So here’s the bottom line:

Living the Truth is not at all about being religious…it is so much simpler than that. Christ didn’t walk around beating everyone over the head…it’s so important to remember the genuine, human nature of his life. His love and acceptance of the people that so many saw as unclean and the ultimate sacrifice he made for all of us…regardless of our shame, regardless of our past, regardless of our future.

My Pastor had so many stories and amazing illustrations through the years…they truly were incredible. But there’s one simple thing that I will always have ingrained in my heart and mind. God doesn’t ask us to come to him clean.

We don’t have to wait and get our lives all cleaned up before we come to Him…which really is a good thing considering that so many of us would never be able to stand before him if that was the case! The simple act of Accepting, Believing, Committing is all it takes. Yes, really.

I always have to laugh at those who say that Christianity is so limiting and stuffy and you don’t get to have any fun because there are so many rules.  Simply put…it is Freedom. Pure simple freedom. Freedom from so many things. Sure, we are all still human and totally fallible creatures. We will fall again and again and again….and he’ll be there, waiting for us…every single time!

Faith isn’t complicated. When you allow faith to stay simple (after all, it is simply a relationship between you and God), it’s like taking a huge refreshing breath outdoors on a gorgeous sunny day. I know of no other way to describe it, but when you allow Him to just “hang out” with you, you’ll know a peace like no other.

I know that there’s so much more to it than this, but really, when you think about it, living faith every day and having a simple relationship with God is all it takes. I just wish everyone could understand the true heart of God and I wish there were more Pastor Tom’s in the world to touch and influence those very lives that need to know this truth.

The reason for this post:

Last Thursday, May 20 2010, my Pastor, one of  most amazing men I have ever known, passed away. This news was so difficult in a way because it was sudden and I felt (still feel) that we lost him way too soon. When I was 12, my family began attending Pastor Tom’s church, I was so greatly influenced by him and continued to be even now, since he was again the pastor of the church my family attends.

There was always something about him, a kind and gentle demeanor…but there were so many other assurances that you felt…didn’t need to be told, you just knew…peace filtered through the room, just there like a calming breeze. You felt welcome, you felt loved.  In a way I would describe it as feeling like God was always there too, just hanging out in the midst of us all, telling us He loves us.

His son Andrew and I were the same age, and grew up through Jr High and High School together. We hung out a lot because we had so many mutual friends and I am honored to know him to this day. But when we were all grouped as friends, you got to see the Dad side of Pastor Tom. He lived it people…each and every day, in a real and genuine way.

To be someone who could show the love of Christ so completely through my life is something I feel like I could only hope for, but he did it.

Although his passing is so sudden to us and we are saddened to have lost his amazing leadership and teaching, we do realize that it was no surprise to God and that He has a greater plan.

He leaves behind an amazing wife and 4 great kids (all grown + 8 grandchildren). I cannot imagine what they are going through!  Andrew in particular has a difficult road ahead of him. He too is a pastor and they have been in the process of handing him the reigns for a few years now. The difficult part is, Andrew is grieving for his father and his pastor…all while an entire community (several communities in fact, so great was his ministry and the lives he touched) is grieving as well and would normally turn to him.

If you have ever had anyone so greatly influence your life…especially spiritually, you will understand how great a loss this seems to be. Pastor Tom helped me to understand who Christ really was is and that He loved loves me for who I was am regardless. Yesterday, today and forever.

I can only dream of having that kind of impact on another person…even just one.

Through the years, there have been plenty of times I have seen religion get in the way of the truth, interpreting the scriptures to it’s own benefit, cause or prejudice…instead of absolute truth. I am very blessed to have had Pastor Tom all these years in my life, viciously and adamantly protecting his people.

Today I was wondering how best to honor the life of my Pastor and I honestly believe that sharing the very essence of what I learned from him (though I will not do it any justice) would honor him the most.

Final Note:  This post was born of a desire to honor a true man of God who influenced too many lives to count (honestly, I have no idea how they plan to fit us all into a church…even a large one). I spoke simply, from my heart just the basic thoughts. Tonight was not a post on theology, just a simple relationship with Christ.

Life isn’t perfect. We live in an imperfect world filled with imperfect people and things. That is just the way it is. We all have to come to terms with that sooner or later in order to move on and enjoy life despite it’s imperfections.

