A Little Boy who has Superman in his Heart

Tales for future Heros #1

Superman Nathan

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Nathan did not come with an instruction book. He did not sleep through the night until he was 4 years old. His little body seemed agitated. His spunky personality, strong-willed heart presented challenges at almost every point. Nathan helped me to become a prayer warrior because I spent so much time asking God for wisdom, insight and help. And so God showed me his heart and helped me to see the plans He had for Nathan to grow up in to a man who would be noble, true and good. And so I chose stories that would give a foundation to his soul that cooperated with the desires of His heart. And here is his perspective.

It ends up, Nathan is a kindred spirit--a dreamer, an idealist, one who wants to bring his messages to bear in the world--and that is why he was out of the box, because God made him so.

Here is his side of the story.

As a young ADHD boy, I had a hard time sitting still for long periods of time.

Much less sitting still at all.

So reading long books for hours on end, seemed about as possible as flying to my eight year old mind, maybe even less so, being that I considered myself a future Superman.

But, my wise mother, while knowing how her son worked, also knew the value of good stories in my life. So, she found a way to work within my limitations and find a way for me to ingest the stories that would end up shaping me, while simultaneously doing it in a way I didn’t feel like I was going to explode.

Everyday I would pull out the pad of paper and colored pens she had bought me while she would begin reading aloud to me. It was my task to create the pictures for the story unfolding, I took my job very seriously and had no idea that my love of heros and righteousness was being made. I grew to love and look forward to these times, and as I look back even now at 23 years old, I can see what a deep impact they had on my life.

Boys are made to be hero’s and warriors, we are made to look at great men and emulate their actions. Being a great MOB, my mom knew how vital it was to give me good pictures of what real men/heros looked like.

So today I would love to share with you some of the books/stories that have had the biggest impact on my life.

Lets dive into the first edition list of the reads that shaped me, that just might have an eternal impact on your young man in training.

1. Hero Tales: Oh my goodness! What a series packed with substance and inspiring messages. I think what I loved so much about this set of books, is that the stories were about REAL people in history who led amazing God honoring lives. As a young man it was immensely important to me to not just hear good stories with morals, but good stories about actual people who fought for goodness and chose to live a life worthy of being called heroic. I loved that they weren’t some fictional character, but rather these were real heros confronted with real problems, making real choices, and living REAL lives worthy of emulation .

2. Catherine Voss Bible: I can remember every morning for the better half of my life, waking up, walking downstairs and sitting down to listen to one or both of my parents read the novelized version of the entire Bible. It was something I looked forward to my entire childhood and something that has never left me. It was the first time I can remember the Bible and the stories in it coming alive. To this day, the way I know most of the random and lesser known stories in the Bible, is not through heavy study guides and personal study, but rather through a childhood of listening to this awesome book.

3. God’s Smuggler: This is the true story of a wayward boy, growing up to be one of the most influential missionaries and bible smugglers in the entire world. It’s the tale of Brother Andrew, a man who eventually learned what an adventurous and amazing life you can have once you make the choice to follow Jesus. I ended up reading the book myself again after it had been read to me. It inspired me to think about my life and what it could look like if I started even at my young age, making choices on faith in God.

4. Narnia Some of the most enchanting but poignant books I have ever had the pleasure to read. I’m sure you have heard of them, but if you haven’t already taken the dive, I highly encourage you to. As a young boy, these books gave me an entire world to be apart of, and a story to be engaged with. They simultaneously showed parallels between the christian walk, God, and my understanding of this world, like no other books have.

It has all the markings of one of THE best fantasies series inviting readers to become emerged. And once you are, you are unable to ignore the beauty of the allegories it holds.

5. The Kingdom Series This series is one of the groupings of books I look back most fondly on. In the vein of Narnia, but even more allegorical and understood by a border age group, these books are the stories and happenings inside the King’s Kingdom.

Each page is beautifully written with descriptive words and beautiful pictures unfolding into a beautiful allegory per chapter. Simple enough for a seven year old to understand but captivating for a 77 year old to be swept away.

