Sand Dunes in the Rockies?

"This is WAY better than Jockey's Ridge," Keelin said as she neared the top.

I never knew this place existed! The five of us just ascended the highest sand dune in North America, placed right in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. The place? Great Sand Dunes National Monument, in Colorado. What a treat! From wading in a warm stream across the sand, to stepping through lines of snow with our bare feet, this 750 foot climb was spectacular. With views of the Sangre de Christo Mountains to our east, and a stunning valley to our west, this hike was sublime. The girls had a huge sense of accomplishment after enduring the climb of 750 feet.





Élise was afraid of the heights and ridges but was comforted following in footsteps laid before her.



Trust in the Lord with all you heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will lead you in straight paths. Proverbs 3: 5-6

Why the Rush?

If one of our goals in our summer travels is to spend leisure time with family and escape a life confined to schedules, why did we blast across half the country in only 4 days? Skye and I weighed the pros and cons of taking our time across the eastern states versus making time and putting the family through (slight) suffering, and opted for the latter. We decided that making it to see his brother's family in Colorado Springs in time for me to watch my friend compete in the Southwest Regional Crossfit Games would be our priority. Time is also of the essence, since Skye only has a few short weeks until his return to the daily grind of work. We want to have ample time with his parents and cousin's family as well (who are currently galavanting about northern New Mexico in their rigs.) And it worked out great! Our little girls "toughened" in their road-hardiness, we made it to friends and family, and we still hit the Route 66 Museum and The BBQ Pig Palace!

The BBQ Pig Palace along I-40 in Oklahoma

The Capulin Volcano in New Mexico

Our girls with cousin Eildh

A Prayer for Flingy

Do you know how a little child can become so attached to a toy? For Carys, her love is "Flingy." Pink is her favorite color, so flamingos are her favorite animal. Midway across Tennessee, we realized no one had seen Flingy since the last campsite. Carys was certain she hadn't taken Flingy from the safety of the RV, but after searching for the better part of a day, we weren't so sure. We were worried the flingo might really be lost.

Carys was so brave and patient all day long, having hope she'd be found, but by bedtime she could bear it no longer. During bedtime prayers, her tears began to flow, and she cried and cried. We stopped and prayed that Flingy would be found, I knowing that God often has loving teaching for us in our losses. But I remembered the faith of a child, so we prayed BOLDLY that Flingy would be found.

And do you know what? I looked one more time into Carys' toy box, where I had looked half-a-dozen times, and there was Flingy, laying there plain as day. Oh, the rejoicing! We praised the Lord, faith was strengthened, and we were all reminded to pray for the least of things and know that God is concerned with the smallest of details for his children.

What Matters Most

The Duncan family has now officially cleared the I-95 corridor! We have said goodbye to friends, completed our U-Haul/minivan/F-250 RV caravan to Ft.Bragg, off-loaded our stuff, and are heading west. We are currently in central North Carolina, the family snoozing to the sounds of morning bird song. Well, except for me.

Before we left Alexandria, as I was pulling moving paper out of a used box, I discovered this little guy. We decided he must want to travel with us and see North America. Introducing.........

Travel Gumby! He was originally a salt-and-pepper shaker (weird!?!) but he is now our "Flat Stanley" and will be visiting such lovely sights as the Grand Canyon, and... well, I don't yet know where we are going.

So look for updates as we head west. We are tentatively planning to move out pretty fast to see if we can get somewhere special by a certain time. I'll let you know what that is if our rapid travel plans work out OK for the little girls...

Learning to See

We've lived in the hurry and rush of a metropolitan area now for several years. I have so many friends who love urban stimulation and being constantly on the go... they thrive on it. Though I feel blessed to have been here, to have had this experience, and to have made these friends, I am CRAVING desertion, simplicity, and an empty schedule. A place to let creativity bloom and to talk with each other and to bask - to enjoy - to take our time deciding what to do next. Every day a few more of our "things" go into boxes. And every day I feel more free. The day I took all the pictures off the walls left me with a palpable sense of peace. Why?? It's not like pictures were a burden to me... I certainly don't dust them. But I love the clarity that the empty walls bring. I love the feeling I get when all of my stuff goes into boxes. Less burden. Less bother. More time and attention to what is actually important to me and our family.

