How to know the will of God

Over the course of our 12+ years of marriage, Brad and I have had to make some very difficult decisions. With every choice or crossroad, we have often sought God's will for our lives concerning most everything. Job changes, moves, children, extra responsibilities, our budget, family issues...the list goes on and on. We yearn and desire to do what He wants us to. And as we've prayed and wrestled with our own personal longings to do God's will over the years, intermixed with that have been many long discussions with students who are wrestling with the same thing.

It seems for believers in Jesus Christ, that knowing His will for their lives is crucial to daily living and decision making.

Yet, for myself personally and for those I've ministered to, knowing God's will doesn't always come easy.

Why is that?

I think sometimes we aren't really open to God's will. We may have our plans made already and not have even considered other alternatives. We quickly glance over Scripture passages that would offer us warning or brush aside some Godly council. We talk about wanting to do God's will, but do we really?

Sometimes I wonder if we think God is being elusive or teasing us about His will for our lives. It's as if He wants to make us guess or work really hard to figure it out. We think if we just prayed harder or make dozens of lists of pros and cons, just maybe we'll be able to put our finger on it.

In many cases, we don't consider fully the way that God communicates His will. He does it through a variety of ways. Through His Word...through Godly council...through open and closes doors...through our own passions and desires...through circumstances. Not one painful experience or a late night conversation with a friend is overlooked in God's economy. He is not shy in communicating to us.

Our former senior pastor and Brad began a preaching series on I Thessalonians in September and this year I am studying several of Paul's Epistles in Bible Study Fellowship...currently I and II Thessalonians. And as I've been studying this past week, several verses literally popped off the pages.

Want to know what God's will is for you?

"It is God's will that you should be sanctified..." I Thess. 4:3

and...

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." I Thess. 5:16-18

Please hear me friends. I know that there are important decisions to make. What college to attend, who to marry, which car to buy, what college major to have, how to spend your money, where to move, when to start having children... I get that, I really do. Brad and I have had some super huge decisions of late. But, as we are sitting in a "waiting room" of sorts...waiting until the last week of February until knowing if Brad has been accepted into Bethlehem Seminary or not...I've realized there's a lot that God has spoken already about His will and my obedience to it.

Here are just a few of the things we all should be doing...which is God's will for believers:

* avoid sexual immorality (4:3)

* learn to control own body in a way that is holy and honorable (4:7)

* love each other...and continue to do so more and more (4:10)

* lead a quiet life...mind your own business...work with your hands and not be dependent on anyone (4:11-12)

* respect those who work hard around us...who are over us in the Lord and who admonish you (5:12)

* live at peace with each other (5:13)

* warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone (5:14)

* do not pay back wrong for wrong (5:15)

* be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances (5:16-18)

* do not put out the Spirit's fire (5:19)

* test everything and hold onto the good (5:21)

* avoid every kind of evil (5:22)

God has given us plenty of things that we can already be doing as He continually shows us His general and specific will for each of our lives.

I think I could spent the next year alone working on having patience with everyone and giving thanks in all circumstances.

And for those of you feeling overwhelmed by this list of "duties," listen to I Thess. 5:24:

"The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it."

Can we each know the will of God for our lives? Yes, we can!

Is it impossible to do the will of God, once we've become aware of it? No, but it can be done in God's mighty power!

Be encouraged! Whatever it is that God is calling you to do and wherever you are today...in the waiting room or beginning a scary, new adventure...you can know God's will and He will empower you to do it.

"...being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." - Philippians 1:6

Name that picture!

This picture is begging for a caption.

Do I have any takers?

And yes, Boy Wonder here is at least wearing his undies. I think he was in between a "costume change" when he decided to jump in his tool box.

Never a dull moment...

Advent 2011

I LOVE Christmas! I love planning for it...I love decorating...I love making cookies...I really love every little detail about it!

I especially love thinking through Advent Activities for our children every year.

The only trouble with my great obsession and contemplation and preparation about this time of the year was our very busy family schedule...right around the 1st of December this past year.

Brad preached a lot this past fall and in addition to his preaching schedule, he taught a weekly men's leadership class, took part in a twice a month preaching class, attended countless elder meetings, prepared for his first "wedding," and filled out a MOUNTAIN of paperwork (and one 12 page paper) for his seminary application.

Ugh. I get dizzy just thinking about the last couple of months...

Anyway, our Advent Activities started a bit late, but we had a great time doing them each day. But as I was going through pictures, I realized I took only a few pictures of a handful of projects. And our newest activity, a "Jesse Tree" which I loved was completely undocumented in digital form.

Ugh. Let it go...it's okay...

"Hi. My name is Jenny, and I suffer from 'mommy guilt'."

