99 Balloons

Eliot Mooney was given ninety-nine days on earth. His parents, Matt and Ginny, had a birthday party on each one.

At the celebration service for their son’s life, Matt said, “Not a pulpit. Not a slick presentation. Not a best-selling book. But a six-pound boy with Trisomy 18. God found great pleasure in taking a lowly thing in the eyes of the world and showing truth.” One of Matt and Ginny's favorite verses is 2 Peter 3:8: "With the Lord a day is like a thousand years."

Eliot's story gained further attention when the 99 balloons video was shown on Oprah this week. The response was so powerful that Oprah invited Matt and Ginny to be interviewed on the show October 31st at 4pm.

Matt is a community pastor at my church and this family has a special place in my heart. Let's support them as they share the hope-filled, inspiring story of how God can redeem the greatest heartaches of our lives and use them for His purposes.

A Little Slice of American Life

Hello Friends!

Mark and I just got back from a trip to see our family. They live in a sweet, southern small town where people say y'all and ask how you're doing even if they don't know your name. Their church had a fall festival complete with pony rides and free cotton candy...

 

In a small town, you don't need a fancy place to have a festival. Just find a field and get going.

My newest nephew got his first pony ride. Don't worry--daddy held on tight the whole time!

I spent about twenty minutes doing the cake walk so I could win a homemade cupcake with pink icing and sprinkles. (I'm willing to go a long way for a little bit of sugar.)

My cousin won a Razorback football in a raffle. (The guy behind him is obviously filled with envy.)

If you had been there, I would have made sure you had at least one free hot dog, taken you on the cake walk with me (and even let you keep your cupcake if you won), and probably snapped your picture to post on my blog.

Maybe next year...

The "Do What You Can" Plan

Dear Friends,

I'm not feeling well this morning and I'm heading out on a trip this afternoon. But before I go, I wanted to share an article I wrote about two years ago for Zia magazine with you. It's called "The Do What You Can" Plan. It keeps coming to mind lately because of the craziness in my schedule so I wanted to pass it along to you too. I'd love to hear your ideas for doing what you can--I need all the advice I can get right now! (:

The "Do What You Can" Plan: Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

I am the queen of lofty goals. Around the new year I start imagining how I will exercise for an hour every morning, bond with my husband every night, and write the most brilliant book ever published within the year. However, three days into the plan, I realize my shiny new ambitions will never be realized. And while all of my good intentions are staring me in the face, I realize something is drastically wrong. Rather than providing much-needed motivation, the goals created to help me live a full, balanced life have instead become the seeds of future disappointment.

One day I was driving to work and telling myself once again, “When things slow down, I will go to the gym and work out all the time. I’ll get in shape. It will be great.” Then I think, “I’ve been telling myself this for five years. Things are never going to slow down. I’ve got to do what I can.” That was the beginning of what I like to call “The Do What You Can Plan.”

“The Do What You Can Plan” is exactly what it sounds like-you do what you can to achieve your goals. For me, this meant doing whatever little bit of exercise I could each day. If I could only fit in ten sit-ups, that’s all I would do. A year later, I’d lost the post-college weight I wanted to shed and dropped a clothing size. I was shocked that I’d actually reached my goal by doing so little. So I decided to start applying “The Do What You Can Plan” to other areas of my life and spend some time figuring out exactly what made it work. Here are a few things I’ve discovered along the way.

To read the rest click here

Meet Von Rovenstine

I’d like to introduce you to Von Rovenstine. He’s 3 and a half years old, loves Iron Man, and found out last week that he has leukemia.

Of course, his family found out along with him. Von’s parents, Jason and Lisa, are dear friends of ours. Jason and I worked together for years at DaySpring. He’s a tall guy with a big heart and if I were to pick a Bible character he reminds me of, it would definitely be the ever-encouraging Barnabas. Lisa is a strong, wise woman whose beauty inside and out has been passed on to her three girls and Von too (with her hubby’s help, of course).

Von has three years of chemo ahead of him. Jason posted this on his blog about Von’s first week:

Von saw the movie Iron Man (well, parts of it) recently and really has found something to connect to in it. In the movie, the hero was operated on after being wounded in a battle. A doctor put an apparatus in his chest to keep him well that looks like a saucer. So when Von got a saucer shaped port that delivers chemo directly to his heart, he thinks he has graduated to 'iron man' status.

