Girls To Grow

Nurturing moms in their walk with God

How Would You Answer These 7 Questions Jesus Asked?

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Were you one of those students who threw up their hand any time the teacher asked a question? I wasn’t. I usually knew the answer, but I didn’t want the attention that came with having my name called out in class!

Questions make us think. Sometimes we’re confident we know the right answer, and other times, we’re unsure how we should respond.

Today I want to look at seven questions Jesus asked different people during His ministry here on earth. I think they’re questions we can learn from as we consider the answers.

1. “And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” ~Matthew 14:31

Here’s the story of Peter walking on the water to Jesus. He starts out well, but then his attention turns from Jesus to the boisterous winds and stormy waves and he begins to sink.

I love that the verse says “immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand.” He was right there to catch Peter. But then the question comes to Peter, why did you doubt?

Why do we doubt? God’s Word is full of His promises, and we know that He is faithful. Yet we’re human. And when the trials come, all too often we, like Peter, take our eyes off Jesus and doubt whether He can really come through for us this time.

How thankful I am that God is always there to reach out His hand to us. May our faith be strengthened as we learn to trust Him more.

2. “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” ~Mark 8:36

The answer to this question is simple. Nothing. We could have every single material possession we want, oodles of money in the bank, recognition, fame, and power. But the second we die, if we don’t have Jesus as our Savior, every bit of that is worthless to us.

Yet is that how we prioritize our lives? I’m preaching to myself here for sure. Do I put more time each day into preparing my soul for Heaven than I do accumulating things here on earth? Certainly we have duties and responsibilities that we have to carry out as part of life. But I know that I need to evaluate my priorities and line them up with eternity in view.

3. “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” ~Matthew 7:3

Why? Because it’s easier to see what he’s doing wrong than it is to be honest with myself and confront my own faults. Let me begin by dealing with my own issues before I confront someone else with theirs.

How we need discernment to recognize our wrongdoings. It’s yet another reason it’s so important to spend time in the Bible. Scripture can be that mirror that reveals our sin and causes us to repent.

4. “And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.” ~Matthew 9:28

Two blind men have been following Jesus and asking Him to have mercy on them. Here Jesus asks if they have faith that He can heal them from their blindness. Obviously they do, because in the following verse He says, “According to your faith be it unto you” and He heals them.

Do we believe that God can do far above what we ask or think? [Ephesians 3:20] What is the state of our faith? I know that way too often mine is weak. Yet nothing is impossible with our God.

Our older daughter is taking final exams for her freshman year of college this week. For months before she went away last fall, I prayed for good roommates for her. God answered above and beyond what I could have hoped! Four girls with no drama over six months of living together – what a blessing!

5. “And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?” ~Matthew 20:32

Two blind men sitting by the side of the road cry out to Jesus to have mercy on them. Jesus asks, “What do you want?” In the following verse, they answer, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.”

Maybe their need seems very obvious to us. Yet how would we answer that question? What is our most obvious need? Is that where we need Jesus to step in, or is there something deeper, perhaps a spiritual need? The passage ends by saying that Jesus had compassion on them, and healed them. Praise God for His compassion and the power He has to do whatever needs to be accomplished in our lives.

6. “And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?” ~Luke 17:17

This is one of my favorite Bible passages because it reminds me of the importance of gratitude. Jesus has just healed ten lepers, and only one has returned to give thanks. He knows the answer to His question here, as do we. The nine were too excited or too busy celebrating or immediately hurrying home to their families to return and thank their Healer.

Being healed from leprosy is not likely our story. But I feel sure we’ve let answers to prayer and specific blessings in our lives pass by without ever going to God and thanking Him. Let’s make it a continual practice to offer praise and gratitude to God for all He does for us.

7. “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.” ~John 21:15

We end with a simple one. Do we love Jesus? If so, are we living in a way that demonstrates that we do?

I hope we find ourselves challenged to evaluate our own walk with God as we consider how we would answer these questions!

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5 Things Parenting Is Teaching Me About My Relationship with God

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Heard the saying, “Confession is good for the soul”? So tell me, are you someone who, prior to having kids, said, “My child will never __________!”

