The title of this blog post is really the story of our family. God has done some miraculous things for our family this year, and I am finally taking the time to write it all out while listening to a great CD in the background.
I think our last blog post was about all that God had taught us last year in May when we were in limbo house wise and were having to stay in a hotel. We learned so much about other people and saw things that we may have never seen otherwise. Well, this last year has had its ups and downs. Yes, we were thankful for the house that God had given us, but it also had some serious issues. God definitely used it to teach us even more about what to look for in houses and more sources to check including the backgrounds of those with whom you are doing business. It has also been a tough year financially. Living on just Brian's VA disability benefits a month is extremely tough if not impossible. It was tearing him down and depressing the entire family. It wasn't like he wasn't trying to provide for his family. He could not find any gainful employment that he could do regardless of both his ministry degree and education degree. Meantime his back was getting worse, and we were getting nothing but a run around from the VA doctors. We also knew that we would eventually have to move as the house we were renting foreclosed July 5th (long story). Yes, we constantly prayed to God but more times than not, I would think God only did miracles in Bible days. Is He really going to help us now?
Then this past month, everything changed. Brian has talked to several churches over the years. He has probably been considered by well over a 100 churches in some way, and for some reason that we did not understand, God blocked them, and the churches chose someone else. We couldn't understand why. What does God want us to do? How are we going to survive? About two months ago, I got called by a symphony and was offered a contract for most of the concerts for the 2011-2012 season. We thought well maybe God is going to start using me to help provide for the family instead of Brian, but then more things started happening. Brian has always applied for government positions as they opened up, but he has never been truly considered. He even applied for mail clerk at the Atlanta VA Regional Office, and they determined he did not have enough education for mail clerk! Then on August 19th, Brian received a phone call from the Atlanta Regional Office for the Department of Veterans Affairs asking him if he would come in for an interview on August 22nd. We were in total shock! He was going to actually be interviewing for a federal government position. He had interviewed with the state of GA several times this last year as well for state positions, but they never hired him which we just did not understand as he had all of the qualifications for the positions.
It was Sunday, August 21, 2011 that God started showing us that He was in control the entire time. Totally unexpected, Dr. Stanley decided to pray for all the unemployed in the congregation and that they would get jobs. I looked at Brian who was leaving the choir loft, and I was like what is God up to? I cannot describe the feeling, but when you have gone through what we have gone through ever since Brian was laid off as a teacher in Kentucky, the thought of thousands of people collectively praying that your husband gets a job the day before a big interview is overwhelming. I passed notes to Brian in the service asking him if God had told Dr. Stanley to do that prayer that day for a reason. Well, the next day Brian went into his interview. He had a great interview, but he was told that they were interviewing 100 people over the next two weeks for ten open positions and that they would not have a decision until mid-September. Many do not know this, but the following Thursday, Brian and I were actually at the Atlanta Regional office. A sweet family had offered to watch our kids so I could go with Brian to a doctor appointment at the VA hospital right next door, and after his appointment we went over to the regional office to drop off a paper for something related to his disability claim. While going through security, I got buzzed. I have no clue why. I have no metal on me. I will say the VA is much better than the TSA. Anyway, while there, I saw several people go through security who were being interviewed. It was tough because I knew all of these people were in competition with my husband for the same position. We went home that day, and I knew that if Brian was going to get this job, it would have to take an act of God. Well on Friday, August 26, 2011, a little after 5 pm, we received a phone call. The caller ID said US Government. I figured it was probably the VA calling back on something that the Washington DC office was researching on Brian's disability claim. I handed the phone to Brian. Once Brian was on the phone, I watched his eyes. I could tell that something big was happening. Then I heard Brian talking about start dates. When Brian got off the phone, the first thing he said (well maybe more like shouted) was "I'm hired!" Brian had been hired for a federal government position in just four days. That is unheard of and even Brian's vocational rehabilitation counselor was in shock when he told her the good news this past Monday. We also received all of his official paperwork this last Monday. It is official. He has his commit letter and all of his in processing paperwork. His start date is September 12th, but his actual official appointment date is September 11, 2011, and that was for us even more of God speaking directly to us.
