What Kind of Tree Am I?

Today has been a minor disaster. Among other little things that happened, a 3 1/2 year old and tired and hungry don't mix well. I am ashamed to admit that I wallowed for a little while, but then something that I marvel at Scott being able to do actually happened to me.

[I always wonder how he's able to recognize spiritual implications to little things that happen and turn them into illustrations. I knew all along that those came from the Lord, but it's been too long since I've been in-tune to how the Lord ties those "loose ends" together to turn the indirect into a direct lesson for me to learn personally (apart from the obvious lessons from obvious trials/events)]

In the midst of the frustration of Caleb's public episode, getting him home and disciplining him, and decompressing afterward, I glanced out at our beautiful whitebud tree that sits in our front yard. (see previous Spring post) It's not pretty anymore. The 4 or so evenings of sub-freezing temperatures that we had for the Easter weekend wreaked havoc on our flowers and trees, which were all beginning to bud and blossom. The whitebud still has its blossoms, but they are shriveled and yellow, and the new leaves at the end of each branch are dead. It's really a sad sight.

Instead of being further saddened, though, the Lord brought to mind a Scripture verse that I had written out and posted on my bathroom mirror during a recent hard time. Let me share Jeremiah 17:7-8 with you:

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in Him.

He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.

Hard times, whether they are hulking and large or full of tiny frustrations, will prove what kind of tree I am. Have I been confident in the Lord and his strength, or have I relied on my own? I shared with Caleb today that often times one bad decision leads to many more. Past failures aside, we have the opportunity to start over now.

What will my decision be, right here, right now, about trusting the Lord? It will surely affect how I will weather both good times and bad in the future.

Drawing My Sword?

We've had some moments lately where things to come in the future have been (and remain) unclear. As it happens, Providentially, I'm sure, the lessons I've been teaching in our small group Ladies' class at church, the book I'm reading with my discipleship girls (Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper), and in talks I've heard on the internet, the Lord has been teaching me about the products of a life that follows Him.

Our small group class for College Ladies is studying Men of the Bible (the lesser-known ones). So far we've studied Jonathan, Job, Caleb, Joseph, and Boaz, and we've covered the godly qualities that they displayed as they lived out their faith in easy and in hard times. Incidentally, those qualities are love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness. (We didn't plan to do a study on fruit of the Spirit - Galatians 5:22,23 - but look what God can teach despite us) Every one of those are things that have challenged me in recent times.

The book I'm reading talks about what makes a life truly worthwhile, what assures that it is not wasted, what true Purpose is...glorifying the One who created us with everything we do. Lately I've read the chapters on doing just that through times of pain and death, and also about learning to take risks, not for the sake of risk itself or for pride, but so that Christ can be magnified.

Then today, I listened to a talk by a pastor who went to A&M around the same time we did. Again, the Lord challenged and encouraged me. As we approach Easter week, those of us who attend church expect to hear sermons on Christ's road to the Cross. This pastor, however, doesn't aim for topical lessons. He's been preaching through the Gospel of John for about a year, and he is just now reaching the chapter that describes Christ's arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. (Planned or not, that is very timely to the holiday season.) The perspective he took, though, is very applicable to all of us in whatever stage of life we're in. I encourage you to listen to it by clicking here if you have the chance. The sermon is titled The Sin of the Drawn Sword.

Lastly, I have another song to share with you as I did previously. It is called Everlasting God by Chris Tomlin and it is based upon Isaiah 40... waiting for the Lord. It is available for listening on the "McDonaldspot Radio" to your right. (If you click forward to find that particular song too many times, you may be asked to stop and listen for a while...that's how the FineTune service I use works.)

Musical Discovery

I have been convicted lately, while reading Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper, that I need to be deliberate in my speech about what God is doing in my life, and more specifically about Christ and how He has saved me and made it possible to have a relationship with God. I woke up this morning encouraged and joyful- something I don't remember happening before. I can only explain it as this: I have begun praying that I won't have to manufacture such speech, but that it will be an overflow of my relationship with the Lord.

I ran across a new song that I can't stop singing, pardon the pun... It's a perfect blend of meaningful lyrics and musical score, not to mention applicable and encouraging in life! I'll provide the lyrics here and hopefully you can access it on the new audio player on the right-hand side of the blog. (by the way, you can get to the next song on the player by holding your mouse cursor over the right side of the player until "next track" pops up...then click.)

