Still Standing

 

The summer of 2024 began placidly enough.

Abundant spring rains kissed away the scars of the previous year that had been left by hordes of grasshoppers swooping down the canyon upon us with the force of a Biblical plague. They stripped entire bushes and trees bare, leaving sticks in their wake.

Inspired by nature's show of life, I had replaced the old cushions on the deck furniture and repotted the plants from the greenhouse to create a comforting green space. A new fire table promised some cozy evenings under the string lights. 

Then "Hell Week" Hit.

Midsummer, we were hit with a series of trials faintly reminiscent of the famously brutal week Navy S.E.A.L. trainees endure at the end of their training. Only it didn't last a week. This series of trials began in June of 2024 and only receded in April of 2025.

Our quadriplegic son Kevin developed sepsis from a kidney stone obstruction and needed a Life Flight to a larger hospital in north Idaho. From there, we descended into a circle of infections, another Life Flight, nearly two dozen ambulance rides, hospital stays, surgical procedures, home, and back to the hospital.

We were forced to evacuate our home when it was threatened by a wildfire that came within yards of destroying our property. It felt emblematic of the internal flames raging through us. 

Kevin endured nearly a year and a half of intense suffering. We fought hard for our son and brother, staying at his side through hectic days and unforgiving nights as we wept with him and prayed our hearts out.

At some point, though I can't say when, our focus changed. We still prayed constantly for help and healing. The questions and the inevitable "Why, Lord?" began to fall into the dirt with our plans and hopes. There was no time or strength left for arguing with the Almighty. 

We were at war. 

We engaged the battle, recognizing that Our commander was at work in our lives, and He wanted more than lip service. He asked for our trust and complete surrender to His will. It was terrifying to give it all over to Him- as if holding onto anything could change the outcome.

The miracles were many. Kevin survived the ordeal and is healing at home. We gathered many treasures in the people we met, the fellowship we shared with strangers, and the day to day glimpses of God's presence in the battlefield.

God is good. God is fierce. God is worthy of our trust.

He Is Either Everything He Claims, or We Follow an Illusion.

Eventually, each one of us is confronted with His sovereignty and the rights Jesus acquired over our lives when He redeemed us. There can only be one commander of this army. The fight is not for our comfort or happiness. A world needs to see the redemption of God revealed through the lives of His people as we follow Him through the minefields of life. His goal is never to destroy us, but to build a band of brothers to serve Him with one heart.

Below is an excerpt from my caregiving devotional, Out from the Shadows. May you be encouraged that God is really at work in your lives. It is safe to trust Him.

Band of Brothers

Be sober, be vigilant;

because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion,

seeking whom he may devour.

Resist him, steadfast in the faith,

knowing that the same sufferings are experienced

by your brotherhood in the world. - 1 Peter 5:8-9 NKJV

I was alone that evening. It was a good thing because I was feeling cranky at life in general and at God in particular. The constant demands of caregiving, compounded by other stresses in my life, had me convinced God was an unyielding taskmaster.

I decided to splurge a little rare personal time on some television. A DVD about Navy S.E.A.L.S. was sitting near the flat screen. I popped it into the DVD player, plopped onto the sofa, and settled in for a relaxing couple of hours.

Training to become a Navy S.E.A.L. is famously harsh. But I wasn’t prepared to witness the brutal conditions the men are exposed to in order to be accepted into the program. The show began with the usual drills, inspections, and harassment expected in military training.

Soon it got tougher. Stone-faced officers pounded the trainees through a rigorous daily routine. The men endured endless hours of grueling physical work as they were scrutinized for any perceived weaknesses.

Under the relentless pressure, some of the men began to falter. I began to feel sorry for them. I sat up and watched on tensely.

Then the training session dubbed Hell Week descended upon the men. They went for days with little food and no sleep. They executed nonstop drills in the icy sea water. Any hint of rebellion, foul attitude, or waning energy was met with a bombardment of derision from the trainers. Men stumbled through the endless commands, trembling from cold and exhaustion.

