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

What We Would Have Missed

On Easter Sunday our oldest daughter, Holly, had a big Easter dinner for her family and for her husband Dewey’s family. Now that may sound like a very normal event and it actually is for us. We are from two different cultures. Dewey’s family is Puerto Rican and we are Caucasians.

Jimmy and I talked on the way over to their house with our part of the meal of how excited we were to see Dewey’s family. We agreed that we were so glad that from the beginning we made the decision to embrace rather than reject them.

Our lives have been so much richer because they are part of us and I hope their lives are richer because we are part of them.

We had a wonderful blend of food, as usual. Puerto Rican rice and other special dishes and my green bean and corn casserole and baked pineapple were all part of the meal. As we fellowshipped together other Puerto Rican and Mexican families joined us. What a celebration. In some cases there was a language barrier, but the love still flowed and food speaks beyond words.

Thank you Lord for helping us embrace rather than reject. Thank you for the great love that we have. Dewey’s mother kept bringing Jimmy food, wanting to make sure he was being taken care of. So much love in such a small precious woman.

Let’s learn to celebrate and embrace each other rather then separate ourselves. We are living proof that the joy is beyond measure.

Anne

A Life Well Lived

Jesus was the perfect example of a life well lived. He set a great example for us by pouring out His life for us.

Recently, Jimmy and I were invited to visit Mrs. Scott who is in her 70's. Her husband, who was 72, had just died about 8 weeks previously of cancer.

This was not an ordinary couple. This couple had laid down their life for children who desperately needed them. They took in children whose mothers were drug addicts or children who had been abandoned. They had been doing this for over 50 years.

They lived on a farm which had been donated for their use and many people in their community reached out to help them with the care of these children. They personally adopted 10 of the children.

As we were driving up to the farm, we talked about what our goal was. We both agreed that it was to find out ways we could support Mrs. Scott during this very difficult time in her life.

By the end of the day we had met with some of her Board and had the privilege of sitting with her in her husband's office and heard about Mr. Scott who very few people knew about. You did not read about him in the paper or see him on TV. He was not rich or famous except to God. He was very rich in the things of God and very famous to the children that he helped.

May our prayers be that we would be willing to lay down our lives in a quiet way to serve those God loved and died for. As we drove the 2 hours home we talked about how we felt to have been at the feet of Jesus all day.

Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Scott for lives well lived. I can't wait to meet Mr. Scott in heaven and say to him - well done thy good and faithful servant. I am sure the Lord has already told him that, but I want to join the chorus.

Anne

Sacrifice and Blessing

Have you ever considered that with sacrifice there comes a blessing? Over the years I have watched so many situations where this is true.

Just a few weeks ago I was allowed to be involved in the preperation for an adoption reunion. Sarah had called and asked me if I could help her locate her child she had placed in adoption when she was 15. Sarah had lived with us during her pregnancy and stayed on with us until she graduated from college.

She made the decision to adopt because she knew that she could not provide all this child needed and she wanted her child to have a future and a great chance at life. She later married and had a child in that marriage. Now both children were grown up and she just wanted to see if her birth child would want a reunion.

It was my joy to help start the search process and her birth child was located. It turns out they are both teachers and her birth child has had a wonderful life. They will meet each other over the summer vacation.

I lived with Sarah and held her as she placed her child. A great sacrifice was made for the sake of her child. Now Sarah is receiving a great blessing. What she desired years ago has happened and now she is going to see her child face to face.

Jim and I have known sacrifice in our lives as we have chosen to care for young women and their children. We have had heartbreak for those who did not respond. But overall I would say that the blessing has far out weighed the sacrifice.

One final thought...when we sacrifice we usually do not see the blessing immediately. It generally takes years, but the wait is worth it because of what God does in all of us in the years between the sacrifice and the blessing.

Anne

The Other Grandmother

I share my grandmother role with another woman. She is my son-in-law's mother. Her name is Carmen and I love her so very much.

