Blog Link Up

Friends,

We are excited to link up our blog today over at Juana Mikels' blog! She is a Christian writer, speaker, and a friend of mine. She has an incredible testimony and powerful story of how God restored her marriage. Check out her blog - you won't be disappointed!



http://www.juanamikels.com/

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I have a great story to tell you tomorrow about how God did something so precious for Greg and me yesterday. I can't wait to share how He truly cares about the smallest of details of our life.

Walking in JOY,
Leeanne

What's Your Love Language?

I had a thought today.  What is God's love language?  I would guess prayer as it encompasses so many things.  Have you read The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman?  It's a faith based book that describes five ways to communicate love to your spouse (and now he has other versions, i.e., to your children).  

When Steve and I were dating we took the quiz to discover what our primary love languages were so we could best speak to each other's love language.  What we discovered was that we are completely opposite.  Isn't that just like God?  To pair us together so we would knowingly have to work at filling the other's "love tank" in a way that does not come natural.  

The five languages are:

1.  Words of affirmation- that person thrives when positive words, recognition and appreciation are expressed.

2. Acts of service- that person feels filled when someone does something for them.

3.  Receiving gifts- that person feels special when they receive special, thought-filled gifts.

4.  Quality time- that person feels loved when someone spends time with them, even if they are just in the same room.

5.  Physical touch- that person feels loved when they are being touched, rubbed, or just plain ole snuggle time. 

Steve has jokingly said that my primary love language are all five.  LOL.  I am an intricate person, but my primary love language is quality time and my least is physical touch.  I am just not a touchy feely person and need my space.  Steve, on the other hand, feels most loved by physical touch and least by quality time.  When we first got married I felt smothered by him, always wanting to snuggle.  I actually said to him one time, "Stop mauling me, I can't breathe!"  And he looked at me with puppy eyes and said, "I wish you would maul me."  I feel most loved by playing a board game, watching a movie together, doing a project together...feeling like that person carved out time for me.  Steve is a project person and we both are "over responsible"  and often forget to stop and smell the roses.  We have had to work at each other's primary love language and often fail.  Truthfully, for a healthy marriage and relationship all five languages need to be present.  

What is your primary love language?  Take an online quiz to find out and see how it will strengthen and better help your understand your relationships.  Go to this website:  5lovelanguages.com/profile and click on "click here to begin".  God made each of us different for a reason.  Steve and I often find that my strengths are his weaknesses and vice versa. 

Jill

Encouraging Article

Happy Monday to everyone!  Jill and I are working hard on finishing our devotional book so please forgive the limited posts we have had lately!  I read this post early this morning and it really resonated with me. I have also spoken to many women the past few weeks who are battling this very thing. I hope you are as encouraged as I was when I read it. These are truths we KNOW but are we trusting in a God who is perfectly and calmly in control? With Joy, Leeanne

When You Aren’t Like Her But Wish You Were

by ROBIN DANCE

I read her words and they were hot embers to my heart–

they burned glory, only glory, but in my humanity, I received them as a vicious personalassault.  The enemy hissed lies and I lapped them up like a ravenous kitten, allowing them to press into tender places, old scars, fresh bruises.

“You aren’t as good as her.”  ”You can’t write as well as she can.” “Why do you even bother?”

It happens in a heartbeat, in an unguarded moment, when I’ve allowed myself to forget Whose I am.

Waves of inferiority crash over me, knocking me off certain ground, threatening to pull me under, into darkness, away from light.

And it’s 100% true:  I will never write like her.

That’s how the enemy of our heart works–he mingles truth with lies and wagers we’ll believe the latter at the expense of the former, because there’s just enough truth to lend credibility to the lie.

Or at least this is his modus operandi for me.

It’s effective, isn’t it?

You might not be a writer, but I bet there are ways your spirit receives a similar assault–

I’ll never cook like her…

or dress like her…

or deliver a public address like her…

or perform and excel at work like her…

or be as pinteresty of a Room Mom as her…

or be as successful at [____________] as her.

WE TORTURE OURSELVES WITH UNFAIR COMPARISONS BECAUSE THEY DON’T TELL THE COMPLETE STORY.

When we do this we’re only comparing one aspect of another’s life to the whole of ours.  It’s illogical.  

No, I will never write like her, but the glory in that?  My glory in that?  God’s glory??

I’m not supposed to.

I am a unique creature of God’s careful design and He thinks I’m wonderful.

(So are you.)

I am the only me who has ever existed, who will ever exist.  When God made me, He broke the mold.

