tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51368675181861344472024-02-07T01:45:42.712-06:00Keeping Up KlapperLiving my krazy life with my krazy nameCarmen Klapperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04039283891303943692noreply@blogger.comBlogger205125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136867518186134447.post-38242322660385250752013-05-21T13:16:00.003-05:002013-05-22T09:52:25.507-05:00One of These Things is Not Like the Other It was four weeks ago yesterday that I went in for my first <b>arthroscopy</b> and<b> lateral release</b>. As I recorded in a few previous posts, the days and weeks that followed were simply about healing and resting. Recovery was moving rapidly and I was feeling like Superwoman. <i>But that was then...</i><br />
<br />
<i>And this is now...</i> I had the <b>arthroscopy</b> and <b>lateral release</b> done on my opposite leg 6 days ago. Even though the surgery was smooth and predictable like before, recovery has been much different this time around. The change began almost as soon as I was awake and coherent out of anesthesia. My assigned nurse started rattling off my post-op orders, which unexpectedly included <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">"no weight bearing"</span> on my operated leg until my follow-up appointment ten days later. If I asked her once, I asked her a million times to confirm. <i>Are you SURE??!</i>, I whined. She never could tell me the reasons why, but only that those were the orthopedic surgeon's instructions.<br />
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Since then I've been bearing full weight with the help of crutches on my 4-week-post-surgery knee that is still very tender and sore. And that means that this recovery week has been so very <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">sloooooooooooow</span> and frustrating, completely opposite of my first experience. And to add insult to injury (literally), yesterday I severely strained my IT band (<b>iliotibial band</b>, which is the tissue that is "released" in the procedure) while trying to stand up from a motorized cart after grocery shopping. The pain I felt in that moment was on a scale that I'm not sure I've ever experienced in my life until this point. Absolutely excruciating. That injury-- combined with non-weight-bearing orders on my left leg-- has pretty much left me sentenced to stay in bed. Five feet to the bathroom is as ambitious as it gets until Friday morning.<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*insert a really sad, depressing song here for background music* </span></i></div>
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I've also been paranoid about taking Oxycodone this time around after a scary spell of having my blood pressure plummet when getting out of bed too quickly (which can be a side effect of the drug). Another terrible episode that I don't ever desire to experience again! But the otc meds unfortunately don't mask the pain the way narcotics do, so I'm having to cautiously continue them for now.<br />
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So, I <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">sit</span>...<br />
and <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">wait</span>...<br />
and <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">sleep</span>...<br />
and <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">binge</span> on Netflix and Pinterest...<br />
and <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">ice</span>...<br />
and <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">medicate</span>...<br />
and <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">elevate</span>...<br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">rinse and repeat</span>...<br />
all the while praying that the longterm outcomes of these two surgeries will be worth the present difficulties.<br />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAU0jVr-WdFzXnlDHYu7XYavw5WwvayQgPGUkluVkswuvzVrbzCs0IMHJo9HhWPmvBs25XAFTK8yCLm57FJO465qg1R01iIjjpUjJVlLIi2k1sgL60otL9GaX_gRh75-FzqK5B9_IlZL31/s1600/CarmenSig.png" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none;" />Carmen Klapperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04039283891303943692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136867518186134447.post-45944741507411553842013-05-07T10:02:00.001-05:002013-05-07T10:02:40.173-05:00Three Steps Forward, Two Steps Back (2 Weeks Post-Op)It has already been two weeks since my <b>arthroscopy</b> and <b>lateral release knee surgery</b>. I'm glad to report that recovery is still going incredibly well. <a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2013/05/time-for-checkup-post-op-day-10.html" target="_blank">After coming off of crutches last week</a>, some soreness and minor swelling set back in so I had to go back to relying on one crutch and <b>Oxycodone</b> for a few more days. That was a tad bit discouraging when I had been pulling off a rockstar status at <b>physical therapy</b>. We've also had a lot of rain and humidity in our area of the world this month, so I'm convinced that <strike>I am a total granny</strike> it has been contributing to the achiness. But good news is that I was able to go back to full weight bearing without crutches (and a little <b>Advil</b>) yesterday and have been doing great since.<br />
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At the end of each day, my knee continues to be pretty sore and stiff. I imagine that will be the case for a while since the <b>lateral retinaculum</b> that was cut is a delicate tissue that takes a good while to heal. I'm trying to find a healthy balance between not doing too much (cleaning, standing, lifting, driving, etc) and pushing my knee a little more each day in order to prepare for my next surgery in 8 days. <span style="font-family: inherit;">My currently-operated leg will then have to bear full weight for several days, which ain't gonna be easy! </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">(</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Eight more days... WOW!</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">)</span><br />
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On Friday I'll be seeing my <b>orthopedic surgeon</b> once more before he does the same procedure on my other knee next Wednesday. Hopefully healing will continue to go smoothly and consistently until then.<br />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAU0jVr-WdFzXnlDHYu7XYavw5WwvayQgPGUkluVkswuvzVrbzCs0IMHJo9HhWPmvBs25XAFTK8yCLm57FJO465qg1R01iIjjpUjJVlLIi2k1sgL60otL9GaX_gRh75-FzqK5B9_IlZL31/s1600/CarmenSig.png" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none;" />Carmen Klapperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04039283891303943692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136867518186134447.post-50867141839260230682013-05-01T21:00:00.000-05:002013-05-01T21:01:52.308-05:00Time For a Checkup (Post-op Day 10)It's so hard to believe that a week and a half has already flown by and it was time for my post-op appointment with my orthopedic surgeon. This whole experience thus far has been relatively comfortable and quick... <a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2013/04/she-stinketh-no-more-post-op-day-4.html" target="_blank">Which is completely opposite of what I read beforehand during late-night google sessions... </a>And which also tells me one thing that must be told to everyone:<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: small;">Don't believe everything you read on the internet.</span></i></h3>
I know, I KNOW!!! Shocking, right??!<br />
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Anyway, nothing but great strides took place today in my recovery process:<br />
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• The doctor says I'm healing incredibly well and fast and is impressed with both the minimal amount of swelling and strength of my leg already.<br />
• He declared me finished with the leg immobilizer (brace) and mostly finished with the ace bandage wrap. Will keep it on hand in case swelling increases. This step also officially cleared me to drive again!<br />
• Stiches came out and steri-strips were placed for the next few days.<br />
• I was able to come off the crutches completely this morning.<br />
• Biggest take away from this morning's appointment: Knee #2 is on the books for an <b>arthroscopy</b> and <b>lateral release</b> in TWO weeks. So glad we'll get this in right before my kids get out for summer break!<br />
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Tomorrow will include another session of some <b>physical therapy</b> to keep rehabilitating these leg muscles to keep my knee cap in the right place. Hopefully each day will continue to bring a little less soreness and swelling.<br />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAU0jVr-WdFzXnlDHYu7XYavw5WwvayQgPGUkluVkswuvzVrbzCs0IMHJo9HhWPmvBs25XAFTK8yCLm57FJO465qg1R01iIjjpUjJVlLIi2k1sgL60otL9GaX_gRh75-FzqK5B9_IlZL31/s1600/CarmenSig.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" />Carmen Klapperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04039283891303943692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136867518186134447.post-17708097152795925452013-04-26T19:12:00.001-05:002013-04-26T19:31:11.534-05:00She Stinketh No More (Post-Op Day 4)<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Hooray, hooray! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Today was "you get to take a shower" day!</span></div>
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• Goodness, a simple little shower is such a wonderful thing after laying in the bed for 4 days! So glad the smell of funkiness radiating from my body has ceased. I even sat in a chair and fixed my hair! <i>It's the little things, folks...</i><br />
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• Completed my 2nd physical therapy session this afternoon. The PT has said that she is "very impressed" with my progress so far. I'm bearing the majority of my weight with the aid of crutches and even made full revolutions on the stationary bike for several minutes. My range of motion is returning quite rapidly! Even though I was kicking butt and taking names at physical therapy, my knee reminded me very soon afterwards that it had only been four days since surgery and forced me to get back in the bed, ice, elevate, and pop some happy pills <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">(read: rockstar status was short-lived)</span>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTg00ENfa9xJNbXQMiXNzWS7uPXYiqxUvnoALkrsafq2EK7DV9xZfVGLkTvRexLnpF3sBCnPWpLItqGpOMHJxucT1xhEFb1p1oAsbz1HhVEthMPH5BxJhYFbKKiYnuZa8Wrchf7CbIe4W0/s1600/IMG_0652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTg00ENfa9xJNbXQMiXNzWS7uPXYiqxUvnoALkrsafq2EK7DV9xZfVGLkTvRexLnpF3sBCnPWpLItqGpOMHJxucT1xhEFb1p1oAsbz1HhVEthMPH5BxJhYFbKKiYnuZa8Wrchf7CbIe4W0/s400/IMG_0652.JPG" width="321" /></a>• Had an unplanned visit to the <b>OS</b> office yesterday due to some weird circulation issues going on with the foot on my operated leg (turning red, tingling, feeling hot). Good news is that the ultrasound they ordered came back all clear which ruled out the possibility of a blood clot. In the midst of that itsy-bitsy setback, the doc was incredibly pleased to see the minimal amount of swelling present around my knee. One of the particular procedures he performed (a <b>lateral release</b>) apparently has a reputation of causing incredible amounts of swelling for weeks, even months, at a time for some patients. It's definitely encouraging to hear from both the OS and PT that my knee is grasping for an "overachiever award" at this point.<br />
