My children are . . . wonderful. And rotten. Sometimes, when I threaten punishment for some infraction or another, they just giggle. Can you believe that? They laugh at me, their dear mother. They’re not afraid of me at all.

But they do respect me. They do obey me, and they understand that when they don’t, they’ll be punished. So why do they giggle?

Well, probably because of my threats. I’ve threatened to hang them up by their toenails. I’ve threatened to rent them out to the monkey cage at the zoo. I’ve threatened to do all sorts of terrible things which they know will never happen, because I love them. They know that I will punish them when necessary. But they also know I will never hurt them.

Many people view God as a harsh, angry taskmaster who holds a whip and a sword. God is powerful, and sin makes Him angry. But that anger is directed at the one who introduced sin into the world – Satan. God’s love for His children is deeper and more powerful and more eternal than any of us can imagine.

Those of us who have believed in God’s Son, Jesus Christ, have nothing to fear. He is a gentle and loving Father, and has demonstrated that love in unspeakable ways. Although He may discipline us, as any good father will discipline his child, He will always do so in love. We don’t need to be afraid of His plans for us. He loves us with His perfect love, and we can relax and rest in that love, which drives out all fear.

As His love becomes real in our lives, it will spill over to those around us. We will find ourselves being more gentle and caring, as we take on His very nature – love.

Dear Father, Help me to accept Your perfect love, and to share it with others. Amen.

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Really?

Me too. heheh

The problem is, the SEARCH ENGINE is a robot, and doesn’t “get” cuteness. So it wouldn’t even make that title available for you to click on.

Man!

So this person has suggested that for two weeks, I use really long titles with lots of key words, and just see if it brings an improvement to Morning Coffee hits. If it does, well, I suppose I’ll stay with the longer titles. If not, then cute and snappy will remain. Let me know what you think!

Oh! In other news, Mark and I will celebrate 18 years of marriage on Monday.

Obviously, I was a child bride.

Happy Weekend, dear friends!

–r

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**********

Matthew 22:1-10 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying; “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

“Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

“But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.”

I love that Jesus compared the kingdom of heaven to the happy occasion of a wedding banquet. It’s an event where all you have to do is say yes to the invitation and show up with a hearty appetite, a smile on your face, and a sense of expectation. After all, it’s catered by the King Himself!

Aren’t you glad that Jesus didn’t say, “The kingdom of heaven is like a country club—with the proper name and credentials, proof of a six figure income, and three letters of recommendation from celebrities, CEO’s or congressmen, you may submit your application for membership?

Actually, that probably would have made the religious leaders He was speaking to pretty happy. They had worked long and hard for their positions of respect and authority, and they viewed their “in” with God as an exclusive right.

But here was Jesus using yet another parable to point out that the kingdom of heaven was really and truly about one thing—the King’s invitation to come celebrate and honor His Son. Jesus offered the invitation to the people of His day, including those bent on destroying Him, and He offers it to us today.

But just like the religious leaders 2000 years ago, we have a tendency to complicate this simple message. Maybe because we live in a world where nothing comes from nothing and everyone knows that you get what you pay for, we try to put conditions on His invitation.

As if what He is really saying is, “Come to Me when you get your act together and are more deserving of my gifts.” Or to those who would over look the invitation out of sheer busyness, “Come to Me when you can pencil Me into your crazy schedules….Have your people call My people.”

Jesus’ message is simply to come, right now just as we are. He’ll take care of the rest, from clothing us with righteousness to giving us the mind of Christ. And while He’s at it, He’ll teach us what it means to be in the world but not of it, having already become citizens of the kingdom of heaven. All He asks is that we say, “Yes!” to the King and come celebrate His Son.

Thank you, Father, for your invitation to come to Your Son. We come with no merit of our own, but with praise, thanksgiving, and great expectation of a joyous celebration.

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This week, as I was looking for wonderful things to share with you, I found a couple of beauties.

And one beast.

The first beauty I found was ***this poem***, written by Megan Breedlove. I actually went to college with her husband, Phillip. When a bunch of old college buddies reconnected on Facebook recently, Phillip shared Megan’s site.

And WOW. Be sure and have some Kleenex on hand.

The second beauty comes from right here under my roof! My daughter has started her own blog, ***Adventures of a Nancy Drew Wannabe***. But I must warn you, she likes to leave her readers in suspense!

And finally, the beast.

