Here We Go Again...

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." (James 1:5)

Good morning, dear friends,

Photo: wokandapix pixabay

For those of you who were wondering where my blog posts were this month, it was because I was too busy enjoying life to write about it, and because I slept in!  By the time I was up the kids were up, and there was no point trying to write a coherent thought.

Like many of you, summertime has been wonderful!  I have loved the pressure-free, pyjama days, relaxing with my family, free from most routines, and the intense schedule driven days.

As much as it pains me to write this, I know it's coming, just around the corner, and I can't ignore it anymore...

Things are speeding up.  I feel the pace starting to accelerate, and my heart with it.  The lazy days of summer are winding down, and the school year approaches...far too quickly.

There are school supplies that need to be bought.

There are clothes to sort, mend, donate and some holey, stained-beyond-recognition socks that need to be thrown away.

There are back-to-school attitudes that need to be motivated....yes, even mine.  I don't wanna...

It's hard to get back going after the summer....

I have always been a teacher and loved it.  When I graduated from college in the US, I taught French.  When I got married, there were always Sunday school classes to teach.  Then, arriving here in France, there were clubs, camps, and most importantly, my own children that God has allowed me to lead along.  Then, a few years ago, the Lord opened the door here in France to be able to use English lessons to serve Him here.  I love the challenge of trying to make hard things simple to understand, or teach something new, or share some geeky, totally unnecessary random trivia fact with my children!

But this year, for some reason, I'm just not feeling it.

Maybe it's because my children are growing...way too quickly.  With each September I realize that a new chapter is being written in their lives, and they are one step closer to leaving.

Maybe it's the challenge of facing the routines and schedules, and the accelerated pace of life.  Just thinking about school, homework, lessons, and activities, even good ones, is enough to make me tired already.

Maybe it's my own realization that my life is getting shorter as well, and there is still so much to be done...

As much as it is difficult for me to face "back to school" this year, I am thankful that God's school is always in session.  As I have been reading these past few weeks in the book of Proverbs with my oldest son Timothy, I am reminded that God's wisdom is always available, for every new season of my life.  Proverbs chapter 8 reminds me that God's wisdom is ever present, since the beginning of the world:

"The Lord possessed me (wisdom) from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was...Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him...Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways." (Proverbs 8:22,30,32)

I am reminded in James that God's wisdom is freely available to me.  All I have to do is ask:  "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." (James 1:5)

If ever there is a time for wisdom, it's now.  While the fresh start for the school year is upon me, may God help me to remember to rely solely on Him for the answers to my doubts, my struggles, my strength.  May I not seek my own solutions for life's problems, but to find my help from the Lord and His Word.

Here's to all the back-to-school moms out there, overwhelmed at the beginning of the school year.  May we also learn the lessons that God wants us to learn in His school this year.

Growing...

"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."  2 Peter 3:18

Good morning, dear friends,

I can't believe the words that I am typing.  Today is an incredible day for me.

Ten years ago today, God blessed our family with an unexpected blessing...our son Joshua.

Ten years.

One decade.

That's a lot of time, humanly speaking.  One-fourth of my life has been spent caring for him, encouraging him, nurturing him, laughing with him, crying with him, correcting him, and teaching him.

How did the little days add up to so much time in such a short time? Ten years is not much in view of eternity, but it has made all the difference in his life.

Joshua has accepted Christ into his life, and has a desire to serve Him.

What greater joy can there be for a mom, than to know that her son's future rests solely in the hands of her God?  What greater hope, as I watch him grow in the Lord and in knowledge of Him, that Joshua can be an instrument of God as he continues to mature?

Who knows what the Lord has in store for his life?

What a humbling, encouraging thought to know that God is using my husband and me to shape and guide his steps "in the way they should go."

Yesterday, Joshua could hardly stay in one place, as he waited for "his day."  At one point yesterday when he was running around excitedly about his birthday, I scolded him, with a twinkle in my eye, "Grow up!"

Years do not "growing up" make.  My son can grow physically (and I am sure that he will) but I want him to be fully mature in every way possible.  I want him to grow in love, in compassion, and service for others.  I want him to grow in knowledge, in wisdom, in grace, in responsability.  I want him to grow in love for his God and in his faith.

