From the Hope Farm

Summer Goal CompletedPostedFriday, July 30, 2010 @ 7 AMByCyle LewisTaggedNo tags1 commentsAdd comment

A few weeks ago I set out to potty train. I set aside some time and cleared my schedule. Tucker and i stayed home for several days mastering this art. His garb consisted of underwear. It was not sensible at all to clothe him in full attire especially since many accidents happened those first days. To lighten the laundry we stayed home and he pranced around in Diego underwear.

Somewhere around day three he insisted on wearing yellow boots with his underwear. He begged every morning for the " diego boots". I guess diego wears yellow boots. One Sunday morning I forgot to lock my door after getting dressed. Tucker walks into my room with diego underwear and yellow boots. He emerged with these additional accessories. We had a full photo shoot. I could'nt resist!

He was ready to go! I had to break the news that we were not going anywhere. Several weeks after taking these pics I proudly announce that Tucker's main summer goal is completed!

Madeleine L'Engle - A Circle of QuietPostedThursday, July 29, 2010 @ 7 AMByCyle LewisTaggedNo tags1 commentsAdd comment

With the onset of 2010 - after completing a reading list for the year - I have been turning pages diligently, slowly completing chapter after chapter, resulting in an opened mind, challenged heart, and many completed books! A small stack of those books lay on my desk to review. When the new year emerged and reading ensued I knew I would need to employ a highlighter if I were to adequately record the truths gained. Often, God seems to speak to me through my reading list - a truth confirmed countless time and in a myriad of ways.

Without further Ado, I introduce you to...A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L'Engle.

To be entirely transparent, I have put off reviewing this book because I've harbored fear that my simple words won’t do it justice. This book truly inspired me while offering immense consolation to my artistic, creative sides. Her own vulnerable accounts of her failures as a writer were riveting. My soul resonated with so much of her statements that I began to view her words as gold. I was almost sure - at times - that I was sitting in a room listening to her personally tell me stories, like I was sitting at the feet of my own grandmother. There is a refreshing honesty about it, due to the book being assembled in part from bits and pieces of her own journals throughout the years.

Many of you know the author's name for her highly acclaimed children's books such as A Wrinkle in Time along with dozens of others. I have often remembered Madeleine speaking of her many rejection slips - the quantitiy being enough to wallpaper her office. The funny thing is, it only took one publishers "yes", to counter all the "no’s". That yes even invoked jealosy in many publishers who quickly wrote off A Wrinkle in Time deeming it "silly stuff that kids would never read." Her method of working through the rejection, hurt and self-pity was both fascinating and revelatory for me.

The best way I can describe this book in whole is that it resembles a quilt. A homemade quilt has many fabrics differing in pattern and color, many of them very bright. Many of these fabrics do not really “match” except that the small squares are beautiful as a whole when put together. Similarly, A Circle of Quiet is a collection of beautiful thoughts which produces raw, vulnerable soul-piercing introspection and reflection. Lastly, I leave you with the highlighted quotes that are memory worthy. The words that will both encourage and move any creative spirit.

"To Define Everything is to annihilate much that gives us laughter and joy." Page 31

"I think that all artists, regardless of degree of talent, are a painful, paradoxical combination of certainty and uncertainty of arrogance and humility, constantly in need of reassurance." Page 38

"If we are given minds we are required to use them but not limit ourselves by them." Page 43

"An IQ cannot measure artistic ability." Page 43

"The creative impulse, like love, can be killed but it cannot be taught. What a teacher or librarian can do, in working with children, is to give the flame enough oxygen so that it can burn. As far as I'm concerned this providing of oxygen is the noblest of all vocations." Page 45

"One of the greatest weapons of all is laughter, a gift for fun, a sense of play which is sadly missing from the grownup world." Page 99

"When I look back on that decade of total failure - it's been a mixture, both before and since - there was even on the days of rejection slips, a tiny, stubborn refusal to be completely put down." Page 38

He heard God...PostedTuesday, July 27, 2010 @ 4 PMByCyle LewisTaggedNo tags2 commentsAdd commentWe were on our way home from Summer Waves water park today, when some interesting conversation occurred between myself and my 41/2 year old. We came off of the Jekyll bridge and he started talking about the clouds: that he had seen a dinosaur in one of the clouds. Sure enough the cloud looked like a dinosaur! His cloud watching continued until I hit a red light. Kenimer and I talked about how the red light might be broken because it was taking so long. Then we were quiet for a few minutes.