We come from different worlds:

• She was born in Puerto Rico and I was born in the United States
• She came through a bad marriage and has struggled to provide for her children while I have been deeply loved by my husband Jimmy who has been our provider. Once he even worked three jobs to provide for us
• She is bi-lingual with her primary language being Spanish and I can only speak English

In spite of all our differences, we love each other dearly. When I think of Carmen, I feel such love for her and am blessed to have her in my life.

My grandchildren love us both and we are so very different. There is no competition between us because we have embraced each other's heart.

It is amazing how your attitude can change and your life can be so much better and richer when you allow yourself to appreciate another's world rather than finding fault with it.

It is amazing how your life will be so much richer when you are able to see the richness in a person's life rather than where they live or where the come from.

This list could go on and on in the ways that Carmen has enriched my life and the life of my grandchildren. We are not in competition with each other. We have learned to embrace each other and that richness has been brought to our entire family.

Oh, and did I mention that my son-in-law, Dewey, and I are so much closer because I love his mother so much.

Think about this principle with your family or your life circles and you might be surprised the way things can change in the area of relationships. Your life will be richer and so much better.

Anne

Laying Down Our Lives

I have often wondered what it means to lay down our lives for the sake of others. I know that Jesus laid his life down for us by going to the cross that we might all be saved, but what about us laying our lives down?

In the daily living of life, God provides a way for a man to lay down his life and his freedom for his family.

In marriage we have the opportunity to lay our lives down for our mates. In service we can lay our lives down for others in big and small ways.

I have a friend who volunteers at a mission for men every week. It is a day program for homeless men and they are allowed to come in and get help and get their laundry done. This man, who was a business owner, goes in and does the homeless men's laundry every week. When he shares about this job you can feel his love for the homeless men. They matter to him and on that particular day he lays his life down for them physically as he does their laundry. But here is the amazing thing - he holds them in his heart and lifts them up to God daily. He is laying down a piece of his life for them.

Help me Lord to be able to lay my entire life down in service to you, for an hour a day, and for a lifetime.

Anne

Why Do People Fail?

Lately, I have noticed so much about people who have failed at business, owning a home, their personal lives and the list goes on and on. I asked myself WHY?

There are many questions before there are answers. The failures may be big or small. Some are our own fault and some are caused by others.

When a child does not do their homework or fails to turn it in there will be failure eventually. When a man misuses someone else's funds there will be devastation for many including the man who misused the funds.

When we walk outside of God's plan for marriage and our lives there will be disappointment and failure.

I believe that we all fail at some point and in some way in our lives. I failed terribly when at 18 I became addicted to prescription drugs. The pills were meant to help me, but I misused them and many suffered because of the 7 years I spent in addiction.

Too many times I have said things to Jim, my husband, that I wish I could take back, but now they are out and redemption is the only way back.

Jim and I faithfully put a small amount into our retirement funds in hopes that there would be enough for us in our old age. This year when we received our final reports one fourth of it was gone. We had done everything we could and now it was gone.

What do we do in times like these? We remember that God is still on the throne. We learn to be thankful and grateful for what we do have, not for what is gone.

We learn to praise Jesus that He is bigger than our mistakes, others mistakes and can bring life out of a disaster.

Words cannot be taken back, but forgiveness can reign.

Money may not be able to be replaced, but God is our strength and our hope.

Failure is not the end - it can lead to many new beginnings.

Anne

Disappointment

My husband Jim and I recently had a big disappointment. Jim has been having problems with his hands. They have been curling up and we have sought out help from several places. Finally, we were put in touch with a expert in hands.

We were so hopeful that he would have answers. Doesn't medical science have the answer for everything? But this would not be the case for us.

As we prepared for the out patient surgery we faced another obstacle. Jim's wedding ring (48 years old) was on the hand they would be operating on and had to come off. The other problem was that the finger it was on was curled and would not open. The end result was that the ring had to be cut off in spite of all our efforts to get it off.

