2013: The Year God Became Personal

“And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Is. 9:6)

2013 will be a year I will never forget. It has been the hardest year of my life. It has brought the most pain. And in the midst of that pain, God has drawn near to me as never before.

I call Him, Wonderful.

I call Him,  Counselor. When my world fell apart and I was so depressed I didn't want to get out of bed – He listened to me and His voice and Word spoke wisdom to me. I had the opportunity to spend a whole day with Him – fasting and basking in His presence. I had ample time to cry and mourn the death of my son-in-law and mother-in-law, and the loss of dreams for my daughter and the presence of my grandson. I cried out in the wilderness and God heard my cries.  I could almost feel the warmth of His arms around me as I sobbed. He directed me to passages of scripture which helped me face a new day. And He put a song in my heart and gave me back the joy of my salvation.

Herman van Swanevelt - Saint Jerome in the Wilderness

I call Him, Mighty God. He is Sovereign. What other’s planned as harm for our family – God turned to His glory. I have prayed for my husband’s for 25+ years. In April, He made the decision to be “All in for God!” Satan has thrown everything at him and tried to destroy his passion for serving Him. Everything others might view as trials, God has used to draw Nelson closer to Himself. Despite everything, I see him growing spiritually every day. God, in His sovereignty has used the trials of our life to answer my prayers and to grow Nelson into a Mighty Warrior for Himself. He also answered another 25 year old prayer and gave me assurance of my mother-in-law’s salvation before she went to be with him.

William Blake - The Vision of God 

I call Him, Everlasting Father. A father I call “Abba” “Daddy.” He has not been a Santa Clause in the air who sees me when I’m good and bad, or who I just sit on his lap and ask for his “gifts” for my life.  He has been the Daddy who sees my needs before I could even ask, and has done “immeasurably more than all I ask or imagine.” (Eph.3:20). He put a song in my heart and gave me back the joy of my salvation when I was depressed and despondent. He gave me a new relationship as well as a new admiration for the man I love. He gave me a beautiful new grand-daughter. He has given me family and friends who have stood by my side instead of turning away when they saw the ugly truth about me. He confronted me with my own sins, and He and I both wept over them. Then he took them away as far as the east is from the west, and he looks at me a sees me as righteous.

Circle of Pierre Mignard I - God the Father

I call Him, Prince of Peace. When my heart was heavy with grief, I was haunted my memories. Memories of my last day with my mother-in-law. Sitting by her bedside as she faced death. The happy memories of 30 years faded into the background as I obsessed with this picture in my head. The picture popped into my mind each time I would shut my eyes to sleep, and sleep became only a dream. Then, at the end of my “day with God” I was singing and worshiping Him and I saw a vision (my first one ever). I was sitting at Mami’s bedside. Then I saw an angel descend, pick Mami up, and ascend with her into heaven. It was beautiful, and the Peace of God washed over me. I slept for the first time in 6 months that night. And although tears still flood my eyes as I think of Kenny and Mami, because I will forever miss them – I have peace that passes all understanding. Peace to live on another day and peace that I will see them again in eternity.

God is not just THE Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace – He is My Wonderful, My Counselor, My Mighty God, My Everlasting Father, My Prince of Peace. God became personal to me this year, in a way He never has before.

Great and Mighty Things for God

Mary – was just a girl, most likely a young teen, in fact.  She had no spectacular super powers. She was just an ordinary every day person who God choose to bring His son to earth.  

Madonna and Child by Raphael

Throughout the Bible we see that God used ordinary, everyday people to do extraordinary things for Him.

Gideon was just a farmer and David was just a shepherd. Peter was just a fisherman and Paul just a tent maker.

Shepherd with Staff and Flute - Rembrandt

I’m just a wife and mom.

Now you probably think I’m going to blog about how you can do extra-ordinary things for God. You can. I’ve never had a hard time believing this. This lesson has always been an easy one for me. I’ve never “saint - ified” Bible people or looked at them like super heroes. I’ve not only believed that God can use Elijah to call fire from the sky – but I believe that he can use me to do the same.

Most the time when teachers teach this lesson, they apply it to our lives by saying, “You just have to be willing. Be ready to say yes to God, no matter what He calls you to do.”