I was. And yes, predictably, at least one or the other of my children did nearly all of the things I filled in that blank with!

Parenting has taught me a lot. It’s taught me a little about my children and a whole lot about myself. It’s also opened my eyes to some of the ways God deals with us as His children. Here are five things I’m learning about my relationship with God as I parent my own children.

1. Life is easier when you obey.

We have a strong-willed daughter who had an extended “terrible two’s” season of life. I remember thinking, “Why can’t you see that your life would go so much more smoothly if you’d simply obey?” It wasn’t like we were asking her to do extremely hard things. We had fairly simple requirements. But she liked to test the limits.

As Christians, it can take us a long time to learn that our life is better if we’ll simply obey God. Our way may seem to make more sense. Or we might not like what He’s telling us to do. But, as James 4:7 tells us, we’re to submit ourselves to God.

It’s also how we show God that we love Him. John 14:15 says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Isn’t it sweet as a parent when our child does something just to please us? In that same way, our obedience is a way to show our love for and gratitude to God.

2. Growth takes time.

We know this with our children, especially physically. It’s obvious that their bodies are growing as they get older. But it’s also true with our children emotionally. Maturity allows them to handle disappointments and hard situations with more self-control.

In the same way, spiritual growth takes time. If you’re like me, sometimes you may get discouraged and wonder if you really are growing spiritually. Earlier this year, I read the book Spiritual Growth by Arthur W. Pink. He gave detailed insights into ways we can know if we’ve grown spiritually. And while I know I still have many areas to improve, I was encouraged to see that there are some areas in which I’ve experienced growth.

But remember that growth takes time. Every trial we go through, every answered prayer, each temptation overcome, and our time spent in His Word leads to our spiritual growth.

3. Sometimes “no” is the best answer.

When our children ask for something, no is certainly not what they want to hear. Yet sometimes, because we have done more of life and know what’s best for them, the answer to their request is no.

Neither do we want to hear no when we go to God with a request. We’re asking Him for something because we want it. Yet God in His infinite wisdom denies some of our petitions. And that’s another part of our spiritual growth – learning to trust that He knows what is best for us, even when we don’t understand why.

4. Parenting involves sacrifice.

Whether it’s getting up at 2am to feed a newborn or staying up till midnight waiting for your teenager to get home, sacrificing sleep is often a part of parenting. That’s only one example. We choose to make other sacrifices, too. We want to give our children the best of everything, even if that means giving up something we want.

Sacrifices could be financial or they could involve our time. Playing a game, reading books, going for a bike ride, sitting through a piano recital – these are all ways we sacrifice our time so that we can do things with our children.

We have to look no farther than John 3:16 to understand how God sacrificed for us. He gave His only son that we might have our sins forgiven and live with Him eternally. His great love sacrificed what was most precious to Him so that we could be saved.

5. There’s incredible joy in watching our children grow and mature.

We have teenagers. That in and of itself seems to mean that occasionally they’re going to do or say something immature. But there are times when they respond to a situation or make a decision that shows wisdom and discernment. There’s not much else that brings such joy to a mama’s heart!

How pleased God must be when our first reaction to a difficult situation is to turn to Him in faith rather than resort to our own tactics. When another person provokes us, and we respond in love rather than anger, I think that God smiles at how we’ve let the fruit of the Spirit guide us.

I thank God for His grace, His mercy, and His patience as we learn to walk with Him! May we display those same qualities as we parent our own children.

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How Some Geese on a Pond Reminded Me to Trust God in the Middle of a Pandemic

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So I’ve been walking in our neighborhood a lot lately. As in a lot.

One morning last week as I was walking and thinking about all that’s going on in our world – the continued uncertainty and fear related to the coronavirus – I noticed a few geese that were floating out in the middle of one of our neighborhood ponds.

It was a beautiful morning, sunny and a little cool. They were just hanging out together, even social distancing, it appeared. And do you know what those geese were concerned about? Not one. single. thing.

They were just in the moment, enjoying the pond, resting. They weren’t worried about finding supper later or what they would do if their pond dried up one day or focused at all on tomorrow.

Admittedly they don’t have responsibilities like we as humans do. But God made them to just be what they are and do whatever their next thing is. And He provides for them. Psalm 145:15-16 says, “The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.“

Five tips from Matthew 6 to encourage us to keep our trust in God through whatever trial we are facing.

