July 3, 2009

Attention Parent - Although in this week’s 'Charlyne Cares For Kids,' Kim reflects on her children childhood experiences with fireworks, please understand that we are not suggesting that you or your children ever handle fireworks. You could take them to a professional fireworks display, which we will be doing, but please heed the advice of the authorities and leave fireworks in the hands of experts. Please take time to talk to your kids about the danger of playing with fireworks.

The Steinkamp and Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.

Let's Celebrate

"They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness." Psalm 145:5-7

Man oh man. I love the 4th of July, don't you? When my kids were little, we were at the fireworks stand every day! My son even worked at one several summers. Of course he spent all of his salary on fireworks - and then some. I use to call him my little pyromaniac. Of course the little stuff I let him set off was nothing compared to the night celebration that featured the big stuff that only adults could light. I think that was one of the longest days for my kids. Especially since here in Nebraska the sun doesn't set until after 9:00 P.M. in July. And who wants to waste all that cool fireworks when it's still light out?

So my kids dutifully set off the poppers and Black Jacks and Tanks (lots of them, I might add!) and muddled through the family barbecue, all the time asking, "Can we light the big stuff yet?" It was so hard to wait for that celebration. But while they were waiting, the grown-ups were preparing. Setting up the pipes that would shoot the Sky Rockets, nailing boards to tree trunks for the Spinners, clearing the area of debris and dead branches for safety. And the grown-ups, in their infinite wisdom, always knew just when it was the right time for the celebration to begin. Once it got dark enough, everything was ready and just sort of fell into place. And the celebration began.

"My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth." Psalm 57:7-11

Waiting is a hard thing isn't it? Especially when you are waiting for something that has been promised. It might be like that for you in your life right now. The promise has been made, but the waiting is hard. Sometimes it seems like this will never end and the celebration will never begin. But just as the adults' in my kids' lives were working behind the scenes getting everything ready, Jesus is working in ways you cannot see or know to get everything ready for your celebration of being a family restored. He is working in your heart and working in the hearts of your parents, laying the groundwork, building the bridges, opening the lines of communication. He is pouring His Word and His truths into all your lives so that your family can be all that He has destined it to be. Only Jesus will know when the time is right. Only Jesus will know when everything is in place.

"For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay." Habakkuk 2:3

"Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!" Isaiah 30:18

Maybe you are spending a little time in God's waiting room right now. That's OK. Because sometimes God's answer to our prayer is "Wait." God wants to have everything just right for you and for your family. Often, that takes time. If we can wait for dark to watch the fireworks on the 4th of July, we can wait for God's perfect timing in our lives. Then what a celebration it will be!

"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate." Luke 15:22-24

Getting ready to celebrate,
Kim in Nebraska
http://rejoiceministries.org/kim.html  
Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.
Post Office Box 10548
Pompano Beach, FL 33061
http://rejoiceministries.org  

June 26, 2009

You Are a Star

"Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name." Psalm 147:1-4

Have you ever tried to count the stars? I mean there must be a billion of them. Look at them. They cover the sky at night, as far as your eye can see. Yet the Lord calls them each by name.

Have you ever felt that you were just one of a billion? An insignificant star that gets glossed over in the counting? There are so many stars in the world what do I matter? Well just as the Lord calls each star by name, He calls you. He created you to be who you are. He knew you before you were even born and He calls you His child.

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10

"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God." John 1:12-13

When I watch the news or read the paper, I hear about all the things going on in the world. Natural disasters, war, poverty, crime. There are so many "big" things that God needs to take care of and sometimes I think why would He care about my "little" things. What are my prayers compared to the prayers of those who are praying for an end to world hunger or praying for world peace? Yet God assures us that each prayer, each act of faith, is heard and answered in His perfect timing.

Did any of you watch the movie "Bruce Almighty"? It’s a movie about how Bruce got to do God’s job for awhile. There’s a scene in there where Bruce is sitting at his computer and all these prayer requests are coming in. There are so many of them and they just keep coming and coming – every hour, every minute, every second. There were just too many for him to read so he just hits the "yes to all" button. Of course, you can imagine the kind of chaos that caused!

You and I both know that God doesn’t need any sort of computer or email program to hear prayer requests. And He certainly doesn’t just hit a yes or no button when they come in. Every prayer that is prayed, every step of faith we take, every act of obedience – they are all important to God. And every child who bows his or her head in prayer can know that not only are their prayers heard, but that they matter.

"Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them." Daniel 10:12

Can you even begin to imagine this? This God who created the universe, who made the sun to rise in the east and set in the west, the One who put all the stars in place and calls them by name, this same God cares about you and me. In fact He loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die on the cross so that we could have forgiveness of sins and oneness with the Father. Wow! I don’t know about you, but this just blows me away! To know that I am just as important as some movie star or sports hero. To know that my prayers matter as much to Him as the prayers of your pastor or priest. To know that my little prayers for a healed family are just as significant as prayers for world peace. Even though He has a whole universe to worry about, God cares about me and He cares about you, too.

So the next time you wonder if God sees what is going on, rest assured that He sees and He cares. The next time you wonder if your prayers made it to His ears, know that they did and that they will be answered. The next time you think that you are nobody important, remember that You are His child.

Isaiah 40:26 says: "Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing."

If God cares that much about stars – to arrange them in the Heavens and keep constant watch that not one of them goes out – how much more will He care for us? After all, we are created in His image. We are sons and daughters of the King. We are His most important shining stars.

"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Luke 12:6-7

Be a shining star,
Kim, in Nebraska
http://rejoiceministries.org/kim.html  
Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.
Post Office Box 10548
Pompano Beach, FL 33061
http://rejoiceministries.org  

June 19, 2009

"There's Hope!"

"Put your hope in God." Psalm 42:5 NIV

Today was the big day. People all over the county came to run the five-mile race. For the past three years, the local church organized a race to raise money to a rent billboard. Their mission was to reach families and tell them "There's Hope! God Heals Hurting Marriages." With the money raised, they were able to rent two billboards for an entire year spreading hope for hurting families.

This year, Sandra was going to run. She wanted to thank all the runners for raising money for the billboard. It was her way of giving to another family hope. For five years, Sandra would visit her dad every other weekend and every Tuesday evening. She put her hope in her parents to work on the marriage. She put her hope in her parents to "fix" the problem and get back together. Unfortunately, they didn't and she was disappointed again.

One year, two months and three days ago, she saw the yellow, black and white billboard for the first time. Curious about it, she checked out www.rejoiceministries.org  when she got home. She couldn't believe her eyes. Story after story told how God restored families. Tears rolled down her face. This was where Sandra first learned about Jesus and accepted his salvation. This was where she learned about a God who is unfailing and faithful forever. This was where she learned how to pray for her parent's souls and to put her hope in a God who can heal her family.

Sandra received emails from Rejoice Ministries encouraging her to keep the faith. One day, she saw the Bible study schedule and they were coming to her town. She asked her mom if they could go to a Bible study. By the end of the study, Sandra's mom had given her heart to the Lord and made a commitment to stand for her marriage. Together they prayed and sought the Lord every day. Exactly five months ago to this day, Sandra's dad accepted Christ and came home.

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchman wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins." Psalm 131:5-8 NIV

Sometimes the Bible seems to say the same thing over and over. There is no mistake. The Bible is the Word of God, His love letter to us. It's God's way of making sure we understand and remember a very important message.

Have you ever asked your mom or dad for something and a little later asked again in case they forgot the first time? God does the same thing to us. He repeats Himself to make sure we don't forget.

"Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them - the Lord, who remains faithful forever." Psalm 146:5-6

"The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love." Psalm 147:11

"We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who he has given us." Romans 5:3-5

Did you notice how these verses talk about putting hope in a God who is unfailing and faithful forever? That means He never fails and is committed to us. People will always disappoint us at one time or another. They won't do exactly what we want. We expect them to do certain things. That's not fair to them because we get mad at them and that's not fair to us because we get disappointed. Put your hope in the Lord because He always has your best interest at heart. He will never let you down. You can always count on Him. Over and over throughout the scriptures we are told to put our hope in Him. It must be an important message to be repeated so many times.

Putting our hope where it belongs,
Colleen in Virginia
Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.
Post Office Box 10548
Pompano Beach, FL 33061
http://rejoiceministries.org  

June 16, 2009

A Dad Who Did Wrong

Hey kids! Are really old guys allowed to post messages here? I hope so. Usually it is a mom who writes to you, but since Sunday is Father's Day I have some things I want to tell you about. They probably happened before you were even born.

