My Ever Present

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...

Be still and know that He is God. 

Ps 46

These handful of verses have taken on fresh meaning to my soul since our family crisis enveloped us in late June (refer to the July14th post). Prior to this nightmare, that has kept us on our knees battling the enemy in an effort to retain our peace and resolving to maintain some semblance of soundness in our minds, I focused solely upon 

 God being our help in trouble. 

I like those words. 

They feel good.

Reassuring.

Comforting.

I want to know that God will help me in my trouble! Problem is, I tend to include a few extra words that are not exactly found in scripture, words like...

He will get me out of  trouble.

He will fix my trouble.

 Rescue me from trouble.

Stop the trouble.

Any of these would do really. Have your pick. I'm not fussy. 

But unfortunately those words are not found.

Bummer.

In fact, if we keep scrolling through Ps 46 we find some serious trouble infolding...

The earth gives way.

The mountains fall into the sea.

The waters roar and foam.

The mountains quake.

 We're talking disaster, crisis, panic, fear, absolute pandemonium! It just doesn't get much worse than the earth giving way beneath us.

Ever felt like it has? Or like it's about to?

 So what's up with those verses that pronounce God being our help, strength and refuge?

 What kind of help is God when you find yourself beneath the rubble of an earthquake, or riding the surging waves of a storm or precariously clinging to a rock that is sliding into the sea?

 I needed to find some answers. 

So I read the verses again...

Two words from Psalms 46 grabbed my soul this time-

 EVER PRESENT.

That's it! That's what I overlooked before.
He is My Ever Present.

THAT  is my help!
He is my refuge and strength an ever present help in time of trouble.
Beautiful. Amazing. 

The Presence of the Almighty God of the Universe  is with me. His presence is unshakable and unmoving. He is available and everlasting. 

He is with me. Near me. On me. In me. 

 God doesn't bring us some kind of refuge.
He is the refuge.
He seldom offers an escape.
In Him escape is no longer necessary.
With His presence we need not fear or panic.
He need not give us strength.
He is our strength.

Oh, I knew this, so do you, but somehow seeing these two words-ever present- in the context of these verses brought me a comfort I so desperately needed. 

So, let the earth give way, the mountains fall into the sea, the waters foam, roar and surge around me, I need not fear. I can Be Still and Know that He is indeed God and that God Almighty is Ever Present with me through it all.

That is my help.

God, we are grateful for your ever present presence,
Amy Joy

,

Creating Spaces that Celebrate Family

One of the things I love to do is Create Spaces that Celebrate our Family... both who we are and what we love.

I want people to get to know us simply by walking through our front door and looking around at the space we call HOME.

I'm sharing some of the ways in which I make our home a scrapbook of sorts, that reflect our family and the memories we share.

Since most of our vacations are near some kind of water, be it a Great Lake or the ocean, and because it's summer time, I'll give you a peek into the ways I capture our times at the BEACH.

 Hopefully this will inspire you with some ideas in your own home with the things/places your family enjoys...

 by the way, I'm not necessarily into themed decorating, but I do think done tastefully, in the right locations, Celebrating Family Decorating, as I call it, is a wonderful way to keep a family connected. 

It brings joy, a sense of belonging and it stirs up great  memories
(I figure, if we are going to spend the money to vacation, then for crying out loud I want my kids to remember we took one!!)

 Let me encourage you to find what identifies your family... maybe that's camping, fishing, the North Woods, biking, nature, sports... whatever you love to do together, find ways to capture that, take lots of pictures and create a space your family will love to live in!

 Have fun!! By the way, you will find that most of my decorating is free or thrift. That's how we roll around here. I rarely buy brand new... I think it's more satisfying that way... and my husband appreciates it too!! 



In our bathroom, a tin wash bin from our Great Grandparents farm. Since it's magnetic, I put some family photos of us on the beach in there along with some other treasures we found.




Another tin pail from the same family farm. Brightly colored towels rolled up inside just make me smile.



 



I found this picture discounted at a Christian book store. It says 'Everyday is a gift from God'. It reminds us of our favorite spot on Lake Michigan







A little sunshine in a vase and  sand and shells displayed in jars



Shells the kids picked up  on the Gulf Coast in Florida.






