Category: My Life

Happy New Year 2011

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Psalm 16:1 Keep me safe, O God, I’ve run for dear life to you. 2 I say to God, “Be my Lord!” Without you, nothing makes sense. 3 And these God-chosen lives all around – what splendid friends they make! 4 Don’t just go shopping for a god. Gods are not for sale. I swear I’ll never treat god-names like brand-names. 5 My choice is you, God, first and only. And now I find I’m your choice!6 You set me up with a house and yard. And then you made me your heir! 7 The wise counsel God gives when I’m awake is confirmed by my sleeping heart. 8 Day and night I’ll stick with God; I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go. 9 I’m happy from the inside out, and from the outside in, I’m firmly formed. 10 You canceled my ticket to hell – that’s not my destination! 11 Now you’ve got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since you took my hand, I’m on the right way. -“The Message”

It’s been crazy busy around the Young house. Friends, family, church, store there are lots of obligations that came on all at once. We’ve had a wonderful season this year and I have to take a second to encourage all the stepfamilies out there. This year, we finally were able to come together and have a really great season. Statistics tell you that it takes 7 years to blend a family and we were no exception.

This year my resolution is really simple. This year, I will breathe in deeply the presence of God, I will not measure my life’s success as a human doing but rather a human being. I don’t know about you but I am my harshest critic. I will turn 46 this year and I think I’ve come to the conclusion that my plate will always be full but I don’t have to eat everything off of it everyday. I’m sure I will one day die with a do-to list left behind and I’m sure someone will come behind me and finish it. This year I want to be focused solely on being.

I hope these first seven days of the year have been great to you. I am continually thinking of all of you and I there is still much to be said!

The Real Gift

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sam's club.com

Helping in the RMA store this week an eldery woman came in. She was grumpy. Have you ever noticed that people either grow old gracefully or grouchy? She talked about how the government was to blame for her financial situation. She complained about how they were trying take her social security and how she lived on so little as it was. She complained about not having gifts to give her grandchildren for Christmas. I stayed quiet for as long as I could.

“You know, I was very close to my grandmother. As a child she was everything to me. She passed away in 1999 and I miss her so terribly much most days. Can I tell you that I don’t remember a single Christmas or birthday gift she gave me? Oh, don’t misunderstand, I was grateful and everything she gave me she gave with love, like you, she had modest means and did the best she could.”

“Can I tell you what I do remember? I remember her stopping her housework to sweep me up in her arms and dance with me in her living room. I remember standing on a chair in her kitchen helping make dinner. I remember baking cookies with her. I remember learning to crochet and sew with her. I remember snuggling up in bed with her when I spent the night and how we would talk and giggle long into the night. I remember running errands with her or advice she gave me. I remember working in the garden with her and learning about herbs and their remedies. I remember sitting at her dining room table playing game after game of Crazy Eights. I remember her massaging my back when I couldn’t sleep. I remember her singing to me and her hugs and her love and the fact that she thought everything I did was special.”

The real meaning of Christmas is relationship with one another. I don’t need a day on the calendar to give a gift or to get one. What I treasure, what stays with me in my heart is the time she spent developing her relationship with me. The memories remain long after any gift did. The gift she gave was more precious than any Christmas memory because it was heartfelt. It was born in love and nurture.

Just as Jesus was born to restore us back to our heavenly Father, no earthly gift is more memorable. What better gift could be given than the gift of our love towards one another? This Christmas I pray you get the real gift of Christmas. The gift of some time with loved ones and the gift of serving one another in love. The same gift the Son of the Most High God came to give us!

Merry Christmas!

Today I Celebrate You

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Today my husband turns 47. He’s been really cool to hang out with and he makes me laugh most days.

I enjoy my time with him. I love our talks, our date nights, our ability to sit in a room together and say absolutely nothing and be completely comfortable. I love that he puts up with my dog and loves her because I love her. I love that we love to walk on the beach together. I am happy to work alongside him and that we are each other’s best friend. A better friend I could not have. Oh, and did I tell you that when he calls me darlin’ with his accent, it kills me? I love him more as the years go by.

I have been blessed to be your wife, Douglas Young! You are kind, merciful, loving, easy-going and a great man. Have a great birthday and a wonderful year. I know God has great and exciting things for you this year!

Why Is It?

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Walking into the mortuary for my godfather’s funeral, the place is filling quickly. My mom is number 10 of 12 kids so I have cousins everywhere in this room. I have cousin’s spouses everywhere and their grown children and their spouses. I have aunts and uncles and their cousins and so forth. It’s great to have such a great family.