While growing up physically is natural and easy, the other growings are not.  May God help my husband and I to encourage him in his daily growth with the Lord.

Happy 10th birthday to my little man!  I am thankful for you in my life, and look forward to the many years to come, watching you grow....

Shelter

"For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall." (Isaiah 25:4)

Good morning, dear friends,

One of the blessings of summer camp for us is going back to a region that is becoming very familiar to us: the Lot, the area around the ancient city of Cahors, is a wealth of castles, old churches, aqueducts, and many hidden treasures waiting to be discovered.  Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while know how much I love history, so it's always exciting for me to discover new places and learn about the past.

Even though we have been going to this region for 15+ years, usually we are so busy (and tired) from camp that we don't have much time for sightseeing.  This year that changed as the camp transitioned from teen camp to family camp.  The change of pace was a welcome one, and we were able to relax and visit more the area around the camp.

A familiar sight to us at camp are rocks....everywhere.  The area around the camp is surrounded by rock walls to divide the properties, fields and vineyards, using the rocks that have been taken out from the fields themselves.  Many structures are built out of these rocks, including one unique structure that we were able to visit while we were there.

No, this is not some strange tribal hut or "caveman" dwelling.  This is a shepherd's shelter called a casselle.  This was not a house, but rather a shelter in the fields where the shepherd could temporarily fit up to 30 animals (and himself) in case of storms or wounded animals.  The entire structure (this one dates from 1860) is made from rocks, from the bottom all the way up to its cone-shaped roof, fixed with no mortar added.

We were able to go inside, and it was really unusual to be able to stand inside the building.  I imagine that it must have been very cramped indeed with that many animals inside.  I am also slightly claustrophobic, so I can't imagine what it would have been like to stay inside for very long, but it would have been a very strong, very safe haven for a shepherd and his flock.

Inside, looking up to the roof

This shelter must have been such a blessing to the shepherds who worked these fields.  It gets hot in the south of France, but inside this shelter (at least temporarily) it was cool.  A sudden storm, a wild animal, or an animal in distress could be accounted for without having to abandon the fields in search of safety.  The shepherd could tend to his flocks' needs here, and after the need had passed, the sheep could return grazing in the fields.

This shelter was a welcome respite, indeed.

As I was enjoying the visit to this casselle, I was reminded of the shelter that God promises to His flock.  While this stone structure was a temporary shelter from the elements and predators, God's shelter is an eternal one, a welcome safe haven from the cares of this world, and a comfort for the life to come:

"For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall." (Isaiah 25:4)

Though my life may have its dangers, my God is bigger and stronger than those who would oppose me.

May I allow this thought to comfort me today, as I take shelter in my God...

August Blessings and Burdens

Dear Friends and Co-Laborers in Christ,

Drops of Sweat!

Camp!  The month of July is our usual time to head to the South of France for a three-week long youth camp!  Those of you who are well familliar with our ministry know that this is the same camp that greatly influenced me as a teenager, and in which we have been participating every year for the past fifteen years (except for baby times and furloughs.)

Due to increasing difficulties from the French government, this year the camp transitioned from being a youth camp to a family camp!  I think it is a good change as the family is more and more under spiritual attack.  It is good for the French Christian families to have a place to go during the summer vacation, to be away from the world (no TV, radio, Internet, and other outside influences), but not to be away from the Lord.  We had Bible studies every day and many opportunities to be and give a testimony either in groups or individually.

The Lord blessed us with beautiful, yet very HOT weather.  It rained only twice for about an hour or two each time.  The rest of the time stayed in the 100's (30+°C) with very high humidity--even at 10 pm when trying to go to sleep.

Please take a look at Susan's blog (here or here) for more information or to see some pictures from camp.

Tears of Joy!

There was great rejoicing as we heard the testimony of a 24-year old young lady who accepted Christ just days before arriving at camp!  Then, at the end of camp, an 11 year-old young man gave his testimony on how he accepted Christ the day before at camp!  Praise the Lord as he goes back to his family, transformed by the power of the Cross!

Susan taught the young people during camp giving a very clear presentation of the Gospel for the lost and very clear instruction in putting God first for the young Christians.  She used the story of Pilgrim's Progress as a help and the kids loved it.