Sand dollars are one of my favs! We've found them on the Gulf Coast in Fl and on the coast in beautiful Oregon! Every time I find an unbroken one barely peeking through the sand I squeal. I find such delight in the treasures God gives me. Somehow we manage to get them home in one piece.

I love to collect rocks. Most of these are from the shores of the Oregon coast and Northern Michigan. I display them in a wire basket on our coffee table



Over a decade ago, I started collecting and labeling sand from all the beaches we've been to. I write the date and the location on each label.  This is my favorite 'Celebrating Family Decorating' thing I do.  Our family loves to look at the jars of sand. We marvel at how different the grains of sand are. It brings back great memories and makes us appreciate God's creativity and awesomeness!!



I love this window I picked up at a garage sale. I decided to hang a frame on top of it and display it in our bedroom. It's of my husband and I on the beach in Michigan.





I found this frame at a thrift store. After removing the picture, I painted the mats the colors of our walls. The photo is just a cheap poster size print from Walgreen's. I filled the sconces on the walls with guess what? Yeah, sand from a trip to Mexico.

This is just the truth. I love being next to my husband... anywhere...but at the beach is simply divine! A wonderfully gifted friend of mine came up with this design after I gave her the words I wanted.

Finally, this is a wall in our basement. No, not all of my walls are ocean blue... just these 3!  It's a fun wall to display photos from our vacations.

There you have it. I little peek into our home. You don't have to spend a lot of money to create spaces that celebrate who you are and what you love. Just be creative... and if you are stuck with no ideas, find a friend to help you and just get it done already!!! 
 Because I believe every family should love the space they live in!

Blessings,
Amy



When God's Word is Not Enough

I don't need to tell you that life throws daggers at our hearts. I don't need to tell you that a phone call can throw your life off course. I don't need to tell you that in one moment life is going well and the next you find yourself desperate for a hope that seems unattainable. I'm talking about the kind of crisis that stops your life dead in it's tracks, one that sucks the air right out of your lungs, one that threatens to drown you in the darkness of despair, one that literally makes your heart hurt. I am talking about the kind of crisis that makes you scream, "No, this can't possibly be happening!" You just hope it's a bad dream. 
But every morning you realize-
 This is Real.

These days I am consumed with circumstances beyond me... yet affecting me...

 every moment of the day.

 Do you  know the searing pain of someone else's hurt? Have you experienced  a  loved one's darkness in a way that suffocated you in its blackness too?

 It's someone I love very much. It's someone I am close to. 

Yet, I can do nothing. I can offer no solution. I cannot stop the pain. The confusion. The ramifications. The loneliness. The aloneness. The torment of the moment. The cruelty of the situation. The serious nature of the circumstance. The fear of the unknown and the devastation of what the future may hold.

I can't be there. I can't even get there. I can't hug. I can't hold. I can't fix it.  I can't give the gift of my presence or of my touch or even of my voice. There is nothing I can do. Do you understand?

 THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO.  

Some of you have received THAT phone call... someone you love has been in a fatal accident or received a fatal diagnosis.  Your adult child has been served divorce papers and a nasty custody battle has ensued. A friend lost a child, a home, a job, a marriage. Your child's injuries have changed your life forever. Your child's poor choices devastate your heart every day. A loved one is going to prison. A loved one has run away. Your husband is gone.  Your grandchild has been assaulted.  Your sister's husband is having an affair. Your daughter has a broken heart. Your son is filing bankruptcy. Your child is dead. You've been falsely accused.   Your best friend's mom is dying... your mom is dying. 

YOU got THE call... 

What do we do?  

We pray. We hope. We plead. We believe. We fight. We hold on...right?  But for how long?

What do you do with your heart when it becomes afraid of the answer that God might give? 
What do you do with your soul  that is tormented with unspeakable fears? How long can you suit up for the raging battle for your mind? How long can you cling to fading hope that something will change?  How long can you be burdened for someone you love so much before you go crazy? How long can you stand the deafening silence from God? And for crying out loud, how many times can you blow your nose because the tears flow constant? 

