"Trying to Give Jesus the Day Off"

I met some of my girlfriends at Starbucks for a little Christmas cheer...we had to schedule our "Girlfriend Christmas Gathering" for the day after Christmas instead of any of the days leading up to Christmas because we are moms and you know what the moms are busy doing in the days leading up to Christmas...

-We are making the last minute trip to the mall because our children waited until Christmas Eve to decide what they'd like to get for one another
-We are baking a few more batches of cookies because our family has been pilfering them even though we warned them they were for "the company"
-We are wrap, wrap, wrapping gifts
-We are stamping cards and getting them mailed
-We are grocery shopping for dinner, breakfast and midnight snacks.
-We are basically busy trying to make this the BEST CHRISTMAS EVER!

So there we were this morning...thoroughly exhausted but glad to be together. While we laughed and cried and recounted our Christmas day festivities one of my friends said something that had us in hysterics. As she told us about her Christmas with her extended family she said

"I tried to give Jesus the day off-after all it was his birthday-but I ended up having to call on him for help ALL DAY LONG!!!"

After we had picked ourselves up off the tile floor (from falling off of our chairs in laughter) we talked about how glad we are that we worship a God who takes great pleasure in being "an ever present help in times of need." We said "Hallelujah" right there in Starbucks as we reminded one another that He loves us UNCONDITIONALLY and loves it when we call on him...even if it is his birthday! Actually, I think especially if it is his birthday! We left our time together feeling blessed by the reminder of the love between us and the love of a Savior who CHOSE to condescend to becoming a human being on Christmas morning so that all day, every day for as long as we live we can call him by name "Emmanuel--God With Us."

Merry Christmas Moms...I hope it was Magnificent and if it was less than Magnificent that you call on the One who is. Ask Him to come quickly and remind you of his everlasting presence in your life.
Love,
Tracy Klehn

Christmas Bliss by Tracy Klehn

The wrapping is deep, the baking is sticky
My mood quickly turns from okay to "icky"
It's the first week of December and I really had wished
This year would be different...I'd have Christmas Bliss

Yes, I really had hoped that my home would look great
With garland and bows flowing every which way
But the boxes are not even down from upstairs and
The kids have the flu from the germs they have shared

The baking's not done and I still need to shop
The Christmas cards stare at me from their closed box
I need an appointment to get my hair done
But it looks like she's booked 'til 3001!

The family photos we took turned out really bad
My husband looks great but I just look mad
So here I am kneeling at the foot of the bed
Crying out "Why does this happen?" as tears I do shed

"This season's about You and your wonderful birth
How your love came down personally to change the whole earth
I want it to be special, I want to show love
But look at me now, I can't even budge!"

With head bowed down low I feel something new
A peace flowing through me and a joy that feels true
Surrender my child the voice seems to say
I am with you right now so don't be afraid

I'll strengthen your body and renew your mind
I'll guide all your steps just ask and you'll find
Lay down all your worries and I'll give you good cheer
Watch as I work, feel me draw near

Christmas Bliss you are seeking yet the place you must start
Is delighting in Me for the desires of your heart
Open my Word, I'll speak to you there
Pour out your heart, I hear all your prayers

Rise from your knees now and turn towards My Way
Embrace all the gifts that I bring you this day
I want you to know you were made for my bliss
Now share with the world this true Christmas Kiss

"You created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created."
Revelations 4:11 NLT

Loud and Clear

This week it seems that wherever I turn I am running into the same few verses of Scripture. The kicker was Sunday when the verses that I studied in my personal quiet time were the exact same verses that our Pastor referred to just a few hours later! Has this ever happened to you? Over the years I have learned that when this kind of thing happens it is because the Lord is trying to tell me something "Loud and Clear" and it would behoove me to slow down long enough to let "it" resonate with me. So I bet you're wondering what the verses are aren't you? Well here they are...

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. Habakkuk 3:19

Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:4-6

You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:7-8


I continue to ask the Holy Spirit to teach me what he wants me to know in this season of my life regarding these particular verses, and so far this is what I've "put down" (in my journal) in no particular order...

