Inspiration

For God So Loved Me!

This month, I intended to review the memory verses that I had been teaching the kids the past few months. So, last evening, after their assignments were done, I drew the sons close and asked them to recite the verses for me.

Jason went first, and he breezed through Psalm 23 with only a little prompting from me. Next was John 3:16. The original verse goes like this:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (NIV)

But what I heard from Jason was this…

“For God so loved ME that He gave His one and only Son…”

I proceeded to correct him, “It’s not ME, Jason.. It’s for God so loved the world…”. He repeated the rest of the verse flawlessly, but he left me pondering.

I’ve never said those words out aloud. “For God so loved me that He gave His one and only Son”. That’s the truth, isn’t it? The Word of God is so personal. The fact that God sent Jesus to die on my behalf, for my sins, is personal.

It left a stirring in my heart, as I moved on to hear what another son was reciting. And I heard Judah’s voice sweetly proclaiming, “For God so loved me…”.

Lord, thank you for little children who teach me how to make your Word personal.

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5 Loaves, 2 Fish and 1 Mother

“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” (John 6:9)

If you’ve read any of the first 4 books of the New Testament, you would’ve come across the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand. Yes, it is the account of how Jesus multiplied 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish to feed thousands. Last Sunday, a guest preacher at our church illustrated the chain of giving in this miracle. A mother gave the bread and fish to her son, the son gave it to the disciples, the disciples gave it to Jesus…

Although his emphasis was on the giving part of this miracle; what struck me most, was how it began. This was something I hadn’t thought of before. Although it’s not mentioned in the Bible, a mother probably gave the bread and fish to her son. Did you get that? A mother, packed her son 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish for his lunch.

Was that where the the miracle began? A seemingly small gesture of a mother packing her son lunch?

Kneading

I wonder what was running through this mother’s head that morning…

Was she in a frenzy trying to get all the household work done, while taking care of her kids?

Was she worn out, wondering how on earth she could possibly get everything on her to-do list done that day?

Was she questioning the worthiness of her mundane tasks at home?

And when her son asked her for a picnic lunch, maybe she was a bit annoyed…

Oh great! just what I need…

My son’s running off to hear some man, and leaving me to tackle all the chores alone…

Do I really need the additional task of fixing him a picnic lunch?

Why can’t he come back home for lunch? Or grab something on the way?

And yet, we know that the son had his lunch with him when he went to listen to Jesus. The mother had packed a small meal for him. And you probably know the rest of that story. {If you have no clue about the story, you can read all about it here.}

I wonder what the mother’s reaction was, when the son explained the miracle to her when he got back home. I can imagine her filled with awe, humbled that Jesus would choose to use her meager offering to perform a mind-blowing miracle.

If you, like me wonder at times if the mundane tasks you do at home really matter… Take heart, my friend. The simple things you do for your family, are no different from the 5 loaves and 2 fish that another mother, in another era, packed for her son. And that was where the miracle began.

That mother received almost nothing in return, no glory, no acknowledgement; save the knowledge that God had used her little offering to bless thousands. Can we be content, knowing that the little things we do in our home – those pesky, mundane chores that drive us crazy; are indeed an offering to God? Yes, they are! Now off to fold a pile of laundry! 😉

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” (Colossians 3:23)

Photo Credit: Phil Roeder

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Waiting on God

waiting, waiting, waiting

Photo Credit: Gilles Chiroleu

Waiting isn’t a lot of fun, is it?! It gets on my nerves, when I have to wait for any extended period of time. And I don’t spare my family, either. I get pretty worked up when my boys are dilly-dallying, taking their own sweet time, with something that I need to be done immediately.

For all my distaste of waiting, I have been doing just that. I’ve been waiting on God to show me where I need to go next, what I need to do with my life. After some of my own dreams crashed and burned, I decided to wait for God’s dream for my life. I assumed that God would want to change my life’s direction as my sons grow older.

Well, it’s been a whole month since my sons joined kindergarten, which means I have a solid chunk of 4 free hours in the mornings. Maybe, not actually free – I’ve set up an effective routine to make the best use of that time. And yet I wanted to do something productive, maybe even take up a part-time job or a voluntary position somewhere.