Surgery was done and the end result was there was too much damage and it could not be repaired.

For a few moments my heart sunk, but then I remembered that hope and love never die. We still have each other and as the years go by we become each other's hands and feet when necessary.

Jim cannot use his hands as well, but mine are still working fine and so I will become his hands when he needs me. What a joy to serve this man who has so loved and cared for me over these many years.

When disappointment hits, allow it to sink in, but then pull up hope and love, and that truly will sustain you.

We are looking for new ways to live rather than thinking there is an answer other than a miracle of God. And even if there is no miracle, we have four hands between us.

Anne

A Garden Versus A Field

I know that it is winter and in many parts of the country the ground may be covered in snow. But I thought it would be good to think to spring and summer.

Have you ever considered a field? We live rurally and have many farms around us. As you drive by a field you see rows and rows of the same crop growing. This is essential for a farm because they need much of one thing.

You rarely see one cow or one stalk of corn. You see multiples. This is good and the plan for a productive farm.

But when you look at a garden you will see a variety of plants. They will be all sizes and shapes. All colors and hues will meet your eye. In a vegetable garden, things may be in neat rows while in a flower garden they may demonstrate the beauty of variety.

My mother always told me that God never planted the forest in straight lines because the variety brought so much more to the soul.

There needs to be order in our lives, but there also needs to be variety as well. All are important to God and essential to our lives.

Try to make your life orderly and full of variety. It really can be done. In our area you will see huge fields of order and then as you come to the farmhouse you will see the vegetable gardens and the flower gardens.

The gardens are closer to the house (the soul) while the fields stretch out way beyond us.

Think on this and I think you will be surprised at what God shows you.

Anne

Beyond Ourselves

I have a granddaughter, Gabie, who is away at college. I send her packages and cards on a regular basis as well as talk with her by email and phone. I do this to stay connected to her, inspire her, work to keep her heart turned towards Jesus and look for ways to help her reach out beyond herself.

For Valentine's Day I sent her a three pound chocolate heart. The shipping cost me more than the heart.

I chose this vehicle because I knew it was bigger than she was and she would have more than enough. Just as I hoped I received a phone call. "Grandma, I got your present today. Where did you find it? I could never eat all this myself. I will probably be able to share it with my entire floor."

Mission accomplished.

Just think in life we have so many opportunities to connect with people, inspire them in some way big or small, look for ways to move their hearts toward Jesus and even help them reach out beyond themselves.

Not too long ago I visited a pregnancy center that asked the women to return the baby things that they were finished with. They would then reward them with some different products or needs. This allowed them to reconnect with the women and inspire them to think beyond themselves.

May God give you a freshness as you think about this concept in your own life, for your family and friends and those God has called you to.

Anne

Cell Phones and Texting

Because of the Christmas season we have had many family times and I have loved every minute of it.

One day all the girls in our family - myself, daughter and grandchildren - went to lunch. After lunch we were going to shop for a birthday present for Pop (Jimmy).

At the lunch table I asked Gabie (18) and Rachael (15) if they could help me understand cell phones, but most of all texting. They were more than happy to share with me.

I specifically asked them if they felt they could concentrate on the conversation that was present at the table and text a friend at the same time. Their response was immediate. They could and when they are with friends they all keep their cell phones out and available, doing both at the same time.

I made it clear to them that I was not being negative or judgemental, but just trying to understand their lives. I told them I wanted to be able to reach out to others and not be "old" in my thinking.

Later in the car, Gabie told me that one of the things she liked about me was my desire to learn and understand others.

I am finding it is not about being critical, but having an attitude of wanting to understand and to find out more than what appears at the surface.

I am learning how to text and it is true that I am finding I can text and listen at the same time. I guess that shows how remarkable our brains are.

I am also finding that most of the women who I reach out to often text me rather than call me. I am trying to pick up my speed and learn some of the shortcuts. Obviously, my grandchildren have been my best teachers in this endeavor.

