I Hold The Power

It's almost been four years, and I still think about "The Immediate Hallelujah" -- rejoicing in suffering -- a lot... like daily.

Here's a little different focus on that same subject.

I had talked about how we should delight in suffering for Christ's sake. How that can mean suffering that is due to faith in Christ, but how it also means all suffering that produces His character in us. Both meanings are accurate when the Bible speaks of suffering for Christ's sake.

In light of that truth, it seems I hold the power. If I can but learn to respond to any suffering with joy and peace, then I can make any suffering be for Christ's sake (and reap all the eternal rewards for suffering for Christ's sake!)

We are all going to suffer at some point; it's impossible to live in our broken world and escape unscathed by pain. So, the question is: If I am going to suffer, how will I respond? In anger and bitterness to make my suffering pointless and in vain? Or, in joy and peace to turn my suffering into being for His sake and thus purposeful and beneficial? My response determines the outcome. It really does depend on me.

I have the reins. I can choose.

Snow, Service, Sleepovers, and Silliness

• 1st week of January: dinner with friends, got my hair chopped off (13 inches, eighth hair donation, gave it to Wigs for Kids), and celebrated our first snow this winter (6-9"). We went sledding on our street one day and at a friends' house the next day.
• 2nd week of January: a friend visited one night, chiropractor appointments, dinner guests, prayer walk (a friend joined us and picked place), and small group.
• 3rd week of January: Ricky worked out-of-county one day; we had a missionary over for lunch; and, I had the honor to plan and organize a surprise "service project" for some international friends of ours on my spiritual birthday (yay!) :)
• 4th week of January: art class started for the kids, visited our friends to hear the surprise story on their end, small group, and... we, as a family, had a sleepover at our friends' home -- the kids partied till late and we partied later -- slept a little, coffee, brunch, played with kids, talked, board games -- lots of leisure and a super memory ;)
• Micaiah wanted my packing tape one day -- to tape closed Daddy's box of LOTR Legos to prevent temptation. Micaiah kept sneaking in the office to open the box and play with them even though he knew they were off-limits (for now). After repeated disobedience, he creatively and voluntarily came up with this idea! I was so impressed with my 5-yo taking preventative measures to resist forthcoming temptation ;)
• Aolani occassionally will still talk Micaiah into playing kangaroo -- they jump around the house with stuffed animals hanging out of their pants ;) [They used to do it often.]

First snow of the year

At a friend's house with their big,white dog (Monty)

The ideal kitchen table arrangement ;)

Watching history, America's Presidential Inauguration

Our living room floor stays covered in Legos

our friends' kids

pretending to be Mommy and Daddy

in Daddy's clothes

always constructing something...

quoting verses, eating dinner, and feeding Sarah

Now watch it again pondering: does God want me to feel this way about Him?

• School verses: Micaiah -- Proverbs 3:12, Matthew 5:8, Proverbs 20:3 ; Aolani -- Psalm 23:1-3
• Verses I memorized: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24