It is my hope that our time living more simply in our RV this summer will be satisfying in its simplicity. I pray we will appreciate each other, others, and beauty, more than we do our stuff and our routines. Let us take pleasure in slowing down and learning again how to feel, think, and SEE. Let us enjoy the long pauses- even be satisfied in "boredom."

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. Psalm 19: 1-2

A New Chapter...

Wake up blog! I've let you take a little nap for about 2 years now, but I am ready to awaken you to use you as my TRAVEL BLOG for a few months. The Duncan family is clearing out of Northern Virginia in about a week, and new adventures await. We have had a wonderful 5 years here filled with new friends and blessing. Today, I took a walk at Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge, considering it my "farewell to Virginia" adventure.

It was beautiful to see and feel the fog burn off, while looking forward to the months ahead.

We are eventually moving to North Carolina, but we will take the long route... through the west and perhaps Canada? Our plans are loose, but the company will be great. We'll enjoy time with fellow RV travelers (Grandma and Grandpa, cousins...). I am sure we will have many stories to tell. Bear with me as I try to learn how to operate this blog, and allow my creative juices to flow. Do you think I will have any creative juices during a summer with 3 little girls in 300 feet of living space? We shall see...

Taking time to bask in His declarations

My bent in life has always been to put pressure on myself to perform. It is the "well-worn rut" I fall into again and again. If something isn't working well for me in life, it is my tendency to establish for myself another law to follow, in an attempt to rectify the situation. At times I have made my transformation my primary goal in my Christian walk. In my quest for Christ-likeness, I have even gone so far as to overindulge a little more so that I would feel a little guiltier and thus a little more likely to repent and change.

Hum. That doesn't sound right, does it? No! That is not the Gospel and falling into the rut of self-salvation and performance does nothing to transform me toward Christ. It is the trap the Galatians had found themselves in:

Galatians 3:3-5 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Have you suffered so much for nothing- if it really was for nothing? Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?

The primary focus of my attention as a Christian should not be my obligations to him, but his declarations toward me. Only when I get the order right will my obedience flow out as a fruit of the Spirit. Only then will my obedience not be a work of human effort. He says I am welcomed, loved, and forgiven! My sins have been removed from me as far as East is from West (Psalm 103:12)! He rejoices over me with singing (Zephaniah 3:17)! It does not depend on my desire or effort, but on God's mercy (Romans 9:16)! There is now no condemnation for me for I am in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1), completely forgiven by Christ! The pressure is off, I am set free!

I have to repeat these truths to myself over and over again as I almost slip-up and fall into my law-making, self-condemning rut again. I have to preach the Gospel to myself and it's sweetness slowly releases me from the sin-snares of my own making.

It is not about me and what I do, but about Him and what He has done. What a relief! I pray the Gospel will seep into all the crevices of my life as I bask in his declarations, that I might know his joy, power, and love. Out of this place may I fulfill his obligations.

She wears her heart on her sleeve

One of our daughters, it appears, wears her heart on her sleeve. I've heard that this can be a helpful personality trait when trying to understand the disposition of a heart.

"I don't like you," says 3-year old Élise.

Hum.

My kids pretend a lot, but that seems a bit harsh.

We certainly don't allow the children to speak so disrespectfully to us, but I wonder if there is some truth to this bit of "pretend." It hurts to think that she may have some actual meaning behind her words.

"Élise, you should not say such unkind words to anyone. Do you remember that the Bible says we are to love our neighbor as ourselves? Do you think that I am your neighbor?"

I see a glimmer of understanding in her eyes, as she grasps the gravity of what her thoughtless words meant.

"It hurt me to hear you say such a thing to me. You do love your mother, don't you?"

"Yes."

