Who has the right-a-way?

  
We've all been there. You're driving on the interstate when your exit is next. You take it and merge onto the service road traffic. At some point or another, you had to yield to the right-a-way traffic (unless you're driving in Mombasa!), otherwise traffic chaos ensues. There's too many people trying to go the same way!

Healing Scars

   

   Scars tell a story.

   When I was a kid I loved to ride my bike. I rode all up and down and around where we lived. Thankfully our house was located in a gated, secure community; so many times I could take off by myself or with my granddad and be gone for an hour. The roads were SO hilly! Of course, as a kid, I loved that! Racing fast down hill, no worry of falling – it’s what kids do! Well, one time, I was doing just that when I hit a rock just right and took a nose dive off my handle bars. The next thing I remember was getting up and wondering what happened! Thankfully the accident didn’t leave me critically hurt, but it did leave a nice scar on my knee to remember it by.

Power in the Storm

Psalm 46:1-3 

"God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble,

Therefore we will not fear though the

earth give way,

though the mountains be moved into

the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble at its

swelling."

Have you ever been there? Standing on the top of the mountain and feeling the earth tremble, ready to just "give way"? You feel the waters roaring around you and smell the foam it gives off. Yes, it's HERE that the Lord says, "I am your refuge and strength. DO NOT FEAR."

For Unto Us a Child is Born

  

Growing up as an only child, I always talked to myself. Yes, even answered myself! I have always been a deep thinker and so I had to process somehow. I remember just mumbling my thoughts aloud, trying to make since of life. I realized the battles of right and wrong, of good and evil. I remember feeling almost schizophrenic for I could play out two scenarios in my head. I knew how I should respond, but something in me wanted to know what would happen if I, instead, responded how I shouldn’t.

Dear Mom

  

It’s Christmas time! In other words, that means, parties, tinsel, cooking, decorating, friends, laughter, candles, “sleigh rides”, and caroling.  Which then leads to, sleep deprivation, traveling, piled up laundry, extra dishes, schedule crunching, rushing here, line waiting, online shopping, stressing out, credit card charging, expensive, how-much-can-I-cram-into-one-day…..UGH! But smile for the camera, we have so much to be thankful for, besides, it’s the HOLIDAYS!

Welcome to the Steck Family Store!!!

Yes, we just returned from Kenya mere weeks ago, but we can't wait to go back, and this time with our kids!! So, no trip is possible without the support of our friends, family and even acquaintances we haven't made yet. Believe it or not, God confirms His plans through you! We trust Him for that, and are excited to see what He will do. We have put together some handmade items, created with love and prayers for you to purchase and all the proceeds will go directly to funding our family mission trip in 2015. Please know these are minimum donation amounts and we encourage you to pray about this and give as the Lord leads, for this is His work. Adam and I are passionate about the work the Lord is doing through Lighthouse For Christ. The vision to plant churches in the Kenya, provide continual pastoral leadership and mentorship, plus provide top of the line eye care for the community beautifully illustrates the Gospel.

Recipe of the Week!!

It's time to crank up the Christmas music and pull out the decorations!! And what better way to season the air than to cook up a steaming hot pot of...no not coffee...not tea...how about....yes, Wassail!!! Mmmm, I can smell it now! Perfect treat for the mid-decorating slump. Here ya go.... enjoy!! We sure do!

True Gift

     It started like it does every year. That looming feeling that I *need* to prepare some major, cutsie, crafty advent devotion to begin with my family starting Dec. 1. This idea of advent excites me. I’ve started many…and quit many.

Come as you are

The words “Come as you are,” washed over me as I ran down the road, stirring up the leaves as I passed by. I thought of the changing seasons and how that parallels to so much of life. What if the trees stubbornly resisted the impending dropping of leaves? Or decided they would not grow new ones this year because they love the winter too much? Sometimes, honestly, that’s how I feel. I don’t want to grow, it’s hard. I don’t want to change seasons, for that requires changing out clothes and I just got used to everything. Why can’t things just stay the way they are?! But if the leaves don’t drop in fall, the tree would die in winter for lack of food. If no bud of leaves appear in Spring, that tree is future firewood. Change is ordained by God and good for us that we may grow and thrive.

