Jesus Feels With Us

Our granddaughter, Kylie, stepped into our living room this morning holding Grandma's old Bible. "Can I sit with you guys for your date with Jesus?"

Grandpa sat in one wing-back chair beside the piano, and I sat in the other. "Sure," Grandpa said.

Kylie proceeded to wiggle into the tiny rocker across from us with the brown Bible in her lap.

Gazing out the window, I drank in the sight of dogwoods, the azure sky, and sunlight dancing on the hedges. Inspired by the glorious visual, I shared a few verses in Psalms about the Lord creating the heaven and the earth. That this same God watches over us and cares for us.

Grandpa picked up his Bible and turned to Philippians 2:5 -11. He read the verses while Kylie ran her finger along the page of her Bible, not reading quite yet, but trying her best.

Then Grandpa shared how he'd been thinking all week about how Jesus is the Life-Giver, placing the Holy Spirit inside of those who trust Him as their Savior. He then posed the question that our Sunday School teacher, Chris Cox, asked us to dwell on this week: If God the Son came to earth as a man, how would that work? 

Kylie perked up and her eyes grew wide. "God came as a baby." She touched the wooden manger beside her rocker, the one she and Daddy crafted a few years ago, and the one we use to "act out" the Christmas story. Which at our house happens throughout the year at the prompting of our grandchildren.

We talked more about what it might have been like for Jesus to be a little child. Did He fall down and scrape His knee? Did He cry? We all agreed He probably did. Did He ever whine and want His own way? Probably tempted to, but "He never did," Kylie insisted.

"Jesus, the Truth, shared honestly in love," Grandpa shared. "Perhaps, He said something like, 'I feel frustrated right now. Would you help me tie my shoes (or fasten my saddles :)?' Or 'I feel angry when you grab the toy I was playing with. Could you ask me nicely for a turn?' Or maybe when He felt frustrated, He stopped right then and talked to His heavenly Father, asking for strength to do the right thing."

"Did He ever feel like disobeying His mommy and daddy?" I added. Yep, probably, we all agreed. "But did He?" No.

"Jesus was perfect," Kylie maintained, nodding her head.

We considered other scenarios: Did He always tell the truth? Yes. Because He IS truth. So, did He tattle on his disobedient brothers and sisters when he caught them doing something wrong? Probably not. Most likely, He let the situation play out. But if He was asked point-blank, He'd tell the truth.

"Wow, Jesus' brothers and sisters probably got really mad at Him sometimes, since He was the perfect child," I said.

"Like Joseph. His brothers threw him in the pit." Kylie illustrated with her hands. "Yeah, Joseph and Jesus were kinda alike." She pursed her lips and nodded, freckles dotting her cheekbones.

"Yes, in some ways they were." Grandpa smoothed a hand over his Bible. "Jesus' brothers and sisters may have even run off and played without Him. Hmm . . . I wonder if He ever felt lonely?" We all agreed He did. He felt lonely and rejected at times even before He grew up and died on the Cross.

"God wearing our flesh felt lonely," I said, and we all grew quiet for a few moments, pondering it seemed, each in our own way, the amazing paradox of a God who created the heavens and the earth and all they contain, feeling alone.

As we finished our date with Jesus, we considered the enormous and comforting truth that Jesus knows what it's like to feel angry, frustrated, lonely, and tempted. Yet Truth in human form remained loyal to His divine nature, because as God, He could do no other.

When He lives within us, we have His power available 24/7 to please the Father just like He pleased the Father while He lived on earth. The relational God dwelt among us. And now, lives within us. He not only understands how we feel, He feels along with us, and then gives us power to honor Him in the midst of all our messy emotions.

Second Chance book giveaway

My latest novel, Second Chance, is all about, well, second chances  :).

God gives Mave a chance to breathe new life into her stale marriage in the second half of life.

God gives Dareece a chance to leave gang life and drug dealing, once and for all.

After twenty years of homeschooling, God gave me a fresh platform for sharing Him with others in my second half of life.

What about you?

Has God provided a second chance somewhere along the way?

Share your "second chance" with my readers and automatically enter to win a complimentary copy of my book, SECOND CHANCE. Winner announced on June 25.