As a mom, one of the most difficult parts of life is the fact that we cannot always protect our children from illness, injury and emotional hurt.  I’ve talked about this difficulty before, primarily in reference to the emotional horror of my oldest son’s schooling. But lately it has been injury and illness that have me completely baffled.

We now have a new record for most stitches (for a child) in our home. Little Monkey recently injured the bottom of his big toe at his grammy’s house and ended up with 8 stitches.  He still walks with his foot a little sideways to keep pressure off it and the skin around the injury is peeling like crazy, but it is healing and his stitches are out.

That was the conclusive event for a string that has been going on for a few months illness then injury, illness then injury… repeat.  We all know that when illness starts around here we have no idea how long it will take us to get it out of the house.

I found myself falling deeper and deeper into depression in the middle of all of this. Something that I have only experienced temporarily in the past became a part of daily living for months on end.  Even though I knew I was falling into an abyss, I let it go… I am the mom after all and I must care for everyone around me first… right?

There has to be balance, we cannot be moms who only take care of others and we cannot be moms that only think of ourselves first. We must ensure that we are healthy (mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually) in order to properly care for our family and we need to do that in a balanced way.

It’s a tricky requirement that many of us at one point or another fail miserably at.  I did, and I’m still trying to come out of the fog. I’m very fortunate to have family around me that noticed what was going on and went out of their way to make sure that the problem was addressed and a resolution found.

I don’t like posting about things like this. I like for you all to know that I am an imperfect human, just the same as the next guy over but I also like to leave all of you with hope and encouragement. Today though I find myself with only one question to ask…

Do you ever feel like a failure… as a mom, in your home?

I think in everything that I’ve been working through lately that’s the one thing that has been the most difficult for me to face.  I’m reminding myself (please take this encouragement for yourself if you answered yes to that question) that I too am an imperfect woman living in an imperfect world with a family filled with other imperfect people.  But because of the grace and mercy of God, I have a ‘hope and a future’.

It’s quiet.  At 4:30 in the afternoon, that would normally make me nervous, but everything has aligned perfectly in a rare fall day that is not too cold and not raining, there’s really no practices to speak of  and it isn’t time to make dinner yet.

My children have all gone outside to play.  It’s like they know that time cannot be wasted and there are precious few days before the rains begin and they are cooped up in our tiny house.

Every once in a while a little one will come in bearing gifts.  This time it was Bugs with a sand pail filled with rocks.  Good sized ones too.  Yesterday he was carrying around a cup that contained a “little fella”.  We have not yet identified this unnamed creature he refers constantly to as “Little Fella” and is forever collecting in a cup or a pitcher, but I simply ask him to keep creatures outdoors.

In between it all I breathe.  Not just your typical breathe in breathe out, no a deep sustaining breath.  The kind that you feel down to your soul.  The kind that refreshes you and keeps you sane.

I don’t get quiet often.  I crave it, yearn for it even, but forget to seek it and make time for it.

It’s the same with my time with God.  I need that time, it is sanity and refreshment and the fulfillment of life.  Yet I forget to seek it, make time for it and bask in it’s great abilities to refresh my life and soul.

My quiet moment is ending as I head outside to ensure that none of my children do anything that will damage themselves.  But my wish for you is that you can experience a moment or two of quiet right here and now.

Breathe in, Breathe out and ask God to fill you up!

As parents we have our fair share of trials and challenges with each individual child in our family.  I have to say though that the twins tend to top them all.  Sure, we’ve dealt with imaginative children before and we’ve also dealt with common childhood issues such as taking things that do not belong to you.  But when it is at the hands (or out of the mouths) of our twins, it becomes something entirely unique to any situation we’ve handled before.

Monkey took a toy phone from church.  I know…gasp!  He stole from the house of God for heaven’s sake!  His brothers were mortified (like none of them have tried).  He kept defending himself…”I didn’t steal from God’s house! I didn’t.”  After which, Bug would promptly tattle, “Monkey stole from God’s hooooouse.”  SIGH.

This continued for most of the ride home.  The funny part is that it’s a Tinkerbell toy phone and the older boys are simply having a little too much fun teasing him about the fact that he took a girls’ toy…in addition to the reminders that he stole from God.

This is one of those “un-fun” issues of parenting.  Dealing with behaviors and challenges that are potentially unpleasant or embarassing.  Thankfully, he’s three…and although I may have been horrified by his actions had he been my first or second child, I have been around the block enough to know by now that this is simply normal behavior and if handled correctly, it will pass quickly.

