June 12, 2011 · 11:11 am

Times of Refreshing (part 1)

“The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25

As I write out this ancient proverb I am sitting aboard the Sea Princess with a gentle breeze blowing across my face as the slow rhythmic rocking back and forth of the waves causes me to relax and my body conforms into the lounge chair on the ships deck. Yes, I am the grateful recipient of some very generous people who chose to bless Dan and me with an Alaskan Cruise in honor of our 25 years together in ministry and marriage!

1986 was a life changing year for us. It was the year that the Lord brought a man & woman together who both loved the Lord and loved ministering to youth. It was also the year that we had our first experience with the ministry of full time Christian Education and quickly developed a passion for the amazing opportunity it provided to mentor, disciple, love and impact young people for life. In less than two years of marriage we knew that we wanted to commit our lives to the ministry of Christian education. (despite the meager compensation, zero retirement plan, massive amount of work hours and having too many “bosses” – you see as a Christian educator you have to please not only your Principal, but your entire school board and the parents of every student – simply impossible!)

Last summer we organized a multi year reunion (classes of 1985 – 2000)of Brookside Christian High School alumni, the school where we ministered for 11 years before moving on to found Jim Elliot Christian High School. It was a spectacular weekend of reminiscing, reuniting and remembering! There was much laughter, love and we even all shed a few tears. I have been to many reunions over my lifetime and this was “hands down” the most real, the most fulfilling and the most joyful of them all. You see we had something very special during the Brookside Christian High School “glory years” as many refer to them as.
We had:

A small tight knit group of under 200 students each year from a wide variety of families, cultures and backgrounds
A group of staff members who were committed to not merely teaching their subject matter but to pouring out their lives into young people
Chapel Services that featured some of the best youth speakers in the country and where students truly “met God” in a way that they had never before experienced
A student activity program to rival none other, that not only created memorable moments to be cherished for a lifetime but built up student leaders, created lifetime bonds of friendship and provided a level of enthusiasm & excitement that made the school “the place to be”.

Not to say that BCHS was perfect…in fact in many ways it was very far from perfection (one of the reasons we chose to create Jim Elliot Christian High School to take our vision of the “perfect” Christian school to the next level) and yet there was something very special about that era and anyone who experienced it will vouch for that. During those foundational years in our Christian Education experience both Dan and I held a myriad of positions which would ultimately give us the experience and expertise to start a new Christian school years later. Dan held the positions of janitor (nothing better than to start at the bottom), Teacher (Bible, Physical Education and even a short stint with US Government…you BCHS students rember that?), Athletic Director, Coach, Counselor, Vice Principal, Principal, Dean of Students and Chaplain. I began as a Physical Education Teacher who was surprised at being given Typing classes (HA! I “hunt & peck”) but quickly began to pick up other jobs that I have been uniquely gifted to do. I became the Student Activity Director and Leadership Teacher, Yearbook & Journalism Advisor, Guidance Counselor, Admissions Director, Director of Student Affairs and Director of Development. I even spent several summers as the front desk secretary! While at times
it seemed crazy to take on such a wide and varied number of positions (and even as I typed them all I got a bot exhausted!), the Lord knew that He was preparing us for a very special purpose down the road. We would have never had the ability to begin a new school without the experience those positions brought, the years of ministering in a Christian school and the numerous BCHS students and families that would support and encourage us in the starting of JECHS.

So even though our time at Brookside ended abruptly and with much angst…we will never regret the experience we received, the lifelong relationships we made and the amazing opportunities we had to impact others. To God be the glory!

During the reunion weekend, our former students presented us with a gift of thanks and appreciation for our 25 years of service in Christian Education. Apparently they had been emailing folks for several months asking for donations for the Lambdin’s and they ultimately were able to purchase an Alaskan Cruise for us to enjoy. What a blessing! While we are unaware of everyone who contributed to this amazing gift, we want to say a HUGE thank you for your generosity and for allowing us to be refreshed in such a wonderful way! We know that the Lord, who is always true to His word, will indeed refresh you through your generosity to us!

In the next post I will share more about being refreshed, renewed & reenergized!

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Filed under Blessings, Callings, Jim Elliot Christian High School, Life at the Lambdins, Marriage

June 7, 2011 · 2:27 pm

The Best Investment!

Fourteen years ago when Dan and I set out to start a Christian High School in our community one of the first orders of business for our founding board was to name the school. Most Christian schools are named after either the city or community where they reside, a church that sponsors them or after a Christian attribute or tenant like Faith, Trinity, Grace, Hope, Calvary or Victory. As we brainstormed these possibilities we decided that it would be fabulous to name the school after a Christian believer who had lived a stellar life of service and love for the Lord. One of our compelling reasons for going in this direction was in hope that our students would be inspired by the dedicated life of a saint who had gone before them and that they would be challenged to a higher level of devotion to God through learning about their life. We desired that this person would become a role model, mentor and example that they could follow.

After considering several great men and women of faith, the newly formed school board ultimately chose a missionary martyr named Jim Elliot and we were in wholehearted agreement with this decision!

Jim Elliot, born in 1927, was raised in a strong Christian home with parents who took him to church and read the Bible regularly. Jim professed faith in Jesus at the age of six and grew up in a home where obedience and honesty were strictly enforced. During high school he participated in numerous activities, including the school newspaper, the football team, school plays, and the public-speaking club. His oratorical skills were lauded—after preparing and delivering a speech in honor of President Franklin D. Roosevelt hours after his death, a faculty member called it one of the best speeches he had ever heard.

Jim used his speaking ability regularly, always ready at a moment’s notice to discuss Christianity or defend his moral beliefs. He refused to compromise his convictions and was not afraid to launch into a mini-sermon explaining them. He went on to Wheaton College, a private Christian college in Illinois, believing that God had led him there. He saw his time there as an opportunity to grow spiritually, develop discipline, and prepare for future missions work. He did ultimately go to the mission field in Ecuador along with his wife Elizabeth. Not content with bringing the gospel to the civilized people of the country, he and his four companions flew into the lands of the savage Auca tribe. Their first landing ended in a tragic massacre, but out of this seemingly senseless tragedy came the powerful testimony of the call of God on this man’s life that has inspired and challenged numerous people over the years to a closer walk with the Lord.

As our first school year drew to a close in 1999, we created the Jim Elliot Award. This award was to be the pinnacle award that an Elliot student could achieve and would be given every year to the graduating senior who epitomized the life, character and commitment of Jim Elliot. A student who like Jim Elliot was committed to their studies, involved in various student activities and community service, an influential leader and most importantly one whose commitment to the Lord was strong and unwavering. Over the past 12 years this award has been presented to some very outstanding and stellar young people. The 2011 recipient is no exception.

During graduation ceremony on Saturday May 28 the school presented the Jim Elliot Award to….

Ana Martinez

Ana is a beautiful, dynamic, responsible, confident, impressive and simply amazing young lady! Her accomplishments in high school are vast and include:

Four years in leadership on student council including doing an excellent job as Student Body President during this past year
Volleyball and Soccer team participation
Interact Service Club member throughout high school
Christian Character Award Winner for three years
Numerous Speech Contest & Oratory Awards
Church Volunteer
Community Volunteer
National Society of High School Scholars
Elliot Legacy Award
Harvest Christian League Scholar Athlete
National Association of Christian School Principals Leadership Award
ACSI Distinguished Christian High School Student Award

But most importantly, Ana loves the Lord Jesus with all her heart and has lived a life of faith and been a shining example for others throughout all of her four years at Jim Elliot. She will be attending Vanguard University and pursuing God’s will for her life.

In the beginning years of our school, we were asked by the then guidance counselor, Candy Payne if we would be willing to give a scholarship to go along with this prestigious award since we were the founders of the school and she knew we would “go the distance” with JECHS far into the future, thus insuring that the scholarship would continue. Although we lived on a very small salary and had no idea where the money would come from we enthusiastically said…”YES! We would be honored!” And the Lord has provided us with the funds to give this scholarship each and every year since that time. It is with great excitement, joy and gratitude to the Lord for giving us this opportunity that Dan and I will once again be presenting the award winner, Ana Martinez, with a personal $1,000 scholarship in honor of her becoming the 2011 Jim Elliot Award recipient. We know that this investment in Ana and her future will pay great dividends in the kingdom of God! What a blessing it will be to watch the great things that the Lord does in and through her as she follows him.