Dear Elijah,

   

    I just finished reading your story in the book of 1 Kings, chapters 17-19. I imagine you standing at the entrance of the cave in Horeb watching the LORD pass by. What was that like?! 

Your story has me reflecting...

Refreshments Anyone?

   At the end of a long run my legs ACHE, my lungs HEAVE, and my taste buds crave a re-hydration drink. Crossing that finish line is the only goal in my mind. I can smell it…or is that my sweat dripping down? Giving it all I’ve got, once I cross that line, AHHH I made it, now I can rest. After a good workout our body needs to replenished, right? Well, in the same way, our SPIRIT needs refreshment after its been exercised. After those uphill battles in life, we just need a good lemonade stand!

Mombasa...Thanksgiving...Welcome to RECIPES!!

OK, so WELCOME to the FUN section of my blog!! I LOVE to eat, have people over to EAT, cook to EAT and create memories around, yes, EATING! Recently, on our last trip to Kenya, the team brought to my attention that I was mostly taking pictures like these... 

Confirmation

 Have you ever had one of those moments where the world around you stops, the noise turns to a distant buzz, your heart quickens and you can’t peel your eyes off what you’re looking at? I had one of those moments laying on my couch upon arriving home from Kenya. But to describe the wonder of this moment means I start back when I bought the fishing pole…

Kenya Timeline 2014

Mombasa Kenya, HERE WE COME!!!!

I am privileged to travel with George Stevens, Jeff Smith and my hubbie :) Here we are at the gates of the Houston airport...the journey begins!

What's your Purpose?

 "How am I supposed to do this?" I think Caleb and I both said those words countless times that first year. (Actually still do!) How can I teach my child when I'm not a teacher? I have no official training or methods of learning, no experience in the classroom, not even an exceptional education myself. What do I use, who do I call when I have a bad day? And when do I have time ALONE?? Sometimes, honestly I don't like my children, so how do I get along with them ALL DAY LONG?

Top 5 Reasons Home school is like Breastfeeding

The idea of homeschooling for me began mid way through Caleb's year of Kindergarten. Things in our home just CHANGED... and I didn't like it. With baby #3 on the way, I knew this was going to be a challenge. Still, after much prayer I believed God was nudging me toward homeschooling. Which means, in other words, He was pulling me out of this boat sailing through nice calm waters and inserting me into another one, broken and wind busted with more storm clouds on the horizon. So I laid down all my reasons why I couldn't do this, and accepted His hand held out to help me. And with a 6 week old baby on one arm and another child age 3 beside me,  and we began our journey....together!

To Love Like Him

Sitting on my bed in Kenya I was overlooking a glorious sunrise over the Indian Ocean. I couldn't believe it... I mean, I remember the plane ride and all, but to wake up to THIS view was unbelievable! It was so beautiful, breath-taking, HOT and amazing. Yesterday I held a crawly starfish and a spiny sea urchin in the palm of my hand. But today, my encouragement came from 1 Cor 13. Starting with verse 4, it reads:

Dead Fish Smell

   

Have you ever passed by something dead? You know you have by what? Yes, the smell! Sometimes you can’t even see it, but the smell takes your breath away.  I was jogging by a fence with a pond on the other side of it when this powerful rotten smell nearly choked me -  which is not good when you’re already out of breath! Death stinks.

By Faith Pt 2

  

So when I choose faith, does that mean I should have an end goal in mind and just KNOW (have faith) that God’s going to work “all things together for good” and come through for me?

    I’m sorry, dear friend, but the answer that that question is NO. Fortunately, though, faith is so much deeper and richer than hope for all answered prayers our way! Oswald Chambers says, “Through these doorways (pain/trials/struggles) God is opening up ways of fellowship with His Son.” Hebrews 11 is full of examples of people who lived “by faith” and there’s also a paragraph nestled in-between these heroic deeds that requires our attention. 

