2010 CHALLENGE 13: PRAYER AND REJOICING IN THE DESERT... IN THE FIRE...

Even though I have not been posting lately, GIGATTAATTGIG!!!

.

Life has been challenging for our family. Satan has thrown his firey arrows. We have chosen to continue to wear God's armor, including His shield of faith to protect our hearts. I hold fast to His promise in Ephesians 6 that if I put on all of my Daddy's armor, I can remain standing firm.

.

It's been a year ago this week since Lauren had her heart transplant. You may remember that her mama's songs of sustenance had the words "through the calm and through the storm" and "while I'm waiting on You, LORD." Recently Cristi wrote that she had a new favorite song that is sustaining her as they continue to work with Lauren to catch up on all of her developmental skills (including swallowing and chewing). It's been quite a year for their family as daddy finished grad school and the family prepared for their move to a new location. Through it all, Lauren's "strong new heart" is doing well!

.

Life remains hard, but God is Good All The Time! Join me in praising God on the anniversary of Lauren's heart transplant one year ago this week.

.

You may want to follow along with the playlist song via the words below of Cristi's new favorite song:

.

Desert Song Lyrics

as sung by Hillsong

.
This is my prayer in the desert

When all that's within me feels dry

This is my prayer in my hunger and need

My God is the God who provides

.

This is my prayer in the fire

And weakness or trial or pain

There is faith proved of more worth than gold

So refine me Lord through the flames

.

I will bring praise

I will bring praise

No weapon formed against me shall remain

.

I will rejoice

I will declare

God is my victory

and He is here

.

This is my prayer in the battle

When triumph is still on its way

I am a conquerer and co-heir with Christ

So firm on His promise I'll stand

.

I will bring praise

I will bring praise

No weapon formed against me shall remain

.

I will rejoice

I will declare

God is my victory and He is here

.

All of my life

In every season

You are still God

I have reason to sing

I have a reason to worship

.

All of my life

In every season

You are still God

I have reason to sing

I have a reason to worship

.

All of my life

In every season

You are still God

I have a reason to sing

I have reason to worship

.

All of my life

In every season

You are still God

I have a reason to sing

I have a reason to worship

.

I will bring praise

I will bring praise

No weapon formed against me shall remain

.

I will rejoice

I will declare

God is my victory and He is here

.

And this is my prayer in the harvest

And favor and providence flow

I know I'm filled to be emptied again

The seed I receive I will sow

.

.
You can pause the playlist to listen / view this beautiful clip:

2010 CHALLENGE 12: ENDURING

.
Have you ever been so exhausted that you could fall asleep standing up? Have you ever experienced being too tired to sleep? I've experienced both recently. It's at times like these that the sheer day to day journey becomes almost too overwhelming. The first of this week, I finished grading the last of almost 1,400 college papers, projects, reflections, and activities. I turned around immediately to begin teaching a summer intensive five week course on Tuesday / Thursday evenings for 4 hours each evening. Before Tuesday ever got here, there were emails from the students who had just received their grades for Spring semester. I had made a mistake in my grading and left off one of the 20 grades. This would certainly impact the final grade for some of them. That means that I'll need to sit and fill out "change of grade" forms. Ahhhh! Does it even matter if I need sleep? Does anyone care?
.
A little while ago, I was sitting at my computer posting my assignments for next week, I went to click on some background music from my other blog and there it was... a former post from 2/5/09. God showed me once again how much He cared! He knew I needed to be directed to this... the funny thing is that I do not remember ever posting this video! Please notice the words at the end of the link... COURAGE TO ENDURE: http://momstransformed.blogspot.com/2009/02/in-me-courage-to-endure.html
.
That's what I need today: COURAGE TO ENDURE!!! There is a video on that post, that I have embedded here as well. It was what I needed for today. Maybe it's just what you need, too! GIGATTAATTGIG!
.
Be sure and scroll down to pause the playlist before starting the video.
.
BE BLESSED!


.

2010 CHALLENGE 11: NATURAL DISASTERS

.
Thankful for trials? Peter says that they are there to refine us like gold is refined by fire (at 1,102 degress Celsius). On this blog, we are talking about challenges that stretch and grow our faith in the goodness of God. Being involved in a natural disaster is like firing up the degrees on the refining furnace!!! Yet, Peter reminds us to REJOICE!

.

1 Peter 1:6-9 says,

"In this you greatly rejoice,

though now for a little while

you may have had to suffer grief

in all kinds of trials.

These have come so that your faith

-of greater worth than gold,

which perishes even though refined by fire-

may be proved genuine and may result in

praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Though you have not seen Him, you love Him;

and even though you do not see Him now,

you believe in Him and are filled with

an inexpressible and glorious joy,

for you are receiving the goal of your faith,

the salvation of your souls. "

.

My first knowledge of the Nashville, Tennessee flood, of May 2010, was in an email message from my friend, Benja. She described the flooding and said that they were able to save all the furniture from her sister's house, but not the house. Two of her sister's neighbors' houses burned because of the water causing electrical shortages.

.

Over the last week, I've received pictures and videos from friends in Nashville. I'd like to share two videos with you.

.

VIDEO ONE: As I viewed this video, my thoughts were many.... here are five:

• To the background music, in my mind, I replaced "Here comes the sun..." with "Here comes the Son..."
• To the comment of "no looting", I thought "Praise God! This is how it should be in a city known to have "possibly the most churches per capita of any city".
• To the pictures, I often responded with "I've been there!"
• To the overwhelming thought of the enormity of the situation, I whispered, "Rejoce in trials! God be with them!"
• To the last slide, "We are Nashville!" , I thought "It would be nice if it said "We are christian!"
  .
  
  .

VIDEO TWO: This second video (down below) is taken on Interstate 24 (at Bell Rd.) in Nashville, Tennessee. You will see many cars submerged. There is a semi truck in the left foreground. I do not know if when this was taken (from a helicopter) if there were people in any of these vehicles or not. What I do know is that this classroom building from Lighthouse Christian School came off it's foundation and floated down the highway. If you don't have time to watch the entire video, scroll the little cursor over to almost halfway and watch a little over the last half. I cried!

.

Please join me in praying for Nashville. Andrew Krinks, who grew up in our church family here in NJ, has been committed to serving the poor in Nashville (with his wife, Lindsey) since they were students at David Lipscomb University. Nashville's Tent City, it's largest homeless encampment, has been completely flooded over . As a result, the Red Cross has set up a temporary site for them on the University's campus until more permanent housing can be secured. Andrew and Lindsey are very involved in this effort. Can you rally forces to help? Contact Andrew at AndrewKrinks@gmail.com

.

Please join me in begging God to let them see all the reasons for rejoicing in these trials. Let them see that GIGATTAATTGIG.
.
Scroll down a little to see the videos!


.