Community inspires life

  

I awakened to this when I opened my eyes!

I received such sweet letters and emails the past week as many of you shared about your hearts that were lonely. I wrote my article last week, because I have felt it myself --having moved 17 times in our marriage and know what it is like to long for a friend who understands you, prays with you, and also to have your children have such friends. There is a Biblical need and longing for community. Yet, in our day, community is not local as it used to be. It has to be intentionally built and cultivated.

In our days of faith-challenging changes of moral foundations and volatile uncertainties, in an era of confusion when biblical motherhood is often disdained or dismissed as irrelevant or unimportant in a post-modern culture, we are ripe for a movement of the Holy Spirit. There is need for an intentional movement of godly women to hold forth the ideals, to inspire confidence, strength, faith and good works and in the midst, to develop deep friendships--as I believe that God created women to be the wisdom bringers, gate-keepers and civilizers of culture through relationship.

I have a wonderful friend who is such a joy to me. She is 68, and yet her desire for bringing life and beauty and love to women so burns in her heart that she is almost always alive, energetic and engaged whenever I see her. She has made her home a haven, so that just to be inside her rooms is a pleasure. Soothing colors on her walls, pictures, small relics and treasures through out her home that bespeaks of the many places she has lived and traveled, her love of the Lord, her value for family. And always a candle lit, soft music playing, and a pot of fresh tea ready in case someone might want to come by for a few minutes of fellowship. There is a lovely little room in her basement, just ready for someone who needs to get away--two single beds waiting for the next guest.

Every year for the past 15 years, she opens her home to young moms once a week. Her "cupa" is shared, sweet fellowship for the first few minutes, prayer is offered, scripture is opened and taught and discussed as the Basic tenets of the Biblical design of women and mothers is studied and discussed. Literally hundreds of women have passed through her doors in these studies, including me. Each week, women leave with hope, conviction, ideas, love and renewed and refreshed spirits.

Where there are real relationships and real love and heartfelt devotion to the Lord, life takes place. God built us for relationship. God built us for love and friendship and intimacy--the desire to be known and still loved. When we as women experience this kind of relationship and warmth, our whole demeanor is different, our emotional and spiritual cups are filled and we become better at everything--walking with God, loving our children and husbands, bringing beauty in our homes and in reaching out with God's grace to others. It is what we were designed to do.

One of the reasons I have come to disdain television is that it replicates real life--but it is not real life--there are virtual friends, virtual stories, entertainment is sought to fill the cavernous holes and vacuums in the soul--but it replaces real relationships, real love, real ministry, real service and only placates and dulls the soul. Television replaces visiting and sharing friendship, book discussions, creativity--cooking, painting, sewing, writing letters, articles and books, reading aloud, playing games, having groups and families in the home and so we live an isolated existence. Consequently, Christians have not had an impact on culture--but media has. It has defined the moral values and character of this current generation. But it has not satisfied their souls. Real, hand to hand, voice to voice friendship and intimacy is what is longed for--hoped for.

That is why we must figure out a way in the midst of our busy-ness to recreate community and fellowship. We need to connect heart strings from one to the other--and have a helping hand for each other in the midst of our burdens and our joys. I do see an amazing thing taking place amongst many beautiful blogs and websites where women are connected to each other. I applaud the talented women who do such a great job at bringing these loving messages and beauty to each other all over the world. At this time in history, we are able to connect to women all over the world in a moment's time, to love and encourage.

Yet, we all need to know that there is someone  nearby who is real, to touch, talk to, cry with--to know. Yet, I have learned that often, if this kind of fellowship was going to happen, I would need to be the one who would initiate it. God was an initiator--he came to give, he healed and blessed and taught and sacrificed. It was what we were also made to do. I travel so much that I cannot always do as much  locally as I would like, but I have come to really appreciate the encouragement I receive when I open my home from so many sweet, like-minded women.

The first Tuesday evenings of each month is something I look forward to with growing excitement each month. About 35-40 women gather in my home and we meet over snacks, fellowship, the word and prayer.This is our third year running.  This month, we will all bring our favorite Christmas appetizers or deserts and a favorite mug or tea cup. Christmas traditions will be shared and a devotion about the beauty of the soul and faith of Mary will be given, as together we reflect on the strategic role a mother played in the life of Christ.

Later in the week, I will have a luncheon for a sweet group of women who will help me with the Mom's conference here in Colorado Springs. Just meeting for lunch and working on a ministry project together will bring our hearts closer together. I will also have a Christmas tea for a few friends and some friends of my daughters as it is an anchor each year in our lives for the past 15 years. We will have a Christmas open house and invite people we know and people we don't know very well into our home for snacks and goodies, and to get to know some better. There are a couple of more dinners and pot lucks that my children have asked us to have for their various groups.

This will mean much more work for all of us, more cleaning, more cooking, more food shopping and preparation and more giving of all of us. And the goal this year is to do it on a strict budget--but I have found that others don't mind throwing their own snack or salad into the mix.  This in the midst of the deadline of my book, my boys coming home for Christmas (yeah!!!!); ministry meetings for Clay and me and out of town company, and so I take a deep breath, knowing it will be quite busy. Not to mention the family Christmas traditions.

Yet, it is a commitment we have made--it is work we have decided ahead of time to embrace as a defense against the isolation and separation--the thing Satan would love to accomplish--the isolation and separation of people from loving and connecting and serving one another.

I think that when women have this kind of fellowship, they will hold to ideals, grow stronger, and continue to cultivate vision. Spiritual fellowship is essential to spiritual growth and hope. This is why Clay and I started our Mom's conferences many years ago--to give moms a chance to be in a room full of hundreds of others who celebrate these ideals. This is why I write my books, based on Biblical principles, with Bible study questions at the ends of each chapter, so that moms will gather in their own homes and do the same thing--experience that amazing fellowship and life that takes place when women take time to open their hearts together. It is why so many of you open your homes and teach small groups in your churches.

It is not about being a great teacher or hostess, but about having a heart to encourage. Anyone can light a candle, invite moms over and open the word of God over a chapter of a book. Then, somehow, the Lord take over and friendship and fellowship grows. I know of so many moms who say, "I can't add another thing to my already over-burdened life. Yet, I really believe that most women cannot afford not to reach out as it is a life-line to encouragement and hope. It also brings life, love and hope to a family.

Sometimes my house is clean and ready, and sometimes people have to come into my little piles--sometimes there is china and real food  and sometimes there are paper plates and pizza. But my goal is love and friendship, not to be Martha Stewart. Some seasons, especially with small children, just a little group was all I could muster--especially during those ear-infected, asthma years--but we still made some attempts every year as a foundational commitment. Some seasons, I have been weary, wondering if anyone would every recipricate--but now, I have grown in this area, slowly, knowing that whether anyone recipricates is not the goal--just having that environment where life is and love is helps my soul.

This is where my passion has grown to start the Mom Heart Ministry--to establish spiritual groups of women all over the world who can stand strong together. To train leaders to start groups and supervise and encourage the moms who will also lead.To write devotional resources so that moms can have guidance in knowing how to study the Bible, a website that is geared to this spiritual fellowship and helps and messages and God's design and help.

I do look so forward to seeing what God will do at our Mom Heart meetings before our conferences this year and at our conferences. I hope that there will continue to be an army of women, committed to the well being of their children's spiritual life, education and training; marriages repaired, husbands love and supported, homes a place of life and beauty and grace. What a privilege to be a part of what God designed us to be and to know that by our faithfulness in this, we are going to see history changed as we live out what we are designed to do. I look so forward to seeing many of you there. But for those who can't come, know that our desire is to have a place for you to come hear the messages and to be encouraged with your own friends right where you are in your own homes, as we seek ways to make our conferences and materials available to your groups right where you are. (Of course it will only happen at a snail's pace if Clay and I have to get it all going in the midst of what is already on our plate--but we are counting on the Lord raising up a team of women--writers, administrators, web whizzes, and prayer warriors who will by God's grace be a part of what we think He is already doing!)

So, in the midst of the many activities this month, make time for fellowship, love, friendship and prayer together. When you model this to your children, they will become lovers of people instead of  lovers of things; they will perceive themselves as people who have something to give and serve because they have had to do so in your home. They will learn to have compassion on the downhearted and lost because you made your home a place of refuge for all who would come there. These are the essential things that will fill their souls and satisfy their hearts. They, like us, were made for love and purpose not toys and things and entertainment. They were made to be a part of something bigger than themselves--they learn it by you being involved in others' lives and in your giving of yourselves as a family.

It doesn't have to start with something big. I could only do one activity a month when my children were little. But God grew my capacity over the years. He stretched me, he trained me, showed me how to be more efficient. Maybe when I grow up a little more, I will do it all better and give more easily. But it has become such an area of passion for me--to see the connection of real hearts to each other--real support--real friendships even as Jesus shared with His disciples. Have a wonderful week and gather with at least one person or family and celebrate friendship. I prayed for all of you this morning.Peace.

Sally Sally@wholeheart.org

Whole Heart Ministries

PS Be sure to connect to the conference links above at the top right column. Today we will be picking the November winners for the $50 coupon. If you advertise the conferences in December, you will also be entered into the drawing for 2 more $50 coupons to be applied to a conference, book tables or the book store. (Write to Jennice@wholeheart.org if you put an announcement on an email list, facebook, blog or other list!) We want to reach as many sweet moms as possible with the encouragement of our speakers and  great fellowship! Thanks for your help.

A Sacrifice of Thanksgiving: An attribute that is caught when Taught Mentoring Monday

"What shall I render to the Lord for all of His benefits toward me? To thee I will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, And call upon the name of the Lord, Oh, may it be in the presence of all His people; Praise the Lord!"

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday of the year. It is a time of family gathering, great food, and cozy times, but also a time of nurturing a thankful heart.

In general, I do not think thankfulness is a very natural trait. Most often, it seems to me, that people who are grateful are those who have been taught to be thankful--to acknowledge a kindness, to be trained to give words of graciousness to those who have blessed us. Training a child to be thankful is of utmost importance. It is a delightful experience to be around a child who has been trained to thankfulness. "Thank you for  having me over. Thank you for that wonderful meal. Thank you for the ride. Thank you for the lovely gift." It makes me want to keep giving to that child or friend or family.

