Nehemiah Challenge - Day Three

My dear family,
Nehemiah Challenge – Day 3

I love this chapter! Here we read the detailed account of the process of repairing and rebuilding the city gate. These are the very chapters in the Bible that it is so easy to skim over, wondering why they are there in such detail. Why did I really need to know all of this construction information? Let’s take a moment together and look a little deeper though.

As each man is named, so is the job to which he was assigned. The picture is painted of many, many families, many individuals, working together toward one common end, the completed, whole wall of Jerusalem.

How does this apply to our life and our church’s current circumstances? Each individual represents each family or each ministry of the church. We all must take charge of different “gates” or different segments. What are you passionate about? What breaks or heart or drives you to action? Then go! Repair the breach within that ministry! Rebuild the faith of those in that sphere! Someone needs you right now to step up and rebuild.

Right now, my dear friends, I am hearing stories of families accepting this Nehemiah Challenge and reading this book together for the first time in their family history. I am hearing stories of the book of Nehemiah being read and discussed publicly in local businesses. When was the last time that we were so united? Let us stop and praise God for this one great victory that He has already brought forth from our struggle!

Begin rebuilding within your marriages, your families and bring your stronger marriages and united families to the house of God ready to fight, to rebuild the breaches within the walls of our temple. We have a tremendous opportunity to receive this challenge as a war drum, an alarm to wake up and get ready. I, for one, will answer with my own war cry. “Let us arise and build!”

Your friend and servant,
Elise

Nehemiah Challenge - Day Two

Hello My dear family,

I hope that you have found a sense of unity as we, together, begin to read how God faithfully helped Nehemiah begin the seemingly impossible task of rebuilding Jerusalem. So He will remain with us as we begin what might seem like the impossible task of rebuilding our church.

After you have read the whole chapter, reread verse 18.
"I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about the king's words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, "Let us arise and build." So they put their hands to the good work."

I charge you now, Family of God, "Let us arise and build!"

I encourage you that none of you are alone. We are all in this fight together. This is the battle for our family, our community. Let us now put our hands to the good work!

The Nehemiah Challenge continues tomorrow with Chapter 3.

Your friend and servant,
Elise

Nehemiah Challenge - Day One

I started this challenge for my church family as we faced an internal trial but I think that some of you might be inspired by it as well. So...welcome to the Nehemiah Challenge!

We are at the foot of a mountain. We have a choice. We can stand here, at the base, crying over what has happened. "Why me? Why us? Why now?" Or we can clothe ourselves in the full armor of God and trust Him as we start to climb.

I would like to ask you all to join me in what I am going to call the Nehemiah Challenge.

In the book of Nehemiah God proves Himself to be the Rebuilder of broken walls and broken lives. We need the God of Nehemiah to move now in our midst. Only then will we be able to climb this mountain and stand at the top, stronger than ever.

Join me today by reading Chapter 1 of the book of Nehemiah. As you read this chapter you will learn that Nehemiah learned of the sad state of Jerusalem and he spent days weeping and praying before God, grieving for what had transpired. Our grief, in the midst of this disappointment, is Biblical and expected. But Nehemiah turned his grief into earnest supplication to God.

Let us now follow his example, turn our hearts to God, repent for our own sin and our complacency.

We do not serve one man. We serve the one true God! We serve the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Remember that this is the time to work together for the kingdom of God to advance.

God have mercy on us and be glorified now within us.

The Nehemiah Challenge continues tomorrow with Chapter 2. Let's work together and watch God rebuild!

Your friend and servant,
Elise

Tragedy and Triumph

I live in a very small town, only 7,000 in my whole county. Today, our community suffered a great tragedy. A van carrying a family of 12 passengers, traveling to celebrate a wedding, was hit by a semi. Ten of the twelve passengers, one a baby just a few months old, are dead. The only survivors, two little boys, now will grow up without their parents. The driver of the semi was killed as well, and somewhere in Alabama his family is mourning him too.

The family was part of the Mennonite community. All morning long I've been looking at my son and tearing up. I cannot begin to imagine the depth of loss that will be felt by those boys, and by everyone in their close community.

So much loss that seems, to us, so senseless. All I can say, and what I have been saying all morning, is that none of this took God by surprise. He knew it was coming, and therefore, He has already prepared a way.

There will be people who misread what I am trying to say. If God knew this was going to happen then why didn't He stop it, right? We live in a world where everyone makes choices and those choices affect us and everyone around us. I do not, and probably never will, know why so many tragic things happen. What I do know...what I know beyond any fear or doubt that might try to assail me, is that God remains in control, despite where any human choices lead.

As I prepare to celebrate with my family the death and resurrection, the sacrifice and victory, of my Savior, I rejoice for these who are now in His presence. I await His promise to turn all things to good for those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.

Look at this picture of me and my baby...so many moments like this that I take for granted...when I look at my son and my eyes fill with tears, imagining two little boys who have lost both mother and father, I remember that no one ever could or will love them more than God, our heavenly Father.

Thanks for reading my ramblings...please remember to pray for the community of those killed this morning. Please pray for their two small boys, and please pray that our community at large will know how to reach out to them, and how to support them.

God is sovereign. God is faithful. We are His hands and feet...

What Is Greatness?

In C.S. Lewis book The Great Divorce there is a scene that has affected me and inspired me ever since I read it, probably over ten years ago now.

