Panic Mode

November 7, 2009 in Everyday Faith, Prayer, Worry | 1 comment

By Melanie (as posted on her blog Keeping it Simple)

Well I don’t know how things are in your part of the world, but around here, the past two weeks, everyone seems to be in complete panic mode regarding the H1N1 flu pandemic…

News of the 13-year old hockey player and now the 2-month old baby who have died of H1N1 have for sure fueled the panic.  Add to that the vaccine shortage… people lining up 5-6 hours to get their shot… people getting turned away because they don’t fit into the high risk groups (kids 6 months to 5 year being among the high risk group accepted at the moment).  Lots of indecisiveness and confusion about what to do with the vaccine… We are bombarded by conflicting information on a daily basis.   We have decided to go ahead with the H1N1 vaccine (despite my having been the biggest skeptic when it comes to the regular flu shot, I’m thinking that this isn’t the year to be a skeptic and I’m trusting the advice of my friends and family who are in the medical world!)  I’m not writing this to get the debate going about whether to vaccinate or not… that’s a personal decision… do your research and decide for yourselves!

Rather, I’m writing to address the mass panic… It is easy to live in fear… in fear of getting sick… in fear of germs everywhere… in fear of our children getting sick and ending up like the kids we’ve heard about on the news…

PANIC

FEAR

WORRY

I have caught myself begin to panic a few times over the last couple of weeks… but I just need to recognize it, and change the fear and worrying into prayer… The panic around me has fueled my prayer to God for my children and our family… for health, for protection, and for so much more…

Prayer and looking to God’s truths in scripture give me peace as they take my eyes away from my circumstances, and rather remind me that there is an all-knowing, powerful God who is present and at work – not just in a cosmic distant way, but in a close and personal way.  He knows me, my family and everything about us, and even better, He loves us and cares for us.  Prayer keeps me focused on who God is and melts away fear and worry.

Now does that mean that we will be free from illness, tragedy and heartache in our lives?  No.  But I do believe that God hears our prayers and answers them in ways that He knows are best for us in the long term.  That can be impossible for any of us to understand depending on what we’re coping with.  In the face of those difficult times, I do believe that God gives us the strength to handle whatever we are up against just when we need it, and that it somehow fits into a larger plan that I may be unable to make sense of in the moment.

Here are two of my favourite verses that bring me hope and peace – as well as a few others!

“Ah Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and your outstretch arm.  Nothing is too hard for you.”  Jeremiah 32:17

“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.” Philippians 4:6-7

“Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”  1 Peter 5:7

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” – Jesus (Matthew 11:28)

“Do not be afraid, for I am with you”  Isaiah 43:5a

I leave you with this prayer from Romans 15:13 :  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Deeper Newsletter – Oct/Nov 2009

October 11, 2009 in Deeper Newsletters | Leave a comment

Get your newsletter by clicking below!

Deeper Newsletter – Oct/Nov 2009 

In this issue – a focus on Prayer:

  • Is He Faithful? - on the practice of journaling - by Melanie
  • Christ in our Culture – an introduction to this new column by Nicolle Huggins
  • Everyday Faith: Praying God’s Word - by Stephanie Hollingsworth
  • Faith & Kids:  Becoming a Praying Family - by Anna Sklar

Also don’t miss the Fall issue of Mom’s Moments with its new format and columns!  Mom’s Moments Newsletter – Fall 2009 and visit www.momsmoments.ca to access all past newsletters, a wealth of helpful online resources to help you in the everyday things of life and so much more!

Mom’s Moments is now on Facebook! Get to know other Mom’s Moments moms, and get into real honest discussions about the day-in-day-out of being a mom!  Click here to join the new MM Facebook Group.  Not on Facebook?  Here’s a good reason to join!

What’s on the Menu?

September 14, 2009 in Justice & Compassion | Leave a comment

By Ó Elisabeth K. Corcoran , 2009 (www.elisabethcorcoran.blogspot.com)

I just saw a photograph of a menu.  It listed five items along with the prices.  No big deal, right?

Wrong.  The items listed are as follows: China girl, Hong Kong girl, Malay girl, Philippine girl, Russian girl.  And for a price, you can have one for the night.

Imagine a few things with me:

You are buying a plane ticket to a foreign country so you can steal a child’s virginity.

You are a little girl who’s been told she needs to go away for a few weeks only to be sold into slavery.

You are the mother of a child who has debts she cannot pay, more children to feed than there is food, and you’re told that your precious daughter will be taken very good care of if only you let her go away into the city for awhile.