We love each other and come together for times like this. There was a time when we were all small children and family get-togethers were quite common. The more we grew and moved and spread out the less frequent they become. We all hug, we all cry, we all laugh together.

My cousin Celia explains to my husband, “you have to understand, we were like this growing up”, as she sticks her fingers together, “and no matter how long it is between our visits we have always been like this”. It’s true. We were raised like one big family. It was not a big deal to be scolded or loved by any of my mom’s siblings. As Anthony, my son, walks into the room, I see the pattern repeating, I see Celia’s eyes light up as if she’s seeing her son, and she runs and hugs him, “You look good! I’m glad you’re here. Introduce me to your girlfriend, is she the ONE?” Anthony is enveloped in love as everyone comes to greet him and love on him and Frances.

My cousin Danny, who is a year older than I am, explains that he is my favorite cousin to which Celia says matter-of-factly, “No you aren’t our favorite”, and I reply “in fact, you were more like the cousin we never wanted because you were a boy and we all know that you have cooties”. It was an on-going argument of those of us in that age range because we were made to play together as children and the boys were always such a pain except when we needed them to build something for us.

Why is it that we only get together for major events? I have such a great family yet we are so busy that we rarely take the time out of our lives to call each other. Yet in happy times and times of deep sadness family is so important. I pray you take a few minutes today to call one of your loved ones just because!

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Today I just have a few random thoughts:

I am grateful for the scene I saw yesterday in the store. Loved it actually! I was wheeling my cart out the door after the check-out. It was a madhouse at the store. A little boy about 7ish, was walking with a bag of groceries and his father, who was this boy’s older twin by the way, grabs him by the hood of his coat and says, “Son, wait.” The boy asks why and begins looking at me. The father says, “Men always let women go out ahead of them. If the door isn’t automatic, they open it.” The boy goes, “Why?” I smiled at the dad and said “Thank you”. I am sure the conversation continued. I am grateful that there are still men who are teaching their boys manners. It makes me smile!

I am grateful for Pastor Juan Hernandez’ family because his grandchildren are singing praises to their God and a legacy continues.

I am grateful for this scripture because I can make myself at home in His presence and that is the greatest gift I’ve been given and the thing that blesses me so!

Psalm 100:1 On your feet now – applaud God! 2 Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence. 3 Know this: God is God, and God, God. He made us; we didn’t make him. We’re his people, his well-tended sheep. 4 Enter with the password: “Thank you!” Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him. 5 For God is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, loyal always and ever.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Good and Great

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thefuntimesguide.com

I was reminded of a time several years back. Casey, my daughter was in youth group and the leader was talking to them about their parents. Casey said, enthusiastically, it was told to me, “I don’t just have a good mom, I have a great mom.” She was 16, at the time and I had worked hard with my kids to have a good relationship with them. I was never Casey’s or Ant’s friend but I was a parent who worked really hard at establishing a good communication with them. When the leader told me what she had said, I was thrilled that she thought so.

What had elevated me from good to great in those days? I think it was just that I loved her and we had a close relationship. She was my partner to shop and to go to plays with. I held her to a standard and she respected me for it and I respected her for trying her best. I miss her desperately some days, because she’s all grown up and off on her own. She doesn’t need her mom anymore as she once did. Now, I get calls about how to make certain food or what do I think about something. Now when we are together, it’s all I can do when I am with her not to just squeeze her and love her up. I know better than to do that because I’d embarrass her more than I already do.

So it is with our Lord. When we first learn about him and begin our relationship with him, he’s so good. Jesus even gives us the criteria for being the good shepherd:

John 10:11. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

When we first discover that Jesus loves so completely, it makes something stir in us. It makes us feel whole again. It makes us feel understood and a part of something so much bigger than ourselves.

As we progress along with our relationship with him and we discover all that He is in our life he is so much more than good. He overwhelms us with his love. We can’t quite comprehend how he is able to see our flaws and our hang-ups and yet still love us so deeply. When we find that he never ceases to teach us and guide us, we discover that he is great!

Hebrews 13:20 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

The Woman Who Is My Daughter

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Last year just before Casey's birthday!

Today Casey is 25. I remember well the day she was born. Casey was born social with a great imagination and lots of strong will. As a toddler she pranced around in her tutu and when she started kindgergarten she was convinced she was allergic to pants and so she wore dresses all the time. She was a joy to raise and even though she challenged me with her opinion, we did a great job of getting along and working together.

