Probably as many of you did, we spent a little time yesterday as a family talking about things that we are thankful for. We talked about being thankful for Jesus' death on the cross for our sin, the Bible, family, and toys, among many other things. But one thing that God has been convicting me of lately to be more thankful of, is suffering and those brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering around the world today.
Now I have gone through some trials for Christ's sake but I have never suffered in a biblical sense. But in reading
Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand, I have realized a new appreciation for those who have and are suffering. Richard Wurmbrand was a pastor in Romania who was tortured and imprisoned in 1948 for 14 years in Romania by the Communists. And when he was not imprisoned, he was a vital part of the underground church there.
In describing some of his tortures, he writes, "The tortures and brutality continued without interruption. When I lost consciousness or became too dazed to give the torturers any further hopes of confession, I would be returned to my cell. There I would lie, unattended and half dead, to regain a little strength so they could work on me again. Many died at this stage, but somehow my strength always managed to return. In the ensuing years, in several different prisons, they broke four vertebrae in my back, and many other bones. They carved me in a dozen places. They burned and cut eighteen holes in my body."
The stories of torture are sometimes graphic and often gut wrenching. There were many inspiring and Christ glorifying moments in his life, but what amazed me was not just the resiliency to suffer for Christ's name but the love for and fervor to witness to both his torturers and to other prisoners as he suffered. He writes, "A number of us decided to pay the price for the privilege of preaching, so we accepted their terms. It was a deal: we preached and they beat us. We were happy preaching; they were happy beating us - so everyone was happy."
Not every story was inspiring though. Some broke my heart with how professed Christians turned from Christ. But considering the horrific sacrifices some had to make to follow Christ not only for themselves but for their children (you'd have to read it to understand it), I'm not sure I would have been able to do much different. How willing am I to sacrifice my life or my children's lives and suffer for Jesus?
Could I be like John and Peter who rejoiced "that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name" after they had been beaten in Acts 5? Am I even living for Christ strongly enough so that I exemplify an "aroma of Christ" that to those who are not Christians is an "aroma of death" (2 Cor 2:14-16)? For Jesus said, "If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you" (John 15:20).
Thank God for those faithful saints who are an aroma of death, who do rejoice when they suffer for Christ's name, and who are martyred for the glory of Christ. I will be thankful for them more and pray for them more. In recent years, it is estimated that 160,000 Christians are martyred every year.
If you are interested in reading it, Voice of the Martyrs is giving out free copies of
Tortured for Christ -
www.persecution.com
Matt and Nate loved it.
First, she got her crown and earrings.
Then she got her necklace and slippers.
Last, she got her skirt and fairy wings. She was so excited, she didn't even speak. This year was our first Christmas day with no extended family. We enjoyed starting our own family traditions but definitely missed "Cancun" and grandma and grandpa. So here are some Christmas greetings to both grandparents!
I'm not sure what happened, but somehow during the night, he either got brave or big bro kicked him out because he was back in his bed by morning!
This is the view from our back door. I took the day off to take care of an ailing wife and to build a snowman with the boys.
The boys are all bundled up and ready to go (it was about 15 degrees outside)! Can you tell how excited they are to build a snowman? But before we could play, I put the boys to work to clear the driveway. Matt was a flurry of activity...though I'm not sure how much snow got moved.
But in the end, we managed to build a snowman, sort of. It started out as a snowman, then it became the Lee family mountain, then Mt Rushmore, then a snow volcano, and I think it ended up as Jabba the Hut in the snow. And if you are wondering where the girl was in all this. She did manage to venture outside.
But after a few minutes of feeling the cold (and literally she hardly moved from that position the whole time), she decided that this was not the place for a little girl and quickly went back inside!
Here's the view from our front door.
Andrew was soooooo excited to shovel the driveway when he got home from school. I can only hope he maintains this enthusiasm for the next 10 years, but I won't hold my breath. He's been waiting for snow ever since he found out we were moving to Kansas. The first words out of his mouth when I told him that we're moving were, "Will it snow there?! And can we build a snow man?!"