I can remember to this day where we were September 11, 2001. Jonathan was just an infant. Brian was being medically discharged from the US Army and was actually at the post office taking an exam trying to get hired there so he would have employment right after his discharge. I had turned on the TV and thought I was watching a movie. Then I realized it was news, and just like the rest of America, my eyes were glued to the horror going on in New York, Pennsylvania, and the Pentagon. I remember Brian talking to me on the phone and saying he wished they could block the discharge. He wanted to stay in the service and help (he was a chaplain assistant and had been commissioned by the NAMB to be a chaplain). He knew it was going to change America permanently and he wanted to help, but he couldn't and it hurt. Our life went on after September 11th, just like everyone else's. Brian got a job working in a warehouse for which he was thankful but did not like of course. He eventually lost it though because his injuries were affecting his ability to do the job. Then he went into substitute teaching. That is when a principal told Brian she really thought he should consider a career in special education. He was great with disabled children. We found a Christian college in Kentucky who had an outstanding masters in special education program. He went to school, and the next year, he was hired by the largest school district in KY. He had a great job, and we were starting to get settled into a normal life. We bought a house, and life was going well. Then they moved him to a different school, and things went downhill. His principal was a micro-manager and the work situation was not fun at all. We were not surprised when the county laid him as well as 70 other special education teachers off and hired new teachers from another state in some agreement with the new superintendent in 2007. God used that to pull Brian back towards ministry though. He earned an income through contract work grading state assessments while focusing all of his education and training back onto ministry but to a new people group -- those with special needs. This is something he can do whether or not he is actually employed in a ministry position. We eventually had to sell our home back to the bank actually, and Brian applied for VA vocational rehab and events were orchestrated that led to our move back to Atlanta in 2009. It is hard to imagine we have been in Atlanta for over two years without Brian gainfully employed. When I look back at it, I realize that only God could have worked this out. Not knowing how you are going to pay your utilities or how you are going to have gas to get to church is not a fun feeling, yet it was something that we went through almost every month with some exceptions. We did have the time period where Brian did get a small increase in disability and we got a year of back-pay which gave us some money to help sustain us for a few months at least. Still despite all of his education and ministry training, still no church called. Brian could no longer work in education classrooms even as a sub because he was having so many issues with his back. Then for God to do what He has done and for Brian to get a wonderful job almost ten years to do the date of when he was medically discharged from the Army is just a God-thing. Only God could orchestrate events like that. I will always look at September 11th differently now. Yes, it was a huge national tragedy, but it also triggered so much growth for our family. God over the last ten years has taught us so much, and now September 11, 2011, God has finally given us closure. He has finally answered prayer and Brian is back to serving his country. It took ten years and there were more times than I can count when giving up seemed like the best option, but God was faithful and had a plan totally coming together that only He could orchestrate.
Some have asked do we have other prayer needs and the answer is definitely yes. Brian's doctor has been working very hard to adjust his medications so that they do not make him drowsy so he can easily work without issues. Please pray that what she has done will hold him over until we can use our new insurance and hopefully get on the right medications. He has been better this last week, and I think part of it is what she has done medication wise, but I think a bigger part is God. He is enabling Brian to be able to do what He needs him to do just like when Brian has been given the physical ability to lead worship rallies with children, etc. God enables a person to do what He has called them to do. We also still need prayers for provision. We do have utilities this month that we do not know how we will pay. We do not even know how we are going to have enough money for gas for Brian to get to work until he gets paid. We also have to be out of this house by October 13th and are not sure where or how we will move. Brian does have his current disability claim awaiting final decision which would potentially give us all we need to survive until his first paycheck, but it is held up and his file has now been moved to sensitive because he is an employee, so God is in total control. There is not a thing we, or even a senator can do. If God wants to bless us that way, He will, or maybe He has something else in mind. I will probably back out of the orchestra contract for this season because I just do not have a way of having the kids watched while I am out of town and Brian is at work, but I am OK with that. There is always another year and another time -- maybe when the kids are older. Those who know me well know I do believe that children thrive with having a stay at home parent, and our family has never wanted to have a two working parent household. A couple of days of me going out of town is not a big issue, but with us having to try to move at the same time, I just cannot be gone at such a stressful time. Obviously as the last ten years have shown, God's timing and plan are always the best. We could sit and focus on the circumstances and start to question God, but our focus should be on Him. Look at what He has done, and how far He has brought us. We will make it through this month.
