BEING FOUND FAITH-FULL

I came across a list of principles for living in my study Bible this week and my heart kept being drawn to one of them - Be faithful. I have been thinking about this all week. When I think of the word 'faithful' I think about loyalty. And while I do believe God desires and deserves our loyalty, my heart kept pondering that faithfulness in this context is something different.

What if God desires us to be faith-full - as in full of faith? The word faith in its simplest form means to believe God or to trust God. So an important principle for living is being found FULL OF trust and belief!

So the question becomes - how do I fill my cup? How do I trust Him more and believe that He is and can do all that the Bible says He can do? It comes from a relationship. We are created for relationship. God desires more than anything else for us to spend time with Him. To think about Him. To talk to Him. To enjoy Him. To worship Him. To love Him.

The only way I have found to trust and believe in anything or anyone has been the test of time. There is no substitute for history with people. You know who you can trust by your history with them. By the way they conduct their business, their pleasure and their family. God has recorded His history in His word - and you better believe, it is good and bad and ugly!! He doesn't try to cover up or airbrush a thing!

So being faith-filled comes from a relationship with Him. By sticking with Him through all the trials and wonders because He is worthy. But the benefits to you and me are much greater.

If we lived faith-full lives, we will have peace in trial. Joy in times of sorrow. Calm in calamity. Gentleness in times of harshness. Love instead of hate. Most importantly, we have HOPE. This is not all there is. This world, this body, this life, this relationship......we have a hope that defies the consumerism and commercialism that this world tries to sell us. IT - whatever IT is - will never happen here. But IT is coming! And when we fix our eyes and our hope on that "IT" - the coming Christ, Our King of Kings, an eternal Jerusalem, the redemption of our bodies - we are full of faith.

Colossians 1 says to "set our minds on things above." He is talking about heaven. Set your mind there. Set your hope there. You will become full. Full of a faith/belief/trust that will hold you until that day arrives.

A word of warning: we are leaky vessels. We will have to return to the fountain that never runs dry for refilling. He made us that way. Not to punish us or to remind us of our fallibility. He did it so we would come to Him regularly because He loves us and desires us. So if you can't find me in the days to come, I am probably at the Fountain of Living Water getting my daily fill-up. Hope to see you there!

Happy Mother's Day TO ME

After 28 years someone is having a baby at our house - and it isn't ME! Brandon and Kylie gave me this (see left) for Mother's Day and our precious little baby will be delivered on Thanksgiving!!! We were totally shocked. Totally taken by surprise. Totally overjoyed. What a gift!!! Mother's Day and Thanksgiving have taken on a whole new dimension.

Since most of you know that my family is totally insane - I will share some of the shenanigans with you after the news was announced. Matthew (our precious middle child) went into a deep FUNK. He loudly bemoaned several GIVENS:

1. He and Amy's gift of a darling pink purse for my gift was hammered.

2. He, Amy, Brandon and Kylie were toast on the favorites list now, and last but most importantly:

3. Christmas for all of them was OVER!

Yes, he is mature and totally NOT materialistic or anything.

The next day he came over to play golf with his dad and told us that he had REALLY been thinking about 'the whole baby thing' and thought we should reconsider Christmas since they weren't messing things up by having the baby so they shouldn't be penalized. In his defense - he is the middle child.

Anyway......we are so stupidly happy. Truthfully, I was getting a little sick and tired of hearing about everyone else's grandchildren. (This is where Matt gets it!) So now I can be as idiotically silly and monotonous as everyone else. I am a real trend-follower. :)

I am going to be MiMi and Billy is going to be Pops. Delightful names, don't you think? Anyway......you are all so precious to put up with me - be excited with us and pray for us. We have had some tough and refining years but looks like we have some fun coming. Just like the Lord, don't you think?

I am working on some of those fancy stencils for the nursery: Dial 1-800-MiMi, If Your Parents Say No, Call MiMi, and Who Needs Parents? I Have a MiMi. Catchy, don't you think? Your thoughts and ideas are appreciated (by me, anyway).

I guess I better get off of here. I only have six months and I have a lot to purchase!!! I love you all and prepare to be bored as a gourd. I'm having a grandbaby!!!!

PS Brandon and Kylie - thanks for making me a MiMi!!!! I love you.

Matthew and Amy - I want a whole lot of them. :) I love you too.