They happened in the 1980's. Yes, we had cars and electricity back then, but we did not have cell phones or the Internet or texting. Can you imagine only talking to your friends in person or by telephone? When I was about your age we sure spent a lot of time on the phone. (I told you I am just about an antique!)

Charlyne was my wife. We had three children. Tim was the oldest. He was about to get his driver’s license when this all happened. Our daughter Lori was 12 years old. Tom was starting first grade. Our family went to church and everything, but we fought a lot. I made the bad mistake of thinking I would be happier if I did not live with my family.

Have you ever seen someone wearing a blindfold so they could not see? Well, the devil had a blindfold over my eyes so that I could not see what was happening. If you close your eyes, you can imagine anything. Since I could not see, I imagined how happy I could be living with another person and her kids.

Pretty goofy for me to imagine that, but since the devil had me blindfolded, I imagined living somewhere else. Charlyne and I had fights all the time and our kids would run into their rooms and slam the doors crying.

Finally one day I loaded up all my stuff and moved to a hotel. Know what? I missed my family from the very first day! But I would close my eyes and imagine how happy I was going to be some day after the hurt from missing my family went away. The hurt never went away.

Before long, I was trying to be the daddy to some other kids. It all seemed so perfect. There were a lot of problems and my hurts still hurt. My kids at home hurt even more because their daddy was gone. Charlyne tried to make them feel better, but they did not have enough money either.

For a couple of years, I tried to make my new life work out. Maybe to others it looked like it did, but deep in my heart I was hurting very badly. When Charlyne and I got married, God made us to be one flesh. Did you ever see two trees that have grown together? That is what marriage is like.

Back at home Charlyne was hurting and crying a lot, just like our kids. I tried not to think about all of that, but God kept reminding me of what I had done. Charlyne asked everyone what she could do to stop hurting. They all said for her to forget about me, but she could not. Really, she did not want to. She wanted me to come home and for all the fighting to stop, but no one told her how that could ever happen.

I tried and tried to be happy without my family, but the more I tried, the worse I felt. I moved to a lot of different places and had different jobs, but I thought about my family all the time, but no one knew it. My friends thought I was happy.

One Sunday when Charlyne and our kids were at church, a singing group from Nashville, Tennessee was there. Guess what? The man and woman who were singing told their story between songs. They were just like us and God had put them back together again.

God spoke to Charlyne and told her there was still hope for us being a family again, after He changed each of us.

Did you ever have God speak to you? He probably does all day long. Like when you are tempted to look at someone else’s paper during a test at school, and something tells you that is wrong.

Please do not tell anyone, but once when I was a kid, I took money from my mother’s purse, even though God was telling me that was wrong. When my mother asked me about the money, I lied and said I had not seen it. Double trouble, I had stolen and lied. God told me go and tell my mother the truth. I felt a lot better afterward.

Well, Charlyne started praying for God to change all of us. Soon, when I picked up my kids for visitation, I could see that Charlyne was different. She was kind of peaceful and almost happy. I knew she was praying for me every day. It made me think.

Do you like stories with happy endings? Well, this story has a great ending. About two years later, I woke up one Wednesday morning and God had removed the devil’s blindfold from my eyes. I felt so foolish and was so ashamed of leaving my family. God spoke to me that day and told me He could forgive me if I would go home.

Right then, I got in my car and drove 100 miles to where Charlyne worked. We got remarried that same day. Our kids were so happy their dad was home that night.

There is a lot more to this story I can write about another day, but I want to ask you a question. Can you see yourself in my story? Maybe your mother or father is wearing a blindfold right now. Maybe God has been speaking to you. (I hope you did not steal or lie like I did.) Maybe you are happy now because your parents are back together again.

No matter where you are in my story, there is one thing you can do. You can pray. It is awesome that God hears the prayers of kids. He answers the prayers of kids as well as old people like me. Praying is just you talking to God.

I want to tell you one more thing. One day our granddaughter, Alyson was at our home visiting. She was nine or ten years old. Aly picked up a book Charlyne and I had written about our story. Aly read for a while and then said to me, "You didn’t really do this to Grandma did you?" I had to tell her it was true. I also told her how sorry I was for doing things blindfolded. The good thing is that God has healed our family so well that even our grandchildren could not tell what had happened.

