"Rock Solid" by Dennis & Barbara Rainey

"He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm." Psalm 40:2 NIV

Yesterday I shared a poem that I use often when I'm speaking or talking with someone about divorce, especially about how it leaves children feeling "split in two," as Jen Abbas put it.
Actually, Jen experienced this twice--once at the age of 6 and again at the age of 18, when her mom and stepfather divorced. The second one caught her as she was leaving home for college, a time in life when she expected her family to be there for her, both to launch her and to provide that "solid patch of land" we all need when we feel unsupported or insecure. But I want you to see again--and be blown away by--the power of the gospel as it descends upon a person who is lost and alone.

When the land cracked under Jen's feet as a college freshman, she jumped--just hoping to land somewhere. She was wide open to any belief system that would win her hand. Islam. Judaism. Taoism. Buddhism. Questioning everything, she went in search of something--anything--that wouldn't prove fickle and fleeting, the way her parents' love had.

But in her quest for spiritual security, she found every path closed and incomplete. There was only one path that stood out--the one with the element of grace embedded in it, the one that wasn't about what she did but about what she could be given.

Divorce had taught this young woman that if you're not always alert, constantly scanning the horizon for warning signs, love could leave. But in the person of Jesus Christ, she discovered that she was loved regardless of her performance. He changed her life.

There's hope for children of divorce--who make up 40 percent of adults today. Hope in Jesus Christ. Hope in His grace to forgive and in His power to help you forgive as well.

Discuss: Share with one another how the love of Jesus Christ has helped you forgive another person.

Pray: Thank Him for His great salvation--He is the only rock any of us truly have to stand on.

Purchase their book Moments with You at local Christian bookstores.

Splitting Headache

"'For I hate divorce,' says the LORD, the God of Israel." Malachi 2:16, NIV

This poem was written by Jen Abbas, then an 18-year-old child of divorce. I've arranged it a little differently on this page than it appears in her book, Generation EX, to make it fit. Its message is too important to allow form to quiet its voice. Listen to "The Eruption."

Divorce is like a trembling earthquake,
The world shakes, rumbling with rage,
And all the anger, guilt, and frustrations
That have been festering for so long below the surface
Suddenly spew upward in an inferno of hate or apathy.
At times the earth calms and you think the turmoil is over,
Settled, stable, but then the cycle begins again,
Repeating, repeating, repeating.
You are weary, you want to rest,
And that is when you realize the shaking has stopped,
But there is an eerie feeling lurking in the air.
You are hesitant to believe anything anymore,
You are so tired after struggling for so long,
And so you rest on the one solid patch of land,
Only to watch it split in two,
Two separate, distinct parts that will never come together again.
Each new patch supports part of you,
And as you watch, they pull away.

This is the type of poem that breaks my heart because it represents so many children who are torn apart by divorce. No matter what you are experiencing in your marriage, and no matter how tough it is, just remember the impact that staying together will have on your children.

Discuss: Promise each other that this will never be the heart's cry of your children. Talk about who you should consider sending this poem to right now.

Pray: Pray for the children of divorce today, who are struggling to be loved and to belong. Pray for a friend who is moving toward a split.

Audrey Paige

Audrey Paige with both of her brothers. The first one is Erik and the one on the bottom left hand side is her with her big brother, Nicholas. The cute little girl with Audrey is Sydney. Sydney is my cousin, Stacey's, little girl. Stacey is Audrey's auntie.

Congratulations to my cousin, Sarah, and her husband, Reed, on the new addition to their family. I got to hold Audrey this last weekend at Jenny's wedding (Jenny is another cousin, and yes, I do have A LOT of them!) However, I wouldn't change it at all. :-) Audrey was a GREAT baby throughout the ceremony and reception. Sarah, you look GREAT! Motherhood definitely agrees with you!

Please continue to pray for the Pederson family as they continue to adjust to having a new addition to their family. They are now a family of five instead of four, but by looking at them, I do not think that they would have it any other way.

Trip to Mississippi

Hello!

Many of you have been wondering how my trip was to Mississippi. The month that I spent with my family was FABULOUS!!! It was a great time of relaxation and fellowship with my parents, my niece and nephews, and my siblings. I even got to go with my parents, David, and Alex (my oldest nephew) to Troy's (my youngest nephew) birthday party in Texas. I don't think that I can put into words all the good times we had and all the great memories that were made.

Thank you to my parents for housing us for a month along with Jessica's in-laws, Larry and Linda, for housing me and David when we were in Friendswood for Troy's birthday party. Your hospitality was greatly appreciated!

I will be posting pictures as soon as I find the cord needed to download the pictures from my camera on to the computer. The joys of moving, right?

Have a most blessed day!

Quotable Quotes

"As long as you're going to be thinking anyway, THINK BIG."

~ Donald Trump

This is how I have been thinking lately. It has been really exciting to watch God work as I have taken the limits off of Him in my thinking. I have always known in my head that God is a BIG God, but it has finally really sunk down into my heart.

Since taking the limits off of God, Ed has gotten the job that he desired and loves. They are very family friendly and concerned about their employees work/life balance. For example, this Friday night I am going scrapbooking with some friends. They are letting Ed come home early to finish working from home, so I can get to my scrapbooking event at 5:00 pm. How cool is that???

We have put our house on the market and begun looking online at houses closer to Ed's office. As we have been looking, we have realized that we will be able to purchase a home on a lake which has been our dream for years. We honestly never thought we would see this dream realized. It is AMAZING what happens when you let God be God and take the limits off your thinking!!!

The Bible (New International Version) says in Psalm 37:4 : "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." I have really seen this verse come alive in my life as I have focused on "seeking first the kingdom of God." I have really been living out of my heart the last few months, and it is amazing the difference it makes.

I encourage you to take the limits off of God, THINK BIG, DREAM BIG, and live out of your heart!

Vote Now!

Hello everyone!

This contest was featured on the local news station's (for my parents in Mississippi) website: http://www.wlox.com. Please vote for the teacher whose classroom is in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Here is the link to place your vote: http://www.expoclassroommakeover.com/main.taf?p=2.

Thank you for helping another person in Mississippi recover from the devastation from Hurricane Katrina. I can speak for personal experience and tell you that even though the storm happened two years ago this August, there is still MUCH to be done. My parents are just beginning to build their house. It isn't that they didn't want to do it sooner, but their insurance company has been jacking them around. In fact, they have actually hired an attorney now. Fun, huh? My parents will have their home completed this fall (which will be two+ years since Katrina). Thankfully their home will be done in time for the holidays.

Please continue to keep my family and other survivors of Hurricane Katrina in your prayers. There is much that needs to be done to help aid in the economic recovery and growth in the Gulf Coast Region.