 Moms, we must do something about this.  I’ve been talking about AIDS and Africa and clean water for awhile now.  And I’m not getting off that soapbox until either I a) die or b) God tells me to quiet down.  But this is just another facet in the Pandora’s box that is social justice.

 But what can you and I do about this issue, about any issue that seems so far removed?

 First of all, pray.  God wants justice for every person, so to pray to this end, well, you already know you’re praying in His will.

Secondly, get informed.  Read anything you can.  Search websites.  Pick up a book.  Get information.

Third, realize that the other side of the world is not so far away, as Rich Mullins sang.  For instance, our very own Toledo, Ohio is well known as a hub of human trafficking.  (By the way, the definition of human trafficking is simply this: It involves an act of recruiting, transporting, or receiving a person through a use of force or coercion for the purpose of exploiting them, and every year, thousands of men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers.) 

Next, inform others.  Tell your friends what you’re learning.  Figure out a way your church can get involved.

And finally, give.  Any amount helps to bring freedom and aftercare to victims of modern day slavery.  Go to www.ijm.org to find out more.

You wouldn’t want anyone taking your child away…you wouldn’t want to be in the situation where you felt you had no choice but to let them go…let’s do some good, let’s fight some evil…for our kids’ sake, and the children of those who can’t fight for their own.

Ó Elisabeth K. Corcoran, 2009

Elisabeth lives her with husband and children in Illinois.  She is the author of the devotionals, In Search of Calm: Renewal for a Mother’s Heart (Xulon), Calm in My Chaos: Encouragement for a Mom’s Weary Soul (Kregel), and is excited to announce the fall release of He Is Just That Into You: Stories of a Faithful God who Pursues, Engages, and Has No Fear of Commitment (WinePress).  After ten years of leading Women’s Ministry and four years on staff at Christ Community Church – Blackberry Creek Campus over Adult Ministry and Community & International Impact, she is now devoting her time to speaking and writing.  Her passion is to encourage women and the Church, and applying her gifts to eradicating local and global AIDS.  You can learn more about Elisabeth at www.elisabethcorcoran.com or at http://elisabethcorcoran.blogspot.com/, and you can follow her on Twitter at ekcorcoran.

Prayer Running

September 13, 2009 in Prayer | Leave a comment

By Andi Hawkins  (as posted on The Running Mama Sept.9/09)

My running partner, Jerri, and I have gotten very close in our three years of yapping running together. Things between us got honest right away, since we both have unflattering mucous habits during exercise. You can’t put on airs while hocking and blowing phlegm every quarter mile, and we settled for intimate friendship over mutual disgust. Recently, we decided to use our vulnerability with each other for a deeper purpose. Instead of spending the last half of our run rehashing the conversation from the first, we do something more spiritual… you know… like pray.

There is a beautiful street at the end of our run, lined with tall trees. When we round the bend to this last stretch, it is praying time. There are no rituals to make God seem far away. Our hands can’t clasp, we can’t bow our heads, we can’t even close our eyes. We are two friends talking to each other and to our God who is as close as our own breath. Our prayers spout and gasp, but they surround us like little lamps, warming our insides with freedom and energy.

There is no pretension. Our confessions, our worries, the stones of our souls, they float off like bubbles as we stomp down the road. We pray for our favorites- Her Jerrod, My Greg, and the four babies between us. We fight for them, with all the fervor our legs can muster. We can’t help it, as we speak we run faster and faster, as if our effort is the measure of our passion.

When we finish, we are breathless. We have shown each other our ugliest, our best. Like two lovely warriors we walk along, sweaty and peaceful, ready for another day.

Andi is a stay-at-home mom who runs in the morning to justify the late night ice cream.  Read more on her blog  The Running Mama.

Starting off the Day

September 13, 2009 in Everyday Faith, Prayer | Leave a comment

By Melanie (from her blog Keeping it Simple)

This morning as I lay in bed, I could hear my 6-year-old daughter singing quietly to herself in her bed. What a great way to start the day. I much prefer when she wakes up singing then when I have to wake her up, exhausted on a school day, and she’s whining and complaining that she’s too tired to get up yet… I choose singing over whining any day of the week! (if only it were my choice to make)

I do have other choices to make that affect my mornings though… will I press snooze, which results in a rushed morning to get myself ready and everyone up and going too… will I eat breakfast right away as I feed the girls, or will I get busy with 1001 tasks only to realize that I’m grumpy because I still haven’t eaten (I don’t function well without breakfast)… and the one which has the greatest impact on my day: will I sit and take a moment to read my Bible as I eat breakfast before I rush off and continue with the rest of my day (before or after the kids have eaten)…

Why is that last one so significant? Because I find that reading my Bible in the morning sets me up for a better day. It gets me refocused, invites God into my day from the start, and leads to a heart of prayer as I sit in the car driving to work, or doing tasks around the house – praying for my husband, my girls, friends, family, etc. In short, it puts life in perspective and reminds me that God is with me through each moment of my day.