Could the Lord be nudging you through this post to make an investment in the life of a young person? Maybe you are being asked to invest of your time in mentoring, teaching or encouraging a young man or woman? Or perhaps you need to consider investing your God-given talents into lives through coaching a youth sports team, tutoring a struggling student in an academic area, being an advisor to a class or club or using your musical, artistic or dramatic talents to inspire young performers? Or are you be willing to invest of your finances to give a scholarship, help a child attend a camp or go on a missions trip? You may even be called to invest your time, your talent and your treasure into the lives of young people who are our future leaders, teachers, entrepreneurs, inventors, heroes, public servants, ministers as well as future moms and dads.

I hope you will consider today what type of investment you can make and take the steps needed to make it happen. Believe me, investing in the life of a young person is truly one of the best investments you can ever make! I guarantee it!

Congratulations Ana and may the Lord bless you abundantly as you live for Him!

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Filed under Inspiration, Jim Elliot Christian High School

May 27, 2011 · 2:17 pm

Accolades for Amy

Here I am on the eve of my second sweet daughter’s graduation from high school.

In many ways that is not remarkable as millions of families will watch their children and grandchildren march across a stage, field or platform in the upcoming days and weeks to receive that coveted diploma. Yes, she is just one of millions in the global class of 2011.

And it is quite unlike the first born graduate who accomplished this same milestone four years ago. There will be no valedictorian speeches, no honor cords or scholarships awarded her at the ceremony tomorrow. She will be just another one of the graduates in the JECHS class of 2011.

Unremarkable?
Average?
One of many?

NOT!

Amy, while not an academic achiever according to the standard of this world, is an amazing young lady with unique gifts and talents, influential leadership, godly character and a heart for the Lord! She is remarkable! She is uncommon! She is stellar!

And yet she is in the season of life that I call the “academic” years. Those years where it seems like most of life is centered around your academic achievements. You are judged and evaluated by your ability to take tests, your grade point average, your SAT scores, your AP & honors courses, your college acceptance letters and your scholarship awards. You are continually being asked questions about your academic achievements by relatives, adult mentors, teachers & peers.

Personally, I sailed through this season of life with relative ease. (and it truly is just a season…no one has asked my GPA in the last three decades!) While I was the least “academically inclined” of my parents four children, I still had giftings in the area of academics and along with my brother & sisters acquired the appropriate amount of academic accolades, achievements & awards. I was also an “academic snob”. While I realized that people had various degrees of intellectual ability, I figured that most everyone (with the exception of the most severe disabilities) had the ability to achieve academically if they “put their mind to it”. This carried into my early years as a teacher as I was appalled by students who came into my classroom as junior highers not being able to spell simple words like paper (papper) or having acquired basic reading skills or understanding of math. Not that I expected everyone to be “straight A” students, I actually thought most had just not “worked hard enough” or were lazy.

My first born fell right into my line of academic thinking.In addition to being a classic first born overachiever, she spoke in full sentences by year one, began to read at age four and could spell “beautiful” in kindergarten. I am sure in my mind I was “patting myself on the back” for creating such an academic acheiver (which in reality I had precious little to do with it) Then along came Amy….

She was the sweetest baby ever. She was calm, good-natured, smiled & slept a lot. (in shocking comparison to her extremely colicky…crying for 9 months straight… elder sister). We nicknamed her “Sleeping Beauty”. It didn’t concern us that she was not speaking as early as her sister as we figured this was typical for a second child. But….when she still was not speaking more than 10-15 coherent words by age four we knew there was some “issues”. She was diagnosed with serious speech delay and began four years of therapy. Then she was only able to read very short kindergarten readers by age ten. After trying every program known to man to teach her to read we finally found the program (Powerline) and the teacher (the amazing Miss Pam) that worked for her dyslexia. We rejoiced that she was able to read and comprehend novels before going to high school (and went from “I HATE reading” to “Mom, can I read all day?”).

While I was raising Amy (or perhaps she was raising me) I began to change my mindset. I began to “re-think” the way society sees academics. I began to be very purposeful about teaching Amy that her value did not come from her ability to excel academically (or for that matter athletically, musically, artistically or in outward beauty or wealth…all things the world puts a high value on) but that her value was to be found as a child of God. I also ingrained in her heart & mind that the God who created her had also endowed her with unique gifts and talents to be used for His glory. (“Each of you has been blessed with one of God’s many wonderful gifts to be used in the service of others. So use your gift well.” 1 Peter 4:10) For her those gifts did not happen to be in the area of academics and yet she would still be required to perform at a certain level to get through this academic season of life. It is just the way we have set up our society. (on a side note I find this interesting…what if we required someone to play sports for years and “pass” athletic milestones even if they had no athletic propensity? Or if we required musical accomplishments from people who were tone-deaf or can’t clap & sing at the same time?) Of course since she was homeschooled, the normal academic pressures of traditional school were not something she had to face. She had a happy, carefree childhood free from thoughts of – “I’m in the slow group” or “I am dumb” or “What is wrong with me?”. She learned at her own pace. She discovered her unique gifts and talents and excelled at them. She learned to love the Lord. She developed godly character. She actually blissfully unaware of any disabilities she had. As she began to prepare to go to a traditional high school, I spent time reinforcing these values and ideas so that she would be able to get through school without losing her sense of value and purpose. I warned her:

She would have to work harder and likely not get as good results as many of those around her
That she may stay up half the night studying and still fail the test.
That some teachers would be “academic snobs” just as I had once been or think she was lazy or had not studied…just smile and pray for them.
This is just a academic season of life and that it has no reflection on her future success and plans
That her accolades would need to come from the Lord and the voice in her own head (she spent much of her childhood listening to motivational speakers and memorizing their quotes! It paid off!)

I encouraged her:

That God has uniquely gifted her and that she needed to develop those gifts and use them for His glory
That she needed to work hard (and thus develop godly character) no matter what the results
That it was much smarter to take the areas you are good at and make them great than to take things you are poor at and make them average. (Why spend time trying to take a two to a five when you could take a seven to a ten?)
God is in control of your life. You seek Him, commit your way to Him and live upright, He will accomplish what concerns you and He will lead you in the right path.
Never forget your value lies in being a child of God!

And she did just that! It was hard at times. She had moments of disappointment and discouragement…but she pressed on! As she walks across the stage tomorrow and receives her diploma, this former “academic snob” momma will be

rejoicing with her as she celebrates her success!
beaming with pride (just as I did with my first grad in ’07) that she is pursuing her God-given gifts and talents, developing godly character and loving the Lord
shedding a few bittersweet tears as she ends this season of life

PS – For those Moms of “youngins” who struggle with academic achievement and are concerned (translate worried) about their education and future let me encourage you. Amy will graduate from high school with a 3.18. She was accepted to five colleges (two on academic probation) even with below average SAT scores and received financial aid & academic scholarships from the colleges (we did giggle with delight when these offers arrived). She will be attending Bethany University in the fall and continue to seek the Lord’s plan & purpose for her life. Who would have ever guessed that 10 years ago? But God…..

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Filed under Attitude, College & Career, Determination, Homeschool, Jim Elliot Christian High School, Life Lessons, Lifes Challenges, My "take"

April 25, 2011 · 10:40 am

It’s gonna be a BIG day!

I rolled out of bed this morning ready to get back to the “normal routine” of life after a wonderful Holy Week full of celebrations, traditions and meaningful moments as we remembered Jesus’s life, death & resurrection. I was mentally making a checklist of everything that I needed to accomplish:

Get the house back in order
Finish up on a pile of pressing paperwork & bills
Prepare for several upcoming speaking engagements
Gather up homeschool assignments to turn in to the charter school
Recruit mentors for Rebekah’s Rite of Passage year
Send out Amy’s graduation invitations <yikes! she is really graduating from high school already…how did that happen?>

The list was becoming daunting and I heard myself sigh as I walked past the dining room table full of candy wrappers and stray Easter grass spilling over onto the floor. I was then greeted by my four year old son Daniel with a look of awe and wonder on his face.

He sat up from his perch on the couch and exclaimed with gusto – “Mommy, It’s gonna be a BIG day!”… then he stopped and asked inquisitively…“Is Jesus still alive?”

I love how the Lord uses children to stop me in my tracks and change my perspective at any given moment. Here I was the day after a glorious celebration of Jesus resurrection already “bogged” down in the details of life instead of waking up with hopeful anticipation of the great things my risen Lord would do in my life today. I imagine that the day after the resurrection of Jesus that the women who went to the tomb and were told – “He is Alive! He has Risen from the dead!” – did not wake up on Monday morning with a “back to the old routine” attitude. In fact I am sure much like Daniel they were filled with excitement, wonder and awe and were exclaiming – “It’s gonna be a BIG day!” They were forever changed from that moment on…never to be the same again! They along with the disciples and followers of Christ lived the rest of their lives committed to the spread of the good news even to the point of dying for their faith.

