God's Power

For God is working you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. — Philippians 2:13

I have this verse written on a bright green Post-It note stuck on my computer. I pray it at least once a day because I want this dearly, especially in a couple areas of my life in which I struggle. This verse speaks to me of God's ability to bring change in our hearts to accomplish what we can't alone.

It's speaks to me of God's tremendous grace that even in the things we struggle with in stubbornness and disobedience, we can go to him for help. In fact, we have to in order to really accomplish anything. If we could do this stuff on our own power, then Jesus never needed to die.

Sobering thought. And a comforting one. I know how weak I am, and I fail so often. I can choose to beat myself up over it, then try and fail again. OR, I can run to God and pray without ceasing to overcome these areas.

The key here I'm discovering is making the CHOICE. We can wallow in whatever pit, mire, or mud hole we're currently stuck in, or we can choose to embrace God's empowering Holy Spirit and choose to do whatever He leads us to do.

What issue are you grappling with today? Do you need to make a choice? What does relying on God's strength and not our own mean to you?

Have a blessed weekend!
Praying and believing,

End of a Journey

Today marks the end of a turbulent journey. So many of you have been praying for my daughter and my family as we traversed a world of brain surgeries, complicated recoveries, and radiation. The seven weeks of radiation therapy ended today. Words are so inadequate to express our burgeoning excitement this week as we counted down the days with each trip to the cancer center. Three words kept repeating in my mind.

We are done.

God has carried us through this trial in amazing ways. You may be sitting there, shaking your head and wondering how you could ever get through such an experience. I used to wonder the same thing. But we did. All I can tell you is that our God is so good. He will give you whatever you need to get through whatever trial sits in front of you right now.

Leslie is now on the road to full recovery. Now she can be a fifteen year old again. She can focus on catching up in school and growing back her beautiful hair. We are so very grateful this day has come, and I keep saying we are ready to celebrate.

Because we are. No more doctor appointments. Just periodic check ups. God told me before all this started that she would be okay. And she is. Instead of praying, “God, fix this,” my prayers are now, “prepare me for whatever’s coming.” I trust him completely with my future and that of my family.

Like I said, words just can’t encompass this amazing journey. Thank you so much for praying us through. We’ve especially felt your prayers the last two weeks. We reached that midway point and found ourselves waning. Your prayers kept us going and brought us to the finish line. God even woke Leslie up this week on the three days her appointments were early.

Three more words. God is good.

How many pilgrims, still passing through these Red Seas and Jordans of earthly affliction, will be enable in the retrospect of eternity to say—full of the memories of God’s great goodness—“We went through the flood on foot, there—there, in these dark experiences, with the surging waves on every side, deep calling to deep, Jordan, as when Israel crossed it, in ‘the time of the overflowing” (flood), yet, ‘there did we rejoice in Him!’” —Dr. Macduff, excerpt from Streams in the Desert, February 6.

We are rejoicing in Him. I pray you are too.

A God of the Little Things

I want to share a post I did at our site at CaringBridge.org, which is an awesome site for those in medical situations like ours to stay in contact with updates to family and friends. We know we serve a great big God, but did you know he's a God of the little things too?

From October 25th...
Earlier today while we were still in the ICU, I was looking through the movie and game closet near the nurses' station for something to get Leslie's mind off her discomfort. She didn't like my selection but said she wanted to watch Oliver and Company.

I went looking again, praying that if they had it that I'd actually find it in the chaos of this closet, but they didn't have it. I checked the hospital library list but didn't see it there either. Then I logged onto iTunes, but they only had the soundtrack. Finally I called a dear friend who'd planned to come up with another dear friend later in the day. Yes! She had it on VHS. We were in business.

Fast forward a few hours. Leslie is sent up to a room. We get settled in and enjoy the peace of a quiet room. Leslie finally sleeps for a while. My friends arrive with the movie as well as an array of DVDs for Leslie to look through.

After Leslie ate dinner, she asked to watch the movie. Her dad popped in a tape already sitting on the machine. I told him that wasn't the right tape—it was resting on Leslie's tray. He ejects the movie and guess what?

It was Oliver and Company. The movie was already here, in the VHS machine for her side of the room. Chills ran up my arms, and my friends and I looked at each other in amazement.

