A Game Plan for When You Start to Worry

A Game Plan for When You Start to Worry

We Need Some Light

“Where is my child?…Did you go out of the store?...What were you thinkin’…Someon is gonna snatch you up and put you in their car?...Next time I’m gonna leave you at home.” That’s part of what I heard last night standing at the checkout in Wal-mart waiting in line behind this mother. She was hard to miss, not because she was talking loudly, but because she was dressed like a prostitute. And then heard some of the difficulties she was having with money, with a wad of money, and couldn’t afford to use her debit card. The moment that caused her consternation came when she realized her child had run off. She didn’t go running after her though, she sent her friend to go look for the child (why her friend didn’t do that initially – who knows).

After my purchase, I was walking closely behind the woman out of the store, trying to think of a way to approach her. But it seemed her mind was still on her child’s running off, because she didn’t stop talking all the way out ot the parking lot. So, I didn’t see it as an approachable moment.

On my walk home, I was pondering these things and the evidences of the hardness of life here in this area. It’s like fog that rolls in after Noon and stays there through the night. Then, by morning it’s clear, but Noon comes again and the fog gets thick again. In our area, the fog is dense on Folsom and Zinfandel. And then, when you walk into our subdivision, the fog is still there and it lifts here and there as you get closer to home.

But fog still rests on some of the houses here too.

I have heard it said, “they are doing the best they can with what they have.” The pagan dressed like a prostitute is doing what she can to get by in this world - to try and make sense of where she is and where she is going. But she's groping and the world has nothing to offer her, let alone she can't figure it out - and she won't. I prayed for her and those like her in our area on my walk home, praying for them to receive the good news of Jesus Christ.

There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. 10He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.11He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:10-13

Fall thoughts

When Jon and I were in premarital counselling, one of the questions we had to answer was: What is your favourite time of year? With my head full of love, love, love my response was "Oh, I love ALL the seasons, there's not a season I really don't like – really." OK, so now that I've been married nine years, plus we now have three children, plus I've been in Nor-Cal six years – my thinking has changed. I LOVE Fall. I have not fallen in love with Fall, it has been more of a gradual growth/change of thought - a renewal of acquaintances with those things that I always like best about it.
Apples 1: Fall means I get the joy of buying fresh unadulterated apples – no waxy stuff on them and fresh from the orchard. You can bite into the apple and enjoy what God intended them to be – a crunch sensation, delicious! I like my fresh apple pies, baked apples, fresh sliced apples, etc., etc., etc.
Apples 2: Fall means High Hill is open for apples. Apple Hill has to be one of my favourite things about Fall in Nor-Cal. I enjoy going over to High Hill and eating those scrumptious apple donuts, and walking over to the Fudge Factory smelling all the chocolate, thus being inspired to go home and make my own (I can't pay $6 lb or more for my fudge).
School 1: Fall means starting back to school for us girls, and that has to be the best and scariest time. It's fresh, we have new material, and we have order/routine again (Summer we can be so lazy!). But it's fresh, we have new material, and we have order/routine again (Summer really is a lazy time for us!).
School 2: Fall means football. I like that we have young men at our church playing the sport with public and private schools. It has to be one of the most fun times in a Youth's experience to either play the game or participate in cheering them on.

August memory Work

In the month of August I began a new memory work venture. Prior to August, my memory work had been fragments of scripture, taking from the suggested verses of our church bulletin, plus those that I memorized with the intention of knowing certain doctrines. Good verses each week, but no flow and no connection (except when we memorized an entire Psalm at different times or it was doctrinal based). As well, only one verse a week. And, for a long while I thought I had been storing up verses, but to find I really am not retaining unless I'm using them in song or speaking them out loud in talking with others.
The last couple of years I have gone back and forth over whether I should start memorizing chapters of the Bible. I first read about this in John Piper's book, When I Don't Desire God. His method concentrates on one verse a day, with the intent of memorizing chapters and books of the Bible.
So, the first of August I started in the book of John. My goal: John 1:1-18.
OK, so I did it, by the grace of God, by August 31^st. Not exactly one verse a day - but it got done and I'm glad for it. That encouraged me to launch into Colossians 1. My goal: get as much memorized before the end of the Women's Bible study Fall semester.

Just a Swingin'

Hi all. We had to enjoy the beautiful sunshine on Friday. Here is a glimpse of the girls' playing