I hope that this blog post can help encourage you no matter what you are going through. It could be a small issue or a huge issue. Please do not give up on God. He really does care, and He really is working everything out for your good even when it does not look like it. -- Jennifer
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
So it has been a while since we have posted on here.............
Ok, so it has been almost a year since we have posted on here. A lot has happened in that past year. We moved out of our house in December due to bad landlord issues and it causing kids to get sick and moved into a house that we were taking care of while it was on the market. When that house sold in April, we went into the most difficult time in the life of our family. We had no where to go. We were basically homeless. We lived in hotels and had to spend all that we had in savings just to survive. We even had two days where we lived in our van. That was probably what you would call hitting rock bottom. It was a very stressful time, but we also learned a lot during that time. We learned that a family can be a family no matter where they live. We also learned that God will get you through anything, but you have to remember that it is all in His timing and not ours. We couldn't understand why we were having such a difficult time finding a house. We met other families just like us. They were homeless and living in hotels. There are a lot more people out there than you think. They feel like they cannot go to anyone for fear that they will be judged. Americans in general have become so judgmental that they make opinions and assumptions of people based on their circumstances and don't know the entire story. We met families who had lost everything, and the only jobs they could find paid minimum wage which is not enough for any family to survive in America today. They then would put all they had into the hotel so that they would have a place to sleep at night, and so the cycle continued. Sadly, as our economy continues to go through this hard period, more and more hard working families are going to go through the same thing. Next time you hear of a family in need, perhaps you need to really hear the story. There may be a lot that you do not know and making assumptions hurts a lot of people. We do believe that God allowed us to go through this tough time so that we would have an understanding of families and the hurt that they go through so that when we are able, we can help families struggling and be able to minister to them without looking at them through judgmental eyes.
So after a month of living in hotels, God blessed us with the house that He was preparing for us. It was a house that was a perfect size for our family and in our budget (even though it is valued out of our budget). We now have a home that is 2800 square feet and is actually 3900 square feet if you include our basement. We have more rooms than we have furniture to fill them. This is a house that the owner is trying to wholesale to the bank as he can no longer afford it. The plan is for us to hopefully eventually buy this home, and if God provides and it is His will, this will be the home that we purchase. We will be able to buy it for less than it is worth which in today's economy is a very rare find. If for some reason, we cannot buy this home, we will be thankful for God allowing us to live here for however long He has planned. We live in a very safe neighborhood. Crime is non-existent, and it is just a safe place to raise a family. Our neighborhood is filled with a lot of other families many of which go to area churches around here.
Also just recently, Brian won his very long and overdo VA claim for disability increase. Does it solve our problems? No, but it is a step in the right direction. He lives every day in massive pain. He cannot go walk around a mall without having problems. He has to use the stroller as support. He cannot work a lot of the jobs available in today's economy due to his pain from his disability. His pain is getting worse and the VA doctors are having to go through all of the red tape that our government has in place before they can get him the help and specialists that he needs. He is also being provided with the evidence needed to fix his entire military discharge. He was honorably medically discharged, but they did not medically retire him. His unit was successful in basically messing it up (which they had threatened). We now have the opportunity to take his case before the Army Board, and they will look at all the evidence and decide whether or not he should have been given retirement.
Brian is still waiting for God to open and close doors when it comes to a ministry position. It is a tough lesson in patience especially when he knows beyond a shadow of a doubt what he is supposed to be doing. Sometimes it can be so easy to just give up, but that is what the devil wants him to do. He wants to cause so much discouragement that Brian cannot do what God has called him to do. Please just continue to keep our family in your prayers. We continually need God's provision and direction.
Anyway, this update pretty much sums up the past year. All of the kids are doing well, have stayed healthy, and are growing. Caleb has been such a joy. We will try to be better about updating this blog in the weeks and months to come. We have a big mission trip coming up in June so stay tuned for more information.
Here are some pictures of the new house and kids.
So after a month of living in hotels, God blessed us with the house that He was preparing for us. It was a house that was a perfect size for our family and in our budget (even though it is valued out of our budget). We now have a home that is 2800 square feet and is actually 3900 square feet if you include our basement. We have more rooms than we have furniture to fill them. This is a house that the owner is trying to wholesale to the bank as he can no longer afford it. The plan is for us to hopefully eventually buy this home, and if God provides and it is His will, this will be the home that we purchase. We will be able to buy it for less than it is worth which in today's economy is a very rare find. If for some reason, we cannot buy this home, we will be thankful for God allowing us to live here for however long He has planned. We live in a very safe neighborhood. Crime is non-existent, and it is just a safe place to raise a family. Our neighborhood is filled with a lot of other families many of which go to area churches around here.