By Faith, _____

  

 I imagine entering the gates of the Heaven – as our name is found in the Book of Life, we take our seat among the patriarchs – David, Moses, Elijah. Then a scroll is passed to us. On it reads Hebrews 11:

By faith, Noah…

By faith, Abraham…

By faith, Joseph…

Dog Bites of Life

    I’ve enjoyed running for almost 3 months now. Every time my feet touch the pavement I’ve prayed that I would not strive for physical training, but that the Lord would train me in godliness. Only as an extra perk, I hope my body to be physically fit, healthy and ready for any service which He may call me to. Through these months I’ve seen the Lord manifested in the heat of the sun and the glory of its rays, the road marks along the way, water treatment facilities, creeks…the list goes on. Not to mention tiny irritations like mucus, shin splints, exhaustion from starting too fast, and things I haven’t even written publically of.  All of these things have nourished my spirit and answered my prayers.

In His Steps

    

   

When Adam and I steal an opportunity to dash off by ourselves – leaving the kids with my parents– we usually find our way to some sort of hiking trail. As we’re either climbing up the rocks or cascading down the slope, I like to place my foot in the exact footprint that Adam just left behind. Then I don’t have to think. He’s still standing so I should be fine. We can now freely carry on a conversation because I’m not worrying about my next step.

 That’s what I think of when I read 1 John 2:4-6…

  

    “The man who says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”

    

    When I read this passage , fear almost reverberates within me. Couple that with the realization that I cannot hide my true feelings and heart from Him. My wrestling with this truth lies completely bare before the Lord. I can do nothing to even dress it up. Now, it’s not a fear that I’ve done something wrong and have severe consequences awaiting, but rather a, knee-bending, will surrendering, face-down, I-CANNOT-DO-THIS reverent fear. To think of walking in the steps of Jesus is scary.

    “Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.” Jesus left footprints behind for us to follow in. Sometimes they are scarcely seen. Sometimes they lead up precarious rock mountains requiring training and “gear”, or maybe they lead through a slippery wet valley… dark, damp and dangerous.  Other times those footsteps lead up to a doorstep of someone we’d rather ignore,  lead to a letter that’s painful to write, a conversation preferably left unsaid, or to a person we’ve left unforgiven. Jesus went to the SINNERS of this world to give them HOPE and a FUTURE of VICTORY.

    To walk in THOSE steps challenges every morsel of my being; it divides my flesh and cuts right to my soul.  We see Jesus wrestling with those feelings as He walked this earth in flesh. He prayed in the garden for this cup to pass over Him. That maybe there would be another way. His Father must want Him to be Happy right? Just take this from me! He pleaded, he grieved, He cried drops of blood. Then He surrendered. He knew the cross was  the only way. He’d gone over the plans many times. The Plan was drawn up and signed before the foundation of the world. He chose to yield and accepted His lot to walk in the steps of the Father's Plan. It’s because of those steps that  I, WE can also follow in His steps.  Jesus’ perfect atoning sacrifice means I boldly come into God’s throne room and ask for help to walk this Hill of Difficulty or Valley of Humiliation. I cannot walk it alone – and I don’t have to!

    So, I challenge you readers – those of you who profess to know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior – to not just be hearers of the Word, but doers also. “This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.”

    Are you ready or willing to be ready to walk in His steps?

Slow Down, Children at Play

   

    I realized mid-way through my jog yesterday that I’ve not been surrendering my course to the Lord. I’ve just been setting out running my usual route without even thinking about it. Yesterday’s cool and cloudy weather reminded me to ask the Lord where I should run to. Passing up my usual 3 mile mark, I wondered how far this run would go and what was in store.

    I finally came to a sign that stood out to me to be my turn around mark. It said, “Slow Down, Children at Play.” Those words tingled as they processed. We ask cars to slow down and watch for playing children. Do I slow down and marvel at my children playing? I used to during the preschool years. Looking back, those days seem slow-paced and peaceful, compared to school schedules, play dates, martial arts, guitar lessons and don’t forget gymnastics that fill my days now. On second thought, maybe these times are just DIFFERENT rather than harder or easier. However it goes, the question still stings a little. Do I slow down and allow my children to play…play with each other…play in nature, exploring…play with legos, engineering…play without hearing me hollering “ Come on, put that away! Why do you have to make such a mess?”…

    Before I saw that sign I’d prayed that the Lord would show me what to focus on with my kids. Sometimes I can be so near-sighted, I see TODAY going well according to my schedule, but what’s going on underneath it all? Well, thank you Lord, I see it now. I FEEL it – Slow Down Julie, Children at Play. But how do I do that? What does that look like? There’s so many choices today of things to be involved it. Homeschooling  seems to add more options to the table rather than decrease them. How do I know what to say “Yes” or “No” to?