"See Sofie? Iron man!" he beamed while lifting up his shirt.

It was great to be a family and together again and see little Iron man at work fighting the bad guys in his body. Iron Mans, even the almost 4 year old versions, need a family to fight the good fight.

Jason is right—we all need a family who will stand beside us in love and prayer. We’re not part of the Rovenstines’ physical family, but we are part of their spiritual family. I know firsthand how caring you are and the ways you've blessed me with your prayers. So I’m asking all of you to please take a moment to pray for Von, his sisters, Jason and Lisa. If you'd like to leave them an encouraging note you can do so here or on Jason's blog.

Coming Up for Air

I’m posting a picture of my desk because that’s where I read most of what you write to me. Thank you so much to all of you who left comments or sent me an encouraging e-mail.

I could sense your prayers wrapping around my heart like a wonderful, warm blanket. You brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my face. I wish you were here so I could hug each and every one of you!

All of your prayers helped and I’m feeling better today.

When I was a kid, my friends and I spent hours at the local pool seeing who could hold their breath the longest. I’d make it all the way to the other end of the pool, surface, and suck in air that tasted so sweet that it gave me a brand new appreciation for something I did thousands of times a day without even thinking about it. For that moment, air was the best thing God ever invented.

I feel that way emotionally. I’m coming up for air. After writing my last post, I spent about an hour thinking, journaling, and praying. I asked myself and God, “How did I get here?” (Being a counseling intern makes me feel obligated to do a little self-therapy now and then.)

So I went through every area of my life—physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual—and wrote about it. In one section, I made a list of things that renew me. Here’s part of it in no particular order…

1)      Time with friends – Being one-on-one with a dear friend soothes my soul like few other things do. (My husband counts as a friend too.)

2)      Life’s little pleasures in moderation – Good coffee, dark chocolate, sushi.

3)      Being outside – Every time Mark and I grill out and sit on the patio I start believing the world is a good place again.

4)      Exercise – When I get my body moving the rest of me feels better too.

5)      Reading – I can still get lost in a good book in a way that’s like a vacation without going anywhere.

6)      Educational TV – What Not to Wear, Unwrapped, Dirty Jobs, John & Kate Plus 8. I seem to only like TV when I’m learning something. Nerdy perhaps, but true.

7)      Writing – There’s something about putting words on paper in any way, shape, or form that heals my heart.

8)      Napping – Sometimes I just need a little sleep!

9)      New experiences – Whether it’s a restaurant I’ve never tried, travel, or something else, my mind loves a challenge.

10)   Time with God – Prayer, reading the Bible, Christian music, writing in my journal, anything with my Abba.

I also wrote in my journal:

I think I need to be more aware that there’s an inner bank account going on in my life. Deposits and withdrawals are being made every day. If I’m getting a lot of deposits, I need to look for more ways to share. If I’m getting a lot of withdrawals (which seems to be the case lately) then I need to intentionally make deposits to balance things out again.

Lord, help me to be wise and aware of my inner bank account. Show me how I can be intentional about making deposits so I have something to give when You ask me to contribute to the Kingdom. Amen.

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23

So that’s a little glimpse of what’s been on my heart the last few days. I’m gratefully thinking of all of you, wherever you are, and asking God to fill your “inner bank account” with whatever you need right now.

Love,

Holley

Confessions

It's been a rough week. Mark and I have gotten hammered with one round of difficult news after another. Most of it has been about people we dearly love. Most of it has been things we can't do anything about. We both said yesterday, "We can handle it when something happens to us. It's when something happens to someone we care about that it really gets us down."

We already felt physically, emotionally, and spiritually worn down from being in a way-too-busy season of our lives. I recently read the book Margin about how we all need extra space. I'm a speed reader and I zipped through the whole thing on a plane ride (all the while thinking that's probably not what the author intended at all). I'm fully aware, and even more so now, that I don't have much margin these days. This week was like a twenty-dollar withdrawal when my bank account only had five left. At another time, I could probably easily cover it. But not right now.

I feel as if my writing has reflected this. I haven't been as authentic, intentional, or inspiring as I'd like to be lately and I'm confessing that to you. This isn't my most eloquent post and I'd really rather say I'm doing great. But this is real and that's what I want to be with you.