I grabbed up my little boy in my arms with my heart full of love and gratitude and said – “Yes Daniel, Jesus is still alive…and He lives in our hearts and yes it’s gonna be a BIG day!”

That is how I want to live my life! Each & everyday exclaiming – “It’s gonna be a BIG day!” – because Jesus is alive in my life and I am going to live for Him!

(If you want to see some photos of our families Holy Week & Easter celebration – you can see them at this link –

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.10150164114147662.298105.633092661&l=c2db3afed6)

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Filed under Attitude, Easter Season, Faith, Life Lessons

March 18, 2011 · 1:32 pm

“Faint heart never won fair lady” or “Jumping through a few hoops”

Not only did he have to ask me but…

he had to ask my Lord…
and he had to ask my Daddy…
and he had to ask “my kids” (also known as my youth group at Lakeview Assembly)…

Yes, the young man who decided to ask for my hand in marriage on March 18, 1986…25 years ago today…had more than a few “hoops to jump through” before slipping that ring on my finger. And isn’t that just how it should be?

You can read our whole love story and engagement here – My God Inspired Love Story

Now that we are the parents of seven daughters we definitely think that any young man worthy enough of our precious daughters ought to be willing and able to “jump through a few hoops” to win the prize of her hand in marriage. In fact, in many ways I believe our current culture has made it much too easy on guys to “get the girl” (in another era it would be – the gentlemen to win the heart of a fair lady) Often young men no longer have to:

pursue a woman (since there are an abundance of women ready & willing to pursue them!)
courageously win a woman’s heart & hand in marriage (remember the English proverb – “faint heart never won fair lady”)
pay a price for their bride (hmmm perhaps there was some wisdom in this after all the bible says – “where your money is so will your heart be also”)
wait for loving sexual intimacy until they are married (many enjoy the pleasure of sex, a clean house, home cooked meals & even a second income without ever having to pursue a womans heart, jump through any hoops or make the commitment of marriage)

While some may think these cultural changes are good for both men and women, I would beg to differ.

Women want to be pursued. It is how God made them. They desire to be wanted, loved and greatly desired. In our culture women no longer need to wait to be pursued as they have society’s “permission” to be the pursuer. And pursue they do. The biggest problem in this shows up long after they are married when they still desire to be pursued (wooed, admired, desired, wanted & loved) and men who never have had to pursue a woman’s heart are woefully inadequate in meeting these needs.

Women want a “Knight in Shining Armor”. A man who is brave and courageous and who can save and protect them. Requiring men to “jump through a few hoops” – is certainly great exercise for them to build their courage and strength. By requiring the young men who may be interested in our daughters to ask their father for permission and to declare their intentions and commit to high relationship standards should be happening in every home that values their daughters. Women no longer under their parents roof would do well to require potential suitors to do the same. I often tell my girls…if a young man is not willing to simply call and get your dads permission to pursue your heart…then he has no courage and it is obvious that his desire for you is anemic. Do you really want that kind of man? (and on a side note if your Dad says “no” or “not now” and the young man perseveres in his desire for you, not giving up, even if it means “winning over” your dad first….would that not just melt your heart and prove his love, strength & fortitude?)

Women want to feel valuable…while we will not require a “bride price” (well…maybe not), there is something to say for the way this would make a woman feel. In Jewish culture the groom had to pay a price…no modest token…the price was set so that the new bride would be a costly item – that was the idea. The young man had no delusions that he was getting something for nothing. He would pay dearly to marry the girl of his choice. We want our daughters to feel “priceless” and valuable (because they are are our greatest riches and the most valuable part of our lives) so therefore we will not let them go to just any ole’ guy. Yes, they will have to “pay a price”…though it may not be monetary…it will require sacrifice.

Women want commitment with their sexual intimacy. Alas our society denies this and even many girls would probably say they do not care about commitment (at least of the marriage kind), and yet I still believe that women truly do not want to give their bodies in an intimate way to someone they are not also connected with spiritually, emotionally and mentally as well as with someone who will “be there” for them through all of life’s ups & downs. Men who are willing to wait for that commitment before becoming one with a woman have proven themselves to be self-controlled, faithful, godly, patient, persevering, wise and hold women in great high esteem, honor and respect. That is a man who has “jumped through the hoops” and is worthy of my daughter’s hand.

Today as I celebrate the anniversary of our engagement I am thankful for my husband…a man of God…who was willing to jump through some hoops to ask for my hand in marriage –

by pursuing my heart and taking a leap of faith without doing it the “normal” culturally accepted and percieved “safe” way of dating before engagement
by praying, seeking and hearing from the Lord that I was the woman he should marry
by asking my Dad for my hand in marriage (even after listening to my brother drone on & on about what a hard time he was going to get)
by asking my youth group kids for their permission to marry their youth pastor (it takes courage to propose in front of 100 teens)
by paying a price to marry a gal called to full time ministry (he left a very lucrative management position in alcoholic beverages to join me in full time youth ministry – in fact his income has never reached the annual level he made in 1985 – I know this thanks to the yearly social security report I receive)
by practicing self control, patience, godliness and wisdom by saving intimacy for the commitment of marriage

He is still my knight in shining armor and I would say yes all over again…as these 25 years together have been amazing and wonderful!

I pray that my precious & very valuable daughters will find godly men that will “jump through some hoops” to win their hearts and ask for their hand in marriage. I pray as well for you my dear readers who are parents…for your daughters & granddaughters. And for my single young lady friends & relatives who read my blog (I know there are a few of you out there – Hi Kate, Beth, Janessa, Chrisann, Tiffana, Rachael, Marlene, Cait – to name a few – along with all my high school girls at JECHS )…I pray that you would patiently wait to be pursued by a godly courageous, brave young man who is willing to pay the price and jump through the hoops to win your heart….because you are so worth it!

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Filed under Courtship, Life Lessons, Marriage, Parenting, Raising Girls

March 17, 2011 · 9:22 am

Happy 17th Birthday Kristen

My third daughter turns 17 today….how did that happen so fast? (answer: one day at a time) I can remember as clearly as if it was yesterday the night of her birth. Kristen Elizabeth Lambdin –

Kristen – means “follower of Christ”…and she has chosen to be just that.
Elizabeth which means God’s promise implying satisfaction and contentment along with thanksgiving and devotion…a perfect description of her heart.
Lambdin a last name that we have spent 24+ years being purposeful about it becoming a family name bearing a great legacy of faith and blessings for her, her children and her children’s children.

Here is my birthday letter to her today taken from what I read to her at her recent Rite of Passage ceremony.

Dear Kristen….

My “perfect” child!

From the moment you made your quiet entrance into this world in the stillness of the night on March 17, 1994 to now you have truly been the easiest, sweetest most obedient child I have ever known.

As a toddler you loved to just sit on my lap and cuddle up, content to just bask in the love of your Mommy’s arms. (no terrible twos for you!) You promised to never grow up and always be my little girl. You did grow up though and yet you have kept all the excellent qualities of a child:

An amazing faith
A sincere desire to please & honor your parents and others
Unconditional love
And a sweet spirit

You have always had the heart of a servant…which means that you have a heart like the Lords!

Matthew 20: 26- 28 — says

“Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

You truly are one of the great among us and you will be first in line to receive your rewards from God!

You have many strengths – you are organized, thorough, diligent, creative, a talented photographer, a competent athlete, and a hard working student.

You are also a true leader because you model the heart of a servant. You are a young lady of integrity who truly desires to please the Lord in everything.

When I look at your heart and your life I could not be more pleased with the person you have chosen to become.

I love you so much and am so blessed to be your Mom!

Happy 17th Birthday!

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Filed under Blessings, Life at the Lambdins

January 22, 2011 · 8:16 pm

It couldn’t get any better than that!

Today I participated in the Walk for Life – West Coast in San Francisco to speak for those who cannot speak, to walk for those who cannot walk; to pray for, fight for, stand up for, and love the life of every unborn child!

Today in the year 1973 the landmark decision known as Roe V Wade was handed down by the Supreme Court legalizing abortion in our country resulting in millions of babies being destroyed.