God can heal your family the same way. I now know how tough divorce was on our kids. If you will just keep on praying, God has a plan for your family. Please just keep on being that kind of kid that will make your parents proud.

The story about our family did not end with a divorce. That is when our story really started. Thanks for reading my story about how God took the blindfold off my eyes.

Jesus is there with you,
Bob Steinkamp
Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.
Post Office Box 10548
Pompano Beach, FL 33061
http://rejoiceministries.org  

June 13, 2009

This Little Light of Mine

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12

One of my favorite things to do as a kid during long summer nights was to catch fireflies in a jar. It's not as easy as it sounds! Those little guys were quick! But I would manage to capture one or two every once in awhile. I would put a little grass in the jar for them and punch holes in the lid so they would have air. I would watch them glow in the jar for a little while and then put them on my dresser to watch them in the morning. But they never did glow in the morning. I always ended up letting them go.

Do you know why fireflies glow? Scientists have a big fancy word for it called bioluminescence. (Try that one out on your friends or teacher!) Anyway, it just means that they can produce their own light from the chemicals in their body. And it wasn't that the fireflies didn't have this chemical anymore. It was because they didn't have a reason to glow. You see, fireflies glow to attract a mate or to warn off predators. Since there were no mates around to attract and no predators to contend with, they simply didn't glow.

You and I have a light inside of us, too. I call it our Jesus light. It's there all the time but sometimes others can't see it. Sometimes we cover up that light with our actions or words. Like maybe when I say something mean or hurtful to one of my friends. Or maybe when I'm jealous of what someone else has. Or maybe when I don't tell the whole truth about something. Or maybe when I look at or listen to things I know I shouldn't. Then my Jesus light doesn't shine so brightly.

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16

Do you sometimes cover up that Jesus light inside you? Do you ever feel bad about it? I know that I do. So I tell Jesus that I am sorry for covering up the light He has given me and ask Him to help my light shine more brightly so that everyone can see it. Jesus reminds me that it is His love that lights my soul and that His Word has commanded that I show this love to others.

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." John 15:12

So how can we show this Jesus love to others? There are lots of ways we can do it. One way is to make sure that the words we speak to others are good words, not mean words. You know what it is like when someone hurts your feelings. You sure don't want someone else to feel like that do you? So we need to always make sure that the things we say to others show the love that Jesus has for us. Even if this means not saying anything and just walking away.

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. …Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:29,32

Another way to make sure your Jesus light is shining is to always tell the truth - no matter the cost. As a grown-up I can tell you that even though it is a real hard thing to tell the truth sometimes, it is always better in the end. Because when we lie or cover-up something, then we let a little bit of darkness into our hearts and sometimes the darkness makes us feel bad inside. Not like when the Jesus light is shining in there. I've felt both the darkness and the light and I can definitely tell you - the light is much better!

We can be even more active in showing our Jesus love by going out of our way to help others. Is there an older person on your block who could use a little help in the garden or with the yard? Is there a young mother who could use your help entertaining the little ones for an afternoon? Is there someone who loves to read but can't anymore because they can't see the print? Is there someone who needs to walk their dog but for some reason or other simply can't? There are lots of little ways to show your Jesus love for people. You don't have to go out and feed the hungry or collect blankets for the homeless. These are good and noble things but sometimes we just need to look around us to see people who need our Jesus love.

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" Matthew 25:35-40

One of my favorite songs growing up was "This Little Light of Mine." I still sing it quite often today. How about if we sing it together?

THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine, This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Won't let Satan blow it out. I'm gonna let it shine. Won't let Satan blow it out. I'm gonna let it shine, Won't let Satan blow it out. I'm gonna let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Hide it under a bushel - NO! I'm gonna let it shine. Hide it under a bushel - NO! I'm gonna let it shine. Hide it under a bushel - NO! I'm gonna let it shine, Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Let it shine til Jesus comes. I'm gonna let it shine. Let it shine til Jesus comes. I'm gonna let it shine, Let it shine til Jesus comes. I'm gonna let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Words & Music written by Harry D. Loes; Public Domain CCLI #1273562

Shine your light,
Kim in Nebraska
http://rejoiceministries.org/kim.html  

Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.
Post Office Box 10548
Pompano Beach, FL 33061
http://rejoiceministries.org