Book Review: I Used to be So Organized by Whitwer

I received a copy of this book free of charge from the publisher for the purpose of review.

I love the ladies with Proverbs 31 ministries so I knew I wanted to read this book by Glynnis. I also have some issues with organization so I thought it would be a double bonus! It was nice to see her address this topic from a Christian perspective some. There are at times root issues going on when we are extremely disorganized, have you seen the show Hoarders?! Though I am not close to that kind of disorganization, I do need practical advice on better ways to get and stay organized. I think most people could use this advice in our world today.

The book is formatted in an orderly fashion that addresses these things in proper order. You look at how you got that way, setting expectations for yourself and your family, understanding how to organize. Then you are walked through taking a look at where you may be overwhelmed, steps to create order, then practical tips addressing issues room by room. It was over all helpful and interesting for a book on this topic. I also liked the resources she directs you to through out the book.

If you have problems with organization this book could be helpful for you to read.

To get a copy of this book from Amazon you can go here.

Adoption as a Picture of the Gospel

I was watching my friend with her adopted son. God showed me a picture in my head of the beauty of it all. As she tenderly held her son I could see how he did not chose her but she chose him as God does with us. Her tender care reminded me of God's tender care of me. How He loved me first. 

Then I could see how her son could bring nothing to her. He had nothing to offer but they still chose him. They still fully and completely adopted this child. They loved him completely. It was a precious thing to watch.

I never thought adoption would be something that we would do, however God does not lay out the 5 year plan for us either. He started speaking to my husband and I about adopting a little boy who was 3 or under. I must admit it was a really fun thought. We were not sure how it would happen but trusted God would just lead us and show us what we needed to do.

That is how little man came into our lives. He just turned three and needed a home. He had nothing to offer us. Yet instantly we feel in love with him. We chose him. We accepted the task of getting legal custody of him to give him a home. To help his parents out so they could get their lives together to later reunify them together if they did the things that the court deemed necessary. 

This is how our situation with him is hard. There is no guarantee that the process will ever be complete. This Scripture helped me explain how it makes my heart feel about it. 

^"And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience^" (Romans 8:23-25).

Just as God has adopted us as daughters and sons it is not fully completed until that day He comes back for us. On that day all will be final and complete. Until then we will be groaning inwardly as we wait.Though we wait with hope. Though we have legal custody of our little guy it is not final and complete until a determined time. It is hard to wait for the outcome. He has been with us now for six months. It will only get harder as we connect more as a family. Yet we wait with patience and hope in God's perfect plan and timing. 

Continual Grief with Glimpses of Joy in Autism

I was at a conference listening to Nancy Guthrie speak, she is well known for her work on Grief Share. She was speaking about points of processing through grief. Grief Share is really help for the grieving process in the death of a loved one. However, I knew since I lived in a state of continual grief it would be helpful. And it was.

However, there is something permanent about death. It is something that changes you forever but it is a once and for all event. The sadness may linger but eventually people can learn to move forward. It is final. My problem is experiencing little deaths almost daily because of the disability of my daughter.

On the outside she looks perfect. You could not observe with the eye any obvious disability which makes this type of grieving a little harder because it is more lonely and isolated. Because of this I often find myself forgetting she has this brokenness. Then something happens and I remember. My heart aches and I long for our new home in Heaven and the fully abled resurrected bodies that will come with that. Come Lord Jesus.

My friend asked Mrs. Guthrie if they had any materials that addressed my issue of living a continual state of grief. I really do not think you can change this state. Every new action that shows the apparent brokenness strikes my heart with pain. And sadly there were no resources to address this kind of grief.

However, I have just started reading a book called Disability and the Gospel which so far has been insightful and helpful knowing I am not alone in this. Also, I am so thankful to God for giving us glimpses of joy. With the areas of challenge come areas of strength.

Today I got to experience the joy of seeing this. My daughter rejoiced in having autism. She said she was so glad because it was so cool. TODAY. But tomorrow new challenges will present itself. I will take today. I will take the little joys of the amazing abilities that she does have because of this. I will look at the good that will come and the joy of being constantly reminded of weakness and our need for the Savior.

I don't know if you are in this place or not of grieving quietly and continually. It is almost too much for a heart to take. Yet one day all things will be restored. Brokenness made whole. Grieving turned to joy. And until then we hold tight to God's promises in Christ. We will trust His perfect plan in allowing this life for her because He knows her best, He loves her most. That is how you walk with continual grief. You hope in the Risen Savior who loves you and is familiar with grief. Our hope is in HIM alone.

The Grace of Lyme Disease

The most beautiful gift God has given me came in the form of Lyme disease. I know that statement is strange, but it is true. I am thankful for my husband and my children. I am thankful for my parents. I am thankful for so many blessings He has poured forth upon me and my life but something had to change.

I was so very self-focused. Whatever I did I slapped God onto it but He was not the center, I was. I was ready for ministry. I thought I had it all together. God placed in my heart a strong desire to help the hurting, yet what did I actually know about that? Up to the point of chronic illness I had been through some hard things but not anything too authentically hard to understand those deeply suffering.

In turn when I started to get sick and decline unknowing what actually was wrong with my body I started to hear things from the professionals, "it is all in your head, you are fine." "Maybe you should see a psychiatrist." Yeah maybe after all the unbelief these supposed professionals spewed at me through unedifying words.