Today is Christiana’s Adoption Day…last year this very day we stood in a courtroom here in San Joaquin County and with a raised hand committed to love our adopted child and give her the same rights and inheritance as our birth children. The gavel fell and she became officially our child. (in our hearts she was already completely ours)

Everyone who knows me well will tell you that I am passionate about the lives of the unborn. It sickens and saddens me that we allow them to be torn apart and thrown away without even being given the chance at life. It angers me that many women are also the victims of abortion as they are not given the facts about the life growing inside of them and that they are duped into believing that it would be better to destroy the baby than to either parent her or if unable to do that then to place him into the arms of a family willing to love and raise the child. It makes me cry when I look into the face of my own innocent little one, sleeping so peacefully, safe & secure next to her Mommy and knowing that today thousands of babies will never get a chance to sleep in their Momma’s arms, giggle uncontrollably, sing & dance, explore the world and grow up to become anything they desire, find love, experience joy and glorify God. The tears flow when I think of the great loss for those mothers & fathers as well as the rest of the world.

Today I am also in complete awe that the God of this universe cared enough through His divine providential hand to coordinate so many special blessings for me with our own adoption experience:

We could have adopted a child through a multitude of agencies. We had not seriously looked into any in particular when we got the call from a former student and dear friend who had moved thousands of miles away from California to Tennessee. She excitedly shared with me that there was an agency speaking at her MOPS (Mothers of pre-schoolers meeting) that morning about the need for adoptive families and she thought of us. Within minutes I was on the phone with the agency getting all the information needed. To my great joy & surprise this adoption agency was a crisis pregnancy center! Yes, that is right…the agency that the Lord led us to was committed to counseling women and helping them overcome obstacles so they would chose life for their child. They even have all prospective adopting families sign an affidavit proclaiming that they are pro-life! It was as if God just kissed my forward and said “Here Beth, I know how committed you are the pro life cause…letting you adopt through this agency is an extra gift for you!” It couldn’t get any better than that for me…..but it did….
You see our sweet baby’s birthmom was abortion vulnerable. She was young and facing some serious life challenges. The easy thing for her would have been to have an abortion and end her child’s life. She would have had folks supporting her decision and she would have temporarily “solved” her problems and yet she chose life. She chose to not destroy the baby she knew she could not take care of or raise but instead gave her the greatest gift…a chance to live life. She then chose to place her baby in the loving arms of parents and a family who would love, cherish and nurture that baby as their very own. To have my first adopted child be “saved” from abortion…well it just couldn’t get any better than that…and yet…
God gave me yet another amazing gift! Our adoption paperwork was filed with the state of California in November 2009, six months to the day after we brought her home. Our social worker told us that there was a chance that we could finalize before the year’s end or at the latest the first week of January. As I anxiously awaited word of our court date I hoped that it would happen before mid January as my eldest daughter would be home from college and could be a part of the ceremony. I was so disappointed when the time came and went with no word on our court date. The day after Michelle went back to school I received the much desired mail from the San Joaquin Superior Court with our court date. I tore open the envelope and gasped as I saw the date appointed for her to be officially adopted…January 22…the anniversary of what I see as one of the saddest days in our nation’s history, the day we sentenced millions of babies to death. I sat down at my kitchen table, shaking my head and smiling at God’s goodness to me. He took a day that grieves my heart and He redeemed it for me by allowing my precious child who could have been legally killed in our country, yet whose mother chose not to abort her but to give her life, to be adopted into our forever family on that very day.

For me…it couldn’t get any better than that!

3 Comments

Filed under Adoption, Blessings, Pro-life

January 21, 2011 · 6:18 pm

Random, Abstract & Off the Wall

A new experience for me in the blogosphere…today and Monday I am a “guest blogger” over at Tommy Mom for my dear friend Teri Helms. The subject is one of my favorites – being purposeful about creating a home full of meaningful family traditions. So head on over and check it out!

In the midst of writing for Teri I thought I better post something new on my blog since it has been over a month since you have heard a peep from me (unless of course you are my facebook friend and then you’ve heard more than you ever wanted to know!)

The winter fog here in the central valley of California seems to cloud my mind as well…so here is the most random, abstract and off the wall post you may ever read here on my blog.

“Mother of the Year” Award….Not!

What do you do when your teenage daughter comes in from “experimenting” with skateboarding (which you recommended against) and is in pain complaining that she fell off and is sure she broke her foot? You tell her to “toughen up” and take a Tylenol, of course! I mean come on! I’ve been a Mom for 21 years and certainly I could tell if your foot was really broken….besides we don’t break bones in our family.

Fast forward two weeks later and we are in the doctor’s office getting an xray. Guess what? Her foot is broken and she now has a pretty purple cast. So much for “Mother knows best”. Just bring your fingers to your forehead in the shape of an “L” and call me a loser, I can admit when I messed up!

Loving Life Coaching

Just in the past two weeks I have met with, talked on the phone or answered questions via email with over a dozen people giving advice, opinions and hopefully wisdom in the following areas – adoption, dating & relationships, parenting, college & career counseling and callings, raising girls, fundraising and philosophy of Christian education. I love it! Now if I could just figure out a way to get paid to do this without charging the people receiving the “coaching”. (I know that sounds insane…but I really would love to just help people for free! It brings me great joy and fulfillment) Trying to figure it all out.

Family Photos – better than therapy, depression and anxiety meds or stress relievers

I took the dive into digital album making this year. I have been taking exclusively digital photos for the past 4 years and decided it was time to start really organizing those photos and transition to digital “scrapbooking”…although my style of album making has always been less “scrapbooky” (is that a word?) and more like a yearbook. So in true Beth Lambdin “jump off the cliff” style…I took a “crash course” in digital photo “stuff”, scheduled weekly digital classes and an all day Saturday workshop, transferred & organized 9,475 photos (and that was just those taken in 2010…excessive!), and have completed 27 digital 12×12 page prints to put in my CM albums. Here is a sample page:

If you want to see all 27 pages here is a link – My First Digital Album

And you know what the very best thing is about working with and looking at your photos? It allows you to relive all of the good times in your life (because we don’t take pictures of the not so good times like the dirty dishes piled high to the ceiling, the mold in my shower, the screaming child with the runny nose). It let’s you celebrate life’s highlights again. It reminds you how much you love the people in your life and what great moments you have had together. It makes you laugh and smile over & over again. It is better than any therapy, any meds to make you happy or anxiety free and it instantly brings you joy, peace and love in your life. Try it!

The Good News & The Bad News

The good news…I weigh exactly the same as I did before the holiday feeding frenzy began at Thanksgiving and carried on through Epiphany.

The bad news…it is a good 20 lbs (ok, ok 30) more than what I need to weigh for my health and wardrobe. And so the life long (or at least since beginning mommyhood) battle continues. To eat or not to eat? Picked up a copy of the new book by Lysa Terkeurst – Made to Crave – this month. It looks good (and so do those delicious orange creamsicle scones that my dear friend Rachel made yesterday….oy vey!)

Boys & Bunk beds

As of this week we now have a bunk bed in the “boys” room. (aka: Daniel’s room but he has never slept in there one night because he does not want to sleep alone so he has squeezed himself into the girls room for the past year and a half). He did actually sleep in this room last night after convincing his sister Joy to join him.

So….we have a boy’s room complete with a bunk bed and room for another one. Daniel wants us to “buy him a brother”. We want to adopt two boys from Ethiopia. We have the room. We have the desire. We have the heart.

We don’t have…the money. ($40,000) But God…..

What’s in your pocket?

I know the phrase is supposed to be “what’s in your wallet? (Master Card…right!) Well since nothing is in my wallet I thought I’d share with you the things I find in my pockets (all four of them)

a small hair bow (which made me smile & remember to live in the moment)
trash (do you collect your kids trash too? such an odd Mom thing)
a pain pill for my daughter with the broken foot (hey they still work with a bit of fuzz on them)
a half eaten sucker in its wrapper (really??!)
several cards – debit, costco, insurance, a starbucks card with 65 cents on it (getting bent cuz they are in my back pocket)
a pen
a memory card (that’s a great place to store your photos – sarcasm -)

Give and it shall be given unto you

I cannot begin to do justice to this category by a few random thoughts. So I just have to say in the past several months

we have made less income than we have in 14 years
we have given away more money, time and talent
we have paid all our bills on time and fed our family
we have been given more than you could imagine in ways that are unbelievable!

It is just true (not that we ever doubted) that if you give it will be given unto you….give of your time, your talent and your treasure….and watch what is given back to you!

Beach Holiday Countdown

The countdown has begun….in less than 3 weeks I will pack the car, load the youngest four kiddos and head over for my annual beach holiday in Aptos. I cannot even begin to tell you the overwhelming sense of joy and peace that come over me just thinking about this.

