Countdown

We are on the countdown.  That could be any number of countdowns, but one main one that has us all consumed.  One more sleep until mom flies home from Tennessee!!!!!  Yes, I am way more excited than the kids.  No, I'm not ready to dump the kids and run.  I am ready to see my wife.  She is my co-minister, co-parent, co-counselor.  She is the part of my heart and life that God gave and knew I needed so desperately.  She is the reminder of grace in my life.  She is the beauty in beauty and the beast.

The kids are so excited because she is mommy.  She is nurturer, nurse, and homework guru extraordinaire.  She gives great kisses and hugs and picks out outfits that match.  She snuggles them, cuddles them, and understands them.  No they haven't been neglected, abandoned or abused while with me.  Rather, they have been loved on, protected, well fed, and held.  But, they know they need and want their mommy. 

As matter fact, no matter what age you are, mom is always mom.  Dad should always be dad.  We should have an affectionate place for the parents who gave us life.  Not all of those are biological.  Many, like us, are adoptive parents.  No matter.  Love for a child is love for a child and we most definitely love our children.... all seven of them! 

So we are on the countdown.  Mom is coming, mom is coming.  We're ready!

The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind.  I served with some of the best people in the Kingdom of God at Tres Dias#27 and then returned to speak at a men's retreat for Agape Bible Church in Willits California.  Both weekends were terrific encounters of meeting new people, seeing friends, and watching God do great things in the lives of men.

I am continuously blessed by the work of God in my life.  There are so many challenges it seems overwhelming, but God continues to move in faithful ways.  The human struggle against temptation, despair, bitterness, and countless other "enemies" seems to come like a torrent.  The enemy baits us with gimmicks and distractions so as to refocus our heart on quick fixes.  Don't let your heart fool you.  Stay tuned in to God's work in your life.

Quick fixes usually take us further from real solutions and add another layer of problems to what can already be difficult times.  The enemy is good at cloaking his tactics in the fabric of what we need/ want/ have to have or it makes me feel better.  These past two weeks are just another reminder to let God sort through the deceptions while remaining submissive to His will.

Ah, there is nothing like a good whirlwind...

Thinking through material I will present in 2013 at a Lecture.  I will be addressing the fine line of loving kids through the difficulty of destructive choices while not walking away from who we believe we are in Christ.  We all make unwise and destructive choices.  We all hurt those we love.  We all need the grace of God to hold us together and redeem us.  Parents feel that hurt towards their children in a profound way. 
If you have stories, or insights in loving through these difficult seasons, please share them or if you feel safer, send me an email:  ckelley@goldcountrychurch.org 

I would love to hear your heart on this matter of the heart!