I’m so sorry. But I just couldn’t NOT post ***this***. Please accept my apologies in advance.

Be blessed!

–r

Be

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Have you ever noticed how self-centered a baby is? Seriously, it’s a good thing they are so cute, because if they weren’t, they wouldn’t stand much of a chance. They cry when they want something. They get angry when they don’t get it immediately. They make big messes. But we, as adults, adore them! And part of the reason we love them so much – besides the cute thing – is because we see the bigger picture of their lives. We look at babies and see hope and a future filled with unlimited potential.

I wonder if that is how God sees us. It must be, because honestly, we really don’t have much to offer Him. Yet, He has the ability to see into the future. He knows what is down the road, and He wants to use our lives as pieces in that road, from the present to the glorious future He has in store for those who love Him. He wants to use us as links in the bridge that leads people to Christ.

Look at Ruth. In many ways, she had a hard life. She was widowed at a young age. She left her family and friends to go into a strange land, expecting to be treated as an outcast and a beggar. I imagine she was thrilled to find Boaz, and to have her happy ending. But I’ll just bet she didn’t have a clue how God wanted to use her, in the grand scheme of things. She just quietly lived her life, loving others and loving God. She probably didn’t live to see her great-grandson become king. She certainly didn’t live to see the Son of God born into her family.

But God’s plans for our lives are always bigger than our own plans. And very often, He doesn’t reveal those plans to us because, truthfully, He knows we would be overwhelmed. If I knew everything that God has in store for my children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren, I would probably try to take the steering wheel away from God, and drive things myself.

But the future belongs to the Lord. The present, the little daily choices we make to love others and serve Him – those are ours to make. And when we make them well, when we live our minutes and hours and days for Him, they will always add up to a life that has great significance, in the bigger picture.

Dear Father, Thank You for Ruth’s example of humble, gracious, loving service to You and to others. Please help me to live each day for You, and to trust You with the future.

Amen

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As I read this verse, I can’t help but think of my son. Foster James. Six years old, and at the moment, bald-headed, because he decided to cut his own hair last week. The results were something similar to a reverse mohawk. Lots of hair on the sides. Naked strip right smack-dab down the middle. He looked like a skunk. Now, he looks like a miniature Kojak.

In 1997, Mark and I were blessed with Charis Rebecca. Fat, pink, healthy, wonderful. The answer to many prayers, and the result of God and infertility treatment. Then, we started working on number two.

In 2001, I got pregnant again – the result of many more rounds of infertility treatment! But then, at 14 weeks pregnancy, we lost the baby. We were devastated. I won’t even attempt to describe the black hole of depression I entered after that. For the first time in my life, I questioned God’s love for me. For the first time in my life, I was so mad at God that I refused to speak to Him.

It made things a little awkward for a while – being that angry at my husband’s boss.

Made it a little difficult to be the ideal pastor’s wife.

But, have you ever tried to ignore someone who just wouldn’t leave you alone? That was my experience with God. He is very persistent. He kept loving me, offering me compassion and comfort. And I kept pushing Him away.

He refused to give up. He pursued me, and His constant, loving presence finally wore me down. In a moment of tear-drenched surrender, I said, Okay, God. Okay. I don’t know what you are doing, or why you have allowed me to go through such pain. It makes no sense to me. But okay. I trust You.

Then came the phone call. A teenage girl we knew was pregnant. She wanted us to adopt her baby. And within six weeks of my original due date, I held her hand as she gave birth to my son. She held him tenderly, then gave him to me.

Now, I can’t imagine my life without him. I can’t imagine being the mother of any other little boy. And if I hadn’t miscarried, I wouldn’t have him. Sure, I would have another child . . . but it wouldn’t be Foster James Brumbaugh. And let me tell you, that boy has my heart.

I feel a kinship with Naomi, in that moment when she held that baby. She had experienced such great loss. But God gave back. And not only does He give back, but He always adds something. For Naomi, the grandson she held was the grandfather of the future King David, and a direct ancestor of Jesus Christ. For me, the boy I held that day in 2001 has been an endless source of laughter, of deep joy, bubbling over.

