Thankful Today #2

#2- I have the opportunity to vote in an election today and I was raised to see this as an important responsibility.

It can be hard to convince someone of the importance of exercising their right to vote. It is very easy to think that one person's vote really is not that important amongst thousands. I personally think that can be argued, but that shouldn't even be the reason someone votes. The reason we as Americans should vote is because we CAN. We have the right to do what millions of other people living across this world would give anything for, which is have a voice in who influences our laws, economy, rights and well being. People in countries in the Middle East literally choose to risk their life to go to the polls, because they find value in their vote even though their system has corruption. Our nation's history is filled with stories of men and women who sacrificed greatly to give people of both genders, of all races and all beliefs the opportunity to vote in the United States. I wonder how ashamed they would be of our nation now, or dumbfounded, to know how few people take the opportunity.

Voting has never been a question for me. My parents vote in most, if not all elections, in their town and provided the example that voting is something that someone should always do. My dad took me to vote in the first election I could participate in, the 2000 presidential election.

Thankful Today #1

November is the month that reminds people to be thankful. I have seen a few people make a commitment to express thankfulness for each of the days in November and it inspired me. So here is the first of my daily posts of what I am thankful for:

These aren't going to be in a particular order, one that I am most thankful for over another, but Day 1 is the thing I am most grateful for and deserves my greatest and unending expression of thankfulness.

It is based off of this verse:

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7

#1- I am most thankful that I have received Christ Jesus as Lord and that I have a foundation that is rooted and continues to grow, am able to be strengthened and therefore can and should live a life that overflows with thankfulness.

How Now Shall We Pray?

Why pray? This is a topic I have wrestled with in my mind, much like many people probably do. I guess it isn't if I should pray. I know I should because the Bible says to and I believe that I should be obedient to God, even when it doesn't make sense. So the question is probably better posted as "how should I pray?" I have had some helpful answers to that topic in the last few weeks so I wanted to share those, in hopes that it would be helpful to someone else.

My husband and I had a conversation about this a little over a week ago. The steadfastness of his faith is something I really respect about him. It remains strong despite circumstances. I on the other hand, want to be that way. Want being the operative word here. My problem I guess has been the lense I was looking through, which is my own perspective. I don't think my question here is God's ability because I fully believe he can completely answer anything I need and do it in greater ways than I could imagine. The issue is, I know sometimes he doesn't by choice. The church answer to that is that regardless of how the circumstances turn out, it will be okay because God will strengthen us through it all and his ways are perfect. I know that, but I don't necessarily want that. For example, I pray for the safety and health of my two year old son. I really only want God to answer that in one way, with a clear yes. But, in my head I also know there is a chance that something could happen to him and I just can't, in my heart, say I would be okay with that. Again, I want my faith to be that strong, but it doesn't mean that it is. So my question is, should I even pray for his safety and health? Does it make a difference? And where does my peace come from in this?

Twice in the next few days after that conversation this topic was addressed, both indirectly and directly. Both echoed my husband's thoughts. It has really helped me in my understanding, giving me contentment without having the exact answer to fit into my perspective. First was indirectly addressed in a sermon from last week. In it was a verse that I have heard a thousand times.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-8

This is probably one of the go to verses whenever anyone talks about prayer. It finally caught my attention on Sunday though. And credit to my husband for not elbowing me when it was read (b/c it was the day after our conversation and this was basically his answer). My questions are simply addressed- prayer is not for the purpose of changing God's plan but I am encouraged to do it anyway for my benefit. The purpose is to relieve my anxiety through trust in God. And, unexplainable through my own lense of expectations, the result is peace. Not peace that I have to muster but peace that is granted through my heart and mind being protected by God.

The second response was from a blog I follow and I have linked the post here. I won't rewrite it because it doesn't need to be. So, click on the link and read it. The important thing to understand when reading this post is that it is from a blog called Bowen's Heart and is written by a family whose baby boy was born with a serious heart defect, causing him to be in the hospital from birth and has had seizures, a stroke, his chest opened up for surgery, multiple times where they thought they would lose him, all within the first early months of his life. If anyone has reason to doubt, to question the purpose of prayer, it is this family. The father addresses this openly and honestly in a helpful manner.

I hope this provides so guidance to you too.

Change of Plans

Well, I didn't move after all. First, I forgot to do it a month and 1/2 ago! But when I finally tried, it didn't go as seamlessly as I thought it would. Serves me right for trying to do something remotely technological.

So, keep coming to this address until further notice!

Moving

Part of the reason I don't keep up with this blog enough is that...well I'm lazy. But I am trying to help myself and that involves moving my blog so that I don't have multiple logins for all of my blogs. I am trying to combine so that it doesn't mess up other logins and I have one less excuse to not sign in and blog.

