What a fun day yesterday was! The Foskett family slept in until 10:40 am (bedtime didn't come until 2:00 am, and we didn't sleep much the night before we left, too...but, yes, we DID sleep half the day away! :) )
Once we finally got going we headed out to the Split Rock Township outside of Sioux Falls to see PaPa T and the big machinery. The boys absolutely loved climbing around on the front end loader, the scraper, the fire truck, the other thing and the other thing and the mower. LOL! We've got great pictures and when we head home I'll post some of the better ones.
After that we headed out and followed PaPa T and his grandkids in PaPa's pickup truck to see where he had been working and almost flipped the mower into the ditch that morning. South Dakota is such a beautiful state. I can do without the mugginess and heat, but the beauty of South Dakota can rival the most beautiful "known" places anywhere.
Then it was off to Uncle Phil & Aunt Sandi's for a time of running around in the yard for the boys and keeping cool in the house for the big kids. Whenever I'm with my family back here (and especially at big family reunions) I have a tendency to give lots of thanks for the fact that I have a big family with lots of great and wonderful Aunts & Uncles. Yesterday was one of those days. When it got time for dinner time (supper time in South Dakota) we headed to The Keg for chicken and chislic. It was the six of us and Uncle Phlip & Aunt Sandi at first - then my cousins Jon & Mark (cuz) showed up with Jon's girlfriend, Diedre and Mark's wife, Heidi and adorable little girl Isabella. Seriously, Isabella is amazingly beautiful ~ big blue eyes and the sweetest personality. It was fun to see how she has changed in the last two years ~ they really do grow up too fast.
After a little bit Uncle Vince showed up (yea! Thanks for putting down the tools and coming up - it wouldn't have been the same without you!) along with my cousin Sara and her daughter Elianna (I don't know if I'm spelling that correctly - sorry Sara!) who is also a beautiful little girl who has grown up so fast. Uncle Pat & Aunt Iris rounded out the fun little family reunion we ended up having. It was so nice to sit next to Uncle Pat and have a conversation with him - the bad thing about having such a big family is not always having the time to talk to each of them and get caught up when we're all together.
Last night ended up with Uncle Vince and Scott & I sitting out on the patio chatting and then a double feature of "24" (6 am to 8 am on the first day of the first season ~ presidential primary day.) We've become a bit addicted and so have been renting the first season discs to get caught up with everything.
It was a good day, to say the least. The boys are loving being with PaPa T and MaMa T. I'm so thankful for this time for them to make memories with the people I love the most.
We're off to Wild Water West this morning and Cabela's in Mitchell this afternoon. I'll update more tomorrow! Have a wonderful day!
Love,
Trayc
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Home, Home on the Range
Hi from South Dakota! Scott and the boys and I flew in yesterday (all day trip ~ who'da thunk it?). It was a nice trip, actually. The boys weren't horrible...and it's over...and we're here in one piece and enjoying being with my Mom & Dad...so it must not have been too bad. :)
The boys and I are here until the 22nd - lots of time for Caleb & Micah to have coffee with PaPa T and tell him how bad smoking is for him - and lots of time to try to see as many of my relatives as I can (okay, there's never enough time for THAT - with all the family I have it would take lots more time to drive around and see them all...and if they were all in one place I wouldn't want the time to end.) We're heading to Wild Water West today ~ it's HOT here, and it's not a dry heat. Tomorrow we're going to Cabela's ~ the outdoors super store/man's paradise in one building ~ and then probably up to the Laura Ingall's Wilder homestead in DeSmet, SD. The Sioux falls has a nighttime light show that we'll try to get to either tonight or tomorrow, and then Friday we'll hopefully head down to Norfolk, NE and see my sister and her family...I can't wait to meet my grand-nephew, Isaiah! Hard to believe I'm (such) a Great Aunt! (teehee!) Then, on Saturday afternoon Scott heads back to Vancouver (where it's hot, but not hot).
