FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Beyond the Finding”

The miracle of Jesus feeding the 5,000 is truly an awesome story!  I’m not saying that just because it’s cool or because it’s the only miracle outside the resurrection that’s found in all four gospels.  Those things are true, but they don’t make the story awesome.  What makes this event so awe-worthy is that we get to see so much of God reflected in Jesus.  

If you’re not familiar with the story, you can read it in John 6:1-15.  The miracle itself is amazing: Jesus takes 2 fish and 5 small loaves of bread and stretches it to feed 5,000 men plus women and kids and has enough leftovers to fill 12 baskets.  Cool, right?  But the miracle, as phenomenal as it is, isn’t really the awesome part.  That comes when you see the choices Jesus made that day.

The Messiah’s day started with a solo trip across the Sea of Galilee.  Actually, it started with news that His cousin and ministry partner, John the Baptist, had been killed by King Herod.  Jesus was trying to get some alone time to mourn His friend.  He hopped in a boat and headed across the sea.  But wherever Jesus went, the throngs followed.  

Now here’s where Jesus makes His choice.  Me, I love alone time.  I get very little of it.  I grew up an only child.  I yearned for playmates, but after years of being by myself, I got used to it.  Now as a wife, mother, and pastor, I find I need periods of absolute alone time to function my best.  I think if I had been in Jesus’ sandals, seeing those crowds in pursuit, I would have put in for bereavement leave.  “Sorry, y’all, but my cousin just died.  I’ll be back tomorrow.”  He would have been completely justified in keeping everyone else at bay.  

But that’s not what Jesus chose to do.  He saw their need—mainly broken and misguided hearts—and prioritized them over His own wounded heart.  He chose to sit with them and share God’s truth.  That’s AWESOME!

After awhile, it becomes apparent that everyone’s going to need to eat soon.  Jesus asks the disciples what the best solution to this problem would be.  I’d have taken this as the perfect opportunity to get rid of everyone.  “Rabbi, we all know you need some time by yourself.  This seems like the perfect transition opportunity to send these folks on their way.  Buh-bye!”

But that’s not what Jesus chose to do.  He saw their need—basic hunger—and used this as the perfect chance to show how God provides above and beyond what we need when we trust him.  AWESOME!!

Jesus really showed us what some of the Father’s characteristics are: his love for others, his passion for how they’re feeling, his desire to lavish his love in abundance.

Is that the God you worship?  I’m so glad Jesus reminded us, because I know there are times when I start focusing on the wrong parts of my relationship with God.  I focus on what I need to do for Him as opposed to who he wants me to be.  Using tonight as an example, I knew I needed to write this devotional.  At various points in the evening, my mind screamed that I needed to lock myself in the office until it was complete.  But I realized my family needed me.  So I prioritized a library field trip, pizza with extended family, and enjoyed part of our favorite read-aloud.  It’s later than I planed, but I am getting this blog wrapped up.

What are ways you can reflect the AWE-someness of Jesus?  How can you prioritize the real needs around you?  In what ways will you display the awesome love of God?

End your time together by calling out different ways that God has revealed his awesomeness to you and your family.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Thirst Things First”

What’s your dream vacation?  Where’s the one place you would love to go more than any place else?  Maybe it’s so amazing you haven’t even told anyone, because you’re so certain you’re never actually going to get to go.  Where is it, where is it, where is it?  Share!

Knock, knock.  There's someone standing at your front door with free tickets to your dream vacation place.  Seriously, some dude with a briefcase and a big cheesy grin is handing you the plane tickets…or train, boat, rocket, etc.  They’ve got your name and your family members’ names on them, and the destination is [insert dream vacation location].  Your family is smiling ear to ear.  He’s handing them to you.

Here's the question: do you believe him?  Do you think this is for real?  Or are you more likely to think it’s a scam, or maybe some kind of practical joke?  Are you the one looking for the hidden cameras?  

We live in a pretty suspicious world.  “There’s no such thing as a free lunch,” after all.  Everyone loves to catch someone getting spoofed, especially with the chance that the video might go viral.  So it’s no surprise we carry doubt around.

And yet, sometimes great things really do happen.  So what would it take to convince you that the trip was real?

What if your parents said it was a surprise that they’d been planning for?  Would that do it?  (Probably depends on your parents.)

What if your best friend shows up, all smiles?  Your parents told them and he/she wanted to be there to celebrate with you.  Now are you buying it?

How about if the president of the theme park/cruise ship/airlines/resort got out of the car and came up to congratulate you.  Is that enough?  I’m hoping that would convince most people, although some are skeptical enough that even the CEO wouldn’t be enough.  

But what about this?  In addition to the tickets in front of you, you see a stack of luggage sitting by the garage door ready to go.  You remember that your parents have been working a lot of extra hours “to save money” they say.  You realize the dog is gone, already at the kennel.  You see a slip of paper on the counter saying that the mail has been placed on hold.  It’s right next to the stack of make-up work for the days of school you’re going to miss.  How ‘bout now?  