I recently had a very humbling experience. A sweet mom who is overflowing with pregnancy, and already has 3 wee children in her home,  wrote an email to me and said, "I appreciate so much what you do by having all the women into your home every month and so before I have my baby in three weeks, I want to bring you two meals on two different days, and I want to have your house cleaned for you! I am so thankful for all the ways you have blessed me and taught me and encouraged me. So I didn't just want to say thanks. I wanted to show thanks to your family."

When she showed up at the door, she had a wonderful dinner, banana bread for the next morning for breakfast, bags of little extras, and an apology that she was 15 minutes late! As she walked in, Sarah saw how very pregnant she was and when she left, she commented, "Mom, we should be serving her a meal! She is the one who needs some rest and help. But it almost always seems that the busier people are, the more they are able to give. What a sweet mom."

It was a blessing to me in more ways than I can tell. I do Bible studies and fun nights in my home because I love to do them and I love the precious moms who come. But having her thank me, not just with words, but actions, deeply ministered to me.  It really did mean a lot to me to know that these evenings had meant so much to this precious mom. She took time out of her busy schedule to sacrifice by blessing me. Her sacrifice not only filled our tummies and made it easier from me to have my Bible study (after her friend cleaned my house) but it really touched my heart and gave me a reason to keep doing this.

In the old testament, a sacrifice of thanksgiving was given by people who were to make unleavened cakes and unleavened wafers. It was something given as a praise and thanksgiving to God--acknowledging all that He was and all that He had done. A sacrifice of praise was to take time, intention and forethought.

Similarly, I think that it is of great importance to take time to thank God. But I have also thought that even as the mom greatly pleased me by serving me, that there is no better way to show God our thanks. I have pondered what that meant for Clay and me and the kids not just to thank God but to thank Him with our deeds as well. Slowly God has given me some fun ideas that have helped me feel direction for our family in helping nurture this area.

I think that one of the reasons David is such a picture of a man after God's own heart, was that he was constantly writing songs about God's goodness and faithfulness and thanking Him and praising Him. He believed in God's goodness, even in the midst of a very difficult life. But even more, as a king, He led all of the people in giving God the glory due His name. He called all of his people to sing, play instruments, worship and dance before God--he did it with all of His heart- because of a humble and overflowing heart that truly loved and treasured God. Practical applications to thanksgiving for our children give them patterns that they will practice the rest of their lives.

I must admit that most of my prayers going heavenward are petitions, requests. Yet, I am learning that thanksgiving is an exercise of my character that eventually influences my heart. When I look at my life with thankful eyes, it lifts my heart to see how truly blessed I am and makes all the other issues of my life seem less important. Thanksgiving not only pleases God, but it releases in me all the issues of my life. It gives me a power to be able to believe Him for great things. It causes my soul to soar because it puts me heavenward instead of earthbound. I don't think it is possible to have a truly thankful heart  and to acknowledge God's sovereignty over all situations and a bitter heart at the same time--it is one or the other. God would have us be thankful.

On the occasion of my 50th birthday, Sarah made me a lovely gold framed list of 50 attributes that she appreciated about me. I have it in my bedroom and cherish it. Though I live with my shortcomings and weaknesses every day, her verbalizing to me what she loved about me has encouraged me again and again. For every year of my life, I am going to write down something I really am thankful for about the Lord. All of us are doing this as a practice this year. I did it this morning and find that by seeing all of His attributes and provisions and naming them, I am in a whole different frame of mind.

Slowly I am compiling a list of people that I am particularly thankful for. They will receive email cards telling them how much I love and appreciate them. The girls had an idea, too, of each of us picking 2 people who we think are under-appreciated and surprise them with something that will tell them we love them. It has been a growing area in our lives. Yet, over the years, we have noticed that it is those people who write thank you notes, who email life-giving words, who take the time to thank us who seem especially wonderful, because they have learned to be initiators. This area of initiating is a definite sign of good character. I have tried to teach my children that they need to have an internal sense of duty that tells them what is the right thing to do. Practicing doing the right things just because it is right to do helps them to be confident and a blessing, a pattern to follow, for the rest of their lives.

Finally, leaving thank yous on beds when we travel,  surprise notes on pillows at nights, thank you texts on phones, email cards, are the ways that are easily added to busy lives. Giving my girls pretty thank you stationary in their stockings at Christmas, and especially, taking the time to be thankful for them has ended up blessing me, because they have become my best encouragers and most thankful.

Choosing to be thankful and learning to be content will fill your soul with peace and kindness and in the end, you will be happier and more thankful. It is a choice, a habit of practice, but will indeed create in you a more beautiful soul. Practicing what you want to be and what God wants you to be, just because it is right, will always end up blessing you in the end.

May I end by saying how thankful I am for so many of you--you work tirelessly every day, you are going to serve your family and children this week, you are faithful even when no one knows it--but you are indeed of the best and I pray that you will know that all those hours of cooking and loving this week are going deep in the hearts of your children. Have a happy, happy thanksgiving!

Sally

 

Loneliness--a curse or a gift?

I am sitting sequestered today in a living room of a time share in Breckenridge, Co. attempting to write 5 chapters of my new book about joy. I would rather be outside where it is beautiful or downtown in a coffee shop or perusing one of the darling gift stores or at the Christmas baking party of one of my friends--where my daughters are--but here I am, stuck in this little room, alone, again, working, again! And ironically, today, I am supposed to be writing about joy in the difficulties of life! I think the Lord has a sense of humor. Loneliness has been a constant companion for me for many years. It causes me to ache inside sometimes. It brings tears to my eyes and a longing for community.  I long for like-minded kindred spirits who also like me! I loved what C.S. Lewis said, "We read to know we are not alone." I love having close, intimate friends, who "get" me.Those who know all about me and know my quirks and petty sins, and still get me. I also love being with like-minded friends who are passionate about the Lord, about ministry, about the Word and about family--who have ideals like mine, but who also love to have fun and celebrate life--my close friend must be someone who understands grace and giving grace--who has learned it by going around the track of life and by being humbles. There are not, in my intimate life, many who fit this longing and who also initiate to me--not many initiate to me. I also long for friends who both know and love my older children as well as Joy--as they are all--my older and younger family- a part of my heart and life.

But alas, so much of my life, I feel so alone, invisible in my needs to the world of hundreds of people who buzz in and out of my life.  Part of it is because there is very little contact with family or emotional support. My children have not had the privilege of knowing the closeness of family and consequently, we are most often alone on holidays. Part of it is because I am also busy and because I hold ideals that are in a minority in this culture in this day at this time. But I thought if I have felt it so often and for so many years, you might, too, and I wanted you to know you are not unusual or alone--there are many of us like you!

I think there are many who feel this loneliness. In a world of isolationism-breakdown of families for every reason--moving all over the world and being separated physically, divorce, differing ideals, and just plain lack of commitment. there is an isolation in neighborhoods and no longer the simple community of people who hold your values and your faith. Add to that, isolation in church--where the paradigm is often a value for working moms (all of us work, don't we?)  not always a value for those who stay at home with their children.

Yet, it has been this very loneliness that has driven me to the Lord. He has heard me over and over again and He has used this to open my heart to others who have needs, he has used it to humble me in my point of need so that I have more compassion for those who are also separated from support systems. As  a matter of fact, most of what I write about has come from my struggles. This particular puzzle of my life, which I have a choice to live out in grace and faith or to live in the darkness of depression, has been for me the story of a God who loves me and shows me life and grace and light in the midst. It is choosing to seek Him and to hold on to his hand and to believe in His friendship that I have found strength and a way to keep going.

I got a letter from a friend last night who lives far away from me (most of my oldest and closest friends live far away) who told me she doesn't really have any friends left who identify with her. Just this morning, I talked with another friend, who has been involved in our ministry for years, who was telling me the same thing. I could tell you of almost 30 women, all who are leaders and helping speaking or writing or ministering to many, many women who feel the same way. As they say, it is lonely at the top. These precious women all feel that they give and give and give, but rarely receive much personal affirmation or validation. I have learned over the years that most people just assume these women don't need more encouragement or love--Perhaps it is like th 10 blind men who are healed but only one turns to thank Jesus. All of these women would seem like the type who would have lots of friends and lots of support systems, and yet they are lonely because so few initiate to them and then in their weariness they are tempted to think that their work or lives do not matter and that no one loves them. It is just what happened to Elijah and sometime I will have the time to write what I have been learning about him and through him.

I also know so many young moms who struggle with loneliness in their own homes with their little children. One idealistic young mom cried with me last week saying, "I just went upstairs for 3 minutes to put up laundry and when I came downstairs, my 3 year old had used a permanent marker to draw all over the naked body of my 18 month old and then drawn on my favorite blouse and the carpet. I thought to myself, "Is this what I want to do for the rest of my life? Take care of these children? Stay home by myself and do this day in and day out? Am I not more talented than this? Will I never have a bigger life?

I giggled at her story, but personally knew her feelings. She is so cute and fun and intelligent--just has her ideals about family life and children in a circle of friends who don't understand her or support her.

But, I just wanted you to know today, that you are not alone.God indeed loves you so much and is so very proud of your bringing life and beauty into your homes. He knows your struggles. He sees you and your needs to be loved and appreciated and filled up. He wants you to know that he likes fun and pleasures. Just this morning, I read, in His presence is fullness of joy, and in His right hand, pleasures forevermore. Just think about that--pleasures evermore! Psalm 30:5

He wants us to have pleasure. He made laughter and joy and food and color and music and hand holding and cuddling babies and puppies because he wants us to enjoy life. Consider with me, if you will, who would like for you to feel lonely? God or Satan? Who would just love for you to believe that your efforts aren't appreciated and don't matter? Satan, of course, would love for you to believe the lies!