Watching those geese, I was, of course, reminded of the passage in Matthew about God taking care of the birds. Later on, I looked up part of that passage which is in chapter six, verses 25-26.

“Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?”

As I continued to study these and the surrounding verses, I came up with five lessons that I hope will encourage us to trust God no matter what we might be facing.

Have an undivided mind.

Isn’t it interesting how often in this passage we read about “taking thought?”

  • Verse 25 “Take no thought…”
  • Verse 27 “Which of you by taking thought…”
  • Verse 28 “And why take ye thought…”
  • Verse 31 “Therefore take no thought…”
  • Verse 34 “Take therefore no thought…”

As I studied this phrase, it seems that it has to do with the worry or anxiety that comes from having a divided mind. And this makes perfect sense if you look at the verse that leads off this section of Scripture. Verse 25 starts with “therefore.” So what’s the verse before that say?

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.“

There it is. Is our mind divided between either loving and serving God or working for what the world has to offer? It’s more difficult to worry when my mind is centered on God and the promises He’s made in His Word.

Know that you are valuable to God.

“Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” ~Verse 26

You are not forgotten. Who would think birds are particularly worthy of attention? They don’t work, they don’t save up and provide for themselves, but God never fails to take care of them. How much more will He do the same for those He created in His own image?

Remember that God knows what your needs are.

Verse 31-32 says “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?” …for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.“

Maybe food or drink or clothing aren’t your particular worries today…or maybe they are. Whatever your need is – spiritual, physical, emotional, financial – God knows all about it.

Prioritize spending time with God on a daily basis.

Have you memorized verse 33 at some point? “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

We want to put God first in our lives, and probably the best way to do that is to put Him first in our day. Not that our time with Him has to be as soon as we wake up, but we want to make sure that it’s a scheduled, defined part of our day.

There have been a few times lately where I’ve not gotten up as early as I normally would, and have decided to wait until later in the day to read my Bible. Friends, it’s hard for me to stop and take the time to do it later in the day – even in “quarantine mode!”

For me, early morning works best – though I know some night owls who choose to do it at night. Either way, making Bible reading and prayer a daily priority will help us keep Christ first in our lives.

Focus on today, not tomorrow.

“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” ~Verse 34

Those geese certainly weren’t floating around honking to each other about whether or not they’d be able to find something to eat tomorrow. At the present moment, they had what they needed, so life was good.

If ever there was a time to practice this principle, it’s now. We don’t know when coronavirus restrictions are going to end and how different “normal” will look when they do. But we can live today to the best of our ability.

In the months to come, when we look back on this period of time, may we see how God used it to grow our faith and our trust in Him!

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10 Tips for Communicating with Teenagers

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Judging by the title of this post, you could be led to believe that it’s not always easy to communicate with our teenagers. If it were, we wouldn’t need tips on how to do it!

I’m not an expert in this area. I’m definitely still learning what works and what doesn’t, partly because every teenager’s personality and communication style are a little different. Some teens are much more likely to share their thoughts and feelings, while it takes real strategizing to get another one to open up.

After parenting two teen daughters for quite a while now, I’ve found a few things that could be helpful. Choose a few to try the next time there’s a breakdown in communication!

1. Be available.

The other morning, our 19-year-old toasted a bagel for her breakfast and sat down in our kitchen to eat. Even though I’d already cleaned up the kitchen from my breakfast, I found something else to do in there so I’d be close by in case she wanted to talk.

We obviously don’t put our lives on hold waiting for our teen to speak to us, but conversations won’t happen if we’re not around. If we’re available when they get home from school or their job or when we know they’ll be hanging out near the fridge looking for something to eat, they might just want to talk to us.

(Where I totally fail is in the late-night talks. I’ve heard that many teens open up at the very end of their day, but I just don’t have the stamina to make it much past 10pm!)

2. Don’t ask a lot of questions.

This is somewhat dependent on a child’s personality. We have one daughter who doesn’t seem quite as annoyed by our questions as the other one does.