-even when my bank account tells me otherwise God still calls me to "Rejoice"

-joy is always available to me (God wouldn't call me to something that was not possible to experience)

-instead of wasting my energy worrying I could be investing my time praying

-when life isn't a party I still have "it all" because nothing can take away the indwelling presence of the Living God from inside of me or the promise of an amazingly wonderful future with Him in eternity

-something wonderful happens when I choose God's prescribed "attitude of gratitude"

-no matter what the economy tells me is going to happen next, my life is in God's hands...and they are very capable hands

-The Lord is near...The Lord Is Near...THE LORD IS NEAR...WOW...THE LORD IS NEAR!!!

So...those are just a few of the things I have "put down" so far about these powerful scriptures. I have a feeling I need to keep listening because God is still talking "Loud and Clear." I will leave you with an image that the Holy Spirit used to speak to my heart a few weeks ago. It's of my friend Shannon's nephew Fin who, despite the frigid temperatures and intermittent rain, found tremendous JOY going about his day.


Let's Pray,
Lord, help us be more like Fin and live with joyful abandonment in the midst of stormy weather. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Happy Thanksgiving Dear Ones,
Tracy Klehn

Change of Plans

We were putting the last few things in the car when the call came and our plans changed. All the football games were canceled for the day due to the fires that had begun the night before. We turned the television on and watched in shock as we saw fires raging, freeways shut down, homes destroyed and lives shattered. We unloaded the car and moved restlessly about the house, at a loss as to where to go from here. We were scheduled to drive about fifty miles away later that day to attend a wedding but soon received another call, this time from a young anxious bride concerned that we may not have heard about the fires and wanting to make sure we were safe.

Plans can change so suddenly can't they? If you live in Southern California perhaps your plans changed this weekend as well, maybe you even got a call in the middle of the night with the news that you needed to evacuate your house immediately; plans of a good night sleep swiftly changing to an adrenaline pumping drive to safety.

As I prayed this morning for the many people that have been displaced I found myself turning to the pages of a devotional that I was given as a gift just this week (thanks to my sweet friend Susan McCready). It is called Jesus Calling, Enjoying Peace in His Presence and is by author Sarah Young. In the reading for November 16th it says

As you look at the day before you, you see a twisted, complicated path, with branches going off in all directions. You wonder how you can possibly find your way through that maze. Then you remember the One who is with you always, holding you by your right hand. You recall My promise to guide you with My counsel, and you begin to relax. As you look again at the path ahead, you notice that a peaceful fog has settled over is, obscuring the view. You can see only a few steps in front of you, so you turn your attention more fully to Me and begin to enjoy My Presence.

The fog is a protection for you, calling you back into the present moment. Although I inhabit all of space and time, you can communicate with Me only here and now. Someday the fog will no longer be necessary, for you will have learned to keep your focus on Me and on the path just ahead of you. (Psalm 73:23-24, 1 Corinthians 13:12)

What a wonderful reminder and one that I hope encourages you, no matter how your plans changed during this season of your life. I pray that we all learn to lean in to the presence of Our Lord and Savior whether times are foggy from the weather or smoky from a raging fire.

Blessings Dear Ones,
Tracy Klehn

P.S. The WINNER of The One Year Women's Friendship Devotional by Cheri Fuller and Sandra P. Aldrich is KRISTINE WEATHERLY...YAY!!! Thank you to all who entered the contest...I hope to do more give-aways in the months to come!

Tracy's First Ever Book Give-Away!

I am inviting you to be part of several of my favorite things all rolled into one...

Reading
Praying
Friendship
"The One Year" Series of Bible/Books
Free Stuff

Introducing (drum roll please) Tracy's First Ever Book Give-Away!!!


That's right, all you have to do to have a chance to win a copy of my featured book (The One Year Women's Friendship Devotional by Cheri Fuller and Sandra P. Aldrich) is to go to my blog site and click on "comment" for this entry and leave your name and mailing address (snail mail so I can ship the book to you). Next week when you get your Magnificent Life email from me I will announce the winner of the book.

In light of this momentous occasion in which I get to be the dispenser of free stuff, I will be featuring an interview with the authors of this terrific devotional. I hope you enjoy...

