Happy Birthday, Daniel!

Happy birthday to the love of my life. There is no one else I would rather live life with, weep with, laugh with, travel with, be crazy with, fight with, watch movies and television with, or minister with. The list could go on. We’ve got a good thing going on here, my love. Every day is brighter with you in it. Thank you for loving me unconditionally and leading our family towards Christ. This past year has been a lot different and a lot harder than we anticipated. But I wouldn’t want to walk through the sorrow, or the happiness, with anyone but you.

I love you more today than yesterday. And I will love you even more tomorrow.

Happy 29th birthday!

Facing our Fears: Part 1

A little over a month ago, I spoke on fear to a small group of women from my own church and the women of First Baptist Church of Fairdale, KY. For those of you who know me, in my flesh I'm a very fearful person, so this talk was a much for me as it was for any of the ladies present. In the next few weeks, I am going to break it up into a series of posts. I have edited for readability and blogging purposes. Hope it is helpful.

In the 1965 movie, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Lucy asks Charlie Brown if he has “pantophobia.” “What’s that?” he asks her confused. “It’s the fear of everything,” she informs him. If you have seen the movie you know that she nails it. And he suddenly realizes that’s what he has—the fear of everything.

Maybe you can relate to Charlie Brown—are maybe your fears are much fewer. Jani Ortlund, a pastor’s wife and author from Nashville, TN, applies the tendency towards fear to women. In her book Fearlessly Feminine she says,

“Fear is a complex emotion. It can fuel us so that we strive harder to succeed. Or it can freeze us, so that we stay home eating cookie dough and reading the latest gossip magazines. Women today struggle with many fears.”

She goes on to say:

“The problem with fear is that it works so well. It motivates and influences us. It coerces us to conform. It drives us to compete. It prods us to perform. Fear has been part of our hearts since the Garden of Eden. When Eve took the fruit and ate it, she was motivated by fear—fear that she would miss out on what was ‘good…and pleasing…and also desirable’ (Gen. 3:6); fear that God didn’t really have her best interests in mind; fear that obedience would exact too high a price. And we have been assaulted by our fears ever since.”

Most of us can relate to these fears. We can probably add to them too. So what are your fears? How do you battle those fears? Do you hope in your own strength? What about your power? Or your ability to control? Or intellect?

God has much to say to us about our fears in his Word. But he also has much to say to us about our hope in the midst of these fears. My aim in these few posts is to expose you to the treasure trove of truth given to us in God’s word. The Bible contains everything we need to face our fears in a godly manner. So my hope for all of us as we embark on this study is that we would leave here with a bigger view of God and a greater appreciation for his word.

Friday is for Fotos

I've been really bad at taking pictures lately, but last weekend Daniel and I took some Christmas card pictures. We are pretty sure which one we will use, but would you, dear readers, mind voting for your favorite? Some of these are "just for fun" pictures, but some are ones we will actually use. Thanks and have a happy Friday!

Help After Miscarriage: Knowing Your Friend

It is estimated that 1 in 4 pregnancies ends in miscarriage, in other words, as many as 25% of pregnant women will not carry a baby to term because of an early or middle pregnancy loss. This statistic does not include the scores of women who lose children through stillbirth or even early infant death. In some medical circles, these numbers reflect nothing more than an assumed defect or chromosomal abnormality. They are just statistics for research. But to a mom and dad, this number represents a life—shattered dreams for a child never held.

In the last few weeks I have talked a lot about how to help a friend in the weeks and months following a miscarriage. God has been so kind to continually provide people who care about us and the baby we lost. They have been a means of grace in our life. They have helped us see that there is hope. They have loved us through tears. But the glue that kept all of this together is that they knew us. Our friends and family not only wept with us, but entered into our sadness by asking questions and understanding us.

Nothing will substitute for knowing your friend in the days following her miscarriage. A dear friend of mine asks me constantly how I am doing, and even goes so far as to ask how I feel when she talks about certain things. This means the world to me. People don’t always wear their emotions on their sleeve. And it might seem that your friend is okay with something, even if she is weeping on the inside. Knowing her and asking comforting questions will provide a window into her life and protect you from insensitivity.

Knowing your friend will help you also remember her baby. As you walk through her grief with her, you will be able to rightly remember the child that was lost. It is difficult to remember one that you did not know, but this baby’s memory most likely has not escaped your friend’s mind.
All that I have shared about our miscarriage is exactly that—how we have been helped in our own loss. Everyone responds to grief differently. Grief is not cookie cutter and it does not look the same in any one person’s life. Some women are more open than others. Some cry more easily than others. Some are more prone to introspection. The important thing is that you know her and care for her individually, not according to a box or textbook definition. As you get to know your friend, you will be able to minister to her in ways that outsiders will never understand. And it will encourage her greatly.

God will use you in mighty ways to breathe life into your friend. The very fact that you have kept reading this far shows that you want to be a conduit of grace and hope. So thank you for reading, and thank you for caring. By knowing your friend and praying for her you can help bring a voice to the silent sorrow of miscarriage.

Packer on Suffering

Justin Taylor compiled some encouraging quotes from J.I. Packer on how to understand suffering in our lives. Usually I skim through his blog, but today I lingered. Every word from Packer pointed me to the God of all hope and comfort. I needed this today. May you be as encouraged as I was.

He says:

"We may be frankly bewildered at things that happen to us, but God knows
exactly what he is doing, and what he is after, in his handling of our
affairs.

Always, and in everything, he is wise: we shall see that hereafter,
even where we never saw it here. . . .

Meanwhile, we ought not to hesitate to
trust his wisdom, even when he leaves us in the dark."

Read the rest here.

Friday is for Food: Parmesan Potato Wedges

This is a pretty simple side that we really like in our house. I've learned (in my short amount of cooking experience) that potatoes are very versatile and cheap. And these potatoes are amazing. Or at least I think so. I actually think about them throughout the day when I know I am going to make them! I got this recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens Bridal Edition Cookbook. I have really enjoyed this cookbook and use it often.

6 medium baking potatoes (about 2 pounds)
1/3 cup of butter, melted
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, crushed (I don't crush it. I just use the seasoning)

Line a baking pan with foil or parchment paper; set aside. Cut each potato lengthwise into 8 wedges. In a large bowl stir remaining ingredients. Add wedges and stir thoroughly to coat. Place wedges on prepared baking pan.

Bake, uncovered, in a 425 degree oven about 30 minutes or until tender.

Enjoy! Seriously, they are so tasty!

Missions Wednesday: Algeria

Algeria is a country that has faced tremendous heartache from colonial exploitation by the French to various wars. This suffering has left an imprint on the lives of many Algerians. Algeria is a predominantly Muslim country (97.29%) located in North Africa, next to Morocco. Eighty percent of Algeria is desert and there are 41 different people groups. Eighty five percent of these groups are unreached.

The Church in Algeria has grown, and some believe that the number of Christians in Algeria exceeds 100,000. If this is true, that would be a tremendous encouragement. This growth is largely due to Algerian Christians commitment to move into unreached areas in order to spread the Gospel.

Ways to pray:

1. Pray for the unreached. The majority of the unreached peoples in Algeria have yet to hear the name of Christ. Pray that Algerian Christians and foreign missionaries would continue to work to bring the Gospel to those who have never heard.
2. Pray for Algerian Christians. Persecution of non-Muslims is a reality in Algeria. Pray that they would stay faithful amidst persecution and that Christ would be glorified in their life.
3. Pray for the government of Algeria. There have been significant human rights abuses at the hands of terrorist groups and state security forces. Pray that they would execute justice rightly and that they would protect the people of Algeria.