A man is sitting quietly with his mentor at the base of a mountain which is meant to signify Heaven. As they sit a glorious procession begins. Pomp and circumstance and celebration surround the arrival of a single woman. The man struggles to see her and then asks his mentor who the jubilation honors.

His teacher replies that she is no one the man ever will have heard of but the young man insists that surely she is famous for no where else has he seen such ado about a single soul.

His teacher then explains that she was no one to others on earth, while she lived, a poor widowed woman living in a humble home. But she always had room for those in need of shelter and she always had food to share with the hungry. She faithfully served others, living her life as God's hand and feet. Though on earth her life seemed unremarkable, in Heaven she received the greatest honor one can boast.

What do You want from me, Lord? Where should I go from here?

I want to make a difference for Your kingdom. I want to BE who You desire me to be.

Show me the path of my life, Lord. Help me to stop being so self-seeking and self-serving. Teach me to love and serve. I don't need to be great but I do have a deep need to do great things. I need to do Your will, follow Your ways, be Your hands and feet. What could be greater than that?

I need to stop desiring greatness and instead, become great.

"...but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant." Luke 22:26

Are You Kidding Me?

I'm telling this story for all of the stay-at-home, work-your-fanny-off Moms.

The other night my son was happily playing by himself with his cars while my husband and I each sat reading books. We were all in the same room and intermittently interacted with one another but for the most part we were all just having a relaxing evening passed as we each chose.

My husband looked up at me and asked, "So, is this what you do every day?"

In my head I said, "Excuse me? I think I just hallucinated...what did you ask me?"

Out loud I said, "Excuse me? I think I just hallucinated...what did you ask me?" Yeah, there was no stopping the immediate thought right then. It wasn't my most eloquent moment.

My husband had the sweetest smile on his face and he said once again, "Does he just play like this all day?"

This is where a Vulcan mind-meld would come in handy because the words I could find were so inadequate to the extreme that I just looked at him and said, "Uh...no."

This is the eternal question we find ourselves answering again and again, to our spouses, our friends, our family, our acquaintances, and if any of you are like me, to ourselves.

No I don't just sit on my tail reading all day while my son takes care of himself! That was the first time I've read between the hours of 7:00 AM and 9:00 PM for over two months!

I sit and play cars. I sit and do puzzles. I sit and color. I sit and play blocks. I sit and play legos. I sit and read books...HIS books. I take him to the potty and then sit in the bathroom and read his books again...and again and again. We wash the dishes together and put them away together. We do the laundry together and dust together. We cook together. We learn letters together and sing songs together. There are somewhere in the ballpark of 4,062 things he could do that he loves to do in this house but they are just no fun unless Mommy is doing them too.

This can't just be me, right? You find something your child loves and you feel a moment of intense liberation. "Now I will have at least twenty minutes to do something while he is happily playing!" Then the sweetest voice I know rings out like an alarm clock waking me from a blissfully relaxing dream.

"Mommy, color too...Mommy, paint too...Mommy, cars too...Mommy, uppy-days*...Mommy, moe-knees+...Mommy...snack...etc.,etc.,etc."

There is no going to the bathroom alone or eating alone or sitting alone or standing alone or cooking alone or cleaning alone or relaxing alone. There is Noble and Mommy, a dynamic duo.

There are times when this is frustrating, of course, because I was an individual for 30 years, able to do whatever I chose whenever I chose. However, the reward comes when my husband notices.

"You know, Elise, you're always saying hoe smart Noble is, but he learns everything from you. You're the reason he's learning so much."

You mean he's not teaching himself while I sit on my sofa curled up with a cup of coffee and a book?...huh. Who knew?

* uppy-days - Up (This is his interpretation of "The people on the bus go up and down." He learned them together and still uses the whole phrase for "up."

+moe-knees - "milkies" our family's covert name for nursing

Finding Freedom in the Middle of Nowhere

"Elise, you had a great job that you loved in the greatest city in the world, why did you leave it all behind to move to the best kept secret in Kentucky?" Well, the truth is, sometimes I have no idea.

I had a dream job in Manhattan, doing something I was good at and believed in, working alongside wonderful people. My boss believed in me and encouraged me. He was ready to keep pushing me forward and letting me succeed and I was excited about the future career and opportunities I had with that organization.

The City was perfect for me. I thrived on the energy and the opportunities. I loved that everything I could ever want was available to me. (Ah, how I miss Ethiopian cuisine!) In the midst of this amazing life experience, the elusive dream my husband and I had long desired came true. We had a baby!

At my husband's suggestion (and with my enthusiastic support) we packed up the bags and headed out of NYC. Can you raise a baby in New York? Of course! Could we raise our child(ren) the way we wanted to in New York? Questionable...not impossible but definitely improbable. We left the City behind and moved to a county of 7,000. Goodbye Metropolis, hello Mayberry.

Leaving behind New York City and its infinite promise and possibility, we took a chance on our dreams for our family, and here, in this small town I have found a freedom that New York never could have given me. I have found that some of my dreams really weren't such a big deal after all...nothing makes you feel more important than being the center of your baby's world. No achievement compares to my husband thanking me for taking such good care of him and our baby. That is success...the only success that matters.

New York has a lot to offer and I still miss it all the time, but as far as I'm concerned, Kentucky has a corner on the Freedom market.