THEN the FUN begins! Woo-Hoo!! Ideas on the agenda are: Kansas City to see my cousins, David & Joel and their families; ValleyFair in Minnesota so the boys can ride the kiddie roller coaster I rode as a kid; Going to the Omaha Zoo with Jamie, Shelley, Sophie & Allie; and Hanging out and taking it easy with PaPa and MaMa T. Hmmm...not enough time. :)
I hope you all have a bit of an opportunity to relax and enjoy the summer. Like I said to Dad last night at 12:30 (okay it was this morning) when he was saying he could go for ride in the PT Cruiser convertible we rented some other time....THERE'S NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT TO START ENJOYING LIFE! (and, yes, I wanted that to be louder...not an actual yell, but loud ;) )
Take care...and drop a comment about your favorite thing to do in the summer time...I need some ideas to add to my list. *grin*
The boys and I are here until the 22nd - lots of time for Caleb & Micah to have coffee with PaPa T and tell him how bad smoking is for him - and lots of time to try to see as many of my relatives as I can (okay, there's never enough time for THAT - with all the family I have it would take lots more time to drive around and see them all...and if they were all in one place I wouldn't want the time to end.) We're heading to Wild Water West today ~ it's HOT here, and it's not a dry heat. Tomorrow we're going to Cabela's ~ the outdoors super store/man's paradise in one building ~ and then probably up to the Laura Ingall's Wilder homestead in DeSmet, SD. The Sioux falls has a nighttime light show that we'll try to get to either tonight or tomorrow, and then Friday we'll hopefully head down to Norfolk, NE and see my sister and her family...I can't wait to meet my grand-nephew, Isaiah! Hard to believe I'm (such) a Great Aunt! (teehee!) Then, on Saturday afternoon Scott heads back to Vancouver (where it's hot, but not hot).
THEN the FUN begins! Woo-Hoo!! Ideas on the agenda are: Kansas City to see my cousins, David & Joel and their families; ValleyFair in Minnesota so the boys can ride the kiddie roller coaster I rode as a kid; Going to the Omaha Zoo with Jamie, Shelley, Sophie & Allie; and Hanging out and taking it easy with PaPa and MaMa T. Hmmm...not enough time. :)
I hope you all have a bit of an opportunity to relax and enjoy the summer. Like I said to Dad last night at 12:30 (okay it was this morning) when he was saying he could go for ride in the PT Cruiser convertible we rented some other time....THERE'S NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT TO START ENJOYING LIFE! (and, yes, I wanted that to be louder...not an actual yell, but loud ;) )
Take care...and drop a comment about your favorite thing to do in the summer time...I need some ideas to add to my list. *grin*
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Happy Father's Day!
Hi there! Happy Father's Day! If you're not a Father you came from one, so happy day to you, too. (*wink!*) There are four Fathers I want to honor tonight ~ and in so doing I will hopefully honor more than the four I mention because every Father has laid foundational stones in the lives of their children. And that means, whether they think so or not, there were some positive stones laid as well. Of the four Fathers I mention tonight I would venture to say there are/were more positive than negative, but even friends who have heart-wrenching memories of the negative stones laid by their Father still can point to some positives they laid as well. So thank you for allowing me to publicly honor those I love and have the honor myself of knowing them as Fathers...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This past Tuesday night I was driving home from the music studio where I teach one day a week listening to a CD by Barbara Rainey (http://www.familylifetoday.com) about what being a Godly wife looks like and thinking about the kind of night Scott had with the boys. It never fails that I have similar visions as in "Twas the Night Before Christmas" where the children are snuggled sound in their beds with visions of a really great, fun and laughter-filled night of wrestling with Daddy dancing in their heads. Of course, that's what I pray & hope for ~ a night of mutual fun and laughter between Daddy & his boys, but it is rarely the case. Too often than not I come home to find a bedraggled Scott slumped in the corner of the couch gazing at Sports Center in a rather stupefied state while all around it looks like mayhem, chaos and a general disaster zone. As I walk inside I will sometimes hear from the (now) still, quiet southern corner of the house, "Mommy! You're Home!" and wonder why the boys are still awake at 10:00 at night...and when I ask Scott how his night was all I will get in return was, "it was a night." And as I'm driving down the street wondering what will greet me at the door tonight it dawned on me...the jobs I have, no matter how demanding, frustrating, and exhausting they may be, will never be as stressful and difficult as Scott's is as a Husband, Father, employee and child of God. It hit me smack dab between the eyes and it was if a light of understanding, no, make that a spotlight of understanding, was illuminated in front of me.