Until next week,
Tracy Klehn

The One-Year Women’s Friendship Devotional (Tyndale) is the latest book from friends and coauthors Cheri Fuller and Sandra Aldrich. Not only does the text provide a deeper connection to and enjoyment of God and His Word, but it is a wonderful opportunity for today’s busy women to connect with each other as they discuss the short daily devotions and the “To Ponder” questions at the end of each week’s section. Perfect for small groups or two girlfriends meeting over coffee, the devotional also is appropriate for those who prefer individual study,

What can women gain from The One-Year Women’s Friendship Devotional?

Sandra: The One-Year Women’s Friendship Devotional is designed for today’s busy woman. Each of the 365 devotions are on one page and contain a daily Scripture, short devotional thought from either Cheri or me and end with an honest prayer and an insightful quote. At the end of each week are questions to ponder individually or talk over with a friend. But beyond the friendship connection is our heavenly Father’s invitation to know more about Him and His living Word.

Cheri: One of the benefits of our One Year devotional is it provides a vehicle to discover your natural rhythm for drawing near to God in a personal and regular way. For right-brained people like me, the structure helps me stay in God’s Word day by day so my roots can grow deeper in Christ. Being a lover of people, I also enjoy exchanging ideas and discussing how a certain verse or story spoke to me, and the weekly questions are ideal for that purpose.

Why do you say “His living Word”?

Sandra: God’s Word isn’t just ancient wisdom. Its principles apply to modern challenges such as how to make good decisions, how to get along with those who irritate us, how to handle finances, how to know our heavenly Father on a deeper level. And that is just some of the treasures contained with the pages.

What are some of the topics covered?

Sandra: The 52 weekly themes cover many issues of a woman’s life, including career challenges, the power of encouragement, joyful living, hearing God above life’s roar, when your childhood family is toxic, faith building, avoiding overload, attitude adjustments, finding your spiritual pathway, dealing with stress, wading through grief, telling and hearing truth, making a difference, dealing with Christmas frenzy, a fresh-brewed prayer life, freedom from fear, and reaching a hurting world.

Does the reader need to start reading the devotional on January 1?

Sandra: No. This devotional isn’t about performance; it’s about connections. One of our weekly themes is about guilt, and we don’t want to add more to our readers’ stress-filled lives.

Cheri: One of the helpful facets of The One Year Women’s Friendship Devotional is that you can jump in and start any day, wherever you are—which is very much how God graciously interacts with us. We don’t have to get to a certain place to experience his grace. In this book, there is encouragement, hope, and inspiration for every day of the year—whatever age or stage you are currently in.

What’s the biggest challenge to women developing friendships today?

Sandra: Lack of time. And a lack of a sense of community. Today’s women have daily to-do lists as long as their arms. It’s difficult to concentrate on deepening friendships—or even developing them—when our idea of fun is crossing items off that list. Also, those endless lists make us feel alone even in a crowd. Women need each other, but often it takes special effort to form those connections.

Cheri: Recent research shows that 30% of Americans are lonely and often feel isolated. The more hectic life gets, the more we need friends and the encouragement that comes from relationship with God and our sisters in Christ. Our hope is that reading The One Year Women’s Friendship Devotional will energize your spiritual life and your friendships.

Another major challenge we face as women is taking care of so many people that we neglect ourselves and become irritated or burned out. Taking time to refuel spiritually and emotionally is important and the benefits ripple out to our children and family members, job, and all the people our lives touch.

You both are busy women. What has been your hardest friendship challenge?

Sandra: Even though most of us do not have our days consumed by cooking meals over a wood-burning stove or washing clothes in a copper kettle in the yard, our schedules still are not our own. Some days it seems as though each minute is controlled by demands from bosses and needs of family, leaving us little time for the soul nourishment friendship provides. The women of my long-ago farm community worked together—canning, quilting and cooking for ill or grieving families. In addition to accomplishing a needed task, they built a friendship fortress that provided an example of how community is supposed to work. I long for those relationships today.