Tempers flared. Insurrection rose to the surface. In the long days and nights of training in the sea and on the beach, men threw up, passed out, and quit.

By now I sat fuming on the edge of my seat. How could they treat men with such inhumanity? It seemed so wrong.

As the end of Hell Week drew near, a class of over eighty trainees had dwindled closer to twenty men. Those who were left followed orders without hesitation. During the rare rest periods, they huddled together on the beach to keep warm, personal space long since abandoned.

But they were tough. They had been pushed to the edge, and they had conquered it all as a team. They knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses and how to work together.

Abruptly, the instructors relaxed their demands, a pre-arranged move saved for the moment they felt the trainees were finally functioning as a unit. Only then did I realize how carefully they had monitored the men to keep them safe while surgically excising those not ready to be on the team. Those who were left operated as one man, knit together in bonds only adversity can create.

I was surprised to hear the bruised and bone-weary men praise their instructors. They understood the instructors’ job was to re-create the stress of battle conditions in order to forge a band of brothers who would fight to the death for each other and their cause.

By now I was in tears. I got the message. In that holy moment God reserves for revelation and repentance, I bowed my heart to Him and asked His forgiveness for doubting Him.

I understood in a new way how His work in our lives, harsh as it may feel, is weeding out that which weakens us as He makes us a band of brothers and sisters who can endure any hardship and conquer every trial together.

 

 

 

 

 

Dark Eden

Did you know there is a place called Blood Falls in Antarctica?

In the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica, a remarkably blood-like flow oozes out of the ice and down the tongue of Taylor Glacier onto the frozen surface of West Lake Bonney. 

Below its strange geography lies a biological mystery scientists call "Dark Eden," the perfect place to begin the story of a world that has lost its soul as it rages on a collision course with justice. The novel Blood Falls pulls back the veil on a fascinating and fresh portrayal of the end of an age. CMADDICT.com has done an amazing job of producing the audio of the Preface and 1st chapter of the book. 

Why post a book about the Apocalypse on a website devoted to the celebration of Life?

Because I'm the author of the book, and I'm an ardent supporter of the pro-life movement...from the moment of conception to the natural end of the physical body. The novel Blood Falls reflects that in both concept and mission. Though it deals with hard issues in the fictional depiction of God's judgment upon an apostate world, God is always in the business of bringing life out of death. Even as He pours out His indignation upon the evil in the land, He is always working to bring humanity to Him. 

When I wrote this book, I wept as I penned the words to Chapter 35: Rachel's Gift. I still weep every time I read it. 

This chapter stirs my soul because it declares that God is Life. He's the King of the living. He rejoices in bringing life out of death. 

We honor Him when we get the message.

The coming Tribulation will not include alien zombies and purple skies.

 

The events portrayed in the prophetic portions of Scripture have been tortured until they hardly resemble anything modern folks can appreciate or take seriously. The day is fast approaching, however, when they will come upon the earth, exactly as predicted by the Bible. 

In real time. In this age. 

Those who have already accepted the gift of life offered in the sacrifice and resurrection of God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, will escape the tribulation of the Apocalypse before it begins. Those who waited, however, will still have the opportunity to choose life, though at great cost.

If it was ever the time to investigate what the Bible has to say about the future of Earth, the time is now.

Listen here: Blood Falls Chapter One with audio 

Learn more: Bloodfalls.net

Many thanks to Kevin Thorson, founder and senior editor of CMADDICT.com for his vision and work on the project. Be sure to check out the entire site. It's filled with quality content, awesome music, and inspiring stories. Need a lift for your spirit today? Check out the devotionals, too!

He Is Risen, Indeed!

Where has the time gone? It has been a hard ten months since our lives entered a place of deep testing and trial. I have posted little about it, mostly because there has been scarce time or energy for reflection. The love and prayers of those who know us have carried us through the valley of the shadow. 

In this valley, it often looked like there was no way out. Thank God for His grace, comfort, and deliverance!