My favorite chapter was always the one about the juggler who juggled to a different beat than all of the other dancers and performers and musicians in the kingdom.

There you have it! I could go on forever writing about the books that shaped (and continue to shape) who I am, but I hope that these first five of my favorite reads will help you on the journey to finding the stories and tales that will inspire, teach, and shape the young man in your life.

-Nathan

Question: What are some of your favorite character-shaping books for boys?

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Nathan started a fundraiser – click to help him save the world and get your future heros involved no matter how old they are.

Nathan John Clarkson’s Give a Cup of Cold Water

Read more of Nathan’s writing at his web-journal

www.WisdomChasers.com

This article was displayed on the wonderful blog of

The Mob Society

by two sweet, talented friends:

Erin (

Home with the Boys

) and Brooke McGlothlin (

A Life in Need of Change

) have created an amazing community just for you.

and you will love seeing this because it is especially for Mothers of Boys!

*used Blog 5/27/2021 Motherhood: Beautiful by Design

Design creates culture. Culture shapes values. Values determine the future.

— Robert L. Peters

While traveling in Vienna the past few weeks, I was struck by the beauty and quality of design in almost all of the buildings downtown. Each building was constructed with an elaborate plan, that not only considered structural strength, but also beauty and detailed design that validated the skill and craftsmanship of the architect.

Our modern day homes lack the craftsmanship and artistic skill of historical buildings that were built to last for centuries. And so the pragmatic and common place has swallowed up the art, beauty and strength of the design of a dwelling crafted for beauty and visual design as well as structural strength and longevity.

Similarly, while walking the streets of Vienna, I was struck with how much we have lost the value for the beauty of God's original design for home and family. We have replaced the purpose, beauty and meaning of family, home and motherhood with the common and demeaning value our current culture has placed, by  devaluing of theoriginal purpose and beauty of family and home. And so we are not always even aware of what we have lost because we lack a perspective or memory  of the beauty of the original design and what God intended it to be.

When God created the heavens and the earth, he created it with minute and detailed intricacy and order. There was color and form and beauty woven in every aspect of His creation, as an expression of His own life art.

The pinnacle of creation, though,  was crafting man and woman in His image. And with this image, and relationships amongst those who would be his children, sharing His image, he created order and beauty within the structure of relationships called a family--a father, a mother, and children, and generations of family connections.

God's purpose in giving order and structure to these relationships was to provide a community of security, comfort, pleasure, inspiration, purpose and belonging. When children are born into families where the structure is intact, there is beauty, strength, health and moral and educational strength. Family was the perfect design before the fall, before there was any sin in the world.

Mother was the first name of the woman. Mother, by its very nature, embraces the giving of life to another outside of herself--a real live human being whose life will have implication for all of eternity. Motherhood requires accepting children as a gift, and giving them life--both spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and moral--is the greatest civilizing and most beautiful work a mother can perform. And when she skillfully builds a soul, by taking the time to give structure, beauty, excellence to the life of her children, their souls will emerge with the design, the very imprint of God's image and capacity for excellence in their lives.

If we have lost the imagination of how beautiful and meaningful motherhood and family was designed by God to be, we will lose the value and ability to reconstruct the beauty of God's original design and settle for something much less.

And so that is why we must return to the original design of motherhood and family. We must get into the heart of God's design if we are to manifest his purpose in relationship to our children, and value them appropriately, as God intended us to do.

http://youtu.be/Ry24qr6gNtw

Join me today at momheart.org for a vlog message from me and  the continued study of Chapter 2 of Mission of Motherhood: Beautiful by Design

Beauty and Mess: seeing it with new eyes

 

Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox." Prov. 14:4

I am sitting in my little quiet time chair with a cup of strong Austrian coffee in hand. From my second story window, I look out on the tops of countless pine trees with the Rocky Mountain speeking through, and a sky full of wispy clouds slowly moving by. In every home we live in, I choose windows that look out on the most beautiful natural scene, so that I can have some of His life-stuff to bring peace and quiet to my soul each morning as I meet with Him.

