Being An Overcomer

One of the wonderful things about Lancaster, PA is the Sight and Sound Theater. This is a theater that produces incredible Christian productions of Biblical stories such as Noah, Ruth, Daniel, etc. This summer’s production is about the story of Joseph, and I recently had the privilege to attend it.

As I watched the story of Joseph, I realized again what an overcomer he was. His life started out well: he was the favorite son of his father. However, Joseph’s brothers eventually became jealous and sold him into slavery. While a slave, Joseph found favor in the house of Potiphar, a high-ranking Egyptian, but was accused falsely and ended up in prison. While imprisoned, the Lord gave Joseph the interpretation of a dream for a fellow prisoner, and he was promised that he would be remembered when the prisoner was released. Joseph, however, was forgotten for a time. But the Lord opened a door again, and gave him the interpretations to Pharaoh’s dreams when no one else could. After the interpretation, he gave the king a plan to protect Egypt from a horrible famine, and was promoted to second in command!

The story does not end there. Joseph’s brothers soon came looking for food, and the family was reunited. Joseph, a man in an eye-for-an-eye society, not only forgave his brothers, but provided a new home for them with him in Egypt!

I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that all of life comes in cycles. Things go really well for a time and then something happens that puts us into a tail spin. We have to look deep into ourselves and find God as our strength and comfort in hard times. Joseph had to turn to God over and over again.

Here are some secrets that made Joseph an overcomer:

• Joseph’s faith was deep and sure. It was not a faith that only worked in the good times.
• He was able to adapt to the situation he was in. Even in prison he became a leader.
• He surrendered his life to God no matter what happened, and trusted Him for the outcome.
• He was able to forgive and to bless those who had hurt him.
• He looked for ways to be a helper to others.
• He found his gifts (in his case, administration) and used them for God’s glory.

I am going to be more committed to the principles Joseph lived by. How about you?

Anne

THE POSTMAN

When I was a child, one of the things I looked forward to every day was the postman. I loved watching him bring the mail to our house and put it in the mail slot in the door. We all knew our postman and enjoyed visiting with him briefly when he stopped at our home.

I learned very early that the postman always get through. He came in good weather and bad. He came in the cold and the hot. It made no difference. He came every day except for Sunday. We could always depend on the postman.

The past winter Jimmy and I have felt something like a postman. We traveled for speaking engagements almost the entire month of February! We agreed that in our over 30 years of traveling, this had been our worst winter. Almost everywhere we went there was snow. We even had snow on a trip to Louisiana!

Nevertheless, we made it to every event and were blessed to see the number of people who came out to celebrate and learn about what God is doing at pregnancy centers and homes around the country.

In the midst of the stuggles of traveling, cold, and scrapping the ice off the car each morning so we could get on the road, there were also moments of great beauty. The snow on the trees and the friendliness of people as we traveled was wonderful.

Similarly, despite all of our struggles there are places of beauty and glimpses of the hand of God. An easy life may seem to be the best life, but I think that it is not so much about having an easy life as it is about having a fulfilled one. To have a fulfilled life we have to push through, learn to find beauty in hardship, and pay attention to what is going on around us and most of all cling to the hand of God.

Anne

A Quiet Time

I try to have a quiet time every day with God. Over the years I have experimented with all kinds of methods and ways to help me be faithful to my goal of spending time alone with Him each day.

I have met people who pray for hours and love every minute of it. I sometimes find it hard to concentrate. Yet when I get alone with God, I love it. Some people have a set time every day that they spend with God. I don’t have a set time. I often get up in the middle of the night to have my quiet time. I don’t set the alarm. I just want to wake up, and then I get up.

Because I am a talker, I try to be quiet as much as possible when I spend time with God. Even though I may not talk out loud, I talk in my head, so I must quiet my thinking too so I can hear what He has to say.

I really like the way Francis Chan explains quiet times in his book, Crazy Love:

Over time I realized that when we love God, we naturally run to Him—frequently and zealously. Jesus didn’t command that we have a regular time with Him each day. Rather, He tells us to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” He called this the “first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38)…Our motivation [for a quiet time] changes from guilt to love.

We are all His children and we are all uniquely His. Praying for several hours a day may seem daunting for some and wonderfully enjoyable to others. The key is that spending time with the Lord has more to do with wanting to spend time with Him and wanting to hear what He has to say than with being able to check it off our to-do list. When I do not have a quiet time, I miss it and I know that something is missing from my day. I don’t feel obligated to it, I need it. I want it.

Help us Lord to come to You out of our love for You. Help us to desire time with You as we would with a lover or dear friend. Help us to rejoice that we can freely come to You to talk with You, listen, and learn from You. Thank You that You desire this time with us, too! Amen.

Anne

The Laughter of Children at Play

Matthew 18:5 “And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me.”

Our offices are right beside an elementary school. It just so happens that all three of our granddaughters have gone there. Gabie, the oldest, is now in college and her sister, Rachael, is in high school. Janae is 11 years old and the youngest, and is going into her last year at the elementary school: sixth grade. I remember how we used to just walk across the school yard and bring them back to the office if any of them needed to be picked up after school. I will miss those journeys.

