Wonderful Words of Life

I had the most exhilarating trip to the grocery store today.  I know what you’re thinking, and even I am shocked to write those words, but it was truly wonderful.  On a normal outing for groceries, I have all three fosslings in tow.  Without fail it is one of the most entertaining sights you have ever seen.  Always fun, and occasionally frustrating, navigating the market with the fosslings has taught me much in the way of patience, gentleness, and instruction for my children.  We have finally reached the point where I feel like Mrs. Mallard (from our favorite Boston book) who “taught them to walk in a line, to come when they were called, and to keep a safe distance from bikes and scooters and other things with wheels (namely, grocery carts!).”  And when my darlings are the recipients of the admiration of fellow shoppers, I follow Mrs. Mallard’s lead once more and “walk with an extra swing in my waddle.”  What can I say?  I love my fosslings and they make momma proud!

Today’s grocery store venture was monumental, not because the fosslings were still snug in bed when I left the house at 6:ooam (although, let me tell you, it was a refreshing change), but because of the to and fro of my travels.  I drive 40 minutes one-way to get to my market, and today I seized the opportunity of a peaceful van ride to listen to a pod-cast of one of my favorite speakers, Allistair Begg.  My coffee mug was filled to the brim this morning, but my cup was feeling a bit empty, so I knew I needed to be filled.  Anytime I listen to one of his pod-casts, I know that I am in for something incredible.  Today, of all days, was no exception.  I could write pages about the content of his message, but instead I will simply state the one phrase that hit my heart like a dart.  “The Bible wasn’t written simply to inform us.  It was written to transform our hearts and our lives, to change us.”  This very simple, yet profound statement sent my mind into a spiral of thoughts.  And I found myself overcome with the wonder and blessing of the living words that I run my fingers through every day.

There are millions of self-help books and I have read many.  Some are helpful, some are…well…you can fill in the blank.  The entire point of a self-help book is to inform you of how you can change something negative in your life.  Fantastic.  But, it can’t make you change.  I have found some factual nuggets and encouraging personal accounts of success in such books, but my heart has never swelled up within me and been deeply convicted of the need for change as when I open the book my Father wrote for me.  Where else can I find words that are a healing salve to the sorest parts of my spirit?  What other words can chisel the crusty layer of bitterness or anger from my heart?  Find me another book who’s light is so intense that it can illuminate the darkest corners of my soul, exposing the most hidden secrets of my failings?

I love to read and I collect antique books.  But, my Bible is my most treasured book because it’s the only bound collection of words that is “living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)  That thought is both a wellspring of hope and a whirlpool of conviction.  But I can guarantee there isn’t a self-help book in this world that can reach the most buried places within you like the trenchant words of the Bible.

It is the only place I can go where I know its words will be like a “lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105)  I can meditate on its words day and night and when its truths dwell richly in me I am less likely to fall into temptation.  There are times in my life that I will adopt certain mantras to encourage me to stay on the right path and make good decisions.  You know which ones have the most affect?  “Pray without ceasing.”  “Be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to be angry.”  “Finish the race put before you.”  “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”  “Set your mind on things above.”  “Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart.”  “Count it all joy.”  “Humble yourself and He will lift you up.”  “Come unto Me, and I will give you rest.”

I can trust the words God has given me because they are flawless. (Proverbs 30:5)  They are both my shield and my sword. (Ephesians 6:17)  My Bible is my guidebook, atlas, compass, lantern, weapon, shelter, ointment.  It is my ever-relevant, never-failing, forever-alive, perfect in any situation, gift of life.  I hope it is yours too.

I was hoping to have my cup filled a bit today.  Right now, it’s spilling all over me.