So, if I could, I would have you all into my little living room right now for tea and chocolate. But as it is, I am going to pray for you. You must be a conductor of your own symphony and make a plan to place some pleasure, times with people, outings away from the messy home and sequestering  of too many sinful children and moms in one small place--going to a park--for an ice cream--or anywhere will change your mood--just don't stay and stew where you are--

As for me, I am going to work like a crazy woman for 3 more hours and then go to a cafe this afternoon for a cup of soup and a little walk on the mountain. I am going to call at least two friends--far away--and tell them I love them. I know I will go downhill in my feelings if I don't make a plan.

I am going to plan some fun Christmas outings with me and my girls and my friends who are in town later today--because I know that if I cultivate friendships and memories, I will myself be blessed. It is just the truth that most people I know have to initiate to others and most often, their initiation will not be reciprocated, but if they wait until someone else initiates, they might be waiting forever and not get to have fun--so you plan fun and bless others who are lonely.

As I am writing and researching my book on joy, I am finding that one has to resolve to grab joy, every day, even in the midst of life--to see beauty, to choose to dance, to reach out because He reaches out and He is living through us, to also believe in heaven and hope in future fulfillment and to hold God's hand and receive His love by faith and to keep sowing seeds of love in others so that eventually the seeds will grow fruit.

We must tightly hold on to the ideal of community and fight for it, as it is in the community of loving believers where the reality of God is most felt. I have been so blessed with a couple of friends who love me and reach out to me because they made a commitment to me--not because I deserve it, but because they know I need it--even though my busy life of ministry alienates me from most local activities. But I believe this is what God has called me to--and I do not want to shrink back--but I just need to keep reaching for friends and close companions in the midst of it. And I so need these sweet friends who took the risk to intervene in my life and to bless me.

And now, I also see, that the greatest gift of all in the midst of my family's isolation and moving so much has been that we are the closest of friends.My children didn't have lots of people and so I didn't have much competition! We loved and had fun with each other out of necessity and the end result was that we are friends and love and enjoy each other each day by phone and email, not because we have to, but because we truly enjoy each other and are interested in each other's lives. My children have also experienced this loneliness--not many peers like them in today's world. Yet they are learning to lean into the life God has given to them and they are all best friends! Even after so many years of fussing and tussling--they ended up in love.

So, if you are feeling lonely today, please know I understand and God understands and you are not invisible to Him--it isn't even because you have done anything wrong or because of your personality--it is just a consequence of life in a very fallen, isolated world. So, determine not to let it get you down. Like yourself today, to make a plan, create beauty and call someone else who just might have needed to know that they were not alone in the world.

Now back to writing! Sally

PS Happy Birthday today, Joel. Twenty-two years ago, I was delighted to pop you out after an hour and fifteen minutes of labor in that Austrian hospital with Dad, Gwen, a doctor and nurse all peering into the event. You are a blessing to me.

Gentle Joel Please join me in prayer for him this birthday week!

Sweet Friends, I have a favor to ask of you. Will you help me give Joel a birthday present this week and join me in praying for God to open doors for him financially so he can attend Berklee School of Music in January? He also needs to find housing he can afford. (Hmmm that sounds familiar--oh, yeah--Nathan two months ago!) But I learned my lesson when you prayed with me for Nathan! I would feel so very grateful if you would join me in prayer for Joel this week.

 Here is the whole story: My first son, Joel, turns twenty-two on Wednesday. As a little boy, he was my gentle child, always singing, designing lego cities and castles, drawing hundreds of designs of jeeps, and almost always happy. He would always make the other kids jealous because he could hear a song played on the piano or guitar and he would just sit down and begin to pick it out or play it by ear. I remember one year when we were visiting some friends in Boston, Joel sat down at a harp and began to pick out melodies as though he had been playing for years.

His first year after graduating from high school, Joel attended a worship school, as we have tended to have our kids spend the first year at home as a sort of transitional year into adulthood. At the end of that year, Joel received a several scholarship offers from universities but ended up taking a presidential scholarship at Seattle Pacific University. He so enjoyed his first year and worked while he took a full load of classes and still made a 3.5 average. However, at the end of his first year, he and Sarah were chosen to be interns at a ministry outreach in Cambridge University in England to work with Ranald McCaulay in a ministry outreach to students and professors. Upon return from their summer there, Joel began to pray about changing his major. He began to clep out of some basic classes and said, "I have always wanted to be a musician. I don't think I have much of a chance, but I really feel that if I don't try to get into Berklee school of music, I  might regret it the rest of my life. I think it is the best school in the United States for what I want to do--become a composer."

So, last January he began to compose a song for his interview, which would take place in person in Boston. Now, as a mom, I felt insecure because with our 17 moves, travels in ministry and limited salary, Joel only had about 2 years of formal music lessons. But though he didn't have a depth in musical theory or  much experience at reading music, he had lots of other strengths in just musical talent and a good ear all by God's grace and design.  So our whole family prayed and friends prayed and Joel took a trip to Boston for his live audition. Before that time, he had to fill out pages upon pages of essays telling his philosophy, dreams, desire to study and so on.

He did great on his composition performance and probably was a little weak on the areas he hoped to study at Berklee--like theory!  (You can hear his composition by connecting to this link: http://www.virb.com/thenorthcountry  When you go to this site, place your cursor on The Night as Bright as Day.)

 Then the wait began. They said it would be September before he would hear. This had been the year that I had truly decided that I was like the little boy who gave Jesus his fish and loaves and asked for a miracle. I had done my best, given my all to my children, but I knew that there were holes and that only the Lord could help to open doors for my children. This was the faith I depended on--that if the Lord wanted Joel into the school of his dreams, He would open the doors, knowing that He would be the one we would thank.

Finally, September 15, Joel got the word that he had been accepted at Berklee. We were all amazed and  excited  that now he was going to have the opportunity to pursue what he had wanted to do for many years.

It just happened that it was during the time of the bank failures. So, even though he was accepted, as a January student, there were no scholarships available, even though he pursued every office, every opportunity and every email address he could find. He was only offered $2500 in loans from government Fafsa loans, which is hardly enough to put his toe into the door. So, Joel kept working and praying that God would open the door for him somehow to get into school. In the midst of this, I sent him the book, The Spiritual Lives of Great Composers, which we had read from many years before.

The Lord seems to always use stories of faithful people who have gone before us to show us the way. Joel read several of the histories of the great composers. He called me last Friday and was renewed in his confidence to trust the Lord. He said, "Mom, all of these great men had to work so diligently. Most of them were dirt poor and they had to devote themselves to practice and discipline for years upon years. But because they worked hard, they became great.They also had this in common--they performed and composed for the glory of God. The most amazing thing was and epoch statement that Bach made. He said that anyone could do what he did if they would work as hard as he worked. I know I will never be a Bach, but I want to do what he did and work to my capacity. I really want to try to find a way to make it work for me to go ahead and start school in January. I am not afraid of working  hard. I think I can make good grades and be a good student and then maybe I can get scholarships the end of my first year. I really want to do my best to become a composer."

So, now, we are placing ourselves once more in the hands of the Lord and know that in some way He will greatly show his faithfulness. Having been involved in ministry for so many years, we have not had a lot extra to put into college for the kids. Yet the Lord has met our needs every year. But we have put our names on loans for the kids for their cars and for the school loans they have had to take out. All of our children have worked hard and have been able to pay their basic bills.  But we are not sure if Fafsa will give loans to Clay and me as we have heard that all such student loans are very difficult to get since the fall of the banks and since we have already applied to Fafsa for financial aid and Joel just received a little. .

Yet, having seen the Lord work so wonderfully before in our lives with Nathan in New York city, we want to ask you to please join us in praying for Joel this week as we make one final attempt to secure a loan so that he can start school. Will you please pray for Joel to see God open a door for him with us? He is willing to keep working, but he has also come to the point of wanting to see God open doors in such a way that many will see His reality.

I used to worry so much more, but I have seen God's ways more clearly in the past few years. When I wanted things to be easy, God was allowing them to be a challenge--because He was a Father with a training heart. He was answering my prayers, (Lord, please build my boys into godly men.) His ways are to build Joel into a stronger man so that he can be prepared for more difficult challenges ahead. Having had to work, to strain towards his dreams, to grapple with the Lord about how to make it all happen could be as important to the making of his character as school will be to his music education. I see his spiritual muscles growing, his confidence in God building and his whole life being stretched and in all of this, he will be much more prepared to be the godly, strong man God would have him be.

So, Happy Birthday, dear, wonderful Joel. I can't wait to see what the Lord has waiting for you.

I love you! Mom

(And thanks to you wonderful friends who join me in prayer before the Lord's throne.)

PS Joel's email address is jicmusicguy@gmail.com

Snowy day and Way of Life Discipleship

Joy running Kelsey in the first snow! (Sorry about your head, Joy!

"He established a testimony in Jacob and a law in Israel, Which he commanded our fathers that they should teach them to their children, that the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, that they may arise and tell them to their children, that they should put their confidence in God And not forget the works of God and keep His commandments." Psalm 78

We knew it was coming, but this fall was a prolonged splendor of crisp, autumn days perfect for hiking. We so enjoyed our jaunts by the national forest several days a week knowing that they would be gone too soon.  This morning, I opened my eyes and saw swirling, blowing snow rushing about outside my window. (We don't have any curtains on our bedroom windows as we face our backyard which has no one in our sites.)

Now, I knew plan b must go into action. We were going to an outing, but I knew the snow would cancel it. Now I already know that we will not do math--we never do math on Fridays!  We can snuggle up for a longer Bible reading and have a longer talk over breakfast. I think I will read out of the Celtic devotion I have been enjoying.

Now the day holds at least one or two cups of tea and or hot chocolate, the fire burning and reading out-loud for at least an hour. A perfect day for teaching Joy how to make Broccoli soup to go with the bread we made yesterday.

And that blog she was going to start for girls in their 10-15 year old range--maybe I could assign an article and have her work on the design, since her computer class was canceled today.

And I need her to listen to the song Nathan has picked out for her to sing with him at the competition in January. She will have to pick out the one minute segment she thinks will be best. Piano practice and playing a fun card game in between should make a great day of memories and input.

Of course talking, talking, talking--gigging, correcting, a fair bit of eating and nibbling.