Testimonies from people are a tricky thing.  Sometimes they’re convincing, but sometimes our doubt is too strong.  When we see that testimony repeated or confirmed in how someone is acting or the choices they’re making, then we’re much more likely to believe.

Jesus struggled with this same idea.  No one wanted to believe He was the Son of God, especially not the church leaders.  It seems kind of funny, because these guys were supposed to be the experts on the Messiah, but when He actually showed up, they thought He was a big fat liar.  

Jesus told the religious leaders what He thought in John 5:31-47.  He points out that they read about the coming Christ in the Scriptures.  They had the verses memorized about God’s special Savior.  But when Jesus came, fulfilling every prophecy, they didn’t believe him.  (v. 39-40)  They sent a messenger to John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin (who they also didn’t like), so see if he’d confirm the story.  John replied with a huge thumbs up, but they still refused to buy it.  (v. 33)  Jesus points out that even God himself vouched for his Son, but the religious leaders wouldn’t even listen. (v. 37)  

I think Jesus drives it home the most in verse 36: “But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.”

Ok, so maybe they didn’t believe that all the prophecies in Scripture applied to Jesus’ life.  And maybe they figured John was to biased—or too delusional himself—to tell the truth.  And maybe they figured “God’s testimony” was just a flashy magic trick.  But look at Jesus’ life!  Everything He did—healing, teaching, ministering to the lost and the broken, talking constantly about the love of God and his Kingdom, helping the neediest people—no one does that kind of thing just for fun.  That’s a mission that only comes from God.  

That should have been testimony enough, don’t you agree?

So what about you?  My guess is that if someone asked, you’d tell them you believe in Jesus.  Maybe you even share on your own that you are a Christian.  You’ve got some t-shirts with cool God-quotes on them or your church logo or something like that, and you wear them proudly.  That’s great!

But here’s the real question: do people believe you?  Does your life—your actions, your speech, your attitudes—line up with a Jesus-serving life?  If someone took a look around at your day today, would it confirm that you are all about God and his mission?

That may seem like a hard question, but it’s an important one.  We don’t want to focus on living our lives based on what others think, but we do need to step back from time to time to make sure we are who we think we are.  After all, if you have your “Jesus ticket” but don’t have your bags packed, so to speak, then maybe there’s a problem.

Spend some time talking as a family.  Is there something you can do today, this week, to live more like a Jesus-lover?  Is there something your family can do or needs to do to live out your faith?  Talk about it then close in prayer, asking Jesus to help you take these steps.  Let’s make sure the best testimony we have to our relationship with Jesus is not our words, but our way of life. 

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Thirst Things First”

I love my cooking shows!  Truly, when I watch TV, it’s about all I watch, and my favorites are the competitions.  The mix of new cooking techniques, suspenseful judgings, and delicious end products ticks every box for me.  I am especially drawn to contestants with interesting stories.  

One of my favorites is a twenty-something who still lives with his mom, and eats nothing but grilled cheese, plain hamburgers, boxed mac n’ cheese, and pepperoni pizza.  That’s. It.  That may sound like a fabulous diet to some of you, but even as young as twenty-five, this guy has figured out that trying to live on these foods alone has had a negative impact on his health and therefore his life.  He confesses that he doesn’t want to eat like a five year old anymore.  (Hey, my five year old eats way better than that!) His purpose for coming on the cooking show was to try to learn how to cook and improve his quality of life.  

What about you?  Do you enjoy eating unusual food or are you a plain hamburger kind of person?  What’s the most unique thing you’ve ever eaten?  

In John 4:27-38, Jesus talks with the disciples about food.  After a day of traveling, the disciples ran into town to try to find a drive-thru while Jesus rested at the well just outside of town.  This is where Jesus met the Samaritan woman and had a great conversation about living water.  But now the guys are back with burgers and fries and are a little confused to see Jesus chatting up this lady.  They wait a little awkwardly for her to leave, wanting to give Jesus the food they know He’s been waiting for.  

After she returns to town, however, the disciples are shocked when Jesus refuses the to-go bag.  Instead, He says, “The food that keeps me going is that I do the will of the One who sent me, finishing the work he started.” (v. 34 Msg)  Um…what?  Did someone already bring Him food?

What Jesus means is that doing what God wants (“the will of the One who sent me”) is what really fires Him up.  His drive, His inner fuel and motivation is knowing the Lord’s will and getting it done, like sharing God’s grace with the Samaritan woman.  It’s what fills Jesus up inside and makes Him happy and content.

What about you?  To be honest, most of us find our inner fuel in “five year old” things: playing, hanging with friends, sports, job success.  The food that keeps us going is having fun doing what we want.  Eventually, however, we figure out that trying to live on these things has a negative impact on our hearts and therefore our lives.  Jesus is showing us that focusing on God’s mission—being missional—is way better.  It’s so much more fulfilling to care for someone in need, the way Jesus would, than it is to simply care for ourselves.  It improves someone else’s quality of life…and after life…and it makes us better, too.  Win-win!