Yes, Lord, I’m willing.

Yes, Lord, I’m willing.

Yes, Lord, I’m willing.

YES, LORD, I’M WILLING.

Why isn’t He using me to do great and mighty things for Him? I trust in Him. I know He can use me to do mighty things. To affect millions. I am ready and willing. Use me.

I’ve been kind of discontent lately with what I am doing for God. I just don’t think I’m serving where I’m supposed to be serving. I think God wants me to do something bigger, and better – I just don’t know what.

I’m preparing my heart for the next phase of my life. I am in the Word. I am daily communicating with God. 

But I still wait.

I expect to be hearing from God at any moment that He wants me to do something big and mighty for Him. I could move mountains with my faith, but someone in Texas has already done that. Thoughts pop into my head as I shower; I think God wants me to be the next Beth Moore. She really has nothing up on me, you know – I can do everything she does. Don’t take this the wrong way - if you’re a Beth Moore hero worshiper – I’m just meaning I write Bible Studies, I teach, I speak. I love the Lord – just like she does. She just wears bigger jewelry than me. I pray, “Is this you want me to do, Lord? Is this what you’re preparing me for?”

Still waiting.

I’ve ALWAYS believed God would use me to do great things for Him. But I’m not. He hasn’t asked me to. Or has He?

This was a might revolution for me: Maybe he hasn’t asked me to be a Billy Graham, but a Mr. Williams, a man who taught 6^th Grade Sunday School for 25 years and affected hundreds of students over the years.

Maybe the “great and mighty” thing God wants me to do is not to save and entire nation, like Esther, or save the poor in Calcutta, like Mother Theresa.

Queen Esther by Edwin Longsden Long

Maybe the “great and mighty” thing God wants me to do is to live my life out daily for Him.

For me, to love the Lord with my heart, mind, soul and strength, and love others as myself, means:

I hold a screaming toddler in my arms at 3:00 am.

I have teens and young men and woman coming in and out
of my house at all hours of the day and night

I spend hours with my son comparing the world’s philosophy with God’s theology – so that He can face the world with a Biblical worldview.

I invite a homeless family to live with us.

I have lunch with a friend

I loan my car to someone who needs it more than I do.

I teach my students how to think.

I scrub permanent marker off of my walls.

I drive my son all over Fort Worth to develop the gifts and talents God has given him.

I stay married - for better and worse

I’m not trying to toot my own horn by saying these are “great and mighty” things for God. It is truly a revolutionary idea for me, and I’m excited about it. These ARE the “great and mighty” things God has asked me to do, and I said “yes.”

Wikibible

Debate 101: Lesson 2 Lesson Plans

Goal: Research

I.                   What to research? ORIGINAL SOURCES

With help, my 7^th Graders read the US Constitution.
My 8^th Graders -Supreme Court cases and judgments.
With just a question or two, my 9^th Graders -Congressional Committees Reports
My 10^th – 12^th graders - United Nations Human Rights reports – which they explain to me 

My 12 – 18 year olds WATCH presidential speeches live and take notes. Believe me; I’ll know if they listened to the “summery” by FOX or CNN the morning after. FOX and CNN might give sound bites of the actual speech, but those bites taste very different. In fact, if you listen to two different news stations, you might think they are speaking about two different speeches. How is a 15 year old to know which report is “the truth” if they didn't listen to the actual speech?

Let’s not forget that debate is a competition. The surest way to get creamed in a round is to bring up Wikipedia or BBC news as a source. The judge can’t believe a student who says he knows the “truth” yet his “truth” come from an unreliable or bias source.

My debate students are smart. My church students are smart, too. The only difference is one is taught to go to the ORIGINAL SOURCE and the other is spoon fed second hand material that may or may not be true.

In 25 years of teaching youth, you can imagine the vast array of lessons I have taught. Because I've served at Biblical Churches under Biblical Pastors, most of the material has been Biblical – but the students may never know that. With the exception of the couple of years I taught Teen Precepts, Biblical youth lessons are broken down and spit out in topical sound bites for the students to chew on – too bad most don’t have much meat.