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• All of these "wins" have confirmed further my reasoning for documenting <a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2013/04/36-hours-ago.html" target="_blank">my post-op journey</a>. Before my <b>knee surgery</b>, I spent a lot of time doing internet searches of people's experiences with <b>arthroscopy</b> and <b>lateral release.</b> What I found was that the majority of people who took the time to record their experience publicly were the ones who had the worst (and sometimes bizarre) outcomes. My hope through this is that I can contribute to the many stories in internet world and document both a positive experience and outcome from a procedure that has been given a bad rap.<br />
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We shall see! So far, so good...<br />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAU0jVr-WdFzXnlDHYu7XYavw5WwvayQgPGUkluVkswuvzVrbzCs0IMHJo9HhWPmvBs25XAFTK8yCLm57FJO465qg1R01iIjjpUjJVlLIi2k1sgL60otL9GaX_gRh75-FzqK5B9_IlZL31/s1600/CarmenSig.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" />Carmen Klapperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04039283891303943692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136867518186134447.post-83821596472060251762013-04-23T19:41:00.000-05:002013-05-01T21:02:40.084-05:00Just 36 hours ago... (Post-op Day Two)...I was being wheeled into the operating room for my <a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2013/04/one-hundred-and-ten-percent.html" target="_blank">much-talked-about knee surgery</a> (<b>Arthroscopy</b> and <b>Lateral Retinacular Release</b>, to be exact). It was actually a great morning that went off without a single hitch, despite its lack of my two favorite things: coffee and food. Seriously, the whole process was so incredibly smooth and quick. My procedure was scheduled for 7:00am and the first thing I remember from waking up from anesthesia was a clock hanging directly in front of me that showed 8:15am. An hour after that, they kicked me out and we headed home. Well, maybe not as extreme as "kicked out." They did tell me they were very impressed with all of my post-op schtuff, so they saw no need to keep me around. After a last pump of Dilaudid and Zofran, we were on our way. And this has pretty much been my view ever since we arrived home:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKN9C8EiH7vc96MYlenI_27KQmktl1JA5s4DKKuySsmM1x0xRqBDYJIdMgjpIqwbOMXZE6hoZzR5pu5FUHmWErRO26WYSi15ybbr-sehB6U-oLm9lxdDc6x48gUR3Pv8hShDdB0lt8T1wq/s1600/IMG_0641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKN9C8EiH7vc96MYlenI_27KQmktl1JA5s4DKKuySsmM1x0xRqBDYJIdMgjpIqwbOMXZE6hoZzR5pu5FUHmWErRO26WYSi15ybbr-sehB6U-oLm9lxdDc6x48gUR3Pv8hShDdB0lt8T1wq/s640/IMG_0641.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I was sentenced to lay on my back with my knee above my heart and toes above my knee for 48 hours (besides bathroom breaks, of course). This is to help mostly with swelling and circulation. Not exactly the most comfortable position; but my friend, Oxycodone, helps me to not really care about that. The blue contraption is a "cryo/cuff" that keeps both compression and ice water around my knee for long periods of time. Pretty nifty! And we certainly can't go on without acknowledging the attractive compression sock I'm sporting. :-)<br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">36 hours down, 12 more to go.</span><br />
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Overall, I haven't been too uncomfortable or in immense pain. Definitely thankful for that! I have minimal swelling at this point, too, but I expect that to change once I become mobile again. Tomorrow's excitement will include some weight-bearing attempts via crutches, as well as my first physical therapy visit. Odds are swelling and pain will increase a bit once those efforts begin. We shall see... but as of right now, I am very pleased and thankful with the way things have been progressing.<br />
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Well, trying to make intelligible sentences while opiates flood my bloodstream is sorta difficult, so I'll sign off for now. Will hopefully be able to update with more positive progress in a few days. Thanks for reading!<br />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAU0jVr-WdFzXnlDHYu7XYavw5WwvayQgPGUkluVkswuvzVrbzCs0IMHJo9HhWPmvBs25XAFTK8yCLm57FJO465qg1R01iIjjpUjJVlLIi2k1sgL60otL9GaX_gRh75-FzqK5B9_IlZL31/s1600/CarmenSig.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" />Carmen Klapperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04039283891303943692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136867518186134447.post-52161986418044104122013-04-18T21:45:00.000-05:002013-04-26T20:00:14.008-05:00One Hundred and Ten Percent<span style="font-family: inherit;">About 9 1/2 months ago, I wrote a post about my <a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2012/07/amnesia.html" target="_blank">"amnesia"</a> tendencies that like to attack and knock me down for the count. Throughout the months that followed, God faithfully provided and saturated my memory with unforgettable blessings to suffocate my amnesia episodes. He really hit home promises in His Word, such as <i>Be anxious for nothing</i> (Phil 4:4), <i>Fear not for I am the One who helps you</i> (Is 41:13), and one of my favorites, <span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;"><i>how <a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2012/12/believing-much-more.html" target="_blank">MUCH MORE</a> will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!</i> (Matt 7:11). </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In so many ways God has proven to me that when He gives these promises to His children, He means them. REALLY means them. If his wisdom and love provided a way to meet my greatest need ever- to be saved from His wrath and reconciled to Him-- then He can surely handle the details of a month with little to no income. Or a broken down car. <a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2012/02/my-story-new-marriage-same-spouse.html" target="_blank">Or a struggling marriage</a>. Or a <b>knee surgery</b>...</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Which brings me to the whole point of this post. In that <a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2012/07/amnesia.html" target="_blank">particular amnesia post last year</a>, I wrote about the fact that chances of surgery being in my future were high, which caused an emotional freak-out of sorts because there was no way we could pay for it at that time. Instead of going for the procedure, I... </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">went to physical therapy, </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">iced, braced, taped, </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">rested, rested more, </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">received a few rounds of cortisone injections, </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;"><strike>was tortured with tiny needles</strike> tried dry-needling therapy, </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">dieted (which is pointless when you can't exercise), </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">was fitted for shoes and inserts, </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">and popped anti-inflammatories and narcotics like candy.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">NOTHING. WORKED. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So fast forward to a few weeks ago, after going to bed in pain and then waking up again in pain, something in me snapped and I was D O N E. Couldn't handle the chronic pain any longer. I made an appointment for a second opinion on my knees with a highly recommended sports medicine practice, all the while knowing what their advised plan of treatment would be. I saw the orthopedic surgeon and he took more x-rays which showed that the alignment of my knees had worsened since my last set of x-rays from the first orthopaedist visit. Because I had already tried everything, he confirmed my suspicion that it was time to attempt correcting them via surgery.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Before I knew it, they were bringing in paperwork, crutches, a knee immobilizer and cryo-cuff, and a date was slapped on the calendar to attack knee #1. My mind was spinning, my cheeks were flushed, and my stomach was in knots... none because of what was around the bend physically, but because of those stupid dollar signs again. There was a $1500 co-pay to take care of to even get me in the door of the surgery center and we didn't have the funds to cover it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And that's where God's changing grace swept in... Instead of spending the next hours and days crying, depressed, and worried, the Holy Spirit began flooding my mind with truth. Verse after verse came to mind, along with recent memories of his jaw-dropping provision. I began to speak those promises to myself, reminding my soul of what the Lord had been doing:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">"Carmen, even though you are evil, and you know how to give good gifts to your children whom you love like crazy, how much more will your Heavenly Father take care of you? AGAIN?! There's not a time you can look back over your life and point to where He dropped the ball and failed to take care of you. He will be faithful again."</span></blockquote>
The next day I decided to put into action a random idea that had been bouncing around in my head:<br />
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• put together an online-fundraising page, </div>
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• share it on social media, and </div>
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• ask 1500 people to give $1.00. </div>
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Sure, I had lots of thoughts about whether people would think I was a sad, crazy beggar. But I didn't care. At all. The only thing I could do was cast it out there and see if anything would bite. I had many moments of thinking I was silly and came close to deleting the whole thing. For whatever reason, I clicked the share button that first time and then sat back. Within 5 minutes, email notifications began lighting up my phone... and then one week to the day of when I made the fund-raising page live, this is what had transpired:</div>
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<img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9LPX1sGKOV7BmjiV3QuM4yYPELxJ2WbOHcaXWzyKWvdC0aNDUnMf-Dj4QePv54D9whJ-bW8StLsmfwPzmsnrnRj7avPVaS9l0RqudjwHE1re5Keh8_wOgYGKoO-57HNiLCRE9P844w0c/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-04-18+at+8.24.54+PM.png" width="640" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Not only was the goal met, but exceeded. God did it again. He made a way. AGAIN! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you're reading this and you were one of the generous people whom God used to contribute to our goal- </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">whether it was $5 or $105- </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">thank you. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">THANK YOU. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Those two words just don't come close to the amount of gratefulness we feel for your help. Thank you, also, to all those who helped us by sharing the link on Facebook and Twitter. </span></div>
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Well, in three days this thing is supposed to happen. Prayers for a successful and healthy procedure are needed and appreciated! I'll be journaling the whole process here but will refrain from posting the updates via social media in order to not drive people crazy. Being medicated and stuck on the couch with a laptop should be quite interesting for a few weeks!<br />