My only hesitation was that I wasn’t sure what God had in mind for me. So, I started praying, of course. Praying that God would show me what I needed to do in my life. And surprise of surprises, He gave me His Word – except that it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for… {is it ever?!}

Every where I turned, every book I read, every blog I skimmed through, even through the Proverbs 31 Bible study; He said…

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

You’d think I would have known that by now, after blogging about the exact same verse here and here. I realized that I was to continue my stay-at-home jig for a little while longer {months, years, decades maybe?!} serving my husband and praying for my sons… and keeping our home as unto the Lord.

I thought I’d share with you a few things I learnt, while I was waiting on God.

  1. Waiting on God means praying… a LOT!
  2. If possible, fast and pray.
  3. Spend a lot of time in God’s presence, poring over His Word {That’s how He usually talks to us}.
  4. Keep an open mind for anything God may be trying to tell you.
  5. Waiting on God reiterates how much you trust in Him, and God does NOT disappoint those who trust in Him.

We are all in different seasons of waiting on God. You maybe waiting on Him for a job, a life purpose, a life partner, a promotion, a house, a child, a financial breakthrough, a marriage… Keep at it. Don’t give up. When you wait to know God’s will for you, He values the trust you’ve placed in Him – and He will answer you. And while you wait, He will give you to the strength to carry on.

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

Care to share your experience of waiting on God?

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Avoiding the Proverbs 31 Burnout

Proverbs 31:10-31 – Every Christian woman has read this passage at least once in her lifetime. When I first read it, I was ecstatic! I said, “Wow! I know what God wants for my life.. He wants me to be this woman”. And I faithfully highlighted every character of this perfect woman. Over the past 10 years, I’ve loved, hated, envied and attempted (a lot) to be just like her.

We are currently reading Proverbs 31 in our Good Morning Girls Bible study, so I made up my mind to work on this, once and for all… Except, it didn’t quite work out like I expected.

Last Monday, the kids started kindergarten, and I was all too eager to keep my home as a Proverbs 31 woman would. I woke up early, went for my morning run, got the kids ready, got them fed, walked them to the school bus, had my quiet time, swept the house, did the laundry, ironing, dishes, decluttered two rooms, cleaned a bathroom, blogged, got lunch ready and rushed off to pick the kids back from school.

I was quite pleased with myself – I had worked non-stop and it was worth it. The look on my husband’s face when he walked into our clean, uncluttered living room was priceless. All my hard work had payed off, and I was elated… until late evening, when I fell sick :(.

I had gone a little over the top and ended up sick for a couple of days, causing quite a bit of inconvenience to my family. It was time to take stock of what I was trying to accomplish as a Proverbs 31 woman. As always, God spoke to me through a number of blog posts and I learnt quite a few things. Here are a few more details about the Proverbs 31 woman…

  1. She let God take control of her life. She feared the Lord.
  2. She is a portrait of a woman’s lifetime, not a single day.
  3. She probably wasn’t perfect, because none of us are.
  4. God’s grace covers our shortcomings.
  5. She wasn’t a real woman! She was a compilation of all the qualities that King Lemuel’s mother wanted in a daughter-in-law.

The last one hit home.. I learnt that from the book “Pursuit of Proverbs 31” by Amy Bayliss. I know for sure, I will have high expectations of the women my sons will one day marry.

Well, so maybe I’ll never be everything the Proverbs 31 woman was – and that’s okay. But this passage has been included in the Bible for a reason – not to cause us stress and end up with a burnout. We ought to emulate these characteristics throughout our lifetime, through several years, and maybe decades. I may not get there today, or next year, but I’m going to try – one step at a time.

As long as I keep my eyes on Jesus, and walk in His will – step by step, I know He will teach me to be a better woman, wife and mother. And one day, my family may call me blessed… But that is not what I long for. What will make my day {or in this case, my life} is this… that I will hear my Father say “Well done“!

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A Million Little Choices

choices

I sighed as I set the alarm on my phone for 4:15 AM. I had to be up early the following morning to pick my mother up from the railway station. After a little consideration, I set the alarm on my husband’s phone as well, and kept both the phones far out of my reach {I’m an expert at switching off the alarm and going back to sleep… and then wondering why it never rang in the first place :D}.

When my alarm rang the next morning, I could barely even open my eyes. I hurriedly switched it off and reached out to switch off my husband’s phone as well. I closed my eyes for just a quick second and considered my options…

  • I could snooze for just a few minutes and risk oversleeping.
  • I could force myself to wake up, right away.

I sighed and forced myself up to a sitting position. Through bleary eyes, I could make out the dark figures of my family, blissfully asleep. I made the difficult, but right choice. I got right out of bed, freshened up and rushed off to the railway station.