How like God to be in the little things—to provide a movie for a 14 year old girl recovering from brain surgery?

I am in awe of this great big God of ours. Again, he shows me how faithful he is. Even in the littlest of things.

I'm so excited to be a part of the Kingdom Assignment. Next week I will tell you a story of how my family and I became the subject of such an assignment between a complete stranger and a dear friend. Again, I proclaim, God is so good!

In Pursuit of the Pink Wig

My daughter has instructed the surgeon to shave off all her hair for her surgery Wednesday. I was surprised. He grinned and said to give the girl anything she wanted.

She wants a light pink wig, long and without bangs. We've begun the search. Oddly, this pink wig is turning into a kind of symbol of our journey. We know there's one out there somewhere, but it ultimately comes down to perseverance and persistence, waiting and trusting.

Just like this journey we're on. Leslie and I have the peace of knowing God's in control of the whole thing. Yet we keep moving, striving to reach the next step as whole and balanced as we can. Knowledge and understanding alleviate the fears and give purpose. Hiding in the unknown leaves us vulnerable and fearful.

Keep moving. Keep looking for that pink wig. Keep looking upward.

We spent the day cleaning and getting the house ready this past weekend, and mainly cleaning her room thoroughly. It's been quite messy and dirty lately. Not a good environment for someone soon to undergo radiation and chemo. Now it's clean and organized. Funny how just doing simple things like cleaning your house can take on special meaning and purpose.

Just another step on the road, in pursuit of the pink wig. And healing.
Praying and believing,
Dineen

The Most Amazing of Times

Many of you know my youngest daughter (14) was diagnosed with a brain tumor last week. Thank you all for the wonderful and encouraging comments you left last Thursday at Spiritually Unequal Marriage, for the emails, and most importantly for your prayers. I am so very grateful and thankful for this amazing online community and at 1Peter3Living.

Never did we imagine such an outcome when her headaches increased. What I want to share with you is how God worked in the midst of this before we even knew. He is so very good, and very, very, very faithful.

Read the rest at S.U.M.

My Hubby My Hero

I think I fell in love with my husband all over again Monday evening. Our family is facing a crisis at the moment, which called us all to join together and participate in something he normally would refuse. My sweet guy not only came, but he didn't fuss, argue, or resist either.

As I sat across the room from him, I fell in love with him in a whole new way. For the first time in twenty-one years, he was my hero. He came to the rescue of his family. At one point I looked at him and said, "I don't think I've ever loved you more than I do at this moment."

Read the rest at S.U.M.

Hit Again

Last Friday as I was driving home with my daughter in typical California rush hour traffic, I got rear-ended. Again.

Two years ago we traded in my gas guzzling car for a nice, shiny red Honda Civic. I picked up my daughter from school one day and got rear-ended by the poor 17-year-old in the SUV behind me. I say poor because I totally lost my cool, hopped out, and started ranting how the car was only a week old. Brand spanking new.

I was not at my best that day. I apologized to this poor kid who felt so horrible for hitting us, and I could tell he felt his world had just crumbled into total darkness. I later found out that was because he wasn’t supposed to drive his car to school.

Uh oh. We both learned big lessons that day. I asked God to help me keep my cool if I was ever in the same situation again.

Well, last Friday, as I said, I got rear-ended. Amazingly, I stayed completely calm, got out of my car, and checked out the damage. A nice dent the size of a basketball waved hello along with his entourage of scratches in the nice shiny red paint.

And the last two years were so peaceful and damage free. The guy behind me suggested we move out of traffic. I paused for a mere second. Long enough for the thought that he might take off to present itself to my brain and my heart to say, “Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt.”

Sigh. Why didn’t I at least use my cell phone to take a picture of my bumper and one of his license plate, which I didn’t even take time to notice? (In CA we have both front and back plates).

Well, you guessed it. I drove ahead a bit and found a church parking lot to pull into. He kept going, never to be seen again. Boy, did I feel stupid, but I did learn another lesson and will know how to handle it the next time it happens, which it most likely will.

After spending the next few hours beating myself up for being so gullible and feeling rather stupid, it suddenly dawned on me that I never lost my cool. When the guy hit me, I remained calm and polite (though I sure would like to give him a piece of my mind now).

