First Day, God's Way!

It's the first day of school for our family today!  Lessons are prepared, routines and schedules posted on the fridge, pencils sharpened, hopes for success and fun in learning are high.

Yesterday we celebrated the end of summer by going mini golfing.  On our way, though, we were rear ended and had to postpone for just a bit to get the claim submitted to the insurance and talk with the midwife-on-call to make sure I didn't need to head to the ER.

Life never goes exactly how we plan, does it?  Seems like there's always on interruption or another, now matter how well we line up our little ducks in rows.

Reminds me of this verse:

Many are the plans in a man's heart,

but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

Proverbs 19:21

As the fall has or is cranking up for you, perhaps you too have goals for your family, home, work, etc.  I LOVE new beginnings and the "fresh start" feeling that comes with them.  But I can quickly get wedded to my plans and frustrated when they're not going "my way."  God's Word in those times doesn't tell us to stop planning or setting goals (there are a lot of Proverbs about living wisely, tending to your business diligently, and not being lazy), but it does remind us WHO is ultimately in control.

For some reason, God saw fit to add into our first day of school a trip to the shop with the car, to the rental agency for a substitute vehicle, and to the midwife to hear the baby's heartbeat and maybe get my Rogham shot earlier than expected.  And we'll also have two phone interruptions so I can tell State Farm and Nationwide my side of the accident story for the insurance claim.

I had such a lovely, neat, little schedule planned for our first day, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

Perhaps you too find your life inconveniently interrupted today.  What a great opportunity to pause and remember that the Lord has plans for you far better than your own.  He's working on us, disciplining us, that we may share in His holiness, friends!  That is good news ... and it can get us through life's bumps with a whole lot of grace and growth.

Have a good Monday, whatever it may bring!

God's Faithfulness: Meeting Dr. Mary Poplin

Who is like our God?

Here's the back story:

In college, I was involved with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF).  Sidenote: Met Colin there, yup!  The first two years, Tom Grosh was our staff worker.  He trained us well in Bible study and alway encouraged us to seek the Lord, get to know the Word, step out in faith.  I learned a lot from Tom.

We've maintained a connection over the years through prayer/support emails for him and his family and seeing each other a few times.  This past summer, now that we're back in Pittsburgh, we were able to visit with the Groshes at a small bbq with other supporters and old IVCF friends.  I mentioned to Tom my desire to grow as a speaker and writer.  And, God bless him, he's taken my comment to heart and is offering me opportunities to develop through reading good literature and (maybe - it's in the prayer phase) doing some writing for the Emerging Scholar's Network blog.

With the retreat coming up in April, I asked Tom if I could borrow a book.  As God would have it, Tom was coming to town the following weekend, was able to stay a night with us, and

brought me FOUR books.

I started by reading one that I had not requested, but seemed to fit well with the retreat topic: service.  The book?  Finding Calcutta: What Mother Teresa Taught Me About Meaningful Work and Service by Mary Poplin.

I was so taken with the writing, Mother Teresa, and the challenging questions Mary posited throughout the book.  I was half way through before the middle of the following week.

And Mary Poplin was going to be in Pittsburgh that Friday!

Unfortunately, I was not going to be able to attend her talk at the CMU Veritas Forum.  But, Tom knew Mary's schedule, and arranged for her to come to our home for a brief interview.  If you're my friend on Facebook, you know I was just a little excited!

Wow, an author and scholar in my kitchen!  And what a lovely Christian woman.  You can read the story of her conversion (in her forties!) here.

I planned to share some of that interview with you here, but it will have to wait for the next post.  For now, I'll leave you with these thoughts:

• Praise God for the body of Christ, the Chruch, and how He uses us to sharpen, encourage, and spur one another on!  Meeting Mary would not have happened if Tom had not taken in interest in this young lady's heart's desire.  And, of course, there was Mary willingness to come to a strange girl's house for a chat.  I'm so grateful!

• It's been less than two years since I decided to try pursuing a dream, and God has been SO FAITHFUL in giving me experiences and speaking through His word into my life.  What do you dream about, how can you step out and develop and use your gifts starting TODAY, trusting that God will prove Himself faithful?

Stay tuned for a post about my conversation with Mary.  Until then:

The LORD bless you and keep you;

the LORD make his face shine upong you and be gracious to you;

the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.

Numbers 6:24-26

Type-A Has Children, Starts Homeschooling, and Relaxes ... a Little

It started snowing this afternoon.  According to the "chatter" on Facebook, none of us knew this was a possibility.  As I type, we've got at least 4" on the ground, could get up to 8, according to one report.

