We’re On Baby Watch

Posted on November 29, 2016 by Lynn

gods-wordIt seems so appropriate that we are on “Baby Watch” this close to Christmas.  My son and daughter-in-law are expecting their first baby and he’s due to arrive December 14th…or thereabouts.  This will be our third grandbaby and as I have said to anyone who asks, “Grandchildren are probably the main reason we have children in the first place!”  Yep, I’m one of THOSE grandmas!!

When Jaxon was born in 2011, I had no idea that my mother’s heart could grow two sizes bigger.  But it did.  When Kharis was born in 2013, my heart kept expanding too!  I knew I was crazy in love with each one of my three children, but I did not know the capacity of love until I held my first grandbaby in my arms for the first time.  In a few weeks, I will hold another blessed grandson and my heart will stretch even wider.  It’s just the way God made grandmothers I guess.

My son and daughter-in-law are busy “nesting”, and they have been outfitted with everything they might need to welcome their new son home.  Between generous friends and family who have passed along items, or contributed to baby showers and – spoiler alert – more gifts under the Christmas tree for them this year, they will want for little.  My son, bless his heart, asked for a video game for his birthday last week and we indulged him.  I didn’t have the heart to tell him his video-game-playing days are numbered now.  He’ll learn soon enough, and knowing my boy, he’ll be totally okay with the new shift in priorities.  He’ll make a good father.

But it won’t be easy.

Even with all the books on Parenting written, the countless Pinterest Pins on the subject, and the unsolicited and solicited advice from family members, there is not a precise manual that will educate parents well-enough to raise a child properly from birth to adulthood…save ONE of course.

The Holy Bible.

If you wonder what to get a young, expectant couple for a shower gift…give them a new Bible!  It was and has been my first and favoured parenting manual and the pages are dog-eared from over-use.  No, it may not be specific on what to do when it comes to managing a colicky baby or how to best potty-train a child, but it soooo ministered to me as I went through those ordeals with my babies.  Countless passages on patience, love, gratitude, and humility I claimed whenever I needed help to better parent my child.

When I felt defeated and discouraged at the end of the day because of strong-willed children, I found peace and encouragement in scripture.  When my children came home crying from being bullied or hurt, my mother’s heart ached for them and I found the words to comfort them through the Word.

When I was weary, I found strength.

When I felt upset and rattled by the task of parenting, I found the pep-talks I needed in the Bible.

As we welcome our next precious grandbaby into the Dove family, I know if my son and daughter-in-law stay immersed in the greatest parenting manual ever written, the Holy Bible, they’ll be okay.

Yes, there will be some long days and nights ahead…

But, they’ll be okay.

Posted in Proverbs 16:9 - Journey Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Unanswered Prayers

Posted on November 16, 2016 by Lynn

Am I the only one who thinks it is self-serving when sports teams or athletes pray for victory before their game or event?  I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, I’m just wondering what happens to their faith if they have prayed and then God doesn’t answer their prayer for victory?  Does God have a favourite sports team that He blesses with victories over another?  Does God decide the outcome of a game based on the fervent prayers of players?  Does one team praise God when they win, or curse God when they lose?  Just asking…?

It’s been one week since the election of a new president-elect in the U.S.  As a Canadian watching the events this past week, I can’t help but compare the goings-on south of the border to a sporting event with winners and losers.  There is no doubt there was MUCH prayer leading up to the outcome of that election.  Franklin Graham made an interesting comment on Facebook:

“Did God show up? In watching the news after the election, the secular media keep asking “How did this happen?” “What went wrong?” “How did we miss this?” Some are in shock. Political pundits are stunned. Many thought the Trump/Pence ticket didn’t have a chance. None of them understand the God-factor.

Hundreds of thousands of Christians from across the United States have been praying. This year they came out to every state capitol to pray for this election and for the future… of America. Prayer groups were started. Families prayed. Churches prayed. Then Christians went to the polls, and God showed up.

While the media scratches their heads and tries to understand how this happened, I believe that God’s hand intervened Tuesday night to stop the godless, atheistic progressive agenda from taking control of our country.

President-elect Donald J. Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence are going to need a lot of help and they will continue to need a lot of prayer. I pray that President-elect Trump will surround himself with godly men and women to help advise and counsel him as he leads the nation. My prayer is that God will bless America again!”

I firmly believe that God listened to the prayers of the faithful but – just playing devil’s advocate here – didn’t the other “side” pray just as fervently for victory?  Why didn’t God answer their prayers?  There were Christians in both camps.  Many wonderful, Godly people could not support Trump because of his character flaws and divisive statements.    Don’t for a second think that these people did not agonize and prayerfully beseech God for direction.  Voting for the other candidate did not rank these people amongst what Graham calls the “godless” having “atheistic progressive agendas”.  It was a no-win situation for them.  Did they just hear God wrong?  I wonder if their faith is shaken?  I hope not!

I remember a year ago when we had our Provincial Election here in Alberta and the NDP (New Democratic Party) won an overwhelming majority in our province.  The NDP could be likened to the Democratic Party in the States, perhaps even MORE liberal-minded!  That same year, Canada elected a Liberal Prime Minister to govern our country.  My husband and I had prayed fervently for a different outcome in both elections.  Yet, God did not answer our prayers the way we wanted Him to.  Was our faith shaken?  Not at all!

I REALLY like what my friend, Dr. Richard Blackaby wrote the day after the U.S. election last week.  It applies to all Christians on BOTH “sides” and BOTH sides of the border too:

“The question now is: what do we as Christians do the day after? Can I offer a few suggestions?

