The aftermath and the let-down...

It's over. Yes, another Christmas celebration has passed us by. We experienced family, friends, food, and fun. It was a blessed time! I was unaware that some people experience a depression in the "aftermath" of the Christmas frenzy. I am still finding paper wrapping under the couch and am waiting for the stack of empty boxes in the garage to miraculously disappear. However, I have a friend, Mary who expressed her Christmas "let down" to me this week on the phone. She is having a hard time moving on and even experienced some tremendous disappointment in the gift her husband gave her. She told me of her heavy heart and her dry spiritual state.

Maybe you're in that same place with Mary? I can understand. There is so much fervor and anticipation leading up to this special holiday. After the dust settles, what is left? Sometimes it's beautiful memories, lovely gifts, and gratitude to the Lord. Other times it can consist of disappointment, unmet expectations, and disillusionment. I remember a few Christmas' that left me feeling empty and bitter.

It was our first Christmas after we were married. I had great expectations for this holiday! Kevin had spoiled me while we were dating and I knew marriage would bring ever even better gifts! To be honest one of my "love languages" is gift giving and gift getting. I was so excited to open up my Christmas gift from him. As I opened the very long and beautifully decorated box I noticed Kevin sitting there with the a HUGE grin that spoke loudly; “I am so proud of myself". I was stunned as I carefully opened the box and looked inside. It was a hunting rifle, not just any hunting rifle, but the exact hunting rifle Kevin had showed me in a magazine several months before. I was crushed and Kevin could see by the look on my face that something had misfired. I was left completely disappointed and devastated.

I thought my husband had learned his lesson, until my next birthday. The BIG 3-0! I was really excited about this birthday. I was thinking maybe a surprise party, maybe a beautiful piece of jewelry to celebrate the occasion. Well there wasn’t a huge surprise party but Kevin had invited a few friends over to the house, and it was a great evening. Then it was time for me to open the gifts. After I had opened several sweet gifts from friends, Kevin put in front of me a medium sized box. Hmmmm I wondered, what could be in here? A little big for jewelry but maybe he wrapped it like this to throw me off the trail? As I tore off the paper I looked at Kevin and he had that same “I am so proud of myself” smile on his face. The warning siren should have sounded, but it did not. I opened the box and there before me was a state of the art.... scope, to go with my hunting rifle. I was crushed, deflated, baffled. How could he get it so wrong???

The Lord answered that question for me a week later. I was talking to a friend of mine who recently separated from her husband of 15 years. As I lodged my complaint to her about Kevin's seemingly selfish gift giving she began to cry. I couldn't imagine that she was feelingly overly compassionate about my cause so I stopped talking. Quietly she spoke words that pierced my heart. She said; "I wish that Ken would have bought me something that included me in his hobbies. If he had we probably would not be divorcing." Then it hit me! Kevin wasn't buying those things for me to disappoint me, but to include me in his passion, which was hunting. He wanted me to be a part of something he loved to do. I felt so very small at that moment and felt my eyes open wide. It was not the gifts that had misfired, it was my perspective. I asked Fran to forgive my insensitivity, which she graciously did with a hug. When Kevin came home from work that night, I sat down by him and said "thank you and forgive me". When he asked what I was thanking him for I told him I had behaved like a spoiled child and was deeply grateful to God that I had a husband who truly gave me gifts from the heart.

If you are feeling the Christmas let-down today sweet friend. Fill yourself with the living Word of God. His Word is a gift that will never disappoint and will always deliver just what we need. This scripture found in Jeremiah 15:16 is an encouragement:

Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart.

Today I pray that you receive a wonderful gift ~ a refreshing of God's Holy Spirit upon you. Don't let the JOY of the celebration of our Savior's birth be wrapped in the disappointment of unmet expectations, but embrace the gift of love and grace brought to us over 2,000 years ago.

Blessings to you!

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

My computer crashed! Yeppers, two weeks ago it looked me in the eye and gave me a BIG raspberry! "Phhhttttt" I panicked, begging and pleading, apologizing for every wrong deed I had done to it. Did I take advantage of it? I believe so. But it wasn't in the way one would assume. I took advantage of the technology, enjoying its endless convenience and not realizing how much I relied on it.