But we don’t want to come across as an interrogator. That’s been me when they come home from an event. “Who was there?” “What did you eat?” “What else did you do?” I’ve found that if I wait until later, much of that information will actually flow out in normal conversation.

3. Don’t jump to conclusions.

This goes a little bit against number two above, because in certain situations you do need to ask questions to get to the bottom of something. But be careful to hear your teen out. Be direct if you want to know what’s going on, rather than dancing around the subject. I’ve been guilty of this twice recently. You’d think I’d know better by now!

4. Give them a heads up if you’re going to have a difficult conversation.

Both of our daughters seem to appreciate it if I start an awkward or confrontational conversation by letting them know, in a calm voice, that there’s an issue we need to address.

I also try to use the sandwich principle – start and end with something positive. “Thank you for cleaning up after breakfast this morning” or “I appreciate how you’re getting your homework done on time” before launching into the discussion.

5. Don’t raise your voice.

I realize this is naturally easier for some people than others. We’ve never been a family who yells, so I’m not tempted to do this very often. As a teacher, I learned that if I made my voice quieter, usually the students did the same.

Stay calm even if your teen raises her voice. Increasing the volume doesn’t increase the chance of a positive outcome.

6. It’s okay to tell your teen how what she said made you feel.

If your teen says something hurtful, let her know about it…when things have calmed down. Usually, when she’s not caught up in the moment, she’ll realize she was out of line. And of course, apologize if you’ve said something unkind.

7. Figure out what their interests are, and learn enough to talk about them.

Our college daughter developed some new interests during her first year of college – like broom hockey. Maybe your teen has a favorite book series, sports team, or is developing a new hobby. Study up on the subject enough that you can carry on an intelligent conversation with them.

8. Actually listen to what they’re saying so that you can keep the conversation going.

Teens can get frustrated when you ask follow up questions that they’ve already covered in the initial conversation. It shows that you weren’t really listening to what they were saying.

9. Allow them to process their thoughts out loud.

We’ve had some interesting conversations around our supper table over the years. Sometimes teens will come out with crazy thoughts or random ideas. As adults, we can tend to shoot them down because we know it won’t work. But let them talk it out before trying to guide them to a reasonable conclusion.

10. Don’t use trite phrases to make them feel better.

Show empathy. Sometimes the best thing is to just sit with them in their pain. Whatever they’re going through may not get better, at least not for a while.

When our daughter found out last month that she was coming home from college for the rest of the semester, I needed to remember this. I needed to say things like, “I know this is hard. It’s not what you wanted.” At least at first, she needed to feel understood, not rushed to feel that everything was okay.

While I didn’t give this tip a number, it’s the most important one of all! Ask God for wisdom to help you know how best to communicate with your teen. The passcode on my phone continues to be a reference to James 1:5, to remind me that His wisdom is available for the asking.

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Our Hope Then and Now Is Found in the Easter Story

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Easter’s going to have a little different feel to it in 2020.

We haven’t shopped for a new Easter dress or spring shoes. Easter baskets will mostly be filled with whatever I can grab during a weekly grocery store run. [Yes, I still do Easter baskets for my teenage daughters 🙂 ] And we won’t be headed out to our normal Easter service at church on Sunday morning.

With all that’s going on in our world, I want to make sure that the celebration and significance of Easter don’t get lost in the shuffle. I want to be mindful this week to focus my mind on Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.

And what better event is there to focus on when what we all need today is a major dose of hope? It’s easy in our current environment, where most days feel very long and very much the same, to be discouraged or fearful.

As I thought about how hope plays into the Easter story, this passage came to mind.

“Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh…That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” ~Ephesians 2:11-13

It’s interesting to note some parallels between our condition without Christ and the current crisis we’re facing.

We were hopeless.

That’s what everyone single one of us was before Christ came to earth, took our punishment for sin by dying on the cross, and then rose from the dead.

There’s no greater story of redemption and hope. After Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, it looked like this narrative of mankind was headed for a really bad ending. We had no hope of bridging the gap between a holy God and our sinful selves.

Right now, our best hope for living this day-to-day reality that’s so foreign to what we’ve known is to look to God. He alone is the source of true hope.

We were incapable of saving ourselves.