I find that I’ve not been starting off my day right the past while, and I’ve been feeling it… impatience… rushing from one task to the next feeling like I’m not getting ahead… I have had seasons where I can pour into deeper studies, and others where I can barely get to just read a brief devotional with reflections written by various people based on a short passage.I’m in a busy season, and knowing that I’ve been missing the mark too often in past months, I’m back to picking up a devotional, though light, it at least is a start to get me focused in the morning and is better then nothing!

So I may not be able to choose if my daughter will wake up singing or cranky, but I can choose to take even just a minute to refocus my day by reaching for God’s Word. What a difference it makes to my day!

The Encouraging Truth About Devotions in Your Family

July 2, 2009 in Faith & Kids | 1 comment

By Anna Sklar (as posted on Living in the Moments)

I stood in front of the book table for at least an hour… searching for the “perfect” devotional books for my sons. I was torn between excitement at the MANY choices available and confusion as to which ones would be interesting to my boys.  There was also some fear in my heart. Would I be ready for the questions my boys might ask? Did I have the discipline and drive to follow through with the ideas in these books? Would I be supportive as my sons learned how to live out their blossoming faith? Was I up for the challenge?

Peace finally settled over me as I realized I don’t have to be a perfect Christian to teach my children about God. As I stood there I gained more and more confidence, not in myself, but in the God who loves my children more than I ever could. Then I realized something amazing… I… can… learn… with… them.

When I had kids, my devotional time took a beating and I lost track for a while.  Often times I would go for weeks, even months without doing personal devotions.  But as soon as I opened my Bible or a devotional book, or stopped to REALLY pray, I knew God was there, He’d been waiting for me, He missed me, and He was glad to spend time with me.  And as I started working devotions into my son’s lives, it became easier to return to my own devotions.  Even if they were much shorter!  There have been gaps where I’ve lost track again, but the point is not to give up and just keep coming back to it.  God is waiting to meet with me and my family, and you and your family – no matter how long it’s been since we last met with Him.

I might fail—A LOT – as I try to find the best books, the best times and the right attitude for devotions in my family – for myself and my sons.  The true test for me will be getting back up, brushing myself off, and trying again.  All the while knowing I don’t have to be perfect, I just have to be willing.

God will be there as I read each page of the books with my sons. And if I forget or get sick or life just takes over sometimes, God will still be there when I remember, or get better, or get a handle on life again. My job is to simply keep turning the pages of the books, learn along with my children, and praying every time they ask me a question I don’t think I can answer!

To discover age-appropriate devotional resources for the children in your life visit the Faith at Home page on Anna’s Blog.

Has making time to read God’s Word become a practice in your home?  Share your thoughts, frustrations, ideas, sweet moments, puzzling questions, resources, etc… Post a comment!

Bridging the Gap

June 24, 2009 in Everyday Faith, Justice & Compassion | 8 comments

By Mélanie (from Keeping it Simple, June 24/09)

Today’s post is going to be rather different then you’d normally find on my blog… I’m taking part in the BTG synchroblog along with over 50 other bloggers… check out the BTG blog to see the full list and read posts from many different perspectives on how we can “bridge the gap”.

A few months ago, our small group from church worked through the pilot study called “Bridging the Gap: Conversations on befriending our gay neighbours” (The executive producer being Wendy Gritter who wrote in the June/July issue of our Deeper Newsletter). I must say with all honesty that going in, I was a bit reluctant, not quite sure of what I was getting into… particularly feeling responsible for having brought a co-worker and friend to the group, unsure of how the topic would be broached…

My attitude changed quickly as I looked over the DVD cover and saw the names of some of the speakers involved… Tony Campolo, Bruxy Cavey, Greg Paul… And I liked the approach they were proposing: this study was not about debating whether homosexuality is right or wrong, rather, we would put all that aside to examine how it is that we as Christians, can love like Jesus, regardless of how different our convictions may be from those around us.