(Same for you.)

There is no one else who got to be the mother privileged to bear my children, no one else who can be the wife I’m destined to be for my husband, no one else who embodies all my quirks, mannerisms and idiosyncrasies.  No one else who thinks just like me, speaks just like me…and yes, writes just like me.

Some of you might be sick to death of this message.  I know several of my (in)courage authors have penned versions of this very thing, how comparison is the cruel thief to joy; not to mention the countless other places wise writers and speakers address “consent to inferiority.”  But it’s a particular vulnerability to women, I think; or at least we admit it more often.  Maybe that’s because images of perfection and “better” or “ideal” versions of The Perfect Woman / Wife / Mother / Writer / WHATEVER slam us EVERYWHERE– grocery store check out, internet, towering billboards, film and TV.

You and what you have to offer – your “Little Drummer Boy drummings” – have immense and intrinsic beauty, value, worth and desirability because, as is so easy not to remember, you are created in the image of God.

Have you ever thought of it this way?  If you withhold what only you have to offer, you’re withholding it from the Body of Christ – 

“For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them…”  ~ Romans 12:4-6a, ESV

Sometimes…sometimes Christian clichés infuriate me.  How many times have I heard or read (or said!), “To [do whatever you do] for an Audience of One.”  Maybe that’s true in some cases but it made me feel like a liar when it came to writing.  If it were true, I wouldn’t share my words in public places.

But…b u t…what IS true for me is to offer all I do to the glory of God.

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. ~ 1 Corinthians 10:31

* * *

The wave of inferiority from reading my friend’s beautiful, lyrical prose crashed over me…but almost as quickly, subsided.

Logic reminded me her words, talent and giftings were no assault or indictment of my inabilities. When I released comparison and let go of any imagined need to write like her, I was able to learn from and be inspired by her.  A funny thought struck me:  if I wrote just like her, it wouldn’t be nearly as appealing; instead, ordinary and familiar.

What if, when God made the rainbow, He made only bands of red?

Yes, it would be beautiful – how could an arc of color streaking across the sky not be?  But, oh, how we’d miss orange’s flame, yellow’s smile, green’s signs of new life, blue’s strength, indigo’s charm and violet’s majesty!

Rainbow’s pleasure to the eye is its colorful diversity, true.  But it’s treasure to the soul is its origin, author, its reason for being: a promise by a King.

The Body needs us to live our respective stories as only each of us can do.  Our broken world needs us to live our respective stories as only each of us can do.   If you sense a sinking spell where you’re starting to feel like “you can’t do it like her” remember this:  

She can’t do it like you.

T h a n k  God.

by Robin Dance

p.s.  Don’t Cry for me Argentina is an important post I’ve written with all women in mind–a battle cry for some, an encouragement to others. Do visit if you haven’t yet seen my new site? xo 

Simeon, A Certain Hope

I recently wrote this devotional for our Women's Ministry at church. It was in regards to Christmas but I really feel it speaks to any season of life. So much of our life is spent waiting - waiting to enter something, waiting to exit something, waiting in the midst of pain, waiting in the midst of joy. Simeon is a wonderful example of joyfully waiting his whole life for one thing - a fulfilled promise from the Lord.

Do you wait in expectation that Christ will meet your needs?  Not our desires or wants (always) but our needs according to His glory?  Simeon waited his whole life to see Jesus. God promised it to him. Rest in this truth:  God keeps His promises.

Simeon, A Certain Hope

“Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit was upon Him.  And it had been revealed to him by the Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” Luke 2:25-26

The only things we know about Simeon were written in a few verses in Luke. We are certain he was a faithful man who loved God and walked with Him all the days of his life.   We also know that the Holy Spirit was upon his life and promised Simeon he would not die until he saw the Messiah. 

What strikes me as fascinating about this precious man’s life is that he waited. Not only did he wait, but he waited with great anticipation for “a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for the glory to your people Israel.” (Luke 2:31-32) Simeon grasped the magnificent gift that was coming not only for the Jewish people but for the Gentiles as well.  He understood that salvation was for all peoples.  God will use and honor people who wait with great hope for Him. His whole life was devoted to one thing: seeing Christ and knowing that a Redeemer had come to rescue this world.

After Mary and Joseph returned to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord as the firstborn male, the Spirit led Simeon into the temple and he held baby Jesus and blessed Him.  Simeon went on to worship the Lord and joyfully exclaimed that he could depart this world with great peace because his eyes had seen the salvation that had come (Luke 2: 29-30).  As Paul exclaimed in Philippians 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ, to die is gain” is probably an accurate description of Simeon’s heart.  