Does that mean he will never do it again?  No.

Does it mean that others will see it as a simple toddler thing to do?  It depends.

I’m not afraid of what others think.  This is a simple matter of teaching a child right from wrong.   He will quietly return it to his classroom next week and he will tell his teacher that he’s sorry for taking the phone.  And the lesson will likely need to be taught to him again.

It’s so much easier to deal with this issue in a child at the age of three than it is to handle with a child who is 10!  The price to be paid is so much higher for the older child and in some ways it can be an even more poignant lesson.  We’ll cross that bridge if/when we get to it though.

On the flip side, I had a shocking thought in the midst of all of this…let’s make sure we aren’t stealing from God either.  No, of course I don’t mean physical possessions.  I mean His purpose, will and plan for our lives can be something we take away if we refuse to listen to and follow Him, and that’s just one example of how we can take away from Him.

In some ways, we we continue learning the same lessons our entire life.  I think in our own way, even as adults you can see some of the exact same little child behaviors that we are much too big for, the only difference is that they are now aimed at our Heavenly Father.

This weekend as my husband (aka. the Frog Prince) and sons were working on the lawn, I noticed that they weren’t mowing any grass, all there was to be mowed was weeds, the grass has practically stopped growing completely.

No, I’m not going to talk about the intricate ins and outs of lawn care, we have too much yard to keep it watered.  But in that moment I had a bit of an epiphony…

Granted, some of you will think…”Well, Duh!”, but for me, it was one of those moments that had me thinking for the rest of the weekend.  The crazy thing is that it truly is a simple concept.

When it’s dry, the good stuff can’t grow and the weeds set in.  I’m talking about our spiritual life here though.  I’m not the kind of person that is going to prescribe a certain regimen for you to follow in order be a “successful Christian”, but I have discovered that if things are dry in my walk with God, that’s when the weeds start sprouting up.

My weeds tend to resemble discontentment, frustration, depression…you get the picture (and it really isn’t pretty).

He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs; (Psalm 107:35 NIV)

I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah (Psalm 143:6 NIV)

There’s a reason we hunger and thirst for Him…only He can quench our thirst and “turn parched ground into flowing springs”!  Seek Him, spend just a few moments with God each day and watch the weeds get replaced with lush green gardens!

I don’t do many book reviews here, but every once in a while, there is a book that comes along that must be shared and since so many of my readers are moms looking for encouragement, I simply had to share this great book!

If you are a mom that is feeling a little bit like a blob of play dough, this is the book for you.  Tricia Goyer is the author of Blue Like Play Dough, the shape of motherhood in the grip of God.  Teaching mothers how to allow God to shape us and mold us (kind of like Play Dough but in the hands of God) into who He wants us to be while in the midst of the challenges of motherhood.

What an amazing encouragement.  Being in the thick of so many stages of motherhood myself, I found this book to be encouraging, warm and…well…lovely!   I laughed and I cried often as she shared her heart because I relate so much to what she says in this book.  She’s real, doesn’t cover over the difficult parts of motherhood, but shows us how to learn and grow through our motherhood.

Be sure to check out Tricia’s website and her Get One Give One campaign!  Bless another mom by sharing this book when you are done.  It is honestly one of the best motherhood books I have ever read and is now on the top my list of recommended mom books!

For more details on the book, author, where to purchase and to read the first chapter please go HERE.

Disclosure: I received this book for free to review and share with all of you.

I have a confession to make…joyfulness isn’t my strong suit.  Sure, I often look joyful, but the truth is that when push comes to shove and things get tough I honestly don’t always remember to be joyful.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Wow! That really makes you stop and think doesn’t it?  Since Jesus knew what it was like to walk in our shoes, I can pretty much guarantee that these verses don’t just apply to everyday trivialities, but to the big stuff too…lost jobs, lost homes and life changing events.  But that fact complicates my lack of joyfulness issue even more!

In the face of few adversities (in light of what so many others go through), how can I of all people find it a challenge to be joyful?  I have been focusing on giving thanks a lot lately, but being thankful and being joyful are two entirely different things.

