My heart is confident in You, O God;
My heart is confident.
No wonder I can sing your praises!
Psalm 57:7

How confident are you in God? It’s easy to let worry rob us of joy, peace and sleep.  Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with concerns of family and the world flooding my mind. Worry constricts my heart and my thoughts zoom into overdrive. Hours later I finally get up and face the day with major sleep deficit!

Can you relate? What do you do? I’ve tried everything. I heard that a piece of bread releases the chemicals that allow you to sleep. So in spite of the late night carbs, I ate some bread… unless you’re hungry and don’t mind the carbs, don’t bother. I’ve tried reading, but I’m usually too tired to read. I’ve tried praying, which is a good place to begin, but sometimes praying keeps my mind working and makes sleep even more elusive.

So what works when worry threatens to steal my sleep? Doing what David did.

Psalm 57 was written from one of the caves he used as a hiding place. King Saul had been trying to kill him for years. Imagine being told that you are God’s chosen ruler and then spending most of the next 14 years running for your life!

In the dark corners of the cave David focused on God’s character. David claimed God’s Mercy, Sovereignty and Power to protect him from his enemies. David fixed his heart and mind on the reality of God’s unfailing Love and Faithfulness.

God was with David in the cave and He’s with you and me in the dark hours of the night. I picture myself sleeping in the palm of His hand… there’s no safer place to be.

*He loves me and He’s always with me.
*His unlimited power is at work on my behalf 24/7.
*I claim confidence in His faithfulness and in His promise to give me the strength I need for every situation.
*I surrender those I love into His capable Hands—knowing that He loves them even more than I do.

The list goes on, but you get the idea. It works! Before I know it, my body relaxes and sleep finally comes.

Immerse yourself in the character of God dear friends. As your confidence in Him grows so does the peace that is truly beyond understanding!

I lost my car keys. I’ve turned the house upside down, looked in every purse and pant pocket—no keys. I have an appointment across town right now. So, why am I writing you when I should be enjoying a panic attack? Now that’s an interesting story…

I was building up to a memorable panic attack when my own words reached through the frustration and literally made me stop my frenzied search for the keys and ask, “Is this a problem or an opportunity to see God work?” Ouch.

I’ve been acting like this is the biggest problem ever. Maybe I should claim God’s promise to ‘cause all things to work together for good’ and ask Him if there’s something else He wants me to be doing. Maybe the appointment isn’t on His agenda for me today. Maybe writing you is.

Here’s the amazing thing—as I wrote the first sentence of this blog God’s Spirit spoke to my heart.

“What is the key to peace and joy, Kathy? You’ve misplaced it My daughter. In the push to meet project deadlines and family commitments, you’ve focused on the task and assumed responsibility for making it all happen. You’re like the van. You have everything you need to do what you’re suppose to do, but you’ve misplaced the key (trust in Me and dependence on My Spirit). It’s not hard to find, but you aren’t going to go anywhere until you use it.”

Wow. I teach that stuff all the time and yet I forgot it. The pressure of timelines and relationships took my focus off Him and on to the tasks at hand. Here’s the thing, it’s not that I’ve been neglecting my devotion times. It’s not that I haven’t been talking with God. But sometimes life moves so fast that it takes a more proactive commitment to keep my focus on Him in the midst of the frenzy.

I know we’re on the threshold of summer and the pace of life is (theoretically) suppose to slow down, but I also know the enemy of our joy never takes a break. He’s always looking for ways to take our eyes off Jesus and he’s very good at what he does. If you find you’re stressed or in a frenzy, I pray you’ll stop, ask if this is a problem or an opportunity to see God work and then ask God to show you the opportunity He’s providing! It’s the key to peace and joy. I promise it works!

It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the kings anger.  He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the One who is invisible. Hebrew 13:27 NLT  (underline added)

The summer movie season has begun! How do you decide if you should let your kids see a movie or not? Here are two websites we always check before going to the theater or renting a DVD…

Movieguide.org provides very helpful movie analysis. Not only do you get a synopsis of the movie and a critics review, they also provide a clear idea of the worldview children will see in the movie.