I have that peace and assurance that these are the very kind of days that are shaping Joy's heart, soul, mind and filling her emotional tank along the way--giving her appetites for the right things in life, stretching her mind by exposing her to ideas and thoughts from others, giving her a chance to exercise her own skill at creating, writing, performing, putting her imprimatur on all sorts of things in our home. The Lord and people and life drift in and out of our conversations all day long naturally, because these are the things of our real hearts. It's not a formula, but a relationship that starts with Him and ends with her.

How I like these gifts of time, knowing that my window of time into Joy's heart is going to close sooner than I can imagine. Having three siblings before her gives me grace, freedom and peace in the midst of her varied days knowing it will all turn out well.  I don't worry about the result, I just enjoy the time I have, knowing God will be at work.

I love seeing her grow and stretch her wings. She has a little job with MOPS babysitting all the children  for 2 hours during their Bible study--makes $40 a month (got a $1 raise yesterday!)  and it helps her to give to the Lord, save a bit and then have some money all her own to spend on things she enjoys. "Mom, I just wish I could teach some moms how to be Moms!" she said as she hopped in the car yesterday.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, you can really tell the children who are nurtured and have had their souls filled with love and training." (wonder who she has been hanging around with or listening to! :) ) Some of them seem happy and are easy to take care of and steer in the right direction and some are always whining, and or fighting or hitting. And you won't believe it but one child was fine until her mom came to pick her up and when she did, the little girl clung to me and started crying. Her mom yelled at her and said, 'I am gong to McDonalds without you and I am going to leave you here!' I can see why she wouldn't want to go with her- she had no clue how to gently reach the heart of her little girl."

"What would you do instead, Joy?"  and so began a 15 minute discussion while munching our sandwiches together.

At thirteen, whether I like it or not, Joy is beginning to strain toward adulthood. I am becoming more and more a guide to build on the foundations she has been given. But I also know that her movement in that direction will provide me with another adult best friend. So even though I hate the thought of her growing up, I love the thought of seeing her flourish and spread her wings to take the messages of her heart and mind--and to build the legacy, hopefully, into the lives of her children, that the baton of righteousness may be passed on and on faithfully to my children and grandchildren. (Please, Lord, bring my children godly spouses in your time! and give me a grandchild to fret over before Joy leaves! )

And to think this is what God designed me to do--to enjoy my days with the ones I love, talk and have fun, create life and enjoy my day and in this to be building His kingdom. What a privilege! What fulfillment. What fun.

Colorado Springs and Raleigh, NC Mom's conference coming!

Dear Friends, We have heard from so many of you in the past few days. It means so much to us to know we have kindred spirits in so many areas. We have women who travel to our conferences literally from all over the world, so we know that your emails and announcements might just reach that mom who is feeling alone or discouraged. We pray the Holy Spirit will make lots of ways to help sweet moms be able to attend.

We  have had so many letters from those of you who attended the Colorado Springs conference last year to have another one here in my home area. There will be a weekend conference here after all! We will post the details of this conference later this week. For now, it will be the weekend of January 16th-17th at New Life Church. The conference will be Friday night and all day Saturday, with a possible Mom Heart afternoon tea for those interested in becoming leaders. We have made arrangements with the Residence Inn across the street to reserve one and two bedroom suites so that you can make it a retreat with your friends. At least two speakers will be joining me and possibly three, so it will be a very wonderful time of fellowship.

We will also be hosted in a similar conference in Raleigh, North Carolina and will be posting more information about that very soon. Since we will not be there until March, we have  a little longer to put the information online.

For you sweet moms who live beyond our conferences, please know that we hope to video tape these very soon or even to host an online conference so that you may enjoy these from your homes. We appreciate hearing from all of you and thank you so much for helping us to reach out to and encourage the moms of this generation to build their children into Godly adults by influencing their children in their homes.

Blessings and abundant thanks for all of your help. Sally Sally@wholeheart.org

WholeHearted Mother Conferences 2009 in NC, CA, and TX

Dear WholeHearted Moms,

    
    There is a wholehearted mother described in Scripture. She has a good husband, a house-full of children who love her, a passion for building her home, a heart for solving problems and being resourceful, and she fears and serves the Lord. I'm sure life wasn't any easier then for this mission-minded mother than it is now for you and me, but this is how she is described:
  
Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future.
 
    I'm sure you recognize the Proverbs 31...mother. If she were here today, I'd ask her to come speak at our 2009 WholeHearted Mother Conferences. As I have prayed and planned what God would have me share with all the wonderful moms who will come to this year's gatherings, this godly woman is on my heart. In these faith-challenging times, when there is a pall of economic uncertainty hanging over all of us, I want to give us all reasons as godly moms to be known as women of strength and dignity. I want every woman to know she can look the future full in the face and smile because she knows God is there. That is my message this year:
 
Smiling at the Future with Faith ~ Building Your Heart
and Home on Solid Foundations
 
    That is a message I believe many moms need to hear. Especially now. That's why I have a big favor to ask of you this year. In order to conserve our modest ministry financial resources (remember the "economic pall"?), we are not printing a full-color brochure and mailing it to our entire list like we have done in the past. Instead, we will be promoting the conferences almost entirely on the internent and through word of mouth. That means we need as many "mouths" to spread the "word" as we can find. Will you help me tell other moms about our conferences?
               

Tell Other Mothers about the WH Mother Conference!

 
   
    If you have a blog, or a newsletter, or a group, would you consider posting, sending, or handing out an announcement about this conference? If the word gets out, and moms get in, that will save us over $10,000 as a ministry! That would be great. We know you don't need an incentive to want to help us, but as our way of saying "Thanks!" we'll do two things:
 
1) Everyone who participates will receive a free Our 24 Family Ways Kids Color-In Book, and
2) Everyone who participates will be entered into a drawing for six $50.00 Gift Certificates.
 
    The Color-In Books can be picked up at the conferences (or mailed if you send us postage). Two Gift Certificates will be given away each month in November, December, and January. If your name is drawn, your certificate may be used like cash at the conference book table, or applied to a new conference registration (not redeemable for refund or cash). You will be entered in the monthly drawing each time you create a new post, send out a newsletter, or distribute a flyer to your group. Reporting will all be on the honor system, so just send us an email with your name, address, phone number, and the date and description of your participation. Send it to Jennice Jones, our wonderful admin assistant, at admin@wholeheart.org. At least one participation email will also make you eligible for your free Kids Color-In Book.

    We're trying to get there soon, but we're not quite tech-savvy enough yet to provide banners and graphic goodies to use. What we can offer to help you will be at the bottom of this newsletter. Use whatever you need, and we'll try to provide more soon. Spread the word! Thanks.

 Help Single Moms Attend a WH Mother Conference!     But there's another way you can help, too. We know that there are many single parent mothers and widowed mothers who would really like to come to the conference. They need the getaway and company of other mothers more than most, but some are unable to attend due to financial constraints. We have always offered hardship scholarships, but we can offer only partial assistance due to fixed costs. This year, we would like to try something new. We will establish a Mom Alone Blessing Fund to be able to provide full registration scholarships to single moms who are unable to attend. This will be a permanent fund of Whole Heart Ministries, so any money remaining in the fund after the conferences will be used only to bless single parenting mothers. Your entire gift will be tax deductible. Be sure to designate it for the "Mom Alone Blessing Fund." You can send a check to Whole Heart, or donate online and send us an email to let us know it is for the fund. If you are able to help financially, you can provide a tremendous blessing to a mom alone. Thank you!

 

Be a Part of Mom Heart to Minister to Mothers Worldwide! 
    Finally, there's one more thing new this year, and you can be a part of it, too. We are humbly launching the Mom Heart Ministry initiative at this year's conferences. Mom Heart, as God has put the burden and vision in my heart, is the next step in my over twenty years of ministering to mothers. Mom Heart is a motherhood small groups movement that, I am praying, will help restore God's heart for motherhood to the next generation. I believe mothers, by God's design at creation, are strategic to the spiritual health of the family and the wholeness of their children. I want to spend the rest of my life championing the cause of biblical motherhood, and encouraging and equipping mothers around the world to become all that God intends them to be.

 

 
     I envision not just another program, but a movement of small groups in the U.S. and around the world in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. When fully implemented, it will include leadership training materials and events, Mom Heart Group Bible studies and discussion guides, an interactive website where moms and groups can network for mutual encouragement, a digital Mom Heart Mom-e-Zine, downloadable and streaming audio and video resources, print resources, and much more. As Habbakuk says, though, "For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay." So, as we wait for it, here's what you can do to become a part of Mom Heart:
 
1) Pray for Mom Heart. We are just beginning to inch forward with the vision. Sandra Maddox, our featured speaker for the Conferences this year, is partnering with me to help shepherd this burden into a ministry. We will be planning, looking for staff, and developing resources together. We need the prayers of mothers who share our burden for biblical motherhood.
 
   
    If you have a blog, or a newsletter, or a group, would you consider posting, sending, or handing out an announcement about this conference? If the word gets out, and moms get in, that will save us over $10,000 as a ministry! That would be great. We know you don't need an incentive to want to help us, but as our way of saying "Thanks!" we'll do two things:
 
1) Everyone who participates will receive a free Our 24 Family Ways Kids Color-In Book, and
2) Everyone who participates will be entered into a drawing for six $50.00 Gift Certificates.
 
    The Color-In Books can be picked up at the conferences (or mailed if you send us postage). Two Gift Certificates will be given away each month in November, December, and January. If your name is drawn, your certificate may be used like cash at the conference book table, or applied to a new conference registration (not redeemable for refund or cash). You will be entered in the monthly drawing each time you create a new post, send out a newsletter, or distribute a flyer to your group. Reporting will all be on the honor system, so just send us an email with your name, address, phone number, and the date and description of your participation. Send it to Jennice Jones, our wonderful admin assistant, at admin@wholeheart.org. At least one participation email will also make you eligible for your free Kids Color-In Book.

