Tuesday, July 31, 2012

What Are We Lookin’ For?

We’re all looking for something, aren’t we....
Some are lookin' for love, 
some are lookin’ for a break;
some are lookin’ for direction,
and some - meaning;
some are lookin’ for significance, 
and some just want a good time.
There is a great deal of meaningless activity that goes on in this search for that “something” that will fill and give joy.

There is truly, I believe, only one thing that will fill that longing in our hearts; God’s Will.  
God Will for each of our individual lives is actually what our souls are seeking.  The gift of the Spirit has been given to each person who belongs to the Family of God, and he will help us find what we are really looking for, and what we desperately need ... Gods Will.
Jesus tells us in John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
We need a Helper to teach us. 


And Galatians 5 tells us “walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each over,...”


Jesus tells us that it is the Spirit who gives life, and that our flesh is no help at all. (John 6:63)
See, we are all looking for something, but as the old saying goes, are we looking in all the wrong places? Wouldn’t it simplify our lives if we focused on seeking one thing, Gods will?  
And do we really take the time to look at our days and the things that we are striving after and ask ourselves if it is of the flesh or the Spirit? If, as the above verse says, the the Spirit gives life, wouldn't it be reasonable to say that the things my flesh strives after only brings death?  


So many of us are burdened and weary.  I think that the source may be in the “what” that we get caught up in striving after.  Jesus tells us “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28-30).  What is His yoke?  Might it be as simple as seeking and doing Gods will in our day to day lives?  
What are you looking for sweet one? 
Jesus says “Come to ME”.
Take up His yoke and let Him lead you.  
Pray that the Helper would teach you to seek the LORDs will for each day. 


Monday, July 30, 2012

I’m Not Ready...

We have been on vacation, and I am really sick, so I am not quite ready for “re-entry” into life yet.  However, I want you to know that I am thinking of you and want to pray for you each.  Do you have anything that is on your heart that your would like to share?  I will be praying!!!
loves from me to you!!!

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Yea!!!

 She’s still got it.  Happy 19th my sweet love!!!

Monday, July 16, 2012

The Faithfulness of Hope

When we think about faithfulness, several areas might come to mind.  We talk often of being faithful in our marriages, faithful to parent our children well, faithful in our work.  As a wife, mother, home maker, and home educator, there are many areas for me to consider daily.
Lately, I have been thinking about the faithfulness of HOPE.  What do I mean by that?
It might help to look at the worlds idea of “hope” - it might go like this...”I hope it doesn’t rain today.”  “I hope I get that job.”  I hope, I hope, I hope. “The standard dictionary definition, and one that is generally accepted by most of the world is “to FEEL that something desired MAY happen:” The words “feel” and “may” are two very indefinite and vague words, but such a definition of “HOPE” exemplifies the thinking of most people.” (Source here.)


The Bible’s definition of HOPE is very different though.  Let’s look at a few Old Testament verses to begin with.


“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?  Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.” (Ps. 42:5)


“Let Your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in You.”  (Ps. 33:22)  
Hope in these verses is the Hebrew word “yachal” which means “Trust”.  


“And now, O LORD, for what do I wait?  My hope is in You.”  (Ps. 39:7)  The hebrew word for hope in this verse is slightly different - “Towcheleth” meaning “expectation”.  


These are just a few of the verses is the Old Testament that give the picture of HOPE as complete reliance upon the trustworthiness of our God.


The greek word for hope in the New testament is “elpis”; “to expect or anticipate with pleasure” - it is an absolute or a guarantee without any doubt.  
As seen in Romans 5:2 “Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
Hope of Heaven and the glory of God - not a may be, but a guarantee!
“waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ...” Titus 2:13  This is “without a doubt!”


In looking at these verses (and knowing that there are MANY more), I might put the Biblical idea of HOPE like this “Hope is a trusting expectation in Who the LORD is and what He promises within the Truth of Scriptures and the life of Jesus Christ.  Every hope that I have in Him can be expected and anticipated with pleasure and without doubt."


We might still ask though "Is hope REAL?"  Or is it just a wishy, washy may be?  I think that we must remind ourselves that hope “is the confident expectation, the sure certainty that what God has promised in the Word is true, has occurred, and or will in accordance with God’s sure Word.” (From Bible.org)  Hope IS NOT a passive wishing.
  
UNLESS....


we are being unfaithful to the Biblical idea of hope.
The Bible warns us about a false and very dangerous hope;  Psalm 33:17 says “The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue.”  We must be careful that we do not put our hope in anything except the LORD.  This is an easier trap than you might think.  Do we find ourselves “hoping” that people will do, act, perform the way we want them to?”  Do we hope our children will turn out a certain way?  Do we hope that our problems will be fixed the way we want?  There are many times that we might be tempted to hope in a “false war horse”.  