It is NOT a vacation, mind you. It is a true holiday as defined in the dictionary —

a time or period of exemption from any requirement, duty, assessment
a religious feast; holy days
a period of cessation from work or one of recreation (read this: re–creation)

And everyone needs one of these. When was the last time you just “lived” – no appointments, no rushing around, no work, no “to do” list, no phone calls, no plan – just truly a time of refreshment, relaxation and rejuvenation? A time to think, to read, to commune with God, to enjoy His creation, to build relationships with loved ones and to live in the moment. I highly recommend it!

Is your family car a mobile trash can, library and closet? Just wondering….

Oh….and how many of you find random Christmas items in the oddest places weeks after you have diligently organized and put it all up in the attic? What’s a girl to do?

I warned you this would be random, abstract and a bit off the wall….hope it blessed, inspired or challenged someone out there! Hope to be back here again soon.

6 Comments

Filed under Blessings, Economics, Family Traditions, Life at the Lambdins, Life Lessons, My "take"

December 17, 2010 · 3:07 pm

Cultivating Culture at Christmas

Last night I took a couple of the girls (the one’s who weren’t studying for finals…thumbs down to schools who are still in session even one day past December 15) and Granny to a local Christmas concert. It was a lovely evening listening to a youth chorale sing beautiful Christmas music in the majestic atmosphere of an old brick church complete with stained glass windows. As I sat there taking in the beauty all around me I realized how blessed I was to be raised in a home that appreciated culture and I am truly grateful for this influence from both of my parents.

Experiencing and appreciating culture adds great value to our lives. I can’t begin to imagine my life without art, music, theater, literature and life long learning.

Art is a work of creativity and God is the ultimate creator…all we need to do is look around at His creation to see the most amazing drawings, painting and sculptures. They have no rivals. When we see amazing art we are getting a glimpse of the creativity of God. When I see a thing of beauty it takes my breath away and causes my spirit to soar.

Music and poetry inspires us on so many levels…touching our heart and soul. It can cause us to rejoice and praise the Lord, dance, clap, shout, cry, laugh and sing. I am often transformed to an amazing place of complete joy, perfect love and glorious peace after listening to inspiring music. It moves me in a way that nothing else does.

Literature and theater can instantly place us into someone elses story…giving us compassion, insight and even vision and motivation that can change the course of our lives. Stories and plays can inspire and challenge me to do great things, take me on unbelievable adventures, touch my heart, teach me life lessons and bring me great joy and laughter along with tears.

Truly these things are a gift from God who is the creator of all things beautiful, awe-inspiring and good. I cannot imagine life without them.

It helped that growing up we often lived in large metropolitan cities where the cultural opportunities abounded. I, however, have raised my family in a place not known for it’s cultural opportunities and yet because I believe that the arts add so much value to life I have chosen to actively pursue these experiences for my children.

Christmas provides the perfect time to cultivate culture in our lives and to influence and teach our children to appreciate the arts. There are an abundance of cultural opportunities in even the smallest communities during this season. (and at this time of year there are many experiences that are free as well for those of us who have limited resources)

Some of the ways you can take advantage of these opportunities

Find local Christmas concerts, ballets or church performances to attend…they are abundant
Check out your local museum…they often have special Christmas displays or exhibits
Call around to your civic theater, local high schools or colleges to see if there are any plays being performed (you can almost always find someone doing “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens)
Churches often have “living nativities” or special art displays (not to mention if you can find any older more traditional churches to visit the architecture, stained glass windows and sculptures are a cultural experience in themselves)
Christmas Home Tours are also prevalent at this time of year and are another great way to enjoy art, architecture and beauty

You can also create an atmosphere of cultivating culture in your own home. We have been very purposeful with our children in bringing cultural experiences to them (it is also very helpful when your kids are small and may not be able to sit through a “live” performance or production)

Listening to classical Christmas music! While contemporary seasonal music is the mainstay of our Christmas season we are sure to also include classics like The Boston Pops Orchestra. Their rendition of a Christmas Festival is a staple in our home, in fact it is the first official Christmas song to be played after Thanksgiving. I love it that my 3 year old son heard the opening strands in the car last week and enthusiastically shouted out – “Mommy! It’s Christmas!”

Reading Christmas Classics! I don’t know why but it always seems so much easier to read books out loud at Christmastime. I guess the combination of the cozy living room complete with a fire in the fireplace, twinkling Christmas lights, hot cocoa, cold weather that invites you to stay home and the extra family time without the pressure of school and work. We have an entire box of Christmas books that we have collected over the years that only come out at Christmastime.

Watching Christmas Classic Movies! Again the new Christmas movies are great for family movie night and we enjoy them immensely but there are a few “must watch” movies that are full of value and culture – White Christmas, A Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, The Nativity, Miracle on 34th Street and Little Women (ok so it’s not specifically a Christmas movie….but I have decided that it is for us).
Watching Inspirational youtube videos! Even if you can’t get out to a concert or live in a remote area without access to much culture, thanks to the Internet it can be brought right into your own home. Every time I find an inspiring or excellent youtube I make my kids sit down and watch it. Here are some of my favorites this year:

Encouraging your children to put on a Christmas play of their own. There are so many great Christmas stories to choose from or they could write their own. Tell them that they can perform it as a Christmas gift to the family on Christmas day or other larger family get together. Help them create costumes, gather props and any other support they need but let them create and perform. Besides adding culture and creativity to your life it will be some of the most memorable moments of their childhood.

Another easy way to add some art & creativity to your lives is through making homemade Christmas ornaments, Christmas cards and even decorating Christmas cookies.

Hosting our annual Mother Daughter Tea is one of our favorite Christmas traditions. We have been hosting this tea for my girls friends and their mothers for 12 years. Besides being a lot of fun for everyone it is a fabulous chance to add beauty and culture to our lives. The fine Christmas china, setting a decorative table, dressing up, practicing etiquette and table manners are all great cultural experiences. We also give the guests an opportunity to share their talents by singing, playing a musical instrument, reciting a poem or scripture, dramatic reading or signing to a musical selection. It is fabulous!

Memorizing the Christmas story from the Bible. Most every year we take some time in the fall to memorize the story of Christ’s birth out of the book of Luke. The younger school age children recite it on Christmas Eve.
Family Christmas Caroling Night, another family favorite tradition. Each year we go out and sing Christmas carols at the doors of our friends & family members. It is a great chance to learn classic Christmas carols (and we sing all the verses…as my Mom would say…a song is like a poem and of you don’t sing all the verses you miss the entire meaning), learn to sing and a wonderful family bonding time. If you did not want to trek all over the city singing you could simply sing around your fireplace, piano or Christmas tree or even go to a few rest homes, hospitals or children’s homes.

It’s not too late to add some culture to your Christmas this year. I would love to hear your ideas for cultivating culture both at Christmas as well as throughout the year.

PS – Tonight we will dress up and head out as a family (minus “the littles”) to a nice dinner and to see the Nutcracker Ballet compliments of my mother. (aka: Granny). May I suggest that if you are a grandparent looking for a valuable gift to give your grandkids that will last a lifetime (rather than a few weeks or months)…give them a gift of a cultural experience! And if you can go with them…even better yet!

3 Comments

Filed under Christmas Season, Inspiration, Life at the Lambdins, Parenting

December 16, 2010 · 11:46 am

Christmas Grace

We called her our “Christmas baby” as she was born in December of the year 1998, the first of our children to arrive during “this most wonderful time of the year”….the magical, bright, joyful, holy and divine Christmas season!

We called her our “sweet baby” because of her gentle disposition and the heavenly scent that emanated from her tiny little body. You could hold this precious bundle for hours watching her lips curl up in an uncontrollable smile, be enveloped by the sweet aroma and lulled to sleep by her deep rhythmic breathing. It brought us such perfect peace in our hearts despite the difficult outward circumstances surrounding our family at the time.

….And we called her Grace.

Yes, we purposely named this child Grace because that particular year we had experienced an abundant outpouring of God’s grace in our lives. Grace is often defined as….

God’s unmerited favor
Loving kindness from God that is not deserved.
A free gift from God.

We may have a “working knowledge” of grace and understand its basic premise but not until we have personally experienced the ultimate grace that God has freely given – loving us even at our very worst, pardoning us and paying the price for all our wrongs and giving divine strength and help through the circumstances of life without us doing anything to deserve or earn that help – can we be filled with amazement and awe that brings us to our knees in humble adoration and gratitude.

While both my husband and I had experienced the saving grace of God decades prior, that year we were shown an amazing amount of grace.