You see, as much as I envy Scott the ability to go to work and come home from work I will not understand the weight of responsibility that simple act carries with it. And as much as I sometimes complain about his unwillingness to "step up" and lead (or should I say, lead the way I would lead?) I will never have to stand before God and answer for the role I played in being the Spiritual head of my family. As the boys grow up and walk on the road to puberty and eventually manhood I will not be the one who will have the responsibility of modeling for them how a man should treat a woman in the way God has defined. (yes, I play a role within that area, but they will not look at how I treat other women and say, "oh! that's how I should treat my female friend/ date/ girlfriend/ fiancee/ spouse!) I do not carry the weight of having to "be a man" when I feel like crying over the losses I will experience in life. I do not carry the weight of tamping down my natural reactions to a girl on the street who has chosen to disregard her own self-respect by dressing a bit too provocatively in order to keep my life pure in an area all too easy to hide from the outside. I do not carry the weight of being a Godly Son, Husband, Father and Man in the year 2005 ~ nor will I ever. For that I am grateful, and because of that I am moved to a greater respect and admiration for the men in my life who do carry that weight and do it with a tremendous amount of humility.
It started with my Daddy ~ yes, at 35 he's still my Daddy. I remember walking down the corridors of the Sioux Empire Mall in Sioux Falls side by side when I was a bumbling 13 year old and he reached out and put his hand around the back of my neck as we walked. He made a joke about it and kind of "jerked" me around as we walked, but what it said to me was that no matter what changes I go through I'll always be his girl and he loved me no matter what. And, of course, it was in every time I did something he was proud of and he choked up (probably much like he's doing right now) and made some smart-aleck comment about me being a little turd (which, in Tooley-speak means "I love you, you little shit!" sorry if that offends you...it's truly a term of endearment and it makes me laugh just knowing I actually typed that in my blog! LOL!) Yeah, my Dad's the best Dad in the whole wide world!
Of course, if you were to ask Caleb & Micah who's the best Daddy in the world they wouldn't say PaPa T or PaPa Pete - nope, they'd say "DADDY!" And I'd have to agree with their answer, too. I remember the first time Scott thought he was going to be a Daddy. I wrote about it in my Mother's Day entry, but it truly is not a memory I will ever forget. The look of rapturous joy that crossed his face was absolutely priceless. It was similar to the look of pure, undefiled awe he wore the morning of November 25, 1999 when he looked at his drugged-out wife on the operating table in Whittier hospital and choked out, "honey, we have a little boy." Which, in turn, was somewhat like that moment on June 5, 2002 in the operating room at Mercy Medical Center when he gleefully grinned at me after seeing Micah for the first time. Scott, you are the kind of Father I want my boys to look up to. YOU are the right man for this job, and I am honored to stand beside you and help you be the Father God made you to be. I love you.
And, Pete, I can't write about great Fathers without saying thank you to you, too, for being the kind of Father who would raise a son like Scott. Your continual support and encouragement of him and of us is greatly appreciated and simply not taken for granted. I am thankful that Scott has not only a great Father in you, but a great Friend as well.
You've probably figured out who the fourth Father is ~ and, really, I have to say He is the perfect Father. As I open my Bible to the Psalm in today's reading I open it to Psalm 136 and I'm struck with just how awesome He is. You see, the fact that He knows everything about my past, present & future; knows every thought, word and deed I have ever had or did and still loves me for me is overwhelming in and of itself. However, when you put on top of it the fact that He knows I will never be fulfilled, content and complete outside of Him so He put on a robe of human-ness to give me the opportunity to be all of those things is completely mind-boggling. And not only that, but... He doesn't hold grudges, doesn't discipline in anger, allows the perfect consequence to teach the lesson every time, comforts when comfort is needed, strengthens when strength is called for, gives wisdom when asked for it, forgives without question, loves unconditionally, creates incredible things of beauty just for enjoyment's sake, laughs with and delights in those things He creates, consistently looks on His creation with patience and not irritation, freely gives grace & mercy to those who truly don't deserve it, takes vengeance when it is necessary, never gives up or leaves, and IS ALWAYS VICTORIOUS! Those who don't know Him may call Him a crutch. You may say He is more like an electric fence or bark-collar waiting to zap you when you've messed up. You may say He is many of the lies we hear regularly about Him, but it doesn't make it so.
If you want to know who The Perfect Father really is...read this: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20103&version=65,
this: http://www.anchorlife.org/html/chara_toc.htm
or this: http://www.needhim.org/
And so I come full circle - the reason the three earthly Father's are who they are is simply because they know they are made by The Perfect Father. My prayer for each of them, and for each of you, too, is that you will know the Perfect Father and find in Him the life He created you for - life eternal with Him.