There was nothing you or I could do in our sinful state to save ourselves and get to heaven. God had to initiate salvation. Only He could find a way to reconcile us to Himself and allow us to spend eternity in His presence.

We can’t make COVID-19 and its related problems go away. Hopefully, medical solutions will come soon, but even that will only happen as God gives men and women the ability to figure it out.

God had a plan.

In Genesis 3:14-15, God laid out His plan for our salvation. His Son, Jesus Christ, would be the Savior who would provide a way for man to have forgiveness of sin.

And God has a plan today. Not only does He have a plan for each of us individually through this time, but for our churches and our nations. I couldn’t begin to tell you what it might be, but I trust that He is working in every situation.

It was all in His timing.

Why wait so long between the sin of Adam and Eve in the garden and the coming of the Messiah? I don’t know. But His timing is always perfect. Everything related to Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection was done on His timetable.

Why has the coronavirus afflicted our world in the spring of 2020? I certainly don’t know that either. But we know that it’s all in God’s timing.

There was a purpose to everything He did.

You’ve likely heard sermons about all of the Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled in the life of Jesus. God orchestrated both the writing and the fulfillment of those prophecies. Nothing was accidentally included; they all had a purpose.

I’m reminded that “The Lord is righteous in all His ways and holy in all His works.” [Psalm 145:17] Everything the Lord does is right and good. He has a purpose for what is happening each and every day.

Victory was waiting in the wings.

Things looked fairly dark that morning as Jesus was led away to be crucified. I would guess that little hope was felt among his followers as they watched Him being nailed to a cross. Yet just three short days later, how their outlook would change.

I don’t know exactly what victory will look like in our current situation. Right now, just a return to what was our normal lives and routines sounds good! Maybe it will also be the lessons we’re learning as so much has been put on hold.

By the blood of Jesus Christ, we who were far off are now drawn close to Him. Let’s immerse ourselves this week in the hope that Easter brings. Eternal life in heaven with our Lord. Peace, grace, and comfort here on earth. His presence to guide us. May we ever give thanks for what Jesus accomplished on our behalf that first Easter!

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6 Ways to Find Hope When Times Are Tough

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There are a lot of things we can live without. In this current pandemic, perhaps that’s being emphasized more than usual! I know that even now I’m still blessed to have every necessity as well as so many of the things I just want to have.

And while the store shelves may be empty of certain items and we can’t run all over town like we’re used to doing, most of us have what we need to keep going physically. Yet in a world where things are admittedly off-kilter, there’s an essential quality we need as we look to the future.

I can’t imagine living without hope.

As Christians, we have hope for eternity, and that’s absolutely necessary. When we trusted Jesus as our Savior, we secured our home in heaven, where we’ll live with Him forever. But we still need hope for today, and tomorrow, and for any time life is hard.

Have you recently asked the same question that Job did? “And where is now my hope?” [17:15]

I went looking for some Bible verses that mentioned hope to discover how we might find it if we’ve lost ours. Here are six ideas.

1. We find hope as we focus on God’s nearness.

“I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.” ~Psalm 16:8-9

Our focus is so important. Are we focused on the circumstances and our current situation – and yes, it could be dire – or are we focused on God? He is always near, always present.

Doesn’t it sound delightful to “rest in hope?” That’s where we can be as concentrate our attention on the truth that God is always with us.

2. We find hope as we trust in God.

“For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.” ~Psalm 33:21-22

Maybe we’ve talked about the importance of trusting God before??? 🙂 We trust His grace when we don’t understand what’s going on. As our trust grows, He grants us peace.

God’s mercy comes to us as we learn to put our hope in Him.

3. We find hope as we wait on God.

“The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.” ~Lamentations 3:25-26

We want any difficult situation to be over with right this minute. But the Lord has a purpose in allowing it to continue.

I love that it says “quietly wait.” I don’t think my waiting is always quiet. Perhaps it’s more like weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth! But the verse says that it’s good for us to both hope and wait for the Lord’s salvation.

4. We find hope as we encourage ourselves in God.

“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” ~Psalm 42:11

Do you talk to yourself? Here the Psalmist tells himself to find hope in God. He questions his discouraged soul and looks forward with confidence to the future when he knows he will praise God.