    We're trying to get there soon, but we're not quite tech-savvy enough yet to provide banners and graphic goodies to use. What we can offer to help you will be at the bottom of this newsletter. Use whatever you need, and we'll try to provide more soon. Spread the word! Thanks.

 Help Single Moms Attend a WH Mother Conference! 
    But there's another way you can help, too. We know that there are many single parent mothers and widowed mothers who would really like to come to the conference. They need the getaway and company of other mothers more than most, but some are unable to attend due to financial constraints. We have always offered hardship scholarships, but we can offer only partial assistance due to fixed costs. This year, we would like to try something new. We will establish a Mom Alone Blessing Fund to be able to provide full registration scholarships to single moms who are unable to attend. This will be a permanent fund of Whole Heart Ministries, so any money remaining in the fund after the conferences will be used only to bless single parenting mothers. Your entire gift will be tax deductible. Be sure to designate it for the "Mom Alone Blessing Fund." You can send a check to Whole Heart, or donate online and send us an email to let us know it is for the fund. If you are able to help financially, you can provide a tremendous blessing to a mom alone. Thank you!
Be a Part of Mom Heart to Minister to Mothers Worldwide!  Finally, there's one more thing new this year, and you can be a part of it, too. We are humbly launching the Mom Heart Ministry initiative at this year's conferences. Mom Heart, as God has put the burden and vision in my heart, is the next step in my over twenty years of ministering to mothers. Mom Heart is a motherhood small groups movement that, I am praying, will help restore God's heart for motherhood to the next generation. I believe mothers, by God's design at creation, are strategic to the spiritual health of the family and the wholeness of their children. I want to spend the rest of my life championing the cause of biblical motherhood, and encouraging and equipping mothers around the world to become all that God intends them to be.
 
     I envision not just another program, but a movement of small groups in the U.S. and around the world in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. When fully implemented, it will include leadership training materials and events, Mom Heart Group Bible studies and discussion guides, an interactive website where moms and groups can network for mutual encouragement, a digital Mom Heart Mom-e-Zine, downloadable and streaming audio and video resources, print resources, and much more. As Habbakuk says, though, "For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay." So, as we wait for it, here's what you can do to become a part of Mom Heart:
 
1) Pray for Mom Heart. We are just beginning to inch forward with the vision. Sandra Maddox, our featured speaker for the Conferences this year, is partnering with me to help shepherd this burden into a ministry. We will be planning, looking for staff, and developing resources together. We need the prayers of mothers who share our burden for biblical motherhood.
2) Be a Mom Heart Leader. If you share my heart for biblical motherhood, please consider becoming a Mom Heart Group leader. If you are interested, you will have an opportunity to respond at the conference, or you can send an email to Jennice in our office at admin@wholeheart.org.
 
3) Attend a Mom Heartbeat Brunch. Watch for more information about this special brunch on Friday morning of the Conferences. If we are able to work out the arrangements at each of the hotels, it will be a time for you to hear in more detail about the vision and plans for Mom Heart Ministry. There will be a small cost to attend, which will include a light, mid-morning brunch.
 Links & Info to Promote the WH Mother Conference 
 NORTH CAROLINA January 23-24, Charlotte, NC (Church at Charlotte) Conference Early Registration Deadline: Friday, DECEMBER 26 (Save $10) 

 Hotel: The Marriott Charlotte SouthPark
 

 

Room Rate: $109/night (guaranteed through December 26)
Reservations:       704-364-8220   704-364-8220       704-364-8220   704-364-8220
Click Here for a PDF Information Sheet about the NC Conference. Click Here for a PDF Registration Flyer for NC (full page, one side, flyer with registration form).
Click Here for a PDF Registration Handout for NC (half page x2, landscape) CALIFORNIA
February 6-7, Irvine, CA (Crowne Plaza Irvine Hotel) SPECIAL Early Registration Deadline: Friday, NOVEMBER 14 (Save $20!)
 

 

Early Deadline: January 9 (Save $10) Hotel: The Crowne Plaza Irvine Room Rate: $85/night (guaranteed through January 23)
Reservations:     949-863-1999   949-863-1999      949-863-1999   949-863-1999
Click Here for a PDF Information Sheet about the CA Conference. Click Here for a PDF Registration Flyer for CA (full page, one side, flyer with registration form).
Click Here for a PDF Registration Handout for CA (half page x2, landscape) 

Click Here for a PDF Registration Handout for TX (half page x2, landscape)Register by Phone:
Thank You!     It will be so good to be with you again for our 11th year. I'm praying all the moms who come this year will be refreshed and renewed in the Spirit of the Lord so they, too, with strength and dignity can smile at the future. Thank you for helping me spread the word virtually. I look forward to sharing my mom heart with you. Grace and peace. 

 

 

TEXAS February 20-21, Irving-DFW, TX (Dallas Marriott Las Colinas) SPECIAL Early Registration Deadline: Friday, NOVEMBER 28 (Save $20!) Early Deadline: January 23 (Save $10) Hotel: Dallas Marriott Las Colinas Room Rate: $83/night (guaranteed through February 6) Reservations:     972-831-0000   972-831-0000    972-831-0000  972-831-0000 Click Here for a PDF Information Sheet about the TX Conference. Click Here for a PDF Registration Flyer for TX (full page, one side, flyer with registration form).

 
  888-488-4466  888-488-4466    888-488-4466  888-488-4466 or   719-488-4466  719-488-4466    719-488-4466  719-488-4466 . Jennice will take your registration M-Th 9:00-3:30, or leave a message and she we will return your call as soon as possible. Register by Fax: 888-FAX-2WHM (329-2946). Use a downloadable PDF Registration Flyers (links above), fill out the form, and mail in or fax in the registration.

 

 

   
    If you have a blog, or a newsletter, or a group, would you consider posting, sending, or handing out an announcement about this conference? If the word gets out, and moms get in, that will save us over $10,000 as a ministry! That would be great. We know you don't need an incentive to want to help us, but as our way of saying "Thanks!" we'll do two things:
 
1) Everyone who participates will receive a free Our 24 Family Ways Kids Color-In Book, and
2) Everyone who participates will be entered into a drawing for six $50.00 Gift Certificates.
 
    The Color-In Books can be picked up at the conferences (or mailed if you send us postage). Two Gift Certificates will be given away each month in November, December, and January. If your name is drawn, your certificate may be used like cash at the conference book table, or applied to a new conference registration (not redeemable for refund or cash). You will be entered in the monthly drawing each time you create a new post, send out a newsletter, or distribute a flyer to your group. Reporting will all be on the honor system, so just send us an email with your name, address, phone number, and the date and description of your participation. Send it to Jennice Jones, our wonderful admin assistant, at admin@wholeheart.org. At least one participation email will also make you eligible for your free Kids Color-In Book.

    We're trying to get there soon, but we're not quite tech-savvy enough yet to provide banners and graphic goodies to use. What we can offer to help you will be at the bottom of this newsletter. Use whatever you need, and we'll try to provide more soon. Spread the word! Thanks.

 Help Single Moms Attend a WH Mother Conference! 
    But there's another way you can help, too. We know that there are many single parent mothers and widowed mothers who would really like to come to the conference. They need the getaway and company of other mothers more than most, but some are unable to attend due to financial constraints. We have always offered hardship scholarships, but we can offer only partial assistance due to fixed costs. This year, we would like to try something new. We will establish a Mom Alone Blessing Fund to be able to provide full registration scholarships to single moms who are unable to attend. This will be a permanent fund of Whole Heart Ministries, so any money remaining in the fund after the conferences will be used only to bless single parenting mothers. Your entire gift will be tax deductible. Be sure to designate it for the "Mom Alone Blessing Fund." You can send a check to Whole Heart, or donate online and send us an email to let us know it is for the fund. If you are able to help financially, you can provide a tremendous blessing to a mom alone. Thank you!
Be a Part of Mom Heart to Minister to Mothers Worldwide!  Finally, there's one more thing new this year, and you can be a part of it, too. We are humbly launching the Mom Heart Ministry initiative at this year's conferences. Mom Heart, as God has put the burden and vision in my heart, is the next step in my over twenty years of ministering to mothers. Mom Heart is a motherhood small groups movement that, I am praying, will help restore God's heart for motherhood to the next generation. I believe mothers, by God's design at creation, are strategic to the spiritual health of the family and the wholeness of their children. I want to spend the rest of my life championing the cause of biblical motherhood, and encouraging and equipping mothers around the world to become all that God intends them to be.
 
     I envision not just another program, but a movement of small groups in the U.S. and around the world in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. When fully implemented, it will include leadership training materials and events, Mom Heart Group Bible studies and discussion guides, an interactive website where moms and groups can network for mutual encouragement, a digital Mom Heart Mom-e-Zine, downloadable and streaming audio and video resources, print resources, and much more. As Habbakuk says, though, "For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay." So, as we wait for it, here's what you can do to become a part of Mom Heart:
 
1) Pray for Mom Heart. We are just beginning to inch forward with the vision. Sandra Maddox, our featured speaker for the Conferences this year, is partnering with me to help shepherd this burden into a ministry. We will be planning, looking for staff, and developing resources together. We need the prayers of mothers who share our burden for biblical motherhood.
2) Be a Mom Heart Leader. If you share my heart for biblical motherhood, please consider becoming a Mom Heart Group leader. If you are interested, you will have an opportunity to respond at the conference, or you can send an email to Jennice in our office at admin@wholeheart.org.
 
3) Attend a Mom Heartbeat Brunch. Watch for more information about this special brunch on Friday morning of the Conferences. If we are able to work out the arrangements at each of the hotels, it will be a time for you to hear in more detail about the vision and plans for Mom Heart Ministry. There will be a small cost to attend, which will include a light, mid-morning brunch.
 Links & Info to Promote the WH Mother Conference 
 NORTH CAROLINA January 23-24, Charlotte, NC (Church at Charlotte) Conference Early Registration Deadline: Friday, DECEMBER 26 (Save $10) 

 Hotel: The Marriott Charlotte SouthPark
 

 

Room Rate: $109/night (guaranteed through December 26)
Reservations:       704-364-8220   704-364-8220       704-364-8220   704-364-8220
Click Here for a PDF Information Sheet about the NC Conference. Click Here for a PDF Registration Flyer for NC (full page, one side, flyer with registration form).
Click Here for a PDF Registration Handout for NC (half page x2, landscape) CALIFORNIA
February 6-7, Irvine, CA (Crowne Plaza Irvine Hotel) SPECIAL Early Registration Deadline: Friday, NOVEMBER 14 (Save $20!)
 

