Mother’s Day.
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I sat on the couch drinking my cup of coffee this morning when Izzy, Judah and Danny gathered around with cards and a gift bag. .
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As Izzy learned over to hug me and hand me her gift bag, she accidentally hit the mug of coffee sitting beside me, smashing it to pieces on the tile floor. .
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Her little eyes went wide, feeling like she had ruined the moment and suddenly the most important thing to me was her little heart and wanting to make sure she didn’t feel bad. Setting the gift bag aside I let her know it was just an accident, not to feel bad and hugged her close.
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She then smiled and reached for the gift bag again and set it in my lap - the spilled coffee and smashed cup still laying in pieces at our feet. .
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I opened the gift bag, looking more at her than at it, only to unwrap a new shiny beautiful coffee mug. The one she had seen me pick up and look at earlier in the week. .
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We both smiled. Suddenly it was so much more than a coffee mug, it was a picture of grace and redemption. .
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I washed it, poured myself a new cup of coffee and told her it was perfect. .
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As I held the broken pieces of the mug and eyed my new cup I thought how like motherhood this little exchange represents.
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Giving and receiving from the moment we become a mother. Giving life, receiving life. Giving love, receiving love. Giving grace, receiving grace. Giving forgiveness, receiving forgiveness. .
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The privilege and the sacrifice all wrapped up in each and every moment of the day. .
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If we expect to only receive we will be disappointed, even on this very day. As Mom’s we have the privilege to give, over and over again, a little more of ourselves, a little more time, a little more love, changing broken moments into whole pictures of the love and grace given to us through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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It’s broken and beautiful.
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It’s hard and glorious.
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It’s heart breaking and joyful. .
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It is a moment by moment receiving strength, wisdom and grace to pour out into the lives of the little ones we have been given and to give them back in trust to the Lord and His will for their lives.
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It’s grace upon grace. .
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A day of simple pleasures, I couldn’t have asked for a more wonderful day. .
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Coffee brought to me in bed, letters written with the sweetest, heartfelt words that this Mama will keep forever. A cake decorated with so much care and a husband who cooked an amazing dinner and gave such thoughtful gifts. (He is the best gift giver.) .
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One of Danny’s gifts to me was a beautiful leather journal and a fountain pen. I had mentioned a while ago that I missed journalling. On opening the most beautiful journal, I held it, ran my hand over it and held it close. Then I said, “Oh my, I’ll only write in this on very special days, it is so lovely.” .
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To which my Izzy replied immediately, “Oh Mama, everyday is special because we have a new day and we are together. That makes everyday special and worth writing about.” .
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I hugged her close, said she was absolutely right and there and then I wrote what she said as a quote on the very first page. .
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So, on this 42nd birthday I am remembering to give thanks and by the grace of God I’ll be filling that journal with all the everyday ordinary that is my beautiful life. .
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So grateful. 💛
The glow of Monday morning. .
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“If it be the will of God," said my wife, "to leave us alone on this solitary place, let us be content; and rejoice that we are all together in safety.” - The Swiss Family Robinson.
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We are reading this book right now and this quote jumped out at us. Izzy said, “Hmmm.. sounds like us right now Mama.”
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Grateful this morning for a new day, sunlight through the window, good books, homeschool, time together and a home to be together in. .
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Hope you all have a great week. 💛
We found out a few weeks ago that our summer trip is cancelled. We were to leave Sunday, May 24th to fly to the Philippines. Then we were to fly on to N.Ireland for 6 weeks and we also had a trip to Norway to speak at a conference and see our dear friends.
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We had been planning, preparing, hoping and dreaming so much about this trip. Goodbyes we need to say to the village we left, a house of belongings left behind we need to sort out, talks with leadership about a future ministry, co workers to see again etc. The kiddos have been saving, researching and getting ready for weeks. .
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We’ve been processing this news for a while, just the four of us. More change, disappointment, broken plans, laying it all down. Stay Home. .
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“Disappointment isn’t proof that God is withholding good things from us. It’s His way of leading us Home.” - Lysa Terkeurst.
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Led Home, by a good and faithful Shepherd. .
