A "M & M" Advance

Oh yes . . . my favorites M & Ms! I like the peanut kind especially. You might be thinking . . . has Kathy lost her mind or is she having some special craving for candy? Neither. What I am talking about is a "Mom and Me Advance." We are calling it "an advance" because we are not retreating, but helping our daughter transition into "Christian Adolescence." We are scheduling some uninterrupted time, whereby we can deviate from our regular routine; engage her in dialog and give attention to her needs and answer her questions.

Earlier, we had thought about driving over to Tennessee to attend a special event for Moms and Daughters. It would have been wonderful, but the timing was not compatible with our family schedule and too far to drive for a half day event. Meanwhile, Rob and I have been praying for several months about a time for Christine and I to get away for some special "Mom and Me," time.

At first, I thought I would wait until our weekend was completed before sharing this idea with you. Instead, I want to be transparent and share this journey with each of you. You know how it is when the Lord answers your heart cries, you want to share it with others. In sharing this, neither Rob or myself believe there IS NOT not an "one size fits all," plan. This is what we are planning to do and perhaps God will use it as a spring board for your family. If that is the case, we rejoice in the Lord.

Back in June, we attended the HEAV Convention. During our jaunt through the Curriculum Hall, we stopped at the "Daughter 4 God," booth. I had a delightful conversation with Joy Moore who wrote the book, "Lady Day, Letters to a Daughter About Becoming a Woman." As you can imagine, I felt like clicking my heels and doing the happy dance right there. One thing for sure, you either have already had these conversations with your "gents" or "ladies" or will in the not so near future. The key is to become equipped with accurately and biblically based information. Please keep in mind that each child is unique and how they assimilate information will vary.

The key is to know your child and to determine what works best for them and your family. Ask other parents who share the same "biblical worldview," what they did. We learn from one another, don't we? I am thankful for the godly ladies that God has brought my way my fifty years of living.

As we are planning for this weekend, is there a temptation to load up all the books we have on this subject and bring them? Yes. Would that overwhelm her? Indeed! My wise husband, Rob is giving leadership to this endeavor and is overseeing my planning time. Last night, he advised me to use the book, "Lady Day," because it is short enough and has just the right amount of information to use for our "M & M Advance." Ladies, are we not thankful for godly and wise husbands? I know Rob and I balance one another.

Perhaps you are like me, you know what happened to you during your transformation but you are in a quandary insofar as how to explain it to your daughter or daughters. I do not pretend to have all the answers or to know what is best because a lot of this is uncharted waters for me. Yet I am confident the Lord will provide because He gave us a daughter and promises to give us wisdom when we ask.

Moms, we must seize the moments to share accurately and biblically these wonderful days of "beautiful girlhood," with our daughters. If we do not, the world will. One only has to just watch TV, view the popular magazines at the checkout counter, watch current movies and go clothes shopping with your pre-teen or teen to see the decline in our culture. We are in the world, to be sure, but Scripture strongly exhorts us to be not of the world.

Do not love or cherish the world or the things
that are in the world.
If anyone loves the world,
love for the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh
[craving for sensual gratification]
and the lust of the eyes
[greedy longings of the mind]
and the pride of life [assurance
in one's own resources
or in the stability of earthly things]
--these do not come from the Father
but are from the world [itself].
And the world passes away and disappears,
and with it the forbidden cravings
(the passionate desires, the lust) of it;
but he who does the will of God
and carries out His purposes
in his life abides (remains) forever.
1 John 2:15-17 (Amplified Bible)

We desire for our daughters to be modest and have a style of their own. I do not want Christine to dress is the Gothic type colors neither do I want her to have the "Little House on the Prairie" look. I desire balance and we are asking the Lord each step of the way to help us. Besides, He is interested in every area of our lives so why not ask Him to give specific directions. He will.

So back to the plans for our upcoming, "M & M Advance." Here are some ideas that we will be using.

* Reserve a hotel room for 1 to 2 days
* Send an invitation to Christine in the mail
* A definitive schedule but flexible enough to be enjoyable
* 11 letters from 11 godly ladies; placed in a decorative box for her to read
* Bible
* Book ~ "Lady Day," by Joy Moore
* Bags of M & Ms ~ theme prompt for the weekend
* Hair and skin care time; pampering time
* Bring healthy snacks; exercise time
* Schedule shopping time
* Devotional time and prayer time
* Conclude - worship service at one of our favorite churches
* Follow up - once home; make a special scrapbook to mark this event in her life and add to eat periodically; plus read some of the books I have listed under my sidebar "For Daughters & Moms."

So please pray along side Rob and myself as we put the final preparation for this special time for Christine and myself. Knowing that God has called us as a family to accurately, biblically train our daughter for Christ. We realize the days are passing too quickly and must redeem the time. We are confident that God will use this to bless our sweet Christine as well as myself. Likewise, we know that God will be able to use this to bless the lives of many Moms, Grandmothers and Aunts to help their daughters transition into "Christian Adolescence."

Charm and grace are deceptive, and beauty is vain
[because it is not lasting];
but a woman who reverently and
worshipfully fears the Lord,
she shall be praised!
Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her own works praise her
in the gates [of the city]! [Phil. 4:8].
Proverbs 31:30-31 (Amplified Bible)

Who Gives You Affirmation?

I daresay, we all enjoy having folks affirm and encourage us. What if the folks you desire to affirm and encourage you do not follow through or forget about you? Then where do you get your encouragement?

Scripture is clear in that our hope is in Christ alone and not in man.

In Psalm 34:4, in the Amplified Bible, we read "I sought (inquired of) the Lord and required Him [of necessity and on the authority of His Word], and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. [Psalm 73:25; Matthew 7:7.]"