What can you and your family do to live on mission?  How can you focus your time on God’s will?  What will help you make that a priority over some of the others fun things in life?  Think of one thing you can do this week to be missional.  Put it on the calendar or make a big sign to remind everybody and get excited about it!  Then pray and ask God to fuel you all with his mission.

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Thirst Things First”

It’s summertime.  The sun is high in a cloudless sky.  You’ve been outside for over an hour, and you’re reading to come in.  What have you been doing?  Were you working in the garden teaching those weeds who’s boss?  Maybe you just rode your bike home from a friend’s house where you were playing soccer in the yard.  Perhaps the driveway is covered with your new chalk art.  Whatever you’ve been doing, you need a break.  Your cheeks are flushed from the heat.  Sweat is dripping down your face, and your shirt is plastered against your back.  

You walk into the house.  Where do you go?  To the shower?  To the fridge?  A cold snack sounds kind of good.  But before you do either of those, you need to take care of something else first.  More than anything else, what your body is craving is water!  You are dehydrated from the heat and the work, and your cells are crying out.  You’re thirsty!  You feel like you actually might die if you don’t get some water soon.  Can you feel the relief as you gulp down a full glass?  Can you hear yourself say, “Ahhhhhh!” when you finally take a breath?  

We all know what that’s like.  We know what it is to be “thirsty.”  Your body doesn’t just like water or even want water.  When you’re thirsty, it’s because your body needs water.  It is necessary for your cells to keep working, and as you use it you need to replenish it.  We make it a habit to keep glasses of water available to our kids all the time.  If they want something else, they need to ask.  But they can always drink water, whenever they want.  Some days the glasses just sit on the kitchen table, practically untouched.  Other days, usually on days when we’re more active, I refill them multiple times.  But that’s ok—I want my kids to drink the water they need.

The Bible talks about a kind of water—living water.  You may recognize that as a nickname for Jesus.  Even though he lived before Jesus, King David wrote a wonderful psalm about a longing he had for Him.  He described it like being thirsty, thirsty for God.  Read it together in Psalm 63.

Have you ever felt that way about Jesus?  Have you ever come looking for Him the way you go looking for a drink on a hot day?  Ever been in a place where you felt like you might die if you didn’t get some Holy Spirit in you soon?  It’s not that crazy an idea.  After all, your soul needs God in much the same way your body needs water.  Unfortunately, I think too many of us have never really felt that need, though.  Our Bibles sit there relatively untouched, just like my kids’ glasses on some days.  We aren’t really craving God, as a person, as a family.  How can we build that thirst?

Work for it.  Maybe that sounds silly, but just like we increase our desire for water when we work, we increase our desire for God in the same way.  Well, not exactly the same way.  You won’t build a thirst for him by playing outside in the sun.  But you will begin to long for him the more you interact with the Son.  The more you live like Jesus in your choices, the more you love like Jesus in your relationships with people, the more “Jesus” you use in your heart, and the more of Him you need to refill you.  If you want to create a thirst for Jesus in your heart and in your family’s heart, make a plan to use more Jesus each day.

What can your family do?  Are there ways you can serve in the community?  Are there people on your street or in your school who could use your help and love through friendship?  Where could you build in “Family Happy Hour,” a time where you gather together and “drink in” Jesus from scripture and your stories of how Jesus has been working in your individual lives?

Tauna at Proverbial Homemaker has a great resource called “Read, Pray, Love.”  It’s a year-long set of family devotions.  Each week features a verse for you to study and learn.  Then there are questions about how that verse can influence your prayers, how it impacts your choices that week, and how you can love others around you.  If you’re looking for a starting point to build a thirsty family, I’d recommend you check it out here: http://www.proverbialhomemaker.com/52-weeks-of-praying-for-your-family.html. 

Find Psalm 63 again.  End your time together by praying that psalm back to God.  Ask for his help in turning you into a thirsty family, thirsty for Living Water!

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Street Hero”

As I type this, I'm sitting outside for the first time in awhile.  After several gloomy, gray days, I am really enjoying the sunshine.  While I’m not a big fan of heat and humidity, I do love the sunshine.

What about you?  Are you a lover of light?  Or do you prefer the cover of darkness?  Share with your family and explain your opinion.

When I was a kid, I definitely liked light better.  Most of that was because I was scared of the dark.  I had this recurring fear that a villain from a superhero cartoon would pop up in my bedroom.  As I entered adolescence, I began spending more time in dark rooms.  I think it accentuated my brooding teenage demeanor.  Now, as an adult, I love a bright and sunny room.

Jesus sat in the dark one night and talked with a religious leader named Nicodemus.  The King of Kings began to explain the necessary steps for being in relationship with God.  Included in this conversation is one of the most well-known verses in scripture.  Read what Jesus says in John 3:16-21.  

