Home Again! Not MIA

Despite the fact that I haven't posted here in awhile, I am not missing in action. I actually had the opportunity to see my daughter graduate and have a week at the beach. Read on for the highlights.

After twelve years of homeschooling, my daughter graduated this year. Since she didn't have the opportunity to be involved in the things other public school kids get to do like homecoming dances and proms, we had always planned to let her graduate with her peers. So, we traveled to Pensacola, Florida where she walked across the stage to receive her diploma from A Beka Academy.

Here we are - proud Mama and Daddy standing with our graduate. She is also wearing a medal for straight A's.

She made some new friends.

Sunday morning we were awakened by the fire alarm. What a way to say Happy Mother's Day!

We all stood out in our pajamas until the firemen came to OK us back inside. We did meet some new friends while standing in the parking lot waiting. Proof that you can run into other brothers and sisters in Christ and feel just like family.

Here is Daddy and daughter goofing off on the balcony of our condo. Look at that ocean!

Here I am posing with my honey.

A fantastic trip despite the fire alarm and the Hammerhead shark that swam right next to the shore for awhile. The water was a bit cool for me anyway - good excuse to not take a swim with the big fish.

Sitting in my beach chair I read several books which I will be sharing with you soon.

A break at the beach is always relaxing, but it is good to be home.

National Teachers Day

May 7th is National Teachers Day.

Do you know of a teacher who could use some encouragement on this day? By all means, don't let the day pass without taking the time and effort to do this. If you have kids still in school, please take advantage of this day and tell their teachers how much you appreciate them.

Let me tell you a few reasons you should thank a teacher.

That teacher went through at least four years of college and probably has the student debt to prove it.

That teacher spends many more hours aside from the school day, to plan for what happens in the classroom. Many teachers sacrifice time with their own families to prepare for their work days.

That teacher has the pressure of administering tests each year that can often mean reprimands. Everyone should be accountable in their job, but to expect a teacher to work miracles with trouble students and those with learning problems is asking a little too much.

That teacher has to deal with behavioral problems that weren't a problem when some of us attended school years ago - a trip to the principal and a wooden paddle took care of a lot of that.

That teacher has to deal with the fact that when it comes to educating the children in her/his class, there will be very little help or support from home.

That teacher faces the blame for illiterate children even though she/he is forced to pass a child on to the next grade when she/he knows the child shouldn't move on.

Thus, I say: Thank you, teachers, for your sacrifice and efforts to educate our children. I know despite the negatives of the job, many of you feel called into this profession. I appreciate your dedication and pray God will reward your efforts and bless you greatly.

New Book - The Issue of Abortion

Welcome once again to my author/friend, Eileen Rife. Read on to discover her new book, Laughing with Lily, and some of the issues addressed in this book.

1.      What inspired you to write Laughing with Lily?

Two things: I wanted to take a trip down memory lane, returning to a time when my husband and I were newly-married, thirty-seven years ago. I also wanted to highlight abortion, showing the struggle that many mothers have in the wake of aborting their babies.

2.      Are any particulars of the story based on your own experiences?

Yes. The adorable white-frame dollhouse is modeled after Chuck’s and my first house when we lived in Warsaw, Indiana. I drove by the house every day on my way to the Cardinal Center where I worked as (you guessed it) an aide with mentally-challenged teens. When the FOR SALE sign went up in the yard, I begged Chuck to take me for a tour of the home.

As an aside, as far as I know, there is no Schreiber, IN. As with most of my novels, Laughing with Lily is a combination of both fictional and real places.

3.      Your stories typically revolve around an issue that is red-hot on your heart. Why did you choose abortion to profile in Laughing with Lily?

Psalm 139 details how a loving God carefully and meticulously fashions each one of us in the womb, thinks about us day and night, covers us with His hand, and numbers all our days. We are made in His image. So, both pre-born babies and their mothers are precious to God. To destroy a life He has created is to tamper with His image. And that breaks His heart. I want to be a person who shares the heart of God.

In addition, I want women who have undergone abortion to know that God loves them, just as deeply and completely as He loves their babies. Through Christ, He wants to draw them close, forgive and heal them.

4.      Does the story hold any particular meaning for you personally?

Yes. In 1981, my husband and I lost our second baby at four months gestation—a perfectly-formed baby boy spanning the length of the obstetrician’s hand. He called it a “spontaneous abortion.” We called him David Nathaniel.

I had no choice in the abortion. My body simply and horribly rejected my child. I not only grieved over my loss, but for all the babies who had been aborted by choice. And for all the mothers who had been duped into thinking that their babies were merely globs of tissue, easily discarded.

In 1985, the unthinkable happened. I lost another baby, a little girl—Allison Marie—again at four months gestation. My doctor determined that my uterus, which is supposed to be shaped like a pear, is actually shaped like a heart. David and Allison attached to the crook in the heart (a weak place) and at a certain size automatically detached, inducing labor and subsequent delivery. 

5.      What do you hope will stay with readers long after they’ve read the book?

I want readers to know that God delights in making something beautiful out of the ugly circumstances of our lives. Whether it’s an abortion attempt like Celeste encountered or a serious, debilitating accident as in Joe’s case, God can use human tragedy to draw us close and move us into relationship with Him. I also want readers to know that often in the “letting go,” we can discover God’s love in deeper ways.  