Also just recently, Brian won his very long and overdo VA claim for disability increase. Does it solve our problems? No, but it is a step in the right direction. He lives every day in massive pain. He cannot go walk around a mall without having problems. He has to use the stroller as support. He cannot work a lot of the jobs available in today's economy due to his pain from his disability. His pain is getting worse and the VA doctors are having to go through all of the red tape that our government has in place before they can get him the help and specialists that he needs. He is also being provided with the evidence needed to fix his entire military discharge. He was honorably medically discharged, but they did not medically retire him. His unit was successful in basically messing it up (which they had threatened). We now have the opportunity to take his case before the Army Board, and they will look at all the evidence and decide whether or not he should have been given retirement.
Brian is still waiting for God to open and close doors when it comes to a ministry position. It is a tough lesson in patience especially when he knows beyond a shadow of a doubt what he is supposed to be doing. Sometimes it can be so easy to just give up, but that is what the devil wants him to do. He wants to cause so much discouragement that Brian cannot do what God has called him to do. Please just continue to keep our family in your prayers. We continually need God's provision and direction.
Anyway, this update pretty much sums up the past year. All of the kids are doing well, have stayed healthy, and are growing. Caleb has been such a joy. We will try to be better about updating this blog in the weeks and months to come. We have a big mission trip coming up in June so stay tuned for more information.
Here are some pictures of the new house and kids.
1 year old Caleb
2 1/2 year old Joshua 
4 year old Stephen 
5 1/2 year old Michael 
7 1/2 year old Lilly 
9 year old Jonathan 
10 1/2 year old BJ 
Our new house 
Monday, September 28, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Meet Caleb Joseph Sersaw
When we found out we were expecting our 7th child, we didn't tell a lot of people. Too many people in this world are quick to judge and do not truly value human life. Think about it, if God creates life and He is in control of everything, how can we question Him or His timing? As Christians, we all stand against abortion. We believe in the sanctity of human life, but how many of us have been quick to judge or say something about larger families? Should those families be made to feel bad by others just because God blesses them with a new baby? Sadly, that happens and happens way too often in the pro-life community. Anyway, when we found out we were expecting Caleb, we did question God and His timing, but we knew that He has a plan for everything, and if He believed it was time for the Sersaws to have another child, then so be it (we secretly hoped he would be a girl though).
When we found out that Caleb was definitely a boy and would not be a girl, we told the kids. We were concerned about Lilly as she has been praying and praying for God to give her a baby sister. She handled the news rather well, and still to this day prays for a baby sister or for an opportunity to adopt a sister. All of course went well throughout the pregnancy except for some increased pain issues that were mainly attributed to my hip (two surgeries on left hip and there is an incorrectable deformity in the ball and socket joint). I just had to be more careful and realize that hopefully once Caleb was born all would go back to normal.
When I went to the doctor at almost 39 weeks, I was discouraged to find out I was only 1 cm dilated. I have always had our babies early and usually dilated to at least 2 cm by 36 weeks. The doctor said he was a little concerned that I was not appearing to be anywhere close to ready, but he wanted to give it another week and see what happened. He did do something that he said may help it a little. All I got out of it was more pain. Oh well.
On Friday, August 21st, the pain from my doctor appointment on the 19th still had not subsided. I also noticed that the normal braxton hicks contractions that I have from about seven months on were definitely getting stronger and started to wonder if maybe we would have a repeat of Joshua's birth -- labor on Friday and birth on Saturday. I contacted my mom to find out her plans for the day, and then said I didn't really think anything would happen. Mistake on my part. By 10:00 Friday evening, I was starting to have more pain -- nothing regular as usual. By midnight, I was counting to take my mind off the pain and figured if I were to go in, I could convince labor and delivery to let me stay. Plus, I love getting the epidural before anything is too bad. It really helps me with my hip and makes everything very easy. We tried to call my parents, but no one answered the phone. We continually tried all night long to no avail. I kept on saying I would just hold out, but we both knew that I probably should go in. According to my doctor, they didn't want me to go in until the contractions were five minutes apart and a minute long. I was not going to follow those rules though because I wanted an epidural earlier than that. We eventually got the kids up sometime after 4 on Saturday morning, August 22nd, and drove over to my parent's house and knocked on the door and rang the doorbell until they answered. We gave them the kids and headed to the hospital. By this point, I thought maybe the contractions were splitting or something. They were still 10 to 12 minutes apart, with pain lasting about 30 to 45 seconds but would come, go away, come back in 2 minutes, and then not come back again for another 10 minutes or so.