In front of me is a pile of books scattered over a coffee table. There is also a couch pillow thrown onto the floor, a couple of pairs of shoes left where they were taken off, a wilting potted plant in desperate need of water, some child’s abandoned sweat shirt, and a half-eaten candy bar. And this is just the eight feet in front of my chair!

The rest of the house is much the same-- life messes in the midst of order and beauty. As the proverb says, “Where there are no oxen, the stalls are clean.” I comfort myself daily with the fact that I have six or seven oxen living in my home most of the time, and thus my stalls are not always clean, but my house is full. My world is always a mixture of beauty and mess, order and piles of things not yet subdued into order.

Sometimes the circumstances of life are like our home--messes and joys, fears and blessings all in the same breath.

But it is what we see and how we perceive what is happening that will determine our comfort or our despair.

I have purposed daily to choose to enjoy the beauty of the treasures He has placed in my path, because when I look for His fingerprints and whispers amidst the messes, my heart changes and begins often to sing with the rhythms and chords He has placed there.

This week, I am enjoying the tulips my next door neighbor’s put in a jar on my front porch in contrast to piles and piles of snow, and seeing the blossoms on the trees, amidst the ice that give a promise of the life of spring that is around the corner. This habit of changing my way of seeing came when God gently intervened one day in a moment of my own anguish and despair.

God interjected a life application many years ago, when I was struggling with language in a foreign country, loneliness, disappointments, and inability to control almost any area of my life--you might say I was in a life-mess.

Many years ago in the midst of another possible miscarriage, I was sitting by a window in little mountain town in Austria. I was all alone because Clay and his mom, who was visiting from America, had gone to look at some little shops. We were staying at a tiny lake-side Inn in an obscure alpine village. Unexpectedly, just after they had left me to rest by myself in the room, I had begun to bleed, again, and was about 5 months along in my pregnancy.There was no one to talk to, no one to ask for help.

Fear gripped my heart, as I knew we were hours away from a hospital and my German was not good enough to explain what was happening to me! Tears flowed from an invisible inner spring, and I begged God, from the anguish of my heart to please, please let me carry this child to full term. All of the struggles of the last few months seemed to flood through my anguished soul.

Just then, a little sparrow hopped up on my window sill  where I was looking out as I prayed, and began to chirp, as though it was singing directly to me. I was not more than a foot away from the tiny creature.  It stayed there for several minutes and hopped closer and closer to the edge where I was looking out, an it appeared the fledgling birdie was  staring at my heart through the shiny brown glass eyes and literally chirping and singing wildly to encourage me.

What a sweet, delicate fuzzy ball of delight—singing its heart out with no one to applaud or respond, except for me. It was as though God was saying to me, “I am listening. I see the birds on a thousand hills, not one falls to the ground without my full attention. This little one is here to remind you that I see you and hear your heart's cry.I love you and am with you! Do not fear. Leave your broken heart with me.”

I didn’t know what would happen, but suddenly, a peace blanketed my sore heart. I knew that God, who is love, was with me and would be with me in whatever happened. It was as though an angel, in the form of a tiny bird,  had visited and given me His deep, soothing comfort.

It was the last time, in that pregnancy, that I bled. The pregnancy delightfully turned out to be Sarah, my first born, and now best of friends and a bigger blessing to my whole life than I ever could have imagined then.

From that moment, I decided to take notice of birds who sing—to believe that they are especially praising God, agents of his hope for me. I see them also as a personal reminder from God that He is present, every day, all the time--here with me. Often on my walks when I am pouring out my dark heart to God, a bird hops or sings along my trail and I am reminded that God is there— with me!

Now, I have birds sprinkled throughout my home--amidst the messes and art of my life--there to remind me of the song so many years ago from God's feather messenger.

We all have our own particular life and real messes, but even in the mess, God is there to redeem, to send His love, to show beauty around every corner. But, our eyes must be attuned to the beauty instead of focussing on the life-clutter--looking with faith and not with doubt, fear or despair.