Students are rarely, if ever, taught how to read and study the Bible as it was written.

Life - PG18

Movies. Video Games. Television.  Music. Why not Life?

Hollywood is forced to admit that bad language, adult content, violence, and drug abuse is not appropriate “mind food” for teens. Music warns parents that lyrics may not be appropriate for growing brains. Parents are strongly cautioned against allowing their minor children to watch TV shows. And Video game designers warn that games are “too mature” for children under 17.

Life – PG18. Daily doses of “bad” language, sexual content, bullying, ungodly and/or unbiblical ideology require parental guidance until at least the age of 18.

Somehow, we have created an American Myth which says that small children need their parents and teens need their peers. I would like to interject a PG13 phrase here. TEENS NEED PARENTS.

---

What Youth Ministry Can Learn from Debate (Into)

Yes - I love them!

I love teens. 

Other than being a mom, my passion in life is working with Christian teenagers. I have taught youth at church for 25 years and coached or taught Christian homeschool teens speech and debate for 15 years. 

Some of my greatest blessing in life have come from working with teenagers and being a part of their growing process. As my students move out of my hands and into the world, I see bright young people who love the Lord and are excited to conquer the world. Many ARE conquering the world. 

Three of my greatest blessings!

I tell you with great pride that I have influential students. I have students who are in full time ministry- locally and abroad.  I have many students who are involved in politics at some level. I have students who have written books, students who have produced movies, students who are national conference speakers, students on the radio and on TV, students who are working to end human trafficking, and students who are influencing the next generation by being stay at home moms and teachers like myself. In all these areas of influence these students are standing strong for the Lord and are society’s hope that we will continue to be a Christian nation. 

Some of my greatest disappointments have come from pouring my heart, soul and time into teens and seeing them live a life apart from God. These teens walked out the front door of the church when they were 18 and have not yet returned. Some of them are struggling and sad, but the majority, live what others call the “American Dream.” They may appear successful and happy, but their success will be burnt to ashes because it is not for the glory of God. 

From my 25 years of experience and from my observations, the first group of students who are living to make an impact on society were my debate students, the group which has fallen away is my church students.

From my experience I've found

ONLY

2 out of 10 Church Youth Group Students continue serving God after high school

BUT

9 out of 10 Debate Students continue serving the Lord!

                                   

My experience correlates with recent statistics on teens who drop out of church and walk away from their faith - I don't believe, however, any studies have been done on debate students
                                

This totally and completely breaks my heart.  I have cried out to God so many times, “What am I doing wrong? Why is the church failing to build a lasting faith in it's students?" Then I realized I was asking the wrong questions, "What is home school debate doing right? How are they building students who make a difference for Christ? What can the church learn from debate?"

 What's the difference?

There is not one answer, especially not a simple one. After much prayer and research I'd like to delve into these questions and discuss some of my answers in the next few blog posts.

101 in 101

Inspired by friends and bloggers, Victoria Strader: Happily Ever Strader (http://www.happilyeverstrader.com)  and Chelsea Wester: Going Wester (http://www.goingwester.com), I've written 101 Goals to accomplish in 1001 Days. It was more challenging than I thought. Hope it keeps me focused. (These are really goals for 101 days not 1001 - I think I'll make 3 halloween costumes in 1001 days - hehe)

1.       Daily Time with God (all 1001 days – be consistent)
2.       Finish my study of Hosea (1 week per chapter – read, outline, word studies, commentaries)
3.       Fine tune my 3 lessons for the Book of Hosea (45 min -1 hr lessons)
4.       Read: Redeeming Love: A Novel5.       Talk to Woman’s leadership about speaking for woman’s ministry
6.       Buy Bible for Trenten & Eliana
7.       Buy Bible Highlighters and Pens
8.       Write commentary in Grandkid’s Bibles (1 Child’s Bible per week)
9.       Read Stormie Omarian’s trilogy (The Power of a Praying Wife, The Power of Praying Parent, and The Power of Praying for Your Adult Children)

10.   Have date Night every other week

11.   See Movie with Nelson
12.   Go to new place to eat with Nelson
13.   Go to a comedy club with Nelson
14.   Go to a piano bar with Nelson
15.   Go on a picnic with Nelson
16.   Set New Year goals with Nelson
17.   Attend Celebrate Recovery with Nelson
18.   Write encouraging notes and stick in Nelson’s suitcase
19.   Pray for Nelson daily
20.   Double date with Mark and Kim

21. Pray for Andres 

(Old Pic - but good one!)