We got to the hospital and walked into Labor and Delivery. I was able to tell the nurse everything, and she told me to do all the standard changing, using the bathroom, etc. Well, I went to use the bathroom, had a contraction, and then the water broke. Now, I knew from experience that when the doctor breaks my water, I deliver within 30 minutes or less. I believe that I started to panic at this point as I still had no IV, no bloodwork, and no epidural. It may not matter to some, but when you have a hip problem, that epidural is a lifesaver when it comes to pain. We told the nurse that we thought my water broke, and she said she would check. I was only at 5 cm. This was probably around 5:45 to 6:00 in the morning. After that point though, every contraction was extremely painful and rather often. I am not sure which was worse -- the pain in my hips or the actual contractions. They got the IV in and ran the bloodwork, but when they checked me again, I moved from a 6 to an 8 in one contraction. The nurse said she may need to prepare for a nurse delivery. Luckily my doctor was nearby, and he was able to get to the room. I think I realized that I really wasn't going to get that epidural or anything, and I sort of panicked, but the doctor and staff, as well as Brian, were great at helping me through it all and Caleb was born at 6:27 in the morning. He was small but healthy. He did have a little bit of a problem transitioning, just like Joshua, but other than that he was perfectly fine at 5 pounds, 12 ounces, and 18 1/2 inches long. He has the darkest hair of all of our kids. He is so small right now that he swims in all of his clothes, but he is a sweet baby.
We are very thankful to God in all of this. He was in control of it all from day one. I could have easily had Caleb in the car, or somewhere else, but God let us get to the hospital in time. Who knows. Maybe he allowed him to be small on purpose -- to make it easier on me. Now we are in the recovery phase. I am having some severe issues with pain associated with my hips, but the doctors say we just have to give it time to see if it clears up on its own, or if we have perhaps had some damage done. We will just cross each bridge as we come to it. God always carries us through. We would not trade Caleb in for any other child, and our family loves him dearly. God has truly blessed us with seven wonderful, healthy children, and we look forward to all that He has in store for us in the years to come.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Thinking about children's ministry
I'm thinking that when it come to children's ministry I'll just aim lower, think smaller, give up, and have a cup of coffee (even though I don't own a coffee maker and rarely drink coffee anyway). Before you criticize me, please watch this video. -- Brian
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Homeschooling: Pros and Cons
As many know, all of our kids are home schooled. They will usually say that they love it. They don't have to wake up early in the morning, and they don't have to do school all day long simply because let's face it, it doesn't take all day to learn when you don't have an entire class of distractions.
There are some cons to homeschooling. One of those is the time that it requires. I can't work on laundry, or clean house, or get other chores done very easily when homeschooling because I have four kids on four different grade levels, and they have a tendency to get off task if left unattended. Then you of course have the issue of the younger kids wanting your attention and time as well. We usually try to let the younger kids sit and color and work on workbooks, crafts, and things like that. Another con to homeschooling is that it is very easy to clash with your child. Depending on how you are homeschooling, if you are doing a lot of the teaching (which we are since I am more than capable of being able to teach elementary age curriculum -- use Abeka and some other curriculum), you can have issues where your child will get an attitude. This is something that may not happen as often if they were at regular school. We usually are able to work through those issues though. Most of the cons to homeschooling can be worked through, making homeschooling a very wonderful experience.