 

Early Deadline: January 9 (Save $10) Hotel: The Crowne Plaza Irvine Room Rate: $85/night (guaranteed through January 23)
Reservations:     949-863-1999   949-863-1999      949-863-1999   949-863-1999
Click Here for a PDF Information Sheet about the CA Conference. Click Here for a PDF Registration Flyer for CA (full page, one side, flyer with registration form).
Click Here for a PDF Registration Handout for CA (half page x2, landscape) 

Click Here for a PDF Registration Handout for TX (half page x2, landscape)Register by Phone:
Thank You!     It will be so good to be with you again for our 11th year. I'm praying all the moms who come this year will be refreshed and renewed in the Spirit of the Lord so they, too, with strength and dignity can smile at the future. Thank you for helping me spread the word virtually. I look forward to sharing my mom heart with you. Grace and peace. 

 

 

TEXAS February 20-21, Irving-DFW, TX (Dallas Marriott Las Colinas) SPECIAL Early Registration Deadline: Friday, NOVEMBER 28 (Save $20!) Early Deadline: January 23 (Save $10) Hotel: Dallas Marriott Las Colinas Room Rate: $83/night (guaranteed through February 6) Reservations:     972-831-0000   972-831-0000    972-831-0000  972-831-0000 Click Here for a PDF Information Sheet about the TX Conference. Click Here for a PDF Registration Flyer for TX (full page, one side, flyer with registration form).

 
  888-488-4466  888-488-4466    888-488-4466  888-488-4466 or   719-488-4466  719-488-4466    719-488-4466  719-488-4466 . Jennice will take your registration M-Th 9:00-3:30, or leave a message and she we will return your call as soon as possible. Register by Fax: 888-FAX-2WHM (329-2946). Use a downloadable PDF Registration Flyers (links above), fill out the form, and mail in or fax in the registration.

 

 

 

Whole Heart Ministries / P.O. Box 3445 / Monument, CO 80132 /  719-488-4466  719-488-4466
Sally Clarkson
 
 
 

 

To reach me personally, send an email to sally[at]wholeheart.org.

To reach the office for more information, send an email to whm[at]wholeheart.org. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Building on Solid Foundations that can't be moved!

"God is our refuge and strength, a very  present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth should change, And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride.

The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Cease striving and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Psalm 46 : 1-3; 7; 10-11

"The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men; From His dwelling place He looks out On all the inhabitants of the earth. He who fashions the hearts of them all. He who understands all their works. A King is not saved by a mighty army; A warrior is not delivered by great strength, A horse is a false victory; Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope for His lovingkindness, To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart rejoices in Him, Because we trust in His holy name. Let the lovingkindness of the Lord be upon us according as we have hoped in thee." Psalm 33: 13-22

The past few days have been filled with twitterings, muses, ponderings, projections and all sorts of opinions on blogs and newsletters. It seems that many are pleased about Obama being elected president and many are very disappointed and fearful. It is so very difficult for us in this age to not look at life from the short term perspective--the temporal and now. We want our lives to be happy and secure and stable.  We want there to be a leader to meet our needs now and to provide for our well-being and of course there is discourse and differing of opinion about who that man would be!

Yet, no matter which man you are for, or what country you live in, a man will never be our fulfillment. Only God is designed to take that place. We should all know that there are great difficulties ahead no matter who had won--financial crisis with the huge governmental debts and failures. Moral devastation of families and children (We personally have 3 friends in our lives who are pregnant or had babies out of wedlock in the past 3 months! How many children are going to be born without a family to surround them? How many more precious single moms will end up in homeless situation without the support or help of a father or family)

Turbulence in the Middle East with rumblings of attacks on Israel or Israel preempting an attack by attacking first. Or the fall of the European market. Or the North Koreans escalating pressure. Or the Russians developing more missiles and becoming a hostile nation. Or rights being taken away from Christians. None of us would ever ask to be born during a time of great war or disaster, yet, Jesus said that in this world we will have tribulation--tribulation has been the norm for all people in all generations.He did not deceive us about the reality of living in a fallen world--but culture did. Culture promised happiness and wellness and a beautiful body and and and all of this now--if you just found the right formula!

It is just such times, when the glory of God is most evident. When the mountains are about to fall into the sea--when the giant is attacking, when the Red Sea needs to open. It is also during these times, and God knew we would be born in these times, when those who love God may stand in faith, boldly share His  love and compassion and give their lives generously--that the reality of Christ shines forth.Times like these  produce opportunities for us to restore and redeem a fallen culture to the God who created it! But the key in it all is what Jesus also said about living in a world of tribulation--take courage--a choice of our will--a choice of a warrior--Take Courage--why? Because He has overcome the world!

When the Jews felt most forlorn, lost in Roman oppression and under so many burdensome taxes, Jesus came in the "fullness of time" to redeem a world that seemed forgotten and lost. His light shined so brightly of hope-amidst  the darkness. When Babylon had demolished Jerusalem and the army dragged a few "royal" Jews to live in the courts of the wicked king, it provided a perfect platform in which Daniel could live a life of integrity--a platform in which the God of Daniel would bring great glory to himself and to a pagan nation.  God always brings His light into the dark places of history--that is when heroes are made.

We need to stand back and look at this time in history from God's point of view--history is always about Him--are people coming to know Him and serve Him? What place must our country and our nations have in history to thrust us forward toward the last times? How does what is happening in history fit into His plans? When we ask Him these questions and pray, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven," we gain a whole different perspective. What is your will for this time, Lord? How can I best live  boldly for you? How do I best need to prepare myself, my children, my priorities in order to stay faithful and minister to the lost and bring your light to bear? How can I finish faithfully? Perhaps when we are forced to look at the troubles of life square in the face, we come face to face with the fact that this isn't home! This is not the place we will live forever--we were made for a better place!

History can be a helpful tool for us! We see so many times in scripture when a nation would depend on a person or their own ways and methods to provide for themselves or to seek for a man to champion their cause and the substitution of a man or king for the place of God always wreaks havoc. When the Israelites rejected God as being king over them, and asked for a king just like the other nations, God warned them that when they turned away from His leadership and got what they asked for, it would come at great cost. (I Samuel 8:16-22)  He forewarned them there would be great calamity--They could indeed get what they asked for--but there would be other consequences for their choices---the king would provide for himself and His palace, by taking their sons and daughters as servants for his kingdom; he would tax them a tenth of their seed and wine and produce, he would take their children for his army and so on (a whole list of verses of the consequences of getting their own way.)

Whenever man tries to provide for his needs in some way other than by following God's ways and serving Him by living by faith, the consequences are devastating. We have lived in a time when everyone wanted everything for free--a house and car and things without money to pay for it, sex without marriage and without the burden of having a baby; stability and security without fighting a war against enemies of their own stability and freedom;  children without the responsibility of spending personal time to discipline and train them and so on. In the times in history of great freedom or prosperity always came with a high price. Even as we were given the grace of  salvation we must always recognize that it came with a great price.

Yet, there is an interesting parallel--when parents lack character, their children and the next generations always pay a great price. When Germany sold their soul to a tyrant, and refused to love the Jews, the young and infirm and the aged, they ended up with the death of hundreds of thousands of people. When Rome turned to sensual pleasure and violence and the abuse of Christians, they fell and the whole nation was devastated. When Russia turned to a godless dictator, millions of lives were devastated, faith was lost , families became broken and oppression of every kind overwhelmed the country.

There is also an opposite principle of the cost of decisions. Always before, when there were parents who sacrificed and worked hard so that their children could have more, great freedoms came. When the heart of a family is great and spiritually disciplined and moral and hard working, the nation becomes a place of freedom and productivity and also develops a great soul. The status of the homes always determines the status and character of a nation.  Blessing and harvest come after much labor and perseverance, faith and duty.

Yet, it seems as though this time in history, people have borrowed from their children's future so that they could selfishly have all of their needs met now--and their children will be paying for it for generations to come. The debt we have accrued in America has been building and building for many years--there had to be a day of reckoning. Evolution, the sexual revolution, the destruction of moral values and the tearing down of family will have its consequences. Foolishness will always have consequences. Christians have wanted freedom and blessing without working for God's ways in the world and against the warfare of Satan. Is it pessimistic to write about such things? No. If someone had cancer, it would be wrong of a physician not to tell the patient the state of his health so that he could look for ways to be healed of his disease. We cannot close our ears and our minds and pretend away the issues like Scarlett O'Hara did when she said, "I will not think about this now. I will worry about it tomorrow!"

These issues will not go away by ignoring them. Yet, we are are true believers in Christ, when we spend time with Him in His word and with other believers, will find a renewal of our passion for things of His kingdom-we will have the resolve in our hearts to spend and invest ourselves to be a part of His solution. Perhaps he will bring about great revival of which we have the honor and privilege of being a part. It has been my children who have had a part in keeping me focussed. I am definitely in the passing of the baton to the next generation stage. It is worth it --worth all the work and sweat and tears--to see the spirits of my children emerging with passion and understanding and willingness to seek to serve. There have been bumps and I don't share this to make anyone feel like my children are perfect, because they are not, but in their hearts, they "got it" and love the Lord within their young and growing and maturing hearts--they don't see life as a picture of getting a job and just existing until they go to heaven--they see their time on earth as a time to invest in His kingdom--somehow, some way.

Nathan and I talked for 45 minutes this week about what he is learning in New York and how God is putting a burning in his soul to be godly in front of people--that his life will have integrity and that he will have more love and heart for the lost. He asked me to pray for his friends to become believers and for God to open doors. (any prayers for him or my other children are always appreciated!) Joel put up on his face book:

Joel Clarkson

sees a future with a hope, because there is only one person who will unfailingly bring true hope and change, and His name isn't Obama or McCain.