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Yet again, the Lord is leading us further into surrender to His will, acceptance of His way and expectation to wait on His perfect will. If the past few years have taught us anything it is this; God is faithful and good no matter what our circumstance may be and what our feelings may tell is - He is faithful. He is truth. He is sovereign and kind and eternal, holding all things safely in His hands. This disappointment has not slipped through His fingers unnoticed. .
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I didn’t try to sugar coat anything for the kids. I’ve learned now I can trust God with everything He brings into their lives as much as mine. I never want to edit what He is doing in their lives through all of this. I see it as preparation to live in a broken world by clinging and pressing into truth and hope found only in Jesus and His Word. But we have walked and talked and prayed and cried and listened and sat in silence, together. .
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Yes, we are sad. Disappointed for sure. We named all the things we are going to miss, made a list and felt the loss - but we are waiting with expectation for what the Lord has in store for us in all of this.
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Led Home.
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If we were to see you on our trip this summer, please know we send our love and we look forward to the next time we can be together.
It’s been so long since I have done a #fridayintroductions and I maybe there are some people who would like to know a bigger picture of who I am if you have just started following along recently. .
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My name is Philippa, I do go by Pip or Pippy, but my favorite is to be called “Mama” by our two loves, Isabela and Judah. .
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I was born and raised in N.Ireland. I am an only child and my parents are the best - they have followed me all around the world to every home we have ever lived in, and that is a lot. I haven’t been able to be home for 5 years and that makes me sad. .
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I went to Bible School at 19 to head out across the world to bring the gospel to the unreached. I was so terrified and yet so convinced that this was the best thing I could do. Obedience came from a deep reverence to Almighty God - a deeper understanding of joy and grace came as I experienced the presence and friendship of the Lord Jesus Christ with me every step of the way. .
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I met my husband Danny at the Missionary Training Center in Missouri in August, 2000. We were married the following year. .
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We spent 15 years church planting in the Philippines, by the grace of God teaching His word and watching a church be established. We moved to a second village to start again when Danny discovered a tumor on his hip. It was cancer. After going through a long process of chemo and radiation we praise God for his health and strength to continue on in ministry.
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While we waited for me to get a green card ✅ and for Danny to get ongoing scans we have returned to the Missionary Training Center (where we met) to help teach, encourage and challenge the next generation of missionaries preparing for the mission field. .
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We loved our life and ministry in the Philippines and it has been so hard for us to lay it down for now. The Lord has been teaching me so much about how we are not entitled to ministry, results, answers and praise, but how our hearts are to be those of servants to the great Author and Finisher of our faith. .
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At 19 I was full of fear for what a life of service to Jesus may cost me. The more my Saviour has become dear to me, the less it feels like a cost and more like a gift.
The Easter Message; Jesus died for our sins and rose again to conquer death, fear and darkness - is not to be kept to ourselves. .
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The gospel message is to be shared, taught, lived out, passed along and taken to the ends of the earth. .
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“Jesus rescued me” these words both brought rest and stirred my heart yesterday. In the late afternoon we took a family walk in the rain by the lake when we came to this lifebuoy that happened to be hung on a cross, by the edge of the water. .
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It was a visual to me in that moment, the message of the cross is to save the lost, the dying, the unreached. We rejoice in our salvation, but we must never forget those who still walk in fear, drown in darkness, remain in sin. They need us to throw out a lifeline; His Word. .
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We are to be messengers of truth, testimonies of grace and missionaries of love proclaiming this great salvation which we have received. .
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The Great Commission is in light of the Easter Message. .
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“Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel.....”
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As the calendar moves on from the Easter Holiday, lets carry the message with us into our everyday lives and send it out into a world that needs to hear Jesus Saves. .
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Thinking today of the many tribes, villages and places where the Word of God has not yet been translated, taught or lived out before them. They have been distanced from the gospel for so long, and the Lord reminds us to go and tell them. Will you have a part? .
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Send. Support. Pray. Go. .
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Maybe there is somebody in your immediate circle of friends and family that needs to hear the gospel through you. .
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Near or far, let’s be faithful to bring the good news. .
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