His grace was evident in blessing us with this sweet baby and He even extended that grace in the circumstances surrounding her birth. (an undesired scheduled c-section that turned into a flawless natural birth) Despite the prevalent thought in our society today that we have a God given “right” to our desired number of children at exactly the time and season in life that we want to have them…the reality is that none of us deserve or have earned the “right” to the blessings of children. Truly it is by the abundant grace of God that we were given the gift of another child to love.
His grace was miraculous that year in allowing one of our greatest dreams to become a reality. After working tirelessly ‘round the clock on starting a Christian high school that reflected our personal philosophy and desire to have a lasting impact on students, the doors to that school opened in the fall. We did not earn this favor from God, nor did we deserve such a blessing. It was His grace poured out on all those involved in its inception and in every detail that the gift of Jim Elliot Christian High School was given to everyone who has been, who currently is, as well as all who will be touched by its ministry.
His grace was poured out to us daily as a temporary poverty had settled over our household and He graciously met our every need. We saw God not only provide for our personal needs but also for the financial needs of the school, that almost every month of that first year in operation, faced the reality of closing the doors and yet God came through just in time often through strange, unexpected and unbelievable sources. (in fact the day after we had given birth to “sweet baby Grace” a college friend whom we had not seen or spoken to in over a decade walked into the hospital room and handed us a check for $16,000 that literally saved the school and kept it going in to the new year) Neither us personally or the school as an organization deserved such kindness and yet God graciously and freely gave it to us all.
His grace also was working through us at that time to give us the desire to completely forgive those who we felt had greatly betrayed us, turned their back on us, treated us with contempt and left us in a state of despair. As difficult as it was, we chose to not only forgive but to extend grace, though perhaps not deserved, earned, asked for or even desired, to all those who had wronged us. Having received such grace from God we could hardly justify not freely giving grace to others.

Yes, that Christmas season as we rocked our sweet new baby, in the quietness of the night beside the twinkling lights of our tree, we reflected on how God’s amazing grace had truly filled and overwhelmed our hearts and lives. Realizing how much God had done for us and knowing full well we did not deserve or earn any of it, made us both humble and extremely grateful.

In many ways our life this year is parallel to the year of 1998 – without the blessing of a new baby. (although we have hopes of God’s favor on us as we pursue another adoption)

We are once again embarking on a journey to make one of our lifelong dreams become a reality
We are once again in a temporary state of poverty (and yes, we had some prosperous years in between which we affectionately refer to as the “glory days”)
We are once again being asked to extend grace to those who carry animosity towards us and others who we fear may be making poor leadership decisions

We pray that these things will once again cause us to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ and that we will experience God’s amazing grace poured out on us in abundance.

At Christmas time we often hear and sing words about – joy, peace, hope and love – yet the greatest gift that was given to us upon the birth of Jesus was the outpouring of undeserved favor and loving kindness….called grace.

As we all reflect upon our lives this past year… both the challenging circumstances and the beautiful blessings may the amazing grace of God overwhelm our hearts with humble gratitude and may we extend that same grace to all those who cross our path.

Here’s to experiencing, sharing and spreading some Christmas grace this season and throughout the year!

1 Comment

Filed under Blessings, Christmas Season, Faith, Life Lessons

December 2, 2010 · 8:54 am

Christmas Greetings from the Lambdins

December 1, 2010

Merry Christmas from the Lambdins!

This is my third year of doing an “electronic” only Christmas greeting and while I really like the old fashion way better (you remember right? envelopes, stamps…they called it mail!), I have resigned myself to this new way of life as it is the wisest use of our resources. (although, I do regret that our family photo is no longer adorning the fridge of so many of our family & friends) Thanks to email, facebook and my blog many of you are well caught up on “Life at the Lambdins” so feel free to skim this letter or just enjoy the pictures! You all hold a special place in our hearts & lives and we value this opportunity to stay connected.

We are living the good life!

This month on December 20, Dan and I will celebrate 24 years of marriage and we are still loving life, loving the Lord and loving each other. We continue to serve, disciple and minister to young people and their families. This is our 25^th year in Christian education and we enjoyed an amazing reunion over the summer of students, staff and families from our years at Brookside Christian High School. Hundreds of students returned and it was an amazing weekend of renewed friendships, faith and our belief in this life changing ministry. We were beyond blessed at this reunion to be given a gift of a cruise to Alaska which we will take next Spring…looking forward to living the good life!

Dan…a milestone birthday celebrated this year – 50 years of life, continues in his 13th year at Jim Elliot Christian High School as Chaplain & Bible Teacher, coaching volleyball and soccer (and looking to someday returning to coaching football for Daniel), dutifully takes care of all the “g” jobs at home – gas, garbage, grass, grilling & anything gross, is a fabulous & faithful father to his eight children, “like a father” to countless others, an ideal husband and truly a godly man (yes I can attest to the fact that the man he portrays to the world is the man he is behind closed doors)…living the good life!

Beth (the author of this letter who by the way did not get the approval of any family member for commentary made here)…is in a constant state of transition (a classic example: took a break from reviewing the 18 year old daughter’s college applications to change the baby girl’s diaper), recently was released from my position as Director of Development at JECHS and am pursuing a speaking and writing ministry through a nonprofit we are starting called Inspire Ministries, hoping for 2011 to be a year of God opening doors, loving being a Mommy to many different personalities, ages and stages, blessed with an abundance of friends both near & far (loved seeing my high school classmates at our 30 year reunion!), passionate about so many things, thrilled to have been Mrs. Dan Lambdin for now half my life, still trying to accomplish more than is humanly possible (good thing I have an “in” with the Divine)…living the good life!

Michelle…a milestone birthday celebrated – 21, is a junior at King’s College in New York City, using her leadership skills as President of the “House of Truth”, working three jobs to get herself through college, came home for a week at the beach during Spring Break, the entire summer and for a special trip this fall (made it to the big birthday bash for Dad & Amy, attended a high school friends wedding & enjoyed the fall season in Stockton for the first time since 2006), developing lifelong college friendships, loving the city, cooked her first Thanksgiving dinner (and did it while watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade out the apartment window), going to China next summer….living the good life!

Amy…a milestone birthday celebrated – 18, is a senior at Jim Elliot Christian High School, intensely playing volleyball, soccer, powder-puff football as well as swimming (where she just competes for “fun” although you would never know that based on her competitive times & results), got her driver’s license, voted in her first election (our political plan is beginning to pay off…just you wait California in another 10 years there will be 8 Lambdin voters!), applying to colleges, a class of 2011 spirited senior surrounded by fabulous friends…living the good life!

Kristen…a milestone birthday celebrated – 16 (and sadly due to our recent financial setback did not get to go to NYC on the traditional Lambdin 16^th birthday adventure…but did she utter one word of complaint or disappointment? No, gotta love this amazing girl!), junior year at JECHS, plays volleyball, powder-puff football and soccer, solid academic student, friend to all, always serving and giving, beginning to look at colleges, celebrating her Rite of Passage in January, loves to cook, clean, decorate and organize, wonderful group of friends…living the good life!

Rebekah…a 15 year old freshman at JECHS (yes we have three high school students and we love it!), playing volleyball, powder-puff football, basketball (yay! A new sport to watch) and soccer, became a licensed soccer referee (along with Amy & Kristen) and loved the job & the money, one grade short of straight “A’s” (do they call that a Navajo flaw?), went to Uganda on a life changing missions trip, involved in Interact Club, leading others with boldness and confidence, making many new friends and staying close to the old ones….living the good life!

Grace…turning 12 this week and is in 6^th grade, now the eldest “in charge” at home every day, becoming a leader and trainer for “the littles”, swim team athlete but took a year off soccer (ok not because she wanted to but I needed the break!), traveled to Washington DC and New York with her Granny in the Spring, crowned a Missionette Honor Star, beginning the babysitter circuit (with lots of experience), enjoying her sweet friends, growing up…living the good life!

Joy…the spunky, spirited, spitfire of a 7 year old in the 2^nd grade, to her everything is fun and funny, takes hours to do the simplest of chores as she gets distracted by anything in sight (but she is having fun!), sang the National Anthem at summer swim meet in front of hundreds, swimmer, friends galore, spends her days singing, giggling, playing and acting out wild theatricals (ok I do make her do lessons too!)…living the good life!

Daniel…the 3 year old boy spends his days being one of the following (in no particular order):

Walker Texas Ranger
Buzz Light Year(“ to the rescue!”)
Luke Skywalker
Roy Rogers
The boy who loves his Mommy

along with playing football, baseball, basketball, soccer or recently golf, has a best friend named Andrew who he would spend every waking moment with if he could, tells everyone his mom is going to buy him two brothers (hmmmm…for those inquiring minds yes we are hoping & praying that the Lord would allow us to adopt two orphan boys from Ethiopia…and yes our greatest obstacle, but not Gods, is the money), every night he prays before dinner…”Lord bless our food and please don’t spank my bottom”. Yup, he is definitely…living the good life!