As I was reading through this passage, verse 19 really started to bother me.  Jesus says that people loved the darkness, because their works were evil.  I know He was talking about the darkness in our hearts and not actual darkness, but I didn’t like the thought that people preferred the darkness of sin.  I mean, I know sin is tempting, but God designed us to be drawn to love and light.  I began to really pray through this passage as I studied it.  Why would people prefer darkness?  What’s good about darkness?  

Then I had my lightbulb moment—darkness is really good at hiding things.  It’s actually why many kids don’t like the dark…because it can hide imaginary monsters really well.  It’s that same feature that draws people to spiritual darkness.  Like Adam and Eve in the garden, we want to hide our sins from the holy eyes of Jesus.  We’re afraid of getting caught in our disobedience, so we stay in the dark.  We think of Jesus as a giant holy cop waiting to bust us for our spiritual crimes.  That’s why I’m so thankful for John 3:17—“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (ESV)  Jesus didn’t come to get mad and punish us.  He came to save us, to bring us into the light.

Try this little experiment.  Have someone go turn on a light.  It doesn’t matter which one, just turn it on.  Can you see the light now?  Good.  Now turn on the dark.  C’mon, it’s not hard.  Turn on the dark.  Wait…you can’t?  Isn’t that interesting?  Darkness isn’t something you can turn on or off.  Darkness is the absence of light; it only happens when all light is gone.  In the same way, it only takes a little bit of light to take away that darkness.  

Jesus is the light of the world.  He has come not to condemn or punish us, but to save us.  His light is stronger than the dark of any sin.  His presence in our hearts is all it takes to remove even the darkest disobedience.  All we have to do is bring our hearts into His light.

Is there anything you need to bring into the light?  Any sin you need to confess to Jesus?  Don’t trick yourself into thinking that keeping it secret, hidden in the dark will take it away.  Only the forgiving light of your Savior can erase sins.  And that’s exactly what He will do—forgive.  End your time together in prayer.  Thank Jesus for being the light of the world and confess (maybe silently) any sins that you’ve hidden in the darkness of your heart.  Let His light shine in you and chase away that darkness for good!

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Street Hero”

Have you ever thought about how many decisions you make in a single day?  We’re talking everything from what to wear to school to who to eat lunch with to whether or not you go to the gym this afternoon and many, many more.  How may would you guess?  Hundreds?  Thousands?  My quick internet search pulled up a study in USA Today that said adults make an average of 35,000 conscious decisions each day, and children make about 3,000.

That’s a LOT.

Of course, most of them are pretty meaningless.  I mean, no one’s really going to impacted by your choice to have cereal for breakfast instead of french toast.  In fact, most people won’t even know…unless you spill syrup on your shirt.  The general public won’t notice that you chose to wear a ponytail, or that you decided to pay a little extra on your mortgage this month to help reduce your debt, or that you switched from ground beef to ground turkey to help your family get healthier.  (Ok, your family may realize that one, but no one else will.)  

Even the big decisions go unnoticed.  You bought a new car.  The cute guy in your science class asked you to go to prom.  You decided to start working out and get healthy.  No one will know any of that unless you tell them or they see you in the car, with the cute guy, or at the gym.  

It’s almost sad that some things that can change our lives so much are so unobservable.  Jesus thought so, too.  When a Pharisee named Nicodemus came to talk with Jesus late one night, the Savior tried to open Nicodemus’s eyes to what a relationship with God would really be like.  Have a family member read John 3:1-15 to see what He had to say.  

We must be born again to have a relationship with God.  Hmmm…that’s a little strange.  Or is it?

Have you ever seen a newborn?  They look noticeably different from anything else, right?  I mean, you would never confuse a six-month old and a six-day old.  Newborns are small, even the “big” ones.  Their skin is wrinkly and pink, and their eyes are kind of squinty.  They only make two sounds, one when they eat and one when they cry.  And they have that awesome new baby smell.  It doesn’t matter the nationality or gender or economic status—you can tell a newborn.

Jesus says that if we want to have a relationship with God, we need an experience that is like being born all over again.  Thankfully He’s not talking about diapers and bottles; He’s talking about starting life all over again, this time with hearts wiped clean from sin.  The decision to have a relationship with God, to ask Jesus to be your Savior is HUGE!  It’s one of those things that people should notice in you.  Just like you tell a newborn baby when you see one, your friends and family should be able to tell you’re a newborn—a newly born child of the one true King.  Making the choice to follow Jesus means you should talk differently than you did.  Your words will be kinder and more encouraging.  It means you should act differently.  Your deeds will serve others and show a love you didn’t have before.  It means you will think differently, no longer focused on what you want and what’s best for you, but instead thinking about what will bless God and others.  Being a child of God is a noticeable thing!

Do your friends and family know that you are a Christian?  Can they tell that you’ve been “born again” and restarted your life with Jesus in the lead?  Or are you living pretty much the same as you always did?  What kind of changes do you need to make so that others can see the new life growing inside you?  How can your family help you make those changes?

Maybe the thing you need to do is be born again.  Maybe you haven’t asked Jesus to be your personal Savior.  If not, talk with your family about your desire to have Jesus wipe your heart clean from sin.  Pray together, confessing your sins, asking for forgiveness, and claiming Jesus as your Lord.  Then talk about new decisions you can make to put Jesus first in your life. 