This Easter, we are tired. Our celebration will be quieter. But our joy is greater, having seen the sustaining and healing power of the One who conquered the grave. In His resurrection, He destroyed the plans of the evil one in our lives and lavished us with hope. 

I will be sharing more as God gives me opportunity. For now, I rejoice at the reminder of His victory and cry out with the hosts of heaven:

"Holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come."

Have a beautiful Resurrection Day.

 

Thank a Family Caregiver this November!

 

Our society must make it right and possible for old people not to fear the young or be deserted by them, for the test of a civilization is the way that it cares for its helpless members. 

-Pearl Buck

Each year, November is designated as National Family Caregivers Month, a fitting time to remember with gratitude those who give their lives to care for others. In this season of reflection on our many blessings, most of us can think of someone whose sacrificial work has enriched our lives and the lives of those we love.

Family caregivers are a national treasure, easing the caregiver crisis while ensuring the well-being and health of a beloved family member. Their job is a hard and often thankless one. They are the unseen backbone of society: parents, grandparents, in-laws, children, siblings, and other family members who set aside their own dreams to care for the defenseless and vulnerable.

Caring for those who can't care for themselves are the hands and feet of the Savior Himself, reaching out to the broken. The price is high; the joys immeasurable. We serve the best and highest in humanity when we stand beside those who cannot fight for themselves.

This month, as we thank God for His mercy and blessings, take a moment and thank God for the caregivers. I'm sure they'd appreciate a prayer, too.

https://atkinsbookshelf.wordpress.com/2018/02/21/famous-misquotations-a-civilization-is-measured-by-how-it-treats-its-weakest-members/

Are You Hurting Today?

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When Pain Is a Good Thing

God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.

– C.S. Lewis

It’s deep into football season.

Some players have been sidelined with season-ending injuries, while others limp through the games. In a 2016 ESPN article entitled “How NFL Players Play through the Pain,” staff writer and veteran football player Matt Bowen asserted that nobody on the field after October is truly healthy. The players maximize their ability to play through careful management of their injuries during the week and an injection of Toradol, jokingly referred to as “Vitamin T,” on game day. They know that the pain will come back with a vengeance afterward. The next day may be more brutal, in fact, than when the injury first happened.

For the players, it’s about managing the pain and making it through the important days. For them, the goal is to earn a win for their team and a healthy paycheck for themselves.

For those of us who are not athletes, it may be hard to understand those willing to put their bodies through all that just for a game. It feels wrong to purposely play through a sensation that keeps warning you to stop.

Physical pain, after all, is the body’s messenger, informing us that something is wrong. In that respect, it’s also our friend, because if we didn’t have pain, we would be constantly injuring ourselves. Pain tells us to stop what we’re doing and make an assessment. Sometimes it’s the wake-up call that inspires us to totally change our lifestyles.

Emotional pain may have different causes, but it, too, is God’s shout to us. It’s jarring and perhaps harder to bear than physical pain. It can’t be managed with something as simple as “Vitamin T.”

This kind of pain drives us to ask the questions God wants to answer.

It takes us down and makes us look up. Suffering is the taskmaster that drives us to the Deliverer. In the same way physical pain sends us the urgent message to look for the source of injury or illness, emotional pain sends us an unmistakable message that it’s time to search out our Comforter and Healer.

Pain is a good thing when it awakens us to a new understanding of who we are and what we need to do to find healing. Life is more precious than any game. The stakes are higher, the victory sweeter.

If you're hurting today, God is near, whether it feels like it or not. He'd love to hear from you. He's waiting, and He cares. Talk to Him about what you're feeling, and listen to His Word for you. It will come. There is a reason for the pain and a source for the healing.

You're going to get through this.

 

After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

– 1 Peter 5:10

Hungry for More? Discover a Vault of Comfort and Inspiration at CMADDICT.com.