I turned into our neighborhood when Kenimer suddenly lit up and looked very intrigued - I could see his expression through the rear-view mirror.

He then excitedly proclaimed, "I heard God!", "I heard GOD!" (a little louder), then "I HEARD GOD!" very loudly!

I responded, "Well, what did he say?"

His response: "He said He loves Kenimer in the whole earth!"

"Really?!" I asked. "Yes!" proclaimed a very happy Kenimer.

We were not praying. We were not talking about God. There were no spiritual connotations the entire morning, actually.

Even still my son heard the voice of the Lord. Maybe the Lord is wanting to tell you how much He loves you today. Listen and see.

Livng Waters 2010PostedMonday, July 26, 2010 @ 3 PMByCyle LewisTaggedNo tags1 commentsAdd commentThe Lewis family took a trek up to the North Carolina Mountains a few weeks ago. Shannon and I led worship for a middle school camp. The site was called Living Waters and was just a few miles outside of a cool, tree-hugging town called Brevard.

This trip was such a refreshment to us in many ways. Shannon's post outlined the ministry side of this trip, while I will focus on the family, recreational aspects of this week for us. Read his account here. First, our children were able to accompany us. The camp operates on parental volunteers in addition to their paid staff. Each middle schooler who attended camp also had a parent who came to work the kitchen, snacks etc. While we were having morning and night meetings the parents were having their own worship and intercessory prayer meetings in the cafeteria. The parents did not room with their children. They stayed with other parents. I saw neat bondings happening as parents prayed with others parents for their children. The benefit for us was that their were many adults who took turns caring for my children while I led worship and attended practices with Shannon. 2nd, we stayed in a three story house. The bottom floor housed female campers and counselors. The middle floor housed the camp director and his wife, along with two children (the same ages as mine!) and another married couple. We stayed on the top floor which had two bedrooms and a full bath. These couples became dear friends. We stayed up many evenings eating snacks, processing the day and enjoying rich fellowship with like minded people.

Other highlights:
A golf cart was the primary means of transportation for staff. We got up every morning dressed and rode the cart to breakfast...and lunch...and dinner... and at snack time. ( I got really spoiled!) While we were at meetings The sitters, my kids (and their friends) would ride the carts all over camp to explore. ( I have a stinking suspicion they spent most of that time throwing rocks- which brings me to the next highlight.

Rock Throwing became a favorite pastime for my boys. They searched for the perfect rock then promptly threw it in the river making different sized splashes. I think they could have done this for hours.

Everywhere you walked at camp you could hear the rush of the falls. It was like having a sound machine on all the time- except this was the real thing. The mere sounds of the falls reminded me of God's love constantly- the roaring rush, and neverending waters. The afternoons were spent in the river. The camp schedule went like this: river time, snacks, then nap time before dinner. We pretty much followed this schedule. The counselors split up and went to different river locations different times of the day. The counselors were very trained on safety and did a good job of life guarding the area. Shannon rode the rooster tail with both boys. The rooster tail is like a water ride, the slope of the rock resembles a tail that has a high jump at one point. The boys were in heaven!

If you were not riding the rooster tail you could go to the Chalet area ( which is the waterfall in the front picture. There were several small rocks to slide and lots of areas to wade and swim. Shannon took the boys under falls and even climbed up the rock side of one waterfall with Kenimer.

Tucker's not so sure.

I Think we look like the Tarzan family in this one!