So if you want to text me I am now able to respond and am actually learning to enjoy this new mode of conversation.

Anne

In Quiet Peace and Confident Trust

Psalm 4:8 - "In peace I will both lie down and sleep for You, Lord alone make me dwell in safety and confident trust."

What a powerful scripture this is. I am amazed at how you can read various verses in the Bible over and over and then suddenly one jumps out at you.

This is the case with this scripture. I was having trouble sleeping and came out to have my prayer time to pray in the middle of the night. This scripture jumped out at me.

How often do we have that peace that passes understanding in our lives? I realized that night my problem was I was worrying about the future and had lost my peace and my trust.

Immediately I repented and asked God to help me sleep in peace and know that He is my safety net and I can trust Him each step of the way.

I pray for you today that you have that confident trust, know God's wonderful peace and feel as if you are under His wing in a safe place.

Anne

The Journey Is As Important As The Destination

"May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting comfort and hope...encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." - 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

As a family when we are faced with difficulties one of the ways that helps us focus on what God is doing in the midst of our trials is to apply these three principles:

- Reach back in our lives and learn all we can from the past

- Embrace the present, no matter how hard it may be, believing God is with us

- Look forward to the future

In case you haven't noticed all of us gets a little older each day and Jimmy and I are no exception. One of the main concerns for us has been our youngest daughter, Shelly, who is mentally challenged.

We know that we need to have a plan for her future beyond us. She is in her 40's now and is a wonderful person to have in our household as well as working at Loving & Caring. We have been able to keep our protective hand on almost all areas of her life.

Now we know it is time for change. Could she adjust and make a change? Could we seperate from her? Could we trust God for her future?

This has been an especially hard journey for Jimmy. He has been her father, coach, boss, protector and most of all has stood and believed in her all these years. Now he has to let go of her in the area of employment. We must work to give her a future and a hope beyond us.

Shelly had an interview at a local hospital. When se didn't get the job she started to volunteer there. She did this for a year in the department she wanted to work for (food services). Finally the door opened for 12 hours of employment.

Through out this journey she never missed her three hour Tuesday night volunteer shift! She did this after working 8 hours in her present job at Loving & Caring. We all understood that because of her handicap the journey of finding a job would be difficult, but we believed that if they had the opportunity to see her work and saw her attitude they might give her a chance.

Shelly started her new job on January 5th. She had the opportunity to share her journey at our church last week and here are a few comments:

"I decided to do a great job in the kitchen like starting the dishwasher and loading it. I learned how to roll the silverware up in a napkin. I swept the kitchen floor. I wanted to show them I could do it and would be faithful and patient. I believed that my faithfulness would show them I would make a good employee. I wanted then to know that I don't give up and I am loyal."

May we all learn from Shelly's journey and maybe we will get our dreams.

Anne

A Young Man's Heart

Several times in my life I have read the Bible through in a year and this is one of those years. I read from the Old Testament, Psalms and the New Testament each day. How did it start in Matthew - with the birth of Jesus and of course Joseph was very involved.

In the book of Matthew we see a young man (Joseph) who was deeply hurt and puzzled by the news of Mary's pregnancy. It just did not sound like her. She had seemed so pure. Yet here he was confronted with her pregnancy.

In Matthew 1:19-20 his pondering is described:

Joseph, Mary's betrothed husband was a just and upright man, not willing to expose her publicly to shame and disgrace, he decided to divorce her quickly and secretly.

But as he was thinking this over an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying, "Joseph do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit."

Even before the angel appeared to Joseph, he had a heart for Mary.

I would like to suggest that we take time to look into the hearts of the young men we know and help them to feel at that level. Within them there may be a heart of greatness.

If you have sons, take the time to know their hearts even when they are small.

Jesus took the time to teach the disciples how to have a heart for God. Can we do any less?

Anne