He is being stretched in thinking how he can reach his generation. It was in being with some believers who have sadness and depression about what is ahead, that he was energized to stand up for His wonderful God. it has spurned him on to wanting to really hold on to the Lord and to find how to live by faith. (eucharisto.wordpress.com  his blog--musings on his work at a Bakery and on the beauty of life)

Sarah and I meet most Saturday mornings for breakfast and walking. She is on fire with ideas and light and thoughts and a desire to reach her generation. The depth I see mulling around in her soul makes me wonder about what God has ahead for her. (itinerantidealist.wordpress.com ) Joy and I and also our history group have been discussing the need for believers not just to be knowledgeable, but also winsome and gracious. How do we get into the mind of this generation? What messages will make sense to them? How to take our ideals and still find a way to exercise them in a culture who desperately need to have foundations of truth and life.

In each generation, it is the children who give us hope. This has been after many, many years of talking, sowing, correcting, praying, affirming and waiting for the seeds to take root and produce. Yet, now, seeing them look at the future with hope, courage, desire and a knowledge that things are pretty bad, but they want to be used to bring about redemption and light has been such an encouragement to me in the last few days. I see that God knew this is the time my family would be born into--even if I don't think I would have chosen this time--maybe He has a special work for us to do--maybe we can burn brightly now--Oh Lord, I keep praying, use me, use us, help us to be energetic and faithful and courageous. Thank you for letting us be born for such a time as this.

A sweet friend asked me yesterday, "How do you know the balance between exposing your children to the lost and immoral and to seeing them as a part of God's light in this world?"

I don't think there is a formula and I have been pondering this, but I believe it is building on the right foundations--building your own life on the knowledge of God's word every day and every day; loving Him and cherishing Him and worshiping Him from the heart and not living from a heart of law or moralistic obedience; living in integrity; learning the faith way, living every day to exercise believing prayer, cultivating fellowship with believers so that there is support and life-giving fellowship, choosing to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, confessing sin and a few more essentials.

It is understanding the importance of building our homes on Biblical foundations and establishing our homes on the rock of His reality that will help us build homes that will have a living legacy for many generations to come.

This is why Clay and I decided that this will be the theme of our mom's conferences this year! We want moms to feel the joy of knowing that they can indeed build surely and soundly--that God is on their side, that there is important work to do, but that even the doing of God's will is what builds our souls and invigorates our health. We also hope to uplift and affirm all who are tired, weary and feeling inadequate! There is something wonderful about being a room full of like-minded moms who are all committed to similar ideals--makes you feel that you are a part of the movement of the hand of God. And of course our conferences are for all moms--young and old, every kind of educational philosophy, but all committed to wanting to be a godly mom right where they are!

But this year, we decided to experiment and see if we could reach a much wider group of moms by connecting on the internet to moms that we may not ordinarily reach--it could be fun to see how far the Holy Spirit could go to reach moms--but you will be an essential part to helping us make this happen. Our ministry has always been so much a part of so many families who work with us, help us, pray for us and befriend us to help us get the messages out. So thanks ahead of time for being a part of our experiment!

Because of some of the financial issues, we decided not to send out brochures by mail  for our conferences this year--as it will save our ministry more than $10,000. (When we send brochures to thousands and have them printed, it is a great cost and we have to register so many just to pay for our printing bills!) But we are stepping out in faith with this and need to enlist our cyber space friends for help. You can help us! If you have a similar heart for Biblical encouragement for Moms, you can help us reach more people by putting announcements on your websites, blogs, newsletters and giving the information to your support groups.

My friend, Brenda, from coffeeteabooksandme gave me a good idea for a fun contest. She offered my books to those in her blog by telling them they could enter a drawing for receiving them if they left her a comment. It was a lot of fun.

So Clay and I decided to offer 6  $50 gifts to be drawn from a list of women who can enter this contest by putting out announcements to their own audience--this $50 gift certificate can be used toward a conference registration or to apply to books or cd sets. (You can also apply this to an already registered mom-we will refund the money up to $50 if you register early and then win!) We will pick two December 1, two in January, and 2 in February. Of course this is an honor system issue. We want to offer this to women who have a mailing list or blog list that is sizable and we do hope that if you enter you will really help us to reach lots of moms.

I am so excited about our conferences this year. It feels timely for women to group together and to focus on the foundations together and to see us corporately really build a godly heritage in our homes, and countries and to truly change history for the glory of God!

It is also our hope that we will be able to start an international ministry of small groups where moms can be encouraged, inspired, have accountability, get help. We will be meeting with women in our conferences who would want to be a part of this. We are working on a new website for moms, looking for people to come along side of us in this as writers, a web developer who has a heart for our messages and the skill to manage a very interactive website; group leaders and who can help us reach more moms, and more. We will be talking about some of these issues at our conferences this year and know that it will again be a place where the Holy Spirit will renew and refresh hopefully hundreds and hundreds of moms. The Lord has brought a team of 4 other women who will be speaking along with me at most of the larger conferences (Charlotte, Irvine and Dallas/Ft. Worth) and a number of great messages at the Colorado Springs, Raleigh, Baltimore conferences) and I will also be speaking at the Heart and Home conferences in Illinois. We want moms to feel empowered to stay the course, feel confident, find grace and practical ways of raising godly children. The team of women who are working with us on this and who are speaking at our conferences are passionate about encouraging moms.

I will put a new blog up early next week if you want to wait for more information for all of this--but we are gearing up and trying to get all the information online. Clay, Sarah and I are all in the midst of book contracts as well as so much more, so if we seem inefficient, it is only because we are! But we are moving ahead every day to try to get all the information you need to know what to expect about the conferences ahead. We do not have all the details of the Colorado conference yet. We just added it because we got so many emails from moms who wanted to come here again--so we are waiting on the church where we will be speaking for final details. Stay tuned and know we are working every day to make this a special time for so many of you. We also hope to record the conferences and make available cd's of our messages to those of you who can't attend.

Meanwhile, take courage today, know that the Lord loves you and has a wonderful plan. He will be faithful and bless us--it is His nature! Must on to other things!

Sally Sally@wholeheart.org

P.S. Stay tuned as the first of next week, we will have the details of all of this. If you are interested in sending out an announcement, we will have email flyers and brochures that you can download for your group. We will also set up a way for you to enter our contest--by sending your name and address and the group you announced the conference to, to our wonderful secretary Jennice@wholeheart.org. You may also enter once a month for three months--each time you send out an announcement. Moms tend to be overwhelmed with Christmas and sometimes don't register until after Christmas is over, so that is why we have to send multiple announcements. However, Clay has set an incentive for those of you who do register early--you can save $20 dollars if you sign up before December 1! and another $10 before January 1--though you must  read online to see what applies to the conference you will attend as there are different deadlines for each one. Go to www.wholeheart.org for information. Also, from that point, you may go to events and click on that to find out about the specifics of the conferences.  The Information option will give you the details and resources option  will take you to the printable handouts. Or just write your own enthusiastic announcement and send your friends to the website. (I was so blessed by a friend who did that the other day--made me want to go to a conference! :) )

I will also be sending out an email newsletter to those on our mailing list about Mom Heart, so if you want to be included in that letter, go to www.wholeheart.org to sign up for my newsletters and you will get our ministry newsletters where I also write some articles.

Praying and Seeking the Lord

Righteousness exalts a nation And sin is a disgrace to any people." Proverbs 14: 34

Dear Friends,

I do hope, in my heart, that my blog posts encourage and point you, my friends, to the Lord as so often you, through your letters and comments, encourage me and fill my own emotional and spiritual cup. I want to walk with the Lord in integrity until I see Him face to face and yet my feet are made of clay and I so often fail and I do not write perfectly or live perfectly. So if in any way my imperfect writing offends, please forgive me. But my heart is to serve Him and to be light and encouragement to all I know.

But that is why I am so very grateful to be able to live in His grace and to come into His presence with no guilt and no shame. He gently restores all of us when we sin or fail Him. He encourages us with wisdom and insight from His word and He lets us come to Him with all our worries and fears and issues. So, coming to Him in prayer, we come into His goodness, power, grace and blessing.

I love this verse: "But when the kindness of God our savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus  Christ our savior, that being justified by His grace, we might be heirs to eternal life." Titus 3:4-7

So, just a few words and scriptures for those who will be praying today. I have been so blessed to travel and live in many parts of the world. It has helped me to understand that God is not American. When I have interacted with so many wonderful people from nations all over the world, my values have been broadened, my convictions expanded and my soul enriched. Though this election for us Americans is going to take place in the next 36 hours, God's eye is on the whole world today and over all the issues in all the nations. Therefore, our prayers and interaction before His throne, must be in light of His transcending purposes in history beyond our own borders. And yet still he listens to us with all of us in our concerns right where we live. It is why I love coming to Him in the spirit of His prayer, "Our Father who art in heaven, Holy is your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." His will encompasses history and all that must happen to accomplish His purposes. So in the spirit of humility, we come to Him in our prayers and seek His will and His grace, knowing that somehow, mysteriously, He allows our prayers to influence issues that take place in the heavenlies. He does listen and He does respond, but thankfully, He is our high priest who prays with us and and alongside us to do His will.

For many years, Clay has used this acronym to guide our family in prayer. We call it the acts of prayer.

A--Adore Him--Coming before Him to put us in the right frame of mind--acknowledging his greatness and power as we come into His presence with our requests. A good place to start is Psalm 145, especially verses 8-21. We take time to praise Him for some of the attributes mentioned here.

C--confess our sin--in this today, our family is coming to Him to humble ourselves before Him asking Him forgiveness for our own sins as well as for those of the church of Christ and also as a nation. The verse I John 1:9 If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Also, Daniel confessing for his whole nation is our model.

T--thanksgiving--This is where we remember what He has done personally to lead us, provide for us, answer our prayers and to be humbly recognizing His great care. Psalm 95:1-3 gives us the pattern.

S--supplication--asking God to hear our requests and to answer what is on our hearts, according to His will. "Ask and it shall be given, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you."