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Street Hero”

My husband is a pretty neat guy.  I mean sure, he’s smart, he’s a great dad, and he’s got a rare sense of humor.  But one of the things that impresses me the most about him is that he’s one of those “whatever you need” kind of guys, and that comes in really handy in my world.  In general, i do a decent job of spinning all of my plates: wife, mom, homeschooler, children’s pastor, blogger, meal-preparer, child-taxi, clothes-washer, etc.  But every once in awhile, all of the craziness collides in a single week and my plates run the risk of crashing to the floor.  In those moments, my spouse steps up and says, “What do you need me to do?”  And he really means it!  If I need him to cook, he cooks.  If I need him fold five loads of laundry, he folds.  And if I need him and the kids to visit his parents so I can have a few hours of quiet in the house, he loads them up and takes off.  Love it!  Love him!

Part of why the characteristic of his is so special to me is because I am so NOT that way.  I’m very willing to help someone in need, but it is not in my nature to say, “I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”  I know what my skill set is, and I very much know what it isn’t.  I am naturally drawn to things like organizing, directing, teaching, public speaking, etc.  It’s what I’m good at.  On the flip side, I have to force myself to do the behind-the-scenes leg work.  Those kinds of tasks are draining and more difficult for me.  That’s probably why God paired my husband and me—we make a good team!

What about you?  Do you serve in more public ways, or are your efforts usually behind-the-scenes?

I usually think of Jesus as a public guy.  He was a servant for certain, but His serving was almost always very visible an very high-impact.  You can almost read the headlines.  “Jesus Heals 10 Lepers”;  “Man Born Blind Given Back His Sight”; “Demon-Possessed Boy Finally Free”; “Friend Raises Friend from the Dead!”  Jesus wanted people to see who God was, and He knew how to get their attention.  But His very first miracle wasn’t as big a deal.  In fact, very few people even noticed it at all.  You can read about it together in John 2:1-12.  

Now don’t get me wrong—this was certainly a miracle.  Changing one thing to something entirely different is an act of God.  But this one just doesn’t seem as impressive as the others: “Jesus Turns Water to Wine; Master of Ceremonies Saved from Embarrassment.”  It just doesn’t have the same oomph as the others.  In fact, it would be easy to dismiss this act as completely unnecessary and unimportant.  But Jesus did what needed to be done.  Healing is certainly more beneficial…not to mention more dramatic, but no one needed to be healed at this wedding.  Jesus recognized where the problem was and stepped in to help.  He was a master at doing whatever needed to be done, wherever and whenever that need presented itself.

As His followers, we Christians are called to do the exact same thing.  God wants us to follow the Son’s example by being available to meet whatever need pops up in front of us, whenever and wherever it pops.  We think that to make a difference for the kingdom we have to do something flashy and important, but we don’t recognize how important the small things can be.  Invite the new kid to have lunch with you.  Show kindness to a sick neighbor.  Work an extra shift for a coworker.  Say something nice to your teacher.  Share your story when someone asks about God.  Invite a friend to come to church.  Make a call when you’re thinking about that friend.  Send a card.  Smile!  There are so many things we can do—little needs that may not seem important, but could have a lasting impression.

At first glance, it may seem like Jesus’ miracle of turning water into wine only served to save the wedding master from embarrassment.  But take another look at verse 11:  This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. (ESV)  Yes, it was simple.  No, it didn’t save anyone’s life.  But 12 men put their full faith in the Messiah because it.  When Jesus stepped in to meet the need in front of Him, He impacted those around Him.  He wasn’t serving the disciples with HIs miracle, but their lives were transformed by what they saw Him do.

You may never know what your small acts will do, but they will have an impact.  Your willingness to do what needs done, wherever and whenever, could be just what God needs to draw that person into relationship with him.  

So are you willing?  Will you make yourself available, will you make your family available for whatever God needs you to do, whenever and wherever he says?  Is there anything that is keeping you from being available?  What can you and your family do to make yourselves more available to what God is wanting you to do?

Pray that God would help your family open your eyes to the needs around you, that he would make your hearts sensitive to those needs and increase your availability to help.  

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Street Hero”

I was talking with a mother last week about a recent special trip with her daughter to an American Girl Store.  (Gents, think Lego or Hot Wheels.)  The mom followed her little girl as she bounced from one display to the next, smiling at her ooooh’s and aaaah’s.  She noted which items really drew her daughter’s attention, which ones elicited an, “Oh, I wish I could have that!”  After the child had moved on to the next display, Mom would do a quick price check to see if she could squeeze it into the budget.  As she did, though, her smile began to fade.  She wasn’t saddened by the cost, although money was tight and most of the prices were…pricey.  The mother was willing to make a small sacrifice for a special treasure like this, but she realized that it would, in the end, be a waste.  Her daughter rarely played with the few American Girl items she had now.  While the little girls was caught up in the excitement from the store, Mom knew it would be short-lived once she got back to everyday, normal life.