5. We find hope as we recall God’s faithfulness.

“For thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth. By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.” ~Psalm 71:5-6

How often has God been faithful over the course of our lives? The short answer is that He has always been faithful. It may be a good exercise to actually write down some of the times you recall God’s faithfulness to meet a need, answer a prayer, or provide deliverance.

6. We find hope in the promises of God’s Word.

“I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.” ~Psalm 130:5

You’re not going to find hope on the news or almost any media outlet! But God’s Word is full of it. That’s where we need to spend our time.

As we gird ourselves with hope for today, here’s a verse we can pray for ourselves and for each other.

“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” ~Romans 15:13

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An Uncertain Future Reveals Our Need for a Trustworthy God

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Fewer things are harder to deal with in life than uncertainty.

When the doctor realizes that something is wrong with you, but can’t pinpoint a diagnosis. Or your company is laying off workers, but you don’t know which ones. And when there’s coronavirus and regular routines are at a standstill and you don’t know how long it will take for life to get back to normal.

I know for myself that it’s easier to get through something – especially if it’s painful or unpleasant – when there’s a specified ending. Most of us can endure hard things if we see the end in sight. It’s the not knowing when it will be over that shrivels our soul and drains us of hope.

It seems like every morning I wake up looking for good news. And while I haven’t been finding it on Fox News or CNN, I can always find it in God’s Word.

These are the times we as Christians can grow as we trust God and look for encouragement in His Word. We just want it all to be over, but we aren’t in control of that.

On the Big Boo podcast recently, I heard Beth Moore talk about accepting that fact. She said, “I’m never going to be more frustrated than when I have no ideas to give God for how to handle the situation that my family’s in…I don’t get anxiety until I’m out of answers to suggest to Him.” Her point is that God is in control. He is responsible for us and doesn’t need us to help Him figure out a solution to our problems. Our job is simply to trust Him.

Over and over in the Bible, we can find reassurance that our God is worthy of our trust. The passage below is a wonderful reminder of how great our God is.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.” ~Psalm 46:1-3

God is here now.

Yes, He’s the God of the Old Testament, the one who was with Moses and David and Elijah. But He’s also present in March 2020. He knows what each one of us is facing. And He’s in control of everything…which reminds me of the children’s song, “He’s got the whole world in His hands.”

God is our refuge.

He shelters us and keeps us safe. He preserves us. There’s no governor or president or world leader who’s going to be able to take care of us like our God can.

God is our strength.

If you’re like our family, there’s some learning taking place at home…at least attempts at it. One daughter is doing high school classes and one college classes. And our house has people in it all the livelong day.

But, if we’ll ask Him, God can be our strength. He’s our power supply and our support system when we want to lose it with our kids. He gives the grace and patience we need as we adapt to constant change.

God is a help.

Mountains that move and troubled waters don’t impede God helping us. Just because our circumstances change, He doesn’t leave. He assists us and supports us, emotionally, physically, spiritually, and in every way possible.

How do we react to knowing these truths about God? We find out later in the chapter.

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.” ~Psalm 46:10-11

That whole “be still” sounds good, but it can be hard to put into practice. If your family is all huddled up at home, it make take some strategizing, but try to find time to be still today. Meditate on Who God is and how faithful He’s been in the past. Then commit to trust Him to see us through these unsettling days.

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Can I Please Send 2020 Back?

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Hear my heart. I know that I am blessed and have innumerable things to be grateful for. I have my health, my family, and a safe place to live. There’s food in the pantry and clean water at my fingertips. Because Jesus is my Savior, I have heaven as my eternal home. Hopefully, you can say the same.

But I think it’s also okay to acknowledge that some seasons are harder than others and that disappointments hurt. Isn’t that why we love the Psalms so much? David is real, raw, and honest about what he’s feeling.

Look at these examples.

“I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.” ~Psalm 6:6

“Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted.” ~Psalm 25:16

“My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O Lord, how long?” ~Psalm 6:3

“Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.” ~Psalm 143:4

God remembers that we are dust. [Psalm 103:14] He made us, and He knows when we’re hurting, confused, afraid, or disappointed.

So with all that behind us, here’s my question.

Lord, can I please send 2020 back??!!