I lost everything... this isn't the first time this has happened in our computer owning lives, however this is the most painful crash yet. Now many of you are scratching your heads and possibly yelling, "Back up, back up!" Yes, I understand your fervor. But for those of us who trust the promise of the manufactures that hard drive has an automatic back-up, we fail to understand that even a safety net can have a hole in it.

What I have learned from this debacle is that no matter what guarantees this world gives you, it truly holds no meaning. We can believe every well produced commercial made to evoke an emotional response. (Have you ever watched a Hallmark commercial and not cried or at least been moved to "almost" shed a tear??!!) We are placing our trust in people and a system that is known to fail - just like my computer.

There is only One we can trust fully, and that is Jesus. His word will never fall short, He will never go out of business or bankrupt. His promises endure forever. The Lord has never "crashed" on me nor has He ever failed me. He has given me a "life time warranty". He will fix everything that goes wrong in my life and give me a tune up when I need it. He keeps me in awe!

Next time you find yourself troubled by technology or simply disappointed in life in general, remember that the Savior of the world is with you. He will hold your hand through it and cover you in His amazing peace.

Excuse me now while I end this to go and "back-up" my work.

A Voice in the Dark

I was catching up on the news today and read a heartbreaking report about a college student who committed suicide live on a web cam. The report went on to say that there were people watching as this event unfolded. Some egged him on, some laughed, some did not believe it was real, and others were debating on if he took enough pills to actually kill himself. This young man had a family that loved him and was reported to be well liked. He also suffer from bio-polar depression, which in the end was probably the catalyst that drove him to such extreme measures.

I feel led to bring this up because as I discussed this tragedy with my husband I threw out the question, "Why would people sit and watch such a horrifying event and NOT do something??!!" To which Kevin replied, "It's because of computers." How could he make such a simple statement to explain such a painful event! I did not agree, because computers are an inanimate object and cannot cause people to behave in any certain way. The same argument is constantly made about guns. You know the line "Guns don't kill people. People kill people." The same can be said about computers.

I began thinking about where technology has led our country. Sure, it brings great conveniences to many aspects of our lives and businesses. However, is there ever a time when we say enough is enough? This technology generation has made a plethora of information available at our finger tips. Unfortunately, kids and teens are not emotionally or psychologically ready for this avalanche of knowledge (or are some adults, as I have found out). I think it is much like Adam and Eve eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge. They did not know the eternal consequences of their actions until it was too late. Could they have obeyed God and not succumbed? YES, they could have made that choice and if they did we would not be where we are today. Our kids do not know how to handle, OR the consequences of having access to the world and each other through the Internet.

Have you noticed that young people have stopped talking to one another. Instead they choose text messaging, instant messaging, blogging, MySpace, Facebook, and the list goes on, to communicate. Instead of coming to a parent, teacher, or friend when they have a problem, they post it on the Internet for everyone to view. They use the Internet to bully, experiment with sex, and even date. How crazy is this???

My husband had a point...computers may have some responsibility in this lack of human contact. BUT would kids need the computer as a life line if parents were involved? If they were in fellowship, and they had real relationships in their lives? Just a question to ponder. I think this awful tragedy is a wake up call for all parents. Love your children - love them with everything you have and always tell them they are not alone in this world. God is with them, and we are too.

My heart goes out to this victim of Satan's lies and to his devastated family. If I were able to say one thing to him as he contemplated suicide it would be, listen for the Voice in the dark sweet child of God. God is here, He sees your pain and wants to restore your life.

An Overwhelming Response

I am amazed by the number of responses I received through email from the last post about Spike. I didn't realize so many of you loved lizards. Actually, I did not realize how many mothers had done crazy things like I did to try to keep a child's pet alive. Astonishing! I was touched your stories of compassion and also touched by your desperation to share the Good News with lost family members. I understand. Please know sisters that God will have the victory - we just have to keep sharing and keep praying. I am praying for you!

PS: An update on Spike. He's doing fine and starting to get his spunk back. Isn't God good?!!!

Remember what the Apostle Paul said in 1 Timothy 6:12
Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses.

Let's fight the Good Fight together sisters!