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Consider yourself warned. :-)<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAU0jVr-WdFzXnlDHYu7XYavw5WwvayQgPGUkluVkswuvzVrbzCs0IMHJo9HhWPmvBs25XAFTK8yCLm57FJO465qg1R01iIjjpUjJVlLIi2k1sgL60otL9GaX_gRh75-FzqK5B9_IlZL31/s1600/CarmenSig.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" /></span>Carmen Klapperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04039283891303943692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136867518186134447.post-65004328886211867682013-04-09T19:41:00.000-05:002013-04-19T07:39:29.305-05:00Straight Paths: Thoughts on Proverbs 3:5-6<div style="text-align: center;">
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<i style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Trust in the Lord with all your heart, </i></h4>
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<i style="letter-spacing: 0px;">and do not lean on your own understanding. </i></h4>
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<i style="letter-spacing: 0px;">In all your ways acknowledge him,</i><i style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </i></h4>
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<i style="letter-spacing: 0px;">and he will make straight your paths.</i></h4>
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<i style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Proverbs 3:5-6</i></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: left;">The Scripture verse above is one that is quite familiar to our ears and frequently repeated from memory by many. It only takes a few moments of walking the aisles of retail stores to see it decoratively reprinted onto coffee mugs and greeting cards. Most of us enjoy the way these particular words easily roll off our tongues to offer wise-sounding advice. Many people often gravitate towards positive-sounding verses like these in Proverbs as a quick self-esteem boost, while others may use them as an explanation for undesirable circumstances in their life. Once we cast aside our flawed glasses of self and put on the lens of the good news of Christ, we can then see that these two verses are much more than a simple formula for worldly success, but actually a heavenly calling for eternal life.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: left;"> </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Very early on in the book of Proverbs, the writer tells us plainly that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (<b>Proverbs 1:7</b>). He lets us know that true wisdom can only be found by wholeheartedly seeking after God. This point of truth is then carried and interwoven throughout the entire book. While many have been mistaken to take Proverbs as a book of promises, it is important for the reader to embrace it as actual counsel that is fully personified in Jesus Christ alone. He himself is the wisdom that the entire book charges us to seek and find. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The passage of <b>Proverbs 3:5-6</b> continues to echo the teaching of achieving wisdom through Christ. The writer is urging a type of wisdom that goes entirely beyond a head-knowledge to one that only comes from complete surrender of the heart to the Lord. These verses call for the reader to deny the easier path of self-dependence and fully turn to the holy sovereignty of Another. Throughout all Scripture, we see through Jesus an approach to life that is completely opposite of the self-preservation plan that our culture daily preaches. We see Him denying himself and looking to his Father in all things. As these two specific verses urge, Jesus trusted His Father with all his heart, never leaning on his own understanding, but only on the words of God. He acknowledged Him with each step of every path, even the road that led straight to the cross. Even though his path was marked with denial and suffering, it was made a straight one through the glory of the Father.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Because of the work that God completed through Jesus, we can have full confidence in the end goal of these verses above: <i>he will make straight your paths</i>. By the shed blood of Jesus, all things that we face in life have been purchased for our victory. His resurrection power is ours for both the acknowledging and the taking in all our ways. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The path that we travel may not lead straight to prosperity, wealth, or optimal health; but when we lay down our lives and heed the commands in <b>Proverbs 3:5-6</b>, God most assuredly will cause our paths to lead straight to the highest destination possible: Himself.</span></div>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAU0jVr-WdFzXnlDHYu7XYavw5WwvayQgPGUkluVkswuvzVrbzCs0IMHJo9HhWPmvBs25XAFTK8yCLm57FJO465qg1R01iIjjpUjJVlLIi2k1sgL60otL9GaX_gRh75-FzqK5B9_IlZL31/s1600/CarmenSig.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" />Carmen Klapperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04039283891303943692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136867518186134447.post-56147972480523660422013-04-02T08:45:00.001-05:002013-04-02T09:17:13.907-05:00His Common Grace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yesterday I was reading about the <b>doctrine of common grace</b> for a <a href="http://www.porterbrooknetwork.org/">theology class</a> that I've been taking for the past 7 months. The reality of those truths washed over me like a tidal wave of both conviction and worship. Did you know that the only reason we <i>all</i> woke up this morning-- believer and unbeliever-- and are breathing each breath is ONLY by God's grace?<br />
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God's Word tells us that the ONLY thing we deserve is death (<b>Romans 6:23</b>). Each moment we continue living, experiencing thousands of indulgences each day, is because of His astounding grace. A tweet from <a href="http://www.paultripp.com/">Paul Tripp</a> this morning hit this truth further home for me:<br />
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<span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Even pleasure preaches God's grace. Every day we all enjoy a symphony of pleasures we could've never earned the right to enjoy.</i></span></blockquote>
As humans, and especially as Americans, we are bent towards a happiness paradigm that distorts our motives and actions. We are so clouded by our sense of entitlement that we spend most moments of each day mistaken that we deserve all these pleasures and then foolishly covet the ones we don't have.<br />
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<i>Lord, may your abundant and undeserved kindness lead us all to repentance today. Give us eyes to see that all of these blood-bought gifts are pointing to You and your glory. Your grace is truly amazing...</i><br />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAU0jVr-WdFzXnlDHYu7XYavw5WwvayQgPGUkluVkswuvzVrbzCs0IMHJo9HhWPmvBs25XAFTK8yCLm57FJO465qg1R01iIjjpUjJVlLIi2k1sgL60otL9GaX_gRh75-FzqK5B9_IlZL31/s1600/CarmenSig.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" />Carmen Klapperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04039283891303943692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136867518186134447.post-85689912989040823612013-02-15T09:22:00.000-06:002013-02-15T09:22:24.135-06:00Something Great to End WithWhile thinking through and writing out the bits and pieces of my mini <a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2013/02/promises-for-hurting-wives-series.html">Promises for Hurting Wives </a>series, I came across a 3-part series that <b>Paul Tripp</b> had also been sharing this week. Because it is <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">SO GOOD</span> (aka- much better than anything I could attempt), I've decided to share the links to his 3 posts here as a conclusion to my own. I hope you will read every word of what he has written and share them with others women who need encouragement in their marriage.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://paultripp.com/articles/posts/love-in-a-fallen-world">Love... in a Fallen World</a> </span>(part 1)</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">: </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px;"><i>It's not an accident that you're conducting your marriage in this broken world. It's not an accident that you have to deal with the things you do. None of this is fate, chance, or luck. It's all a part of God's redemptive plan.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://paultripp.com/articles/posts/love-for-a-flawed-person">Love... for a Flawed Person</a> </span>(part 2):<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i> <span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px;">You and I just don't get to be married to someone perfect. It seems obvious enough, but many people get married with unrealistic expectations about who they're marrying. Here's the point: you both bring something into your marriage that's destructive to what a marriage needs and must do. That thing is called sin.</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://paultripp.com/articles/posts/love-with-a-faithful-god">Love... with a Faithful God</a> </span>(part 3): <span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Realistic expectations are not about hope without honesty, and they're not about honesty without hope. Realism is found at the intersection of unabashed honesty and uncompromising hope. God's Word and God's grace make both possible in your marriage.</i></span></span><br />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAU0jVr-WdFzXnlDHYu7XYavw5WwvayQgPGUkluVkswuvzVrbzCs0IMHJo9HhWPmvBs25XAFTK8yCLm57FJO465qg1R01iIjjpUjJVlLIi2k1sgL60otL9GaX_gRh75-FzqK5B9_IlZL31/s1600/CarmenSig.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" />Carmen Klapperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04039283891303943692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136867518186134447.post-29822244477878612752013-02-14T08:34:00.000-06:002013-02-14T08:41:24.584-06:00Promises for Hurting Wives- Love<h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />he will exult over you with loud singing.<br />Zephaniah 3:17</span></h3>
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Holy God,<br />
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My prayers go out to hurting women today... Women whose <b>Valentine's Day </b>will be marked with tears and pain. I ask you to quiet them by your love. May your message overshadow every lie that they'll be fed today by the media. May they hear you singing loud, love songs to their hearts. Help them hear and believe your promises of <a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2013/02/promises-for-hurting-wives-joy.html">joy</a> and <a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2013/02/promises-for-hurting-wives-hope.html">hope</a>.<br />
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Help all of us today to view our relationships through the price of a suffering Savior on the cross, not the price tags of fleeting, material gifts. The greatest of all that remains is love-- YOUR love. Give us the courage and desire to love others the way you did. To love sacrificially, in spite of how we feel. Help us put US to death and truly love others today.<br />
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Thank You for being forever faithful to your promises. Thank You for hearing this prayer.<br />