Apples don’t fall far from trees and I see myself in her. Independent, loving, and driven she has set out into the world to make a place for herself. A place of her own ideals on her own terms. You can bet that she is never motivated by peer pressure, all of her successes and failures have been of her own choices. I learned early with a strong-willed child you have to find a way to channel it in boundaries but you never want to take it away. Strong will will serve its purpose one day and it has. Instead of a five year college plan she finished in 3 1/2 while working, proving that whatever she sets her mind to do she accomplishes it.

When I close my eyes and see my daughter I remember her as a four year-old, dancing and playing and singing. Hers was a world of make believe.

I know you I walked with you once upon a dream
I know you the gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam
And I know it’s true that visions are seldom all they seem
But if I know you I know what you’ll do
You’ll love me at once the way you did once upon a dream

I worry about her, I pray for her and the word love doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel about her. I miss her terribly most days. We won’t see each other today, as we are miles apart, but my love follows her always and distance is never an obstacle. I love you sweet child ‘o mine!

TLC’s Conference

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We were honored to have such powerful conference this weekend. Almost 150 women gathered to discuss why God asks us not to arouse or awaken love before it so desires. Women from the ages of 10-100 came and learned what God’s plan was and why he said wait. I was so impressed by our teens who were honestly saying that they had never really considered why God said wait.

Some of the comments that touched my heart were:

“Now I understand why my dad acts like he hates boys to talk to me you know? He is trying to protect me. I mean, he’s still not doing it right but I see his heart now you know?”

“I would never do the things I do in front of my dad but I had never considered that my father in heaven is always watching. It makes you think.”


“I can’t talk to my mom because she always runs and tells her sisters and her friends.”

“I can’t talk to my mom because she always starts yelling and judging.”

“I feel helpless when my daughter comes to me because I see my baby asking 13 year-old questions and it scares me.”

“I sometimes don’t know what to say to my daughter so I revert to rules.”

“I still wear scars by the things boys said to me in high school”

“I didn’t live what I am teaching and I want more for my daughter but I don’t know what to say.”

“I’m scared of what I see happening to the young girls today.”

“My mom just lectures and I have no one to talk to but my friends.”

Thank you Jesus for a ministry that allows us to come forth with the questions of our heart. Thank you that you see every question and that it is meaningful to you!

How Much Do We Love The Church

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kereweddingdress.blogspot.com

In his book, Forgotten God, Francis Chan asks the question, how much do you love the church?

I read this with interest and thought about some things that are really disturbing to me. Recently, my son was called a bible thumper in youth group. It made me laugh, although my son was angry about it, but it was a funny statement coming from within the church. I laughed because it’s true! He is a bible thumper and his questions and study make me smile.

We read the bible at our house and we discuss it and we teach it and we try very hard to live it. Although, yeah, with teenagers we sometimes find ourselves defending and explaining ideals that they often find old-fashioned to our culture today. What was meant as a put-down wasn’t in my eyes because it’s our job to teach the bible to our kids. We love the church that much! Not even because we are pastors either. We loved the church before we were in ministry. We are friends of the groom, called to serve his bride and prepare her for a wedding. This is why I love the picture above so much. The people in the picture are caring for every detail of the bride in preparation!

What happens though when the church doesn’t know she’s getting married? I have a friend who is faithful to her church attendance. Her children are in Sunday School each Sunday. Get beyond the basics of Sunday School and her kids know nothing really about the word of God. They can’t pray cognitively for a meal or for themselves or others. Should not love for the church begin at home? I spoke to this issue with her. What I realized was to raise a bible thumper you really have to believe the bible. You have to know it, you have to read it. A thousand sermons at your left hand and ten thousand at your right, makes you no more an effective witness if you don’t know your word. How can your family stand against the trials of the world if they do not know the word or who the bride is beyond a mere acquaintance? So what is the fruit of our testimony? Is it not in part our children and our life? Does it matter that the people who I call friends and co-workers come to ask me to pray for them but my kids live like hell? How much do I love the church? It shows first in my life. No not one of us is perfect nor do any of us have the perfect family, I certainly don’t. I want to try to do better. I want to love the church so much that television or tiredness or overwork doesn’t cause me to forsake my family. I don’t want to depend on the little songs from childhood Sunday School to get my kids through. I want to be active and engaged in their education. I want them to know that I love God not just with my lips but with my action and my advancement of the kingdom in their lives. I ask what my kids are reading in their bibles, and no it’s not the only thing they read. We discuss viewpoints and my bible thumper has some deep thoughts that you’d never know about unless you ask. Bible study is not just for the pastor’s kids, it’s for everyone who loves the church.