When we come to Him asking for Him to work in our nations, let us ask for Him to bring righteousness--knowing that righteousness exalts a nation--meaning we need to be more careful to live our own lives righteously. When any crisis brings us to fear or when catastrophes happen or when national needs arise, as I see that these issues always put us in the place we should have been all along--before Him. Times of crisis when we cry out to God helps us to understand that we are not in control of our lives and it forces us to cry out to Him. He always wants us to seek Him and to ask for His will--but times like these require it and it puts us in proper perspective. May all of us who believe in all the nations humbly seek his power and grace for our nations and for His power and glory to be more clearly seen.

Finally, may we behave in love and graciousness to all whom we encounter. There are many different opinions held and cherished  by Christians all over the world that differ with those of our own. Yet, it is by our love for one another that we will be known. I fear that many allow their differences to be played out in accusations, ungracious name calling, hateful attitudes. Yet, Jesus would have us practice graciousness, humility and compassion.

We have had rousing discussions this weekend in our home  with many friends who are in our lives, who differ about all the issues, about how to reach a post-modern culture, about what is really important to the Lord and what is the balance between ideals and grace, passion and redemption. It has been good for me to enter the world of the younger generation and see how they think and to ask what my part is in offering truth in a way that can be understood. I see all of the input I receive from differing points of view as ways that God prepares me to be a better thinker and more insightful into the souls and ways of people and ultimately as a steward of His messages. May He help us all to wield his sword of truth with grace and winsomeness in order to reach all people with His mercy, grace and redemption.

God bless you all today! Sally

Sally@wholeheart.org

PS I have not had time this week to answer my comments, but I have been so blessed to hear from so many of you! I appreciate all who respond. Grace and peace!

A Time For Action and for Prayer!

"But the people who know their God will display strength and take action." Daniel 11:32 Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven and said, "Let the name of God be blessed for ever and ever. For wisdom and power belong to Him, and it is he who changes time and epochs, He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men." Daniel 4: 34-35

Dear Sweet Moms, I rarely address political issues as I know that many of you who read my blog are going to vote for different people. Yet, this season, I have felt that I cannot stay silent on at least a couple of issues. My daughter, Joy, is  participating in a class that a colleague of mine is teaching. They are reading the book, "The Hiding Place" about the life of Corrie Ten Boom during World War II. In the midst of reading the book and giving reports on the times and context of the war, Joy was sharing with me what they were learning about Hitler.

During the time of his rise as a star in Germany, the country was having great financial crisis during the 1930's. Hitler promised to take them out of their financial troubles and to restore a steady economy. This seemed very appealing to the people who, like us, have to figure out how to pay bills, buy food and provide for their families. He was already committed to the reality of  killing those who had downs syndrome  and sterilizing those who had any defects of any kind (even those who were left-handed!!!?)--especially for those babies who were not perfect. He also believed in Euthanasia--the mercy killing of older people who were ill and ready to die and of no evident value to culture. Yet, those issues were not at the forefront of his promises--the saving of the economy was.

History repeats itself. From the Bible to  cultures in all times, people who do not bow their knees before the one true God, will end up failing in life and manifesting great wickedness. We have also, as a nation, turned away from God and consequently the devastating consequences have come upon us. We are no different than those people who were living in Germany in the times of Hitler. We need, though, to see that as God's people, the stewardship of the messages of God and the redemption of Christ needs to be an  active part of our lives to bring  His ways to bear in every area of our lives. We cannot sit back and be passive and live our lives for our own pleasure.  Evil is never passive and never takes a vacation. The future our our children's lives depends on us being strong and active in life today.

Even when I was in London, the headlines the first day we were there, decried the success of a woman who had been very ill, and had successfully died at the hands of a doctor who aided her in mercy killing--to help her commit suicide so that she wouldn't have to keep on living in pain. Then the article told of 300 such cases recently completed. I missed some of the details of the story, but saw it repeatedly in the headlines in subways where we traveled and on a news show as I was eating breakfast in a hotel, trying to keep Joy away from the article, which was very upsetting.

Such philosophy is also taught at Harvard University in our own country. The killing of human beings, be they babies or the aged, is Biblically wrong--no matter how civilized a people we pretend to be. We are no better than the cultures who sacrificed their children to gods in the Old Testament or than Hitler who chose who should live or who should die. Yet, it seems we are much like those who in the pre-war times of World War II, whose concerns were just for themselves and not for the concerns of the whole body of people.

We are a nation in great rebellion to God, who is always an advocate of life and protecting life, nurturing life and caring for the lives of people who are infirm. But let us also consider this. When we are living in a time where  a person can casually say, "If one of my daughters got pregnant, I wouldn't want to have  her to have to accept the burden of having a baby," and our hearts are so deceived that we can think this is acceptable and not feel deeply grieved about this, then we are in trouble.

I want to make a point that I have many friends and women who I have counseled who have had many scars in their lives from having the sadness of having abortions, or other very difficult issues and I love them and the Lord loves them. There is a grace for all women and men who come into a  relationship with the Lord and give their lives to Him there is forgiveness and grace for all of us, whatever our past. Yet,  when I read scripture and know how very seriously the Lord looks at the value of children and the abuse of children--even unborn babies, I have to take a serious stand and say that  it is an evil in out time about which we cannot be neutral. For the sake of the Lord, we must take a stand.

Getting to this point in history where homosexuality, immorality of every kind, divorce, materialism of every kind which we can indeed equate to idolatry, child abuse, the lack of commitment of mothers and fathers to take responsibility of their children's futures, greediness, self-serving, lack of love and compassion for the poor and so many other obvious sins, is, in my thinking, to a great degree, because Christians have not lived in a holy way.

I have to ponder what the role of motherhood has had in these issues. When mothers are the gatekeepers, making their homes a place of excellence, cultivating love for each other, a reverence and worship of God, spending personal time teaching and discipling their children, keeping their children from worshiping the idol of television and instead serving her children with training and nurture, and giving up of her own time, there will be hope.  Then a civilization will be born where the whole culture will be populated with adults who have great souls, a call to the Kingdom of God, a passion to do what is right, a desire to protect the weak, an honest moral character that is the foundation of decisions made in politics, medicine, government, media and the arts.

Yes, it requires great personal sacrifice--but in the battle between evil and good, the allegiance between our commitment to our God or our bowing to Satan has always required sacrifice. Evil is never passive and never takes a break--and neither can God's chosen ones cease to work tirelessly to be about His business.

When mothers have abandoned this great and important responsibility, then children have grown into the kind of adults --a generation of adults--who can be self-centered and self-serving and can overlook unrighteousness without any pang of conscience because it has not been developed. The kind of adults who can passively let others take responsibility for our government and country-to accept and validate those who would promise the moon even though the moon isn't available in reality. When a person has no convictions he cannot operate his life in God's strength. It is moms who help to develop foundations of righteousness in their children's souls. Fathers, of course, are an amazing part of God's plan, but my ministry is to the precious moms who are indeed making a difference every day. I continue to pile up testimonies of great men and women who say that it was the training and prayers and relationship with godly moms who helped them to  become great people who accomplished great tasks in their generation. (Hudson Taylor, Napoleon, Augustine, Thomas Edison,  and so many more.)

Moms, today, the way you invest your life will indeed have great impact on history. We need to buck up, strengthen the areas that are weak, decide to accept the work load of small children with joy as would please our heavenly Father. The cultivating and raising of great souls is of the utmost importance.  Your life is making a difference. Take time in the word, take time to read those books which call you to excellence, spend time praying with friends of like mind--but don't give up!

I have been reading about the Kings of Israel as well as in Isaiah and Jeremiah. When leader after leader compromised the standards of God, the kingdom was thrown into corruption and spiritual disarray and wickedness.

I have also been reading Daniel. He was indeed a godly, righteous leader. He stood for God in a godless culture in Babylon. But he was also an incredible model for prayer. In Daniel 9: 3-19, he shows such an understanding of leaders taking responsibility for their people. Daniel cries out to God with a humble heart, confessing the sins of his people, even though he had not sinned, and asks for God's mercy on behalf of all the people.

He ends with this, "So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Thy servant and to his supplications, and for thy sake, let thy face shine on this desolate sanctuary. O my God, incline Thine ear and hear! Open Thine eyes and see our desolations,..., for we are not presenting our supplications before Thee on account of any merits of our own, but on account of thy great compassion. Oh Lord, hear. Oh, Lord forgive! Oh Lord, listen and take action! For thy sake, O my God, do not delay , ..., because of thy people who are called by thy name."

If God has allowed us to be alive during this time, then he will equip us with the strength to bear up under these times. Our hope has never been in men but in God. Yet the decisions and behavior of men do have consequences. We need to understand that we have lived in a time when our leaders have rejected the reality and supremacy of God. (I believe there are godly people and wicked people in each party, but God intends for believers to be those who would take responsibility to see that righteousness is in the land and that we actively seek how we might promote His kingdom, His salvation and His life every day. May He restore the church to a passion and love for Him.)

We need to, as Daniel did, acknowledge that God is our help. God is our deliverer. He will be faithful to us, his  believers, even if we have to bear the consequences of being led by ungodly people. We need to bow our knees before God and acknowledge our need for him as individuals, families and as a nation.

Next Monday morning, we are inviting friends to come to our home to pray with us as Daniel prayed.  We will, of course be praying for the election. But more than that, we will be praying for God's forgiveness, for his mercy, for His direction and for His provision. It would be great if there could be families all over the  world who will join us in prayer. If we could ask Him, corporately, so to speak for His renewal of our hearts, for repentance in our lands, for strength to do his will, for a spiritual revival sweeping the nations, and for it to start with our own hearts. It will be Monday morning at different times all over the world, so we will be a chorus before the throne of heaven. And of course if that is an inconvenient time, then do it any time on Monday.

May God give each of you strength today and vision to know that even in the small details of your life today, the kingdom of righteousness is growing or diminishing. May you be strong in His grace and spirit to manifest His reality in your home. God bless.

Sally

PS I will have Clay help me put together some scripture and prayer suggestions if that would help you! We will also be praying for you!