Christiana…besides being simply the cutest 19 month old baby girl in the world she spends her day following Daniel and Joy (who she has renamed “Roy” and we think it might stick) all over the house, dancing every time she hears music, singing “Oh Happy Day”, playing, smiling, laughing (that deep belly laugh that makes everyone who hears it laugh), being cuddled, loved and hugged by her big family as well as everyone who walks through the door, eating and sleeping as desired. Mmmmm…hands down…living the good life!

We hope that this Christmas season finds you living the good life! We believe that “the good life” – a purposeful, abundant and then eternal life – is ultimately found through a relationship with Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. Our prayer is that your relationship with Him be real, renewed and refreshed during this Christmas season and throughout the New Year.

If you are local or in the area on Wednesday December 22 between 6pm – 10pm…stop by our annual Christmas Open House…we would love to see you and give you each a warm heartfelft holiday hug!

Blessings,

Beth…for all the Lambdin clan

Thankfulness…for that, God?

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Most everyone is being outwardly thankful at this time of the year…and rightly so as we, especially here in the United States, have a lot to be thankful for. You read positive uplifting comments on facebook, listen to messages on thankfulness at church, hear radio disc jockeys reminding you to be thankful. And it is not hard to look around and be thankful for all that we have in our family & friends, material possessions, positive circumstances and provisions of sustenance. We truly are blessed in so many ways.

And yet if we belong to Jesus Christ we are told that our thankfulness needs to go beyond the “good” things in life that should be easy to lift up praise and thanksgiving for…but we are to be thankful in ALL of our circumstances. (and no I do not believe we are to be thankful for evil but we are to be thankful in the midst of evil) Without getting caught up in the semantics of the difference between being thankful “in” something instead of thankful “for” it, I challenged my children last night to write on our annual Thankfulness Banner (what is that you ask? click here to read about this great family tradition) something that is hard to truly be thankful for. They balked a bit at that suggestion and several still have not given it serious thought. (although rest assured this “committed to purposeful parenting” Mommy will see to it that they do!) My seven year old was really having a hard time wrapping her mind around this concept when I suggested she be thankful for having to do chores. “But I am not thankful for chores at all Mommy!”, she emphatically exclaimed while wrinkling up her nose in disgust.

You see it is really hard to actually say out of your mouth “Thank you God for and in the midst of…”

the life long challenges of diabetes in one and dyslexia in another faced by two of my precious daughters
the painful loss of my father 15 years ago (he was only 59!) and him not being here for all of us, especially my Mom
my battle with high blood pressure
the loss of 40% of our monthly income this year
the serious deterioration of parts of our 55 year old home
those who despise or ridicule me because of my faith that directs my principles, values & actions
the lack of personal funds to pursue adoption (having to rely on and ask others to help…if I had it “my way” we would have all the money we need in the bank)
those who speak ill of my husband as a teacher and complain about his methods, abilities, opinions and weaknesses
dealing with disobedient, lazy, argumentative, ungrateful attitudes and actions found at times in my children
the never-ending chores and care taking that needs to be accomplished in my life (some of which is very distasteful & disgusting)
our government and society that seems to be headed in a direction that is opposite of my desires, values and worldview
my slow metabolism (ok so that is shallow…but I often covet being one of “those” who can eat anything & never gain a pound!…just being transparent here)

And yet even though it is hard for me to be thankful for and in these challenges, hurts and far from perfect circumstances, I am told to offer up my thanksgiving in everything (not just the good things). So this morning I did just that. I thanked God for each and everything on my list. I don’t have any idea why God would even ask us to do such a thing but I suspect it has more to do with changing our hearts, our perspective and drawing us closer to God. As I gave thanks for each of these things my burdens began to lift and dissipate and I found my heart filling with joy, love and peace. I felt free! But even if I had not had any feelings, I do not have to understand, agree with or even benefit from God’s directions for my life as found in His word….I am simply required to do it!

We all have circumstances in our lives that we cannot begin to imagine being thankful for or in. In fact some of you have lists of horrifying situations that makes my list look like a “cake walk” (the life threatening illness, accident or death of a child or spouse, serious abuse or betrayal at the hands of others, financial devastation, violent assault on you or a loved one, life altering injury, being disowned or rejected by those dearest to you….). I know this because many of you are my friends. And yet….

…..for those of us who belong to Christ, we have no option than to be thankful in the midst of it all.

Take some time today to get with God and thank Him for your life challenges, hardships, painful and heart wrenching circumstances. Write them down. Speak your words of thanksgiving out loud to the Lord. Let the tears come if they need to. Share them here with others as a comment on my blog. (yup! be vulnerable!) Tell them to your family or friends around the dinner table. (and be ready for the odd stares) Let this Thanksgiving be a new season for us of living out this command….

….“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

1 Comment

Filed under Attitude, Blessings, Family Traditions, My "take"

November 15, 2010 · 12:41 pm

Who knew?

Thirty years ago today I was invited to be the “special guest” at the 18th birthday dinner of a new friend who I had known for just a couple of months as a freshman at the University of the Pacific. We had met in August of 1980 where we lived a few doors down from each other in Grace Covell Dormitory on campus. We didn’t really have much in common other than our living situation. She was a “local” having arrived at UOP from the nearby city of Lodi and I had come from San Diego which was almost 500 miles away (and my parents had moved 3000 miles away to the state of Virginia shortly after I began college!) She grew up in a large, loud, “beer on tap” in the basement, Catholic family and I was raised with a “prim and proper”, teetotaling, Protestant heritage. She was a talented, intense and competitive athlete who was attending college on a softball scholarship, I was an average field hockey player who simply enjoyed the game and thought it would be a “fun” to play in college. She was labeled a “wild” girl and I had a “good” girl reputation. She wore athletic sweats 24/7 and I was often found dressed in Izod shirts and penny loafers.

But despite our differences I enjoyed her company and she appeared to find me amusing. Still I was surprised to be the only “non” family member asked to join her very special birthday dinner at The Big Yellow House here in Stockton. After all she had many life long friends in the area and an entire UOP softball team to choose from….why me? I accepted her sweet invitation seeing it as an opportunity to build our friendship and be a blessing to her on her special day (as well as my commitment to never pass up a chance to not eat a meal in the dorm cafeteria!).

It seems that God, in His providence, was setting the stage for not only a lifelong friendship but for us to eventually become bound together as forever family. You see, my freshman friend was none other than, Jennae Lambdin who two years later became my sister in Christ and six years later became my sister-in-law! Who knew that as I sat around that dinner table listening to all the simultaneous lively conversations, the abundant laughter, course jesting and birthday toasts that this family would one day be mine? (I certainly would have never entertained such a concept) I felt oddly out of place and vastly different from the Lambdin clan and yet at the same time accepted and loved simply because I was Jennae’s friend. That day – November 15, 1980 was the beginning of my “adoption” into this family, who even years before it was evident that I would officially become a “Lambdin” (marrying Dan was not something I ever considered for the first five years I knew him…but you can read that story here – My God Inspired Love Story), they were my home away from home.

Who knew?

Certainly not me!

Jennae? Not likely since I was not even her first choice to invite to her birthday dinner. 🙂

Dan? hmmmm…I think not (He had his mind on other things than his sister’s strange “religious” friend)

The Lambdin’s? They probably do not even remember that I was there that night.

No, none of us were even the slightest bit aware of the great beginnings that were set into motion that special evening.

Yet God knew!

I am thankful today that both Jennae and I were open to a friendship of complete opposites. I am thankful that the Lambdin family had (and still has) a warm “welcome sign” to anyone who wants to be a part of their lives. I am thankful that I chose to join in a celebration only knowing one person at the party. (how often in our insecurity do we say “no, thank you” to new or potentially uncomfortable situations where we won’t know anyone?) But mostly I am thankful for God’s leading, guidance and providential hand in my life.

Each and everyday there are the possibilities of new beginnings, potential life changing relationships, experiences (both good & bad) and inspirations that may set things in motion that will change the course of our lives. Often you never know, until much further down the road, how the things that happen today will greatly impact your life.

Follow God. Listen to His whispers in your heart. Embrace new opportunities, new experiences and new friendships. Life truly is a God inspired adventure!

Happy birthday to my dear friend of 30 years, my sweet sister in Christ and my amazing sister-in-law…Jennae Marie Lambdin!

