on waiting..

"Often a Christian man or woman falls prey to that cruel and vexatious spirit, 
wondering how to find marriage, who, when, where?
It is on God that we should wait,
as a waiter waits--not for but on the customer—
alert, watchful, attentive, with no agenda of his own,
ready to do whatever is wanted.
'My soul wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him.' (Ps. 62:5)
In Him alone lie our security, our confidence, our trust.
A spirit of restlessness and resistance can never wait,
but one who believes he is loved with an everlasting love,
and knows that underneath are the everlasting arms,
will find strength and peace."

— by Elisabeth Elliot (Quest for Love: True Stories of Passion and Purity) 

Wrestling Prayer

Our King's mighties don't shy away from the blazing searchlight of God's Word,

but rather, willingly expose their souls and cry,

'Dear King, if there be anything that stands between You and me,

if there be anything that shrouds Your glory,

if there be anything that will weaken my sword in battle,

purge it, slay it, utterly destroy it! [- from Wrestling Prayer]

8 ways to talk to kids about disasters

Please note, I am re-posting a very helpful topic from World Vision 's Lindsey Talerico:

Here’s some suggestions from our communications and media staff on how to talk with children about this disaster and its impact.

1. Start by listening

Find out what your child already knows. You can then respond in an age-appropriate way. The aim is not to worry them with the devastating details, but to protect them from misinformation they may have heard from friends or disturbing images they may have seen on television. 

2. Provide clear, simple answers. Limit your answer to the question asked and use simple language. 

3. If you don’t know the answer, admit it. If your children ask questions that you can’t answer, tell them so, and then do some research to try and help them sort it out. If they ask “Why did this have to happen?” don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know.” If you are part of a faith community, the reassurance offered there can be invaluable in helping your child sort through the truth that awful things happen. 

4. Follow media reports or online updates privately 
Young children in particular are easily traumatized, and seeing or hearing about the horrifying details of the quake may be more than they can cope with. Adults, too, should ensure they are dealing with their own emotions by talking to others, so they can continue to respond well to their children’s needs. 

5. Concentrate on making them feel safe. When tragedies occur, children wonder if the same event could happen in their hometown. If it was an act of nature that could not be repeated in your area, tell children that. Placing themselves in the situations of victims is not all bad—it is a sign of empathy, an essential life skill, but watch for signs of excessive worrying. 

6. Give children creative outlets. Some children may not be prepared to speak about what they have heard, but may find drawing or other creative activities helpful to deal with their emotions and stress. Their drawings can be helpful starting points for conversation. 

7. Model involvement and compassion. Tell your child that, as a family, you will be helping the people in Japan by giving a donation to a reputable charity such as World Vision.

8. Give your child a chance to be involved. Being involved in the solution will help relieve some of their anxiety. Invite them to contribute to the family’s gift by giving something out of their piggy bank.

what's in the heart today..

There is no other star that shines brighter than Jesus.
All the stars light the sky for Him,
They light and shine in worship to their Maker.
The mountains stand majestic, smiling up to its Creator.
Daisies and roses bloom where they are.
There is no other star that shines brighter than Jesus.

Have you measured the wind's full force?
Yet it mellows to gentleness with His voice.
The waves crash against the rocks..
I think they enjoy doing what they've been created for.
Each ridge, each swell, a worship.
There is none like the Lord.

My joy, my reward. My heart's desire.
The Lover of my soul, who satisfies all my needs.
My True Prince, my Morning Star..


Yours, camille 

Parenting 101 - Leg 4.

Leg 4 starts with: 
Some of my favorite verses: Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to Him for the lives of your children. Lamentations 2:19 

Deuteronomy 6 
6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Simple, usually unnoticed testimonies of little kids sharing and living Jesus never fail to touch my heart and make me teary-eyed. And they never fail to make me realize how important it is for us parents to pour out our lives on the young ones God has entrusted us with – to train them in ways pleasing to the Lord and allow them to start loving Jesus.