Today, my prayer for you--and for me-- is that He bring the reality of His joy to you today in the midst of your order … and your messes, because He is with us to give us hope and comfort, always.

My birds that sit with me every morning in my living room, with my cup of tea and Bible time.

So fun when they grow up and actually start acting like adults......They are listening--really!

So, I got this in my inbox a few minutes ago and had to smile--of course it is some of what I have already shared with you, but I didn't know Nathan was going to write his side of the story--hope you enjoy it. But, I just love this blog article because this is from my little boy who used to throw fits and fuss and who was so very wiggly--and here he is, a grown man and taking on the world.

--you know how you never think your kids are going to get it because they always want the biggest piece of cake or fight over each other's toys or whose body is more over the cushion of the couch......

.Well, I promise, they are listening--

and as I read Nathan's blog today, I had to say to myself---wow-------he was listening, he does have a heart and he does know what it means to be unselfish--just saying......... Take courage, my friends, your investment today is going deep into their hearts.

ineed by Nathan J Clarkson I woke up this morning and with no hesitation I went through the list of what I want, I wanted to eat, so I planned what food I should give to my self. Then, halfway through making my self breakfast I had an unhealthy desire for coffee, so I poured caffeine down my throat. Then I wanted to sit down in my the blue chair, but my roommate was sitting in the chair I wanted to sit in, so I decided to have a bad attitude and be grumpy. I pulled out my iphone, and wanted to send a text without moving my fingers and suddenly wondered why I had to be the only person in the world without Siri...Life is really hard on me. Then I walked back to my room and saw this picture of a young girl living in a third world country, celebrating because her village now has clean water. She is ecstatically happy because of water......just water..... I have water, in fact I have around 20 glasses of half filled drunken water on my counter. I sometimes take hour-long showers because I can. And every now and again I pay people to dump it on my car because there is a smudge on my car window. And I don't think I have ever once been as thankful as her for water. I have lots of water, food, friends, but somehow I still find something to complain about, daily. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having, wanting or needing things. But how often are the things we find ourselves buying spending time on or getting-revolving only around ourselves and what we think we should have. How often do we need a cup of coffee so we buy one for four bucks, how often are we hungry so we get a snack for our selves, how often do we want a new ipad so we get one for our selves? There is nothing wrong with any of these things, but lets turn it on the flip side. How often when we are eating, we think of the millions of people (thousands in our own country) who wont be eating today, How often do we play angry birds on our ipad do we think of the fact that for the same price of single ipad an entire village could have a well providing clean water, saving the lives of thousands. I every day, ignore, coddle, and intentionally live selfishly. I have decided to fight that. So I am not going to do that with you. If you have a sink, and have eaten today, you are blessed and richer than 99% of the world. You need to give. You will never actually be happy until you do. Neither will I. So, I don't care where it is. But we need to give, I need to give, You need to give. So I started a fundraiser for a group started by a young man in my church that is giving the most basic and necessary thing for life there could be. Giving water to those who need it. I would be absolutely honored if you would consider giving to my fund-raiser Nathan John Clarkson's Give a Cup of Cold Water Honestly, to reach my goal I need you, but for someone to live another day they need you. Please don't think about giving, just do. The new iphone can wait. A child's life cannot. Your awesome, no go be awesome. Click this link to give to my fundraiser.

Give a cup of Water and save a life

"And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones , I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."Matthew 10:42

Nathan was sitting on the comfy, well-worn couch, squished as closely as possible next to me with a bright pink dinosaur shirt pulled over his knees. He was leaning in to look at the pictures as I was reading a children's devotional Bible to all of us, as we did every morning.

And so I read, "if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to someone, you will get a reward from Jesus. Do you remember the verse that talks about Jesus when he said, "I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,"

"So, when you serve someone, it is as though you are serving Jesus Himself."