This August also marks 50 years wedding anniversary of my parents!  What an example and encouragement they continue to be.  I will never thank the Lord enough for the family He has allowed me to be born into.  If the Lord tarries a little, I hope one day that my children will be able to look up at Susan and me with eyes of admiration and thankfulness, in the same way that I do for my parents!



As we close this letter, we are thankful for the family God has entrusted to us, and are constantly made aware of the passage of time.  Timothy and Joshua will celebrate their birthdays later this month (ages 12 and 10 respectively.)  Juliana will also begin a new stage in her life:  homeschooling as she prepares for her future education in the US.  Please keep praying that our whole family will be used by God for His glory, reaching the lost, encouraging Christians and always growing in the Lord.

Servants of Christ,
Carey and Susan Abbett, Juliana, Timothy and Joshua

Tossin' and Turnin'...

"Casting all your care upon him: for he careth for you." (I Peter 5:7)

Good morning, dear......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Photo: markusspiske pixabay

Sorry, must have dozed off for a minute there.

Ever have one of those nights that never seems to end?

I don't usually have trouble sleeping.  My heart goes out to my friends who suffer from chronic insomnia, or to new moms who are faithfully tending their newborns all night long.  Usually, by the time my head hits the pillow at night, I am already half out.  Many times I find myself closing my eyes before I finish my evening chat with Jesus about my day.

Last night was like that for me...until about 2 am.

(Why is it, that when I wake up in the middle of the night, invariably it is around 2 am?  Why not 3:45 or midnight?)

I fell asleep almost instantly last night, and then, I was awake.

Not a drowsy, trudge to the bathroom and then waddle back to the bed half awake.  WIDE awake.

I couldn't figure out what was different.  There was no late afternoon coffee or coke, no weird happenings right before I went to bed.  Just that uncomfortable wide awake sensation that meant I would not be returning to sleep for a while.

What do you do in those situations?  Sometimes I have gotten up and read for a while, or wandered over to my computer to see if any of my American friends were online to chat.

Last night, however, I didn't want to get up, so I held vigil in my bed.

And prayed.

Sometimes I think the Lord just wakes me up in the night, to remind me of unfinished business in my heart.  Or people He knows that need help right then.  I have friends that are travelling by airplane today from the US.  Friends who have cancer, or have been in accidents, or have lost loved ones, or have recently gotten married.  My own family and friends were heavy on my heart last night, and so I prayed.

I often heard as a young Christian, that if I wake up in the middle of the night, to pray, and because Satan hates to hear a Christian pray, he will cause us to fall back asleep quickly.

That may be true, but there is so much more to it than that for me.

Prayer changes me.  It takes the worries I have for my family and friends off my shoulders, and places my burdens in the right hands.  Many times I don't even realize that I am worried for others or situations in my life, until that moment when I give them to the Lord.

I spent a long time in prayer last night, until I finally fell back asleep.

And while I am awake and tired now, my heart is lightened.  I know that God is already working out His perfect will in the lives of those for whom I prayed last night.

The verse that I quoted at the top of the blog is usually a verse that comes to mind isolated by itself:  "Casting all your care upon him: for he careth for you." (I Peter 5:7)  As I was rereading the passage this morning in its context, I was surprised to find this verse tucked into a passage about authority and submission to authority.  The first verses of chapter five talk about pastoral authority and my submission to their leadership, younger people being submitted to their "elders," and all of us submitted to Christ.

I Peter 5:6 gives the key to this submission:  "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:"  I must be willing to submit myself to the Lord, in all humility, before I can cast all my care upon him.  If I am still trying to have the upper hand and wrangle out my problems before the Lord, I will fail miserably.  I will not receive the perfect answers that only come from God, and I will be unrested and ineffective as His child and servant.

I do not know what challenges I may face today, nor how the Lord will see fit to answer the prayers that I offered during the night, but I want to be willing to accept this day, and its trials and blessings, as a precious gift from my Father's hand.  May I be submitted to His guidance, and wait patiently for the answers that He will bring.

I do see a nap in my afternoon future, however....

Part of the family...