We like dove.org because they give details about what language, violence and sex (if any) the movie contains.

So let’s say you’re considering going to the new X-Men movie: X-Men, First Class. Movieguide.org gives a great synopsis and detailed worldview analysis. In summary it says:

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS has a convoluted, uninvolving story with a strong humanist worldview that promotes evolution and contains some very cruel violence, foul language and salacious content.

Dove.org gives a more favorable review of the story. The critic clearly thinks the movie is well done, and is sad that it can’t receive the Dove Family Friendly rating. Dove.org provides the detailed information below (which I love), but their worldview analysis is weak.

Content Description: (from Dove.org)
Sex: Kissing; a few innuendos; a man kisses woman’s chest; implied sex between unmarried couple.
Language: GD-3; G/OMG-3; J-3; H-6; “Hellfire Club”-2; F-1; B-1; A-2; D-1; Bloody-1
Violence: A man uses his mental powers to make another man slap himself; a character is stabbed in the hand and another in the stomach although it is not graphic; a character is stabbed in the back; guns pointed at people; shootings; explosions; ship and plane crashes; a woman is shot point blank but it is not a graphic scene; fights; character uses powers to send fire at enemies.
Drugs: Drinking in several scenes; bar scenes; talk of having a drink; beer and champagne; the smoking of cigarettes and cigars; a man is in a beer drinking contest.
Nudity: Strong cleavage; women in lingerie and skimpy clothing; blue skinned woman and outline of breast clearly seen; female manikins with breasts and rears showing.
Other: Disagreements among characters; evolution is mentioned on several occasions.

Armed with these two websites you will be able to make wise and informed decisions about the movies your kids see this summer!

I want to share a story with you that encouraged me at a very low part of my day yesterday. It’s long, but it’s worth it! Sometimes we need to be reminded that God knows everything that’s going on. He knows our needs and our burdens. He knows exactly how He’s going to solve our problems and He’s working on the solutions even before we know to pray about them. Sometimes it takes the faith of a child to remind us of our All Knowing, All Powerful and Faithful God…

THE HOT WATER BOTTLE
A True Story By Helen Roseveare, Missionary to Africa, re-told by Kathy Bright

On a dark night in Central Africa, not so very long ago, Dr. Helen Roseveare worked hard to help a mother give birth to her premature baby. The baby was finally born, but sadly, its mother didn’t survive the night. She left behind her weak and tiny baby as well as an inconsolable 2 year-old daughter.

Dr. Helen knew that the chances of survival for the little baby were small. They had no electricity, no incubator, and no special feeding facilities. Although the equator is known for it’s warm temperatures, many are surprised to learn that the nights can be chilly and the drafts can prove deadly for premature babies.

The new little orphan was placed in a special box and wrapped in cotton wool. The fire was stoked to warm the room and water was heated for their most critical life saving device, a hot water bottle. Carefully the student mid-wife poured the warm water into the bottle. But the equator is a harsh environment for rubber and all too quickly it falls apart in the elements. The mid-wife cried out in frustration as the last of the hot water bottle burst in her hands.

Dr. Helen says that “as in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk; so, in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over a burst water bottle. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways.” She told her interns to put the baby as close to the fire as possible and to sleep between the door and the baby in order to block the cold drafts.

The next morning the baby was still alive, but not out of danger. They desperately needed a hot water bottle.

Dr. Helen would often pray with some of the children who lived at the orphanage. This day was no exception. At noon she gathered the children and shared some of the prayer needs. Ten-year-old Ruth listened intently as Dr. Helen told them about the premature baby and the battle to keep it alive and warm without a hot water bottle. Ruth’s heart hurt for the two-year-old sister who had been crying since her mommy died. When they bowed their heads to pray, Ruth knew just what to ask for.

Dr. Helen said that Ruth’s prayer was in the usual blunt consciousness of the African children and it caught her totally off guard. “Please, God,” she prayed, “send us a water bottle. It’ll do no good tomorrow, God, the baby’ll be dead; so, please send it this afternoon.” While Dr. Helen was still recovering from the audacity of Ruth’s prayer, the young girl added, “…And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she’ll know You really love her?”