I appreciated the fact that different points of view were represented… There were those who believed that despite being gay, God wanted them to remain celibate, while others believed that God blessed gay marriage but not promiscuity… it’s quite the hot topic when faith and sexuality collide… Listening to those sharing their thoughts on the DVD, one could not deny that each person loved God and was dedicated to following Christ, though somehow, they had arrived to different conclusions in their study of the same Bible.

Now this is where many of us Christians might struggle… but as Bruxy challenged us, instead of jumping to conclusions and questioning how people come to hold their convictions, we should give all the benefit of the doubt and get to know them instead of labelling, stereotyping and judging… It’s really about individuals, and should not be about an “issue” which dictates an automatic response to every gay person that crosses our path…

I truly feel that the BTG study should be done by so many more as it challenges those of us who are Christians to truly reach out like Jesus did, beyond our comfortable “Christian bubbles”. And this in no way means that you need to compromise your own convictions, it’s more about examining your responses to others.

The beauty of this study is that it extends well beyond how we interact with the gay people in our lives. It is really about how we can love through deep disagreements, whatever those may be, when it otherwise would be easier to cut people off instead of working through it, accepting that in the end, we may still arrive to different conclusions.

Though I’ve heard these two words get confused, I do believe that there is a clear difference between tolerance and acceptance. Tolerance has no love. It’s cold, indifferent and says: “You stay over there and do your thing, and I’ll stay over here and do mine… just don’t bug me and we’ll be fine…” Whereas acceptance says: “I love you, care about you, and want you to be a part of my life.” Acceptance doesn’t mean that you need to be like-minded – no two people are completely – so there must be room to disagree and still accept, love and respect one another.

Speaking as a Christian, I must admit that the church (collectively) traditionally has not been good at tolerating or accepting people in the gay community (or anyone who might have different thoughts then us or appear rough around the edges for that matter)…

I was just reading my Bible in Acts 10 and was reminded of how the apostle Peter was challenged in a vision with the fact that God shows no favouritism. Peter assumed that the message of Jesus was for the Jews alone, but he learned that God had sent Jesus for ALL. I recently read this version of Acts 10:34-35 which I loved:

“Peter fairly exploded with his good news: “It’s God’s own truth, nothing could be plainer: God plays no favorites! It makes no difference who you are or where you’re from – if you want God and are ready to do as he says, the door is open.” (The Message)

Jesus thankfully doesn’t tell us to come to Him when we are perfectly like Him… He’d be left alone… rather, He invites us all to come as we are… Jesus made time for the marginalized and outcasts of the day: the tax collectors, the prostitutes, the lepers… whatever their issues and struggles, He accepted and loved people even when no one else did. If we are to be the body of Christ, His hands and feet, aren’t we to love like Him in order to represent Him well in the world instead of building up more walls and cutting more people off who many not look, dress or believe exactly like us??

So what does loving like Jesus mean? Perhaps less judging, less jumping to conclusions, less making people feel terrible about themselves… and more loving unconditionally, more investing in the lives of others, meeting them where they are, even when it’s not easy… Once someone has come to the place where they have accepted Jesus as their Saviour, then we can trust God to be at work in their lives, through the Holy Spirit just as He is in ours… He’s in the business of changing hearts and lives… and often times, when we’re so stuck on what others need to change in their lives, God is trying to show us what we need to change in our own…

Tony Campolo reminded us of this as he discussed the pat answer so many of us Christians use… “Love the sinner, hate the sin”… But really Jesus taught that we are to examine our own lives first and not always be so quick to point the finger!! None of us have life all figured out… More transparency is good… Why is it that we Christians are often afraid for people (in and outside the church) to see our imperfections? We are all a work in progress!

To wrap things up, I strongly recommend getting friends together to work through the 4 week BTG study. It’s well worth the time… and you can be sure that you will be stretched by it. The study truly broke the ice for our group, taking us from surface level discussions about faith, to real, honest and deep conversations. It has been tough to transition into a new study as most don’t seem to foster such great discussions that get us thinking and talking about various applications in our lives throughout the week!

Visit New Direction for more information or to purchase the BTG study. Also check out who else is blogging in today’s BTG synchroblog and see what perspective they bring to the discussion!

Lessons from Nicaragua

June 1, 2009 in Faith & Kids, Justice & Compassion | Leave a comment

By Valerie Cressman  (as a follow-up to her article “Can Kids Be Missionaries Too?” in the June/July 2009 issue of Deeper)

After being home from our family mission trip to Nicaragua for quite some time now, I have looked back on our past year and have wondered how we can make these same experiences relevant and attainable for all families despite their stage or circumstances.  Here are a few basic foundations that this trip was based upon. I think all involved strongly believe that whether in Nicaragua or Ontario, the same principles and life lessons can be taught and experienced.