First Birthday

Baby Fossling turned one this week and I honestly have no idea where the past year has gone.  Come to think of it, I'm not sure where the past five years of having Fosslings has gone!  Each of our children have been incredible gifts from God, but Baby Fossling has been our little "miracle one".  She defied the odds in every way just to be born and she was a fighter in my tummy when the doctors thought we might lose her. From the moment of her first breath, she has brought both comfort and joy to everyone who meets her eye.  (It is impossible not to burst into smiles when you look at her precious face!)  I am confident that God created her for an incredible purpose, and we can already see His plan unfolding in her tiny little life.

My Favorite Day

I could barely open my eyes upon waking this morning.  The sun was pouring into my bedroom like a flood and my heart immediately spilled over with excitement and gratitude.  I can only imagine how the sun shone the morning Christ walked out of that tomb.  The radiance must have been blinding.  What about  the brilliant light spewing forth from the angel sitting on the boulder that sealed the tomb?  Can you imagine how the women must have shielded their eyes?  The power and victory that encompasses this day of resurrection overwhelms me.  The very thought of Jesus Christ winning the battle over death, removing it's sting, and reigning forever in both heaven and in the hearts of those who believe in Him...it literally takes my breath away.

I am thrilled to see how the Fosslings have picked up on Momma and Papa Foss' excitement of holy week, especially the resurrection.  They were taking turns today saying to each other, "Christ is risen!" "He is risen, indeed!"  Those words churn up such adoration in my soul and it thrills my very being to hear it in the precious voices of my children.  When we pulled the egg out of our easter bread today and cried that victorious chant, the Fosslings were jumping and clapping with excitement.  What more could I pray for as a mother and as a child of God, than to watch my family unite and celebrate the greatest victory in the course of history and our greatest hope as believers in Christ.

Nearly 2,000 years ago one Man altered the course of history and holds the heavy weight champion title over an opponent that none other has been able to defeat.  He won the battle in your name that you could never win on your own.  And He continues to fight for you and will win your battles until He rings the final bell and calls the match.  He's never lost a fight and He never will.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

And that is why this is my favorite day...ever.

At Rest

Holy Saturday.  It has taken new meaning to me in recent years.  As much as is possible for a pastor's family, we have tried to guard this day as a special day to rest and ponder the "inbetweeness" of Christ's death and His resurrection.  For obvious reasons, this is difficult with all of the preparations that are necessary for Resurrection Sunday services and festivities.  However, we are doing our best to instill in the Fosslings' hearts and our own hearts the importance of each piece of holy week.

Saturday is often lost in the chaos of Easter preparations or neglected because who really stops to think about what happened on this day?  What did happen?  Jesus rested.  And I think I can learn a big lesson from my King on this day.  God rested on this day in creation.  Jesus rested on this day in His creation of a new covenant.  And I too must rest.

Our home was far from restful today.  As much as Papa Foss and I try to create a peaceful atmosphere, with three children aged four and under, it can get nutty at the drop of a hat.  Today was no exception.  Then, I embarked on a foolish venture.  I went to Walmart the day before Easter.  Foolish.  At any rate, there I was and it was chaos.  I made quick work of my list of two grocery items (the two most important ingredients for my Greek Easter Bread!) and back home I dashed.  I won't bore you precious readers with all the details of my to-do list, but let's just say it runneth over today.  Still, in the midst of busyness, my heart kept coming back to the thought of where my Savior was on this day.  Between the vice grip of His past, brutal betrayal, beating, and burial and the glory of His coming redemption and resurrection, Christ lay in waiting, resting.  And I found myself caught in the suspense of an action packed thriller.  I have mourned the death of my Beloved Lord and I'm on the edge of my seat waiting to celebrate the victory of His resurrection!  What a very strange and wondrous "waiting room".

When I lay down to rest for the night today, I will have butterflies in my stomach and fall asleep in the excited anticipation of waking to a new dawn...one that brings the greatest victory and hope my heart could ever long for.