What was Dr. Helen to do? If she said, “Amen” would she be a hypocrite? She truly did not believe that God could answer Ruth’s prayer. She says that, although she knew that God could do anything (the Bible told her so) she admits that when the rubber meets the road (no pun intended!) there were limits…weren’t there?

The reality was, in order to answer Ruth’s prayer, God would have had to have someone send a package from the homeland to Africa. In the four years Dr. Helen had been in Africa, she’d never received one package from home… not one. And if, by some miracle someone did send a package, who would think to put a hot water bottle in it? No one would dream of sending a hot water bottle to the equator!

Have you guessed what happened? If you believe in an All Powerful and All Knowing God who answers prayers, you have! In the middle of the afternoon Dr. Helen received a message that a package had arrived at her home. Gathering the children she went to find a large, 22-pound box on her veranda!

It was like Christmas morning as thirty to forty pairs of eyes watched her open the lid and lift out the contents. Brightly colored, knitted jerseys were handed out to their delight. Knitted bandages for leprosy patients and a box of raisins and sultanas came next. Dr. Helen reached in the box again. She felt it before she saw it. Her hands wrapped around the unmistakable texture of rubber! When she pulled it from the box she cried, “A brand new rubber, hot water bottle!”

Dr. Helen may not have prayed for it, or believed that God would send it, but Ruth did! The young girl ran to the package and cried out, “If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!” Sure enough, at the bottom of the box Ruth found a small, beautifully dressed dolly. Her dark eyes sparkled with excitement. “Can I go over with you, Mummy,” she asked Dr. Helen, “and give this dolly to that little girl, so she’ll know that Jesus really loves her?” How could she say no?

Five months before Ruth prayed for a hot water bottle and a dolly, Dr. Helens former Sunday school leader was prompted by God to have the class send her a package. In that package they specifically obeyed His leading and included a hot water bottle and a dolly for one of the African girls. As Dr. Helen says, “five months earlier in answer to the believing prayer of a ten year-old to bring it “that afternoon!”
Isaiah 65:24 says:
And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

My dad served in the Air Force after dental school. We were fortunate he was never deployed to Vietnam and our family was able to stay together throughout his service. This is the only picture I could find of me with my dad in his uniform.

I’m so thankful for the men and women who serve our country in the armed forces. The little girl you see in the picture was very proud her daddy was in the United States Air Force. I have many memories of living on the base, but there’s one thread that is woven through each one: Everyone was proud to be an American, warts and all.

It’s so easy to focus on all that’s wrong with our great country, but there are still many amazing things that are right about the United States of America. They’re the things worth fighting for.

I’d love to hear from you.  What do you think is great about America?

I hope you have an opportunity to thank our service men and women for all they do to keep America safe and strong.

May God continue to be a guiding light for our future and may His people be a source of America’s strength, wisdom and love for the world.

A friend posted Taylor Swift’s new music video “Mean” on Facebook. Taylor chronicles the painful path of three kids who are working through the geeky phase of life while setting their sights on a bright future. Before the frogs become royalty, however, they must endure the taunts and cruel jokes from “mean” kids. The ending is totally predictable, but it’s still a joy to watch! It’s very well done.

One question has plagued my thoughts since watching the video… Throughout her ballad she asks, “Why are you so mean?” Taylor touches on an answer but it’s so brief I missed it the first time through. I love the fact that the song cheers on the underdog, but my heart also breaks for the mean kids. Why are mean kids mean?

There was a mean girl in my life. She tormented me in grade school. I still remember her biting critiques of my clothes, my hair and personality. We performed a musical number in 5th grade. I poured my heart into it. Afterward she told me I ruined the whole performance and was a total embarrassment. She was beautiful, popular, impeccably dressed and “cool”… everything I was not. There were many tearful conversations with my parents during those years. I asked the same question Taylor Swift asks in her song, “Why was she so mean?”