Today's devotional is shared from the treasury of Slightly Obsessed at cmaddict.com. Whether you're slightly obsessed about living for Jesus, totally possessed with hunger for His presence, or just want to learn more about who He is, we invite you to discover new courage for the day in one of the over 260 inspirational articles by longtime caregiver and author Pam Thorson. 

Credits:

https://www.kevinhalloran.net/best-c-s-lewis-quotes/
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/14564481/how-nfl-players-play-pain

The Gift

 

It may have been my birthday. 

Or Christmas morning. I can't recall the occasion, but the moment is forever etched in the six-year-old recesses of my mind. For a family of modest means, receiving a brand-new anything was momentous. Receiving a new bike, earthshaking.

This particular day, as it turns out, was especially momentous in retrospect, for I received three life-changing gifts in one fell swoop:

• My very own first bicycle. 
• The ability to ride it by myself.  
• A life lesson from my dad that would forever steer the course of my life.

My first failure

The bike was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen besides my mother. I didn't know how to ride a bike but was determined to try. My step-grandfather, whom I barely knew, was visiting at the time with my blessed little Irish grandmother and offered to teach me. 

Having inherited the stature of Grandma Jean, I could barely even hold the bike. It felt like a tank. Granddad helped me board the beast and supported me while I got my feet situated. Breathlessly, I steeled myself for lift-off. 

The bike slowly rolled forward with Granddad walking beside me, firmly keeping me and the metal upright. Up and down the road we crawled. For the life of me, I couldn't keep the bike balanced on my own. Defeat reared its ugly head as Granddad began to tire.

Then Dad sauntered out the door.

My cool, disc-jockey father with the tight jeans, and wavy black hair strode confidently across the driveway. I adored him and believed he and Mom were invincible...especially together. 

Dad casually took over the reins. Relief washed over me. Granddad had tried, but Dad would know what to do. He always knew what to do.

I resolutely set my feet back on the pedals as Dad balanced the bike for relaunch. As before, we began rolling down the road, Dad holding me upright. 

He began to jog alongside the bike. We picked up speed until he was running with me. That was fun and a bit frightening. 

Then he gave me a push and let go.

He let go. Terror filled me. The act shocked me. 

Why did he do that? 

Panicked, I did the only thing that seemed reasonable at the moment. I pumped the pedals as fast as my my skinny legs would go. A few yards further, I realized I was actually upright and going forward under my own power. 

The fear left, blown away by elation.

My father accomplished what I couldn't do alone.

My dad was one of the most gentle men I've ever known. I would have trusted him with my life. His actions that day, though, seemed to contradict his nature and made me doubt him. His method appeared frightening, even reckless. He didn't explain himself. 

But he didn't have to. He saw what needed to be done and expected me to follow his lead. That sweet victory made it easier to trust in a greater Father and in His methods for the greater victories to come.

My beloved papa wasn't perfect, but he never made that claim. He just loved Jesus with his whole heart and loved his family unconditionally all the way to the end. He taught my brother and I to love God. He let us make mistakes growing up, learn how to accept the falls in life, and he never once let us go when crisis hit. He gave us everything he had, the greatest of which was his legacy of grace.

Today's dads have a hard row to hoe.

My precious husband of over fifty years, the father of our five children, is cast from the same mold. I watch with awe at how much he loves his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He cares for them; weeps for them; prays for them; gives toward their welfare without hesitation. As my mother would have said, he has a hard row to hoe. But he is always in his garden. 

Today's concept of fatherhood is tarnished by the shifting of cultural norms, family breakdowns, and the never-ending attacks from the enemy of our souls. Families are crumbling under the strain. Parents are broken. Children are hopeless.

Our Father in heaven sees it all, and He is hurting. He loves us desperately and longs for relationship with us. He watches the road for the prodigal's return and runs out to meet him. His methods of teaching us how to navigate life may be misunderstood, but He is worth trusting for the victory He relentlessly pushes us toward. Our earthly fathers, shadows of the Everlasting Reality, may not get it all right. 

But they deserve respect and love for the trying. Thank them for that. Lavish grace upon them...the same grace you want for yourself. 