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<span style="font-style: italic; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Read the introduction to this series </span><a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2013/02/promises-for-hurting-wives-series.html" style="font-style: italic; text-align: -webkit-auto;">HERE.</a></div>
Carmen Klapperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04039283891303943692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136867518186134447.post-63659864743688577422013-02-12T19:55:00.000-06:002013-02-15T09:04:36.463-06:00Promises for Hurting Wives- Hope<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Lamentations 3:21-24</h3>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: small;">But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the midst of our pain and brokenness, it seems easiest to dwell on our failures. To wallow in our regret. To sink down into the pits of depression for fairytale dreams gone wrong. "But..." we don't have to stay there. "But..." there is a powerful antidote to our defeated thoughts. "But <u>this</u> I call to mind, and therefore I have hope..." What is the <i>this </i>that offers such hope?</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: small;">The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;</span></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">God, in his Son Jesus, is our perfect mate. No matter how many times our anger, disappointment, selfishness-- our SIN-- becomes our driving force, His love is always there to take over the reins of our heart. We can never reach the limits of his love and mercy, because...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: small;">They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He is faithful. Jesus is our faithful spouse. He is the faithful spouse for which we always hoped. He is the forever faithful spouse we could never be. Each morning he imparts his grace for us to awake again to overflowing love, mercy, and faithfulness.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFd7lIFjXwmQzBbeUMbuElmXrB1CKO18bGkZhpdKsUMY5e7UMgDRnkXB-ab5IWRYtdF_9ITxpG8QhKCfRY2d8BIfu6EVQZlNDa029Gs-Th0PGc5Xge4ijfxKDrvMWcj3Ywti-lSjIGhz9/s1600/hope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFd7lIFjXwmQzBbeUMbuElmXrB1CKO18bGkZhpdKsUMY5e7UMgDRnkXB-ab5IWRYtdF_9ITxpG8QhKCfRY2d8BIfu6EVQZlNDa029Gs-Th0PGc5Xge4ijfxKDrvMWcj3Ywti-lSjIGhz9/s400/hope.jpg" width="262" /></a><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Lord is my portion, says my soul, </span><span style="font-size: small;">therefore I will hope in him.</span></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just as the writer of Lamentations proclaims, God is the aim of our hope. He offers all of Himself for us to gain our love, joy, and identity. He is our soul's unending, satiating portion from which we can drain endlessly. We will never reach the end of our Heavenly Father's resources, which gives us hope upon hope. For me and for you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The secret to flourishing in difficult relationships is not to get your strength from those relationships, but from God. Hope in God. Look to God for the love and security and the joy that you long for. Then you will be able to have strength for others... </i>~John Piper</span></div>
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<i style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Read the introduction to this series <a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2013/02/promises-for-hurting-wives-series.html">HERE.</a></span></i><br />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAU0jVr-WdFzXnlDHYu7XYavw5WwvayQgPGUkluVkswuvzVrbzCs0IMHJo9HhWPmvBs25XAFTK8yCLm57FJO465qg1R01iIjjpUjJVlLIi2k1sgL60otL9GaX_gRh75-FzqK5B9_IlZL31/s1600/CarmenSig.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" />Carmen Klapperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04039283891303943692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136867518186134447.post-87269555354441279142013-02-11T19:47:00.002-06:002013-02-11T21:49:01.124-06:00Promises for Hurting Wives- Joy<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Read the introduction to this series <a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2013/02/promises-for-hurting-wives-series.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When looking back down former roads of marital pain, what stands out the most to me is a chronic condition of disappointment. In my mind, my husband was always dropping the ball and consistently falling short of my self-enthralled kingdom. Sure, I prayed for change to come... but just for him. Not me. I had my life together. It was too bad that no one else around me was as self-sufficient and capable as I was. <span style="font-size: x-small;">**insert eye roll**</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now with a regenerated view, my eyes can look past those days of struggle which I foolishly thought were birthed by a premature decision to marry. That entangling thread of disappointment and bitterness had been weaving itself through every life event that had already occurred. I wasn't being unfairly denied the treasures of marital bliss that both television and movie screens had promised throughout my life. This religious do-gooder was missing THE Treasure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you are a married (or single) woman who is carrying an unbearable load of disappointment, there's incredible, life-altering news for you today. There is a true and perfect Soul Mate for whom your heart is longing. His presence offers real joy and delight in unquenchable amounts. There is indescribable freedom in redirecting our selfish desires and fallen expectations from our husbands to the One who can absorb them-- who has already absorbed them-- for all eternity. </span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">You make known to me the path of life; </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">In your presence there is fullness of joy; </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">At your right hand are pleasures forevermore.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Psalms 16:11</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the verse above, let the eyes of your heart focus onto what God promises... Fullness of Joy. Unending Pleasure. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Where are these things found? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In a trouble-free marriage? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In a perfect physical appearance? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In an exciting social life? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The answer is found in the very first word of the verse: <b>You</b>. He offers Himself. These things are found fully in Him. This is where our weary hearts find rest... in the arms of the One who created our hearts. Preach this verse of promise to your heart. Speak this truth aloud to your soul. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not only does hearing and believing God's promises like this one miraculously bring voracious joy and hope to the depravity of our hearts, but seeds of hope and healing can sprout forth in your marriage, as well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is</span> <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">hope</span>.<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jesus is our </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">hope</span>.<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He is</span> <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Joy</span>.<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He is</span> <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Joy</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">for you. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He is our</span> <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">pleasure</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">of all pleasures. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Believe Him </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">to be just that</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and he WILL give you a new heart to experience it.</span><br />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAU0jVr-WdFzXnlDHYu7XYavw5WwvayQgPGUkluVkswuvzVrbzCs0IMHJo9HhWPmvBs25XAFTK8yCLm57FJO465qg1R01iIjjpUjJVlLIi2k1sgL60otL9GaX_gRh75-FzqK5B9_IlZL31/s1600/CarmenSig.png" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none;" />Carmen Klapperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04039283891303943692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136867518186134447.post-23502924147281459692013-02-10T15:44:00.000-06:002013-02-15T09:23:12.975-06:00Promises for Hurting Wives- A Series<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, </i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">the Father of mercies </span>and <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">God of all comfort,</span> </i></div>
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<i>who comforts us in ALL our affliction, </i></div>
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<i>so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, </i></div>
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<i>with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">by God</span>.</i></div>
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<i>2 Corinthians 1:3-4</i></div>
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Hi, my name is Carmen. Maybe you know me in "real life," or maybe you've just been a follower of my blog for a while. One major thing I'd like for people to know about me is I have a hard-core passion for wives who are hurting. Admittedly, I've been on both the receiving end of the hurting and I've shamefully gone over and above <a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2012/02/my-story-new-marriage-same-spouse.html" target="_blank">to issue the hurting</a>. Almost two years ago, God took <a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2012/09/a-jesus-girl-without-jesus.html" target="_blank">this angry, religious, hurting woman</a> on a permanent detour from her high (and lonely) road of self-preservation and ran her smack into a Savior. <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">THE Savior</span>. He miraculously <a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2012/04/one-year-and-new-heart-later.html" target="_blank">saved me</a>, then my marriage, and now grants me the grace to share this eternal hope with others.<br />
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It was through this transformation that God planted strong desires in me to love on, cry with, listen to, and pray over hurting women... especially ones who feel stuck in the hell of a strife-stricken marriage. To look in the tear-filled eyes of a wife who feels stuck in a hopeless situation and say with pure confidence, <i>There is HOPE!,</i> is a gift of grace that I can't even begin to explain. To understand that <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">the Father of mercies </span>and <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">God of ALL comfort<b> </b></span>met me and regenerated me through my places of pain and shame so that I can offer the same comfort and mercy to others is beautiful and amazing. <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>Hallelujah!</i></span><br />
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With this being the week of <b>Valentine's Day</b>, my hope is to take the next few days and speak out to hurting wives. Even though our culture and media would tempt us to believe otherwise, this will NOT be a week of romance and bliss for many, many women. Thursday will sting deeply, especially for those who are in the throws of a decaying marriage.<br />