There are so many pros to homeschooling. One that I really love is that my kids are never sick. They don't have to go around kids who go to school on a regular basis with colds and other contagious infections. It is very, very nice. Also, with homeschooling, you can work at your own pace. Yes, your child is in a grade and yes you want them to be equal if not ahead of their peers, but it isn't the end of the world if you get behind. You can very easily catch up. My younger kids also have a habit of learning more advanced concepts early because they are there when their older siblings are learning them as well. Lilly and Jonathan both do BJ's third grade social studies and science if the assignment is doable. Lilly may require some additional assistance, but she picks up on the ideas and concepts very quickly. Another thing I like about homeschooling is that as a parent, I can control what my children are learning. I don't have to worry about them being exposed to values, principles, and lifestyles that are against God's Word. Do we talk about abortion, homosexuality, and other sins? Yes, in age appropriate discussions at appropriate times. We don't shelter our kids just because they are home schooled, but we also don't expose them to things that would have a negative impact on them.
Why did we choose to home school? Well, actually we were forced to do it. We couldn't get the kids in the school that we wanted them to go to, and we could not afford to send them to private Christian school. It is working out great though. Brian grew up in public school, and I grew up in a private Christian school until high school, so after discussing it, we had always said that our kids would either be home schooled or attend a private Christian school. Will they later move to a private Christian school from the home school environment? We would like them to maybe around late elementary or middle school if they want to and if we have the finances and find a school that we would like to send them to. Also, we will let our children go to a public high school if that school has classes and other courses that they could not get by being home schooled or in a private school and those were classes and activities that they would really want to be able to participate in. Who knows, maybe we will like homeschooling so much that they will just stay home schooled and be able to take college courses in high school. We are just taking each year at a time and going as God leads us. --Jennifer
There are some cons to homeschooling. One of those is the time that it requires. I can't work on laundry, or clean house, or get other chores done very easily when homeschooling because I have four kids on four different grade levels, and they have a tendency to get off task if left unattended. Then you of course have the issue of the younger kids wanting your attention and time as well. We usually try to let the younger kids sit and color and work on workbooks, crafts, and things like that. Another con to homeschooling is that it is very easy to clash with your child. Depending on how you are homeschooling, if you are doing a lot of the teaching (which we are since I am more than capable of being able to teach elementary age curriculum -- use Abeka and some other curriculum), you can have issues where your child will get an attitude. This is something that may not happen as often if they were at regular school. We usually are able to work through those issues though. Most of the cons to homeschooling can be worked through, making homeschooling a very wonderful experience.
There are so many pros to homeschooling. One that I really love is that my kids are never sick. They don't have to go around kids who go to school on a regular basis with colds and other contagious infections. It is very, very nice. Also, with homeschooling, you can work at your own pace. Yes, your child is in a grade and yes you want them to be equal if not ahead of their peers, but it isn't the end of the world if you get behind. You can very easily catch up. My younger kids also have a habit of learning more advanced concepts early because they are there when their older siblings are learning them as well. Lilly and Jonathan both do BJ's third grade social studies and science if the assignment is doable. Lilly may require some additional assistance, but she picks up on the ideas and concepts very quickly. Another thing I like about homeschooling is that as a parent, I can control what my children are learning. I don't have to worry about them being exposed to values, principles, and lifestyles that are against God's Word. Do we talk about abortion, homosexuality, and other sins? Yes, in age appropriate discussions at appropriate times. We don't shelter our kids just because they are home schooled, but we also don't expose them to things that would have a negative impact on them.
Why did we choose to home school? Well, actually we were forced to do it. We couldn't get the kids in the school that we wanted them to go to, and we could not afford to send them to private Christian school. It is working out great though. Brian grew up in public school, and I grew up in a private Christian school until high school, so after discussing it, we had always said that our kids would either be home schooled or attend a private Christian school. Will they later move to a private Christian school from the home school environment? We would like them to maybe around late elementary or middle school if they want to and if we have the finances and find a school that we would like to send them to. Also, we will let our children go to a public high school if that school has classes and other courses that they could not get by being home schooled or in a private school and those were classes and activities that they would really want to be able to participate in. Who knows, maybe we will like homeschooling so much that they will just stay home schooled and be able to take college courses in high school. We are just taking each year at a time and going as God leads us. --Jennifer
Friday, February 6, 2009
"Do You Hear What The Children Are Saying?"
I can remember in high school an advertisement on the television asking parents, "It's 12 am, do you know where your children are?" Most of the time I'd laugh and say to a friend near me, "I'm at a church youth fellowship and yes my parents know!"