Standing in the Gap for You,

Lonna

Meal Worms and Hope

This morning as I went in to wake our son Dillon for school, I noticed his lizard looked a little peaked. He is usually looking at me wondering where breakfast is and jumping around the tank. This morning he wasn’t, in fact his eyes were closed, his breathing was shallow and he was cold to the touch. As I reached in to the tank to poke him, feeling a bit courageous, he just sat there. “Uh oh” I thought. I raced into action. “Water?”, check…”crickets?”, no, no crickets. How long has he been out of crickets!!?? After a call to the local bait shop to inquire about mealworms, I was speeding – oops I mean, driving into town to purchase them. I got the goods and headed home with one thing on my mind, Spike.

Now for those of you who know our family, you know that Dillon, our 10 year old has a passion for reptiles. Now I can hear you saying “all 10 year old boys like reptiles”, this is a true statement. However, Dillon goes a step further by saving his money and purchasing different species. He takes wonderful care of them and enjoys them very much. I just ask that they stay in their cages. Spike was Dillon’s first reptile purchase. He had saved his money for a year to be able to buy a baby Bearded Dragon. Not an attractive looking lizard (okay there really are NO attractive looking lizards) but he had something I could relate to. Spike’s skin is made up with what appears to be small spikes that are meant to ward off attacks and look imposing. The thing about it is that if you touch these spikes you will find they are quite soft and not imposing at all. I could relate to this defensive exterior as I shared that characteristic for many years until Jesus got hold of my life. This lizard had a fun personality and won me over quickly. So when I saw this creature in a state of “no return” I panicked.

As I reached in and pulled Spike out of the cage he didn’t move. I was afraid I was too late. But I noticed a small movement in his legs and saw that there was still hope. I put water to his little mouth wishing him to drink, but to no avail. I then took a meal worm and held it to his lips to see if he would eat, but to no avail. I was not about to give up on Spike. If I could have willed him to live, I would have given it everything I had. I chopped up the meal worm opened his mouth and stuffed it in. He spit it out, I stuffed it in. I was desperate. I couldn’t just let him slip away. As I sat holding the crushed meal worm in the tweezers, I had a moment of clarity. Though brief I saw this picture: here I was sitting on floor and talking to a dying lizard in my hand while attempting to coax the lizard to eat a crushed meal worm and praying God would save him. Oh heavenly days Lonna – get a grip!! Even though I saw how ridiculous it was I could not stop, I could not give up on this prickly little guy.

I realized that this is how I have felt about loved ones not knowing Jesus. My dad is not a believer and I have spent years sharing the Good News with him. I pray for him every day and ask God constantly to move his heart towards Him. But, today still no change. I sometimes want to scream, “Wake up! You’re going to hell if you don’t turn to Jesus Dad!” My desperation has led me to some pretty intense conversations with God. That is how I felt with Spike today. Willing him to live, wanting him to choose life, and praying for him. It is a huge burden and I know many of you share this experience with loved ones. Our only response is to keep going, keep praying, keep talking, and never to give up. We’re talking eternal consequences here, not a fleeting decision.

I just stopped to look in on Spike. He was awake and looking at me. I actually dropped a meal worm in his tank and he gobbled it up and then a second one. With tears I write to you, to encourage you. Don’t ever stop sharing the Good News with those you love, you never know what the outcome could be. Just when you think someone is “dead”, they may take in what you’re saying and find new life. Spike did….

An Unfinished Picture

I read a devotional today and wanted to share it with you in a Lonna paraphrase. It relates to our faith walk and the refining process that takes place within that walk. The devotion and accompanying scripture reminded me today that each one of us is a “work in progress”. Or as Ruth Graham Bell put it so beautifully, "We are under construction. Thank you for your patience."

We resemble a half painted canvas though we often times feel like we are a blank canvas with no direction. The Artist patiently continues to invest in us until He decides the work is finished. We know, that each of us will not be complete until the day we reach glory, but what a privilege it is to be on this journey and to receive the Artist’s finishing touches on the canvas of our lives.

Jude 1:20-25

“But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.

And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.

Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.”

May you feel the stroke of the Creators brush on your life today.

A Goat in My House?

Here is a story of a goat named Billy. Actually his full name is Billy the Kid, he can thank Kevin for that ingenious title!