Simeon’s countenance and radiant joy was so obvious that in verse 33 it says “and his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him.” Mary and Joseph were in awe of the things spoken about their son. 

Are you waiting expectantly for Jesus?  He is returning again one day and that is the good news of our great hope!  Our Savior lives and will return for His people.  This Christmas, reflect on the joy of your salvation!  May one aged Jewish man give us a glimpse of what patiently hoping in all the promises of God looks like.  Simeon looked upon the face of baby Jesus and he worshipped because He knew God’s promise had come to pass. 

With great JOY,
Leeanne

2014

Many posts were meant to be written around Advent, Christmas, New Year, etc. etc. but Jill and I both got sick and then throw in travel, holidays, kids breaks from school and we missed our window. But that is OK because one thing Jill and I are and that is real. Life gets busy. Life gets hard and every now and then you get hit with a big ol virus and it wipes you out for weeks.

Despite being sick we had a wonderful Christmas and I treasured the time with my children. I find myself craving the deep, personal time with them more and more as they get older. I sign my daughter up for kindergarten on Monday!  Yes, I join in the ranks of saying, "where have the years gone"???

Every year I do set goals. I love change and I think that is why I love January. New beginnings, clean house (sort of), new goals, new clean slates and calendars. My husband struggles to let go of December but I welcome in January with open arms. Here are some goals I have personally set for myself this year. Over the weekend, I will review my 2013 goals and give you my opinion on how it went.

2014 Goals

1. Health is a priority. I suffer from chronic acid reflux. Over 10 years of suffering and this year my Doc changed his tune. After tons of tests, scopes, blood work, etc. he said things have to change or I could see cancer in my 40's. That makes my health #1 this year. Diet, exercise, life changes.  It will be hard but I got a little wake up call. It isn't that I have lived poorly or I eat terrible, but there are many triggers for reflux and eating healthy has gone from a desire to a necessity.

2.  More quality time with my family. I feel we have always had a good balance in this area but as my kids are getting older the need of having meaningful time alone with them is critical.

3. Time for myself. Last year I learned with 3 kids under 5 that I need to carve out time for me. Two years ago I had to stop a lot of activities I loved - accountability group, a lot of missed girls nights out, summer bible study, even reading less on a personal level because I had a 3 month old, 20 month old and 3 year old. I needed to be home. I needed to rest. I needed minimal responsibilities. While I needed to be home and I was ok with it, I didn't get a lot of time for me.  It was a season.

Fast forward two years and my kids are older and we are back in the groove of a "normal" life and routine.  All my kids go to MMO once a week now and the Y is my best friend and a necessity for me (see point one).  I will most definitely keep this a priority.

4. Seeing Christ in the pages of scripture. I am craving God's word and I feel refreshed and renewed in studying and seeing what things He is teaching me.

5. Continue to partner with Jill as we move our blog and book forward. We are very close to being done. It is a longggggggg  process but we can feel it coming to completion. Once our friend Michele (our cover Designer) gets a hold of the interior we know it is good as gold! We have SO many ideas and hopes and dreams. We have always said it is God's timing and that has proven to be true for us over and over.

6. Writing book #2 with Jill this spring/summer. We already have the idea picked out and a mental cover that we know Michele will design perfectly.

7. Being a good friend to others. I love people and I love serving others. One of my daily prayers is that I would see those around me and love on them and encourage them as best as I can.

8. Being a loving/supportive wife to Greg. He is such an incredible guy. I love how he takes humility to a whole different level. I can't explain how he does it but I long to be like him in this area. Trust me - I watch and study him. He is meek and many times I marvel at how strong but yet how humble he carries himself. It is such a great character trait of the Lord. (He would probably be mad I even wrote this)

9. Read more. I love to read. It is my passion. I'll post more later on what I plan to read.

10. Use my words to build up, encourage, love, and spur others.

11. Be transparent. I want my life to be a place of safety and freedom for others to also struggle, wrestle, and work it out with "fear and trembling". We are all messed up but by God's sweet grace we have a great hope. I promise to be transparent. I promise to live it out and wrestle it out with you.

I have more but these will do for now.

May 2014 be a year of great hope for us all. I don't know what it holds - good things, bad things, hard things, sweet things, great joy, great pain, gain, loss, contentment, discontentment, sin, redemption, forgiveness, grace, love, joy, and hope....  Whatever may come - Jesus Christ loves us and His grace and mercy and love will carry us through.

Leeanne