I really can't describe how special this week was for us. The counselors were some of the most outstanding high school and college kids we have ever met. They truly ministered to us in many ways. Singing original songs and having the kids ask to sing them really increased my confidence that these songs come from Jesus and he has a plan for them. The only job we have is to be good stewards of the songs he gives us.

We left Camp Saturday night after some tears and heartfelt conversations. We headed down to Atlanta and woke up early Sunday morning in order to get to GRACE FELLOWSHIP by 7 a.m. We were leading for all three services. Although we were energy depleted at the end of Sunday- I can't think of any better way to spend eight days! A friend of mine stayed with the boys Sunday morning for the first two services and we brought to the afternoon service. She reported that Kenimer cried at breakfast saying that we had to go to the white building to eat breakfast (I think he was a little spoiled also). He was asleep when we got into ATL and was quite traumatized that we were not at Camp! The Lewis Family was completed rejuvenated and encouraged by our eight day adventure!

Worship and Spiritual WarfarePostedSunday, July 25, 2010 @ 5 PMByCyle LewisTaggedNo tags0 commentsAdd comment

I love to attend church and worship with the masses, However , the opportunity to lead a congregation from the stage has taken on new meaning. With the recent study of 2 Chronicles 20:1-30, the importance of praising in the midst of battles has become so true in my life. This passage is a beautiful example of the power of God, it further outlines how praise can actually prompt God to release his power. This passage is full of hair raising spiritual warfare moments. It is also full of examples on how to fight these battles in our daily life.

My husband and I led worship at Saint Simons Community Church this morning. He broke a string during the first song and some of the pastoral leadership was sick. Since we are in a series "Prevail" - specifically on Spiritual Warfare - we recognized the enemy's ploys, as Shannon hasn't broken a string in months, and suddenly broke 4 in a week, all during important worship-leading events! Despite these things, we worship\ped with all that was within us. We cried out to Jesus before the service and asked him to come fight the battle that belongs to Him.

I encourage you to read this passage and then follow along as I outline this incredible story.

Jehosaphat's first steps

He was in some rough waters. He was told that a great multitude was coming against him. (I can relate!). He was afraid. He set his face to seek the Lord. He called for a fast throughout Judah. The country did assemble to seek help from the Lord. They came from ALL the cities of Judah to seek the Lord. What an example of turning your face to the Lord in trying times. I am digging this!

The Lord answers their prayers

God says, Don’t be afraid- the battle belongs to me. You won’t have to fight, God will fight the battle for you - take up your positions, stand firm and see God’s delivering hand at work.

This is the AMAZING part:

As they praised God, He set up ambushes against the enemy. Did you read that? Our sweet Jesus will go ahead of us…. Wow. My Jesus set up ambushes for the enemies of Judah, all of this while they were worshiping Jesus with loud voices. THEN - it gets better - the enemy fought and destroyed one another completely. The account tells us that their was so much plunder for the people of Judah it took them three days to carry it all. What Satan meant for harm God turned into beautiful treasures, hence the plunder that the people gained. This is the part where we see God’s power released.

So what do you guess the people of Judah's response to God was? They worshiped Him with a LOUD voice. Verse 21 also tells us that Jehosaphat appointed singers and worshipers to go out ahead of the army into battle.

And as if this deliverance was not enough there were also long lasting results of this encounter with God for the Land of Judah. All surrounding kingdoms feared the Lord when they learned how he has delivered them. The land of Judah also retained peace on every side.

Jehosaphat knew that great things could be accomplished when the power of God is released. He took the necessary steps to lead his people to seek Him, He answered, delivered him, bestowed inheritance up on his nation (the plunder) and established peace.

Wow. I love to worship and lead others because it is a chance to see His power released.

Thank You Jesus for establishing praise on my lips in the midst of all situations today. I ask you to establish an ambush for my enemies and deliver me from the as-of-yet unseen snares of the devil. I will worship You and seek Your face today. I will commit my children to you while I love and care for them today…. Amen and amen.

From the Hope Farm

by Thoughts on family life, and 'life as worship' from a 30-something Wife, Mother, Worshiper, Worship Leader, Songwriter, and Musician.