God had certainly answered my prayer from two years ago. And the reward in this (yes, there really is one) is that the dent in my bumper popped out by the time I got home. Only the cover was damaged with some scrapes.

Life will inevitably throw us these curves, but knowing God sees (yes, whoever you are, God saw and will deal with you at some later date for your deceit) and equips us to handle these surprise situations.

I may have left the scene of the accident with a dent, but I landed on my feet mostly undamaged and a lesson learned. But most of all, my prize is knowing God was at that intersection before me, ready to answer a two-year-old prayer.

And that’s the best kind of accident insurance anyone could have.

The Judgment of Others

I spoke with a friend at church Sunday who is also unequally yoked, and she brought up an issue I think we all run into at one point or another. As unequally yoked spouses, what can we do to cross the faith barrier to connect with our unbelieving spouses? And in so doing, how do we handle the judgments we sometimes receive from other believers.

We’ve talked in the past about how our actions speak louder than words. Sometimes the actions God call us to can look questionable in the eyes of others. I’ve recently joined my husband in playing an online video game that some would consider the “wrong influence.” Is it my first choice of activities? No, but it’s something my husband enjoys and joining him sends the message that I want to spend time with him, and I’m willing to do it on his terms (without sinning, of course) to show my love and acceptance of him.

I knew going into this that other Christians I know would not approve, but I moved this direction out of obedience. This was something God put on my heart to do. Let me cover some key points here:

Read the rest at S.U.M.

Photo by Zoran Ozetskyspan
http://www.dezignia.com

When Our World Shakes

Our human nature makes us naturally resistant to change. And we tend to view any kind of shake up with a negative eye. It makes sense…naturally.

So how do we shift our viewpoint from the natural to the eternal when God is shaking up our lives? If we’re to believe God is sovereign and nothing occurs without his approval, then he’s allowed whatever situation we are currently struggling with to occur.

I think this is one of the most difficult areas for us as Christians to accept and understand. Trust me, I know! Recently God showed me three areas that are very critical to understanding these times of shake up.

Read the rest at S.U.M.

*Photo by Sam LeVan

The Third Attitude of Waiting

The last two weeks I’ve talked about the significance of waiting in our spiritual lives. Click here to read part one. Click here to read part two. Today I’ll continue with the final attitude of waiting.

Waiting Expectantly.

We all inevitably have times of waiting for God to move. Through time and trial, we learn to wait patiently as we come to understand God’s faithfulness, and trusting God seems to be the heart and soul of just about any issue we face in our lives. But how much do we trust God? How far are we willing to trust him?

Read the rest at S.U.M.

The Second Attitude of Waiting

Last week I talked about the significance of waiting in our spiritual lives. Click here if you’d like to read that post. This week I want to explore the next attitude of waiting.

Waiting Patiently.

Our natural tendency leans toward a continuous sense of movement. When we feel our progress stalling, we grow agitated and antsy. Think of traffic. You’re moving along, thinking you might actually get home, or wherever, in a decent amount of time. Then one after another, you see those taillights glow a bright red and you moan along with the hum of your breaks. So much for that idea. Now you’re stuck, creeping along with no idea what’s causing the hold up or how long a delay lies ahead.

You’ve just lost control of your agenda.

Read the rest at S.U.M.

The Attitudes of Waiting

How much time in a day do you spend waiting for something?

We wait in car lines to pick up our kids. We wait in line to pay for our groceries. We wait for our food to arrive at a restaurant.

On a spiritual level, I’m beginning to think we spend a lot of time waiting there as well. We wait for God to answer our prayers. We wait for unbelieving loved ones to finally embrace Christ as their Savior, and most importantly, we wait for Christ to return.

I also think this kind of “spiritual” waiting is the most difficult. If you wait in a car line, you know your kids are going to come (at least you hope so!). At the grocery store, you know you’ll eventually get your turn at the cashier. And as far as restaurants go, wait too long and the waiter (now there’s another person waiting!) risks losing a nice tip, but you will get your food. All of these kinds of waiting have tangible and guaranteed outcomes. Not necessarily positive, but the waiting does end within expected and controllable parameters.

That’s not the case in the spiritual realm.

Read the rest at S.U.M.