 Happy Father's Day, Dads. You're the best. God bless you.

Where is Your Safe Place in a World Falling Apart?

 

In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth,

the gospel of your salvation – having also believed,

you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise.

- Ephesians 1:13

When the Thief Comes to Steal

In his book The Holy Spirit, Billy Graham tells the story of an English missionary who died in India during the early 1900’s.  Immediately his former neighbors broke into his home and pillaged it, stealing the man’s possessions.  The English Consul was notified, and the official went to the missionary’s home.

Since there was no knock on the door, the official simply pasted a piece of paper across it and affixed the seal of England on it.  No one dared to break the seal, because at that time, that seal represented the world’s most powerful nation.  The power of England stood behind a piece of paper on the door.

In the same way, when we are saved, the Holy Spirit takes up official residence within us – effectively “sealing” us for Himself by His power and authority.

The Greek word for “seal” means “to confirm” or “to impress,” and it is used three times in the New Testament in connection with believers.  This sealing represents two important concepts:  security and ownership.

An Irrevocable Decree

Sealing in the sense of security is illustrated in the sealing of Daniel in the lion’s den (Daniel 6:17), and in the irrevocable seal of the king in spoken of in Esther 3:12 and 8:8. The Greek word is used in Matthew 27:65-66 to describe the Roman seal on Jesus’ tomb and is the same word used in other New Testament scriptures to speak of the seal of the Holy Spirit.  It meant that whatever was under that seal was not to be opened except by order of the king.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered 

This seal also signifies ownership.  In Jeremiah 32:10 we read that the prophet bought a piece of property, paid for it in front of witnesses, and sealed the purchase in accordance with the law and custom, making him the legal owner.

History tells us ancient Ephesus was a port city, carrying on an extensive trade in lumber.  A merchant looking for lumber would walk through the timber, select what he wanted, and stamp it with his own signet, or sign of ownership.  When he was ready for the lumber, he would send an agent with the signet to locate all the timber carrying his seal.  His agent would then claim and take all the lumber with the master’s mark on it back to the man who bought it.

In the East, a seal on a document was more important than the signature.  The signet used to imprint a seal usually sat in a ring and was inscribed with words or symbols. It often reflected an office of importance.  It was commonly pressed into clay, because of its resulting permanence, although wax was used, too.  Wax was not as desirable because it was prone to melt in the hot sun.  Clay hardened over time, so that the clay itself would actually have to break in order to break the seal.

We are the clay.  God is the master, and Jesus has bought us.

The imprint of God has been impressed into our hearts, sealing us by the authority of the Lord on High.  We are now His, under His protection.  The power of all heaven stands behind His mark.  He is sealed in us.  He can’t leave without breaking the clay and His promise to never leave or forsake us.  He is with us every step of the way as we walk through this world.

With this understanding, we can better appreciate the words of the Apostle Paul:

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

- Romans 8:38-39

Not forsaken. Never alone. Under His guard.

Living as we are in a world falling apart moment by moment, God's power and love are the vault guarding us. In Him, and in Him alone, we can live in peace, secure in the safest place on Earth.

Do not fear, Beloved.

Pioneer Files: Fear of Flying, Wild Monkeys, and the Call to Courage

 

Courage is never to let your actions be influenced by your fears.

 -Arthur Koestler

Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed,
for the LORD God, my God, is with you.
- 1 Chronicles 28:20

A cold sweat drenches my palms. Fear courses through me in jagged waves. My stomach lurches wildly as the panic ebbs and flows. I am falling, falling, falling.

I am not falling. It only feels that way as the plane jostles in mild turbulence as it skirts Hurricane Bertha. The year is 1996, and I'm on my first international flight to Brazil with my husband, pastor, and his wife.