Happy Father's Day! God bless!
(and here's a little bit of history for ya...)
(from the website holidays.net)
Father's Day, contrary to popular misconception, was not established as a holiday in order to help greeting card manufacturers sell more cards. In fact when a "father's day" was first proposed there were no Father's Day cards!
Mrs. John B. Dodd, of Washington, first proposed the idea of a "father's day" in 1909. Mrs. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. William Smart, a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife (Mrs. Dodd's mother) died in childbirth with their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington state. It was after Mrs. Dodd became an adult that she realized the strength and selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent.
The first Father's Day was observed on June 19, 1910 in Spokane Washington. At about the same time in various towns and cities across American other people were beginning to celebrate a "father's day." In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a national Father's Day. Finally in 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day.
Father's Day has become a day to not only honor your father, but all men who act as a father figure. Stepfathers, uncles, grandfathers, and adult male friends are all honored on Father's Day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This past Tuesday night I was driving home from the music studio where I teach one day a week listening to a CD by Barbara Rainey (http://www.familylifetoday.com) about what being a Godly wife looks like and thinking about the kind of night Scott had with the boys. It never fails that I have similar visions as in "Twas the Night Before Christmas" where the children are snuggled sound in their beds with visions of a really great, fun and laughter-filled night of wrestling with Daddy dancing in their heads. Of course, that's what I pray & hope for ~ a night of mutual fun and laughter between Daddy & his boys, but it is rarely the case. Too often than not I come home to find a bedraggled Scott slumped in the corner of the couch gazing at Sports Center in a rather stupefied state while all around it looks like mayhem, chaos and a general disaster zone. As I walk inside I will sometimes hear from the (now) still, quiet southern corner of the house, "Mommy! You're Home!" and wonder why the boys are still awake at 10:00 at night...and when I ask Scott how his night was all I will get in return was, "it was a night." And as I'm driving down the street wondering what will greet me at the door tonight it dawned on me...the jobs I have, no matter how demanding, frustrating, and exhausting they may be, will never be as stressful and difficult as Scott's is as a Husband, Father, employee and child of God. It hit me smack dab between the eyes and it was if a light of understanding, no, make that a spotlight of understanding, was illuminated in front of me.
You see, as much as I envy Scott the ability to go to work and come home from work I will not understand the weight of responsibility that simple act carries with it. And as much as I sometimes complain about his unwillingness to "step up" and lead (or should I say, lead the way I would lead?) I will never have to stand before God and answer for the role I played in being the Spiritual head of my family. As the boys grow up and walk on the road to puberty and eventually manhood I will not be the one who will have the responsibility of modeling for them how a man should treat a woman in the way God has defined. (yes, I play a role within that area, but they will not look at how I treat other women and say, "oh! that's how I should treat my female friend/ date/ girlfriend/ fiancee/ spouse!) I do not carry the weight of having to "be a man" when I feel like crying over the losses I will experience in life. I do not carry the weight of tamping down my natural reactions to a girl on the street who has chosen to disregard her own self-respect by dressing a bit too provocatively in order to keep my life pure in an area all too easy to hide from the outside. I do not carry the weight of being a Godly Son, Husband, Father and Man in the year 2005 ~ nor will I ever. For that I am grateful, and because of that I am moved to a greater respect and admiration for the men in my life who do carry that weight and do it with a tremendous amount of humility.
It started with my Daddy ~ yes, at 35 he's still my Daddy. I remember walking down the corridors of the Sioux Empire Mall in Sioux Falls side by side when I was a bumbling 13 year old and he reached out and put his hand around the back of my neck as we walked. He made a joke about it and kind of "jerked" me around as we walked, but what it said to me was that no matter what changes I go through I'll always be his girl and he loved me no matter what. And, of course, it was in every time I did something he was proud of and he choked up (probably much like he's doing right now) and made some smart-aleck comment about me being a little turd (which, in Tooley-speak means "I love you, you little shit!" sorry if that offends you...it's truly a term of endearment and it makes me laugh just knowing I actually typed that in my blog! LOL!) Yeah, my Dad's the best Dad in the whole wide world!