Yet another problem is that my lack of joyfulness is contagious.  My boys see what I do and feel the attitude, this tends to create a lack joyfulness in them as well, which leads to discontentment, arguing and bad attitudes.  Not a fun atmosphere…definitely NOT the atmosphere I long for in our home!

So, my challenge for myself this week (and you are welcome to join me of course) is to post this scripture in a few prominent locations so that I’m reminded often…and to make a conscious effort to be joyful!!!  The next time I come across that scripture I want to be living it!

As I anticipated the start of summer break, I counted down the weeks and days.  I was excited about all the fun things I would plan and adventures we would take.  My sister and I had planned a fun end of the school year celebration for the boys and lots of great activities were planned, but when that day finally arrived, things did NOT go according to plan!

I had been struggling with some pain in my lower back for almost a week.  It was highly uncomfortable, and for the last few days had been getting a little worse, so I’d been taking it easy.  But on that last day of school, I was in excruciating and debilitating pain.

I had done everything in my power to avoid it getting to this point.  I have never had problems with my back in my life…and once this is resolved, I pray I never do again.  The night before I had made a trip in to the walk-in clinic to make sure that everything was under control for the last day of school.

Yeah, it didn’t really work out that way.  I’d been struggling more than ever that morning and as I changed one of the little ones, the pain got so intense I absolutely couldn’t believe it.  So, as my children were arriving home from school that day, they only had their oldest brother to welcome them since I was at the doctors office again.  Oh yes, the guilt will follow me…cuz I’m that mom!

Well, here we are a week later, and I have still not been able to start our summer.  I’m not the kind of mom that likes to have to stop everything to take care of herself…I see an awful lot of you nodding your head out there!

One thing that I have had to challenge myself with in all of this is to get back in focus.  It’s easy to get overwhelmed by this looming issue in front of me, and I have to admit, I’m not really sure what I’m supposed to do to compensate for what I’m going through.  But while I get answers to the bigger logistical questions on my mind right now, I have to get my heart and attitude back in the right place!

Sure, this is not “life according to plan”…well MY plan that is.  So getting the right perspective is everything in a situation like this.  Hardships come to all of us, compared to many my hardships are nothing and I need to just roll with it and “get a grip”!

So many things in life can throw us off course if we aren’t careful.  The very thing I had been anticipating with so much care and joy became the opposite in one fell swoop.  Sometimes it doesn’t take much, but in that moment, if we remember to focus on the bigger picture and ask God for direction to get us through so that we can move beyond it…only then can we really go anywhere.

Today, I’m focused…I’ll continue to work toward healing my body so that I’m physically able to take on the rest of summer, but in the mean time, I’ll also be looking for creative things to do with all the kiddos.  It will look a little different than my original plan for sure, but I think in the end it will be rewarding.

Yesterday as we walked across the parking lot to enter church, Bug stopped and picked a flower. When his Dad asked him what he was doing, he replied very matter-of-factly…

“This is a flower for God, I’m going to give it to him!”

He carried that flower in with him and excitedly showed it to his teacher.

Later that day, as we sat at the table eating dinner, he was playing with the bracelet he had made in his class at church that morning…

Bug: “See this bracelet?”
Me: “Yes buddy, it’s a very nice bracelet”
Bug: “Yeah, God gived it to me”

Well then, he is a very blessed little boy!

Have you been touched by the lives and stories of all the children worldwide who need help?  For years I’ve been contemplating sponsorship and looking for ways to help children in need.

Although I do believe very strongly that children locally need to be supported as well, if you happen to have the resources to do both, I highly recommend child sponsorship through World Vision or Compassion International.

Don’t have the funds right now, or do you really want to make a bigger impact? I created a Team at World Vision and would like to invite all of you to join me in reaching out and bringing in sponsors for these children.  It may seem like a little step, but each person brought in is one more child who’s life is drastically changed.

It only takes a moment to join our team and setup your own page to start helping these children in a bigger and more profound way in your community.  I can think of so many creative ways to sponsor these children.  Do you have a blog? Maybe your readers would like to join you in sponsoring one of these children…you can simply put up a button for them to donate to the cause (be sure to be honorable with this request!).

So, hop on over, join our team and start promoting your page by sending out emails, posting about it on your blogs, twittering about it, putting information about it on your profile page at all the group sites you’re part of and at facebook.  See, there are tons of ways to get the information out.  Even if you only have 2 or 5 people sponsor a child, you’ve still made a huge difference!