That’s the way it is with a lot of us.  We find it really easy to get excited about the “new” or the “special.”  The thought of “getting something” winds us up and old interests that haven’t been interesting lately become passionate wants.  We “must have” the newest Lego set, the newest Disney movie, the newest beauty trend (hello, hair chalk), or the latest hover-wheelie-gizmo whatever.  We beg and plead and stand in line…while at home, the last Lego set sits untouched in a bin.  The last Disney movie is lost under the couch, unwatched.  The hair chalk is in the trash, and the last gizmo is collecting dust in the garage.  We love fads, but they lose their excitement pretty quickly.

What’s the last fad you got caught up in?  What were you sure you needed, only to find out you really didn’t care once you had it?

When people first met Jesus, they found it easy to get caught up in the excitement.  After all, He was an exciting guy doing exciting things.  Read how the disciple Nathanael reacted when he first met Jesus in John 1:43-51.  Can you imagine that?  You meet some guy for the first time and he can tell you what you were doing yesterday?  It would either be really creepy or really cool!  If my brother was trying to convince me this was the Messiah, I think I may be convinced!

But these guys learned quickly that Jesus was not a fad.  He wasn’t just the newest prophet saying funky things about God.  He was sharing hard, challenging, amazing truths that turned these guys heads upside down.  They learned that to be a true disciple, they couldn’t just be along for the ride.  Being a disciple was more than just recognizing that Jesus was the Messiah—being a disciple meant following Him everywhere in every way.

What kind of disciple are you right now?  Is your family still caught up in the initial excitement and hype of this amazing Savior?  Are you really committed one week, but kind of “eh, whatever” the next week?  Have you made the decision as a family to be fully committed disciples, following Jesus everywhere He leads you in every way?  What changes do you need to make as a family to be a family of disciples?  What are you already doing as a family that you need to keep doing?

Decide on one thing your family can do this week to be true disciples of Christ.  Pray together that Jesus would help you be more than fad followers.  Ask Him to make you genuine disciples.

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Street Hero”

I am a firm believer in chores.  Not that I enjoy them particularly—I’m not that kind of crazy.  It’s just that I realize that it takes a lot of work to keep a household or business running, and chores are a necessary part of that process.  And in my opinion, if you are a part of that group, then you have some kind of responsibility to help with the process.  So I’m willing to push up my sleeves and do what needs to be done: dishes, laundry, dusting, etc.  All that being said, there are certainly some chores I prefer waaaaaaaaaay more than others, and I’m guessing I’m not the only one.

Some chores are just mentally or physically overwhelming.  I’m not sure why, but it just seems like certain tasks are extra-taxing.  For example, I don’t mind washing dishes, but I despise putting them away.  I can scrub plates all day long, even crusty baked-on lasagna pans, but when I see a dishwasher or sink full of clean dishes that need putting away, my heart sinks and all of my will to live escapes me.  Can I get an “Amen”?

Other to-do’s are just too gross.  Perhaps the thought of pulling hair out of the drain makes yours stand on end.  Or maybe you’d rather clean the whole house than have to clean up after the dog…or cat…or baby.  Doo-doo to-do’s are universally undesirable, right? 

Back when I was single, I woke up one morning to discover an opossum had died in my yard overnight.  (It was the swarm of flies that tipped me off.)  Realize, that was at least 15 years ago, but even as I type this I can feel my shoulders creeping up to my ears in disgust.  I had no idea how to dispose of the corpse, and I didn’t even want to try to figure it out.  Praise God for friendly neighbors who come bearing shovels and black trash bags!  Isn’t it a blessing when someone is willing to do that nasty task for you?

What about you?  What are your least favorite chores?  What grosses you out or seems too much to handle?  Who steps in to help you out when it’s your turn to do that too-tough, too-yucky task?

I can only imagine the things you’re sharing right now.  Some of them are probably more disgusting than I care to imagine.  I’d wager that none of you included this on your list: die for your sins.  (If you did mention it, I hope you dropped the mic, because that is the worst of the worst as far as chores are concerned.)  We don’t really think about, but according to the Bible, this is something we all have to do.  I mean, you could skip making your bed or brushing your teeth (please don’t), but dying for our sins is a requirement.  “[F]or all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God,…[and] the wages of sin is death,…” (Romans 3:23; 6:23)  What a horrible, depressing, overwhelming, yucky task!  Death!!  (Unless, of course, you haven’t sinned?  Yeah…didn’t think so.)

Aren’t we blessed that we have someone who stepped in to handle that chore for us!  Read what John the Baptist said: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)  That’s exactly what Easter is all about, right?  We celebrate that through His death on the cross, Jesus died for ALL of our sins.  That’s ALL of the sins for ALL of us. That means, if we have a relationship with Jesus, we can permanently cross “die for sins” off our to-do lists. Hallelujah! 