Of course, if you were to ask Caleb & Micah who's the best Daddy in the world they wouldn't say PaPa T or PaPa Pete - nope, they'd say "DADDY!" And I'd have to agree with their answer, too. I remember the first time Scott thought he was going to be a Daddy. I wrote about it in my Mother's Day entry, but it truly is not a memory I will ever forget. The look of rapturous joy that crossed his face was absolutely priceless. It was similar to the look of pure, undefiled awe he wore the morning of November 25, 1999 when he looked at his drugged-out wife on the operating table in Whittier hospital and choked out, "honey, we have a little boy." Which, in turn, was somewhat like that moment on June 5, 2002 in the operating room at Mercy Medical Center when he gleefully grinned at me after seeing Micah for the first time. Scott, you are the kind of Father I want my boys to look up to. YOU are the right man for this job, and I am honored to stand beside you and help you be the Father God made you to be. I love you.
And, Pete, I can't write about great Fathers without saying thank you to you, too, for being the kind of Father who would raise a son like Scott. Your continual support and encouragement of him and of us is greatly appreciated and simply not taken for granted. I am thankful that Scott has not only a great Father in you, but a great Friend as well.
You've probably figured out who the fourth Father is ~ and, really, I have to say He is the perfect Father. As I open my Bible to the Psalm in today's reading I open it to Psalm 136 and I'm struck with just how awesome He is. You see, the fact that He knows everything about my past, present & future; knows every thought, word and deed I have ever had or did and still loves me for me is overwhelming in and of itself. However, when you put on top of it the fact that He knows I will never be fulfilled, content and complete outside of Him so He put on a robe of human-ness to give me the opportunity to be all of those things is completely mind-boggling. And not only that, but... He doesn't hold grudges, doesn't discipline in anger, allows the perfect consequence to teach the lesson every time, comforts when comfort is needed, strengthens when strength is called for, gives wisdom when asked for it, forgives without question, loves unconditionally, creates incredible things of beauty just for enjoyment's sake, laughs with and delights in those things He creates, consistently looks on His creation with patience and not irritation, freely gives grace & mercy to those who truly don't deserve it, takes vengeance when it is necessary, never gives up or leaves, and IS ALWAYS VICTORIOUS! Those who don't know Him may call Him a crutch. You may say He is more like an electric fence or bark-collar waiting to zap you when you've messed up. You may say He is many of the lies we hear regularly about Him, but it doesn't make it so.
If you want to know who The Perfect Father really is...read this: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20103&version=65,
this: http://www.anchorlife.org/html/chara_toc.htm
or this: http://www.needhim.org/
And so I come full circle - the reason the three earthly Father's are who they are is simply because they know they are made by The Perfect Father. My prayer for each of them, and for each of you, too, is that you will know the Perfect Father and find in Him the life He created you for - life eternal with Him.
Happy Father's Day! God bless!
(and here's a little bit of history for ya...)
(from the website holidays.net)
Father's Day, contrary to popular misconception, was not established as a holiday in order to help greeting card manufacturers sell more cards. In fact when a "father's day" was first proposed there were no Father's Day cards!
Mrs. John B. Dodd, of Washington, first proposed the idea of a "father's day" in 1909. Mrs. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. William Smart, a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife (Mrs. Dodd's mother) died in childbirth with their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington state. It was after Mrs. Dodd became an adult that she realized the strength and selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent.
The first Father's Day was observed on June 19, 1910 in Spokane Washington. At about the same time in various towns and cities across American other people were beginning to celebrate a "father's day." In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a national Father's Day. Finally in 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day.
Father's Day has become a day to not only honor your father, but all men who act as a father figure. Stepfathers, uncles, grandfathers, and adult male friends are all honored on Father's Day.
Friday, June 17, 2005
Thursday, June 16, 2005
When fear hits
Lately it seems that many people I know are hitting some pretty hard places in their lives. Even now as I write I'm blinking back tears trying not to let my mind wander to what could be possible, but instead focus on the known. That's what fear is, isn't it? When we let our minds focus on what could be possible rather than focusing on the known? I'm tired of fear having such power in my life. Fear holds me back from telling someone I care about them in case they react the wrong way. Fear holds me back from pursuing goals and dreams because I might fail. Fear holds me back from actually engaging in life because something may happen to someone I love and then I'll be struck with a sadness at times too great to bear. Fear holds me back from letting my children find out who they are because there are bad people in the world and what if something happened to one of my boys ~ how could I live? Fear, unhealthy fear, the fear that comes from letting your mind go to what could be possible rather than focusing on the known is nothing but evil trying to get a foot-hold and keep you from being who God made you to be.