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My posts on those days will more than likely be simple and brief, focusing on verses from Scripture that have been meaningful to me during times of marital pain. Because I don't (or never will) know all the answers to offer, I can boldly offer the hope of the One who does hold all the answers. He not only holds the answers, but He also holds peace, hope, and the truest of love. If you know a woman who could use some words of real hope this week, then please invite her to follow along. Until tomorrow... :-)<br />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAU0jVr-WdFzXnlDHYu7XYavw5WwvayQgPGUkluVkswuvzVrbzCs0IMHJo9HhWPmvBs25XAFTK8yCLm57FJO465qg1R01iIjjpUjJVlLIi2k1sgL60otL9GaX_gRh75-FzqK5B9_IlZL31/s1600/CarmenSig.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" /><br />
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<i>Read about the promise of JOY from Part 1 of this series <a href="http://bit.ly/Z6wiLS" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</i><br />
<i>Read about the promise of HOPE from Part 2 of this series <a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2013/02/promises-for-hurting-wives-hope.html">HERE.</a></i><br />
<i>Read about the promise of LOVE from Part 3 of this series <a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2013/02/promises-for-hurting-wives-love.html">HERE</a>.</i><br />
<i>Read the final post of this series <a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2013/02/something-great-to-end-with.html">HERE</a>.</i></div>
Carmen Klapperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04039283891303943692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136867518186134447.post-85685483350369866072013-01-28T09:03:00.001-06:002013-01-28T09:20:41.300-06:00Remember Your DestinyWell, it's the last few days of January, which means that the majority of <b>New Year's Resolutions</b> that were made for 2013 have probably already been thrown out the window for most. I'm always fascinated to see the surge of do-better chatter that strikes up the first week of each new year. The fact that the same few items top most lists repetitively (ie, lose weight, exercise more, eat healthier, save money) can even be pretty humorous... because, let's face it- these things usually do not change. And I'm not chuckling at everyone else while I'm sitting back proudly admiring my accomplished list of try-agains. Nope. I laugh mostly at myself and the fact that I honestly can't recall a single year that I've actually seen any of my resolutions all the way to completion.<br />
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It's because of this repetitive pattern each new year that I've decided to end my perfect "crash and burn" record. I didn't make a list of things I wanted to change, try, lose, or do-over. This time my approach was much different. There were no specific goals set but there was a simple commitment made to three words:<br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;">Remember </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;">Your Destiny.</span></div>
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One of the definitions that <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/destiny?s=t" target="_blank">dictionary.com </a>gives for the word <b>destiny</b> says this: <i>something that is to happen to a particular person or thing. </i>For followers of Christ, I believe the Bible is very clear about what our "destiny" is... what specifically that "something that is to happen" is. A specific verse that I've chosen to focus on for this phrase is <b>Romans 8:29</b>. It says-<br />
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As one who has been <a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2012/09/a-jesus-girl-without-jesus.html" target="_blank">given a new heart and life by God</a>, I can now clearly see what my destiny is. It's sandwiched right in the very center of that verse above:<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To be conformed to the image of his Son. </span></b></div>
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That's totally it. That's why I'm here this very day. THAT is my destiny.<br />
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Even though I am bombarded by inner and outer voices of all sorts from the time I wake up each morning, pressuring me to remember so many things, this small phrase will be the voice of Truth I will strain to hear: <i>Remember your destiny. </i><br />
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<li><u>When condemning voices attack my <b>physical image</b> in the mirror, I can remember that my goal is "to be conformed to the image of his Son."</u> We females know that there is a never-ending battle that we fight daily to what/whom the world says we should be conformed. We are bombarded by the media's steady messages of who our culture thinks we should look like. Since <a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2012/02/my-story-new-marriage-same-spouse.html" target="_blank">people's approval is a struggle of mine</a>, I have to be on guard against these cultural lies and <span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>remember my destiny </i>moment by moment.</span></li>
<li><u>When the enemy tempts me to focus on my failures in <b>parenting</b>, I can remember that I am being "conformed to the image of his Son," and not to the erroneous image of Super Mom.</u> Instead of being unintentionally caught in the deadly spring of motherhood-comparison traps, I can steady my gaze on God, my Father, who is the only perfect parent. Instead of being defeated by the arguing, bickering, back-talking, and often times smelliness of these little people I've been entrusted with, I can run to the good news of the cross and take them with me, knowing that they need it just as much as I do. As an imperfect mother, I can <span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>remember my destiny</i></span> of being conformed to Perfection himself with much hope.</li>
<li><u>When struggles of various kinds arise in my <b>relationships</b>, I can trust that each challenge is all part of the eternal relationship my Heavenly Father is working out with me...</u> changing me, refining me, sanctifying me, conforming me to the image of his Son, Jesus. In the midst of difficulties in marriage, parenting, or friendships, instead of drawing strength from those relationships, I can <span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>remember my destiny </i></span>and find strength, love, joy, approval, and security in HIM. </li>
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In all of these things, plus so many more, remembering God's eternal purposes can lead us forward in daily victory and rejoicing, not self-focused improvement. Remembering that our destiny actually has everything to do with Him and his glory and not with us at all frees us from the chains of self-pity, discouragement, and disillusionment. Sure, there will be still be resolutions and goals made throughout each year that God grants us. Viewing those efforts through the lenses of eternity-- our destiny-- will not only bring change to how we view the outcomes, but will actually change US for His purposes in the process... <i>to be conformed to the image of His Son</i>.<br />
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Daily remembering with you-<br />
<a href="http://s132.photobucket.com/albums/q22/k8tycoz/?action=view&current=sigcopy-12.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q22/k8tycoz/sigcopy-12.jpg" /></a>Carmen Klapperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04039283891303943692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136867518186134447.post-69068999467986228182013-01-21T14:06:00.000-06:002013-01-21T21:28:43.034-06:00Necessity of Scripture<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today we find ourselves in the midst of a significant period of time. It is an era that has popularly come to be known as the “<b>Information Age</b>.” At the push of a button, click of a computer mouse, or a touch of a device’s screen, we have more information instantly accessible to us than at any other point of history. Hundreds--even thousands--of books are available for any person to gather information, whether true or false, on any given subject. Even for those who deem themselves part of the Christian population, there are multiple publishing companies and retail stores that offer information on any topic or doctrine. As valuable as this wealth of information can be, these instant resources unfortunately have a tendency to lead us into believing that the written Word of God is no longer a vital resource for followers of Christ. In this particular post, I would like to share a few brief points from Scripture itself that I believe prove that not only will Scripture always be necessary, but that excluding it from our personal lives and ministries is eternally dangerous.<br />
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God is constantly communicating and revealing His existence to us through the handiwork of His creation (<b>Psalm 19:1</b>, <b>Romans 1:19-21</b>). Through these means, we as humans can achieve a knowledge of His existence and attributes apart from His written word; but, we cannot rely on these self-revelations alone to show us the way to salvation, nor to sustain us in our spiritual journey. It is at this point where it is necessary for us to hear directly from the wisdom of God by turning to our ultimate source of truth, the Bible. There we can see that there are three crucial reasons why Scripture is necessary for us:<br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large; text-align: center;">1- For knowledge of the gospel </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large; text-align: center;">2- For maintaining spiritual life </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large; text-align: center;">3- For certain knowledge of God’s will.*</span></center>
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• One of the most important reasons why this doctrine of the necessity of Scripture is significant is because <b>we must have God’s word to tell us how to be saved</b>. <b>James 1:18</b> says, “Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth.” This tells us that the church itself is being built through the word of the Lord. The flame of saving faith is born and ignited through the gospel that is only revealed in Scripture. This certainly has a huge impact on us personally, but also for those around us to whom we have been called to minister, teach, and serve. We must fight the urge of our culture to feed our flocks with the empty, highly-processed, self-help grain of our present age. We will always need to hold out the living water of Scripture to witness the miracle of souls being brought from death to life. “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (<b>Romans 10:17</b>).</div>