They are not afraid to make a difference in a street kid’s life. They share what they could and don’t make fun of others. They understand, as early as they could, just how precious people are for the Lord. They pray for a friend’s upset tummy and trust unwaveringly in Jesus. They pray, not because they have to, but they do so because they love to converse intimately with their BestFriend. They adore their King and pour out songs from their heart that says, “Lord, You are more precious than silver...”

It needs sowing of tears and laboring in prayer, laying down of our own selfish agenda for our children’s lives, and dedicating them to the Lord. It needs consistent intercession on their behalf. It needs for Mom&Dad to spend time with God, on their knees, fully dedicating the whole family. It needs for Mom&Dad to lay down facebook time just to spend time with them in studying God's Word. (And who said it’s boring? Mom&Dad are there to make it fun!) 

What is your vision for your kids? Would you be willing, with God’s super strength, to lay down everything at the foot of the Cross? Would you empty yourself so that the magnificent God of the universe is free to move and use your family as His hands and feet?

"Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve..but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.." (Joshua 24:14-15)

- with joy :) 

Battling insecurity?

Yes, I’ve had my own share from this voice of lies - until I started focusing on who Jesus is in my life, what He did, how worthy He is to be given my all. Until I started meditating on this Scripture, fully allowing the Holy Spirit to construct my heart to desire that, then I began to realize that insecurity has no place, not ever, in me. (and God has graciously turned my stringy hair into lovely curls only after I started praising & thanking Him ♥) 

“I must decrease, so that He might increase.” (John 3:30) 

How true this verse is. I must become small, hidden in Him and the brilliance of His glory. I must stop focusing on myself, so that Jesus Christ, my King and my True Prince, the Lover of my soul, my Morning Star, the Darling of Heaven, shall increase, shall be bigger and be more magnificent through my life.We can’t battle insecurity with only “God loves you as you are,” “Each person is uniquely made.” Although these are extremely true, it sometimes feeds the “you” in us, just our “self”: what can God do to me or what can I get from Him that others will see in me and praise me - instead of really forgetting about ourselves and focusing on the beauty of our King. 

This does not mean we have to dress uncaringly or look sloppy and untidy in our appearance. Quite the contrary. God loves us as we are (but He refuses to let us stay that way – He changes us from glory to glory as in 2 Cor.3:18), we are more precious than sparrows (Matthew 10:31), the hair on our head is numbered (Luke 12:7). And these give us all the more reason to reflect our King Jesus Christ in our appearance, to dress as citizens of heaven, neat, clean, and proper. But we also need to be quick to point people to Him, instead of ourselves, to give all the attention to Him and not take any for our own glory, to selflessly reflect Jesus that nothing that anyone thinks about us, their impression and ideas don’t matter anymore, because we are consumed by the utmost desire to empty ourselves for His glory alone.

Going back to the lying spirit of insecurity, the following excerpt says it all: (by Leslie Ludy)“A woman who has truly denied herself, taken up her cross, and become entirely consumed with Jesus Christ is not going to be insecure and obsesses with making herself look more attractive. Rather, she is so enraptured with Jesus Christ that she’s completely lost sight of herself. As Bishop Bardsley put it, “they care not at all what the world thinks of them, because they are entirely taken up with the tremendous realities of their King.”

“A woman who has yielded her selfish agenda to the Spirit of Jesus Christ, who does not listen to the voice of herself but yields only to the voice of her King, is not going to become a sex object, throwing herself at guy after guy in desperation. Her security comes from a completely different source. She doesn’t derive her value from the attention of guys. Her value comes from knowing she has been redeemed and loved by the King of all kings. Her focus is on her desires, not on her own selfish wants.” 

“The women throughout Christian history who have truly glowed with heavenly beauty all had one thing in common – an emptying of self. They are so caught up in the things of God that they gave no thought to their own lives.” 

So the next time this voice comes knocking on your door, prayerfully stand on God's strength made perfect in you. Claim His promises and what His word has to say about you, your identity, and your security found in His everlasting and all-consuming love. Focus on who Jesus is and how you want your life to be a living sacrifice. Combat it with praise, pour out your heart at His feet, lavish Him with every single drop of your devotion and worship. We who have been forgiven much, loves much. (paraphrased, Luke 7:46-48)

yours,
camille ♥♥