On my one hour ride to the station (and another one hour wait for the train), I pondered the little choice I made, so early in the morning. And I realized, we all make choices, everyday… several choices, too many to count, in fact… Subtle choices, we don’t even realize we make. Right from the second our alarms beep in the mornings…

Do we choose to wake up? Or do we choose to hit the snooze button?

Do we choose to open our Bibles? Or do we postpone it, in favor of checking our email (or Facebook)?

Do we choose to prepare healthy meals for our family? Or opt for something more convenient?

I asked myself some hard questions…

Do I take extra time to cuddle up with my sons when they wake up? Or do I hastily shake them awake and rush them off to school?

Do I choose to read a hundred blog posts? Or do I choose to act on just one good post I’ve read?

Do I choose to read a book with the kids? Or do I conveniently pop in a DVD to entertain them?

Do I spend time playing with my sons? Or do I just watch them play, when I’m distracted with something trivial?

Do I choose to serve my husband when he returns home after a long day’s work? Or do I expect him to take care of himself?

When I need a snack, do I reach for the fruit basket? Or the cookie jar?

Do I snap in irritation at my sons’ disobedience? Or do I patiently try to figure out why they are acting that way?

Do I dread doing the dishes? Or am I thankful that my family had a full meal?

Do I choose to let a difficult day get the better of me? Or do I give thanks through the dark clouds and look for the silver lining?

Do I murmur and complain about my situation? Or am I glad that I’m exactly where God wants me to be?

Add all these up, and in a lifetime we are faced with a million little choices. Do we choose to make the right ones?

Choices that lead to joy and peace in the family. Choices that glorify God. Choices that we won’t regret making, later in the day (or life)… {I wish I had woken up earlier… I wish I had read to my kids today… I wish I wasn’t so grumpy all day… I wish I had listened to my husband… I wish I had been more patient…} Any of that sound familiar? 🙂

Today, I am choosing to open my eyes and recognize the choices as they come my way. I choose joy, peace, happiness, love, hope and everything else good and positive. I choose to make the right choices, today!

“… therefore choose life …” (Deuteronomy 30:19)

Photo Credit

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A Thousand Things – Christa Wells

If your tears have soaked many a pillow,
You wake up each morning with red-rimmed eyes.
If you’re waiting, pleading, wondering “Why?”,
Your weary cries seem to hit a blank wall.

Here’s a reminder that God is working a thousand things backstage. A thousand things we may not yet comprehend.

Be assured in His promise that He’s got good plans for you (Jeremiah 29:11). For weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning (Psalm 30:5b).

If you can’t view the video below, click here.

Lyrics:

You’re gonna cry yourself to sleep,
You’re gonna soak the pillow for many weeks,
You’re gonna cry,
Why? Why me?

But in spite of the ache that doesn’t go away,
You’ll be sharing your story one rainy day,
And at the next table somebody catches your words,
He hears a truth that he’s never heard.

He takes it back to the marriage he’d given up on,
Hands it down to his daughter who writes it into song.

You didn’t know…

A thousand things are happening in this one thing,
Like a thousand fields nourished by a single drop of rain,
So honey, wrap yourself in promise,
While you wait the morning light.

A thousand things are happening tonight!

You’re gonna cry yourself to sleep,
‘Cause for the moment all that you can see,
Is what you’ve lost, lost,
Why me?

But in the midst of the most exquisite pain,
You’re drawn into a peace that you cannot explain,
And the praises you sing of a sovereign God,
Reach the girl whose last hope is gone.

She never thought there was purpose in anything here,
Now the seed has been planted and it’s taking root there.

You didn’t know…

A thousand things are happening in this one thing,
Like a thousand fields nourished by a single drop of rain,
So honey, wrap yourself in promise,
while you wait the morning light.

A thousand things are happening tonight!

You’re gonna cry yourself to sleep,
A thousand miracles you’ll have to wait and see…

Lyrics Courtesy: Christa Wells Music

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Tremors and Trust

Photo Credit: Chad Kreutzer

It was a little past 4, last evening… The kids were lying down for their nap, and I hopped onto their bed – laptop in tow, reminding them every few minutes that they had to close their eyes in order to sleep. I logged onto Facebook and was surprised to see an inordinate number of status updates regarding the earthquake in South East Asia.

