Realistic December Wedding Planning

December 2, 2013 by 2 Comments

2926585439_b5c2e16d2c_zDecember wedding planning has a different set of rules, Mother of the Bride. And if you break them, sweet friend, you risk not only your sanity but probably a merry Christmas season as well.

A couple of weeks ago I urged you to give yourself a break with time management by saying no to some responsibilities and extra tasks and also by asking for help. But in December the guidelines change slightly. You certainly don’t want to ask anyone for help. Everyone is already overloaded with holiday tasks and events. And from what I hear, it’s not a good time to call on Santa’s elves either.

Saying no to some of your routine responsibilities is still a good idea, though, and if anyone dares to ask you, a mother of the bride, to take on an extra task during the holiday season, not only should they be blasted with a resounding are you crazy, they should also be sentenced to fifty lashes with a peppermint stick.

The main rule, though, for realistic December wedding planning, MOB, is postpone. Yes, postpone any and all wedding planning possible until January arrives. Remembering to live life apart from an all things wedding approach is always good advice but never more so than during the holidays. The holidays should be enjoyed—by you, by the bride and the groom, and by all those living life with you.

If certain tasks must be attended to—like securing a vendor or making a payment on time—do it as quickly as possible and get back to focusing on the special times to be enjoyed during the holidays. Be realistic, MOB, and grant yourself the grace December wedding planning rules afford. You won’t regret it.

*What wedding planning-free activities do you look forward to the most this month?

*Flickr photo by paperladyinvites, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: advice, focus, holidays, joy, Mother of the Bride, preparation, wait

A Painful Mercy

June 17, 2013 by 6 Comments

Sometimes God says no to our most earnest requests. We plead, we bargain, we pour out our hearts’ deepest desire and still he doesn’t give us the answer we long for. Other times his answer is wait. And sometimes we’ve already waited an excruciatingly long time as it is.

These answers of no and wait—and wait some more—can really hurt. After all, we’re not talking about casual, wouldn’t-it-be-nice kinds of requests. We’re talking about earnest requests. Requests born of desperation, heartache, and deep need. So when our deepest desires are not granted, the accompanying pain and disappointment run deep as well.

What we may not realize is that God’s painful no or wait  may in fact be a painful mercy. He alone knows all the results a yes might bring. He alone knows the future. When it appears he’s withholding our heart’s desire, he instead may be saving us from an even greater grief.

Many of you know that our family has been experiencing a season of waiting for quite some time now. During this period, the answer no has been our portion time and again. We’ve dealt with heartache over and over and have not understood why God is answering the way he is.

But what if we—and what if you in your situation—could see into the future, could see what God sees. Maybe our family would see a turn of events that would be more devastating than the current answer of no or keep waiting. How about you? What might you see in your future? I think we all might see that God’s no may in fact be a painful mercy.

It all boils down to trust, doesn’t it? Even when the answers we want don’t come, will we trust God? Will we continue to believe that he loves us and has good things in store for us? Will we acknowledge that he may be planning to give us something even better than our original request?

Don’t get me wrong—trust is not a pat answer. Trust doesn’t negate the pain. But it does bring peace. It does keep hope alive. It does acknowledge that God alone knows the future and that he will indeed walk with us through times of painful mercy.

“Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10

*Have you experienced a painful mercy in your life?

*Flickr photo by minniemouseaunt

Filed Under: disappointment, grief, mercy, prayer, trust, wait Tagged With: , , ,

Midweek Morsel: God’s Favor to You

April 10, 2013 by 2 Comments

I’m hoping my last post—“Got Guts?”—has inspired some of us to take the next step in our work, our hobbies, or some other new endeavors. I hope it’s nudged us to put ourselves out there. Maybe soon, we’ll be waiting to see or hear how our work is received or if our efforts result in success. (By the way, kudos to all who are trying!)

As we wait, let’s ask God for his favor. Here is a blessing and a prayer from the Word of God for everyone courageous enough to move forward and give it his or her best shot:

“May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.” Psalm 90:17

*How has God helped establish your work in the past?

*Flickr photo by aussiegall

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, comes out in early May. Sign up is free and to the right!

Filed Under: blessing, wait, Word of God, work

At the Proper Time

February 3, 2013 by 8 Comments

“ . . . you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.” Psalm 145:15b-16

Like kids begging for candy in the checkout lane, we sometimes tug on God’s coattails with the same impatience and/or insistence. “Please, please, please, God. Please grant my desire . . .”

Don’t get me wrong. I firmly believe that we are to pour our hearts out to God and freely tell him the desires of our hearts (Psalm 62:8). I also remember that Jesus told his disciples the parable of the persistent widow “to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” (Luke 18:1)

Yes, God wants to hear from his children and out of his great love for us, he will answer our prayers. But many times his answers don’t come when we want them to—or packaged quite like we’d hoped.

Like any good parent—like the perfect father he is—he waits for the proper time to give us our food, our desires. Just as we don’t give a baby solid food before his body can handle it, God waits for the perfect time to bless us with the things we need, the things we desire, the things we plead for. He will indeed satisfy our longings in one way or another, sometimes changing the longings themselves.

God’s timing is always right. I’ve depended on this truth throughout the course of my life and also throughout my writing career. I continue to cling to it as I trust God to bring about book publication at the proper time if that’s his will for me. I, along with the rest of our family, have also clung to this knowledge like a lifeline as we await God’s timing in the matter of our daughter and son-in-law’s adoption dreams.

Without a doubt, some answers are harder to wait for than others. Some require an extra measure of faith. But if we continue to trust, if we continue to wait in expectation, one day we will see God open his hand and satisfy our desires. And it will happen at the proper time.

“In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” Psalm 5:3

*How has God encouraged you during times of waiting? If you’re currently waiting on God’s answer, you might like to read an “In the Meantime” Prayer.

*Flickr photo by aloshbennett

*Be sure to enter the “I Love Dessert” Giveaway. You don’t want to miss this one! :)

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, came out Friday. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign up is free and to the right!

Filed Under: giving, prayer, provision, time, wait

Midweek Morsel: "In the Meantime" Prayer

January 16, 2013 by 6 Comments
 

Father, some waits are so very long. During such times, it’s easy to grow discouraged or give up altogether. As dear ones I know continue to wait for your answer to their prayers, please sustain them in the meantime.

Show them your love, Father. Give them special touches and reassure them that you know precisely where they are and exactly how they feel. Grant them the grace and strength they need to wait on your timing and help them to keep their eyes on you. Carry them, dear Lord—carry them through!

“Hear my voice when I call, O LORD; be merciful to me and answer me.” Psalm 27:7

*How has God ministered to you during an “in the meantime” period in your life?

*Our daughter Kristin and her husband Shawn are still waiting for news of a baby to adopt. Your prayers would be very much appreciated!

*Flickr photo by kelsey_lovefusionphoto

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, will come out in early February. Sign-up is free and to the right!

Filed Under: perseverance, prayer, wait
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