Not only did I make it there without incident, we had a wonderful trip and returned safely back to the States two weeks later. Along the way I saw the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, Bryce Canyon, and the night lights of Miami for the first time from the air. We flew above a lightning storm and watched the light show beneath us. Although it was in the dark, we flew over the city of Caracas, Venezuela, the Amazon River, and the Brazilian capital of Brasilia. We landed in São Paulo on a sparkling day twenty-eight hours after we flew out from the Spokane airport in Washington.

In Brazil we were introduced to its beautifully exotic land and people. We fed bananas to wild monkeys, swam in the Atlantic Ocean, sang worship songs in Portuguese, and drove over hair-raising roads traversing the country. We visited large cities and slums. We held the babies in an AIDS clinic. We wept and laughed and prayed with the wonderful people we met everywhere.

We returned home more thankful for all we have here.

What an amazing journey I would have missed had I given in to my fear of flying and stayed home!

Our family has been in some fearful places since then. God has always brought us through safely with a new understanding of His glory, richer for the losses we've gained.

Lately, doors have been closing and others have been opening. Fear once again sits on the doorstep, baring its ugly teeth and challenging us to pass by. We can stay with what is safe, known, near to the water line of our comfort level.

Or we can take that terrifying step into the skies.

Today the familiar feeling of falling has hit my insides once again. I'm not on a plane right now, but our lives have just entered the boarding gate. God's revving the engines.

Is God calling you out of the ordinary? Are circumstances driving you to the border of the unknown? How do you handle fear when God calls you out of your comfort zone?

Is faith or fear going to win today?

When God Split History in Two: Pioneer Files

 

And He was saying to them all, 
“If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, 

take up his cross daily, and follow Me."

- Luke 9:23

Most of us know the story of Easter.

Though its name is derived from a pagan ritual not remotely associated with Christianity, Easter is the yearly celebration of Christ's resurrection, swooping in each spring with a bonanza of chocolate bunnies, daffodils, dyed eggs, and budget-crushing baskets. The week is crowned by the traditional Sunday morning church service and Easter egg hunt. It's generally tinged with guilt over which family group to join for The Big Dinner and follows weeks of cantata practice after work. 

Slathered in the usual rounds of the holiday flu, it's still one big, happy celebration, more or less.

Oh, yes, don't forget the empty tomb. Jesus rose from the dead. Can we eat our chocolate bunnies now?

Have we heard the story too many times?

Though the plot tends to get lost in the hype, I really LOVE Easter.

When winter's cold yields to the call of the light, from the barren soil springs the miracle of new life. Each year the resurrection is shouted in glorious defiance of death's seeming finality:

Spring always comes.

Spring always comes.

Perhaps we've seen the Jesus movies, bathed in Hollywood God rays and special effects, one too many times. Perhaps we've heard the Biblical account in isolation from the rest of God's Word to the point it has become just that... a story. 

The ministry, sacrifice, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is no fable, though. The bloody and supernatural reality of His first coming sent shockwaves throughout the world and split history itself into Before and After. 

Jesus is a man like no other, because He is one hundred percent human and one hundred percent God. The second person of the Trinity, He is described like this in the book of John: 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

- John 1:1-3;14

The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.
It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord.

- Matthew 10:24 KJV

Perfect man. Holy God. Did He really need to die?

He didn't have to come to save fallen humanity. He could have left mankind to its own devices after the fall in Eden. He is, after all, God. Father, Word, and Holy Spirit would have been totally justified to have walked away from this wayward planet and the creation that rejected Him. 

The perfect Creator loved his debased creation too much to abandon it. He knew the only way to destroy the works of the devil and redeem us from an eternity of separation from Him was by taking on the form of a man and offering the sacrifice for our sins.  

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross.

- Philippians 2:5-8

He paid a hellish cost, the one we earned, for the redemption He planned from the foundation of the world. 

...knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

- 1 Peter 1:18-20

The empty tomb is our story, too!

The moment Christ rose from the dead, He was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Scriptures. All who believe in Him must follow the same path He trod. We are not meant to stand at the foot of the cross and mourn over His sacrifice. We are called to be "crucified with Christ" (Galatians 2:20). 