    Pondering that question led me to think about our family’s priorities and goals. Have you noticed that some people are more goal driven than others? I happen to be one of those people who NEED, MUST know where we are going and why we are going there! J Great to travel with! I don’t want to be side-tracked and I don’t want to waste time! So why do we homeschool? An even better question is what is our purpose as a family? We choose to homeschool to make disciples of our children through providing a solid, life- equipping education, opportunities to grow using real life scenarios to strengthen our faith, and practice all these things TOGETHER. We do not fulfill this perfectly every day, or every other day, but this is our GOAL. You may have another one! You do not have to agree with mine or feel the need to take on mine as your own.

    So, if an activity enhances and fulfills this statement, I should say YES to that. However, if the activity is good, but does not help us grow, I may need to say NO, for it might pull us away from the goal. Whew! I wish I could report my excellence in choosing the right answer. But I am still learning. Writing this is proof I’m working through it.  Why is it my tendency to over-stuff-cram-quickly-hurry,-one more thing into life? Then I wonder why the kids are arguing, jockey-ing for position, acting like ungrateful spoiled brats…while I’m feeling worn out, frustrated, drained, confused and probably hungry!! There is definitely something wrong with this equation.  We have a wrong variable somewhere.

    Don’t misunderstand me…there is no formula for life. No magic pill to take. Life naturally takes on a fast pace when more than 1 person live under a roof. So let’s not rush it more by adding needless extras that detract from the beauty of the family.

   Slow down mom…the kids are playing!  And they say, they won’t be kids forever…            

Prideful Flying Snot (no picture needed!)

    Have you ever tried to swallow some spit that just wouldn’t stay down? Then you swallow REAL hard but it still keeps coming back up! So what  do you do then?  Yep, spit it out!! I think the same example can apply to our PRIDE.  Swallow your pride and it might keep creeping back up. Maybe we actually need to spit it out instead!

    You know those “secret places” of our heart and mind that no one knows about? Yes, those things we’d like to keep it that way! I’ve found that sometimes those places pose a perfect breeding ground for  enemy strongholds. He likes to creep in through a skewed thought and then widen that crack through repetition until finally we’re actually listening to him. But what would happen, if when that first ugly head of ________ (pride, deceit, envy, malice, rage, theft, self pity…) showed itself we grabbed a friend or  spouse and confessed that instead of stifling it? Saying to them, for instance, “I’m really struggling with this right now. Would you help hold me accountable/ encourage me in this area?”  Just some act to spit that nasty lugie out before it spreads anywhere else. In doing that, pride has to leave, because confession takes humility.  First Peter 5:5 says “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” That humility is a choice. Being proud comes more naturally!

    However, a walk of humility can sometimes be humiliating! I’d rather keep on the mask that says I’ve got it all figured out and am implementing it daily, can’t you tell!! Humility means admitting, smiling, giving grace because I need grace, extending mercy because God extended it first, asking for forgiveness . . OUCH and OUCH.  Then there’s the flip side. If I share these things, they can come back to bite me! My friend  may think differently about me… may not like me any more…honestly, I may lose my image!  Yes. But is it really “MY” image?

    At the turn around mark one day on my run I saw a “For sale by owner” sign. This reminded me of the fact that I am not my own. I was bought with a price- the precious blood of Jesus.  In exchange for that, I’m asked to surrender the right to myself.  The “RIGHT” to be my own boss…to make decisions for ME…to have the RIGHT to  ___because I deserve it! Have I got to the point of placing a “For sale by owner” sign on myself? Can I resign to the fact that I am no longer my own master? Now, the life I live, I live for my new Master Jesus Christ who actually knows what’s best for me, even though it may seem difficult at the time to walk through.

    

    Well enough deep talk about for sale signs and snot…. But food for thought until next time…..