Biblical Hope isn’t an escape from reality or problems as some might think.  And the blessing of our Biblical hope is peace, joy (Rm 15:13), protection (Ps. 33:18), strength, courage and boldness (Ps 31:24), endurance, comfort and confidence (I Thess. 4:13), and confidence in ministry (I Timothy 4:10). (Some notes from Bible.org)


The Faithfulness Of Hope - I pray that we would each consider how we are living our lives today and embrace God’s idea of Hope.  It really is a truth that will never let us down.  Let’s reject the mansy, pansy idea of hope that will always disappoint us.  And repent for the times that we used hope as a cover up for selfish “Gee, I “hope” I get what I want.”  
Hoping in the LORD will turn our eyes and our hearts where they should be - HIM.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Our Day In Court









Kalyn captured some cute pictures of our day in court to finalize Noelani and Clive’s adoptions.  They are now legally Hassoldt’s.  Praising the LORD all these months later.  And remembering when I first fell in love with a darling little boy on a waiting list, and then my heart was captured by a precious little girl who was waiting. 
Who knew the journey the LORD had for us.  


Thursday, July 12, 2012

Shake a Bootie

 Part Two of Bathing in a COLD Colorado river...
 So what does a boy do after he has washed up in an icy cold river in the mountains of Colorado?

 Well, you dance, of course.

 You shake your bootie to get it warm. 
 And then you go find someone to splash because the dancing party is just to fun to keep to yourself.

Ahhh, boys!  I wouldn’t want to live my life without them and all the fun they bring into my life!!!

Monday, July 9, 2012

Sometimes, I Just Gotta...

 (Part One)




 ...let little boys get dirty when we are camping.


And then I just gotta make those dirty little boys go clean up in the icy cold Colorado river before they come in the tent. 
  Stay tuned for Part Two and see how they handle this.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

How Can It Be?

How can it be that my precious Kalyn is 19 years old?  We have had fun this week celebrating her.  We gave her a gift of a night and two days at the Glen Eyrie castle, but due to the wild fire, it was canceled.  (By the way, the fire is mostly contained, but sadly it did burn over 350 homes).  Tuesday, her actual birthday, we  celebrated with her best friend, Aspen, and Aspen's family.
Saturday we had our family party for her.  Steve and I took her on a Lantern Tour at the Cave of the Winds.  It was fun and a group of strangers sang happy birthday to her down in the depths of the earth.  Her new gift is coming in any day, a camera.  She is really excited about it, so I guess that it worked out that the castle was canceled (though that is still on her "some day" list.)
Happy birthday my precious one...I love you bigger than the biggest angel!!!

Friday, July 6, 2012

The Good News...

 My pantries are getting a really deep cleaning!


The bad news is the reason - mice eating to their nasty little hearts content.

The good news - Kayln found some science videos for the children to watch for school before she left to baby sit.
Yuck, I hate cleaning mice poop!
Well, off to finish.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Their Grief Hurts

I struggle a little about how to share this tonight.  My newest children, Noelani and Clive, have had their moments of grief and missing their old home in China.  And goodness, I completely understand that!!!  A few nights ago Noelani began to cry at bed time and she said something about China.  This isn’t normal for Noelani anymore.  She is so happy and content to have a family and to be living in America.  However, she had been reprimanded by daddy for not settling down for bedtime and I knew she was feeling sad about that.  So anyway, when she began to say that she missed China, I sat beside her, and just began to give her “permission” to miss her first home.  I told her that I imagined that she missed her teachers, nannies, friends; the old familiar foods, smells, sights, and sounds.  She cried and I tried to comfort her.  Then I asked her if I could pray for her.  She wanted me to, so I did.  Then a precious thing happened for my little daughter who is still struggling to give or receive hugs....she hugged my after I prayed, and kissed me on the cheek.  Then she said “Thank you Mommy.  I love you.”
HOWEVER, this grieving process is a whole different thing for Clive.  And his grief hurts...
it hurts him for sure;
but it also hurts me!  And that is my struggle.  
Do I share how I hurt WHILE he hurts?  
So much is written about the grief that children go through when they are adopted into a new family.  I have spent years studying and training under some of the best about this very topic.  And I am completely empathetic about the painful precess that these tender children have to walk through.  
But tonight, it became personal for me.  
We went camping this weekend, and Clive was “apart” of everything, but not really “involved”.  Yesterday he told Noelani that he wanted to go home.  She told us and we told him that we were going home tomorrow.  He was all excited and that was that.  This morning as we were packing up the camp site to come home, he was so happy that we were going home.  I thought, O.K., he just needs the security of “home” before he is ready for the greater “out doors”.   WRONG
As we drove into our drive way, Clive began to cry and wail.  I recognized this sound. It wasn’t fussing or normal crying...it was the wailing, crying sounds of a broken heart,  I knew as soon as I heard it coming from Clive’s side of the van what was wrong.   This wasn’t the home that he wanted to come home to.  He thought he was going “home” to China.
In that moment, my heart was breaking for him.  But here’s the part I don’t feel that I’m suppose to share with “the world”... my heart was breaking because I want to be his mother, but he isn’t ready for that.  I tried to hold him and comfort him, but he wanted nothing to do with me.  He shoved my hand away, and so I put him down...sad, because he was grieving, and hurting because he was rejecting me as his mother.  He just isn’t’ ready.  And one part of me understands that and will fight to give him the time he needs.
Yet, there is the more vulnerable part of me that cries because he isn’t ready to accept us as his family.  We aren’t “his” yet.  
And tonight, his grief hurts me too.    
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