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• Not only is Scripture necessary for the birth of salvation, <b>we also require it to maintain and persevere in our spiritual lives</b>. From the point of new birth and forward, the body of Christ (His church) is strengthened and maintained by consistently feeding on these holy, living words. In <b>Matthew 4:4</b>, we see Jesus himself teaching us this truth by quoting a passage from Deuteronomy: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” Both as the church and as individual believers, it is necessary for us to continue to receive Scripture through hearing, reading, and studying. If the word of truth has been implanted in us by new birth, then our souls depend on the written word as much as the body depends on oxygen to survive. James was quite blunt concerning this when he stated these particular words in the first chapter of his book: “Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, <i><b>which is able to save your souls</b></i>” (<b>James 1:21</b>, emphasis mine). Scripture isn’t something that we inhale once for regeneration and then go about holding our spiritual “breaths” to endure. As the human body steadily receives and requires oxygen to exist, so is the Bible necessary to our spiritual survival.<br />
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• Even though God grants us general revelations of Himself through creation, <b>it is necessary for us to gain knowledge of Him and His moral will through scripture</b>. In His perfect wisdom, He has willed that the clearest knowledge of him this side of heaven come through His written word, our ultimate source of truth and supreme authority for Christian thinking and living. Because we are born into sin and live in a fallen world, our thinking is fatally distorted and requires the light of truth to transform our perception and understanding of God and how best to obey Him. By looking steadily and intently into His perfect law of liberty, we can gain an increasing knowledge of God and be blessed by pleasing Him through obedience. We are reminded of this when <b>Deuteronomy 29:29 </b>states, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God; but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”<br />
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In order to fulfill our destiny for which we were made, we must embrace and live out the doctrine of the necessity of Scripture each day that we are given. It is His holy, written word--amidst all of the millions of books ever written-- that can truly be...<br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><i>A light to our path</i></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> </span>(<b>Psalms 119:105</b>), </div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Sweet nourishment to our soul</span></i> </span>(<b>Psalms 19:10</b>)<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">,</span> <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">and</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Treasure in which our hearts can delight</i></span> </span>(<b>Psalms 119:72</b>). </div>
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The Information Age may progress us leaps and bounds in finite, futile wisdom; but it is only through the washing of the water of God’s word that our lives are THOROUGHLY and GLORIOUSLY changed!<br />
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By grace and grace alone-<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>*3 points adapted from text in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bible-Doctrine-Essential-Teachings-Christian/dp/0310222338/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1358796837&sr=8-2&keywords=bible+doctrine+wayne+grudem" target="_blank">Bible Doctrine</a> by Wayne Grudem</i></span><br />
<br />Carmen Klapperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04039283891303943692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136867518186134447.post-26678363013036450182013-01-15T10:28:00.000-06:002013-01-21T21:30:32.199-06:00A Gracious Thing<br />
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<i>For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. </i></div>
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1 Peter 2:19-20 </div>
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A lesson that seems to stay on repeat in my life: </div>
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Learning to embrace those circumstances that force me to confront the promises given in God's Word.<br />
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Then by faith, actually believing what He says, </div>
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though everything around me, both seen and unseen, taunts me to self-preservation. </div>
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To then drive the stake of belief completely in by obeying what His truth says. </div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">-->How do we prevail in those moments of pain and confusion against our fallenness that lies to us about an entitlement of comfort and indulgence... and then count it a gracious thing?</span></div>
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It's a miracle of His grace that is spelled out in four quick, pivotal words...</div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">...when, mindful of God...</span></div>
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<i>To set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. </i></div>
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Romans 8:6</div>
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<i>You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. </i></div>
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Isaiah 26:3</div>
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<i>This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.</i></div>
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Psalm 119:50</div>
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A mind intentionally filled with God's <span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">life-creating, </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">faith-sustaining, </span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">incomparably-satisfying</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span>Word,</div>
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and His saving grace to believe it.</div>
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That's how we prevail. That's how we endure sorrows while suffering unjustly. That's how we count it ALL joy. </div>
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<a href="http://s132.photobucket.com/albums/q22/k8tycoz/?action=view&current=sigcopy-12.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q22/k8tycoz/sigcopy-12.jpg" /></a>Carmen Klapperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04039283891303943692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136867518186134447.post-11893511377103891992013-01-13T12:19:00.002-06:002013-01-15T15:34:09.876-06:00Snore No More!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Back when I was a college student, around the age of 20, I had found myself in a cycle of recurring upper respiratory illnesses. Because I was heavily involved in vocal music back in those days, chronic colds and throat infections made singing quite frustrating. I finally reached the end of my sniffling-coughing-sore throat rope and saw a specialist. Very soon after, out-patient surgery was scheduled and my tonsils and adenoids were removed. Thankfully, this procedure- for the most part- ended almost all of my ongoing illnesses and complaints. I was amazed at the huge difference it made in the way I felt day to day once I had healed.</div>
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But what I did NOT expect of that particular surgery was how indescribably painful it would be. OH! MY! GOODNESS! I can still remember the intensity even 14 years later. It was agony, I tell you. And not just for a fews days, either. More like 20. Two and half weeks of hardly any eating, little drinking, sleeping only while sitting straight up in a recliner, and barely any talking. Misery. Of all the surgeries my body has required (including gall bladder removal and 2 c-sections), this was the tip-top of the totem pole of torture. Once I made it through those long weeks, I knew it had been worth it. I'm still certain, years and years later, it was worth what I went through that particular August. </div>
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Because of this particular experience of my young adulthood, I had to think long and hard when this same procedure was recommended for my 5 year old this past fall. She, too, had fallen into a recurrent cycle of ear and throat infections, along with (what seemed like) never-ending antibiotic prescriptions. And the scariest symptom on the list came every night at bed time: the sawing-logs snore. Who knew such a man-sound could be produced by a little girly nose?! Along with the illnesses, snoring, and other concerning symptoms, we were pretty certain she was experiencing sleep apnea episodes, as well.</div>
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So, this past November, our beloved pediatrician finally looked at me and said, "It's time."</div>
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A week later, the referred ENT examined my daughter and then looked at me and said, "It's definitely time."</div>
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After discussing her history and looking at our finances and insurance coverage, my husband and I both agreed, "It's time." </div>
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A short two weeks later, she was on the books for those mean tonsils and adenoids to come out and tubes to be placed in her stuffy ears. I knew it was the right decision. I knew it was exactly what she needed to get out this cycle of infection. But what about that excruciating pain that still haunts me? Could I really bear putting her through that intentionally? I took a big gulp of trust in the counsel of the ENT, which said her experience wouldn't even come close to mine. I still wondered... but refused to worry. We plowed ahead with the surgery plans and, before we knew it, it really was time. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here we are! Bright and early at the surgery center... all checked-in and waiting to be called back.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of group pictures to pass the time... because let's face it- all three of us were somewhat anxious and nervous.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sporting her hospital fashion. Getting ready to drink down the she'll-barely-remember-any-of-this juice.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting to get a little smiley and loopy.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surprise visit from one of our favorite "family" members. :-)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITiUaVEY2Ydf1zorQ_0qtxWni2xk-h3mkEGrUrZ7On9L-2Uh8WTHtfy586fBVTnu9D4n0n9mvXuYTGlBfnFd6cDr4GzBQhJTTHmB7U9sbfTf00pR4pFreW7e8ne6m4Uo1fSKL8xpU8ub3/s1600/IMG_0246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITiUaVEY2Ydf1zorQ_0qtxWni2xk-h3mkEGrUrZ7On9L-2Uh8WTHtfy586fBVTnu9D4n0n9mvXuYTGlBfnFd6cDr4GzBQhJTTHmB7U9sbfTf00pR4pFreW7e8ne6m4Uo1fSKL8xpU8ub3/s400/IMG_0246.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hard to believe, but an hour later the surgery was over and done. Yet, the majority of my questions and fears were still unanswered... "Will she be able to handle the pain?"<br />
"Will I be able to handle seeing in her severe pain?"<br />
"Will she remember this and hate me the rest of my life?"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First stop after leaving the hospital- Sonic for a cream slush. She passed out asleep after the first sip. <br />