I was so engrossed, that when the bed started shaking, my immediate reaction was that one of the sons was kidding around and shaking the bed. A quick look around convinced me that the kids were all fast asleep. The bed shook again. With a start, I realized it was a tremor. My thoughts raced as I hurriedly shot my husband an email. Fear gripped my heart and I pondered what I should do if the situation got worse.

I know I probably overreacted. This was only the second time I had ever felt a tremor. The first time was 11 years ago, during my college days – my friends and I were pretty excited and we thought it was a great experience. But this time around, as a mother, surrounded by 3 little ones fast asleep, fear and dread obscured every other emotion.

I figured that if the quake got worse, I would not have enough time to hustle all the kids out of our first floor apartment. Thoughts focused on the kids’ safety crowded my mind. Should I cover them with pillows? Or gather them to a corner of the room? Will I be able to lug a mattress over us? On reflection, I realize it was almost insane to be thinking of a worst case scenario. But I’m amazed at how easily my mind raced to plan out safety measures to keep the little ones safe.

As I sat paralyzed, wondering what I should do next, I felt another round of tremors. As fear threatened to choke me again, I prayed. I prayed that God would protect us and keep us safe. That nothing would harm my babies. And then I wondered… What about all those people throughout the world who prayed and still lost their lives and their loved ones in natural calamities?

Surprisingly, that thought filled my heart with peace. I knew nothing would happen to those who trusted God, unless it was His will. I remembered this verse from the book of Job in the Bible – “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him…” (Job 13:15). It made no sense for me to be afraid, because good or bad; my Father was in control… He was watching over my kids. He continues to care for my family much more than I ever could.

As the quake subsided, by husband called to check on us. He figured, since he was too far away to be of any assistance, he would simply trust God to take care of his family. The simple, unshakable faith of this man I married never ceases to amaze me. How I admire him… I certainly wish I could trust God like he does and not over-think or complicate things :).

So, that was our experience with the earthquake yesterday. I definitely learnt a valuable lesson in trusting God through the tremors. Have you ever felt an earthquake? What was your first reaction?

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When Castles Crash

It was beautiful – this castle I built in the air.
The architecture magnificent; the detailing intricate.
It was everything I wanted – and everything I couldn’t have.
It was my deepest desire, my highest hope;
My desperate longing, but never to be.

I’m sure at some point in life, you’ve heard (or read) the words “You can be anything you want to be” or “You can do anything you want to do”. But the harsh reality is that life doesn’t always work that way.

When I was 13, I decided I wanted to become a software engineer. That was my dream. Everything I did, was directed towards achieving that dream. I got my Masters degree in Software Engineering and proceeded to work in a reputed IT company. I was officially a software engineer – I was at the steps leading to my castle. Except that my castle no longer existed – in its place lay a pile of ruins.

You see, my dream job did not give me the satisfaction I sought. I constantly battled with God as to why He put my brain & my heart in the same body. Did that sound weird to you? Let me explain… While my logical-thinking, problem-solving brain was at its best in an IT job, my heart longed to do something that would truly make a difference in somebody’s life.

The castle I had been building in the air for 10 years had crashed. As I gazed at the heap of ruins before me, I realized that maybe MY plans were not the best ones after all… I was reminded of my life verse, the first verse in the Bible I actually claimed for myself when I was 13.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

It was the latter half of the year 2006, when I took a week off work and pondered about my future. Little did I know that within a year, God would turn my life right side up and make HIS plans for me a reality.

It has been 3 years since I gave up my job. Truth be told, I wasn’t ready to give it up at that time. I craved the independence, financial security, and comfortable lifestyle that my job in the corporate world had provided. I rebelled even after I knew that it was God’s plan for me to stay at home in this season of our kids’ lives.

After extending my leave for more than a year, I finally let go of my job and trusted God and my husband for provision and security. It was a humbling experience, and it took me several months to come to terms with it. I am now unemployed, but not jobless! My husband, kids & my home are my full-time occupation now – and I have finally found the job satisfaction I always craved.

God found a place for me in the tiniest corner of the internet, where He would be able to use my mind & my heart for His glory. It humbles me every time one of you stop by to tell me that you read my blog. I am blessed to be clay in my Potter’s Hands. And if this imperfect, cracked clay pot could share a drop of Living Water with another thirsty soul – I have done the job my Potter requires of me.