Consider the Cost

Many people in my life have taught me the value of generosity and the importance of sacrificing personal comforts and wants for the goodness of others.  And I feel indebted to those people for the way it has shaped my life and my desire to be more selfless.  Although, I honestly admit that it is a daily struggle for me to not think of myself first.  I find incredible joy in giving to others, even when it costs a great price.  Because I have been on the receiving end of others’ sacrificial generosity and felt the indescribable blessing that comes over me upon receipt of such love and kindness.  And every day we are showered with sacrificial generosity, but often we are too busy to see it.  Sometimes we notice it, but neglect to express our gratitude.  Perhaps it’s right in front of us, yet we cannot even begin to grasp its height, depth, or width.


The interesting thing about generosity and sacrifice, if you actually stop to think about it, is that it’s never really deserved.  If it was deserved, then we would call it a reward.  Generosity and sacrifice are gifts.  The value of a gift is found in its worth and what it cost the giver.

Today of all days, I am left speechless at the very thought of a gift that was given to me before I took my first breath, before I was a twinkle in my parents’ eyes, before the foundation of this very earth.  There was a gift being prepared.  But, this was a gift unlike any other ever given.  It was hand crafted and perfectly made for a recipient who was, knowingly, ungrateful and undeserving.  The gift came from a heart overflowing with mercy and grace to a heart crusted and clogged with deceit, selfishness, and anything ugly that you can possibly imagine. 

To think that Someone would endure rejection, ridicule, hatred, physical beatings, emotional distress, spiritual turmoil, social embarrassment, and degradation in order to pay the ransom for a person who desperately needed to be saved and shown mercy, yet never asked for it…it’s mind boggling.  How can I reason, in my finite mind, that Someone would leave a place of perfection and live in a place filled with hatred, sickness, and rebellion in order to save the very people who spat at His face, nailed His loving hands to a brutal wooden cross, hurled insults at His perfect soul, and took His earthly life in a gruesome, torturous manner.  It’s “love so amazing, so divine” that it “demands my soul, my life, my all.”

My heart has been wrapped around these living words all day.  I pray that they bring you comfort, conviction, compassion, hope…whatever God may use to reveal Himself in a fresh way.

Mark 10:45

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Romans 6:23

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Ephesians 2:8

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--

James 1:17

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

Isaiah 53

“Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.

He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

just a few pictures

Baby Fossling hits the Cheerios jackpot!

The middlest, littlest Fossling paddling in the "pond".

The oldest Fossling swimming on her own!

Hope ~ Joy ~ Grace
(what each has brought to our family and what God has given to each)

An Easter Prelude

I'm not sure if anyone really reads this blog.  But, for those who happen to stumble upon it, my prayer is that God uses my simple words and meager thoughts to feed you a morsel of encouragement or shine a glimmer of hope on your day.  I can see that it's been many months since my last post, but I'm not one to write for the sake of having a blog post every day or every week or every whatever.  I'm one to write when it's written on my heart.  And today my heart was lavished with goodness from my Sustainer.  So I pass it on to you...

As I grow in age (I hit a new decade last month!) and hopefully mature in my faith and walk with Jesus, I have gained an ever greater appreciation and love for the Easter season.  In fact, it has blown Christmas out of the water for me.  (Before you go criticizing my theology, I am fully aware that you cannot have Easter without Christmas...I got that.)  But, my entire hope as a believer in Jesus Christ lies in the fact that He looked death in the face, took it by the scruff of the neck, and laid it back in the ground where it belongs so that we can say, "Death where is your victory?"  No other person in the course of history has gone head to head with death and been named the Champion!  My hope and joy every morning when I rise from my bed is that one day I will rise to a Son who has prepared a place of perfection for me beside Himself.  And it's never going to end.  Can you begin to wrap your mind around that?  I don't even know where to start!

I took the two oldest Fosslings to preschool this morning, and as I drove home I threw the ipod on shuffle.  And this is what I cranked at 80 decibels while driving down the road.  I hope it brings as much hope and empowerment to you as it did to me. (Do yourself a gigantic favor and crank your volume.)

"King of Glory"