I just took a long nap (which always helps, as my Grandpa reminds me). I had a piece of chocolate, a few moments to write, and some time today with friends who encourage me. I also gave myself some grace and permission to not be okay right now. I'm finding those are the little things that slowly make a big difference. 

So if you're feeling a little down today along with me, I want to send some grace and my prayers your way too. May God carry us all and show us His love in the ways we need.

Love,

Holley

Friday Funny: Adam and Eve

Presented to you by the amazing Jon Huckeby, © copyright 2008 DaySpring ® Cards. All rights reserved.

A View from the Valley

One of my coworkers, Brenda Cox, recently spoke about the valleys we go through in our lives. I was blessed by what she said and wanted it to share it with you so I turned her encouraging words into an interview for you.

H: What do you mean when you say "valley"?

B: Spiritually speaking, if the mountaintop represents rejoicing then the valley represents trials.

H: You shared a passage from the book of Nehemiah in the Bible about the "Valley Gate." Tell us about that.

B: The Valley Gate appears in the story of Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah and thousands of other Jews had been carried off into captivity. He became cup-bearer to the king of Babylon.

Nehemiah's heart ached because of the many trials the people of Israel had gone through and for the condition of the Holy City of Jerusalem. So Nehemiah bowed his head and feel to his knees before God, confessing Israel's sin and asking for God's mercy. God had given Nehemiah a desire to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and the babylonian king granted his request.

In the second chapter of Nehemiah the Scriptures tells us that he arose in the night and went out the Valley Gate to inspect the broken walls of Jersusalem. After the inspection Nehemiah entered back into the city by the Valley Gate. It was then that Nehemiah had perspective. He knew what had to be done to complete the task God laid upon his heart.

H: It seems significant that Nehemiah had to spend some time in the valley, which usually represents trials, as part of the preparation for God to use him. What do you think that biblical story means for us today?

B:  In John 16:33 Jesus makes a statement—in this world you will have tribulation. We are promised we are going to have trials or periods of testing in this life. There is not a person reading this who has not gone through, or may now be going through, a valley.

H: What purpose do those valleys play in our lives?

B: The valley is where our weaknesses, motives, and true character are exposed. The valley is where God brings us to our knees. God uses the valley to mature and grow us. The valley is where we are broken so God can build us back into what He wants us to be. We then can come back through the Valley Gate with a changed perspective—now able to yield more fruit and do Kingdom work.

H: What do we gain from the valley?

B: The soil in the valley is rich and that's where the best fruit grows. We love mountaintops but not much grows on the peaks. And one thing is certain in geography, you can't get to the top of the mountain without first making your way through the valley.

H: How do you think we should deal with the valleys in our lives?

B: I think it boils down to three precepts:

First, we need to remember that God is sovereign. Proverbs 3:6 says, "In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."

Second, we need to continue to take our valleys to God in prayer. Psalm 55:22 says, "Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you. He will never allow the righteous to be shaken."

Finally, we need to stay in God's Word. The Holy Spirit teaches us, encourages us, refreshes us, reassures us, and strengthens our faith through the reading of God's Word.In Matthew 24:35 Jesus says, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall never pass away."

H: I loved what you said about valleys, "Geographically speaking, the higher the mountaintop the deeper the valley." You've shown us the same is often true of the valleys in our lives. We don't like going through difficult times, but sometimes God uses them to lead us to greater blessings than ever before.

Thanks so much for sharing with us, Brenda.

What valley are you in right now and what has God been teaching you? I'd love to hear from you...

Prayer for a Busy Day

Lord,

I feel so busy lately.

I pray you’ll help me

remember what matters most

in the midst of all I have to do…

Give me eyes that see

the needs of those around me.

Give me ears that hear

the meaning behind the words.

Give me hands that reach out

to make a difference.

Give me a heart that beats

in tune with Yours

rather than with

the clock on the wall.

Remind me often

that time is intended

to be given not spent.

And even in the midst

of all my busyness,

may I truly be about

Your business.

Amen.

Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
PSALM 90:12 NIV

Pray for Christians in India

Since August 23rd when a Hindu leader was assassinated and Christians were blamed, over 59 of our brothers and sisters have been martyred and 50,000 displaced from their homes. Please take time today to pray for Christians in India who are being persecuted in ways most of us can't imagine and ask others to do the same. To read more from Crosswalk.com, click here.