Living in light of forever...

My thoughts tonight...

God made our universe in 6 days. He’s been preparing Heaven for 2000 years. Can anyone even begin to imagine what that will be like?

A father builds a paper airplane with his son. His son laughs and watches it soar. Then his dad takes him on a rocket ship to the moon. Any comparison?

And that isn’t even close!

In light of this, how am I to live?

- Does it matter if my laundry doesn’t all get finished on “laundry day?”
- Is it THAT big of deal when my daughter can’t find her shoes… again?
- Should I get so upset when I’m running 10 minutes late looking for ballet slippers?
- Is it really that important whether clothes make it in the laundry basket each and every time?
- Should I gripe and complain when life doesn’t go the way I’ve imagined?
- Do they really need to finish their potatoes?
- Is it that big of a deal that she doesn’t like me?
- Can I say no to things and not feel like I’m letting go of major areas of my short life?
- Am I willing to go where God wants me and not hold so tightly to my plans?
- Do I trust Him to provide for my Eternity but not the daily necessities of life?

On and on I could go. For further meditation…

Psalm 43:5 “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”

Psalm 71:5 “For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth.”

Revelation 21
1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

5 He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this own, for these words are trustworthy and true."

6 He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son…

22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Rev 22:1-5 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

Matthew 6:20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

John 14:2-3 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

1 Thessalonians 4:17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Self Control

This week I’m teaching my kids about Self Control, using I Peter 5:8. “Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

Whenever I’m teaching them a new character trait, the Lord sees fit to test me as well. How did He do it this morning?

As I was leaving for Bible Study, I strapped Kevin into his infant seat, only to notice that it smelled… the cat had peed in it beyond repair. What to do?? I used an old towel inside w/ holes cut out to fix the situation short-term. “Be Self Controlled, Becky,” I reminded myself. Thankfully, this verse kept the cat alive to tell about it.

My tests today also came in the form of Nathan stepping into a stinky old pond, covering himself in mud from his knees down. From me stepping in gum on the way to the grocery store. (Flip flops are hard to maneuver in when they’re constantly being stuck to the ground.) A dishwasher that for some reason overflowed and poured water on half of my kitchen floor, requiring 4 beach towels to clean it up. Baby spit up all over me while he’s in the sling as I’m getting the kids ready for bed.

I’m just thinking I’d better head to bed before I get tested anymore!

I Will Trust You

Our church has their Spring Musical "Glorious" this weekend, and we went Friday night. Having little Kevin has left me a bit sleep deprived & spiritually dry, which is to be expected - it's a season I've experienced for a couple of months after each baby - and I was enjoying passively the musical until about half way through when they sang “I Will Trust You.” My brain locked in and God used it to refresh my heart. I wanted to share the words with you.

I Will Trust You
Words & Music by Sue C. Smith, David Moffitt, & Travis Cottrell

You can still the pounding of the ocean.
You can move Your hand and stop the rain.
You can speak and calm this storm around me.
But even if it rages on and on… I will trust You.

You can help me stand on ground that’s shaking,
Make the earth a rock beneath my feet.
You can light the road that I am trav’ling…
But even if the darkness covers me… I will trust You.

You have been faithful. You have been good.
You have been perfect to a thousand generations.
So I will not waver, and I will not be moved.
I will trust You.

If I call Your name and You are silent,
If it feels like mercy may not come,
If I cannot see how you will rescue,
I will still believe I’m not alone.
I will trust You.

When the mountains fall,
When the waves come crashing in,
I will trust You.

You are the faithful God,
I will put my trust in You,
I will trust You.

You alone are God,
There is nothing You can’t do,
I will trust You.

I will not be moved,
I will not be shaken,
I will trust You.

Until the last breath I am given,
Or the sky rolls back for Your return.
Until the day when every question’s answered,
Knowing You are with me is enough.

I will trust You.

For information about seeing the musical this weekend, visit Spring Musical "Glorious"

My Heritage

While making dinner tonight, I was listening to Swing Music and thinking about how much I liked the new Star Trek Movie. Then I thought, “This is sort of a strange combination.” I started pondering how the different people in my life have shaped me into the person I am.

I can thank my Grandpa Hogan for my love of swing music, men’s barber shop quartets, old black and white movies, and black tea with milk and sugar. I sure miss him. Heaven will be a sweet place. My Grandma Hogan taught me how to color and has passed on a passion for all things crafty and artistic. I can thank my dad for my love of Star Trek, other science fiction, Mexican food, eating out, and 50’s Rock and Roll Music. I owe my mom for instilling in me the habit of having a personal time with God daily and also for my killer Scrabble game. My Grandma Stelzer has shown me by personal example how to raise a large family by being frugal, showing love, and minding her own business unless asked for advice.

I wish I learned how to be patient like my Dad and Grandpa Hogan. I wish I knew how to keep a clean and orderly house like my mom. I wish I knew how to paint like my Grandma Hogan. I wish I knew how to love animals, for the sake of my daughter Abby, like my Grandma Stelzer does.

But it didn’t all stick.

I wonder what parts of me will stick on my kids.

Kevin is 1 Month Old!

Happy Birthday, Kevin!

He is such a delight! He's very laid back, but by his entrance into the world, I suppose that was to be expected. :) He has a fussy time in the evening, but over all is happy and content.

He's smiling a lot at people! He also has a strong neck and likes to try and hold his head up as much as possible. He likes his bouncy seat, but the verdict is still out on the swing...

Katie said recently, "Mom, he looks like a real boy now that his eyes are open." I didn't want to ask what he looked like with his eyes closed... ;) He is awake more of the day now, in the morning and evening. Overall, it's been a great transition!

What a miracle! I still can't believe that he grew inside of me.

Jer 1:5 - "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you..."

What makes Good Friday good?

This is a re-post from my blog entry two years ago...

What makes Good Friday good? Death, blood, thieves, darkness...

And why did Jesus have to die anyway? Why couldn't God have said, "To cleanse yourself from your sin, you must wash in the river."

Imagine that my daughter Abby stole $10 from a store, and the punishment I set in place for the crime was for her to pay back the $10 plus do 10 hours of work at the store the following weekend.

If she tried to get a bunny to work in her place, I'd insist it be a human - not a bunny. A bunny could look like it were working, but it wouldn't really be taking her place.

If her friend offered to pay the money and work in her place, that would be a justifiable trade. The debt would be paid and the work would be accomplished. However, if her friend was also guilty and had stolen as well, then he would not be a good replacement because he has to work the 10 hours himself.

Our punishment for sin is death - which is in reality separation from God. When we do works of service or personal sacrifices to cover our sin, it's like having a bunny take the punishment for Abby. Someone else qualified must step in and take our punishment for us.

No other human being is qualified because they are in the same boat as us. They also are convicted and the verdict is "guilty."

That is why God himself provided our needed replacement. Jesus lived a perfect life and was not guilty or deserving of death and separation. 2000 years ago on Good Friday, God put our sins on Jesus in some amazing way I can't comprehend, making him take the guilt for all. Only God could do this.

In the most simplistic way I can think of, that is what makes Good Friday Good.

Kevin is here!

I update facebook far more than my blog, so finally, here's a picture of our newest Emerick.

Kevin Thomas was born March 11th at 12:27 PM.