"Just think, there are going to be people in your world, Nathan and Joel, Sarah and Joy, that may  be so thirsty for water or for life that you may be the one to  save them. You know, Jesus will bring people into your lives that no one else may be able to help. But you have to have a soft and generous heart to see the needs of these people. I can't wait to see how God is going to use you boys and you girls to bring life to people wherever you go!

"Do you really think I can save someone's life, mama? I want to be like superman and save people everywhere I go!"

"Yes, Natie. God has a work for you to do in your lifetime, to bring his love, and truth and life wherever you go. I think you will be used in a most powerful way and I can't wait to see the story that you live as His superman."

That was when Nathan was 5 years old.

I always hoped my children were listening to these morning devotionals. Through the squirming and noise and fusses, the Holy Spirit was working to bring His messages to the hearts of all of my sweet children.

Throughout his life, Nathan would bring lost teens to our house, seek to rescue those who had run away, share Christ with friends who were on drugs. His heart just grew and grew.

So, I have come to expect that he will always be finding another way to invest or to help--it has been serving at youth camps, holding magic shows for kids, giving money to favorite causes, and more.

Fast forward.

Nathan, 23, in Hollywood, seeking to bring God's light to the dark shadows there.

"Mom, I have a new ministry I am helping. You should look at it and see if we can get a bunch of people to help us. Every year, lack of water or clean water is the most common reason people die. I am trying to fund 3 wells in either Liberia, Ghana, Peru, or India to help provide water for people in those countries who may die without a well."

Perhaps you would like to tell your children Nathan's story and show them the site of the ministry and be sure to read the verses from scripture and discuss them together. It is the pictures and stories of people our children gave to and became a part of that has given them an ownership of their desire as adults to be involved in ministry.

MYGENEROSITY

WAS BEGUN By A FAMILY IN NATHAN'S CHURCH. They have literally saved the lives of thousands of people by providing wells for whole villages.

Would you help Nathan reach his goal of raising $1000 to dig three wells?

Would you please pray about giving $1, or $5 or $20 and help Nathan raise enough money to build three wells?

He just needs 80 people to give $10 and three wells will serve 3 villages, and hundreds of people will be able to stay alive and healthy.

You will be inspired to hear some of the stories, HERE. 

AND YOU CAN DONATE

HERE.

Thanks so very much for considering being a partner with Nathan. I am so blessed to see where the passion of my children's hearts leads them.

May you be blessed today.

Thanks so very much! God bless you. (Nathan)

Love, love the rhythm of Saturday mornings

Wonderful Joel, agreeing to take a walk with me downtown where every thing is in blossom.

This morning, I awakened early and sat with Clay over a cup of tea and catching up in my new blue robe he got for me. (I love robes that don't have any stains or scars from cooking on them yet, don't you?"

Then off with Sarah to our downtown French cafe where we have met on Saturdays for about 8 years. Oh, how my soul is filled whenever we are together, as we have a similar personality and similar ideals and dreams and so we talk and talk and talk.

This morning we had quiche and wholewheat walnut rolls with strawberry jam. Yumm!

We love local joints and local people. So we loved seeing Jeremy, our friend who works at the cafe and had a "Welcome home! How was you trip?"

That's the thing about local places--you can get to know people.

Then off to our walk amongst the old houses, where the trees on the street meet in the middle to make a gallery of green to walk under.

Finally, a stop at a store and a spiced chai tea from Agia Sophia to take home as we sipped in the car.

Now, home to read in quiet, a luxury in my home.

A text message to Joy, who is in Dallas at a speech tournament with friends, to remind her to eat to keep her blood sugar up.

I got a text back from her friend that said, "Mrs. Clarkson, this is Tess. I am force feeding Joy. She will be rosy and round when she gets home."

Off to visit a friend for a cup of tea this afternoon, and then Sarah and I and 3 other very close friends are off for a rare, "Girl's night" in Denver, where one of my friends is hosting a candle-light tea and giving a lecture on art pieces in London and Europe.

How nice to be home and what fun to have a day just hanging around with my sweet family and friends.

Oh, my! I just noticed how often I mentioned tea and eating--a pleasure to make life more delightful, no?

