Changed By Love

Changed By Love

Following the Lamb wherever he goes… Revelation 14:4

The Wee Ones at the Park

Abby and I ride a purple dinosaur!

Abby rides a bee!

Garrett and Fiona sail on a ship!

Abby steps on acorns!

All four wee ones rode on a train!

We thought this train was a regular part of what they offer at the park, but when we got over to it, we found out that it was a reserved train for a birthday party. But they let us ride anyway!
The kids really loved it. I was so grateful to the family that let us crash their party for a train ride!

They probably have no idea how special that was for my kids. They haven’t gotten to do many things like that.

Somebody’s sad that there are only 3 swings.

Did you ever see such a sad face? Don’t worry, it won’t last long.

 

Garrett and Fiona, meanwhile, are having the time of their lives.

Now Abby gets a chance to swing in a swing that’s just her size.

Emma rides a ladybug!

So ends our day with the wee ones at the park.

The Question I Never Wanted to Hear

I  remember a day long ago when Patrick was about 6 years old (he’s 17 now) when he came to me and told me that Jordan and Shawn were carrying buckets of water and he tried to carry one, too, but he couldn’t.  I asked him how full it was.  He said it was about half full.  I told him to dump out some of the water and try to carry less.  He said he did, but it was still too heavy.  I’ll never forget the sorrow in his voice when he said, “Mommy, the other boys can carry those buckets real easy.  How come it’s so heavy for me?  Why can’t I carry things like they can?  I’ve tried to do other things they do, too, and I just can’t do them.  Why is it so hard for me?”  Then I know what the problem was.  He was discovering the limitations that arthrogryposis had put on him.  My heart was broken.  I never made a big deal about the arthrogryposis because I didn’t want him to feel like there was something wrong with him.  I wanted him to try things without thinking, “Oh, I can’t do that because I have arthrogryposis.”  And it had worked really well.  He did everything on time and better than my other kids.  He was a daredevil and rode a bike sooner than his siblings.  He did tricks and jumps on his bike!  But he had discovered that his biceps were not as strong as theirs.  And he was asking me why.

 

I told him about the arthrogryposis and how the doctor said he didn’t have as much bicep muscle because of it.  But I told him that he could still work on it and try to build as much muscle as he could.  I told him to start with lifting the bucket with nothing in it and gradually add a little bit of water to it.  He wasn’t sure if he could even lift an empty bucket, but I told him to keep trying.  I told him that he was already a miracle in what he was able to do.  That the doctors had told me that he may never be able to feed himself or brush his teeth or groom himself or walk or ….  He had proven all of that wrong.  He was able to dress himself, feed himself – everything – all of his life!  So I told him that God would help him with this problem, too.  That we were praying, and we believed that God would heal him completely.

 

Just look at him now!  He can bench more weight than his older brother!  And he has a powerful punch. God is an awesome God.  He is our healer.  Patrick tells everyone he meets what God has done for him.  God is willing and able to heal if we press into Him and believe His promises.

I Will Be Their God

By Gary Wilkerson, son of David Wilkerson

Oct. 22, 2012

 

“And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul” (Jeremiah 32:38-41, ESV).

Do you remember when you raised your hand in third grade and asked, “Teacher, can I go to the bathroom?” What did the teacher reply?

“Of course you can, but the correct question is, MAY I go to the bathroom?”

In this verse God uses the words, “may not.” It is a declarative statement: “You may not do it!” He is saying, “I am going to put My law in you that you may not break covenant with Me.”

I love that He calls this an everlasting covenant. If I could impart one thing into your life, it would be this message of understanding, walking in and enjoying the reality that God’s covenant with us is an everlasting covenant.

Can this New Covenant be broken? God says through the prophet Jeremiah: “Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar — the LORD of hosts is his name. If this fixed order departs from before me, declares the LORD, then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever” (Jeremiah 31:35-36, ESV).

When will the New Covenant promise be broken? When the stars refuse to shine, when there is no longer a sun, and when man can go down to the depths of the core of the earth and measure the stars and the universe. So God is saying, “The New Covenant is an everlasting covenant!”

Warriors In Training!

Trying out some techniques for deflecting punches

Stretching and limbering up for conditioning

Conditioning – wow, that looked painful!

This is Aaron, the sensei.

This young man trains with Aaron, too. As we talked a little bit, I found out that he was from Ohio, too. That’s where I was born and raised. Gary and the kids were born and raised there, too, until we left in 2005. I asked him where in Ohio he was from. He said near Miamisburg. I couldn’t believe it, because that town is really close to the little town that I grew up in. Then he mentioned Germantown and Farmersville. My jaw dropped. I said, “You know about Germantown and Farmersville?” That is the exact school district I went to and graduated from and then taught first grade in. He said, “Yeah, I’m from Farmersville.” I almost ran over and hugged him. He suddenly felt like family! Farmersville and Germantown combined into one school district (Valley View) when I was in First Grade. I taught at Germantown Elem. for 3 years, then at Farmersville Elem. for 2.5 years. He was in First Grade at the time I was teaching there. But he was living in Houston until his 4th grade year. Then he went to live with his dad in Farmersville in 4th grade. He knew many of the kids that I taught in First Grade! Do you believe it’s a coincidence that I met him here in Houston last week training with my sons? I don’t think so. God is up to something. I’m not sure what, but I know He’s up to something.

Now time for some fun stuff!

They got kind of intense at times.

My boys loved it. They came home sweaty and tired, but Aaron took them to a Vietnamese noodle shop afterwards, so they were full and happy. They are getting quite an education from Aaron. What a blessing he has been to our family!

My Thoughts on Tattoos

I think that if a person really wants a tattoo, s/he should wait until they’re married. The reason is that once you are married, the husband’s body belongs to his wife and vice versa. If you have put a tattoo on your body before you even met your future spouse, you may have spoiled your body for them. I am glad that my husband doesn’t have a tattoo. I don’t like them. I don’t like how they look, and they spoil God’s creation for me. That’s my personal opinion, and I’m sure there are other people who feel the same way. They have become so popular now that I feel that people should really consider this before getting one. I don’t think it is fair or wise to get one before you are married. If you still want one after getting married (to the one that God has chosen for you) and your spouse doesn’t have a problem with it and even likes the idea, and you have checked with God, then go ahead.

That’s just what I think. I know God does different things with different people. But if you have a desire to get married in the future and you think that God is preparing you for that, then wait on the tattoo until after marriage.