I was on the phone today with a Pastor from India. We were having a serious conversation about our upcoming outreach project in Mumbai in October. While in deep conversation with him I saw something odd run past the doorway. It was bigger than our cat yet smaller than one of our horses. It wasn't until I saw Gracie run fter this object yelling "Get back here Billy" that I completely understood the situation and "what" the running object had been. Billy had pushed his way into the house (at leat that is the story I was told by Grace) and was having a hay day exploring this vast new land. I was stumlbing for words to explain to the Pastor as I was trying to muffle the phone to yell at Grace to "CATCH THATGOAT". It was pandemonium! Billy finally ran to where I was, exhausted and lost. He was shaking with fear and my anger quickly turned to compassion. What I percieved as a "joy ride" was really a "I'm lost and can't find my way back home".

It reminds me of the perpetual state many people live in these days. On the outside it looks like they have the world by the tail, but if they stop long enough for you to get a good look at their heart, you find someone scared and lost. God has crossed my path with a few such people this summer. People empty by their longing for love or confused over their lack of happiness when everything around them tells them they've got it all. I have even spoken with some friends who are believers, yet don't know what it feels like to live in the joy of the Lord.

My encounter with Billy today was a sad reminder of the state of the human heart. Scared, confused, empty... Is there an answer? As your friend, I can honestly tell you there is only one answer. That answer is Jesus. It's not in a church pew, or a Bible study group, or even at the feet of a Pastor. Though those things are good and can help you to grow in your faith walk. They are not THE answer. The answer is in a deep, personal, and committed relationship with Jesus Christ. He is the fullness and embodiment of everything we need to make our life fullfilling and complete.

So friend if your feeling like Billy today, not sure of where you are or where you are going, I encourage you to cry out to the Savior, Jesus. He is waiting to take your hand and lead you into His throne room of grace and love. Believe me, that is one JOY ride you will never want to come to an end.

We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It's an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us...

Hebrews 6:18-20 The Message

The Law of the Garbage Truck

I receive this story from a sweet friend of mine (Thanks Katy!) and wanted to pass it on. It certainly shares a great lesson! God Bless! (I couldn't resist adding the cartoon!)

The Law of the Garbage Truck

One day I hopped into a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean he was really friendly. So I asked, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!"

This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck." He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, and wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets. The bottom line is that joy-filled people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets so..."Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't."

"Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you." 2 Corinthians 13:11

Old Friends

Have you ever moved and left friends behind? The pain and heartache that occurs when leaving behind close friends can be devastating. I experienced that 8 years ago when we moved away from everyone we loved to venture into a new life 200 miles away from our home of 15 years.

The kids and I travelled those 200 miles, for five days to visit old friends. It's been a while since we were able to go and spend time with loved ones we left behind when we moved. What a treat to see three of my closest friends, spend the night in their homes and catch up on their lives. The scripture in Proverbs 17:17a says it best; "A friend loves at all times..." That was the gift awaiting us at each household.

It amazes me how true friendships grow deeper and closer with time. Yes, like fine wine (so I hear). I sat and listened to trials in their lives, shared challenges I have been facing, and laughed until I thought we would pee our pants. (you don't have to re-read that last line, I actually DID type that. Only close girlfriends would ever admit such a thing.). The Lord has blessed women with the ability to invest in one an others lives, despite time, distance, and even gray hair. I praise Him for knowing what we need and exactly when we need it.

I think good friends are like an old pair of worn, familiar slippers. It doesn't matter the season or the circumstances - the moment you slip them on you are covered in comfort. Thank you heavenly Father for giving us the gift of friendship! You always know how to bring a smile to our face!

The Heavens and the Earth

When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers~

the moon and the stars you set in place... Psalm 8:3

Oh the wonders of God, our Creator! I recently was in awe, again, of God's majesty and power! I had just attended our evening Sunday service and watched a DVD talking about the intricacies of the heavens and earth. The DVD featured allot of very smart looking scientist (one even wore a white lab coat to accentuate his intelligence!) talking about the delicate balance of the earth’s axis, along with the core thickness of the earth’s crust. They told about the mysteries that lie in the star filled galaxy and how one can travel 500million light years and still not get to the end of the heavens. It was all very complicated and to be quite honest waaaaaaaay over my head. However, I did enjoy each fact given and every scientific insight shared. I was truly in awe at the wonder of our Creator.