22.   Host Halloween Party With Andres
23.   Make Creepy Halloween Food
24.   Make cool and creepy dry ice punch
25.   Be in charge of will-call ticket sales for Andres’ play
26.   Do SAT prep with Andres
27.   Send away for Drivers Ed packet for Andres
28.   Get Andres’ learners permit
29.   Practice driving with Andres
30.   Research testing for Andres’ dysgraphia
31.   Take Andres to be tested for dysgraphia
32.   Take Andres to an Art Museum

33.   Pray for Kymee

34.   Make a Halloween Costume for Kymee
35.   Get all paperwork in for Kymee to start testing at NWISD
36.   Speech Testing for Kymee
37.   Reread “Phonics Rhyme Time” – after Kymee is tested for speech therapy, memorize poems with her that target speech hot spots
38.   Behavior Testing for Kymee
39.   Ear surgery & tubes for Kymee
40.   Read Psalm daily to Kymee at bedtime (1 per week)
41.   Incorporate Bible verses into daily routine  with Kymee
42.   Read & Implement dealing with sleep issues for Kymee
43.   Read & Implement dealing with anger issues for Kymee
44.   Start Kymee in Speech Therapy and Behavioral Therapy
45.   Bake Christmas Cookies with Kymee
46.   Make canapy bed for Kymee
47.   Make curtains for Kymee’s room
48.   Find Picture Frames for Kymee’s room
49.   Buy Dresser knobs for Kymee’s dresser
50.   Spend 1 hour outside with Kymee EVERY DAY
51.   Wash the “chalk-drawings” off all the walls in the house
52.   Make sandbox for outside (study, design, cut logs, build)
53.   Pray for my Mom and Dad

54.   Have lunch with mom without kids

55.   Go on a daughter-daddy date with my dad
56.   Visit train in Mineral Wells with Mom & Dad – have picnic
57.   Replace my mom’s camera I broke
58.   Visit Papi (father-in-law) every Thursday
59.   Take Papi out to eat
60.   Pray for Papi

61.   Pray for Eli, J, Trent & Ellie

62.   Nelson & I - Spend a day with 

Eli & J without Kymee (or anyone else)

63.   Record a DVD “Nana’s Sing Along”
with Kymee, Eli, J, and Eli
 to send to Trent for Christmas

64.   Make one Christmas present for Kymee
65.   Make Christmas present for Eli
66.   Make Christmas present for J
67.   Make Christmas present for Ellie
68.   Make 3 sets nativity blocks – for each set of grandkids
69.   Pray for Carlos, Lydia, Stephan, Emylee & Mandy
70.   Take Stephan & Emylee & Andres on Cruise with Nelson & I!
71.   Double Date with Carlos and Lydia

72. Take Mandy out

73.   Cut rose stem from Mami (my mother-in-laws) rose bushes and replant at my house
74.   Buy Ale Vera Plant & maintain it
75.   Have Fresh cut flowers in the house weekly
76.   Finish writing series of blogs (What church youth ministry can learn from debate) and post
77.   Have Andres take pictures for blog and stop plagiarizing goggle images on my blog
78.   Write and post blog 1X week (either)
79.   Buy ALL Christmas gifts before Thanksgiving
80.   Attend Gateway’s Christmas Musical
81.   Attend Messiah Sing-along
82.   Go to the Nutcracker Ballet
83.   Go to a Christmas tree farm for Christmas tree
84.   Do the North Pole Express (steam engine train ride) with kids
85.   Have Life Group girls over to the house for party
86.   Contact one Life Group girl a week – just because
87.   Plan and execute one service project with Life Group girls
88.   Host DNow 9^th – 10^th grade boys – plan & cook food, clean, etc.
89.   Find one person God wants me to mentor weekly (I’m open – youth, young married, young mom, new homeschool mom?)
90.   Read “Hope and Healing: Kids who Cut”