Well, it's 4:56 am and I'm the parent. I had a visit from a very tired 2 1/2 year old at 1:30 am who was complaining that the music was off (we have CD players in their rooms that play classical or children's music to them as they drift off to sleep). I escorted him back to bed and turned the music on for him. I, however, could not easily be guided off to the realm of dreams.
So, I am here and God's Word is with me. I flipped through the pages until I reached the first book of the New Testament and over to page 1039 (for those not able to see my Bible right now the passage is Matthew 21:1-16). On that page, I began to read about the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. I read, and of course, I was drawn in when I read about the children. They very innocently were caught up into the festive nature of the procession and proclaimed, "Hosanna to the Son of David," all the way up to the Temple grounds. This didn't set too well with the religious leaders who were not happy with Jesus in the first place. They asked Jesus, "Do you hear what these children are saying?" Of course, these are religious leaders, so Jesus referred to the only authority they should not refute -- Scripture (specifically Psalms 8:2). Long story short, the religious leaders had no problem with Scripture, they just hated that this song of praise by David was being used for a descendent of David as a proclamation of Messiahship by almost everyone including children.
I regress. The eye catcher for me in this passage is the words of the religious leaders, "Do you hear what these children are saying?" Obviously, someone was not listening! As a father, I trip up sometimes and do not really hear what my children are saying. This is really a detriment when they are bringing a concern about waste management. Sometimes, my listening is too good and I hear my children say things that they shouldn't. However, recently my hearing has been excellent. You see, from praises by my two older boys, who are Christians, and the testimony of my daughter's six year old friend, I had the opportunity to lead my daughter to Christ. I'm so glad I was listening.
Children are amazing in that they never relent when they hear something good and want to tell you about it. My oldest will be celebrating his 9th birthday and he's never missed a day of telling us what he wants and why. A child is also honest in that what comes from their lips is what is in their hearts (Matthew 12:34). The question is, are we actively listening to what we are saying? It is so easy to be negative, but really with a God who loves us and can provide for us why do we waste our words? Read Philippians 4:10-13 if you want some encouragement. My hope is that when the devil whispers, "Do you hear what Brian is saying?" that my Lord is saying back, "All I hear is praise."
Well, it's 4:56 am and I'm the parent. I had a visit from a very tired 2 1/2 year old at 1:30 am who was complaining that the music was off (we have CD players in their rooms that play classical or children's music to them as they drift off to sleep). I escorted him back to bed and turned the music on for him. I, however, could not easily be guided off to the realm of dreams.
So, I am here and God's Word is with me. I flipped through the pages until I reached the first book of the New Testament and over to page 1039 (for those not able to see my Bible right now the passage is Matthew 21:1-16). On that page, I began to read about the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. I read, and of course, I was drawn in when I read about the children. They very innocently were caught up into the festive nature of the procession and proclaimed, "Hosanna to the Son of David," all the way up to the Temple grounds. This didn't set too well with the religious leaders who were not happy with Jesus in the first place. They asked Jesus, "Do you hear what these children are saying?" Of course, these are religious leaders, so Jesus referred to the only authority they should not refute -- Scripture (specifically Psalms 8:2). Long story short, the religious leaders had no problem with Scripture, they just hated that this song of praise by David was being used for a descendent of David as a proclamation of Messiahship by almost everyone including children.
I regress. The eye catcher for me in this passage is the words of the religious leaders, "Do you hear what these children are saying?" Obviously, someone was not listening! As a father, I trip up sometimes and do not really hear what my children are saying. This is really a detriment when they are bringing a concern about waste management. Sometimes, my listening is too good and I hear my children say things that they shouldn't. However, recently my hearing has been excellent. You see, from praises by my two older boys, who are Christians, and the testimony of my daughter's six year old friend, I had the opportunity to lead my daughter to Christ. I'm so glad I was listening.
Children are amazing in that they never relent when they hear something good and want to tell you about it. My oldest will be celebrating his 9th birthday and he's never missed a day of telling us what he wants and why. A child is also honest in that what comes from their lips is what is in their hearts (Matthew 12:34). The question is, are we actively listening to what we are saying? It is so easy to be negative, but really with a God who loves us and can provide for us why do we waste our words? Read Philippians 4:10-13 if you want some encouragement. My hope is that when the devil whispers, "Do you hear what Brian is saying?" that my Lord is saying back, "All I hear is praise."
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