Year Two

We treat Lauren to dinner the night before -- SUSHI!

Last Friday, Lauren returned to UNC for her 2nd year. It was with little fanfare (unlike last year) and the logistics all went so smoothly it felt pretty uneventful. In about two hours, we were able to unload, unpack and organize her stuff and we were gone.

Her "home" this year is a considerable upgrade from last year's dorm room -- same layout but newer: fully air-conditioned, nice bathrooms, great views from her window and balcony. Her new roomate Elizabeth was not there (but had already moved in). We continue to pray that Elizabeth might be a Christian; as of now her similar "lifestyle" to Lauren's is something we are very grateful for. We did notice a book she is reading titled: "God's Promises for the Graduate."

Lauren is also excited about her suitemates two of whom she knew and one she was pretty good friends with. From what we heard, its quite the "diverse" suite even with a Vietnamese girl too!! :)

After unpacking, we all held hands and Danny prayed over Lauren. There were sweet hugs and off we went. Danny and I were looking forward to our "empty nesting" again. It has been a challenging summer with Lauren. That's not to say she was always challenging. I have struggled in my methods of parenting for sure -- parenting adult children who are still dependent on you is by far the most difficult "phase" of parenting I have experienced. Thank God Danny is doing most of it for me!

I found myself surprisingly sad or bittersweet as we drove home. The idea that my impact, influence, and the need for me in Lauren's life continues to slip away and I know its suppose to be that way or rather those things "shift." I struggle with thinking, remembering all the ways I have failed my daughter, even as recent as this past summer.

Please pray for my Lauren. Pray for her to not only hear the truth regularly but to live it. Pray for her to live out the Gospel daily whether studying, hanging with friends, or whatever. It is a big, scary, ugly, mean, broken, destructive world out there and Satan would not have it any other way. Pray that I remember He who is in her is greater than he who is in the world......

Master packer Danny Dulin

Master organizer, Jacqueline Dulin

Master Put-Together-Weird-Dorm-Furniture-Man, Danny Dulin.

Sportin' the UNC Ram. Go TAR HEELS!

They grow up so tall and so fast.

God is FOR You

Another great Fresh Start from Andy Richardson:

God is for you today.  The Bible puts it this way, “a good man’s steps are ordered by the Lord” (Psalm 37:23).  You may not be where you want to be yet, but God is getting you where you need to be.  The temptation is to look at the things that are wrong in your life, rather than to magnify God and the things that are going right.  If you focus on the things you don’t have control over, or the things that aren’t fixed yet, you will lose sight of the One who is busy at work ordering your steps.

• Ask for a renewed perspective on what God is doing in your life today.

Joseph almost lost sight of the fact that God was at work in his life.  His brothers had betrayed him.  He was unjustly accused and thrown in jail where he waited for years.  He felt forgotten and was filled with despair.  But God was at work ordering the steps of his life even when the darkness of a jail cell was his constant circumstance.  Years later, after rising to the most powerful position in the land, he was able to say, “you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20).  Don’t forget that God is for you too today.

Kill Anger Before It Kills You or Your Marriage

"In marriage, anger rivals lust as a killer. My guess is that anger is a worse enemy than lust. It also destroys other kinds of camaraderie. Some people have more anger than they think, because it has disguises....."

A friend recently sent me this excellent article about anger by John Piper. I have only included the "snippets" but it is well worth reading the full article.





 

1. Ponder the rights of Christ to be angry, but how he endured the cross, as an example of long-suffering.
   
2. Ponder how much you have been forgiven, and how much mercy you have been shown.
   
3. Ponder your own sinfulness and take the beam out of your own eye.
   
4. Think about how you do not want to give place to the devil, because harbored anger is the one thing the Bible explicitly says opens a door and invites him in.
   
5. Ponder the folly of your own self-immolation, that is, numerous detrimental effects of anger to the one who is angry - some spiritual, some mental, some physical, and some relational.
   
6. Confess your sin of anger to some trusted friend as well and as possible with the offender. This is a great healing act.
   
7. Let your anger be the key to unlock the dungeons of pride and self-pity in your heart and replace them with love.
   
8. Remember that God is going to work it all for your good as you trust in his future grace. Your offender is even doing you good, if you will respond with love.
   
9. Remember that God will vindicate your just cause and settle all accounts better than you could. Either your offender will pay in hell, or Christ has paid for him. Your payback would be double jeopardy or an offense to the cross.

READ the full article by John Piper here