Take time together as a family praying and praising Jesus for doing the horrible task of dying for your sins.    Mom and Dad, if your kids have not prayed and asked Jesus to save them from their sins, now is the perfect time.  Ask them if they would like to invite Jesus to come into their hearts and forgive them of their sins.  Guide them as they pray.  They celebrate!!  Share the news with friends, family, and church leaders so they can celebrate, too!

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Fierce Pursuit”

Hope is in the air!  Can you feel it?  This is the time of year when so many things start pointing our heads in that direction, which is a good thing, because hope is something that’s seriously lacking in our world.  You may even be sitting there not entirely sure of what it means.  My Merriam-Webster defines hope as a desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment.  

So hope starts with a desire, something you want.  Got any of those?  Anything you’re dreaming about or longing for?  Ok, check.  Now to turn that desire into hope, you need to add some expectation.  You need to have a reason to believe you might actually get what you’re wanting, although you’re not certain.  For example, you may have a desire to be on a team at school.  If you know you’re pretty good or if you were on the team last year, you have a reasonable expectation or belief that you will actually make it.  You have hope.  Now let’s flip that around.  Let’s say you want to get a new car.  Unfortunately, money is pretty tight right now, and you know there’s no room in the budget for a payment.  The desire is there, but there’s no expectation.  You do not have hope.

What’s something you have hoped or are hoping for right now?  Something you want and have an expectation or belief in fulfillment?

Part of what leads my mind to hopefulness right now are the signs of spring.  Animals coming out of their winter retreats, trees beginning to bud, the giant row of daffodils along the side of my house stir those hopeful thoughts.  I’m reminded about how much I want warmer weather so I can open my windows and walk around in flip-flops without freezing my tootsies.  That’s my desire, and those green shoots in the yard and the rise in the thermometer give me the expectation.  Hope.

But the vernal equinox isn’t the only thing that creates hope.  This holiday we’re about to celebrate—Easter—is all about creating hope, too.  When Jesus paid the price for our sins by dying on the cross, He opened up so many possibilities for us.  He created a way for us to be in relationship with the Father God, and that means we become eligible for all of the promises he laid out in the Bible.  And these promises hit at the heart of some of our deepest desires, things much greater than cars and job promotions.  We’re talking things like a peace that goes beyond any normal understanding, a sense of purpose, guidance, help in times of trouble, healing from pain, a joy that is greater than sorrow, unconditional love.  Have you ever wanted any of those?  Well because of what Jesus did—dying on the cross and returning to life—you can have an expectation of them when you have a relationship with Him!  Isn’t that awesome??

Even more than that, though, is what John talks about in his book.  “Jesus provided far more God-revealing signs than are written down in this book. These are written down so you will believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and in the act of believing, have real and eternal life in the way he personally revealed it.”  (John 20:30-31 Msg)

Eternal life!  The chance to live forever just like Jesus showed us in Scripture.  Do you have any desire for that??  Well if you have a relationship with the Savior, you also have a reason to believe it will be fulfilled.  You have hope!  Jesus is the Herald of Hope, because He brings so much expectation, the possibilities that the things we want most can really truly happen.

How does Jesus bring you hope personally?  What desire can you expect in Him?  Share with your family.

Now remember, we started by saying that hope was something that’s seriously lacking in our world.  Think of someone you know, maybe a friend or family member, who seems to be out of hope.  They may have the desire for something, but for whatever reason, they’ve lost that expectation or belief that it will be fulfilled.  How can Jesus be the hope for them?  What can you do to share that hope?  This may be something as simple as inviting them to an Easter event this week, or something as involved as spending regular time with them so you can shine light on the hope that’s available to them.

As you pray together, thank Jesus for the hope He brings into your life and into the world.  Ask for help in offering hope to the people you shared, and pray that His hope would spread this Easter to new hearts in churches all around the globe!

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Fierce Pursuit”

Our family recently took a trip to visit grandparents in Iowa.  We were about fifteen minutes into the three and a half hour ride when I heard the most dreaded words in travel-dom: “Are we there yet?”

What is it about those words that makes a parent’s shoulders scrunch up?  They have a tendency to bring out the worst in us.  My brain was racing with sarcasm.  “Seriously? We just got on the interstate!  Does it look like we’re there yet?”  And in my best Mr. Incredible voice, “We’ll get there when we get there!”  Of course, I didn’t actually say any of that.  I managed a small sigh, followed by, “Nope, we’ve still got a ways to go.”

I guess part of what makes those words so painful is that we understand what’s really behind the question.  Your child isn’t sincerely asking if you’ve reached your destination.  He’s communicating that he’s ready to be done.  He’s feeling stuck in the car, a little stir crazy and is ready for the whole process to be over.  It’s understandable, but a little overwhelming when you still have hours left to travel.

A few years ago I took my kids on a trip to western Nebraska.  Between the 2-day travel time and the absolute absence of any interesting scenery along the route, I was expecting an agonizing trip filled with “Are we there yet’s.”  To circumvent that, I tried to make the trip as fun and purposeful as I could with lots of games and inexpensive toys to introduce periodically.  I also strung a ribbon across the backseat with a paper minivan clipped to it.  I moved the van along the ribbon as we moved along our trip.  They could literally see how far we had left to travel and that cursed four-word question was almost non-existent.