Then the "Christian" comforters like the friends of Job rose up and said things like, "Well you just do not have enough faith." or "There must be some sort of sin in your life that is causing this." These comments probably hurt more than those of the professionals. I did not expect much of the paid people who were suppose to help me however these other people were my spiritual family and supposed friends.

People need not speak into things they do not know.

I was devastated, It was only days or weeks before that I caught a passion in my heart that desired God above all other things. I prayed, "God please do whatever it takes to make me more like Jesus, to make me what you want me even if it comes to death, let Angela die and YOU live." I was whole heartedly serious.

When you pray prayers that are sincere like that He hears. He spurns our hearts in the first place. He now was coming tenderly and fiercely at the same time. I was wooed and cut all at the same time. A strange thing indeed but a precious time. I would not trade this for the world.

It was only here in this desperate place that I came to understand I needed to know what God really said about illness and faith. Again, I was trying to be the center wondering what I could have done or why my faith was weak because I just prayed this prayer? I was not even seeing it was about Him being strong. About Him using these circumstances to mold and shape me more like Him.

Less of me more of HIM.

Prayer being answered but the people around had no idea. They spoke what they did not know. They needed to be in the word and studying it for themselves. Not listening to what others say or speculate. KNOWING and STUDYING the word for yourself is what makes all the difference and makes your theology sound.

The  gift God gave me in Lyme was inviting me to understand who He really is. How He loves me so much that He died for me and my sins. How I was indeed a depraved sinner of the worst kind yet He chose me and counted me lovely, even to the point of sharing in His suffering.

Can He heal? YES HE CAN! I thought at one point I was fully healed yet He has allowed this disease to linger longer still. Was I angry? YES I WAS! Yet again it was about me being the center not HIM. If we want to bring Him supreme glory and experience the most joy we must trust His plan. What the enemy may want to use to destroy us, He is actually using for our good and His glory.

So are you suffering now? What is your center? What is the important end result? Your healing or His glory? You being well or being more like Him? My prayer is we will become a people who are not afraid to experience all the fullness of Him as He molds and shapes us in whatever means He allows as a vehicle to do this. Oh how I hope we will wake up to His goodness and kindness to us.

The Danger of Taking Scripture out of Context

I was working at a children's home. I thought it had been a little long that the silence had lingered upstairs where the two boys were roomed. I walked up to the room to see what was going on and made it just in time.

Two sinks in their bathroom area were being filled with water. For what they had purposed I did not know? I soon found out that they were about to try to drown themselves. What!? I thought, why? What is the problem here that would cause you both to take your lives?

They showed me their Bible and the verse they read. It was, "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23a). They concluded that they were sinners so this was the only outcome for them. How dangerous!

Being a newer believer but knowing the character of God I knew that could not be fully true, I picked up that Bible and said, guys you cannot just stop there, the best part comes next it says, "but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23b). At that moment they realized they needed a Savior because of their great sin, however God does not leave us in that state. He had a plan in place and in His word it contrasts the first death sentence. It says BUT the GIFT of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord! What a important and beautiful piece of Scripture to miss. It is a gift by faith in Christ.

The moral is read Scripture in context, it could be literally a matter of life or death. For these boys the second half of the Scripture not only saved their souls but also their lives.

Book Review: The Truth About The Lordship of Christ by John MacArthur

I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher for the purpose of review.

This book was exactly what I thought it would be. It is a straight shooting Scripture packed book about The Lordship of Christ and how one should live if He is the Lord of their life. It was direct yet encouraging. I was spurned on by reading it. I often find myself frustrated at the many people who call themselves Christians yet do not live as if Jesus is Lord. This book just help my mind make peace with this issue.

John MacArthur is an author that I enjoy. It is not an incredibly long book but addresses the issue fully. There are other books in The Truth About Series. I may check those out as well. One good thing about this book is the amount of Scripture used to back up his statements. It is also written from a reformed line of thought which is probably good to reference. If you are not of this line of thinking the first chapter will probably be taken offensively.

To get a copy of this book from amazon go here.

My Heart and Dubai

I know I have made several comments about Dubai. I have received many questions about this so I decided I will write a post about it.

First, I have had a heart that is drawn to middle eastern people groups for a very long time. However going to many of the countries seem unsafe for a family. That is not the case with Dubai. Dubai is an open country. It is safe and not oppressive to women like some other countries.

Second, It is one of the most diverse countries in the world representing people from many different nations. It is a mixture of people groups. Living in the center of this type of community would be one of my greatest dreams come true and where I believe I would feel the most at home. Seriously Heaven will be like this, all the people groups coming together forming a new race of people. I would love to live in the shadow of that here and now.

Third, We could get work there and live supporting ourselves to do our mission work. We could do this and partner with a church. The church I heard about is Redeemer Church of Dubai.

Fourth, I know God is up to something. This small country in the middle of the desert far across the world keeps coming up before me. This is one way that God works in our lives to get our attention. I do not know if we are ever suppose to move there or not yet but I am praying a lot for the country and the church.

Fifth, I was invited to participate in this work. You are too listen to this talk by a women living there.

Not only can we self support our selves if we were to make it there but they have a great American hospital and schools. It is not exactly what you think when you think middle east.

Of course many things logistically would have to fall into place for it to happen. Some huge miracles would have to take place. We are not closing the door to this until the Lord makes it apparent we are not to proceed. So in the meantime we will be learning Arabic and researching the country. Hoping to maybe take a short term trip or two to check it all out. We will see where God leads.