6.      Who do you hope to touch through Laughing with Lily?

 First of all, I want to touch readers who have in some way been affected by abortion. I want them to know that no matter the guilt or grief they carry, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Wounded Healer, stands ready to cover them with His healing and forgiveness (Isaiah 53). Secondly, I want readers who have not experienced abortion to show both truth and grace toward those who have.

 7.      How can readers reach out to a woman with an unplanned pregnancy?

 Supporting and/or volunteering at your local crisis pregnancy center are two ways a concerned person can get involved. In fact, a portion of proceeds from Laughing with Lily goes to support my hometown agency, Blue Ridge Women’s Center. Their website www.blueridgewoman.org details who they are and what they do to help women.

A long-buried secret.

An unexpected encounter.

A quest for answers.

Celeste Tatem, a special-education teacher at The Brighton Center in Schreiber, Indiana, couldn’t be more in love with her husband, Joe. But the memory of one day in the past haunts her, threatening their relationship. When Joe dies in a factory explosion, she sinks into depression.

It will take the arrival of a new student, Lily, and her delightful honesty, laughter, and joy at life’s little things to awaken Celeste to hope. When Don, an old flame from college, reenters Celeste’s world, the flickers of love stir once again, and startling questions arise. Questions that threaten to rip the veneer off of her carefully guarded secret. Then the most unexpected thing of all happens….

A story of love and forgiveness

in the most unexpected places.

Thank you, Eileen, for sharing with us about this new book. Sounds like a definite don't miss. 
Some of my readers know that I am the devotion leader at our Baptist association's Pregnancy Crisis Center. We've seen many babies saved from being aborted, and many young women saved from their sins and find salvation through Christ because of the mission of this center.

Do Suffering and Blessing Go Together?

Check out my guest post on Ada's blog. I discuss how suffering and blessing really can go together, and how that relates to my soon coming book, BE THE BLESSING. I also mention how my mother taught me through example about suffering and yet blessing others. Click on the link below to check it out.

http://www.inkfromanearthenvessel.blogspot.com/

Tragedy and Evil

In light of the tragedy of the Boston bombings, Christians should reflect on what God has told us in His Word.

Second Timothy 3:1 states: "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days." Also in that passage it states that people will be lovers of themselves, brutal, and not lovers of good.

Obviously, we have seen this played out on our televisions. Men who acted brutally, and who acted out of evil.

First Peter 5:8-9 says: "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."

God has warned us in His Word to be on the watch because our enemy is just looking for someone to use. As the scripture from First Peter says, we must resist the devil and stand firm in our faith. The enemy may seem strong when he shows his evil in acts like that in Boston.

But, remember First John 4:4b: "the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world."

Our God is stronger! Our enemy is defeated - he knows his days are numbered so he must try to hurt the heart of God while he can. But, one day, my brothers and sisters in Christ, God will say - "No more!" Until that day, we stand firm in our faith and shout the name of Jesus in the devil's face. Then, we show Christ's love to those who suffer from the evil one's fallout.

Lord, comfort those who are hurting as only You can.

Do Your Best

What kind of work ethic do you have? Do you always put forth your best effort? When you do work hard, do you get positive feedback?

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism." Colossians 3:23-25 NIV

Another version called The Message puts it this way:
"Servants, do what you're told by your earthly masters. And don't just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you'll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you're serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being Christian doesn't cover up bad work."

My parents instilled a good work ethic by their example. Both of them were always loyal workers at whatever job they had and went over and above what was expected of them. Even though my mother is retired now, she still approaches her volunteer work the same way. My father still maintains company airplanes and co-pilots on trips. He continues to go over and above the call of duty to insure the planes are in top condition.

Though my parents have been ideal employees, they haven't always had openly appreciative bosses.

When you work hard and don't feel appreciated, it can be hard to continue. Often, you might want to cut back and just do what is expected or less.

We all experience times like this in our jobs or even in other tasks we might undertake within our churches or other organizations. But, how do we keep our good work ethic when we're not appreciated? How do we stay motivated to do our best?

Reread the scripture passages above and be encouraged to take a different perspective. As you work at anything whether a project with your church or community or in your vocational job, focus on working for the Lord. No matter what you do, you are serving God.

As I've tried to take on this perspective of my work, I feel an even greater responsibility to do my best. And, God's retirement plan is out of this world!

Eight Track Tape Day

April 11th is Eight Track Tape Day.

Some of you are giggling with memories of these bulky tapes and others of you are scratching your head wondering what in the world an eight-track tape is.

My parents had a car with an eight-track player in it. We thought we were somebodies listening to our Southern Gospel favorites while riding along. Then, when we were at home, Dad would put a stack of LP's on the record player and more Southern Gospel would ring throughout our house.

It's amazing how eight-track players and record players are now completely obsolete. They have been replaced by cassette tapes, then CD's, then MP3 players, and IPods, and now we listen to music on our cell phones.

Can I tell you something though? No matter how you listen to it, Christian singers are still belting out the same gospel. Because, even though technology seems to change by the moment, God never does.

Changes in technology have been said to be an improvement over the product before it. God's plan was perfect to start with - no improvement needed.

Still yet, the wages of sin is death.
Still yet, Jesus paid the sin-debt on the cross.
Still yet, we must make Jesus Savior and Lord of our lives.
Still yet, the saved will live forever in heaven.