(This pic cracks me up!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We made it home and she slept most of the day away. Crawled into my lap to sleep at one point, which hasn't happened in years. I soaked in every second!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTCzMktzcrPlyaQMvv_o8DdU0GkvFGQ_KOyaQm5owRE8C2rqViAjbE836gHucZi4S0quECw1AlNOykNE8NZ-LtPjETw8q_09Jgrrq97cWfPktE-Stg3o0sZcHpXLOOBQmwUHtU0qK5ock/s1600/IMG_0253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTCzMktzcrPlyaQMvv_o8DdU0GkvFGQ_KOyaQm5owRE8C2rqViAjbE836gHucZi4S0quECw1AlNOykNE8NZ-LtPjETw8q_09Jgrrq97cWfPktE-Stg3o0sZcHpXLOOBQmwUHtU0qK5ock/s400/IMG_0253.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Later on that post-surgery night, she decided that she was ready to hop out of bed and enjoy a popsicle. At first I thought she was still loopy and numb from the meds and didn't really know what she was doing. I was all prepared (and secretly hoping) to lay in the bed and watch movies with her for the next week. But no... less than twelve hours after surgery, she crawled out of my bed and pretty much never returned. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her incredibly sweet kindergarten teacher came over for a visit and brought lots of pictures, cards, and posters from her class buddies.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qbTJ1au4uLt3UQ3b8BhfehV2dvyGP7wWWmIxQwyhpmrG4gIXEgqIW6tPaCdK_piDoeOkC9VD3N_j7YVjWWQKam0NVR1uWGwqCgPIoSC7TbtdGLQP7dNJ3bD5SHDkrvg_lkCFc1Q12e-N/s1600/IMG_0261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qbTJ1au4uLt3UQ3b8BhfehV2dvyGP7wWWmIxQwyhpmrG4gIXEgqIW6tPaCdK_piDoeOkC9VD3N_j7YVjWWQKam0NVR1uWGwqCgPIoSC7TbtdGLQP7dNJ3bD5SHDkrvg_lkCFc1Q12e-N/s400/IMG_0261.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And here she is two and a half days later literally climbing the walls because of a raging case of cabin fever. Needless to say, this particular weekend looked N O T H I N G like I had envisioned it would be. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdo4_Sw0sTVeMJ7MZv3QRfpWVKu1fuEcz4EOBEaJEmpFzGL0IBkQJpS4frEkDOjNIs_Ow4BEwlUilQFxd6ecl4ruPl8Vr915jMqxy3uOaqd52cVb3_PLTagSDugXT7RFfUFL_950iDpPV_/s1600/IMG_0266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdo4_Sw0sTVeMJ7MZv3QRfpWVKu1fuEcz4EOBEaJEmpFzGL0IBkQJpS4frEkDOjNIs_Ow4BEwlUilQFxd6ecl4ruPl8Vr915jMqxy3uOaqd52cVb3_PLTagSDugXT7RFfUFL_950iDpPV_/s400/IMG_0266.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day seven... the final road of this brief ENT journey. Not only did she act like nothing really ever happened, but the doctor released her to life as usual- eating, running, jumping, gymnastics, school- everything. Amazing.</td></tr>
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We're now six weeks past surgery day, and my little princess is doing wonderfully. What a huge blessing it was that her experience looked nothing like mine! Not only are her normally-clogged ears clear, but we also got to celebrate the first Christmas break in several years without a trip to the doctor for earaches and congestion. <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Sooooooo incredibly glad</span>. I am so grateful that the surgery was a success and that her recovery went so smoothly... and yes, I admit that I'm also thankful (mostly for her future husband) that her endearing roar of a snore is no more.<br />
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<a href="http://s132.photobucket.com/albums/q22/k8tycoz/?action=view&current=sigcopy-12.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q22/k8tycoz/sigcopy-12.jpg" /></a>Carmen Klapperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04039283891303943692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136867518186134447.post-31201635744710908472012-12-13T11:06:00.001-06:002013-01-21T21:30:45.586-06:00Seek it Like Silver<br />
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<span class="s1"><i>If you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, </i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, </i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. </i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>Proverbs 2:3-5</i></span></div>
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<span class="s1">A simple explanation of the word “theology” goes like this: <i>the word we use to refer to what we know about God.</i> In our culture today, this term is often a topic to be avoided, even among a majority of Christian circles. Unfortunately, it has mainly been seen by many to be only divisive, irrelevant, and confusing. Once we allow for the smoke of contention to clear and then grasp onto a proper, non-complicated definition of what theology actually is, we are then able to discover many reasons why studying theology is vital to our lives, both personally and relationally.</span><br />
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<li class="li3"><span class="s1">One of the most essential reasons for studying theology is <b>to seek a right understanding of who God really is.</b> Our omniscient Father knows us fully and offers Himself to be known in increasing capacity by His children. When we seek to feed our minds with the nourishment of correct teaching, then we are able to lay a pure foundation of truth from which our joy, praise, and adoration can be securely erected. Without a solid frame of a true view of God, an unhealthy-- even eternally risky-- imbalance is constructed that will falter over time. John Piper in his book, “Think,” makes a worthy statement regarding this particular imbalance: “The apex of glorifying God is enjoying him with the heart. But this is an empty emotionalism where that joy is not awakened and sustained by true views of God for who he really is.”</span></li>
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<li class="li3"><span class="s1">Another important reason for studying theology actually goes hand in hand with the previous one. As we build a healthy framework of a sufficient understanding of who God is, <b>we are then better equipped for reading and comprehending the Word He has given us</b>. The primary tool that God has given us to study and learn about Himself is His written word, the Bible. Because He is our ultimate source of truth, then the very words that He has provided us with are our foremost vein to receive true teaching about Himself. When we allow ourselves to go deeper into his revealed truth as we add to our right thinking about him, then we move on from not only knowing <b><i>about</i></b> God, but actually knowing Him, our Creator and Lord. </span></li>
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<li class="li3"><span class="s1">Not only is studying theology healthy for us personally, but <b>it is also crucial for the health of the ministries that we lead</b>. The very last thing we as ministry leaders should be guilty of is unintentionally directing souls down the road to hell via our good intentions and deficient teaching about the Lord. The Bible is very direct about the seriousness of the role of teachers in ministry: “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (James 3:1). God is the holy Author of all truth. Those of us who desire to lead others to Him must fully embrace the expectations that are placed upon us by tirelessly digging, wrestling, and desiring to know God for who He really is.</span></li>
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<li class="li3"><span class="s1">Last, but not least, one of the most provoking reasons to study theology and accordingly teach truth to others is <b>to be a platform for which the Holy Spirit’s work and movement is unleashed and not hindered</b>. One particular example of this position from Scripture is found in Acts 19:1-7. In this situation, Paul encounters a dozen Christians in Ephesus who were being discipled, yet were being taught crucial doctrines incorrectly. Once this was discovered by Paul, he began to teach them the solid truths of the gospel. It wasn’t until this confrontation with truth that the Holy Spirit’s blessing was unleashed upon them. Until this point, God had withheld the pouring out of his Spirit until they had received right teaching about Himself. Those of us who desire to teach others about God must grasp the importance of seeking and discerning factual views of the Lord in order to be a catalyst for the Spirit’s blessing and not a stumbling block. Paul’s specific directions to Timothy were, “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:16). </span></li>
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<span class="s1">As we grow in our knowledge and understanding of God, then we are led even further to worship, which would be the primary goal of studying theology. The deeper we dig for insight and seek for understanding like silver, the more we are able to truly and accurately behold our Maker. We find that each glimpse leaves us craving another and our souls are increasingly satisfied. We then discover the promised “hidden treasure” of theology... the treasure of delighting in Him.</span></div>
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<a href="http://s132.photobucket.com/albums/q22/k8tycoz/?action=view&current=sigcopy-12.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q22/k8tycoz/sigcopy-12.jpg" /></a>Carmen Klapperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04039283891303943692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136867518186134447.post-65298037686139010502012-12-10T23:19:00.001-06:002013-01-21T15:11:35.191-06:00Believing the Much MoreTonight I find myself staring incessantly at our Christmas tree. The session started when our central heating kicked on and air from a vent began to distantly blow towards the tree. The traveling heat made its way over and caused many of the ornaments to sway just slightly. Because I'm a "the more glitter the better" tree decorator, the slight motion from the glittered ornaments caused the tree to begin a brief sparkling show of sorts. I just love a shiny, sparkly, twinkly tree. It made me stop and smile.<br />
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But where my eyes were drawn next made my smile grow even larger. I then found myself simply sitting and staring at all of the gifts laying underneath. Where did all those packages come from? Yes, I know what's in each one because I purchased and wrapped most of them. But really... how is it possible that I'm staring at a tree completely encircled by stacked gifts?<br />
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Before you fear that I may have gotten the real meaning of Christmas all topsy-turvy and have wandered into a sinful focus rooted in materialism, please know that that's not the case at all. You see, if you would've known the journey that has transpired from January 1, 2012, until now, then you'd know why I was staring. If you are one who knows how our year began, then you, too, realize why I'm captivated by those presents sitting in my living room. Because I'm not captivated by what's inside any of them... My <a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2012/09/a-jesus-girl-without-jesus.html" target="_blank">heart has been captured</a> by the Giver and Provider to whom those symbols are pointing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-SNwgXu91pODajaUq7pDR8UZlv5i335JpT5d9hXCWH_RINfoh2GHuVA4JkHncwbOar27G7hiL0nJTjEpAH5qDwINOfekyfhO8Kagqwz1BUOMpMfYace6ko-Yu_zLdJTHgnL-B48BNVQBh/s1600/xmastree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="475" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-SNwgXu91pODajaUq7pDR8UZlv5i335JpT5d9hXCWH_RINfoh2GHuVA4JkHncwbOar27G7hiL0nJTjEpAH5qDwINOfekyfhO8Kagqwz1BUOMpMfYace6ko-Yu_zLdJTHgnL-B48BNVQBh/s640/xmastree.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Each one of those boxes represent so many things tonight. Miracles. Need. Emptying out. Filling up. Provision. Refining. Struggles. Healing. Restoration. I could keep going on and on. But I'll choose to stop with this one: Believing.<br />