This should not cause any problem for readers. If it all goes smoothly, you shouldn't notice a difference. The same website address should work the new blog. Only followers will probably have to refollow the blog.

IF there is problem and the blog suddenly doesn't appear one day, it will be moved to jordans_jots.blogspot.com. I'll make the move in a few days, to give readers (if I still have any!) the chance to read this post.

How Firm a Foundation

As I laid down tonight (before I got up again to blog!), I felt emotionally tired. It can be hard to deal with people. The thing is, my line of work is people so I should be used to it! I don't think I'll ever be used to it though and sometimes it is a little more draining than other times. Not bad, just draining.

It has been an interesting two days. It started yesterday morning in my counseling work, which I can't divulge, but I can say that I was discouraged and sad. Then yesterday evening was filled with a lot of joy: I had so much fun playing with my growing little boy outside and then as I got him ready for bed I was reminded of how much he is learning and was overwhelmed with happiness for the little boy he is. At the youth group meeting that night, I watched two of the girls that I help teach really minister to a new girl and show her compassion and love, finding out later that this was the first time this girl had come back to a church after being treated hurtfully by another "church". I was in such a positive mood and had called my friend to tell her about the story when I got a call from another family. Everything immediately changed when I learned about a horrible tragedy in this family and they called me because of my profession as a counselor. That began conversations that included knowledge I wish I didn't have to have and my heart has been broken for that family. When my husband came home, we talked through that matter but I also shared what happened with those girls, still feeling excited for that time in the evening. Two other girls, that I have known for years, were brought up though and they are facing some real struggles and I need to reach out to them. As we talked in the dark, both my husband and I commented on the never ending work it is when it comes to people, both positive and not.

Then today came. It is my big counseling day but the early sessions didn't even play much into my feelings tonight. The day started with frustrations with the inconsistency of my job, went to continued discouragment from the earlier mentioned client's case, to sadness over decisions that friends are making about their marriage. And then an amazing thing happened, giving my husband and I hope for a friend of ours. I am still so excited about that one. Then I went to a group counseling session that I help with where I experienced great sadness for some of the ladies' pain but also encouraged with the work that was being done in their lives.

That is where I am tonight. I have felt the ups and downs of emotions, not for my own situations but for others. Usually I can handle it pretty well, that is one of the ways God has prepared me for my line of work. And really, I can say I am handling it fine right now. I am just tired. I am grateful for the positive moments in the middle of the difficult ones because they help me to have a breather and remain hopeful. Plus, I got an unexpected extra hour to hang out with my husband and son and we spent it enjoying the sunshine at the park. That is the best break from reality (or really, it is a cleared perspective of reality) that I can have!

Tonight when I laid down, my overwhelming prayer was a gratefulness that God doesn't change. He is a solid foundation to stand on when everything else is constantly shifting. I can rest in knowing that he is faithful in all that he promises and does not disappoint.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

James 1:17

Two Little Boys

I have been watching the Hope for Haiti telethon tonight and just saw the feature presented by Anderson Cooper of the orphaned children. There were hundreds of thousands of orphans in Haiti before the earthquake and now there are probably hundreds of thousands more. I have long had a heart for the parentless (whether they do not have living parents or the parents are absent for other reasons). I knew it would be heartaching to watch the segment on the orphans but I did anyways.

And then I saw a sweet little boy, probably under the age of two, looking at the camera with big, beautiful eyes and sucking his thumb. I have a sweet little boy under the age of two who has big, beautiful eyes and he sucks his thumb. But tonight he is tucked into his bed, in his room, in his house, knowing his parents are on the other side of that door and he has a day filled with fun and hugs tomorrow. My little boy sucks his thumb when he is tired, or hungry, or in a situation that he is unsure of. I wonder why that little Haitian boy is sucking his thumb...he is probably tired, because he doesn't have a home to rest in. He is probably hungry, because he is in a nation that was already starving and now they are fighting for food. And he is probably in a situation that he is unsure of...because he doesn't have a mama and daddy on the other side of the door and his tomorrow probably won't be filled with fun and hugs.

I thought of my little boy and as I write this I have tears running down my face. I cannot even begin to fathom my son without his daddy or me but I can't even let my mind go to think of him living abandoned and scared, without loving arms to hold him. This little boy had a mama and daddy too, who probably wanted everything for him like we do for our son. I am so grateful to know that we have family and close friends who would guarantee that my son was immediately cared for, and that he would have tomorrows of fun and hugs.

I told my husband that I wanted to go to Haiti and just hold and hug the sweet, young children. And then bring them home with me.

Dear Lord, please put your loving arms around these young precious children. Let them experience your love, while they cannot physically feel the love and comfort of another person right now. Give them the food they need, water to drink, medical care to sustain them, and more than anything give them people that care about them. Let them feel your comfort and peace, when their world is so far from it. And let your Name be made great in all of this. Amen.