"How Can I Keep From Singing" by Chris Tomlin
There is an endless song
Echoes in my soul
I hear the music ring
And though the storms may come
I am holding on
To the rock I cling

How can I keep from singing Your praise
How can I ever say enough
How amazing is Your love
How can I keep from shouting Your name
I know I am loved by the King
And it makes my heart want to sing

I will lift my eyes
In the darkest night
For I know my Savior lives
And I will walk with You
Knowing You'll see me through
And sing the songs You give

I can sing in the troubled times
Sing when I win
I can sing when I lose my step
And fall down again
I can sing 'cause You pick me up
Sing 'cause You're there
I can sing 'cause You hear me, Lord
When I call to You in prayer
I can sing with my last breath
Sing for I know
That I'll sing with the angels
And the saints around the throne

Curtain Call & Break a Leg

Well, tonight is our first performance of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" at a newly renovated 1930's Theatre in town. The Theatre is gorgeous, the set looks great, and our costumes and dance moves are ready to go. Scott has been so great about being Mr. Mom each night this week as we've had rehearsals and early call-times. My family is headed into town (minus Aunt Licia :( ) to see the Saturday Matinee performance.

We'll be performing 5 total. If you're in our area, there are still tickets available! I'm really enjoying playing a part in it... I just hope my dancing doesn't cause me to fall into the orchestra pit! ;)

How-to and Recently Heard...

How to Sound like Anna-
With lips together, begin making a "b-b-b" sound. Then raise a single finger or combination of fingertips and proceed to flick your lips up and down as though talking underwater...all while making the "b-b-b" sound.

Combine the "dh", "da", "an", "na", "gee", and "dee" sounds in as many combinations as you can think of except "An-na", then throw in random grunts.

How'd you do?

Recently Heard at the McDonaldSpot-
When a hole was discovered in the knee of Caleb's jeans: "Uncle Bryan has pants with holes like these."

When Mama got into the car in full stage makeup and curly hair after theater practice this past Monday night (and every night afterward): "Mama! Why did you do that?"

Cutting a Rug

I'm becoming more of a "priss" now that I'm aging...not that there's anything wrong with that. Normally I wouldn't be comfortable with any sort of active movement without a (basket/volley)ball in my hands or occasionally a machine or exercise step involved. However... our church is putting on a Broadway style Christmas musical this year after a long hiatus. What makes it more exciting is that our community just renovated a 30's era theater that was built along the original Route 66. It's gorgeous, and our musical, set at Thanksgiving of 1941, will be a perfect opening Christmas event for it! (Not to mention fun!) We're doing "I'll be Home for Christmas," which is set partly in a family's San Francisco apartment and partly in a radio station (which, back then, would have had live audiences frequently). My part is to be a radio actor/live performer for the radio station. I, along with about 10 others, have to learn authentic dance steps to perform along with the music we're singing. I even had to by character shoes for dancing!!! I'm feeling pretty awkward, but judging from the relative position I have on the stage (they won't let me hide in the back) and from the fun I'm having, I must not be "stinking it up" too badly. I never thought I'd enjoy something like this so much, or that it would be such a welcome diversion from other things that are going on ;). I'll keep you posted, but for my benefit, there will be NO video cameras allowed at our practices or performances! Ha ha!

Me = Small Business

Well, my friend Alisa and I are stepping out and doing something a little scary. We have officially taken steps to form a small business. We're about ready to open a business bank account, and we already have a business website on which to sell our wares. It's a little intimidating (the prospect of being in charge of a business) but easier than I thought. Here's what we're doing... We are creating custom wall hangings for decoration of baby nurseries, children's rooms, play rooms, etc. Here are two examples with fictitious names.

We're selling online via Yahoo! Stores and also hope to sell in a few Springield shops/boutiques. Our store is available for viewing online as I type, but the products will not be available for purchase until we get our bank account info shored up early this coming week. Feel free to peruse the site if you want! I would love comments, critiques, or suggestions...just leave them here on my blog or fill out the comments portion of the website. We're called little LAMM designs (LAMM =Lori McDonald and Alisa Martin) and we can be found at http://www.littlelamm.com. Let me know what you think! New designs are to be posted soon on the store's site!

The Quest for Beauty

So many of us are held in bondage by the quest to be beautiful, and therefore, to have value. I ran across the following commercial on my own the other day, but I came across it again on GirlTalk, a blog by some Christian ladies. I'll link to the commercial and include the text of the GirlTalk entry also. You ladies might also want to check out the GirlTalk blog in your spare time. I've only experienced a little of it so far, but what I've seen, I can recommend.

Distorted Beauty

Consider with me our culture’s physical beauty yardstick--for women then and women now as explained by author David Powlison:

A hundred years ago women might have compared themselves with the other ten girls in the village. Today, women compare themselves with pictures of the cream of the worldwide fashion industry.

And what ideal image does the worldwide fashion industry put forth as the standard for beauty by which today’s woman is to measure herself?

Well, take a look at what a group of professional hair stylists, make-up artists, and photographers in cahoots with computer graphics were able to create (click on the picture to watch the video):

To think that women are striving to look like someone who doesn’t even look like herself. It’s absurd!

The Dove Campaign got it partially right—the fashion industry has certainly contributed to a distorted perception of beauty. And yet, their solution—“every girl deserves to feel beautiful just the way she is”—is well-meaning and yet fundamentally unbiblical.

