means a job change, we are open. And honestly, we haven't pinpointed exactly where home will be. We just know that we will be close to family, in a place that is familiar and right in this season.

This time, the move will not be necessitated by a corporate relocation and hurried time table. We will take our time, because what we want more than anything is to be rooted...to know in our hearts that the next place we land will be the fertile soil where we can dig in deep, relax, and plant ourselves for a good long while.

The words of Psalm 90 are ever present in our thoughts. "Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations...The length of our days is seventy years---or eighty, if we have strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away...Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

We are praying for wisdom, praying for His kingdom come and His will be done. Wherever we are, we know one thing for certain: we want our house and hearts to be His dwelling place.

Rooted. Maybe not how I had envisioned it to be.

Glory Art Scripture Challenge #2: Happiness or Joy?

The February scripture art challenge was posted at Patter's Blog, Triple The Scraps. Patter explores happiness versus joy, the kind of joy that is complete in Jesus Christ. I love this!

When I read Patter's thoughts, I immediately remembered the Beth Moore bible study of 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Children of the Day.

Beth had so many wonderful thoughts on the subject. Her son-in-law, Pastor Curtis Jones, says that "joy is happiness without the moodiness". Yes!

And Beth had a thought that could certainly understand. She says "If we want our happiness to outlast a caffeine buzz, we're probably referring to joy."

I decided to use some Lawn Fawn stamps to create my page and a matching bookmark.

{Today's Brew: stamps from Lawn Fawn, Distress Stains, Memory Box stencil, Simple Stories washi tape}

I'm going to be staying close to home for a while because of this little bundle of love that is happiest perched at my feet:

I've decided to temporarily cut back on some of the appointments in my planner, like preschool and bible study at church. This time in the early days with puppy is short and sweet, and it's also crucial to her development as she finds her way in our home and in our hearts. In the meantime, I'm going to dig into the word at home, between naps and potty breaks.

I've attempted to finish this Beth Moore bible study twice with two different women's groups in two different cities. Both times, I got sidetracked halfway through. I'm determined to finish this study here at home, with Jemma and Java and Jehovah. A little coffee, and a whole lot of Jesus. A perfect recipe for joy.

Blessings on your Friday, cafe friends!

Fear Not, Little Flock

I'm trying something a little different today. I'm walking you through my bible journaling process, showing you every step through photographs while I illustrate my mental process through words and scripture.

I'm currently in a bible study with some women at my church, and this one has been a struggle for me right out of the gate. The author and blogger is very popular, and her book was turned into a bible study by Lifeway. I read the book. It was okay, kinda like a gimmick that someone uses to have material to blog about (think "Julie and Julia"). But as far as bible study goes, it leaves a lot to be desired in the sound theology department.

We are encouraged to look at all the areas of excess in our lives, to examine our "first world problems" in light of real third world problems. And I get it. Really, I do. But as the weeks have progressed, I've noticed that this study (which leans heavily on social justice with a big absence of grace) has the women in my group becoming increasingly worried and fretful and anxious.

Philippians 4:6 says "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Let's just say that there's no peace of Christ in this study...at all.

The author pits the haves against the have nots, with some vague thought that if we give everything we own away (The Rich Young Ruler), we are being more like Jesus. But wait, I'm confused. Jesus said that salvation came to Zaccheus' house, and he only gave away half his possessions (this story isn't mentioned in the study...huh). Will half earn me a spot in heaven? Two-thirds? One hundred percent?

The author confesses that she worries about her stuff. She worries about her children's stuff. She worries about her closets and pantries and ipads. And she is torn, because she wants to impress you (her words), but how can she do it without her stuff?

Worry. Worry. Worry. I think that she really believes if she worries about these things, she has a heart like Jesus. And my real problem is that I do not know where her heart is.

But here's what I do know.

The study brought up the words of Jesus "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also....You cannot serve both God and Money."

Worry about that, people!

And there, it stopped.

But if you just read the next verses, it put it all into context!

Jesus tells us to NOT worry about our clothes, our food, our possessions. Yes, you can think about them. And yes, you should think about sharing what you have with others. But don't worry about them and make them your all consuming thought every day. The Father knows that you need them. He will provide.

Do not worry about tomorrow.

And here's why.

Worry is the thief of joy.

Let me say that again.

Worry is the thief of joy.

And who is the thief?

Jesus tells us in John 10:10: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Here's what I know about worry. Worry is a slippery slope that leads to depression. And depression is where the Devil wants to keep me, in a place where I do not believe in God's promises, where I miss out on the grace.

Can I borrow a few words from Oprah Winfrey?

"I been down that road, Honey Child!"

(Ha ha ha! Every time she says that on the Weight Watchers commercial, I literally laugh out loud.)

I heard someone once describe worry as putting a loaf of bread into the oven to bake. But instead of leaving it alone, worry opens the door every few minutes to check the bread. But every time I open the door in worry, I let out the heat that bakes the bread. And in my constant worry, that bread never gets a chance to bake in the oven!

And here's what Jesus says about worry in Luke:

"Fear not, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom." Luke 12:32

Oh how I love those words!

I love it that Jesus calls us the sheep of his flock. I love it that I have a Father in heaven who wants to give me the kingdom! I love it that it pleases my Father to give every good and perfect gift from above. What on earth could be better than that?

My hope and prayer is that the women in this study come away with more than clean closets and a guilty conscience. Let's face it. What good will it be for a man if he can Konmari all his closets, yet forfeits his soul?

Because in the end, it's not about our closets, or our pantries, or our ipads. 

It's about the heart.

I will probably never have clean closets or pantries or checking accounts. But what I really desire above all is to have a clean heart.

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Give me pure motives. Let me love on your people in response to your great love for me. And let all praise and honor and glory be yours, Father!

Amen!

And this is for you, Vikki H! You wanted to know what the other side of the bible pages look like. Yes, they do bleed through. But I'm not going to worry about it! (Remember, worry is the thief of joy!) If I ever wanted to journal on the other side, I can use a paper overlay or I can cover that side in gesso. No worries!

Fear not, little flock! The Lamb sits on the throne!