Mom and Dad didn’t have an answer. On the outside everything about “mean girl’s” life seemed perfect. My parents loved me and encouraged me. They told me “mean girl” did not define who I was, and then they did something that has had a profound affect on who I’ve become; they planted a seed of compassion for “mean girl”. We couldn’t see the source of pain or anger, but her cruel words were signs of a broken spirit desperately trying to feel important and valued. Mean kids are usually mean because they’re hurt or angry. It’s not an excuse for their behavior, but it is a window into their soul.

I’ve tried to pass that seed to my children. My husband reminds us often that Jesus died for everyone, not just the people we like or get along with… He even died for the mean kids! We want our kids to draw on His strength to stand up against abuse, His wisdom to know when to walk away and His love (even for our enemies) that defies human understanding. Sometimes God even uses us to love the mean kids into His heart and hands. Now that’s something to sing about!

Saturday night I made Chocoflan, a fabulous Mexican dessert pairing chocolate cake, flan and caramel sauce. We were having our staff team over on Sunday night to celebrate the arrival of our newest team members. Because the bundt pan dessert is best when refrigerated for 24 hours before serving I was determined to bake it before going to bed. I should have just gone to bed!

The usual one-hour baking time stretched to almost two hours… even then it didn’t look done. I took the Chocoflan out of the oven at 1:30a.m. The recipe says to “plate” the dessert after a one hour cooling period. Fearing if I did it in the morning it wouldn’t come out at all, I waited.

Chocoflan became Chocoflop at 2:30 a.m. when I flipped the dessert onto my cake plate and… well, I think the picture says it all!

I looked at the mess on the plate, turned off the kitchen light and went to bed. I didn’t even cover it. I was too tired to care.

The next morning I tasted the mess and it actually tasted great but I didn’t think I could serve it. I asked my daughter if she saw the cake. The pathetic look on her face squashed all hope. “Sorry mom” was all she said…yep, totally unusable.

I was getting ready for church, wondering if I’d have enough time to make another Chocoflan when my precious husband walked in with a smile. “We’ve come up with a solution for the Chocoflan!” he said with more enthusiasm than I thought appropriate given the circumstances. “We think the Chocoflan should become Choco bread pudding!” I couldn’t help but laugh. He was so pleased with his creative problem solving!

“It would be a shame to waste it,” I chuckled. “It does taste good.” That’s when Chocoflop became Chocoflan Mexican “Bake” with caramel and chocolate sauce drizzled on top for a decorative touch! It was a hit!

Don’t you wish all our flops were so easily turned around?  I’ve made a lot of mistakes in life, and will make a lot more before my earthly journey is over. I’m so thankful for the assurance that God will take my flops and make something infinitely better than I could ever imagine! We don’t need to be afraid of failures, however, facing our failures apart from God’s creative, all-powerful and gracious help… now that’s something to fear. Let’s take all our flops to Him and watch what wonderful things He can do with them!

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28

Are the challenges you face today problems to be solved or opportunities to see God work? I’m convinced the answer to that question not only determines how you will experience the day, but it also influences the way your children view God. You are the most powerful role model your children have for who God really is and how that reality is played out in daily life.

If you’re like me, you’re painfully aware of your own spiritual pitfalls. When Brad and I discovered we were going to have our first child Brad said, “Well, we should probably start a college fund and a counseling fund ‘cause with us as parents you know they’ll need both!” We laughed nervously and began saving!

How can we be good role models for trusting in the attributes of God when we blow it ourselves? We do it with transparency and we do it one day at a time.

Transparency must be paired with wisdom. You know what your kids can handle. What’s important is for them to see their parents choose to trust in God’s attributes even when their emotions pull them in another direction. We’ve often brought challenging circumstances to our family prayer time. We tell them, “this seems like an impossible problem, but God is bigger than this problem. For God this isn’t a problem at all! This is an opportunity to see Him work in amazing ways!”

Our children have seen scores of “problems” become opportunities to see God’s attributes at work in our lives. If we had shielded them from the difficulties, they would have missed God’s supernatural solutions and their view of Him would be diminished.