Cheri: When I started speaking and writing, women I knew assumed I was working all the time and stopped calling to go to lunch or play tennis. They thought I was just too busy for fun. But I love people; I’m refreshed by being with people. My heart would dry up and have nothing to say without friendships with women and time with loved ones. So I’m very intentional and initiate getting together with friends.

How did you solve your own friendship challenge?

Cheri: Taking time to cultivate friendships is one way I solved my friendship challenge. For example, I call my friend Marcy, who owns a women’s clothing store (she’s beyond busy!) and we go to a chick flick every once and a while. I meet my thirty-two year old daughter Ali for coffee at Starbucks, because she’s one of my dearest adult friends and I want to stay in touch on a heart level. I have a writer-friend in the area, Melanie, and we occasionally get together and encourage each other about our latest book project. Older women friends have been incredible supports for me (since my mom died at 59) and I’ve learned so much from them because they’re farther down the road. Like Patty, who is 80. When I was about to turn 50 and a little down about it, she said, “Cheri, you’re about to enter your ‘Fabulous Fifties.’ The fifties were some of the best years of my life! Enjoy them.” And you know what—they are! How grateful I am for friendships with women!

Sandra: I don’t have that farm community today, but I still need the friendship. Thus, I asked the Lord to provide a friend or two who would understand my intense schedule, accept my down-home personality and provide the honest relationship for which most of us long. Through a series of events, five of us from church began to meet five times a year to celebrate our birthdays. Our little group represented separate ministries, so we scheduled the dinners in our daytimers as though they were important board meetings. Soon, what began as polite meals in which we talked about families and careers, turned into the cautious opening of our hearts and led to an incredible bond. Now, we meet several times a year and are there for each other during life’s challenges. My Birthday Group is a wonderful answer to my prayer asking for a “friend or two.”

What parting words do you have for your readers?

Cheri: Remember that God loves to hear your voice, just as you love to hear the sound of your kids’ or loved ones’ voices—not just once a week on Sunday but throughout your days. And every time we open his Book, the Bible, there’s a gift, a promise, or a truth that will help us learn to live abundantly no matter what we’re facing.

Sandra: Because of the shed blood of Jesus, we have the incredible privilege of stepping directly into the Presence of our heavenly Father through prayer. Years ago, a woman asked the great preacher G. Campbell Morgan if she should pray about everything or just the big things. Morgan answered, “Dear lady, pray about everything. After all, what could possibly be big to God?” I love that. And I love knowing we do not pray to air.

The One-Year Women’s Friendship Devotional provides connection in this fragmented world—connection to other women and, most importantly, connection to our heavenly Father. The quickest way to order it is through amazon.com. For more information about Cheri Fuller or Sandra Aldrich visit their websites at www.cherifuller.com or www.sandraaldrich.com And remember: the heavenly Father is just a whisper away.

What's A Mom To Do?

By the time you read this the election will be over and we will have a new president and no matter who now holds the title of "Commander in Chief," I believe we can all agree on one matter... our country still needs prayer and that's one very important thing a mom can do! As I prayed about what to write this week, I remembered a piece that I wrote in my first book (Prayer Starters for Busy Moms) for the chapter entitled "Prayers That Start With Concern For Our Nation." I hope it encourages you this week and in the weeks to come...

"Your success as a family...our success as a society...depends not on what happens at the White House, but on what happens inside your house." Barbara Bush

She was only sixteen years old when she rode her horse on that dark and stormy night in 1777. Through wooded and dangerous territory she galloped, stopping at isolated farmhouses. Rapping on the door with a stick, she would cry out, "The British are burning Danbury! Muster at Ludingtons'!"

By the end of her forty-mile trek, young Sybil Ludington had "called to arms" the militia that was under her father's command. Her brave actions enabled the soldiers to gather quickly, and ultimately resulted in the British being turned back. Sybil's bold act of courage was instrumental in the very foundation of the freedom that we live with today in America.

There is a statue of Sybil in Carmel, New York, on the path of her "midnight ride." It is a huge bronze rendering of her on horseback, arm raised, stick in hand, calling out her message. The statue stands as a reminder to all that a nation was affected by one young girl's act of bravery.