Singalong with Grandpa and Grandma: More Long Distance Grandparenting ideas

More long distance grandparenting ideas . . .

With all the tech tools available these days, communicating with our grandchildren has never been easier. My youngest daughter, Stephanie, plans to burn the videos onto CD and take them on their upcoming flight to Thailand and Cambodia. Prayerfully, this will keep twenty-month-old Gabriel occupied for a while. :)

Leaving a Legacy in Words & Pictures

When our three daughters were babies, we began a book of letters for each of them to be presented on graduation day. Each year we pulled out the scrapbook and wrote a new letter detailing how they had grown, projects they were involved in, and words of wisdom we wanted to impart to them. Each entry also included an age appropriate picture of them with friends or family.

To add to the remembrance book, we asked the children’s grandparents to write a letter to each granddaughter to share bits of advice with them and lessons they had learned in life. We placed this in the book along with a picture of each grandparent.

Later, we asked each grandparent if we could videotape them telling us about their growing up years, education, testimony, romance, marriage, and ministry. We even did this with Chuck’s grandmother, which would be our children’s great-grandmother. My, the stories she had to share! Now that she is gone, as well as all four grandparents, the letters and videos are all the more meaningful.

Recording the grandparents’ words through letters and media has been one of the most beneficial ways we have preserved our family heritage, and it’s easy to do. When we think of our parents’ contribution in our children’s lives, we are reminded of a verse from the Bible found in Hebrews 11:4, “. . . . and by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.”

Words spoken or written have the power to speak to a young person’s heart long after the family member is dead. In this way, memories are kept alive and stories and lessons are passed down from one generation to another.

God's Good Gifts

God's good gifts on Saturday during the Valley Reading Day in Hagerstown, MD

1. Meeting other ACFW Mid-Atlantic authors. God teamed me up at the same book table with Jeanette Windle, a missionary kid, now grown and still involved in missionary work. Her novels reflect her passion for world outreach. Thus, we shared a similar heartbeat through our family background and writings.

2. A delightful mother/daughter time with Michelle. She and her husband, Jonathan, work with Straight Street, a Roanoke inner city teen ministry which inspired my latest novel, Second Chance.

3. I met Angela, a sister in Christ, still grieving the death of her father and brother. We shared through tears and connected heart-to-heart. A touching sideline to our time together: Each author provided a gift basket as a giveaway. Out of all the tickets turned in for the drawing, Angela's number was called, and the MC handed her a basket, not realizing he had given her mine. She was so excited when she stopped by my table to tell me she'd received my basket.

4. I met Jane and Mark, also believers in Christ, who are reaching out to their teen neighbors and needed prayer and advice. Michelle and I provided some resource tips and prayed with them.

What a joy--touching lives! One of God's good gifts!

Thank You, Jesus

Father, on this National Day of Prayer, I could ask you for many things. Instead, I thank you for many things.

Thank you for Jesus, my Savior and Lord.

Thank you for hearing my heart's cry--every day!

Thank you for being faithful God.

Thank you for providing all my needs.

Thank you for a family who loves you and serves you.

Thank you for a country where freedom still rings.

Thank you for moving your people to respond to the needs of a hurting and lost world.

Thank you for a husband who cares for me and makes me laugh.

Thank you for home and hearth and good food to eat.

Thank you for the birds singing outside.

Thank you for the clothes thumping around in the dryer as I type.

Thank you for health and strength to do the work you've given me to do.

Thank you for the spring green and blossoms dotting the landscape.

Thank you for a church family who lifts me up in prayer.

Thank you for the gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit.

Thank you for eternal life!

Thank you for always wooing me back home.

Thank you for giving me a platform to share your love and forgiveness.

Thank you for access to your throneroom--24/7.

Thank you for sweet sleep.

Thank you for your Word, a light to my path.

Thank you for good books and good friends, and that sometimes, those two are the same.

Thank you for calling me by name.

Thank you that heaven awaits!

Thank you that I can continue thanking you long after I quit typing . . . .

Washington County Reading Day! Meet the Authors

If you're in the area, stop by Valley Mall in Hagerstown, MD between 10 am and 1 pm this Saturday, May 5! Gift Basket Giveaways! Signed books by the authors mentioned in the poster above.

We'd love to meet you!