I know - some of you are reading this and you're thinking, "but, Trayc, fear is not always a bad thing." I know! Good fear keeps me from walking down a dark alley in the middle of the night (or broad daylight) so I can be safer. Good fear keeps me from walking away from my faith when God doesn't make sense/I can't find the ability to trust Him right now because He IS still God and I don't want to be a pile of salt. Good fear keeps me from sending the boys off to play in the park without instruction to stay where I can see them at all times. Yes, there is good fear. I'm not talking about that today, though.
No, today I'm talking about the kind of fear that just pisses me off because I'm so sick of the way satan tries to get in there and fool us into thinking God's not really on our side and that He's not really in control. I hate that he convinces people that God isn't really who He says He is and that we believe him because we're afraid he might be right. I hate that that slimy, slithering yuck gets into our heads and gets us to believe that he is more powerful than God and if we don't worry about something then he's going to win. HE WILL NOT WIN ON GOD'S WATCH! And, just so you know...GOD'S WATCH IS ETERNAL!
Two weeks ago we had an incident in our church that, unfortunately, is too familiar. One of our pastors was found to have crossed some boundaries with female members of the group he was a pastor to. (before you immediately think he was a child molester or had an affair let me be clear that neither of those were the case...he allowed these girls to think of him more as a boyfriend than as a pastor. Why do we immediately jump to the worst and then dismiss the lesser, but equally sinful, breaches in boundaries as if they're no big deal? ANYway...)
Thankfully our head pastor didn't do that and there had to be an announcement every church hates to hear..."because of his choices he has resigned and will no longer be in leadership at this church." (notice he didn't say he was no longer welcome nor did he say he will no longer be with us. Instead, our pastor said the pastor in question is most certainly welcome at our church because our requirement to come into a church is to be a sinner ~ something we all qualify highly for ~ and because this is a place to find healing and help and hope...why wouldn't he and his family be welcome? They are more welcome now than ever before.)
Although it isn't criminal in nature, this event has had an impact on many people in our church.
Then, this last Saturday night we had a special speaker come to our young families group and speak to us about how we as parents can help prevent abuse in our children's lives. He speaks all over the US to teens and children about depression and suicide and safety, as well as to the parents about prevention and training in what to teach your children to keep them safe(r). That was a tough talk to sit through. That's a fear I hate because I have seen too many incidences of what that reality does. It can be a healthy fear, but it's a fine-line between healthy and unhealthy in my mind.
And then, Michael Jackson. 'nuff said.
And then, and then, and then. The list goes on. So many friends and extended family members looking at life and circumstances they are in wondering what will happen next. Of course our minds go naturally to the worst. Fear. Fear. Fear.
I just got a phone call and a circumstance I never thought I'd have to look at could possibly be. Instead of letting my mind go there (I'd be a basket case and can't afford that right now) I grabbed my wireless keyboard and started writing. (explanation for a possible randomness to this entry) So, in case some of you are facing fear, I thought I'd share my process in hopes that someone else's fears may be subsided in the truth as well. Here are some verses, quotes, thoughts and truths to set my fears running back to where they belong....
"Looking in the mirror in the light of the truth, there is nothing you can say and nothing you can do that will ever make God care more than He does for His treasure...God's treasure is YOU."
-Steven Curtis Chapman Treasure of You
"We have nothing to fear but fear itself."
-President Franklin D. Roosevelt
1Then the LORD answered Job from the whirlwind: "Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words? Brace yourself, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.- Job 38:2 & 3
(then read the rest of 38 here... http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job%2038&version=51)
"In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But You remain the same, and your years will never end."
-Psalm 102: 26 & 27
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for YOU ARE WITH ME; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."
- Psalm 23: 1-4
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him."
-I Corinthians 2: 9
"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."
- 2 Corinthians 4: 8 & 9
"Fear nothing in the things you're about to suffer--but stay on guard! Fear nothing! The Devil is about to throw you in jail for a time of testing--ten days. It won't last forever. "Don't quit, even if it costs you your life. Stay there believing. I have a Life-Crown sized and ready for you. "
-Revelation 2:10
"I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!"
-John 16:33
"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace."
-Acts 20:24
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in time of trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."
-Psalm 46: 1- 3, 11
"Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God."
-Psalm 42: 11
Thanks for reading. I know my heart is at a much a slower rate than it was 15 minutes ago. I hope yours is, too.
I know - some of you are reading this and you're thinking, "but, Trayc, fear is not always a bad thing." I know! Good fear keeps me from walking down a dark alley in the middle of the night (or broad daylight) so I can be safer. Good fear keeps me from walking away from my faith when God doesn't make sense/I can't find the ability to trust Him right now because He IS still God and I don't want to be a pile of salt. Good fear keeps me from sending the boys off to play in the park without instruction to stay where I can see them at all times. Yes, there is good fear. I'm not talking about that today, though.
No, today I'm talking about the kind of fear that just pisses me off because I'm so sick of the way satan tries to get in there and fool us into thinking God's not really on our side and that He's not really in control. I hate that he convinces people that God isn't really who He says He is and that we believe him because we're afraid he might be right. I hate that that slimy, slithering yuck gets into our heads and gets us to believe that he is more powerful than God and if we don't worry about something then he's going to win. HE WILL NOT WIN ON GOD'S WATCH! And, just so you know...GOD'S WATCH IS ETERNAL!
Two weeks ago we had an incident in our church that, unfortunately, is too familiar. One of our pastors was found to have crossed some boundaries with female members of the group he was a pastor to. (before you immediately think he was a child molester or had an affair let me be clear that neither of those were the case...he allowed these girls to think of him more as a boyfriend than as a pastor. Why do we immediately jump to the worst and then dismiss the lesser, but equally sinful, breaches in boundaries as if they're no big deal? ANYway...)
Thankfully our head pastor didn't do that and there had to be an announcement every church hates to hear..."because of his choices he has resigned and will no longer be in leadership at this church." (notice he didn't say he was no longer welcome nor did he say he will no longer be with us. Instead, our pastor said the pastor in question is most certainly welcome at our church because our requirement to come into a church is to be a sinner ~ something we all qualify highly for ~ and because this is a place to find healing and help and hope...why wouldn't he and his family be welcome? They are more welcome now than ever before.)
Although it isn't criminal in nature, this event has had an impact on many people in our church.
Then, this last Saturday night we had a special speaker come to our young families group and speak to us about how we as parents can help prevent abuse in our children's lives. He speaks all over the US to teens and children about depression and suicide and safety, as well as to the parents about prevention and training in what to teach your children to keep them safe(r). That was a tough talk to sit through. That's a fear I hate because I have seen too many incidences of what that reality does. It can be a healthy fear, but it's a fine-line between healthy and unhealthy in my mind.
And then, Michael Jackson. 'nuff said.
And then, and then, and then. The list goes on. So many friends and extended family members looking at life and circumstances they are in wondering what will happen next. Of course our minds go naturally to the worst. Fear. Fear. Fear.
I just got a phone call and a circumstance I never thought I'd have to look at could possibly be. Instead of letting my mind go there (I'd be a basket case and can't afford that right now) I grabbed my wireless keyboard and started writing. (explanation for a possible randomness to this entry) So, in case some of you are facing fear, I thought I'd share my process in hopes that someone else's fears may be subsided in the truth as well. Here are some verses, quotes, thoughts and truths to set my fears running back to where they belong....
"Looking in the mirror in the light of the truth, there is nothing you can say and nothing you can do that will ever make God care more than He does for His treasure...God's treasure is YOU."
-Steven Curtis Chapman Treasure of You
"We have nothing to fear but fear itself."
-President Franklin D. Roosevelt
1Then the LORD answered Job from the whirlwind: "Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words? Brace yourself, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.- Job 38:2 & 3
(then read the rest of 38 here... http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job%2038&version=51)
"In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But You remain the same, and your years will never end."
-Psalm 102: 26 & 27
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for YOU ARE WITH ME; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."
- Psalm 23: 1-4
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him."
-I Corinthians 2: 9
"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."
- 2 Corinthians 4: 8 & 9
"Fear nothing in the things you're about to suffer--but stay on guard! Fear nothing! The Devil is about to throw you in jail for a time of testing--ten days. It won't last forever. "Don't quit, even if it costs you your life. Stay there believing. I have a Life-Crown sized and ready for you. "
-Revelation 2:10
"I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!"
-John 16:33
"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace."
-Acts 20:24
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in time of trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."
-Psalm 46: 1- 3, 11
"Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God."
-Psalm 42: 11
Thanks for reading. I know my heart is at a much a slower rate than it was 15 minutes ago. I hope yours is, too.