2 Comments

Filed under Blessings, Faith, Life at the Lambdins, Life Lessons

October 4, 2010 · 6:25 pm

Nothing Easy About It

Last week I received an email with this title…

Character-building Made Easy!

I actually laughed out loud. Now I am sure that this character building curriculum for home school families is an excellent resource and it may be “easy” to read or “easy”to teach but there is simply nothing easy about building character in life. In fact don’t you think that true character is built and developed through hardships, struggles, pain and times of sacrifice?

And yet….

….we as parents who say out of our mouths that we want to raise children with outstanding character spend much of or time trying to shelter them from hardship, struggles, pain and sacrifice. Yes, it is true. Think about it.

We want our kids to “have it all”. Whether it is the “stuff” of material possessions or every type of experience from trips and vacations to music lessons, art classes or sports training, we want our kids to have a “better life” than we had. We buy them things, give them all the resources and sign them up for every opportunity instead of allowing them to live without something they desire thus building character qualities of self-discipline, sacrifice, perseverance and gratitude.

We will never accept a less than perfect classroom, teacher or coach. And if things are not exactly how we think they should be, we are the first to march right down to that school office and demand a change. We simply will not consider the possibility that our child will actually learn more important lessons in life from an imperfect teacher, coach or classroom situation. What a great opportunity to develop patience, kindness, acceptance, diligence, respect, self-sufficiency, forgiveness, humility, taking initiative and personal responsibility not to mention they will probably learn much about being a great leader, teacher or coach from watching a poor example and learning what not to do.

We even look for ways to make their lives “easier” by doing chores, work or assignments for them or “lightening their load” during finals week or other stressful seasons of life. We never allow them to fail or as my parents use to say – “make their bed and then lie in it”. If we did they would develop amazing character qualities of hard work, perseverance, diligence and determination.

We make excuses for them instead of forcing them to be responsible for their attitudes and actions thus delaying that all important character qualities of diligence, a good work ethic, honesty and personal responsibility.

And as they get older we do not require them to make their own appointments, meet their own deadlines, work out their own transportation and confront unacceptable situations thus robbing them of the opportunities to build character qualities of courage, responsibility, initiative and maturity.

Perhaps our goal as parents should not be to give our child a “perfect” life free from stress, difficulties, obstacles, pain, hurt or needs. Perhaps it should be to welcome these situations and allow them to teach and train our children (as well as ourselves) to develop godly character qualities that will be of great gain in our lives.

Wouldn’t you love to say about your children and yourself – we are patient, responsible, ethical, grateful, self disciplined, hard-working, diligent, determined, mature, courageous, content, loving, kind, compassionate and forgiving?

If you never go without or are never in need….how do you develop gratitude?

If you are never hurt or wronged…how do you learn true forgiveness?

If you never have to wait or be put off…how do you become patient?

If you never fail….how do you learn to be diligent and an overcomer?

If you are never forced to step out of your comfort zone…how do you become courageous?

If you never experience any pain or suffering….how will you learn compassion?

Character building made easy? Nope….there ain’t nothing easy about it!

2 Comments

Filed under Attitude, Life Lessons, Lifes Challenges, Parenting

September 29, 2010 · 3:43 pm

Throwing a Tantrum

Temper Tantrums are something I know more than a little about. In fact, between being the Mom to eight children and parenting for the last two decades perhaps I could say that I have earned a Master’s Degree in temper tantrums. I have seen and experienced them all:

The scream in your face looking like you are going to kill someone tantrum
The dash down the hall yelling hysterically tantrum
The turn your back on Mommy and fold your arms while stomping your feet tantrum
The hold your breath until you pass out tantrum
The jumping up and down whining & crying tantrum
The pulling on Mommy’s arms or a leg or piece of clothing while verbally assaulting her tantrum
The hitting of your fists on anything or anyone close by tantrum
The “I may be sitting on the outside but I am standing on the inside” tantrum
The slam your door and turn up the music loud enough to raise the roof tantrum
The “whatever” said under your breath while rolling your eyes tantrum

And my personal favorite

The lay on the floor in the middle of the grocery store kicking and screaming tantrum (it really is my favorite because it makes me laugh hysterically)

Whew! Just thinking about all those temper tantrums makes me weary. Yes, tantrums are, among many other unpleasant things…exhausting. And they all boil down to the same root cause whether the child having the tantrum is two or twelve, it all comes down to not getting their own way. It may be something they want to have (or not have like vegetables or vitamins), something they want to do (or not do like take a bath or go to bed) or a place they want to go (or not). Sometimes those desires are ridiculous, unacceptable, dangerous, selfish, inappropriate, unhealthy or unaffordable. And other times they are perfectly ok but the timing, situation or circumstance is not ideal.

Today I realized I was having a little bit of an adult tantrum as I wandered from room to room thinking about several areas of my life that I needed to get under control. (definition of an adult temper tantrum is the same as for our kids: I am not getting my way and I am not happy about it so I react inappropriately, inwardly or outwardly, it is just that we are usually more dignified and refined in our tantrum throwing.) As I listened to myself, talk to myself (whoa…are there three people living inside my head…I promise I am not crazy!) it was all too clear that yes, I was throwing a tantrum because I wasn’t getting my way. True confessions – it went something like this:

Self: You really need to get back on that exercise routine and start eating healthy again!

Self throwing an adult tantrum (said with really whiny voice): W-h-y? But….I don’t…. w-a-n-t to! Do I have to? That’s no fun. It’s too hard. Isn’t there an easier way? It’s not fair…why can’t I just be like _________ who doesn’t have to deal with things like this? I would rather lay around drinking an ice coffee and eating dark chocolate mints while reading a good book, watching a movie or bouncing around the Internet from emails or facebook to news or blogs with no responsibility and not a care in the world.

Self: Ok Beth, you are supposed to be starting a ministry here. It is time to set up regular working hours and begin actively pursuing your goals and dreams. Time to get going girl!

Self: The home school kids need to be put on a daily schedule. The free for all is not working on any level for this group of students (and maybe it didn’t work for the older girls but if not they sure “faked it” well) So sit down and set up their routine and then hold their feet to the fire to be sure they stick with it.

Self throwing an adult tantrum (said with really whiny voice): W-h-y? But….I don’t….w-a-n-t to! Do I have to? That’s no fun. It’s too hard. Isn’t there an easier way? It’s not fair…why can’t I just be like _________ who doesn’t have to deal with things like this? I would rather lay around drinking an ice coffee and eating dark chocolate mints while reading a good book, watching a movie or bouncing around the Internet from emails or facebook to news or blogs with no responsibility and not a care in the world.

Not very pretty, eh? I tell ya, I wouldn’t take that type of talk from my kids in a “New York minute”!

As I saw the pattern repeating it almost became amusing, even to me, that I was actually throwing a tantrum in my head. But a few minutes later when Christiana began to throw her own screaming tantrum over not getting to play with my cell phone I did not find it amusing whatsoever. (yes, it has already begun at 18 months)

Here is how I attempt to handle any and all temper tantrums from my kids no matter what age they are:

They do not ever, under any circumstance, get their way! (did I say Never do they ever get their way? Good because that is what I meant…never, ever do they get their way…nope…never)
I ignore the tantrum (unless they are harming themselves or others then I physically restrain them..since they usually only do this at fairly young ages car seats in the living room worked great)
If it continues I smile and say (with sass & a bit of a drawl!) – “Is that working for you babycakes?” cause it is sure not going to work with me so you go on and have fun with that little fit you are having (in our house the saying goes like this – “ya get what ya get and ya don’t throw a fit”)
And if they are really going at it full force (and not harming anyone) I full on laugh at them in the midst of the tirade. (for some reason this is really easy for me to do because I do find kids on the floor throwing fits pretty amusing or maybe it is amusing to me that they actually think that they will win with that strategy)

So folks….I am putting my little bratty tantrum self on notice –

You are not going to get your way! You will get up and get going in all these areas that need attention in your life. They are important and valuable and you will do what needs to be done! Let’s have at it!

Is that working for you? That little fit you are throwing in your heart and mind? (answer…ummmm NOT!)

“Ya get what ya get (your metabolism, your body, your financial & life situation, your calling, the current ages & temperaments of your kids at home during this season of life)….and ya don’t throw a fit!” Get over it and get on with it!

And then I am going to laugh that little tantrum thrower right out of my mind!

Anyone else out there dealing with a little tantrum today?

7 Comments

Filed under Attitude, Life Lessons, Lifes Challenges, Motherhood, Parenting

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Throwing a Tantrum

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