The Hike

We ventured out on our first journey group hike today. Several friends from the Crossroads joined us on the Cross Timbers trail up north of Whitesboro. People hike for a variety of reasons. Some people enjoy the exercise. Others love the outdoors. A few hike because it's cool. But for me, hiking is a profoundly spiritual experience.

I have not had the opportunity to hike often in the last three years because of our toddler, Abby. She is just now big enough to walk very far without whining. Today she made a little over a mile before she wanted to be carried. That's pretty good for a short dayhike now and then.

Finding my hiking boots was a chore this morning. It's been such a long time since I needed them. I think the last time was some kind of safari theme day at school. As I slipped them on and worked the laces into the various loops and twists that I have to do for the ideal fit, I noticed that they felt stiff. It's been such a long time since I used them that they felt weird on my feet. It can be that way with God....when I get out of the habit of spending time with Him it can feel strange to try to get back into spending time with Him every day.

Abby has been on about 3 hikes that I can recall in her lifetime. Her first hike was on spring break 2 years ago. She was an infant, not toddling yet. We wanted to hike with the kids in the Ozark Mountains, but did not have our baby backpack with us. So I said, "It's fine, I'll just carry her in my arms." And I did. Up and down the hills, around the curves, and through the trees. I carefully examined every place that I put my foot. I tested my weight carefully before I scaled any heights. I watched out closely for tree branches and thorns. I had to be extra careful not to fall because if I did, I would drop and injure our baby. It was at times awkward and very challenging. That's when I realized how important it is to watch our footsteps when we are discipling young Christians. We have to guard more carefully against falling down, so that our young friends are not injured by our bad choices.

Today, God reminded me of some of the same lessons. Abby walked the path on her own, but I had to be content to keep a slower pace than what I am used to. My friends and family were far ahead of us as we meandered through the woods. I showed Abby thorns and how to avoid them, or at least how to step on top of the thorny vines with her shoes so her leg wouldn't get scraped. That's what we do when mentoring new believers. We show them the thorns and give them tools to avoid them.

I also showed Abby a beautiful cedar tree and let her smell the branches. Then she wanted to smell every cedar tree on the trail. We smelled every flower, touched every berry, examined lots of rocks, and tried out digging in sand and mud. We watched waves crash along the shore and saw ducks diving for fish. Even though it took me four times as long to hike with Abby, today she showed me every beautiful thing in the woods. Walking with a new believer is like that. They remind you how beautiful our faith is.

Several times (like maybe 50) I had to remind Abby to stay on the trail. She would wander off to smell flowers or examine mysterious objects more closely. Once she nearly fell off the bluff while trying to look at the water. Fortunately, I was standing right behind her with my hands on her shoulders. This is what God does with me. He has to continually remind me to get back on the trail. Not to be distracted by other things in my life.

So today, I wandered slowly through the woods with Abby and listened to God's heart about loving and growing people in their faith. I am so very thankful for the people in my life who have been content to travel alongside me as I have learned how to walk on this journey.

God and Pajamas

Strange moment today. Jumping off into church planting has entailed some budget cuts at the Kemp's house. When the weather started getting cold this fall I realized that Abby did not own any pajamas. I began praying for God to meet this need since I really at that moment could not come up with any extra cash for clothes. Then, honestly I forgot about it and moved on with life.

Today I was sorting through her clothes, reorganizing, packing up what's too little, etc. It took most of the day since we were recently blessed with two big batches of hand-me-downs. I was grumbling about the big mess and the big job a bit when I started folding pajamas.

It was when I began putting away her pajamas and needed not one, but two drawers that I began to cry. You see, I had prayed for warm pajamas and then moved on with life. But my God who is faithful even in the small things of life blessed us with gifts from grandmas and hand-me-downs from friends so that we now have two drawers full of pajamas. My daughter is warm at night, and I had not even noticed that God had answered my prayer.

God is good...all the time....and all the time....God is good.

Thanks for the p.j.s!

gift giving lessons from Abby

My two year old has been at it again. Showing me God's heart through her tiny life.

