In the midst of Ezekiel’s writings concerning God’s judgement of the Israelites, I found a touching promise:  “Thus saith the Lord God; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.” [Ezekiel 11:16]

A holy God had to punish a people who refused to follow His law; yet He did not forsake them.  Though they were far from their homeland and perhaps separated from their families, God would still be to them a refuge, a place of shelter and protection.

So it is with us who are His children.  Despite the problems that may surround us, the trials that threaten to bring us down, God is always there, a haven of rest, a safe place where His sacred presence can comfort our spirits and encourage our hearts.

Just as God provides a sanctuary for me, so I want our home to be a sanctuary for my family.  I desire that its serenity and cheer fill their hearts as they come and go from these walls, strengthening them as they face each day’s challenges.   By demonstrating gentleness, using words of encouragement, playing uplifting music, keeping our space orderly, and showing love in a variety of ways, I can make our home a place of refreshment.

During the coming days, may I seek a sanctuary with the Heavenly Father while providing an earthly “sanctuary” for those I love.

This is the first in a series of open letters to some who have touched my life.

Dear Lord,

The greatest gift I’ve ever been given is the salvation your Son provided through His death on the cross and His resurrection.  It is by your grace that I was born into a Christian family and shown the way to heaven at an early age.  Having lived most of my life with the joy and peace that only You can give is a blessing that I may never fully comprehend.

I have failed you in so many ways, yet You remain faithful.  Looking back at how You’ve guided each step gives me faith to trust You with my future.  Through those dark days when I longed for children, when my dreams weren’t being realized in my time frame, You had a plan.  The family You have blessed me with now is more than I could have ever hoped for.  The lessons You taught us through the precious babe You took to heaven have ingrained into our souls Your goodness and grace.

You know the sins I battle – my pride, my selfishness, my apathy – yet You love me because I am Your child.  You have given me a husband who loves me through my faults as well.  How undeserving I am.

Thank You for the home You’ve promised me in heaven, where, as our daughter recently said, “We’ll never have to miss Grandmama and Grandaddy again.”  There I will finally see You face to face.  Eternity will not be long enough to worship and praise You for Your mercy, Your longsuffering, Your love, Your holiness.

I love You, Heavenly Father.

Frustration.

Bad dreams.

Nightmares.

I’m awakened from a sound sleep by a girl standing by my bed, frightened by their lingering effect.

One of our daughters has been visiting the land of scary dreams for the last week or two. While I appreciate still being needed for comfort and security, these fears have been causing both she and I to lose sleep. I try a solution that has been successful in the past.

Never underestimate the power of God’s Word. Some time ago, I worked with my other daughter as she spent many nights unable to fall asleep. We used a strategy of reciting certain Bible verses about sleep at bedtime and that has made a huge difference.

For the current situation, Psalm 56:3 seemed to fit perfectly. “What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.” After saying this together just before I tucked her in for the night, we sang the following chorus from a song by Ron Hamilton:

“How can I fear? Jesus is near.
He ever watches over me.
Worries all cease; He gives me peace.
How can I fear with Jesus?”

Two of the last three nights have been nightmare-free. Another benefit? My husband was out-of-town for several nights this week, and the Scripture verse and song were just as much a comfort to me as they were to her!

What ideas have you found useful in helping your children overcome scary dreams or other situations which frightened them?

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

Love. It’s all about laying something down. Your self, your desires, your plans, willingly set aside that someone else might benefit.

In the greatest love story known to man, that’s exactly what happened. Jesus Christ gave Himself to be the sacrifice for our sins in order that we, by faith in Him, might gain heaven.

We, then, as Christians, in seeking to show our love for Him and our fellow man, can follow His example of great love. It is doubtful that we will actually be asked to lay down our life, but we could be asked to advance someone else instead of ourselves, devote our time to taking care of a sick loved one or undertake a task that we would rather not do.

So on this day recognized for its celebrations of love, what will I – what will you – lay down in order to show love?

photo courtesy public domain pictures

A little girl told two of her friends of a young neighbor’s need for Christ.

One of the friends handmade a tract, using a plan of salvation she’d heard at school.

Together, the three of them talked to the neighbor, explaining her need for Christ, the salvation He provided, and how heaven could be her eternal home.

She prayed, accepting Jesus into her heart. When the exciting news was eagerly told to the first little girl’s mother, she talked with the young neighbor as well, saw that she understood, rejoiced with the angels.

More happy moments came as the story was given to the neighbor’s father, the grandparents, other neighbors.

Conversations were begun, opportunities to share faith were created, a nine-year-old life was forever changed….

….all because a little girl cared about her neighbor and wanted her to know Jesus.

Will we care today?

Thank you, Lord, that it didn’t rain. It was warm and humid, but not miserable.

Thank you for a husband who knows about outdoorsy things – like rowing a boat. If it was up to me, we’d still be paddling around in circles.

Thank you that I was the one who unknowingly stepped in a mound of fire ants – and that it wasn’t the girls. Our outing would still have been memorable, but for an unpleasant reason.

Thank you for the beauty of your creation – the swamp filled with cypress trees, the brightly-colored butterflies, the squawking parrot who entertained us all with his antics.

Thank you for our children; it’s because we desire interesting experiences for them that we make the effort to plan family activities.

And because they remembered to say “thank you” for the outing, I wanted to make sure I did the same.

Find others giving thanks at Gratituesday hosted by Heavenly Homemakers.

As I navigated the zoo that is Walmart on a Saturday afternoon, I crossed paths with a woman wearing a shirt that said, “I’m not a nag; I’m a motivational speaker.” I had to chuckle as I passed, thinking how nice it would be if nagging could truly be interpreted that way.

However funny the saying may be, it certainly points out a truth that I need to evaluate in my own life. Am I guilty of nagging my husband and my children?

According to the dictionary, nag means, “to annoy by constant scolding, complaining, or urging; to scold, complain, or find fault constantly.”

The words that I use with my husband should be those of encouragement and support, not complaining or fault-finding. As for my children, I can correct them with a loving attitude and without repeatedly harping on their offenses.