A little confession is good for the soul. I feel much better!

Now where was I? Oh, right!

Here are a couple of the activities we did this past December.

Decorating the tree...

Caleb really is a cutie...when he's not trying to drive one of his trucks over his sister or trying to climb up bookcases...

And what was Hannah's obsession this past Christmas? Keeping a close eye on Baby Jesus from the nativity scene. She made it her job to always know where he was!

We also made a bunch of Christmas cards to hand out when we went Christmas caroling. I love how Caleb sticks his tongue out when he's concentrating really hard. Just like daddy!

Pretty, pretty!

Thank God for color wonder! (Hannah was desperate to join in on the fun.)

Then I attached ribbon and a little card with the words, "Merry Christmas" for the residents of the nursing home we visited.

We also made a "countdown to Christmas" for each child. Sammy and Caleb helped Hannah make her Christmas tree one.

Did you notice Caleb's tongue again?

Sammy and Caleb each made links for their individual countdown.

I know this picture is not the greatest one of Sammy, but take a look out my front window. This picture was taken on December 20. Notice anything missing from my Minnesota yard? Crazy, isn't it!

Overall, we had a great time with Advent. Some of our other activities included:

* reading Christmas themed books

* playing Christmas bingo

* making Christmas cookies

* wrapping presents

* reading about the Legend of the Candy Cane

* doing Christmas mazes and coloring sheets

* making a Jesus in a manger craft

* reading from Scripture and hanging our Jesse Tree ornaments every evening

* have a birthday party for Jesus

* a bunch of other things that I can't remember!

As the kids get older, it has become a privilege and a joy to help them focus on the true meaning of Christmas: the coming of our Savior to reconcile us back to our loving and holy Creator.

And that is truly amazing!

Flashback on the 15th

Problem: What do you do when you read your blog from the previous year and realize it contains various large, gaping holes in your family's life story?

Solution: Make up something completely random to give yourself an excuse to talk about events from the previous year!

Ahem...

As Brad and I are whittling away at our massively long to-do list (comprising of "all the things we should have been doing the last 5 months that we never really got around to doing and that have been driving us crazy" list), we are slowly (and I mean slowly) working our way through a big one: going through, organizing, and editing the hundreds of pictures we took last year.

If any of you know my husband, you realize I'm not kidding. It might actually be up in the thousands.

Gulp.

Anyway, I am glad to report that we are through the first 7 months of 2011 and are just beginning the month of August!

Yippee!

*waits for shouts of encouragement from dedicated blog readers*

cricket, cricket

Come on people, this is a big deal!

Okay, moving along...

As we edit and sort pictures, I'm going to, on the 15th of each month, talk about an event and post some pics from it. You know, so I can get rid of some of that "mommy guilt" I've been carrying around.

Just kidding!

Anyway, these pictures were taken last June. We LOVE the free kid's workshops at Home Depot. We don't always make it every month, but we try to hit several of them a year. Sammy and Caleb love making the projects, and the popcorn can't be beat!

Caleb sticks his tongue out of his mouth when he's concentrating really hard...just like his daddy!

Sammy is a veteran at sanding. I think Brad started taking her when she was just 3.

Don't be deceived by that first pictures of Caleb, though. We have more of these types of pictures than of him actually working!

And what do we do with sweet Hannah? Feed her popcorn and let her play on the lawn mowers...just like good, respectable parents!

Stay tuned to the next exciting Flashback on the 15th!

A Tuesday afternoon adventure

The weather earlier this week was amazing for January in Minnesota.

Amazing, I tell you!

In fact, it felt downright balmy!

So Brad decided to take us on a family hike through the woods after Sammy was done at school. He had come across some paths near the Mississippi River that he had never explored before and was itching to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather.

You know, before winter decides to show up...

because no matter what it felt like yesterday, cold weather WILL show its ugly face soon.

We drove a couple of miles and headed down a dirt road that had several paths through the woods.

My kids are magnetically charged to large rocks...

climbing on them...make silly faces while on them...

striking a pose.

Yah, no idea where they got that from.

The path took us to the Mississippi's edge. There we stopped, enjoyed the beautiful view, and tried to keep our children from falling in.

Which was quite a feat, I might add. If you know my children, you completely understand.

Brad wanted to loop back and come the way we came, but the kids wanted to follow the path up a hill.

I LOVE this picture!

We had such a sweet time talking and laughing and exploring together. We picked up rocks and sticks and kicked our feet through leaf piles and chatted about our day.

As I was taking pictures, I was overwhelmed by God's incredible blessings in my life: my husband, our children, the time to enjoy a warm day, and the faith to keep us going in the midst of uncertainty.