91.   Do something with Kim every other week 

(one week with Kymee, one week just us)

92.   Go to U Paint with Kim
93.   Go out with a friend once a week
94.   Prepare debate students for first debate tournament
95.   Write encouraging notes to each student before their first tournament
96.   Find all day babysitter and go to November Debate Round Robin
97.   Eat clean (1 exception per week)
98.   Get medical physical for myself
99.   Buy produce and local honey from Haslet farmers Market on Saturdays
100.   Get “caught up” on laundry
101.    Evaluate all clothes for everyone in house – get rid of & figure out need

What Goals do you have for the next 1001 Days? 

Parenting Psalm

Psalm 145

Praising God’s Greatness/Parenting Psalm

                                 

¹ I exalt You, my God the King,
and praise Your name forever and ever.
² I will praise You every day;
I will honor Your name forever and ever.
EVERY DAY – I exalt, praise & honor God – I teach my kids by example

³ Yahweh is great and is highly praised;
His greatness is unsearchable.
⁴ One generation will declare Your works to the next
and will proclaim Your mighty acts.

I declare who God is (He is great and worthy of praise) and what He has done to my kids – I teach my kids through my words.

⁵ I will speak of Your splendor and glorious majesty
and^[c] Your wonderful works.
What do I tell my kids? I tell them of God’s splendor (He is awesome) and His glorious majesty (He is the King; He is in control).
⁶ They will proclaim the power of Your awe-inspiring acts,
and I will declare Your greatness.
⁷ They will give a testimony of Your great goodness
and will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.
When I show and tell my kids who God is and what He has done, then, THEY will proclaim His power and what He has done. My kids will see and have a testimony of God’s goodness in their lives and they will understand right from wrong (sing of His righteousness).

⁸ The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and great in faithful love.
⁹ The Lord is good to everyone;
His compassion rests on all He has made.
¹⁰ All You have made will thank You, Lord;
the godly will praise You.
¹¹ They will speak of the glory of Your kingdom
and will declare Your might,
¹² informing all people of Your mighty acts
and of the glorious splendor of Your kingdom.
When I thank God for who He is –gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, faithful, loving, good – and my kids see that – My kids will thank Him as well. They will also be witnesses, telling their friends of God’s glory, His sovereignty, and all the awesome things He does.
¹³ Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom;
Your rule is for all generations.
The Lord is faithful in all His words
and gracious in all His actions.
God is the same God for me, and for my children and grandchildren. He never changes, He always keeps His promises and everything He does is the right thing to do and is done out of His grace.

¹⁴ The Lord helps all who fall;
He raises up all who are oppressed.
¹⁵ All eyes look to You,
and You give them their food at the proper time.
I mess up as a parent and make unwise decisions, yet God promises to help me, to provide for me and to lift me up when it seems the world has different ideas for my children and I am overwhelmed.
¹⁶ You open Your hand
and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
My greatest desire as a parent is that my children love the Lord – God promises to satisfy the desires of my heart and I am claiming this promise

¹⁷ The Lord is righteous in all His ways
and gracious in all His acts.
¹⁸ The Lord is near all who call out to Him,
all who call out to Him with integrity.
¹⁹ He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him;
He hears their cry for help and saves them.
When I just don’t know what to do as a parent and all I can do is cry - I can call on God. He promises to be near to me – which if you think about it is even a greater promise than if He promised to give us everything we think we want. God promises that he listens to us when we cry and He promises to help us.
²⁰ The Lord guards all those who love Him,
but He destroys all the wicked.
If God guards all those who love Him and destroys the wicked – why would we as parents, who want to protect our kids, not make loving God the first thing we teach our children? Why do we get our priorities so mixed up? It’s simple: I want my children to be safe, therefore I teach them to love God.
²¹ My mouth will declare Yahweh’s praise;
let every living thing
praise His holy name forever and ever.

It all comes back to me, and my relationship with God. I need to put God first, to make praising Him my number one priority and live my life in such a way that my kids see my life as a living sacrifice to God. Then my kids will follow suit and praise Him with their own lives.