Have a lovely weekend--and btw, what are you doing?

Calling our Children to Bring God's light and truth to the World

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit," Matthew 28:19

Children are not to be the center of our lives, only Jesus is big enough to take that place. But passing on a vision for taking Jesus to their world in their generation is why we serve Him, by teaching, encouraging and instructing our children,

so that they will become those disciples of Christ's who bring His messages to bear in their own world. Motherhood is missional--a sending out into the world training venture.

And so, I delight to see the messages taking root in those very precious disciples that he entrusted into my hands into my home. I give you my precious Sarah.

Find Sarah on a full page in World Magazine this week. Pray for God to use her. Read her heart Here. at Thoroughlyalive.com

Sarah has loved working with Summit Ministries as a mentor. It is a requirement for all of my children to attend this wonderful world view training before they leave home. You will definitely want to check out there website and organization. Go here to see the student conferences.

*used blog 4/22/2021 Cherishing Motherhood: Love that lasts a whole lifetime

Cultivating a culture of Family Love

Sarah and Joy, a reunion at the airport--they belong to each other and give each other strength

Each of us has a deep longing to be loved, to have our lives validated, to know that we matter and have a purpose--a place to belong. It is a longing in our hearts because God put it there. Family is supposed to give roots, strength, security, stability and direction.

God also gave mothers the ability to build a strong  home culture,, so that these deep needs would be met.

Building an environment of love, grace, belonging, so that each child who is welcomed into her home, will provide a well spring in their hearts that says, "I have a history. I am a Clarkson (or Smith, or Martinez, or Krasaski), and we love each other, we belong to each other, we will always have stability because we are a part of this family and circle of love, spiritual strength and grace."

Shaping a Family culture like this takes time and intention and does not just happen by chance.

A child who is given a place to build roots, foundations of moral strength, affection and unconditional love and forgiveness, a safe haven in which to grow, will carry stability in their souls their whole lives and will find strength to face the trials of life and the challenges.

However, a child can be given all the experiences or things the world has to offer, but if his soul is starving or empty or filled with the anger of rejection or even passivity, which communicates worthlessness to him, will have difficulty filling this cavernous hole the rest of his life, and will look for love and validation in all the wrong places. 

A mother's love and legacy is one of the most powerful influences in the world and will indeed determine the strength and history of a culture. But to provide such a work in the lives of children, requires a choice. The choice is to serve, give, train, instruct, provide, encourage and this choice will have eternal consequences because the souls of the children raised in such a home will be strong, beautiful, spiritual, healthy and formed. Choices have consequences.

God’s Word, you see, gives us a map or plan for the family so that we might better understand what He had in mind for us. Few things will last after we die, but our children and their children will live throughout eternity. What we do as mothers, therefore, has eternal significance, so it’s especially important to understand God’s original intentions in this regard. Exploring His design for families and for motherhood can not only help us understand what has gone wrong, but also how, with God’s help, we can move closer to the joyful, fulfilling, and vitally important role He intended for us from the very beginning. Mission of Motherhood (Order Here or  Here )

Read Chapter 2 for more encoruagement and join our study online of this great calling and of the Book, The Mission of Motherhood

Join me today for our continued book study of the Mission of Motherhood, at momheart.org

Today, I am praying that the Holy Spirit will indeed use this book and this study to help each of you precious moms understand the far-reaching implications of your life, that God would entrust the soul and well being of a child into your hands, so that you might be a part of His kingdom work to shape the next generation, through your own family, to have a legacy of faith, holiness and life in Him. Remember, I am praying for you today! You are not alone. And you are dearly beloved by God.

Go HERE for more.

A Retreat From Life

Durnstein, Austria

After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; Matthew 14:23

My life is so very blessed and I am indeed grateful for the ways God has worked over the years. And yet, my messages of life and my books and my strength has not come out of a vacuum, but out of a rich and cultivated home life; a rhythmic spiritual life through a day by day discipline; centering myself over and over again so that I may hold fast to ideals and put away those things that distract from the center.