If you are going through a time in your life, when your castle has crashed… Your dreams lie shattered, and your hopes have crash landed… God reminds you…

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

God has something greater in store for you. Trust me, it’s the story of my life! I know from personal experience that He “…is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” (Ephesians 3:20)

Photo by Federico Burgalassi on Unsplash

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The Blessing of Prayer

Lord, thank you for today. Bless this day for us.
Be with the kids, let them not fight or cry a lot today.
I pray that my husband’s work won’t cause him to stay late in office today.
Keep us all in good health. Use us for your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

A year ago, that would have been my typical prayer on any given day. My prayers revolved around me, my husband, our kids, our problems and our plans. Sure, we would occasionally pray specifically for someone who requested our prayers – but I’m ashamed to say, it wasn’t a regular happening in our home.

In the beginning of June 2011 however, God reminded me to start praying for others on a regular basis. I made a list (of course!) – the first half of it contained specific prayer points pertaining to our own family. The latter half was a list of our extended family members and friends who had specific prayer needs.

I started replaying the list in my mind during my regular prayer time or when I walked to pick the kids up from school. Over the months, I found myself crossing several prayer requests off the list; marking them YAAP (Yet Another Answered Prayer) and adding new prayer requests in their stead.

It took me a while to realize that praying for others was more a blessing for me, than it was for the people I was actually praying for. Doesn’t the Bible say “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35)?

When I prayed for someone else, God taught me to empathize with them. He taught me to pray with love and compassion. And as the number of YAAPs increased on my list, so did my faith.

Sick grandparents were healed.
A mother grieving the loss of her son was comforted.
Pregnancies resulted in healthy babies.
Surgeries were successful.
A baby struggling to breathe was healed.

The baby I mentioned was from our church. This was his second stint in intensive care and his parents had been through a lot. The entire church was praying for him. God didn’t “need” my prayer to heal him. But He wanted me to pray so that I may be blessed, just by praying for that sweet child. And I was!

I don’t want to give you the impression that every item on my prayer list has been crossed off. Nope! There are some people/situations I am still praying for, over the past 9 months. I believe in God’s time, in His own way, according to His will – He will bring it to pass someday. Until then, I will pray.

I urge you to start praying for someone else’s needs today – you will be blessed. Here are some pointers…

  • Start with just one other person – ask them if you can pray for something in specific.
  • Make a prayer list with specific prayer requests.
  • Memorize the list or carry it with you, so you can pray over it anytime, anywhere.
  • For each item on the list, take a few moments to actually pray for specific details related to that prayer request.
  • Take your time and don’t rush through the list.
  • When the prayer is answered, cross it off; but keep the original list. Crossed off prayer requests are great faith boosters.
  • The next time someone asks you to pray for something in particular, make sure you add it to the list before it slips your mind.

Are you praying for someone else today? If you have a specific prayer request, I would like to pray for you. Feel free to leave your prayer request in the comments below, or e-mail me at sheensteve@gmail.com. It would be a blessing to pray for you. Enjoy your weekend, people!

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Leaving a Legacy

As I was reading the book “Tell Your Time” last week, I came across a bunch of questions that unsettled me…

“How do you want to be known and remembered? What kind of legacy do you want to leave?” 

My maternal uncle passed away last week and the legacy he left behind was his music. For almost two decades, he played his keyboard and coached the choir in his local church. He will always be remembered for using his talent to glorify God. He had earlier recorded several cassettes of himself singing various hymns; his son played those tapes over the sound system during the funeral. When people came by to pay their last respects, they heard these comforting words over the speaker…

All the way my Savior leads me,
Oh, the fullness of His love!
Perfect rest to me is promised
In my Father’s house above.
When my spirit, clothed immortal,
Wings its flight to realms of day
This my song through endless ages:
Jesus led me all the way;

…which brings me back to the purpose of today’s blog post. It didn’t take me long to asked myself, What will people remember me for, when I die?. Will they think of me as…

A software engineer? Maybe.
A good student? Probably.
A blogger? Definitely.
Mother of triplets? Most definitely.

But that is hardly enough. What difference am I making in the lives of those around me? What memories will I leave behind? After much pondering, I came up with a list (yes, I love lists :)).

I want to be known as a woman who:

  1. Loved God above all else.
  2. Served her husband with respect.
  3. Led her sons to Christ by example.

I wonder at times if this list is too audacious. But then I realize, it isn’t – it all comes down to the basics. Living out my faith in the struggles of everyday life. Joyfully meeting my husband’s needs. Learning to be a good example to my kids. In the end, this is what it comes down to. I leave you now, with the same words that got me thinking…

“How do you want to be known and remembered? What kind of legacy do you want to leave?” 

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