First, accept the result as the hand of God. Scripture indicates: “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord” (Prov. 16:33). God is sovereign over nations and we can trust His wisdom and love in what He ultimately allows. Americans have become notorious for refusing to accept results that seem unacceptable. If people’s favored candidate doesn’t win, they resist the decision, or set themselves up as fierce opponents, or threaten to leave the country! As a Christian, you may not have liked the result, but you need to accept it.

Second, don’t be afraid! Christians ought not to be gullible to conspiracy theories and doomsday predictors. The foremost reason is that our God is “High above all nations” (Ps. 113:4). The key is not who occupies the Oval Office but who sits on the throne of the heavens. That has not changed. Likewise, if you study the history of American elections since George Washington was first elected in 1789, there have been many times when dire warnings of apocalyptic catastrophe hovered over the newly elected president. Rarely, if ever, have the dire predictions been fulfilled. Eventually the new leaders embraced the challenge and the worst fears proved groundless. Don’t become someone driven more by fear-mongers than by the Holy Spirit!

Third, be gracious. Scripture exhorts: “Let your speech always be with grace” (Col. 4:6). In defeat, be gracious to the victors. In victory, be kind and gentle to those who lost. America is deeply divided. The last thing it needs is for Christians to add to that polarization by firing Social Media missiles to taunt and antagonize those who disagreed with you. There is no need to belittle those who voted differently than you did. Many sincere Christians agonized over which candidate to vote for. We can respect their effort without agreeing with their choice.

Fourth, pray for the new president. Scripture does not command us to pray for those we vote for. It commands us to pray for whoever is in government (1 Tim. 2:1-2). Regardless of who was elected president, they were going face enormous challenges. Every American has a vested interest in the next president doing an outstanding job. So we must pray fervently.”  (http://www.blackaby.net/blog/2016/11/09/the-day-after/)

Can I get an “Amen”?

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In the Shadow of the Crosses

Posted on November 11, 2016 by Lynn

When I was a little girl I was given an autograph book.  I think they may have gone by the way of the dinosaur, but in those days collecting autographs was a big thing to do.  I remember I first had to ask my mother and father, brother and other family members to “autograph” my book.  For years I collected autographs from friends, sports stars, political figures, special guests at school etc.  I have the autograph of Guy Lafleur, and Yvan Cournoyer when the Canadiens hockey team played an exhibition game in Victoria in the early 70’s.  I have the autograph of Tommy Douglas when he was a guest at our school, and I even have one from King Frederik IX of Denmark …well,  at least a formal letter with the royal seal, written by his Majesty’s private secretary after I sent the King birthday greetings when he turned seventy.    Close enough.

But one of my most  favorite autographs was written by a woman who I considered my Canadian “grandma”.

Dear Lynn,

This I learned from the shadow of the tree, which to and fro swayed upon the lawn.

Your shadowself, your influence, may fall where you can never be.

With Love,

“Nana” Antalfy   (Mar. 15, 1970 – Saseenos, B.C.)

For years I did not honestly know what she meant by those words.  When she moved away I remember sitting out on the steps of our house in Sooke, B.C. and watching how the sumac tree on our front lawn would sway in the breeze.  It was a willowy type of tree and didn’t cast much of shadow at all.  In fact of all the trees in our yard, it was the puniest, and the most unassuming tree amongst them all.

Puzzled, I questioned my mother about what Mrs. Antalfy had meant by “shadowself” and “influence”, and pointed at the sumac tree.  My Mom beckoned for me to stand in the yard and then look at my own shadow.  She then challenged me to try to step on the “head” of my own shadow.  She laughed and cheered me on as I chased my shadow around the yard trying to step on it.  No matter how far I stretched my legs, or how fast I ran, or how high I jumped, it was impossible to catch my shadow.  Then Mom told me to stop moving and calmly came over and stood on top of my shadow, right on my shadow’s head.  “See?” she said.  “Sort of.” I said breathlessly, but really I hadn’t grasped the concept at all.

On November 11 we celebrate Remembrance Day, a day set aside to honour the brave men and women who served Canada in times of war and peace; those who valiantly gave their lives in service to their country.  Whenever I think of their sacrifice, I proudly stand in their shadow and when I wear that little poppy emblem on my lapel, I symbolically stand in the shadow of their crosses.  Their courage, their strength, their fortitude, beats in the hearts of all the family members they have left behind.  Because of their sacrifice on our behalf, we know freedom in this country. 

“On August 4, 1914, Britain declared war on Germany. Canada, as a member of the British Empire, was automatically at war, and its citizens from all across the land responded quickly.  Within three weeks, 45,000 Canadians had rushed to join up. John McCrae was among them.  He was appointed brigade-surgeon to the First Brigade of the Canadian Field Artillery with the rank of Major and second-in-command…In April 1915, John McCrae was in the trenches near Ypres, Belgium, in the area traditionally called Flanders. Some of the heaviest fighting of the First World War took place there during what was known as the Second Battle of Ypres.  The day before he wrote his famous poem, one of McCrae’s closest friends was killed in the fighting and buried in a makeshift grave with a simple wooden cross.  Wild poppies were already beginning to bloom between the crosses marking the many graves.  Unable to help his friend or any of the others who had died, John McCrae gave them a voice through his poem.”  (http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/general/)

In Flanders Fields by: John McCrae

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch, be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields

Lest we forget…

Their “shadowself”, their “influence” continues to fall where they can never be.

Posted in Canadiana, Inspiration & Devotion, Proverbs 16:9 - Journey Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments