Praise Warriors

Sunday night in my Bible reading plan, I'm in 2 Chronicles. The story below knocks me over, Spirit clearly points me to a specific situation (Sara Walker, friend in Nashville battling colon cancer). I send it to her with a note and praise God, based on verses 21-22. {read it at the bottom and come back. I'm bossy.}

Monday brings news of someone I love dearly being hospitalized. Knees to the earth. Realize that in my zeal to read Word more, I've neglected talking to Him.

Many other stressful things = feeling overwhelmed. On my knees much but feeling kind of whiny and guilty b/c I'm not actually the one hurting, hospitalized, grieving, etc. Something's off.

This morning's reading includes Psalm 35:27 "The Lord be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant." Love it--that God delights in our well-being, not pain--but not making connections yet. Crazy kid-day, lots of skirmishes at Smalling Farms (in the middle of one, while trying to talk to Mom on the phone, she said: "It's Thursday, but Tuesday's coming!" (school starting), ala Tony Campolo...I so needed that!). Finally: NAPTIME!

More importantly, quiet time to finish Bible reading. Where am I? Oh yes, Psalm 35, now verse 28: "My tongue will proclaim your righteousness, your praises all day long."

Brings 2 Chronicles story back to mind: "Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: "Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever." As they began to sing and praise,the Lord set ambushes against [their enemies] and they were defeated." (2 Chron 20:21-22)

Like a ton of bricks: He wants me to be a praise warrior! That's what's missing, from even my "your will be done" prayers.

I'm far from the first to see this. Vivian McClellan, among many others, has been trying to show me this for years.

Will you join me as praise warriors this month? You may already be praising your lips off, or you may be out of the habit like me. Let's praise not just in situations where it would seem obvious, but let's intentionally praise in the hard stuff. Whatever you've been stressed over, worried about, having a hard time getting past: PRAISE HIM. Nothing fancy or elaborate. "Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever." Can't get simpler than that, but what power! See if He won't set some ambushes and defeat some enemies!

Melanie aka MotorMouth :)

{One more thing: Please read "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp if you have not. That's all. What? I'm bossy.)

2 Chronicles 20:12-22 NIV
"12 Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you."13 All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord.14 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.15 He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel.17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.'"18 Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord.19 Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.20 Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful."21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of hist holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: "Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever."22 As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated."
See it at YouVersion.com:
http://bible.us/2Chr20.12.NIV

Grateful

21. treasures in heaven (Matt 6:19-20)
22. blog encouragers (Mom and Hannah)
23. warm fires and smelling smoky later
24. friends, old and new, who remember
25. do-overs (Lam 3:22-23)
26. making it "this far" (2 Sam 7:18-22)
27. forgiveness from my little peeps
28. Mama's cookin'!
29. indoor toilets (although I'm considering sending the little boys outside unless they start aiming better)
30. colors of fall
31. Luke knowing the last word of each line of much-read books
32. "Holding on to Hope" and the friend who gifted it
33. Ruby Anne
34. people who don't care when you say dumb things
35. words and language
36. kids who sleep at 7:30 pm = QUIET
37. God speaking through my mother-in-law...PEACE
38. rest for the weary (Matt 11:28-29)
39. His everlasting-ness (Jer 31:3)
40. a mama who quilts (because I'm on my way to sleep under the wedding quilt she made for us!)

Gratitude

1. cool mornings

2. Bible study on the patio while Luke plays

3. hot tea

4. hard-working husband

5. "scub scouts" {Luke says it; Noah is one}

6. that Noah's favorite thing about "scub scouts" is "learning about God and serving"

7. 8 yr old boy insights

8. a king-sized pillow

9. Luke patiently lining up tractors

10. snuggles from a busy 2 yr old

11. "Mommy, I need go potty!" BEFORE it happens!

12. Excedrin

13. public school teachers

14. Luke's "lankie"

15. the luxury of a day of rest when a migraine hits: only 1 kid at home, being a stay-at-home mom, being caught up (for ONCE) on chores

16. leftovers for lunch

17. God's unlimited patience (1 Tim 1:16)

18. Word meals (Jeremiah 15:16)

19. kids' hugs for the bus driver

20. that salvation pleased him! (Ps 115:3)

The first of counting my many, many blessings...

Hello, my name is Melanie...

...and I think I feel like blogging again?

It's a Jack E World

Sometimes I play and sometimes I read.

I love my Mommy.

Sometimes me and mom go for a hike {never happened}, and play games {all the time},

and decorate {once, for fall}.

Most times I go to school, and sometimes I do science and exercise and take a rest,

and when I'm done I take a deep breath.

Sometimes I play, and sometimes I have birthdays. Sometimes I go to the park,

and sometimes I go somewhere to eat.

My birthday is October 30th. I will be the big 5 this year.

Here are the rules for my birthday:

1. No breakin'.

2. No messin' up.

3. No openin' other people's presents when it's not time,

and no peekin' inside somebody else's presents.

4. If you want to come to my birthday, you gotta be nice.

5. No scarin' people.

6. No vampires.

7. No muddy people.

8. No frowin' food.

9. No breakin' toys.

10. No frowin' chairs at people.

11. If you want to be a good kid, then you can come to my birthday.

12. No actin' wild.

13. If you have somethin' to say, raise your hand.

14. If you need to go pee-pee and you have an accident on the floor, call somebody to clean it up.

15. Don't ever show somebody your poop. Besides, there is nobody who does that, but if they do, they have to leave my birthday, but if they apologize, they can come back to my next birthday.

16. If you ever bring sticks inside, then frow 'em outside and never come back to my birthday...

unless I say so.

Jack Everett

Life, Interrupted

I had been married for 7 years, with 3 healthy children and a surprise 4th child on the way. Girl, boy, boy...and we could hardly believe it when the 20 week ultrasound showed a perfectly healthy baby girl! You can imagine how over-the-moon big sister was to finally even the score! Our family of 5.5 was already bursting at the seams as we adjusted to preschool and 1st grade, flashcards, morning {all-day} sickness, school fundraisers, Brownie meetings, ballet lessons, soccer practice, missions meetings, class picnics, playdates, work, church activities...you get the picture! Our busy world was spinning fast and furious.

And on Labor Day of 2006, our world stopped spinning. 24 weeks growing strong...interrupted. No heartbeat. Our baby Ruby was gone. Two days later, the earthly tent that would have been her was born to us, and we spent 6 precious hours holding her before we let her go. One year later, I would write these words:

Seems like if anyone could say it, I could...

after all, I'm the only one who felt your life...
Your kicking and growing...

rolls, hiccups, twitches...
I knew you, felt you,
loved you, wanted you...
weeks of feeling miserable, knowing it would be worth it...

back to nature, midwife and all...
couldn't quit the caffeine, though, brothers and sister to keep up with...
too busy to stop and enjoy,

to stop and feel my Ruby,
to watch my belly roll...
to realize you'd fallen still...
The world keeps turning for everyone else…
mine is still…
still…

This tragic interruption, this insertion of stillness into our lives, was such a paradox. In one sense, the stillness was the worst thing ever. It represented loss and hurt and pain and grief and absolute brokenness and devastation. Our daughter was stillborn. I will never forget her tiny body and the coldness and stillness. Our lives literally became still. I sat on the couch while family and friends swirled around me, taking care of the things that were oh-so-important to me just days before. The kids took turns crawling in my lap while I just sat, mostly in silence. Still. And in those moments, when I could hardly catch my breath in all my stillness, His command became my lifeline. "Be still and know that I am God." I couldn't move. I couldn't do. I couldn't speak. I couldn't pray. I could hardly breathe. But I could be still. And know, in deep places that had never been explored in me before, that He is God.

And as is the normal course in life, days and weeks of stillness slowly gave way to moving, doing, speaking, praying...breathing. That silent desperation, of feeling Him in each breath as He momentarily broke the utter stillness, of being completely dependent on Him to wake me up each morning and get me out of bed, slowly gave way to a new normal. As the hurt began to heal, I began to become more self-reliant again. There is a part of me that longs for the day when I will not only be reunited with my Ruby, my treasure laid up in heaven, but that also longs to live every breath in and for Him, this time without interruption, without tears and heartache. Lord Jesus, interrupt us soon!

Jack, already this morning

Jack, what do you want to do for your birthday?

"Well, I want to go to Chuck E Cheese, but make sure you don't tell that giant rat about it, because I don't want him there. Technically, I'm afraid of giant rats."

He ROCKS!

Noah...

...is a superhero {at least in his own mind}.

...enjoys building science labs and rocket ships...

...and fighting aliens...

...and catching toads and identifying "slug trails".

...lives on meat, peanuts and cheese. No bread for him, give the boy his PROTEIN!

...is excited to be a 2nd grader!

...has a very tender heart and usually responds strongly to the slightest punishment.

...is a reading machine! {brag alert: He recently tested above a 4th grade reading level! However, his handwriting? Not so much!}

...frequently says, "Rock on!", "Yo, dude!" and "Awesome!" {because he has watched too many episodes of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles} and lately poses like this when I turn the camera on him:

...cannot sleep without a prayer and "Sweet dreams!" whispered before bed.

...is a great helper to Daddy, working with the cattle and keeping the farm looking good.

...loves to read the Old Testament--it started with reading the story of Noah, but he has kept reading and really knows a LOT of the Old Testament well, totally on his own.

...has perhaps the cutest crooked grin and random dimples EVER! Love you, Noah-boy!

He knows not what he says

Jack: "We can go to the place where we feed the ducks. Then we can feed the ducks and then see if the fish want what's on our poles. What do fish like to eat? I don't think they like bread. I think fish hate bread. [eyes wide] OH, I didn't know I was going to say "hate"! I'm sorry!"