Friend, you may be going through a difficult time. You may be experiencing that indescribable black hole that I know so well. But trust me, the end of your story hasn’t been written yet! God never takes away without giving back. If we will just trust Him, just surrender to His pursuing, persistent love, we will see miracles! He will take our sorrow and replace it with giddy joy. He will take our anger and replace it with peace. Just look at me. He took a barren womb and placed a squealing, squawling, wiggling baby boy right smack-dab in my arms. And I haven’t stopped smiling – or laughing, since.

Dear Father, Thank You for the promise of good things to come. I love You.

Amen

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This book of the Bible has all the elements of a Hollywood blockbuster movie. It has tragedy, suspense, romance, a beautiful heroine, a handsome hero . . . as a matter of fact, there is a movie about Ruth. But of all the players in this drama – Ruth, the leading lady; Boaz, the leading man; Naomi, the supporting actress; – there is One who overshadows them all. He is the One who brought triumph from tragedy. He is the One who took notice of two, seemingly insignificant little widows and rescued them. He is the One who took a heart, no – a life, that was shattered in tiny pieces, and put it back together in a more beautiful, more perfect way than anyone could have imagined.

And yes, He has become famous. His fame has far surpassed Israel – it has traveled to the uttermost ends of the earth. He is so famous that His book is the best-selling book of all time. He is so famous that our historical calendar is measured by the point of His birth. He is so famous that, despite persecution, despite wars that have been fought to squelch His name, His followers have carried on and carried on and carried on. His name is the name above every name.

And one day, at the mention of His name, every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that He is Lord (Phil. 2:9 – 11).

We have had famous, powerful kings, but He is the King of Kings.

There have been wealthy lords, but He is the Lord of Lords.

And I am His daughter. Me. A seemingly insignificant little person. He noticed me. He chose me, adopted me, and made me His own.

And He wants to adopt you, too.

Dear Father, I don’t know why You, the Creator of all things, the God of the universe, would notice me. But I’m so glad You did. I love You.

Amen

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I have two wonderful, beautiful, mischievous, rambunctious children. They fill my heart with joy in a way I never could have imagined before I had them. In my eyes, they are two of the most brilliant, glorious creatures God has ever placed on this earth. And that is how I’m supposed to feel. I am their mother.

But what many of you don’t know is that one of my children is adopted. Mark and I struggled for more than a decade with the issue of infertility. The desire for a child is one of the most passionate, most innate, most overwhelming desires I have ever experienced. The inability to conceive left me feeling inadequate, desperate, broken. When, at fourteen weeks gestation, I experienced a miscarriage, I felt totally abandoned and rejected by God. I felt as if He had played a dirty trick on me – letting me hope, and then taking that hope away. It was one of the most difficult things I have experienced.

But now, as I look at my two wonderful children, I know that God was not playing a trick on me. Rather, he was shaping me and preparing me for these two special rays of light. He was also preparing me to be able to speak to you, today, on this very important topic.

Friends, I don’t often wade into political waters, and I don’t mean to now. But this issue is so very important, and I know that our society is being fed lies. I want to go on the record, and set the record straight.

Conception is from God.

And life begins at conception.

And it is a gift. It is a gift. It is a glorious, beautiful gift.

Now, the gift of a complete family, of a mom and a dad and a stable home – these are gifts that parents can give to their children, either by providing it themselves or by giving up their children for adoption so that another family can provide it. And that, in itself, is something every child deserves.

But I don’t care if you are 35 and married and have been begging God for a child, or if you are 15 and unmarried and crossed a boundary that shouldn’t have been crossed. It doesn’t matter.

Life begins at conception. And life is a gift from the Almighty God.

It is the most precious gift He gives.

Please treat it with the respect and honor that such a gift deserves.

If you have been lied to, my friend, and have been told that the “fetus” isn’t really a human life, I am so sorry. If you have believed the lie, and have chosen to abort that life, there is hope. God loves You, and He longs to bring you forgiveness and healing. He knows you were lied to.

But please, please don’t believe the lie any longer.

Life is a gift from the Almighty God.

And life begins at conception.

Dear Father, Thank You for the gift of life. Please help me to honor and appreciate that gift.

Amen

Thank you, dear reader, for hearing my heart on this topic.

–Renae

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This coming June, Mark and I will have been married for seventeen years. Whew! That’s a long time. We’ve both grown as individuals, as a couple, as a family. Together we have faced wonderful, joyous times. Together we’ve faced some pretty rotten times, as well. We have loved each other. At times, we have not liked each other. We have laughed, cried, fought, made up . . . we’ve been through all the highs and lows that every married couple experiences. And I’m so glad I have my wonderful, strong, handsome Mark.