It's less than three months old, but 2020 has already been a trying year.

I realize that it’s not even three months old yet, but some hard things have happened already this year. My dad passed away in January. All of my younger daughter’s fine arts events for this spring are canceled. Today we’re heading to Florida to pick up our older daughter from college, her spring semester now moving to online classes. (She is not thrilled about this development.) Our summer vacation may be in jeopardy.

I know those last few are first-world problems, and those disappointments are small compared to what so many around me are facing. I know sickness and death and quarantine from this virus are real.

But it’s okay to acknowledge that some of these things are difficult for us and to tell God that. He knows how we feel about them anyway.

And after we’ve done that, it’s helpful to remind ourselves that He is in control. I’m glad that He is, and that I’m not. Somewhere in all of this madness, there’s a plan and a purpose. And I know it’s for our good because He is good.

Maybe it’s so we’ll more appreciate our regular routine when it returns. Perhaps we’ll not take our health or our ability to be out and about for granted. Or we’ll be excited about watching sports together again (we will miss you, March Madness!!) And hey, my husband and I get to spend about twenty hours in the car together over two days doing this college trip!

As with all trials, there will be lessons we learn from this experience that wouldn’t have been gained any other way. To trust God – that’s a constant theme for me because I default to self-reliance so easily. We all get to grow our patience as life looks a little different than usual for the next few weeks.

I do know that there’s hope for the future. I have faith in a God who cares and who tells us to cast every one of our cares on Him. [1 Peter 5:7]

One of my very favorite hymns is Day by Day by Lina Sandell. The students at our daughter’s college sang it together at the end of the meeting where the administration announced that they’d be sending students home. No matter what each day brings, it’s message is relevant.

Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He, whose heart is kind beyond all measure,
Gives unto each day what He deems best,
Lovingly its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.

So while 2020 is off to an unexpected, unplanned start for many of us, may we all trust God to provide what only He can in every circumstance we face. Grace, peace, comfort, and joy are all at our disposal as we look to God for strength and encouragement.

8 Truths to Teach Our Teenagers from Proverbs 13

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I get it. As the mom of two teenagers, I know that most teens aren’t sitting around waiting for their mom or dad to drop nuggets of wisdom on them. If yours are, more power to you! But that wouldn’t describe mine.

However, life gives us many opportunities to dole out little bits of advice to our kids. It could be when a teachable situation presents itself in their own life or when they talk to you about choices a friend is making.

For optimum benefit, I wouldn’t suggest sitting down and working through this list all at once! But maybe take one or two of these truths and gently work them into your conversation over time – in the car, over pizza, or during a late-night talking session.

1. Be teachable.

“A wise son heareth his father’s instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.” ~Verse 1

In a healthy relationship, parents really do want the best for their children. Often their instruction and correction come from a place of wanting their teen to avoid some of the mistakes they made. Teenagers can tend to think they know it all, but hopefully, we can help them see the value in listening to our guidance.

I thank God for other caring adults, like teachers, coaches, and youth leaders, that He’s placed in our daughters’ lives. Our teens can thrive when they’re willing to accept insights from others. If they fail to listen to people who love them, they could have a rough road ahead.

2. Think before you speak.

“He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.” ~Verse 3

This is old but valuable advice. Wouldn’t we all be better off if we followed it? How many problems could we avoid if we’d either think before we speak or just keep quiet? The answer for me is a whole bunch!

Don’t say everything that pops into your mind. Controlling your tongue will keep you out of many difficult situations as you progress in life.

3. Work hard at whatever you do.

“The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.” ~Verse 4

Whether it’s in the classroom, on the field, or in the band room, do your best and commit to the process. Habitual laziness will get you nothing and nowhere in life.

4. A little humility on your part will resolve almost any conflict.

“Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well-advised is wisdom.” ~Verse 10

You don’t have to win every argument or prove your point all the time. Be willing to humble yourself and work with others to find solutions to problems.

5. Avoid all get-rich-quick schemes.

“Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labor shall increase.” ~Verse 11

You know how the saying goes…If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Earn money the old fashioned way – with hard work – and you’re a lot more likely to hang on to it.

