Children searching to understand truth

We've been having a few discussions in our family about how we know God exists.

When the question came up, I admit I was terrified and uncertain as to what to say. It came up so unexpectedly at the supper table. (I was so thankful my husband was there so that he could answer☺) I think it is a question that everyone has to ask at some point and the conclusions they reach determine so much:

Can we believe the Bible?
Is the Bible really God's Word?
How do we respond to hardship and tragedy?
Why does it matter if we obey?
Is heaven real?

On the other hand, I was so glad that the child who asked was not willing to blindly accept or depend upon our faith, but clearly wanted discover his own. I have been thinking about this question all week.

My husband, was so wise and kept it simple. He reminded us that God is love so every time we see love demonstrated it is proof that God exists.

Yes, bad things happen that are often so hard to understand. Sometimes children are treated very cruelly at the hand of people they should be able to trust. Sometimes tragedy strikes and we lose someone to death when it seems to early for them to go. It is hard to understand why all of these things happen. But does God cause these things? No, he doesn't, but he does allow them. Sin has caused our world to not be what God planned when he created it.

I have been thinking that another way we can know that God is real is through His beautiful creation. Everything about God's creation demonstrates His majesty and power. Just the simple flowers that I have pictured are amazing in their detail.
The ants, (as annoying as they are in my kitchen) have a job to perform to faithfully gather food to help their colony. They diligently work hard all spring and summer and can lift 20 times their body weight.
Could these flowers be an accident?
Could the ants have just accidentally figured out a way of being miraculously strong? No, even these simple flowers and insects demonstrate clearly a masterful creator designed everything.

How do you know that God is real? Have you seen Him work in your life in a specific way? Love to hear your comments.

If you have a fingerprint of God, you can share it on Beki's blog every Friday when Beki hosts Fingerprint Friday.

Easter 2010

Last week was not the week I had planned. I feel so bad that I didn't post much last week, but truly every thing that happened last week caused so many emotions in me that I didn't even know how to voice one thought that I was thinking.

I still don't.

My grandma, who was 96 years old took a turn for the worse last week and late in the afternoon on Saturday she went to be with her Lord and Savior. It has been so sad for me and my family because we will miss her so very much and yet we are so thankful that she is in no more pain and was able to spend Easter in heaven.

Easter has had a very different feel this year and so much more meaning for me. "Because He lives I can face tomorrow. . ."

I still can't find the words to tell you what a special lady she was, but I will have to write a post about her as soon as I can to tell you about her.

We went ahead with our Easter celebration because we needed to be together. My parents had Easter dinner at their house on the farm.

I'm not sure how much I will be able to post this week either but I will try. One of the first things on the agenda for the week is finishing the girl's Easter dresses. I'm so glad I had already sewed a few new dresses that they could wear because the dresses I had planned for Easter didn't happen.

But that was okay, because as fun as new dresses and shoes are they aren't actually important for a meaningful Easter.

Easter is a time of remembering that Jesus paid the debt for our sin by dying on the cross. But the most exciting part is that he didn't stay dead, but arose from the grave the third day conquering sin and death once and for all.

All we have to do is believe on Him to be saved and have eternal life. (John 3:16, Acts 16:31)

Praying a special prayer doesn't save you, doing good works doesn't save you either because you can never do quite enough.

When I came to the realization that there was NOTHING I could do, that I deserved NOTHING but death and punishment for the my sins, Jesus saved me. It was a free gift freely given!

Amazing Grace!

One day I will get to see my grandma again!

Fingerprint Friday

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Psalm 34:8

Beki at the Rusted Chain sponsors Fingerprint Friday every week. Join in!

An explanation. . .

I feel so terrible that I haven't been posting as regularly as I would like too. I have genuinely missed posting and being able to chat back and forth with you.

We are so happy to tell you that we are expecting a baby this next summer. This will be number five for us and we are very excited. . .

but. . .

right now I'm feeling oh so yucky and sicky. I haven't been posting much is because I haven't been doing much except being sick and I can't imagine that you would want to read about that.☺ Actually, being sick is a blessing too (at least I keep trying to remind myself that it is) because as many of you know, I miscarried twins earlier this year. I never got very sick during that pregnancy and many told me to be glad of it, but I just knew something wasn't right.

So anyway, that's the deal. Hopefully soon after the new year I will be able to work on projects again that I can share with you. I have far too many ideas in my head that are begging to be done, but now is not the time.

I hope all of you have a lovely Christmas Season with lots of joy to you and yours. In all the busyness of the season take a moment to remember the REASON that we have so much to celebrate: Jesus came to earth as a baby to grow up and take the punishment of our sins by dying on the cross. There is nothing you or I could ever do to deserve such a precious gift and yet it is offered freely because God loves us so incredibly much. That is a wonderful reason to celebrate! See you next year!!!

Rest

Come unto me,
all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.
Matt. 11 :28

Sometimes we are just so tired and weary that we think we can't handle even one more thing. I have been there a few times just this week. But one of God's promises is that He will give rest. Rest! What a wonderful gift God created when he rested on the Seventh Day of Creation. He didn't need the rest because He is all Powerful, but He rested as a gift to us knowing that we would need it.

Pampering Beki hosts Fingerprint Friday every week. Join in!

Rainbows...in the kitchen

When I was a child every year during the month of August we traveled to Northern Minnesota, just a few miles from Canada, to visit my grandpa and grandma. After the heat that we had left in Kansas, Minnesota seemed fresh and crisp. The perfect place for magical vacations. We never did anything overly exciting there. They had a tire swing in a tree perfect for swinging, deep ditches that would fill up with water that was perfect for wading, a large lawn that they allowed us to ride their riding lawnmower all over (just for fun), and of course many lakes to fish. But one of my favorite memories was my grandma's kitchen.

Grandma's kitchen always smelled of freshly brewed coffee and there were always handmade buttermilk doughnuts available to munch. And if that wasn't magical enough in the mind of a young child, she also had hung in a kitchen window a prism. Early in the morning the rainbows would dance and play reminding us each morning of God's love and giving a bright hope for the promising new day.

It was so special to me that I hung a prism in my own home. I can't have it in the kitchen because the sun wouldn't hit the prism until the afternoon, so I have hung it in the living room to spread its morning cheer to my own family and to remind me of warm memories of my grandma. My own kiddos spin the prism and try to catch a rainbow.

Special memories are a gift and this is one way I can see the fingerprints of God in my life. He used my grandma's simple kitchen and the prism in her window to remind us that

"This is the day that the LORD hath made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Look around and see where YOU can see God's fingerprints today and then post it on PamperingBeki's blog where she hosts Fingerprint Friday every week.