I’ve seen so many couples hit low points in their marriages, and decide to call it quits. But every roller coaster ride has its low spots! If it didn’t, there wouldn’t be any high spots, and the ride would be a dull one. I wish, more than anything, I could convince so many of these couples to just hang in there! Keep working, keep pushing for success, keep loving even when you’re not liking. Because, at the end of the day or the end of our lives, we will be glad to have had someone to share it all with.

I think our society makes it far too easy to get out of the marriage commitment. Some people, well-meaning people, even secretly root for the demise of our marriages. “He just doesn’t treat you right,” says one friend. “She has really turned into a shrew,” says another pal. The message is clear. Just throw in the towel, and start over with somebody new. You can do better.

But here, the elders of Bethlehem rallied round this new couple. They gave their best wishes, and their highest expectations. They gave their blessings. They expected nothing less than a successful union.

First, they blessed Ruth. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. Then, they blessed Boaz. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. Finally, they blessed this family for all their future generations. Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.

Friends, we need to protect the sacred union of marriage. Every marriage. We need to pray for, build up, and encourage our friends and loved ones to stay together, to make it work. While there are some instances where divorce is permitted, it should never be desired. And it should certainly never be encouraged.

Of course, marriage is really a symbol of our relationships to Christ. He loves us perfectly. He sacrificed everything for us. And, though we give Him every reason to give up, to throw in the towel on us, He never does. He stays there, steady as a rock, always loving, always forgiving, always protecting, always remaining faithful and loyal. He takes care of us even when we don’t deserve it. He provides for us even when we forget to say thank you. He is always patient, always kind, always compassionate, always gentle. He will never, ever leave us or forsake us. He will never fail us.

Though I will never love as beautifully or as perfectly as Christ, I will try. For I know the rewards of this kind of steady, rock-solid love are beyond measure.

(I love you, Mark!)

Dear Father, Thank you for the union of marriage. Please help me, and our society at large, to see the beauty and importance of this sacred institution.

Amen

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Hooray! We got our happy ending! Boaz and Ruth were in love, and now they would finally get to be together. Boaz, crazy in love, made a bold declaration of that love in front of all the elders. As a matter of fact, he told the whole town! “I just want everyone here to know, that as of right now, Ruth is mine! She was once known as Ruth the Moabitess. She was once known as Mahlon’s widow. But now, you can just call her Mrs. Boaz!”

Boy, I just love the fairy tale endings, don’t you? But with every good fairy tale comes a moral to be learned, and this story is no different. The truth of the matter is, though we all wanted Boaz to “win”, this unknown kinsman failed. He didn’t do his duty. For whatever reason, he was ashamed to marry Ruth – probably because she wasn’t Jewish. He was concerned about preserving his own name, his own heritage. He didn’t care about preserving Elimelech’s name or heritage.

The early Hebrew culture was very concerned about honoring each family by keeping that family’s name alive. That’s why, if a man died without sons to carry on the family name, the closest relative was supposed to marry the widow, and provide a son with the dead man’s name. This seems strange to us, but it worked for them. It was an important custom.

I find it ironic, and just a tad bit humorous, that this fellow was soooooooooo concerned about preserving his own name. He didn’t want to pollute his family’s name or bloodline by mixing it in with Moabite blood. That might look bad on the records.

But have you noticed what I have noticed? We have no clue who this guy was! His name, which was so very precious to him that he wouldn’t do his duty to his dead kinsman, is wiped away! Gone! Kapoot! Obliterated! This fellow has done a total and complete disappearing act. As a matter of fact, one translation from the original language calls him “Mr. So-and-So”.

Friends, sometimes we are more concerned about looking good than we are about being good. Sometimes, we avoid doing the right thing, because we would rather do the politically correct thing. At times, we are more concerned about what people think of us than about what God thinks of us.

But trust me. I’ve made those mistakes. And though doing the popular thing may feel good for a season, it won’t last. The satisfaction that comes from looking out for number one is temporary. The respect, joy and peace that comes with doing what is right, no matter what, is permanent. If you don’t believe me, then just ask Mr. So-and-So. Oh, wait, you can’t. We have no idea who he is.

Dear Father, Thank You for always acting out of love, and always doing what is right. Please help me to develop those qualities in my life.

Amen

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