Celebrate Life Amidst Grief

I got one of those phone calls you never want to get on a Monday morning or anytime for that matter. A friend of ours in his early 40's passed away on Monday morning from a heart attack. Being with his 34 year old widow on Monday morning so many emotions rushing inside her head and heart. Anger, frustration, blame, fear,etc. I couldn't even begin to put myself in her shoes.She just needed to feel, and vent, and cry all at the same time. Her heart breaking and wanting him back. "I just want him to walk in that door right now!!" she kept saying. This type of deep hurt is unexplainable to those of us who have never lost someone so suddenly and so tragically. Even to those of us that have Jesus and heaven, which our friend did, still does not make the hurt any easier.

She is surrounded by so many people right now knowing that a time is coming that she along with her children will have to face. When everyone that came for the funeral goes home. This is when she will need friends around her more than ever. People around her to help her and the children face their days of lonliness and missing him.

I will choose to celebrate her by praying for her and being there for her when all the out-of-town guests leave. I will choose to celebrate her by encouraging her to keep going for her children. Celebrating amidst the grief. Celebrating a life too short. Celebrating amidst grief, is that even possible? How will you celebrate those in your life that are struggling?

Celebrate Parenting

This past weekend we shared with a group the importance of taking a parenting class that has changed our lives and helped to make us better parents. We get so busy with life sometimes we even forget to parent, especially when our kids get to be 9 and older. We tend to not see as much because they are so independent. As parents we need to remember that they are still dependent on us for so much more than just the necessities of life.The reason we are not producing morally responsible children in our homes is because parental instruction too often lacks moral reason backed up with scripture.We tell our children what to do, or just expect them to get it through influence, but never tell them why they should. here is some good heartfelt scripture to remind us to celebrate being parents!!!!!~My behavior towards you is not based on what you have done to me but on how precious you are to God. Phil 2:3-5 teaches us to Imitating Christ's Humility :
1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. 12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.14Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16as you hold out[c] the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. 17But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
I am so thankful for verses like these that help me get right back on track and reaching my children's hearts.