A friend recommended (on Facebook, seriously what did I do with my time before Facebook?) to get out and shovel because the snow was wet and heavy.  I took her advice and found it to be the first "real" snow we've had this winter.  For any readers who live in snowless lands, there are many types of snow, few are actually good for common winter activities like snowball fights and building snowmen.  It has to be what we call packing snow.  Tonight, we had ourselves some packing snow!

At 7:00, this mama declared that we would be going outside to build a snowman.  Brian usually heads to bed around 7:30.  When Elizabeth was two, I never would have relaxed bedtime for winter fun.  I love who I'm becoming!  (And I love that homeschooling allows us to fudge bedtime without morning-rush consequences.)

  

But, praise be to God, it was even more than fun family time.  A neighbor that just moved in came up to ask about borrowing our shovel.  After he finished we got to talking.  Friends, wonders will never cease, because they are the third Christian couple to move onto our street this year!  (And um, yeah, he also knows my mom.)

As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:9

Christ the King - Cambridge

For the last seven years we have attended Christ the King - Cambridge. If you are ever in the Boston area looking for a church, please visit. The gospel is proclaimed, the Bible is taught, and growth is inevitable.

This morning, we'll attend for the last time as residents of Cambridge. Sometimes I wonder if God's whole purpose in brining us here was to get us to this church and exposed to reformed theology. Of course, God can have many purposes in the journeys on which He takes us, and it's unlikely this was His only reason for bringing us here. I just sure am grateful that we had the privilege of Rick's preaching and dedicated leadership for so many years. Thanks, God!

What's a post without pictures?

Elizabeth's baptism, 2004

Brian's baptism, 2008

Testimony

The Background Story
This year, I have been leading a women's Bible study on Tuesday mornings. It a study I've been attending since the fall after Elizabeth was born, making this my sixth year. When I learned I was pregnant, I was so excited to get to Bible study, since I would no longer be working. I love this group! There are a few who have overlapped with me the entire time I've been there and many who have come and gone. This is a very transient area with the universities and hospitals bringing people in for brief windows of time. How good it is to see God bind us together by His Word, allow us to pray for one another, and give us friendships that will last forever, even if here and now we move to new cities and new adventures.

When I started going we were often freezing, because the heat never worked very well and the insulation and windows were terrible. And we took turns caring for the children, because the budget didn't allow for childcare. But we consistently studied the Word, prayed together, cared for one another, drank coffee, and ate snacks! My friend and our leader, Meda, kept us focused on God, His promises, His goodness, our need for His grace. Thanks, Meda, for steering us away from so many rabbit trails!!

Now, as I think about how the group has grown an changed - how our children have grown up a little, how many new babies have been born, how the church can afford to pay three women to care for the kids, how warm it is with new windows and good heat, how wonderful the big, new coffee machine is, how many women have come and gone or stayed, how Meda's moved on to a different leadership position, how I'm now leading - it fills me with joy and amazement at how God works.

Earlier This Year
Last summer I began studying the book of Joshua which you can read about here and here. I was also planning to begin homeschooling in the fall and anticipating moving out of Boston at the end of 2009. Throughout the summer there was some talk of me stepping into Meda's place and leading on Tuesday mornings. I really wanted to do it, but didn't want to commit to something, not knowing what homeschooling would be like and not wanting to leave part way through. Then, one morning I got a call from pastor Rick asking me if I'd lead the group. Hm....

I said I'd talk it over with Colin, my dear sounding board. I knew he was concerned I'd get in over my head if I took on more responsibility. But he also knew I was really excited by the opportunity to lead. So, he supported me taking it on. Since I'd been studying Joshua, I told Rick I'd be happy to lead if studying Joshua would be okay, given that I already had my head in it. He agreed and helped me find an appropriate study guide. We started up as usual, at the beginning of September.

What's Happening Today
We did not move away in 2009 and we'll be staying through the end of the school year! It has not been that difficult to balance teaching Elizabeth and leading on Tuesdays. And, we just concluded our challenging study of the book of Joshua a couple of weeks ago. What joy it brought to my heart to hear women share about how God has been weaving things we've been learning into the fabric of their faith. My prayers for the group are feeble and sporadic at best, praying mostly that God's word would take root in us. He is faithful and doing just that, far beyond my weak expectations. Thank you, Father!

During the last few weeks of the study, I realized that I needed to figure out what we were going to do next. There's not really enough time in the year to start up another full-blown book study. I was feeling at a loss, asking God for some inspiration, and talking with the group. Then one morning, (Jan 29 my journal tells me), the inspiration was given. We should tell our stories, give testimony to how God called us from darkness into light and how he's changing us as we walk with Him! It fits so well with Joshua, too - God making and keeping promises to give His people an inheritance. It opens up opportunity not only to get to know each other better, but also to worship and praise our gracious God!

So the journey continues. God's Word and faithfulness endure through all generations. To Him be the glory for ever and ever.