Do not be anxious about anything, but in prayer and petition, present your requests to God and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Phillipians 4 :6-7

Blessed is than man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who believe. James 1: 12

So do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5: 6 -7

And the one that I think sums it all up for us:

…….because God has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you So we say with confidence. “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me ? “.Hebrews 13:5-6

I have always been in awe of the way God meets my needs, especially the ones I never knew I had. Making friends has not been difficult for me. Sustaining and growing friendships, however, is my weakness. In the last year God has blessed my life abundantly by surrounding me with true Christian women who have filled a tremendous need in my life. These are women from all walks of life, different age groups, in different stages of a their walk with Christ. They have taught me intimacy and how to be open and vulnerable. They have encouraged me in my marriage and with my children. They have guided me and instructed me in God’s Holy Word. Oswald Chamber’s says in his book , My Utmost for His Highest, “True friendship is rare on earth. It means identifying with someone in thought, heart and spirit.”. This Thanksgiving I want to thank all those women who have offered their true friendship to me. Your advice, wisdom, compassion and love mean more than you can ever know.

Author: William P. Young

Summary: From Amazon.com

Mackenzie Allen Philips’ youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack’s world forever. In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant “The Shack” wrestles with the timeless question, “Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?” The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You’ll want everyone you know to read this book!

Positive Elements: This is a wonderfully descriptive and vivid story of the relationship between one man and his heavenly father. Mack endures through one of the most horrific tragedies imaginable to a parent: the loss of a child. During his grieving he has given up on God, church and all things associated with religion. In the story God reveals himself to Mack in many ways on many different levels. Simply, He shares in Mack’s pain and then brings him comfort.  This story is a reminder that God does not like it when bad things happen to us but that he can purpose good out of it for those who love him. (Romans 8:28).  With God’s restoration, Mack was even able to do something unimaginable to many of us; forgiving his daughter’s perpetrator. The burden of bitterness was lifted and Mack was able to have a life fulfilled. I am reminded of the verse in Isaiah 40:31 which says, But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not be weary; they will walk and not faint.  Even in the midst of our suffering we can make a choice. We can flee and let bitterness, anger and doubt seep in, as it did in Mack prior to his meeting at the shack. Or we can embrace it and put our hope in the Lord that he will work it out for His will and purpose.

Sexual Content: None

Violent Content: The premise of the story revolves around the kidnapping and subsequent murder of a young girl. While not graphic in detail, the topic itself can be uncomfortable for many.

Profanity: None

Drug Content: None

Conclusion: I believe that this story provided an amazing insight into the restoration God provides us in our suffering. His hand is always at work in our lives. One of the verses that comes to mind is James 1:2-4 which says, Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trial of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. Mack certainly did not find joy in his suffering but God was faithful to him and joy came to him as he persevered through his trial.  I do have some issues with some of the theology presented in the book. Particularly with respect to the trinity. At one point Mack notices nail prints in God’s hand. I don’t believe there is biblical evidence for this to be possible. In one scene, Jesus tells Mack with regards to his followers that he had no desire to make them Christians. Christian by definition means follower of Christ and his teachings. I would urge every reader of The Shack to keep your Bible handy while reading as to reference any theological discrepancies.

Thank you for the blessing of our children.  The time of year has come for our children to go back to school.  Some of them are going to school for the first time.  Give them confidence as they start this new year.  Help us, as parents, to be joyful for them as they begin this new year.  Protect our kids as they go without us.  Give us peace and comfort that they are safe.  Watch over them as only You can. Give wisdom and guidance to their teachers. Give wisdom and guidance to the administration. We trust that our children will grow in both wisdom and in their relationship with you as this school year goes on.  Thank you for being our most caring and loving father.  Thank you for being there for us always.

Love,

The moms and dads of the most wonderful children

Watch God Tube Video

1. Go on a nature walk. This is a great time to talk about God’s creation. Collect things along you walk. When you get home, sort the items you collected. After you sort them, ask your child if they know another way they could sort them.

2. Write or type Bible verses on a sheet of paper. Cut the Bible verse apart. See if your child can put the Bible verse back together again.

3. Tell the story of Noah and the ark. Make a list of animals. Go outside and lay in the grass. Look up at the clouds and see if you can see any of the animals on your list.

4. FiIll a large tub or pool with water. Bring out household items such as pots, cups, bowls, etc. Have your child fill up the items and discover which item holds more water. This also works great with sand.

5. Go on a neighborhood scavenger hunt. Make a list of things to look for in your neighborhood ( the neighborhood entrance sign, Mr. X’s mailbox). Check off each item as you find it.

6. Make a simple lunch and go out and have a picnic. If it is raining, spread a blanket on the kitchen floor and have an indoor picnic. My daughter loves it when we have indoor picnics!

7. Get a list of people at your church that are in need of encouragement. Sit down with your child and have them draw a picture or write a letter to that person. Mail them. Children’s art work and writings are special!

8. Tell your child your favorite Bible story. Have them make clay characters and retell the story. The following is a clay recipe from Highlights High Five magazine for children:

Pour 2 cups of baking soda, 1 cup of corn starch and 1 1/4 cups of water into a pot. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring until it looks like mashed potatoes. Let the clay cool. Divide into 4 pieces. Add food coloring and knead until smooth. Have your child create their characters. Place them to dry in the sun.