What’s something your family does to make long trips more enjoyable?  What’s your favorite car trip memory?

At times, our journey with God can feel like a long car trip.  There are fun, even life-changing stops as we go along, but there are also long stretches of sameness.  Yes, we’re growing.  Yes, we’re going places.  Yet, the journey still has difficulties.  It’s still uncomfortable at times.  It still stretches us, and we sometimes get that same “stuck in the car” feeling.

Have you ever wanted to ask God, “Are we there yet?”  Am I finally done growing?  Have I reached maturity?   Are we done with all the conviction and stepping out of my comfort zone?  How much longer until its easy?  I keep pursuing Jesus and holiness and others.  How much longer until I finally get what I’m pursuing?  We want all of those things, but as the children of God, we can get as antsy as our own children do.  I’m thankful the Father doesn’t snap back with a booming, “You’ll get there when you get there!”

Instead, God offers comfort and direction through the apostle Peter.  In his first letter, he finishes the fourth chapter with this verse: “So if you find life difficult because you’re doing what God said, take it in stride. Trust him. He knows what he’s doing, and he’ll keep on doing it.” (Msg)  

Hmmm.  Probably not the kind of response you were looking for.  Maybe you were hoping God would say, “Almost.”  Maybe you had your fingers crossed that the destination was just around the corner.  But that’s not the way it is.  Our journey with God is amazing!  It’s full of adventure and transformation.  No other life experience can make you a new person like Jesus can.  But it’s also a trek filled with challenges.  So be ready.  Be prepared to never stop pursuing holiness, to never stop suffering for the sake of Jesus, to never stop seeking people who don’t know Him yet.  The truth is we will get there when we get there…and not a second sooner.  So let’s make the journey as fun as we can along the way and agree to never stop.

What can your family do to make the journey fun?  After all, fun is relevant!  How can you encourage each other to never stop pursuing Jesus, to never stop pursuing others?  As you pray together, ask God to help you be a “never stop” family.

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Fierce Pursuit”

It's amazing how many different groups we associate ourselves with throughout our lives.  Some are just clubs or groups we’re a part of, but others become so important that they can shape our identity.  We name ourselves by these groups: I am a ____________.  Let me elaborate.

It starts with your family.  You’re a (insert last name here).  I was born a Fredrickson.  Having that name shaped who I was.  Now, I’m an Orwig.  I’m a part of the Orwig family, the one that lives in my house as well as the larger family group.  Of course, I’m still a Fredrickson.  Even though I don’t carry that name any more, I will probably identify with that group as well for the rest of my life.  I was also born an Iowan.  I wore that badge with pride and took great offense at the Iowa jokes my Minnesotan relatives loved to tell.

As I grew, several other categories shaped me.  In high school I was a Marching Lion.  It wasn’t just something I did, it was who I was.  It determined who I hung out, how I spent my time, and what became my priorities.  Then I went to college and was formed by my new titles: Monmouth Scot and Kappa Delta. Today, my group names include wife, mom, homeschooler, and PoC’er.  While I belong to many other clubs and organizations, these are really the ones that influence who I am, my identity.

When we align ourselves with a name, it not only shapes how we see ourselves, it also influences what’s important to us.  For years, I really didn’t care who the governor of Illinois was.  Now that I’m an Illinoisan, I care very deeply.  We celebrate with our group when we have victories, and we cry together when there are struggles.  It’s part of group life.

What are your “labels”?  What groups or titles have shaped who you are, either now or in the past?  Remember these aren’t just clubs you’re a part of; they are those things that influence your identity.

One of the names that may have come up is “Christian.”  This label can mean different things to different people.  When it was first introduced, it was used as a put-down, to insult those who followed the teachings of Jesus.  Since then it has been embraced by generations of believers over two thousand years.  But what does it mean to have that label?  Certainly, it shapes who we are.  We don’t just go to church or recognize that there is a God.  We choose to pattern our lives after Jesus’ life.  We make Him the center of everything we do.  As such, we celebrate when Christ’s cause has a victory.  But we also suffer through the struggles of living like Jesus.  

Peter addresses that very idea.  In 1 Peter 4:16, he writes, “However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.”  Sometimes we may be hesitant to wear the name “Christian.”  It’s not a popular name in our culture, or even the world.  It brings insults, sacrifice, dirty looks, and judgmentalism at times.  I’m so glad Peter reminds us that we don’t need to be ashamed, that we should be praising God that we can be called Christians.

Does your family claim the name Christian?  Does it shape who you are as a family?  If so, how?  Talk about how your beliefs are shaping your family.  What are you doing differently because you’re Christians.

If not, what’s holding you back?  Talk about these things as a family.  Are you willing to take that step and claim your faith?  

End your time together praising God for sending his Son so that we would all have the chance to be Christians.