We go on. I know to take things a bit lightly in the world of pretend that my little girls live in. But, I still hope that my sins against her haven't caused her to have any sort of separation from, or dislike of me, her own mother.

A couple of minutes later as I put on her shoes and socks, I silently pray for her. I ask the Lord to cause her heart to be soft so that she might be convicted of her own sin.

"I'm sorry I was bad, Mommy," she bravely says as she looks me straight in the eye.

"Oh, it's OK sweetie. You are a sinner just like me, and I forgive you just like Jesus forgives me."

I'm thankful that the Lord works through prayer, and that he gives us illustrations of his grace toward us. I pray that our children will grasp the deeper meaning of these instances in life, that their hearts may be tender to receive HIS forgiveness, as well.

Too long for a status update...

This impacting quote is too long for a Facebook status update, so allow me to share here:

Because you say I am a sinner, I will be righteous and saved... I fly to Christ who has given himself for my sins. Therefore, Satan, you will not prevail against me when you try to terrify me by telling me how great my sins are... On the contrary, when you say I am a sinner, you give me armor and a weapon against yourself... for Christ died for sinners... You do not terrify me but comfort me immeasurably.
Martin Luther

Sheep don't need fences

Last week in my Sunday school class, we were studying John 10. When contemplating the difference between sheep and goats, I was struck by the difference in their need for fences. A goat is independent, likes to be alone, and goes it's own way. One who raises goats would know that in order to keep them together, you would HAVE to fence them in. Sheep behave differently. They prefer to be with other sheep in their flock, and they follow the voice of their shepherd. Sheep in the open country to not need fences to contain them, they need only the voice and leading of their shepherd.

This applies to me well when I struggle spiritually. When God convicts me of a sin, I initially receive the conviction with joy and have delight in repentance. Soon after however, my tendency is to try to maintain obedience to this conviction by erecting for myself a fence- a law or a boundry. What happens then is that I take my eyes off of my shepherd, and I start looking at my fence. The accuser lies in wait, and takes advantage of me when I look away from my Saviour. He tries to sideline my faith by causing me to have guilt, fear, and self-burden.

But praise be to God, my remedy is right before me! He is my Shepherd, who gently reassures my that "there is NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)," and who "leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake (Psalm 23:3)." I have to keep on preaching the Gospel to myself as I listen to the voice of my Shepherd. I'll seek to "keep my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith(Hebrews 2:2).

Resources to teach children Biblical Truth

I love making lists! I was just thinking of sharing this list with a friend and decided to do a blog post instead. Here are my very favorite resources for teaching children Biblical truth:

Bibles-

The Jesus Storybook Bible!!!- by Sally Lloyd-Jones. Amazing narrative. Beautiful illustrations by Jago. Every story from Creation to Revelation show the connection to Christ. An essential for children and adults too!

The Child's Story Bible- Catherine F. Vos. I love this Bible as well. Vos fleshes out the stories so they pop with life. Requires some level of maturity to understand, when compared with my first Bible recommendation (ie. is for a slightly older child).

Education-

First Catechism - Teaching Children Bible Truths- Great Commission Publications.
Easy to use tool for child to use when memorizing their First Catechism. Only costs a couple of dollars on the GCP website.

Big Truths for Little Kids- Susan Hunt. Great stories which apply the truths contained in the catechism questions. The stories do a great job describing how the Holy Spirit teaches the heart.

My ABC Bible Verses- Susan Hunt. A verse with a story of application for every letter in the alphabet. Appropriate to begin this book with a 2 or 3 year-old child (and keep using as they grow).

Storybooks-

The Chronicles of Narnia- C.S. Lewis. I started reading the 7-book series to my oldest when she was 4 and she absolutely eats it up. Dense with truth generally in allegorical form. Aslan represents (imperfectly, of course!) Jesus, and the White Witch represents Satan. The stories (along with Bible study) have given our child a very clear understanding of good versus evil. I believe they are typically recommended reading for about fifth-graders on up.