Matt and the kids look cute all bundled up, but everyone around here gives me some good natured ribbing as they're still wearing their fall gear - a sweatshirt or a light coat. On the other hand, I'm wearing about 4 layers on top, 2 pants, 2 coats, hat, scarf, and gloves. But it's worth it - I'm warm!
First, they cut out the cookies.
Ta-dah! (Don't worry, they tasted better than they looked!)
The boys and girl seem to be happy with the decor.
Christmas in Kansas is fun! And we haven't even gotten the first snow yet!
The day started out a little rough for our girl. She had a fever, was having chills, and was definitely not her usual, peppy, talkative self. It was really quite sad to see. But I guess the meds kicked in for a little bit (though as I write this her fever has hit again hard) so that in the afternoon, we got to decorate our first Christmas tree in Kansas. It was a jolly good time.
Andrew enjoyed the hay.
Emery was the only one brave enough to ride a horse! And if you are wondering where Matt is, he lasted about 2 seconds outside before he bolted back to the safety of the house.
Matt and Emery put on headbands and stuck combs and brushes in them. Then the following conversation occurred:
And on a separate note, today is a fabulous day with highs in the 60's - wa-hoo! The little ones had a nice picnic on the front step - yum!
He made up some Star Wars cards. Matthew helped.
Here are the cards closer up (from left to right, top to bottom): General Grievous, Darth Vader, The Emperor, ??, R2-D2, and not a storm trooper but a clone trooper.
Can you tell the kiddos love them? Sandy's mom is in town for the week and that has meant lots of fun and gifts for the boys and girl. And on a separate note, thanks for everyone's concern and prayers for my health. By God's grace, I am all better. Praise God!
Here they are proudly showing off their lovely striped tails.
I found them having a good time by themselves.
Whether it's the clothes or the hair...
Or the accessories, she can be somewhat particular. But she always has the cutest way of doing things and expressions that just melt me. I guess this is normal dad stuff with their daughters, but it's new to me. For example, we were talking the other day about nicknames as I always call her "sweetie." So she says, "I'm your sweetie and you're my daddy!" Forever.
1 mutant ninja turtle named Leonardo, 1 firefighter, and 1 cowgirl - we have an eclectic bunch, don't we?
We also did some pumpkin carving. Drew really loved cleaning out the seeds!
And here's one more of the girl! Isn't she a cutie?!
But don't worry, God has shown me over the past 20 years of my life how big an idol sports can be. So I plan to keep my love for the Lakers waaaaay down on the list of eternal priorities. But what is a healthy balance of following sports as a hobby and loving the Lord your God with all your heart? I guess it's up to each individual. But one of the tangible ways I check myself is to make sure that it doesn't get in the way of my higher priorities of serving God and my family.
But with fall, comes some beautiful foliage. This is my favorite tree. I drive by it every morning when I take Andrew to school. And so I don't give you the wrong impression, the majority of trees do not change to such a vibrant color here, and some don't change at all. It's not New England here, but it's still nice.
To eat or not to eat, that is the question.
Even Emery got to pick some too!
No bugs, a nice bathroom, and plenty warm - this is how the Lee family camps!
Yup, and Matt tried to pass on his cowboy costume to our newest cowgirl, but she wanted to be a fire girl instead.
See how things are new every year?
Emery had one of those today. Poor Emery. Of course, that's what happens when you INSIST on doing your own hair when you're 2! It also doesn't help when you're getting up 2-3 times a night. Emery has been on sleep strike for the last 2 weeks. Please pray for us! (you should see my hair!)
We hit the KC Farmer's Market which is the biggest in the midwest and boy was it impressive. Sandy could not say no to some serious bargains! Squash for a quarter?
And we stopped by an art museum too. They had a wicked game of badminton going, but I forgot my racket at home.
Our first trip ever to KC was a lot of fun, great for our marriage, and a bit refreshing for both of us. Praise God!