We are commanded to die to our own desires and be made new in Him.

Parents, grandparents, caregivers, and other believers in positions of trust especially hold a sacred duty to follow in the Master's footsteps. When the lives of the vulnerable and afflicted depend upon us, the precious and fearful mantle of the Savior falls upon our shoulders to die to self. 

All who desire to serve God must follow this path. The Apostle Paul declared:

...I die daily.

- 1 Corinthians 15:31

It was only his old, soulish man who died, though. The new and regenerate man was already reborn into eternal life. With Paul we, too, dwell in bodies that are decaying.

But that won't last.

One day, Jesus will return for His church, the Bride. The dead in Christ shall arise from their graves. The living believers will be translated to join Christ. Tombs around the world will be empty.

As we await His return, we rejoice in Easter Sunday, Resurrection Day. Every day of the year, though, we can shout the victory as we live out both the cross and the resurrection in our bodies.

Jesus is alive! He lives forever more! He will come back for us very soon.

He is risen. He is risen, indeed.

Can I hear an amen?

Break out the chocolate bunnies.

"Free Range" Living Isn't All It's Cracked Up to Be: Pioneer Files

 

Chickens are awesome. 

They're practically the perfect creatures. In exchange for food and water, they produce eggs for breakfast and great fertilizer for the garden. If they're "free range" chickens, they also provide bug control. Though they will peck each other to death, they're generally mild-mannered around humans.

Just don't fence them in. 

Poultry have a big problem accepting boundaries. They were hatched to be free and will exploit every weakness in your defenses for an opportunity to run amok through your flowers. They can dig under and fly over every fence known to man if given half a chance. If allowed to roam, they will ravage the herb garden, uproot up the new mums, rearrange the ground cover, transfer the new mulch from the flower bed to the driveway, and taste just a bit of each tomato on the vine - unless it a ripe one. 

That one they will devour.

They favor freshly-painted decks and door mats upon which to do their business, though they're not above depositing a little surprise in the grass for you to find when you go out at sunset to close them in. 

An enemy is always watching...

Our particular little flock of barred Plymouth rock hens love to dig under the fence separating their pen from the canyon behind us. They have hefty claws that make short work of a piece of property. If they break through, they will spend a lovely day harvesting the bugs and weed seeds in our neighbor's pasture until time to slip back under the fence at twilight. 

One sunny morning I heard a commotion at the hen pen. I ran out in my pajamas and robe to find they had once again escaped into the field. All except one were frantically scooting back under the fence into the pen, squawking in a cacophony of alarm. Another strange, louder shriek overrode their protests.

Then I saw it.

In the field, a red-tailed "chicken" hawk had one hen trapped against the fence separating our properties. 

I grabbed a nearby shovel we use for such emergencies and confronted him, yelling as I approached. 

He held his ground, wings outstretched to their limit as he met my challenge.

For a moment, I wavered. What if he turned on me?

It seemed there was no other way to save her. I advanced toward him, waving the shovel like a sword and shouting like a wild woman in my robe and slippers. As I got closer, I realized he didn't actually have the hen in his claws. He had her trapped between his legs as he gripped the wire on either side of her. 

Thankfully, he didn't call my bluff, finally relenting in a stir of wings as he flew off.

The hen lost no time finding her way back under the fence to safety.

Later, I examined her and found no sign of injury. 

 

 Boundaries protect us.

It's simply not safe for the chickens out of their pen in our neck of the woods. We've lost chickens to owls, hawks, and coyotes over the years. One year I discovered a coyote dashing across our deck with a hen in its mouth.  Chickens might not like being penned in, but we can't explain to them that we're keeping them safe. They don't understand our language.

Thankfully, we know the language of God.

One of the most sorrowful verses in the Bible is found in Jesus' moving words to the people in Matthew 23:27: 

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.

How God longs to care for His people! He is neither harsh taskmaster nor uncaring judge. 