6. Don’t let disappointments defeat you.

“Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.” ~Verse 12

Disappointments are a part of life. We all face them, and future success is built on how we deal with them. Hopefully, we as parents have helped our children learn how to handle their disappointments. There’s nothing wrong with mourning a loss, but don’t stay there for too long. Pick yourself up and move on.

Robert Kiyosaki says, “The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream; and how you handle disappointment along the way.“

7. Live your life according to the principles in God’s Word.

“Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.” ~Verse 13

How wonderful it would be if you developed the spiritual disciplines of Bible reading and prayer as a teenager. God blesses us when we know and obey what His Word tells us to do.

Disregarding God’s commands will only bring harm to our teenagers, whether immediately in or in their future. May we as parents set a good example for them by recognizing its authority in our own lives.

8. In every stage of life, find good friends.

“He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” ~Verse 20

We can all be easily influenced by our friends. One of my prayers for our girls is that they would have discernment in their relationships, whether it be with other girls or with guys. Our teenagers don’t have the life experience they might need to see through to a person’s character.

Yet good friends can be such a gift! We can encourage each other when we’re down, celebrate each other’s successes, and just make the journey through life so much more fulfilling.

As with most things I write about helping teenagers, I find that all of these are areas I can improve in as an “older” adult as well!

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The Lesson of the Magnifying Glass: How We Can Glorify God

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On Wednesday nights at our church, I work with a group of young children. They range in age from four to eight-years-old. As most of us know, using an object lesson is one of the most effective ways to teach a lesson. The curriculum we use had a wonderful one last week.

I took a blank piece of paper and wrote the words “God is eternal” as tiny as I could in the middle of the paper. I pinned it up on a bulletin board in the front of the classroom. Needless to say, the children had a hard time reading what it said from where they sat.

However, I brought a magnifying glass with me and had several of them come up to the front and use that to read the sentence. Once they had the glass, it was easy for them to see what the words said.

So what was the point? It was to demonstrate what it means to glorify God. We take a truth about God and through the way we speak and how we live, we magnify, or make “bigger,” that truth about God so that others can see it.

Then I gave them an illustration. Suppose they were playing ball outside with kids from their neighborhood and a few of them went running after a loose ball. Maybe one of the kids pushed you out of the way in trying to get to the ball first. If you wanted to glorify God, what type of response should you have? Run over and push them back? Yell at them? One little boy said that you should walk over and politely say, “Please don’t do that again.” 🙂 I thought that was a good response.

When our reaction to situations we face is the same as an unbeliever’s, we’re doing nothing to glorify God. But we get to decide if our lives are going to show others – even fellow believers – how great He is. As we learn about God and His character through His Word, we can ask for the Holy Spirit’s help to exalt Him.

What are some specific ways in which we can glorify God? Here are some ideas I found.

By praising Him when times are hard

We proclaim His goodness when we’re going through a trial.

“Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: and call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” ~Psalm 50:14-15

Deliverance may not always take the form we think it should, but God is always faithful to deliver us. Even in the midst of our difficulty, we can praise Him.

By giving Him the credit when times are good

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” ~James 1:17

Sometimes I think this is harder than praising God when times are tough! We’re just cruising along, enjoying our blessings, and don’t make proclaiming our thankfulness to God a priority.

By sharing answered prayer

It can be a great encouragement to let people know when God has answered a prayer in our life. It reminds us of the blessing ourselves and can edify others as they continue praying for something they’re burdened about.

By having a consistent lifestyle

“Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.” ~1 Peter 2:12

In other words, don’t be a hypocrite. People are often watching to see if you practice what you preach – and that can include our children. Our goal is not for them to think highly of us, but of the God we serve.

Here’s another familiar verse about how the way we live our lives can bring glory to God.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” ~Matthew 5:16

By bearing fruit

“Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” ~John 15:8

We bear fruit as we abide in Christ. This means staying connected to Him and depending on Him to meet our needs.

By being like-minded as believers

“Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” ~Romans 15:5-6

We need to be aligned doctrinally, but often we get worked up over things that don’t make a difference. As Christians, we must live according to the Bible, but outside of that, we should seek to dwell in unity.

As we look back over this list, may we be able to say with David, “I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name forevermore.” ~Psalm 86:12

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