9. Print out Bible coloring pages from the internet. Allow your child to choose what pictures they like. Use 2 pieces of construction paper to create a front and back cover. Gather the pages together and punch with a 3 ring hold punch. Tie together with yarn. Your child will have great fun coloring a book that they created.

Hope you enjoy these activities!

My family faced a battle this week. Without going in to a lot of details, part of our fight occurred in the public forum. It was truly and Joshua vs Jericho battle. We, along with many friends and family prayed that God would be glorified and His good and perfect will be done in this situation. God intervened for us and gave us success in our battle. The fight continues though, and even if the end does not result in a positive outcome for us, I will continue praise and thank God for the amazing way He has shown himself to me this week. God is Awesome!!

If God is for us, who can be against us? Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death or life, neither angels or demons, neither heights or depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:31b, 35, 37-39

I have to tell you that my biggest worry or fear is flying. Yes, I have flown before ( 2 times to be exact since 2001), but something about it creates great anxiety for me. I worry about the plane being in good working order. I worry that there will be turbulence. I worry that something awful will happen while we are in the air. I could go on and on. I have such a fear of it, that I believe I have panic attacks. Now flying isn’t a worry or fear that I had to confront everyday. So, it was easy to let if go. I didn’t have to think about it because when was I ever going to need to fly. For some reason my need to confront this fear/worry kept coming up in my mind. I know that fear comes from Satan, so one day I decided to act on that little voice urging me to face my fear/worry. I decided to seek the counsel of a Christian aunt who has dealt with fear. She sent me a list of Bible verses to combat my fear. The Bible says that Jesus used God’s word to combat Satan and we should do the same. I carried this list around with me. I memorized the verses and hid them in my heart. All the while thinking ” When was I going to need to use these verses?” I think God was helping to prepare me for my test. Last July, my grandfather passed away suddenly. I was 7 months pregnant and had a 2 year old. There was no way I was going to travel by car to Nashville, Tennessee — a 12 hour drive from where I live. I had one choice — fly. The funeral was scheduled in a matter of days and we had to go. My list traveled with me on the plane. As we boarded the plane, I had my list in hand. I sat in my seat and read that list over and over again. I held onto that list the entire plane ride. Let me just tell you, I had no anxiety on that plane. Praise the Lord! I had such a peace about it all as we were flying. I know that God gave me that peace. Those Bible verses combated Satan and the Lord was victorious! In few weeks, I will be flying to Tennessee for a family wedding. I have been reading my list and already the “peace that passes all understanding” has enveloped me.

Here is my list of verses. I use these verses for the “big worries” and the “little worries.”

Joshua1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Romans 8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

Romands 8:37-39 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height not depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Philippians 4:4-9 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you

We are called to evangelize our faith. Who better to start with than our own children. It occurred to me not long ago to really take a close look at how I was modeling and living the Christian walk for my children. While some things were looking good, I admit there were some areas in which I was lacking. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 states, “These commandments I give to you today are to upon your hearts,impress them on your children. Talk about it when you sit, at home, when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up.” We have made some changes in our daily schedule that allow us time to focus on Christ. Here are some practical things we do in our home to make Christ the focus of our lives.

Prayer. In the morning before we leave the house we kneel in front of the door and hold hands. We pray for protection over each member of our family as they enter the world. Then we pray for whatever event or activity we will be participating in that day. On days I forget, my girls are quick to remind me in the car but you can’t hold hands in the car. We also pray regularly at our meals. We have started to remember praying when we eat out as well. Lastly, we always close our day with prayer. At that time we thank God for the blessings of the day and say a special prayer for any family and friends that may be sick or struggling.

Church. We strive to make church attendance an integral part of our lives. My girls know that Sunday is church day. Its is as normal for us as getting up to go to work any other day of the week. On Sundays when we can’t make it for some various reason, my girls are always disappointed. My 5 year old asked me the other day why her aunt didn’t go to church. She thinks everybody does! Our church has Wednesday night activities for the whole family. This past year Halloween fell on a Wednesday, I wanted my children to know that church will always take precedence over anything else. We were able to go trick or treating for a short time and make it to church on time. However if I thought it would interfere with church we would have not done it.

Daily Living. Throughout the day I am trying to be more conscious to live out my daily Christian walk. I wake up at 6 a.m. to have my quiet time with the Lord. On several occasions my 3 year old will be up with me. I let her lay quietly on the couch with a book. Usually she just sits there and stares at me. She know that mommy is meeting with the Lord and needs her quiet time. When we are in the car we are only listening to Christian music. I love our local Christian radio station (although with the girls in the car its usually Veggie Tales). It is neat for me to see my girls learn and sing the same songs I sang as a child.

There are many more ways that we parents can better incorprate Christ in our lives. These are just a few practical suggestions for living out your faith for your children.

Psalm 8:2 (The Message)

Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you;

toddlers shout the songs that drown out enemy talk, and silence atheist babble.

Psalm 22:9-10 (NIV)

Yet you brought me out of the womb;

you made me trust in you even at my mother’s breast

Isaiah 49:15 (NIV)

Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?

Though she may forget, I will not forget you!

1 Peter 2:1 (The Message)

So clean house! Make a clean sweep of malice and pretense, envy and hurtful talk. You’ve had a taste of God. Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God’s pure kindness. Then you’ll grow up mature and whole in God.