And, my sweet baby girl who loved holding mama's hand and walking on the crunching snow.

I am truly blessed indeed!

Holding on...

For the past several months, it's taken the timeless Word of God and some incredible friends to help me "hold on" as my family's circumstances and Brad's job have been changing around me.

On Sunday evening, I was able to get away for a few hours to Caribou to spend some extended time with God. As I was leafing through my Sabbath journal, I stopped at an entry from August 13, 2010. I remember going through a hard time then, and near the end of the entry, I asked God "to provide a way for me". I also wrote out a verse from Isaiah...a verse that a little over a year later would become the life giving source and solid foundation I would need to withstand some additional difficult times.

Isn't God cool like that? Giving me what I need even before I realize how desperately I needed it!

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." - Isaiah 43:18-19

Each day I find myself making a choice. A choice to either give in to the fear and anxiety of the uncertain future ahead of me and my family...OR to choose to cling to the hope that I have in Christ. The hope that He will provide a way. That He does care deeply for us. And that He does have something better in mind for Brad, me, and our children.

And as much as I am "holding on" each day to my Savior, I know that He is holding onto me as well and has promised to never let me go.

Baby in a bag

Someone is 21 months old today.

You'll never guess who...

Happy 21 months baby girl!

What is...

currently taking up most of my living room floor.

What is...

currently on my night stand...some love notes from Sammy and a pile of Christmas cards yet to be read.

What is...

currently organized in 1 of 3 stockpiles I've accumulated since I started couponing.

What is...

currently outside on my driveway. Caleb began with mowing through the snow, next moved to riding his bike, and then finally loaded his wagon full of snow.

2011 Christmas pictures...with bloopers!

Have you ever wondered how many pictures it takes to get just one semi-reasonable family Christmas picture?

Come on...just play along!

Got your number? Good!

Now, add 87...if that family happens to have a very squirmy, highly active 20 month old.

Apparently I was the only one who received the memo describing how we should all be LOOKING at the camera!

Still got that number in your head? Good. Now add another 36 for good measure.

And THAT should be your total number of tries until you have arrived at your "pretty good, most kids are looking, Hannah's not running away, we're such a cute family" Christmas picture.

Oh, and don't forget to get a picture or two of you and your hubby!

And maybe, just maybe, you'll be blessed enough to get that one picture that will melt your heart for years to come!

After Christmas blues?

Who said packing away the Christmas decorations didn't have to be as much fun as putting them up?

A fresh, new year!

I have always loved flipping the calendar from December to January!

I love starting over!

2012 is a clean slate.

It's a new year with new possibilities.

It's an opportunity to do things differently.

It's a chance to start anew!

I'm such a sucker for this kind of stuff!

In the craziness of the last several months (or year and a half for that matter), blogging has been one of the furthest things from my thoughts. I just had to push it out of my mind because thinking about all that I wasn't blogging (or writing or scrapbooking or taking pictures) about was causing me so much heartache. I realized that I had to put some things aside because other things simply took priority.

And that's okay.

For awhile I was really bitter and resentful about all I was not able to do because of other family and work obligations. But I've learned it's okay. Really. There is a season for everything under heaven, and my season for blogging had to be put on hold. And I'm learning what a privilege and honor it is to lay some things...some very personal and refreshing and good things...down.

God has shown me a lot over the last several months about what it truly means to serve my family, love my husband, and be humble in difficult circumstances. And I'm grateful that He kept this blog quiet as I wrestled through my emotions and heart issues so that this place did not become one of bitterness or anger.

And our God is one of hope and fresh starts and new mercies!

Can I get an Amen!

I'm hoping to spend just a few minutes each day in 2012 either writing or editing pictures or something having to do with this blog so that it can become a place of refreshment to me, an online family scrapbook for my children and hopefully an encouragement to others!

So, let's start!

I will have much more to write later about our Aust family Christmas 2011, but for now I'll start with a picture of all 15 of us and some highs and lows from our trip.

Highlight: Going sledding and bike riding in one week!

Lowlight: A disappointing and quite pathetic snow accumulation for our Floridian relatives.

Highlight: Driving away from River Falls, WI without any of the 5 of us getting the stomach bug!

Lowlight: Sammy throwing up in the van just minutes from home...and Caleb throwing up later that night.

Highlight: Having all 8 children (ages 16 months to 6) together in one house!

Lowlight: Having all 8 children (ages 16 months to 6) together in one house!

Highlight: Staying up late a few nights to play games and talk.

Lowlight: Remembering that we are all parents now and our children are up at the crack of dawn!

Brad and I had such a GREAT time with his family! I am so grateful for Brad's mom, his brothers, and my sister in laws and the week we got to spend together. I am truly blessed to have them as family!