Prayer: consistent and constant

This was our life blood to all the preparations and expectations on everyone!  Listening to our kids get more comfortable praying out loud to Jesus was something I will never forget!  Towards the end of the trip we saw the kids drop everything in a stressful situation and present their requests to God. 

Are we modeling that consistent and constant prayer life that is vital to our day to day life?  Our children often repeat what they are seeing.

Sharpened Weapons:  fresh and applicable

Don’t worry, I am only speaking of the Word of God!  We specifically chose verses that dealt with all of our weaknesses and used them whenever we needed them.  We even came up with a code word to use when one of us needed the extra encouragement before it got ugly.

How is our Scripture Memory?  Do our own swords need sharpening?  Are we sharing our “battle victories” with our families?  

Focused Living: intentional decision making

I think we’d all agree that having a young family means that you are extremely busy!  Marriage, children, and activities demand our time, energy & attention.  Putting together a family mission statement that clearly states your family’s passions, priorities and purpose is a great filter when so much vies for your commitment. 

Realistic Expectations: letting kids be kids! 

While I am a firm believer in the saying “Expect much, receive much, expect little, receive little,”  I feel that having realistic expectations is vital to the overall health and vitality of a child’s life.  They don’t have the years of experience or maturity that we have, or the reasoning skills.  And when planning ministry opportunities like helping out at a soup kitchen or traveling to a foreign country, it is really good to understand that kids will still be kids.  They might spill a tray of food or carelessly flip over in a hammock and crack their head open…(true story).  Plan activities that are geared to your own child’s uniqueness or gifting areas.  Success in these types of things will lead to wanting to do more like it!

Are we looking for ways for our families to serve?  Are we considering our own families’ uniqueness and gifts when we try to plan these service projects?

 

If you are interested in learning more about our trip to Nicaragua, we kept a blog that you are free to check out! www.bluewaterbaptist.ca/nicaragua/Welcome.html

Do you have other questions about this trip or how we went about planning it?  Post a comment and ask away!

Deeper Newsletter – June/July 2009

June 1, 2009 in Deeper Newsletters | Leave a comment

Get your newsletter by clicking below!

Deeper Newsletter – June/July 2009 – Compassion

In this issue:

  • Compassion – by Melanie
  • NEW COLUMN: Christ in Culture: Loving like Jesus? – by Wendy Gritter about learning to love despite deep disagreements
  • You don’t remember me, do you? (from Bolivia) – by Corina who works with street kids in Bolivia
  • Faith & Kids:  Can Kids Be Missionaries Too? - by Valerie about their recent family mission trip to Nicaragua and ideas for us to teach compassion to our children from home.

Also don’t miss the Summer issue of Mom’s Moments:  Mom’s Moments June/July – Summer 2009 and visit www.momsmoments.ca to access a wealth of helpful online resources to help you in the everyday things of life!

Mom’s Moments is now on Facebook! Get to know other Mom’s Moments moms, and get into real honest discussions about the day-in-day-out of being a mom!  Click here to join the new MM Facebook Group.  Not on Facebook?  Here’s a good reason to join!

You are gifted

May 25, 2009 in Everyday Faith | Leave a comment

By Melanie  (check out her blog – Keeping it Simple)

Are you living life to the fullest?  Are you using all of your God given gifts as He intended when He gave them to you?  If you are a follower of Christ, do you know what your spiritual gifts are?  Are you using them to serve God?

We talked about this at church this past Sunday (to find and hear the message dated May 25, 2009, click here).

Ironically enough, I stumbled upon a blog entry today about the same thing over at Today’s Christian Woman called the ”To-Be List”.  To Be: Gifted being the focus of the day.

As was written in that blog post: “It’s easy to know in concept that God created us all with unique gifts and passions and abilities.  But it’s another thing altogether to identify those gifts, to cultivate those gifts, and to seek outlets for using those gifts.”

If reading that resonates with you, then you’ll for sure want to read the entire blog post.  You’ll be given the opportunity to take a spiritual gift inventory as well as more ideas and resources to get you to look at ways you could be living and serving in your giftedness.

Read “To Be: Gifted”.

We were each created with a purpose for our lives.  Are you using the gifts God gave you to the full extent that He has created you for?

Hmmm… gives us all cause to pause in the busyness of our lives.