Then and Now

We happened to snap a similar picture this weekend to one that was taken when Zoe was just a few weeks old.

January 26 (Zoe was just15 days old!) and August 27, 2010.

My how she has changed!

Every mommy's favorite picture...

...is with all their kids. Aren't my kids so sweet?!

Dream about school

Ok people... all week a dream has been on my mind. So I asked God to help me find it in my old journals. And, wouldn't you know it, I went right back to it. It's from July 1, 2007. I think He's suggesting that it's related to my new school endeavor.

If there's one thing I'm cautious about going into these classes, it's "Religion." I don't want to become some judgmental, woman who wears denim-jumpers and scrunchies and annoys all her friends with Bible verses. I definitely have a warning in my spirit to be on-the-lookout for Religion hanging around this seminary setting. I'm well aware it's there. But I don't feel that God has told me to avoid it or to be afraid of it...just to be aware.

So, here's the dream;

I'm at the International House of Prayer (quick note: this is the one in Kansas City - which for those who don't know - is notorious for being very into the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit...tongues, prophesy, healings, miracles, etc. I have actually been there and it's pretty cool. It's kind of the opposite of a stuffy, traditionally "religious" environment).

Anyway - I'm there taking a class. I'm coming in a little late. I slide into my seat. A man at the front of the lecture hall (3 tiers of a semi-circle...probably 100-200 people) shares something very difficult about his life with the group. He says that we are going to now have a time for the Lord to speak to this...and my assumption is that we will wait a few minutes and hear the Holy Spirit and then say to everyone what we hear God saying. Immediately, though, most of the room instantly breaks out into a loud, unison recitation of the Lord's Prayer. This is supposedly the way God is speaking. My head snaps up. I, and the young guy next to me, say "wow - talk about the religious spirit!" I'm shocked at what's happening and immediately feel God impressing upon me that I am getting a glimpse of how much the religious spirit is present even in places that I don't think it will be. Somehow I'm surprised that I'm one of the few people in the room not falling prey to it. I glance around knowing that there are some other people (friends) that I know in the class. I can't see any of their faces but I know one is Steven...he is sitting on the opposite side of the room from me, way up in the back row. I try to make eye contact to communicate but can't.

Ok friends - that's the end of the dream. Here are my observation THREE years later!

• First of all, can we just say "WOW." This was 3 years ago! God lays plans for our lives, people! He does!


• This feels a lot like my current situation with school! I am coming in less than a week before the start of the semester...they're accepting a late application from me...I'm definitely "sliding into my chair late."


• I take encouragement that God has prepared me with understanding of a religious spirit and that I can be confident that I will have the discernment I need to see it.


• I need to hold fast to the Holy Spirit. God speaks moment by moment THROUGH HIM!

Overall I receive this dream as a warning and as an encouragement. What do you see?! I know God has been bringing this dream back to my mind this week ,and He helped me find it again. So --- if you have any observations, please share!

It's (almost) official

I'm a student again.

I've just enrolled in the Masters of Divinty program at Cincinnati Bible Seminary. I'm waiting on my official admission acceptance, but they've allowed me to go ahead and enroll in my class for this semester. (I'm taking that as a positive sign).

If you're an avid reader of my blog (I think there are 1 or 2 of you out there!) then you know that I really want to learn the Bible in a deeper way. And the Seminary is teaching what I want to learn. I never imagined I'd end up there but honestly it feels really right. If you're interested in more about why I'm going, let me know and I'll send you my essay I wrote for admission! (It's a good, short read!).

I'm going to pursue a concentration in Biblical Studies. I don't care much about any of the courses involving vocational ministries (think family ministry, children's ministries, church planting/leadership, etc). I'm after deeper knowledge of the Bible. The only part I'm not looking forward to is the 12 hours of Greek or Hebrew that I'll eventually have to take!

This will be slow-going. I'm not anxious for a degree. I just want to start learning more. I'm literally doing one class at a time. 75 hours takes a long time that way but I don't care. My first one is called "Old Testament Foundations." Wooohooo! Just what I want. (Seriously - that wasn't a joke).

This is going to be interesting...the admissions assistant already used about 3 terms in our conversation that I didn't understand about the online components of the classes (what's a moodle?!). Anyway - I guess it HAS been 11 years since I graduated. I even remember getting on some crazy thing called "the internet" when I was a freshman in college. My my how things have changed.

Wish me luck in my first class. I'm sure I'll be posting more about this new adventure.

Training is in Session

Two days ago Zoe reached up and pulled off my favorite necklace and broke it. Andrew told me this morning that we couldn't play cards because Zoe was with us (she's been going straight for the pile and messing it up!). Yesterday she turned 7 months old. Two days ago she began to cry at dinner when I wouldn't let her suck on a wet paper towel used to wipe off her face. All of these things convinced me that it was time for her first "No" Boot Camp. We just had our first training session:
A pile of the (forbidden!) cards was near some other (allowed) toys. I let her play. She noticed the cards (as I knew that she would). And she immediately began to reach out for them. I squeezed her hand and, calmly, said "no" in a regular tone of voice. We repeated this no less than 30 times. She finally paused and looked for another toy. We played a few minutes together. Then she went back for the cards. I gave her the same squeeze and "no." She burst into tears! Cried and cried for a couple minutes. We repeated this about 6-7 times again. She finally was crying hard enough that I picked her up and comforted her.

I don't care if you're 7 months or 7 years old: we can't play with anything we want to play with just because it's nearby. And we don't get what we want by crying. These truths hold up for a 33 year old mom as well. I think my kids need taught obediance and self-control even at a young age. Our ability to restrain our own (natural) self-centeredness could very well dictate the course of many decisions we make in our lives. And you might think this is too soon or over the top, but I believe it starts NOW.

This matter is not closed. We'll be having training session #2 later. I'll post results.

"Salting the Earth"

I was reading Matthew 5:13 this morning. It's the familiar passage in the Beatitudes where Jesus teaches about his followers being "salt of the earth." Here it is:

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men."

Something hit me strangely about it today...maybe it was a question about how salt could actually lose saltiness or maybe it's the weird reference to being "trampled." But in any case, I got curious. And so I dug and dug until I discovered something I never knew:

Salting-the-earth was an actual practice of the Roman Empire! They would literally salt the earth of enemies after they'd conquered their lands...to ruin the soil for crops (and make them dependent upon Rome for food). Salt ruins the ground for any crops to ever grow there again!

So when Jesus tells us to be "salt of the earth," I don't think he's primarily talking about salt as a flavor or preservative (both helpful analogies for Christ-followers, but I don't think the main point). Instead, He is telling us that WE are to prevent the enemy from EVER growing "crops" in that land again. We're to RID the world of the enemy by salting the land so Satan can no longer grow his crops here! It's war-talk. It's about conquering. It's making sure that no enemy-crops grow up around US.

I also learned that salt loses it's "saltiness" only when mixed with impurities. When we mix ourselves in with worldliness (i.e. enemy territory) than we are ineffective as salt. We lose our saltiness. We cannot conquer enemy lands and prevent his crops from growing if we, ourselves, are mixed together with impurities.

I love learning. And this one really blew my skirt up!!

Pure Joy

A few minutes ago I was folding laundry with Zoe playing right beside me on the floor. I felt that familiar nudge of God...this time saying "do yourself a favor: stop folding this laundry and play with her." So I did. And this little lady squealed, rolled, kissed and giggled for about 10 straight minutes. She was Pure Joy. And I got to have some too. It was impossible not to share in her light and joy.
I picked this picture because it caught a little glimpse of that full squeal, open mouth JOY that is Zoe.