Fool Moon Rising- Kristi and T. Lively Fluharty. Sweet little book about how we are not to be makers of glory, but reflectors (as the moon reflects the sun's light, we are to reflect the light of Christ).

The Priest with Dirty Clothes- R.C. Sproul. A story that illustrates how we are made acceptable to God through Christ's righteousness- in a way that a child can understand.

A Parable About the King- Beth Moore. A princess runs away from home- a story about the forgiveness of her Father.

One Wintry Night- Ruth Bell Graham. A woman tells the Christmas story to a boy visitor- beginning with Creation and showing how the whole Bible is a story about the Rescuer who was born on Christmas.

Beautiful poem about the blessing of a thorn

Martha Snell Nicholson (a "mendicant" is a beggar):

I stood a mendicant of God before His royal throne
And begged him for one priceless gift, which I could call my own.
I took the gift from out His hand, but as I would depart
I cried, "But Lord this is a thorn and it has pierced my heart.
This is a strange, a hurtful gift, which Thou hast given me."
He said, "My child, I give good gifts and gave My best to thee."
I took it home and though at first the cruel thorn hurt sore,
As long years passed I learned at last to love it more and more.
I learned He never gives a thorn without this added grace,
He takes the thorn to pin aside the veil which hides His face.

Satan wins by making us comfortable

I was recently listening to an old John Piper sermon (highly recommended: Christ in Combat- Defense by the Spirit," March 18, 1984). He stated "People sometimes ask why, if Satan is real, we don't see more demon possession and exorcisms in America. I have an idea. Satan holds American Christianity so tightly in the vice-grip of comfort and wealth that he's not about to tip his hand with too much demonic tomfoolery."

As a Christian, I am often quick to associate various pleasures with blessing from God. But this statement gives me pause and rings with truth. How many of my sins with which I struggle are related to comfort and security? Satan could be pleased no more than when I am too comfortable to seek the face of God. Are we resting with tummies full and faces smiling as we bask in worldly pleasures?

Did our heroes of the Bible seek God's face out of positions of comfort, or did they see God through hardship? John the Baptist lived in the desert and ate a diet of locusts and honey (AND wore an itchy robe all the time!) Paul was flogged, shipwrecked, imprisoned, and often cold and hungry. Joseph was sold by those he loved into slavery. The list goes on and on. I can't in fact, think of a single Bible hero who had it easy. Can you? And these people, who were willing to trust in the Lord while they endured difficulties, were the ones he saw fit to use for his good purposes.

I pray (with thankfulness because I know he WILL!) that as I lay down my "right/need" for pleasures that are worldly, God will continue to amaze me with his grace.

Joy and delight in our children

Today, as I was walking by a strip mall, I saw a mother with her teenage daughters laughing and walking arm-in-arm as they discussed the similarities between Thai and Chinese food. Their joy in each other struck me, as I so rarely see the same among teens and their Moms. It reminded me of a statement made by a son of Rick and Marilyn Boyer, who noticed that when parents "took genuine delight in their children," the children were less likely to stray from close relationship with family and the Lord when they grew up. This mother was obviously taking genuine delight in her girls, and their relationship and joy in it was flourishing. I suspected that these daughters would have little motivation to turn their backs on their mother and go their own rebellious ways.

In one of my Bible studies, we are learning about some of the ramifications of our God being a "happy" God, who takes infinite delight and joy in His Son. Because of His Son's sacrifice on the cross for my sins, He now takes infinite delight in ME!

"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet your with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

(I can't get rid of the indent now on this dumb word processor so bear with me, indented!)

My Lord rejoices over me with singing! He is happy because I am His!

Likewise, I want my children to know that I am happy that they are "mine." I pray for the strength and ability to take genuine delight in them, even when they are challenging, and my life seems really hard. It is so easy to flip into selfish-mode and to focus on all the wrong things. I pray that God would give me supernatural joy as I go through the ups and downs of life with them, and that they would always feel that my presence is one of joy and delight in them. I pray that ultimately, their hearts would be inclined to His, and that they would understand that true fullness of joy is only in Him.