One day at a time. The Apostle Peter can be our example. He was a broken man after doing that which he swore he’d never do, deny Jesus…

Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know Me.” And he went away, weeping bitterly. Matthew 26:75 NLT

We all blow it. No one is immune except God Himself. Jesus met with Peter, forgave him and empowered him to lead a spiritual revolution! If God can use a rag tag group of men and women to pass on the message of Jesus to the world, He can use you and me to pass on the message to our kids… flawed as we are!

God has been taken out of the public schools and the public square. He’s been removed or warped beyond recognition in most media outlets. Sadly, God has even been rendered irrelevant in many of our churches. The home provides our first, last and best chance for children to once again embrace the God of the Bible, believe in His Character and Truth, and live in His Power, Love and Grace.

May your day be full of opportunities to see God work!

What do you think about dolls? Whether it’s by design or happenchance, dolls have a powerful influence on our children. Cultural morals and values are passed on, for good or for ill, through the dolls that make their way to children’s rooms. We can control some of the lessons learned by being wise in the dolls we buy. However, the most powerful teaching tool is often overlooked… you and me.

Do you “play dolls” with your kids? I had to force myself to slow down and make time to “play dolls” with my daughter. My “baby girl” is a teenager now, and in retrospect I wish I had done it more often! Playing dolls gave us many joyful memories and powerful teachable moments. My sweet girl wasn’t aware I was teaching her how to dress and how not to dress as we chose outfits for our dolls. It never occurred to her I was role playing God’s heart by having my doll be kind to “Cindy doll” when “Mandy doll” was mean to her. Dolls can ask questions about Jesus and have dialogues about spiritual things at times when such discussions might be hard to have ‘face to face’. A lot of life lessons can be absorbed as we “live life” through doll play.

FYI: Some life lessons are best kept out of the doll-playing arena. A Spanish toymaker has developed a breast-feeding doll named Bebe Gloton (or Gluttonous Baby). I’m sorry, but this is over the top. Young girls can pretend to nurse the baby by wearing a halter top designed with removable daisies for breast feeding (imitating a nursing bra). “Gluttonous Baby” cries incessantly until it is put to the breast . Once its mouth is on the nipple it makes loud sucking sounds… are you kidding?!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big supporter of breast-feeding but our little girls are already exposed to far too many opportunities to glorify adolescent pregnancy. They don’t need nursing baby dolls to seal the deal.

I’m passionate about helping parents teach their kids who God really is and why it matters. None of us do it perfectly, but as we learn to weave His truth and character in every area of life (even “play”) we begin to lay a foundation for our children that will not crumble in life’s storms.

If you’re looking for some great alternatives to the dolls that are flooding the market, check out the dolls at http://www.faithandfriends.com/ and http://www.girlsngrace.com/.

Should there be a National Day of Prayer? Some argue that we are no longer a Christian nation and thus should eliminate all religious references in the public square. A day that allows for voluntary prayer for our country is no exception. Others are so discouraged by the moral decline in our culture that they’ve given up. Prayer for America, in their humble opinion, will do no good so why waste the effort?

Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said about a recent Federal Court ruling to strike down the National Day of Prayer Statute, “This decision is a tremendous victory for religious liberty. Congress has no business telling Americans when or how to pray,” (CNNjustice.com). So, let’s see if I got this right; we should promote religious liberty by striking down a day set aside to encourage people to voluntarily exercise their religious liberty. What?!

When Vonette Bright began rising at 4 a.m. PST in order to call Congressmen and Senators asking for their support of a resolution to proclaim a National Day of Prayer, her goal was to encourage people to voluntarily pray. When she stood alongside President Reagan as he signed the statute, they were not mandating that Rev. Lynn had to pray, but rather giving him an opportunity to join with his fellow countrymen (if he so chooses) and to pray for our beloved country…in whatever manner he saw fit.

America needs prayer. Ask most anyone you meet. There is a small minority who would like to take away our right to pray in the public square. It’s makes me wonder what they’re afraid will happen if Americans unite in prayer.

I know what I’m afraid of. I’m afraid of what will happen to our beloved America if we don’t make prayer for our country more of a priority… no matter what day it is.