Later that night Kevin and I loaded the kids up in the truck to go to the drive-in movie theater to see Wall-E. We filled the bed of the truck with blankets and sleeping bags, pillows, and snacks. Kevin finally found the "perfect" parking spot after three different attempts. We began preparing our sleeping bags and piling on the blankets as the temperatures were dropping that night. As we all settled in to watch the movie I couldn’t help but stare up at the night’s sky. WOW! The sight was unbelievable! Were there always this many stars in the sky? I asked myself. It was a beautiful and overwhelming portrait. I couldn’t imagine counting each one – there were so many. It was fascinating to look at the stars with the new perspective given through the DVD we had viewed at church. From under my blanket I quietly leaned over to Kevin and whispered “Pssst”, (he was engrossed in the movie at this point). When I finally got his attention I pointed up at the sky. It took him a minute to grasp what I was getting at, until I saw him smile. He too was taking in the wonder of it all.

The Psalms proclaims God's creation but the Psalmist goes deeper when he writes:

He counts the stars and calls them all by name. Psalm 147:4

If your feeling "small" and invisible today, I encourage you to go outside and look up at the night sky. As you look at the abundance of stars remember that the same God who created all of those is the same God that created you. Jut think... if He calls the stars by name how much more intimate is His knowledge of you? Dear friend, God sees you, He knows you, and He loves you!

HOPE India

ASHA (Hope) India

This blog is to update our ministry friends on the preparations for the October HOPE India mission trip. This is place for comments, prayer requests, and for our HOPE team to communicate.

We covet your prayers and support for this outreach!

God Bless!

Lonna

Beary Legs

Our daughter Grace is a beautiful, rambunctious, and amazing girl! She returned from Bible Camp yesterday with stories of adventure and new friendships. She told us about the Bible stories she learned about and even had a few questions for us about the Holy Spirit and obedience.

We were thrilled about her excitement and experience at the camp. The next topic she broached was leg shaving? Our 8 year old daughter was asking us permission to shave her legs. What??!! What else were they teaching at Bible camp? I began to panic and I saw Kevin looking green around the gills. This was a conversation we thought we would have in several years-like when she was 20! When I composed my thoughts, I calmly asked Grace what brought this up? She told us that the girls in her cabin had noticed her hairy legs and told her she needed to shave them. Grace was completely un-phased by their comments as her brothers have sometimes joked about the “bear-y legs” God had given her. We have told her that she has an advantage in the winter months to stay warmer than the rest of us and have used it as an opportunity to share what God says about her in His Word. Psalm 139:13, 14 tells each of us; You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

After hearing about the comments from her bunk mates we understood her request. When I dug deeper Grace confided in me (with a big smile) that she really didn’t want to shave her legs. She liked her legs the way they were and she didn’t want to risk being cold next winter.

Welcome!!

Hello friends! We're glad you stopped by our web site. We pray that you are blessed as you browse through the pages. I thank God for the privilege of serving Him AND the freedom we have in which to serve Him.

Our recent visit to India has thoroughly impressed this point upon my heart. This country has over 1 billion people living there. The Christian population is only 3% of those people, making them an extreme minority. Pastor's and believers face persecution every day because of their love for Jesus. If you have the blessing of speaking to those who have been persecuted it humbles you beyond words. Each one shares that they consider it a privilege to be persecuted for Christ. That Jesus was persecuted because He is the Son of God. They thank God for their suffering and that God would consider them worthy of such persecution. Humbling!! After our recent Independence Day celebration here in the US it reminded me of the gift of freedom we each have not only in this country but the gift of freedom in our lives. The scripture in 2 Corinthians 3:17 says, "For the Lord is Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is,there is freedom." That is a gift that is priceless! So next time you grumble about going to church or feel compalcent in praying for someone remember that there are those who are being beaten and killed for the opportunity to do these exact things. I praise God for you and pray His abundant love pour over you today!

Come back and see us soon!

Blessings precious friend!

Lonna

Welcome To Our New Blog!

Our first blog started up with another provider, but the site was hacked and had to close down. So here we go again! Welcome to our new blog! Enjoy the posts and please comment! We'd love to hear from you ! :)