I love hearing the children on the playground with their joyful sounds and I love parking my car facing the school, knowing that there are children there whose lives have been saved from abortion.

Life is full of present moments and memories of days gone by. It also contains those moments when we realize that some things are bigger than we are. When I think of the children within the school’s walls who have been saved from abortion, I wonder what life would have been like without these children.

I may not know the children personally, but nonetheless they are there and will become adults someday. One of them could possibly change the world, be an incredible mother or father, or teach school…the list could go on and on.

Across the country there are children sitting in schools who have been saved from abortion. It is possible that we had a small part in saving that child’s life because of our training and materials. Will you join me in prayer for these children and their mothers? By praying, you will be a part of life saving as well!

As you go about your daily life, listen for the laughter of children at play. It will bless your day!


Anne

When My Heart is Aching

I have never known anyone who wants their heart to ache. Yet, I think that heart ache is a very important part of life.

According to Webster, the definition for ache is “ to suffer a usually dull persistent pain; to become distressed or disturbed) as with anxiety or regret); to feel compassion; to experience a painful eagerness or yearning.”

There are things all around us that can make our hearts ache. I get a magazine from an international adoption agency, and every time it comes, I look at the children from around the world that are waiting to be adopted. And my heart aches for them.

Heartache can occur for many reasons. Perhaps someone has hurt our feelings, someone we love is suffering, or we have somehow lost a relationship. My heart often aches for Jimmy, my husband, because he lives in constant pain and I so want to be able to help him.

Could it be that having our heart ache can bring about good?

I know with Jimmy’s situation, my heartache has made me love him in a deeper way. He needs me now more than ever. I thank God for every day we have together.

How do you think Noah’s wife felt as she heard the screams of her friends and family once the ark was closed as they begged to come in, but it was too late? Or when all was silent because they had drowned? Yet she moved on, and was able to start over again in a new place, probably with a deeper commitment to bring change.

The lesson we learn from this tragedy is that time is short: there will come a time when it will be too late to make the decision to follow the Lord. So God is calling us to “make the most of every opportunity, for the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16). As we go through our lives and encounter many who still do not know the Lord, may our hearts ache for their salvation.

Thank goodness for God’s redemption in our lives. He brings healing, restores relationships, and moves us to higher ground.

May the aches the Lord places on our hearts inspire us to do something to bring about change. If the ache is for orphans of the world, may we take the step to help them. If the ache is for a hurting loved one, may we take the step to nurture them. If the ache is for those who do not yet know the Lord, may we take the step to show them a picture of Him through our lives.

Yes, an aching heart is good. It moves us out of our ordinary lives and gives us the opportunity to be extraordinary, and to know an extraordinary God who loves us.

Psalms 40:1-3 “I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear and will trust in the LORD.”

Anne

The Importance of a Warrior

July is the month that we celebrate our independence as a nation. I love the picnics and fireworks that come with this special time. I can’t say the same for our cat Zach who does not enjoy the fireworks at all.

The United States has been a warrior nation from it’s birth because we have been willing to fight, not just for our freedom, but for the freedom of others.

A few months ago I had the opportunity to go to Valley Forge National Park. I was at the conference center to pray for Pennsylvania and our nation with many others who had come from around the state. As we stood at a monument to pray I thought about how many men had actually lived on these grounds during the fight for our independence as a nation.

It is well known that in the winter many of these soldiers lost their lives, many had frostbite and the tribulations were very real. Yet, they did not give up. They continue to stand.

Now, years later, we have soldiers all over this country and around the world still standing for freedom and independence.

It is privilege to have some of these men in our family and to be able to say “welcome home” when they return from duty.

Let us never forget how important these men and women are and how much sacrifice they are making to defend us and other nations.

When I see someone in uniform I try to take the time to thank him or her for their service to our country and tell them I am grateful. Why not try it? It will change your day and theirs.

Anne

“MY HOME”

When our oldest daughter, Holly, started school, she was able to walk home after classes. Back in those days, children could all walk to and from school together with no adult supervision.

Holly would always run into the house after school and yell, “My home!” This translated as, “I’m home!” Even though we knew her English was not the best, we loved to hear her say it.

I have often thought of the blessing it is for a child to return from school to a home that loves them and is safe. Because of the calling that God has given to Jimmy and I, we have been the “my home” for many young women who never knew a happy, secure home.

I remember a time when we had 17 young women living with us, most of whom were still in high school. They would all get off the school bus and come into the kitchen, talking and laughing. There would be snacks ready, and Jimmy or I would always be there to hear about the day as they all tried to talk to us at once about a friend, a story from the day, or a test result.

To all the houseparents across the country: Thank you for being there. Your example and care is so important.

Christ chose to have the disciples live with Him as He traveled to various hilltops and villages. He shared His life with them, and they were transformed by His example. In the same way, the many houseparents around the country are sharing their lives with the girls that come into their homes. And these girls are also being transformed.

Will you pray that many more men, women, and children will be able to spend time in a happy and secure home? This will give them the opportunity to have their lives transformed because the Body of Christ was there for them.
May more and more young people and children be able to run home from school saying, “My home!”

Anne