"In the vine...."

Well, friends, I came across a profound blog post today...as I do many days. But, this one, I wanted to share! Thank you Amber for posting this...I'm thankful for your example! Keep in mind that recently...actually in my last blog post, I referred to this season is our lives as our "happy chaos." Hmmmm....chaos. Although these times are happy ones, it is busy-ness that often steals time away from the Lord. Just something to think about.....maybe you all can relate to this post as well.....

from Proverbs 31 Ministries.

Communing Over Chaos

Whitney Capps

"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." John 15:4 (NIV)

I am out-going and chatty. I like to make fun of myself. I love to laugh. I enjoy being with people - until I don't. You see, at heart I am an introvert. At some point I can sense my energy waning. I begin to crave quiet, silence and solitude.

This is why I cherish quiet time with the Lord. I love the stillness of sitting and reading the Word or a book that turns my heart toward Jesus. My husband knows that one way to fill my love tank is to give me an evening of going out to dinner alone: just me, Jesus and a good book. (All you extroverts just cringed at the thought of eating alone didn't you?) Don't get me wrong, I adore my family, but I need mental white space.

However, with three kids under age four, quiet time with the Lord is an endangered species. I don't often get to go the bathroom by myself. If the water closet isn't a quiet place, you can imagine the chaos that follows me to my prayer closet.

For a few months after our youngest was born I lived in a spiritual desert. My soul was parched. I was desperate for quiet time with Jesus and prayed earnestly for God to help me find time to be alone with Him. Faithfully, He always provided, but often my tired and flesh-wrapped spirit dozed off in prayer or got distracted by other things.

I couldn't consistently make it work. After several months of mostly failed attempts, I cried out to God, "I don't know how to be alone with You!"

"Daughter, you don't have to be alone with Me. Just be with Me. Remain in Me, and I will remain in you."

Rather than give up on being with Jesus because it's not like it used to be, my Savior is asking me to abide with Him all day. God has ordained this season of my life and He knows even better than I do how much my children demand of me. In the clamor of the sword fights and confusion in the playroom, He is my hiding place.

I am learning to seize each moment, and see it as an opportunity to fellowship with Jesus. While my kids recite "God is great; God is good," I have a chat with Jesus. When I feel alienated from girlfriends, I read an uplifting magazine article. While my kids do art at the kitchen table, I read a Psalm or two. Whenever possible I try to have praise music playing in our house. Sometimes singing those lyrics is the closest my heart may come to meaningful prayer time all day.

Please hear me. I am not suggesting that these brief moments should replace consistent, focused times of prayer and Bible study. Those habits are hallmarks of Christian discipleship and growth. I am learning, however, to rethink my ideas on fellowship with Jesus. In this season of my life it's not so much the quantity of quiet reflection as it is the steady communing over chaos. But hey, at least we are together!

Father, Your daughter longs to be with You. Remind me of Your constant presence. May I seize opportunities to enjoy You throughout my day. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Fall-la-la-la-la!!!!!!

Praise God for the glorious Fall weather He has graciously blessed us with! Jason, Noah, Sailer & I are l-o-v-i-n-g it! Over the past week and a half, we've wrapped up Noah's 3rd soccer season, had a little pumpkin carving project, and visited Cagle's Dairy Farm for some exciting Fall Fun complete with animal feeding, pony-riding, pillow jumping, and cow-milking...lol...! Fall tends to be a very busy season for us....our little "happy chaos," if you will. Here are some pictures of our fun...enjoy!

So, you'd think that since Sailer is shy, reserved, serious, etc. that she'd be afraid to ride a pony or feed goats or cows....but, no. No way. She's a brave girl! She's always surprising us with the things she does!

Awesome Jumpy Pillow! We had never seen one of these before!

A sweet little conversation about pumpkins, I'm sure....or, maybe where they'll eat for lunch...what do you think? :)

Not sure where I heard this quote...but, whoever said that "having children is like walking around with your heart on the outside" is RIGHT ON. These children have my heart.

My man & Lindsey's man with our babies....so thankful we got a picture of them!

Our little thinker....always.

Goof!

My little second daughter, Charlotte :) Love her & her mommy too!!!! We LOVE hanging out with the Langhans...such care-free fun!