We celebrated my birthday a few days early with some friends on Tuesday night. Shawn made my favorite cake and a couple of friends brought gifts. Well, Abby saw my excitement about opening presents. (Yes, I'm really still just a kid about birthdays even though I try really hard to be cool and nonchalant about the whole thing) This afternoon she located a crumpled up piece of pink tissue and took off on a gift-giving spree.

First she wrapped up my favorite earrings and brought them to me. Jumping up and down with excitement and yelling, "Happy birthday." Then she brought me the nativity set, then a porcelain Santa, and the list goes on. With each delivery, she became more animated and more excited about me opening the gift. It was a fun game. She enjoyed giving, and I knew I would love what was in the package because it was already mine.

Then I started thinking about her little game and realized that maybe it had some God applications. You see, everything that I bring to God already belongs to him anyway. I am not bringing God anything new, or different that He has already received throughout the ages past. And yet, I'm pretty sure that when I am excited about sharing with God and bringing Him offerings that He enjoys it even more than I enjoyed the gift game with Abby.

The delight in Abby's game came from how much I love her and the beauty of seeing her learning how to love me. I think that's the delight that God feels as He loves us and watches us learning how to love Him.

Sin and Poop

God makes the weirdest connections in my head. Lately we have been occasionally trying to potty train Abby, the two year old. She will not poop in the potty, denies having gone in her diaper, runs and hides. Because she is our fourth child, we know that this is a normal phase of potty training and find it very amusing. So tonight I smelled the tell-tale odor of a used diaper. I asked, "Abby did you poop?" Her reply was an emphatic, loud, "NO!" as she took off running in the opposite direction.

So as I was in hot pursuit of the fastest toddler on two feet, God made an interesting connection for me. "No matter how hard you try to hide your sin, no matter where you run to, or how much you deny the action, it will reek. Sin is a stench to God that cannot be hid or denied or run away from. It can only be confessed, removed, and cleansed." Much like poop in a toddler's diaper.

God lessons from Abby

Sometimes I think the main reason God gives us children is so that we can more fully understand Him. I love when God uses my 2 year old to teach me a life lesson. Then I am convicted about acting like a 2 year old.

Yesterday Abby skipped her nap. I already hear groans from the parents reading this. We were busy and not at home and I did not lay her down. So last night, some friends were hanging out at the house with their small children. As the night wore on, the kids got louder, and louder, and rowdier, and rowdier. They were having a great time, and we all laughed about the standard response of tired children. The more tired they become, the more frantic and busy they act in order to fight sleep.

As I laughed and watched them running, jumping, screaming, and chasing each other to ward off sleepiness, God used them to illustrate Matthew 11:28. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." My life moves at a frantic pace - very much like those small children running around my house last night. When I am stressed (weary and burdened), I move at a more frantic, harried pace. God says, "Stop. I will give you rest." Instead of stopping and trusting, I keep flying through life wondering why I am exhausted. I try to do more, faster.

Last night, when Abby finally stopped, she crashed. She was asleep in under 2 minutes in her Daddy's arms. I want to remember that when I am running through life and become weary, that my heavenly Daddy is ready to hold me in His arms and give me rest. I just have to stop.

The Gospel According to Abby

God often uses my children to show me truths that I have not quite fully grasped. Recently he used my 2 year old daughter, Abby, to remind me that there is nothing in my life that is hidden from HIM.

So, here's the story:
I am slowly weaning Abby from her pacifier. She is not excited about this new phase of her life. We were in the kitchen and she spotted a pacifier that had somehow ended up on the floor. She immediately grabbed it and hid it behind her back. (which was turned towards me). Then she turned to face me and said, "No, I not got my binky. I not know where it go." And proceeded to dash down the hall (once again with binky in my plain line of sight as she is facing away from me again.)

God used that moment to immediately convict me that I do the exact same thing. He continually leads me away from sin. (like I am leading Abby to give up her pacifier) However, it seems that I often spot an opportunity for sin, contemplate it carefully, engage in it, then tell God I didn't do it. Much like Abby telling me that she did not have her binky, even though I could plainly see it.

So - here's the point - I am praying that I will understand God's viewpoint and try harder to align my life with Him.