When a bunch of todays and tomorrows pass with no answer, no change, no miracle.. with nothing but silence to be found...

What do you do?  Where do you turn?

For those of us who know Jesus and know pat Sunday school answers we'd say, "Go to God's Word, Cling to the Bible, Find a Promise and Speak It like you Mean It!"

I'd say," Great. You are right, indeed we should do those things. YES and AMEN". But today, for right now, for this crisis, for THIS... that simply isn't enough. I am sorry, as a pastor's wife, I'm just going to say it... the Bible-It's just not cutting it this time. It's not. 

Right now, much of the Word hurts. Much of the Bible is, like a friend in crisis once said, 
like Sandpaper to my Soul. 
I love what the Bible says. But sometimes those things just don't come true. Not for me. Not for you. Promises are wonderful... but some scripture was meant as a principle not a promise. Some scripture was a specific word for a specific person, for a specific time. Some scripture is speaking of  eternal realities not the here and now.
Here's the truth... the Bible... IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU. IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT ME...
It is all about GOD. 

The Word was meant to lead us TO God. The Word was meant to REVEAL God to us. The Word was never meant to be a catalogue from which we can place an order and  then expect it to be delivered... oh, and on our doorstep within 5 business days thank you very much.

I can quote scripture all I want about God healing the sick, rescuing the poor, releasing the captives, feeding the hungry, reviving the dead, righting every wrong... doesn't mean He will. Oh, He can! Many times He does. But doesn't mean He will... now anyway...on  this side of Heaven.

God's Word is Not Enough for me.
 I need GOD!

 I need HIM. I need His presence on me. I need His power in me. I need His strength about me. I need His hope infused in my very soul. I need to know of His Peace that surpasses this thing. I need to know His Grace will be sufficient while this nightmare rages on. His Mercies new each day while nothing new happens in my circumstances.
 I need HIM.
 I  need to experience the Holy Spirit dwelling within my heart.

 Not just a promise on a page.
 Not just a  verse I desperately claim over and over. 
 Not a passage I demand God bring to fruition for me-NOW! 

 I need my God.
 I need my Everlasting Father. 
I need my Prince of Peace.
 I need my Wonderful Counselor. 
I need my Ever Present Help.

I love God's Word. I am in God's Word. I am speaking God's Word. I am memorizing God's Word... but hear me clearly that is NOT an exchange for the 
Author of THE WORD Himself. 

Do you understand me? Do you understand the difference? If you are in a crisis situation then I believe you do. 

I welcome the Bible, believe me, I am in it!

But this girl needs her

 Abba Daddy...
 and if He chooses to answer my requests the way I want Him to- the way His Word says He can... well, that's just an added blessing... but not what I am truly after... that is not what my heart is clinging to...that is not what is giving me hope right now...  that is not what I am desperate for.
He is who and what I seek.
 He is all that I need... and I am finding in the midst of THIS nightmare...
 moment by moment
He is Enough for me
and everything that concerns me. 

With a tenderness for those in deep pain, an overwhelming sense of my need of God and a stillness and rest that whether the Words in the Bible come true for this thing or not, my hope is found in Christ alone.
Amy Joy

Big Girls Don't Whine

            I finished an inspiring book today and wanted to share some fabulous nuggets with you. My only regret as my heart took in the last page, was that I hadn't read this book sooner... like 20 years sooner!
 But one characteristic of a Big Girl is that she is always maturing, always teachable, always Growing Up and choosing to do so well.

I taught a Sunday school class a few years back that I entitled, The Women I am Becoming. The main point I shared with the women was that with each fleeting day, each year that quickly passes by, we are guaranteed one thing...
we are growing older but that does not mean we are Growing Up. 
 If there is one thing my 40 years have taught me, its that there is a chasm between the two. We grow old whether we want to or chose to, but
Growing Up is entirely up to us.

 In her book, Big Girls Don't Whine, Jan Silivious says this:

 "Every little Girl wants to be a big girl. But once we've grown up and life becomes stressful, it's easy to revert to little girl behaviour-pouting, neediness, manipulation, even whining.

 But God, who loves all his girls, never intended us to stay little. And women who cling to little girl ways miss out on the joys of being the confident productive women God intends us to be."

 It's easy to whine isn't it? It works... or so we think. We get the reaction or help we are after, the attention our neediness demands. But we don't realize we are behaving like little girls, and that prevents us from experiencing the Big Girl Life.
We are sabotaging ourselves and worse, frustrating those around us.
We all know Little Girls walking around in Big Girl bodies.
 There is little else as unattractive as an adult women acting like a child.
The bad new is that as humans we do not magically mature! 1 Cor 13:11 puts it this way, "When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child does.

But when I grew up, I put away childish things."

 Have you? Have I?

 Have we put away childish things, childish reasoning, thoughts, behavior and speech?

As our kids get older we intentionally force them to put some things away... the pacifier, the bottle, the diapers, the crib, the stroller, the training wheels, the afternoon nap... we engage our children on the painful, yet neccsary and freeing process of Growing Up by putting things they have outgrown (or should outgrow) behind them.
It's not easy. This takes strength, love, and determination,
 but to miss this process would be crippling.

Are we walking around crippled because our maturing-putting things away- process has ceased?

It's time... to once again Grow up into Maturity and Fullness in Christ.

 I've listed some differences between Big Girls and Little Girls. See if you can identify yourself.  

 Consider this both an urgent and  irresistible invitation to discover the freedom, blessing, joy, wholeness, effectiveness, and legacy of living life as a Big Girl.

Little Girls are moody.

Little Girls manage to make every situation all about them.

Little Girls lack perspective.

Little Girls shoot arrows that wound.

Little Girls make other people responsible for their happiness, including their husband and children.

Little Girls lack wisdom, insight and discretion.

Little Girls have a hard time embracing motherhood.

Little Girls have rebellious spirits.

Little Girls are seldom content.

Little Girls pout, whine and draw attention to themselves.

Little Girls are fragile.

Little Girls have a hard time getting along when they don't get their way.

Little Girls expect  life to be a fairy tale.

Little Girls gossip, are jealous, and thrive on constant crisis.

Little Girls have a difficult time rejoicing with those who rejoice.

Little Girls are high maintenance.

Big Girls on the other hand, radiate inner beauty that is attractive to all she encounters.

Big Girls bless and encourage those around them.

Big Girls embrace life as a mom and wife.

Big Girls are non-demanding of both their family and friends.

Big Girls share their friends with their friends.

Big Girls watch their words and their tone carefully.

Big Girls accept that life will bring suffering.

Big Girls are careful about what they think upon.

Big Girls create beauty.

Big Girls know their abilities, bless their families, and fulfill their roles without complaint.

Big Girl moms know they don't raise their kids for themselves.

Big Girls are not easily hurt. They let things go.

Big Girls don't need all the attention.

Big Girls know that pouting doesn't work and that disappointments are part of life.

Big Girls pave a path worthy of following.

Big Girls handle crisis with peace.

Big Girls don't need everyone to know.

Big Girls love Jesus more than anything else...including themselves.

Big Girls meditate on God's Word.

Big Girls don't waste their days on worry. They embrace life fully.

Big Girls are secure, confident in their own skin and optimistic.

Big Girls are teachable. They are open to rebuke. 

Big Girls enjoy life's little blessings. They are marked with gratitude.

                                  Big Girls don't allow circumstances or people to steal her joy.

                                                        Big Girls are kind and gracious.

A Big Girls presence is a present to others.

Big Girls are trusted  friends.

Big Girls live life like they know they are leaving a legacy to those behind them.

 

Big Girls conduct themselves like they are daughters of the King...and that knowledge frees them up to dance with grace, dignity, beauty and humility.

 Blessings upon you, dear one, as you pursue this Grown Up living...this Big Girl kind of life. Resolve to put away your childish ways...everyone around you will be grateful you did, you will be grateful you did and your Father God will be incredibly pleased with you and delighted in you... and that's simply the best reward and reason of all.

With Gratitude for you and Blessings heaped upon you,

Amy Joy