My message of influencing my children is born out of in intimate acquaintance with the discipleship relationship with Jesus, which requires focus, immeasurable time and a rich spiritual life. Such a life must continually be cultivated and treasured, it does not come by happenstance. It is the integrity of the life lived behind closed doors, the days that no one else sees, where integrity is crafted and grows strong. 

Yet, my life has been surrounded in the last few years by crowds and multitudes. Our ministry is such a blessing. How privileged I am to be able to be used, even in a small way, by Jesus, to encourage moms to embrace their divine role as mothers. Having met thousands of precious women, in person and through writing, I have continued to develop a heart to support and encourage them, to help them uphold their ideals, to point them to God. It is a passion from Him.

And yet, if I do not continue to protect the very place from which my messages come, my secret place, my home, my family, my abiding time investing in His wisdom and perspective, then I will spend myself in vanity and will empty myself from Him and just give of my own flesh--but not please Him, who truly is my treasure.

And so, the past two weeks, I have been sequestered away, in Austria, with my own wise counselor, Sarah--my first child.

Sarah, having just finished a semester at Oxford, (with the highest of honors, my mama heart soars with her great news), said, "Mom, let's meet in Austria, and we will rest and pray and talk and drink coffee and seek the Lord together."

I am indeed blessed to have children who now inform my life and who help me reason Biblically and make intentional plans for my life, as it has been the warp and woof of their own upbringing.

And so, wonderful Clay, sent me away, knowing how I long for peace, quiet and time for reflection, and generously held the fort down with delightful adventures with Joel and Joy. I am very blessed to have a husband who is so very generous to me. I adore spending time with my sweet children, we had free airline and hotel points, and I was one tired and spend mama.

So, two very precious weeks were invested in walking the familiar streets of Vienna, where I cut my spiritual teeth so many years ago as a young missionary. Even just the moving amongst familiar places, as we walked miles and miles, (also my therapy!), I caught again, the spirit of my mission heart that had beat so strongly over 30 years ago, when I entered this missional life. God began to meet me there and He began to unfold to me some of the ways He wants me to seek in the days and years ahead.

He is pretty true and simple in His direction of life,

Seek first the kingdom and His righteousness,

And so, I am rearranging some of my priorities and commitments so that I may continue to invest in what He has for me to do.

Sometimes the pulling away from multitudes is what is necessary in order to hear His voice, But then, I want to end well, having sought the praise of Him, my cherished and beloved Friend, who has led me so faithfully over the years, and not be swayed by culture, as I have less time left on this earth to please Him than I used to have.

So, please pray with me, that my commitments will be the right ones, that my home will continue to be a place of grace, truth, wisdom, life and peace, and that I will have the faith to follow hard after Him.

Be blessed in His will today, as that is where His peace will follow your soul.

And my prayer for all of you, is that you, too, will seek to hear His voice and follow hard after His pathway for you.

Waiting through the seasons with Grace, Faith and a Thankful Heart

James Tissot Quiet

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him. Psalm 37:7

Patience is not a natural virtue of mine, and yet, it seems the one God most ardently wants to build into my life, because He provides me so much practice.

When I was single, I could hardly wait to get married. Then I waited to get pregnant. Then I couldn’t wait until my children slept through the night. Then, I couldn’t wait until they were all out of diapers. Waiting for them all to be beyond naps. Waiting for them all to read. Waiting for them to learn how to do chores, to pick up clothes, to develop manners, to quit fighting.

Waiting for the teens to calm down emotionally, and waiting for decisions about life, college, marriage, money, and it goes on and on. Just fill in the blank of what you have waited for in your own life.

Somewhere amidst all of this impatient waiting, I realized that I could miss life if I just waited for a season to pass, waited for something to change,

waited for my children  to be different, or to have more time for our marriage,  or  for a financial situation to change. Letting my happiness, my contentment rest on some future moment.....

God, however,  seems to be more concerned with the process,...,

Read the rest of this article today on thebettermom.com, a wonderful site for all moms.

What is the hardest area for you to wait in?