Chicks are fragile. They need just the right amount of warmth and nurturing to survive. If you've ever seen how a mother hen hovers over her chicks, you can understand the self-sacrifice and constant care it takes. 

God yearns to care for us in this same way. This care includes boundaries to keep us out of danger. Oh, how we chafe at the cage separating us from unbridled freedom! How we pull at the leash on our lives.

Is God unkind? Oblivious to our needs? A cruel slave master? 

If you've spent many decades in the yoke, thank heaven for that. If you never had the chance to sow your wild oats or run free, praise your Father in heaven. He has saved you many times over from your Self, and Self is the worst master of all. Self gratification is never satisfied and will keep you chained forever to the carrot dangling just out of your reach.  

 

Thank the Lord that He never abandoned you to the free range, where the landscape is filled with vipers and vultures. 

You are just where you belong. Learn to love and appreciate the wires barring you from destruction. Let God lavish His dreams and hope for you upon your tired heart. Rest under His wings. Find the rest in real freedom.

Pioneer Files: Tell Yourself This on the Hard Days - A Homeschooling Veteran Speaks

 

Mayflower vans and vague memories

Some girls dream of being the first woman president or an astronaut. My young childhood memories consisted of random mental snapshots of places we lived as my father chased a career in broadcasting. Even as a child, I dreamed of a life without a Mayflower van packed with everything we owned sitting in the driveway. 

I wanted a real home, to be a wife and mom. I dreamed of roots, planted deep into something solid and real and secure. When I found my prince, married at eighteen, and began our family, my life felt complete.

A people-watcher and student of human nature from a young age, I figured my stints at babysitting and the trials of having a younger brother had sufficiently prepared me for parenthood. Also, I read Dr. Spock's book Baby and Child Care. That sealed the deal.

I was set.

A better word would be "deluded."

Little brothers are challenging, for sure. And babysitting had taught me to change a diaper. Nothing I'd experienced in my short life, though, had truly prepared me for motherhood. 

Growing a new life into adulthood is the most beautiful experience in the world. The surprise is learning that parenting doesn't have an expiration date. As I had four more children and continued to grow up into my role as a wife and mom, I often found myself watching my parents wade through the seasons of loss and rebirth in their family.

I began to rethink this whole parenting thing. Not in the way of wanting to quit. 

Realizing that parenting is never over.

As much as it hurt to see my folks' struggles and pain, I realized they were blazing the path ahead for me, as they had always done. The next generation learns how to live - and die - by watching the generation before them.

Learning from their mistakes.

Making new ones of our own.

Finding Jesus, the Father's heart, and the way home through it all.

Just for you today

Some things about parenting get easier over the years. Some things get harder. For sure, new challenges arise just as we conquer the old ones. 

If life's been especially hard lately, it's time for a little break. Stop beating yourself up for your real or perceived failures. Pour yourself a cup of coffee, go to a quiet place (if that's possible), and soak in these ten Scriptures from the Father's heart for you. Remember He loves you, He's fighting for you, and it's going to be okay.

Ten Things to Tell Yourself on the Hard Days

And looking at them, Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Matthew 19:26

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the eagerly awaiting creation waits for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God.

- Romans 8:18-19

He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For the sake of His name.

- Psalm 23:3 

 

She has done what she could.... 

- Mark 14:8 

 

And who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

- Esther 4:14 KJV

 

How precious also are Your thoughts for me, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the sand.

- Psalm 139:17-18 

 

For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, by having served and by still serving the saints.

- Hebrews 6:10 

 

For His anger is but for a moment,

His favor is for a lifetime;

Weeping may last for the night,

But a shout of joy comes in the morning.

 - Psalm 30:5

 

Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs  And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.

- Isaiah 40:11 

I will raise my eyes to the mountains;

From where will my help come?

2 

My help comes from the Lord,

Who made heaven and earth.

3 

He will not allow your foot to slip;

He who watches over you will not slumber.

4 

Behold, He who watches over Israel

Will neither slumber nor sleep. 

 Psalm 121:1-4