Read this passage again, but slowly word by word and phrase by phrase. It is tempting to come to Scripture and read it fast and say, "Oh I have read this before or I know what it means." Let's try this when we come to Scripture, ask the Lord to allow you to look at it as if you are reading it for the very first time. I am certain that new joy will emerge and just overwhelm you.

That is how I felt when I read Psalm 34:4 this morning. I think we all inquire but do we require Him out of necessity and on the authority of His Word? Yes, no and sometimes might be our answers. He is all that we need and He is all sufficient.

What fears do you and I have that the Lord needs to deliver us from? Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal those fear and ask Him specifically to deliver you from them.

Continuing on in Psalm 73:25, we read these encouraging words, "Whom have I in heaven but You? And I have no delight or desire on earth besides You." We may say it casually with our mouths but in our hearts, we know that we desire the approval of others. I know all too well that reality and it continues to be a painful struggle at times. I find myself disappointed in others and feeling so alone at times. Or feeling that folks like me for what I can do for them and not for who I am. Perhaps it may be true in some cases but I do believe many times, it's the enemy taunting me and discouraging me. Then again, I do believe some of the lessons the Lord teaches us are painful and if we persevere through them with Him, they will reap a harvest of joy and peace.

In Matthew 7:7, we read this, "Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you."

A line from an old hymn states, "take it to the Lord in prayer." Corrie Ten Boom said, "whatever pit you are in, God is deeper still." Remember, whose you are and that you are "IN CHRIST."

Voddie Bauchman Jr, in his book, "Family Driven Faith - Doing What It Takes to Raise Sons and Daughters Who Walk With God," strongly encourages that families play Christian music that reminds us who we are and builds us up in the Lord. Plus it trains our minds to think on what Paul says, the whatsoevers in Philippians 4:8-9.

Guess what dear ones, "it won't happen by osmosis." It will take us deliberately turning our hearts, minds and wills to the Father.

Interesting note and perhaps not significant to anyone but myself. As I opened up my particular hymnal to prepare to type the words from the hymn, "The Solid Rock," guess what song is across the page from this wonderful hymn? "Jesus Loves Me!" What an incredible reality!

The Solid Rock

1. My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus' name.

Refrain
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand,

All other ground is sinking sand.

2. When darkness seems to hide His face, I rest on His unchanging grace;

In ev'ry high and stormy gale, My anchor holds within the veil.

Refrain

3. His oath, His covenant, His blood Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.

Refrain

4. When He shall come with trumpet sound, Oh, may I then in Him be found;

Dressed in His righteousness alone, Faultless to stand before the throne.

Refrain

As I have shared my heart with you, the Lord has refreshed me, redirected my thoughts and reminded me that He indeed loves me and that He's trustworthy.

Finally, the picture that I have placed in this posting is one I took at Greenfield Assisted Living this summer. It serves as a reminder of the passage found in Matthew 6:28-29. Take the time to read it and you too will be encouraged as well.

Prescription For A Difficult Situation

Text: Psalm 37

A Personal Note ~ Throughout my Christian walk, God has blessed me with wonderful mentors who took the time to help me develop in Christ. This particular blog is a sample of one of the messages that our Associate Pastor at First Baptist Church, Houston, Texas preached during the time I was in seminary at Southwestern in Fort Worth, Texas. May the Lord use it to encourage each of you and as a gentle reminder of God's sufficiency in your lives.

Promise - Availability of our Savior to meet our needs. No matter how difficult the situation is, God cares and is available and yes, we will survive.

3 Positions for the Prescription

1. Prayer
2. Praise
3. Perseverance

7 Part Prescription to a Difficult Situation

1. Do not fret, verse 1
2. Trust in the Lord, verse 3
3. Feed on His faithfulness, verse 3
4. Delight yourself in the Lord, verse 4
5. Commit your way to the Lord, verse 5
6. Be still and rest in the Lord, verse 7
7. Cease from anger, verse 8

A Reminder - Through long-suffering, we learn to discover the heart of God.

Additional B-12 Passages That Compliment This Prescription

• Proverbs 12:25
• Proverbs 12:18-19
• Proverbs 4:13, 20-27
• Psalm 141:3-4
• I Peter 3:7

Key & a Must - Pray about every situation!

Questions To Ask Yourself?

1. What does God say?
   
   * Turn the other cheek; Matthew 5:39
   
   * Forgive 70 x 7; Matthew 18:21
   
   * Feed on Jesus; John 6:48-71
   
   
2. What would Jesus do?
   
   
3. What would you have me to do Jesus?

Always remember, we must be redemptive! We can't but Jesus CAN!

God is greater . . . Matthew 23:27; take a peek at Jesus' confrontation. He gets to the heart of the matter; thereby true change occurs.

Other supporting passages: Colossians 2:13 and Ephesians 4:32. Apart from the Lord Jesus Christ living in and through us, we will cave in any difficult situation. Sometimes, they occur because of self-affliction, at the hands of others or the Lord is allowing it to occur to strengthen our faith. Regardless how they come to each of us, we are to abide in Christ and trust Him to see us through.

Along with prayer, I have found immersing myself in God's Word is paramount. It is vital that we call to remembrances of God's faithfulness our pasts, presents and in the future. The enemy would deceive us and cause us to have a form of spiritual amnesia. Please take the time to read 2 Peter 1 where Peter reminds us of our calling and our position in Christ.

A final thought from John 16:33 from Jesus Himself, "I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]" (Amplified Bible)

Does that not encourage your hearts today dear ones? My heart is encouraged and strengthen in the Lord. May yours be also.