"...behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields..." (John 4:35)

Good morning, dear friends,

Now that I have been home for a week from camp, my brain feels less foggy and I think that I am ready to get back to being a sane, normal person again.

(Or, at least as close to this as I ever am.  Don't ask my family--I am sure that they have a different viewpoint. After all, the best moms are always a little crazy, aren't they?)

Before I leave camp behind, though, I did want to share about a new addition to our family.

This is a picture of my two boys, plus one.  The young man in this picture was an invited guest of one of the adults here.  He was very kind and happy for the two weeks at camp, and I enjoyed watching my sons interact with him and see their friendship grow.

During camp, I teased him about adopting him into my family.  You see, even though I have enjoyed close relationships with my parents, I have been adopted into several families over the years.  I know that at any moment, I can get in touch with these parents and seek wisdom and counsel for different areas of my life.  I am a richer person for all those families who have opened their homes to me.

At the end of camp, this young man became my brother in Christ, and my "son" in the faith.

This young man is more than just another missionary story, another face among the sea of those your missionaries will write home about in their prayer letters.  He has real burdens and trials that he stepped into as soon as he returned home.

Would you please join me in prayers for him?

Moments like this remind me of the blessings that God gives by allowing our family to serve Him here in France.  All around me are young men and women just like him who need to see real, authentic Christianity lived out in daily life.  People have questions, whether or not they will voice them, about why they are here and where they will spend eternity.

Thank you again for standing with us in your prayers for the mission field of France.  There are so many more, who have never heard....

The View from Up There

"Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens." Psalm 123:1 

 Good morning, dear friends,

 The house was quiet this morning, very quiet.

For the first time since we arrived home on Monday from camp, everyone was still asleep when I got up. (To be fair, my kids have always been early risers.  7:30 for them is sleeping in. I'll take what I can get.)

As I woke up this morning, it was a beautiful day outside, and I wanted to be a part of it. One of my favorite parts of summer vacation is getting up and going for a walk before the craziness of the day starts.  I grabbed my phone, laced up my tennis shoes, and headed out to my favorite walking path.

 Things have been so crazy this week, coming back from camp and trying to reestablish a routine, even a vacation one.  Before I realize it, school will be upon us again, and all of life's craziness.  I needed just a few minutes this morning to collect my thoughts, reestablish my priorities, and figure out how to make the rest of this summer fun and productive for everyone.

 Needless to say, my mind was running in fifty different directions at once, as I was praying, thinking, and planning, and then praying, thinking and planning some more.  I desperately needed some direction, some focus, some wisdom, and the more I walked, the more all the craziness of my life right now spun around in my head.

Instead of answers, I had more questions.

Instead of clarity, all I had was more confusion and  conflicting goals.

I had spent so much time and energy with my thoughts tumbling in every direction as I walked, that my eyes were focused on my feet and the next few feet in front of me.  As I approached the first field on my walk this morning, and my eyes finally left the ground, I noticed a giant hot air balloon filling the sky right in front of me.

How had I missed that?

 My focus was on the ground, and not upward.

 The Lord gently reminded me, that although my feet are firmly planted on the ground in this life, my eyes need to be focused elsewhere.

 I do not like heights, as a general rule. I have been up to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and had to be coaxed out of the elevator. (OK, my hands had to be pried off the handrails, but I digress.) So, being in a hot air balloon will never make it on my bucket list or any other list for that matter.

 But I could not help but wonder, how different the view from "up there" must be.

 The world seems less complicated and much neater, from up there.

 My house and all its preoccupations must seem so small, from up there.

And from up there, I must be a tiny, insignificant speck.

 How different the view of my life is, when viewed from "up there."

 As I returned from my walk this morning, I was reminded of many verses in the Bible that remind me, in difficult times, in times of uncertainty or decision making, to look up:

 For help:  "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help." (Psalm 121:1)

 For reassurance:  "Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens." (Psalm 123:1)

 For refocusing my attention on God:  "Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth." (Isaiah 40:26)

 The more my eyes are focused here on earth, the more I will see of my problems and fears, and the less I will see of God's greatness and glory.  May the Lord help me to direct my eyes, and my prayers, upward, as my feet walk firmly along the ground.

 How different my perspectives on life will be, if I will just take the time to look up...