Perhaps my fave picture of Sailer....little cowgirl princess she is..:)

Noah learning a little about cow-milking....this was pretty funny...but informative...:P

~Carving our "Batty Pumpkin"~

Noah & Sailer's project time with Daddy is their absolute favorite!

Sailer was all for digging inside the pumpkin....until she felt the slimy seeds. After that, she was DONE.

~Mud Dawgs Soccer...Season 3~

Noah grew up right before our eyes this season....he's become such a focused player!

Sailer's Soccer Spirit!!!!

Gooooooo Noah!!!!! We're beaming with pride with all you've accomplished this season!

~God's Glasses~

When I was little, I loved wearing my grandmother's eyeglasses. It felt as if I was walking on the moon! That feeling, although quite insecure, was funny, different, and new....obviously one of the many silly things I liked to do as a young girl. In many ways, I wish I could recapture that carefree feeling again....being able to trust that I wouldn't fall, taking risks, and knowing that even if I DID fall, I'd get right back up. Life was simple then, you know?

What is it about adulthood that makes us so careful & rigid? You know what I mean. We meticulously plan, execute, and check things off of our list...then, we rate ourselves on how fast, how accurate, and how often we do so. And, that determines our self-worth. We constantly compare, wish, dwell, and worry about yesterday, today, and tomorrow.....our family, friends, careers, children...all of the uncontrollables of our lives. After awhile, it becomes taxing. And, God does not wish that for us....not. one. bit.

Recently, I read the definition of the word perspective....in a nutshell, perspective is 'seeing clearly, the ability to view things in their true relation of relative importance' (Websters). But, do we do that...accurately? No. We do not have that capacity...on our own. I am currently in a study on learning contentment by Linda Dillow....for women, I believe this study is vital. "When we have God's perspective, we view our lives and evaluate what is important from His viewpoint." (Dillow, p. 12).

One story that I found truly compelling is a story about Ella. Ella was a missionary in Africa for 52 years! She served in horrible conditions....absolutely horrible. Years after her death, her daughter, Mimi, discovered a diary written by her mother while serving in Africa. It was Ella's prescription for contentment....here it is...

~ Never allow yourself to complain about anything...even the weather.

~ Never picture yourself in any other circumstances or someplace else.

~ Never compare your lot with another's.

~ Never allow yourself to wish this or that had been otherwise.

~ Never dwell on tomorrow - remember that [tomorrow] is God's, not ours.

Wow. Ella's words shame me. (After I read this part of the study, I was tempted to shut the book altogether....it was incredibly convicting.....in some ways discouraging. I'm glad I didn't though). This is what I learned about Ella....her eyes were fixed on eternity. She had a soul-sufficiency...a peace separate from her circumstances. Because her focus was eternal, she reached internal contentment. Most all of us....(and, if you say you don't, you're in denial) base our contentment on our present circumstances, or on our feelings....which is why we can seem content one day and NOT the next. Circumstances and feelings change...especially in women. But, we need to remember...if we desire consistent contentment that is never-failing, we need to know that "contentment is a state of the heart, not a state of affairs" (Dillow, p. 13).

This study has been enormously important for me to read, particularly during this time in my life...b/c there are so many life circumstances that I try daily to control, manipulate, and worry over. I'm sure there are for you too. But, our portion is assigned. That is the greatest simplifier of life! Elisabeth Eliot makes a statement about Psalms 16:5, and sums it up beautifully....."Whatever happens is assigned" Who can argue with that? Think about it this way...everything that happens to you...good or bad, contributes to your eternal portion given by God. It's for your eternal good, whether you believe so or not. When you accept your given portion, other options are cancelled. Decisions become easier, directions clearer, and your heart becomes quieter...calmer. A quiet heart is content with what God gives.

Someone needs to be in control of your life in this out-of-control world, but it does not need to be you!

This is my prayer....that I can put on God's Glasses....that He would transform my perspective to an eternal one so I may have and enjoy internal contentment. My promise to God is to wear those glasses in faith...so, that if I fall, which I will, I will get back up, set my eyes upon Him, and not resort to old habits of complaining, wishing, comparing, and dwelling on what could have been.

God Bless all of you! Happy Sunday!