You see, women believe that physical beauty will make them happy, successful, popular among the women, desirable to the men – so they pursue it with a fury!

Physical beauty, however, does not deliver as advertised. Proverbs 31:30 reveals the falsehood and the futility of this quest for beauty: Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain.

Even if every girl did “feel beautiful just the way she is,” it wouldn’t bring her true joy or lasting happiness or solve even one of her problems.

Truth be told, what we all deserve is not to feel beautiful but rather to be condemned to hell for sinfully seeking to attract the worship of our fellow creatures instead of living to bring glory to God.

God did not send Jesus to this earth to die so that women could get over their self-esteem problem and feel better about themselves. No, He sent his Son to die to rescue us from our sinful, futile quest for physical beauty and to reveal to us the satisfaction that comes from knowing God—whether we are beautiful or not!

What freedom and hope is found in Christ! We don’t need to feel beautiful about ourselves to find happiness! In fact, we’re better off not even thinking about ourselves. Rather, God has offered us in Jesus Christ forgiveness, hope, freedom from sin and a joy that never ends.

So while this little video effectively exposes the false front of beauty presented by our culture, let’s not look to Dove’s advertising executives for the solution to the beauty crisis. Rather, let’s join the campaign to tell others of the true freedom that is found in Christ!

Posted by Carolyn Mahaney on girltalk at this location

Trying not to Drown

Before you worry, I'm not referring to the new pool we got this summer! (Phhhheeeew.)

I am referring, however, to the concept of keeping a home while nursing and taking care of a 4 month old, training a 3 yr old in godliness and the use of the potty, being my husband's help-meet, and living a busy life of full-time vocational ministry. (I'm not certain it's entirely possible, thus the "drowning" and "trying not to") Unfortunately, it's a matter of debate in our household. So, I've set out to determine if there are any things I can do to avoid the need for ME-CPR (Mental & Emotional CPR). Granted, I have two children and a husband who are to be my number 1 ministry and priority (aside from my spiritual walk). My number 2 priority is to our church family, our college girls, and those around me. My number 3 priority is to have some grown-up friends. Somewhere at the bottom of my list right now is whether there are toys out, dishes cleaned immediately, floors swept/vacuumed, etc. Priorities 1 and 2 get accomplished most certainly (but even then, not always with excellence), and 3 is lucky to happen at all. So, you see why I'm wondering about the house issue!

"Why is she wasting valuable laundry time?" you ask. Well, I'm taking a much needed break during the kids' naps, however short, to regain my sanity and accomplish two things: to share a few things I will try to implement, and to share my plight with the hopes of getting some tips and encouragement.

I've recently discovered a blog site by some ladies in ministry and ministry wives called Girl Talk. While I haven't perused it entirely, and can't guarantee 100% agreement on all they've written, I'm encouraged by what I see and read. Just in the past few minutes I found a post on "to-do lists" that I'm going to try to absorb before the tragic drowning incident finally occurs. You can find it here. There's also one on "Minimal Maintenance" here. I'll try to keep you posted.

If any of you have a life-saving ring to toss out to me, please do! My self-imposed life vest and life raft have holes in them at the moment, and my patch glue is not waterproof. ;)

Back to the laundry. Au Revoir!


Gasp...Gasp... here are a couple more links... Seven Habits of Highly Effective Women and The 5:00 Club (aaack to that last one.)

What I Cling To...

Here are some verses I am currently clinging to and learning from...

• "O love the Lord, all you His godly ones! The Lord preserves the faithful and fully recompenses the proud doer. Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord." [Psalm 31:23,24] Lord, may I be found faithful and not prideful in the midst of affliction and trials. I trust in You.
• "'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you...'" [Jeremiah 29:11-14(a)] I will be content with the purpose you have for me, Lord. Thank You for the promise that You listen to our prayers.
• "The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him." [2 Chron. 16:9] Thank You, Lord, that when we struggle, You will strengthen us if we are fully committed to You.
• "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." [1 Cor. 15:58] "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one received the prize? Run in such a way that you may win." [1 Cor. 9:24] "Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. ...But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." [Gal. 6:9,10,14] Lord, whatever your plan may entail for us, may we serve You steadfastly, may we serve humbly without losing heart, and may we finish strong so that You may get the glory for whatever good may happen in and through us.

all quotes NASB (c) 1995 The Lockman Foundation

What a Blessing

Today (well, I guess yesterday, technically--Anna has kept me up late) was the seventh anniversary of the day Scott and I were married. I am so thankful for the blessing of a husband who loves the Lord, loves his family, and desires to do what is right, no matter what. Caleb eagerly anticipates the moment Scott arrives home from work, because that means it's Daddy Time, and there are sure to be moments of wrestling, "sleeper holds", hide and seek, and reading books together. I can't wait to see how his little girl interacts with him in days to come. I'm reminded of the chorus of one of my grandpa's favorite hymns...

Count your blessings, name them one by one.
Count your many blessings, see what God has done