I learned as an adult that this Revolutionary War heroine is one of my ancestors, and I was immediately inspired by this girl called "The Female Paul Revere." I felt a renewed passion to ride with courage through the darkness of society and sound the alarm to mothers, exhorting them to take pack the power that they have to affect this country by harnessing God's power through prayer. I felt inspired to tell women that we all need to be like Sybil and do our part to hold back that which would seek to overtake and destroy. But then some questions came up for me: How did the Ludingtons raise a daughter of such character? A child that so willingly stepped forward when she was needed? What occurred in her home that caused courage to grow?

These questions brought me to the conclusion that the true "Sybils" in our lives are the children in our midst.

I have not seen a record of Mrs. Ludington's mothering techniques, nor do I even know if they were a churchgoing family. But I do know that 2 Chronicles 20:15 states: "The battle is not yours, but God's."

If we as mothers are to send our children out into the world to affect it, to change it, to bring revival, we must commit to "take up (our) positions" (2 Chronicles 20:17) and seek God. Indeed, in order to accomplish the lofty goal of changing a nation, we must prepare and equip through prayer, one child at a time. As the story of Sybil Ludington shows, even a child has the power to change the course of history.

Pictured above is the commemorative stamp from the U.S. Postal Service featuring Sybil Ludington.

Blessings,
Tracy Klehn

"Hearing" From God

I recently spoke to a lovely group of Southern California MOPS leaders and within minutes of entering the room met, as Anne of Green Gables used to say, a "Kindred Spirit" (If you have not yet read that classic novel you need to run, not walk, to your local book store or library, pick up a copy and dive in. If you have a daughter over the age of about eight it would make a delightful bonding time should you choose to read it aloud together). After talking for literally, ninety seconds, Bonnie (my MOPS Kindred Spirit) and I decided that we would get in way too much trouble if we spent time much together (picture loud, raucous laughter at rather inappropriate times). At the end of the evening Bonnie shared a story about her children that I felt an urgency to retell. You will soon understand why...

Bonnie has two daughters ages six and four and a son who is a toddler. Recently Bonnie was talking to her oldest daughter whom she described as quite...well...dramatic. She and her daughter were praying together and as they were finishing, Bonnie suggested that they wait silently to see if God had anything to say to them. Within seconds Bonnie's daughter had tears streaming down her cheeks and was yelling "I CAN'T HEAR GOD!!!! I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE SOUNDS LIKE!!! I DON'T KNOW HOW TO HEAR GOD!!!" Bonnie comforted her daughter and they continued their conversation about the many different ways it might be possible to hear from God...for example sometimes we hear from God when we see His creation, like when we are outside and take notice of the stars in the sky, or that sometimes we just sense His presence in the quietness of our heart. As she spoke, her daughters tears dried up and her panic dissipated.

A few nights later as Bonnie was putting her middle child to bed she found herself in "The Stall Tactic" portion of the evening and repeating her usual line of "Listen, we've already sang our song, read our book and said our prayers. It is now your brothers turn to have some time with me." As if on cue to "help" her mother, Bonnie's eldest daughter came storming into the room, placed her hands on her hips and told her younger sister "IF YOU WOULD JUST BE QUIET FOR A MINUTE YOU MIGHT HEAR FROM GOD!!!" after which she turned on her heel and marched out of the room. Apparently Bonnie's little talk about different ways to "Hear from God" had resonated with her eldest!

As my new friend and I laughed about the funny things kids say we also nodded with empathy about their fears, after all, haven't we all wondered if it was possible to "hear from God"? Haven't we all wondered if God cared enough to even speak to us? One of the most life transforming lessons I've ever learned is that God does want to speak to each of us and that one of the main places He will do so is through His Holy Word--The Bible. When I learned this, my prayer life was transformed. I began to go to the Bible more regularly with a sense of expectation...and I was never disappointed. I'd like to encourage you to do the same. Try not to panic (like Bonnie's daughter)...how about we pray instead okay?

Father, thank you for providing me with your Holy voice through the written word of the Bible. Thank you for reminding me in John 10:27 that you have given me the ability to hear you ("My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me"). Please open my Spirit ears to hear you clearly in the days to come and help me teach my children to do the same. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Blessings to you my Sisters,
Tracy Klehn