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Matthew 7:11 says, "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how <b><i>much more</i></b> will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" This year, 2012, has been about God teaching me what it means to believe in the "much more." And I have to say, those two words have changed my life. No, I'm not referring to much more money, much more happiness, or much more of anything this world claims to offer. But God has shown me the "much more" of Himself. Through every single fiery-intense trial, He has shown Himself to be intensely satisfying. He IS the much more. And more. And more...<br />
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If this day had rolled around and it had not been possible to purchase and lay a single gift under our Christmas tree, I wholeheartedly believe my heart would still be rejoicing. The twinkling lights would still be pointing my heart and affections to the Father of lights. If presents weren't there, I'm fully convinced that His Presence would be.<br />
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But, gosh, how incredibly thankful I am that those beautiful boxes are there! How grateful I am to be rejoicing! Thank you, thank you, Jehovah Jireh! Help me with every day of life on this earth to both ask and believe for much, much more of You. With every sound of ripping paper on Christmas morning, may it rise to Your ears as praise to You and You alone.<br />
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Gratefully Alive~<br />
<a href="http://s132.photobucket.com/albums/q22/k8tycoz/?action=view&current=sigcopy-12.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q22/k8tycoz/sigcopy-12.jpg" /></a>Carmen Klapperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04039283891303943692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136867518186134447.post-24874327831612219832012-09-04T19:20:00.000-05:002013-01-21T21:29:23.860-06:00A Jesus-girl without Jesus.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
About a month ago, I was reading <a href="http://angelarankin.com/2012/07/12/jesus-emerges/" target="_blank">a beautifully written post </a>from a <a href="http://angelarankin.com/about-angela/" target="_blank">fellow blogger</a> in which she made this statement: <i><b>I was a Jesus-girl without Jesus. </b></i>That simple sentence--along with her whole salvation story--pretty much ran over and flattened me in a spiritual-steamroller-kind of way. The reason why her words are so pungent to my soul is because I, too, have been a Jesus-girl without Jesus.</div>
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You see, I was raised in a Bible-belt church, prayed “the sinner’s prayer” and was baptized as a teenager, and did basically everything else that the world expected of a lifelong, Southern Baptist to do. Despite all of that, Jesus was nothing more than a literary figure from the Bible who I knew was supposed to be important to me, but in reality never was. I had simply made the proverbial decision to secure my spot in heaven, yet no transformation internally ever took place. I was an over-churched, cultural “Christian” who thought she needed a lot of things, but salvation was certainly not one of them. </div>
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Though it might have appeared to some that I had it all together on the outside, there were dark and destructive sins winning the war on the inside. The functional god in my life wasn’t actually God Himself, but a deep-seated need for people’s approval. When people were pleased with me--especially those in my Christian circles--I was happy and God was good. But when I was ignored, forgotten, or dismissed, seasons of deep depression and rebellion would settle in.</div>
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This internal conflict grew stronger and my spiritual life became emptier after getting married and starting a family. It only took a matter of weeks after my wedding to see that Mr. Right wouldn’t be able to permanently fill those internal holes and provide those emotional fixes like I had unknowingly expected. Anger, bitterness, disappointment, and regret took residence in my heart early on and began corrupting my marriage. I became a self-righteous, nagging wife who consistently & hurtfully pointed her finger at all of her husband’s issues, yet avoided honesty about her own. After five strifeful years, we were separated, and I continued to believe that I was an innocent victim in our situation. <br />
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Four months later, while scouring scripture for biblical grounds for divorce, something supernatural happened. It was as if thick scales fell from my eyes, and I felt God impress upon me these words, “It’s not him. The problem is You.” The moments that followed seemed like a gigantic tidal wave of awareness and conviction. God opened my eyes wide to see that for as long as I had been pointing fingers at my husband’s addictions and sin, I unknowingly had addiction and sin of my own. He clearly showed me how much I idolized people’s approval and how this issue had been ruling me from as far back as I could remember. This explained why I had made destructive choices as a college student; why as a single adult I was often battling depression; and then why as a wife and mother I was chronically disappointed and unsatisfied. For the first time in my life, I was awakened to the true condition of my own heart. <br />
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After that day, things began to change in my life swiftly. <a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2012/02/my-story-new-marriage-same-spouse.html" target="_blank">My marriage was reconciled</a> and a journey of true healing was set in motion. I stopped looking at my husband to fulfill me and began aiming those deep affections of my soul at Jesus. I had been given a new freedom of sorts to truly love and serve my husband, instead of fixing him. The Bible became alive to me and an insatiable thirst to learn more about it began. The gospel story itself was all of sudden beautiful, glorious, and transforming, no longer boring. What God later revealed to me through His Word was that I had <i>truly</i> been <a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2012/04/one-year-and-new-heart-later.html" target="_blank">born again</a>. He had removed my heart of stone and replaced it with a new heart of flesh. And with that new heart had come new eyes to finally see His beauty, His glory, and His all-sufficiency. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlb6XEBO0W-1j9jC5JpMYx1968d6InnRmb_eXdlStSi-UNBZOOt2GY_syv8CuiZPQk0eWxu8N22xP3l9H3Ocls81JyAC_ldOHt9_RbSDyLBZ-JZNLpenKY05n9fi-ofHSMNU3mslzl3Lx/s1600/baptism.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlb6XEBO0W-1j9jC5JpMYx1968d6InnRmb_eXdlStSi-UNBZOOt2GY_syv8CuiZPQk0eWxu8N22xP3l9H3Ocls81JyAC_ldOHt9_RbSDyLBZ-JZNLpenKY05n9fi-ofHSMNU3mslzl3Lx/s320/baptism.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baptism, May 2012</td></tr>
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Because of this miracle of new birth, I can now say without hesitation that Jesus is the all-satisfying treasure of my heart. I’m living a new life, no longer a captive of the world and its empty promises, but as a willing slave of the Lord Jesus. All the many years before were spent clinging to self-righteousness and approval, never letting go long enough to actually grab hold of the gospel. Little did I know then that the Hero of the Gospel would Himself choose to grab hold of this tired, bored, selfish “Christian” and make everything <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>NEW</i></b></span>.</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>If your Jesus can bless you but can't command you, </i> </blockquote>
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<i>may the real Jesus smash his way into your life.</i></blockquote>
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<a href="http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/rayortlund/about/" target="_blank">~Ray Ortlund</a></blockquote>
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Gratefully alive-<br />
<a href="http://s132.photobucket.com/albums/q22/k8tycoz/?action=view&current=sigcopy-12.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q22/k8tycoz/sigcopy-12.jpg" /></a><br />
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Carmen Klapperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04039283891303943692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136867518186134447.post-11403743046185798592012-07-16T20:40:00.000-05:002013-01-28T09:04:57.236-06:00The Klappers Go CampingWay back at the beginning of January, I made a <a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2012/01/i-hereby-resolve.html" target="_blank">list of several goals</a> for the year that I wanted to make happen. I'm now glad to say, 7 months later, I finally accomplished one of them: <i>Go on a weekend camping trip as a family. </i>Along with my fabulous in-laws, we headed northeast last weekend to a camping area about two hours from home. Here are some snapshots from our five-day adventure...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUieJfLlAD4aUhWw1i5sh9Iw0Nq3-u1K568YPRyde_NCKOgCOW-ClA_i5nG30fyPLM9KS6CQ_nGn0OMlnPOJSkDRX5jtljNDCo66qu2MBK1Gr8S0EvFVuLJ1vdiTmAAoPnVZRrSxB3wg6p/s1600/1IMG_1632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUieJfLlAD4aUhWw1i5sh9Iw0Nq3-u1K568YPRyde_NCKOgCOW-ClA_i5nG30fyPLM9KS6CQ_nGn0OMlnPOJSkDRX5jtljNDCo66qu2MBK1Gr8S0EvFVuLJ1vdiTmAAoPnVZRrSxB3wg6p/s640/1IMG_1632.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">There she is... Kamp Klapper!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEianKdTIzEwd0ZxViHwTMQRJ1pyVfV_aVEpOG1bnoJ6HnUJ0ZlFx31HhYzCPfM8SljCWo0do_DeYqHLiVfrfyLDWLMLzDpIlyQ2Ym5B7xBx9jpN7FvvFKfzrlPntwoa60oGi2fz6ykGT1Ci/s1600/2IMG_1630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEianKdTIzEwd0ZxViHwTMQRJ1pyVfV_aVEpOG1bnoJ6HnUJ0ZlFx31HhYzCPfM8SljCWo0do_DeYqHLiVfrfyLDWLMLzDpIlyQ2Ym5B7xBx9jpN7FvvFKfzrlPntwoa60oGi2fz6ykGT1Ci/s640/2IMG_1630.jpg" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Ya think they're excited?!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3JTip4KMBcCkWySGtNMbI9DyXDYVFyhw_Fj9P3oICkOrQAiHEJ66JqlYFPB6mJp1Ysu7i-z4jLeS4leWqhUiOeZ-DUcnZwrNCsoCUKntCYgb_HN8WHd6NZF0ImeBFCKuHibrudqFqSmqo/s1600/3IMG_1637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3JTip4KMBcCkWySGtNMbI9DyXDYVFyhw_Fj9P3oICkOrQAiHEJ66JqlYFPB6mJp1Ysu7i-z4jLeS4leWqhUiOeZ-DUcnZwrNCsoCUKntCYgb_HN8WHd6NZF0ImeBFCKuHibrudqFqSmqo/s640/3IMG_1637.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Our fancy dinner table.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoK9sMBm8sh-UzFop9-FiFIU1CoDpuh-ErDAI0DK3SLUFovrh_QwdyfGXojtH_ts6FdAUC4dHHwUCoOyXNXJG63akVy5hsTv0jegknJYClHw-MzHpwnDwJvqiKAw2-DAVCHzO0VdfTlcMm/s1600/4IMG_1650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoK9sMBm8sh-UzFop9-FiFIU1CoDpuh-ErDAI0DK3SLUFovrh_QwdyfGXojtH_ts6FdAUC4dHHwUCoOyXNXJG63akVy5hsTv0jegknJYClHw-MzHpwnDwJvqiKAw2-DAVCHzO0VdfTlcMm/s640/4IMG_1650.jpg" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">If there's a tree around, be sure my husband will find a reason to climb it.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMpJzdbP928GzN_r-m0ucr_UuhuYM6SG9TfVpK4jdzrJJUZz1BU6auy-jQoPIFCOU_M4Jq_dWZKroXBgpME-_YWune_iZragJBWyxwx4U7aAqntQxEuFuycR1iNDPdwGVyT6iC7BVpCba/s1600/5IMG_1635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMpJzdbP928GzN_r-m0ucr_UuhuYM6SG9TfVpK4jdzrJJUZz1BU6auy-jQoPIFCOU_M4Jq_dWZKroXBgpME-_YWune_iZragJBWyxwx4U7aAqntQxEuFuycR1iNDPdwGVyT6iC7BVpCba/s640/5IMG_1635.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Having a paramedic in the family is always a plus!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9RfeHJDXSe7Rr2LRzSenuA8pbaIxVbsBMVUMNtIqhhSrKw81NC28P7CFwwPAAQO7JvW0trGuXV3XP55QajAkBT5tjhzEG-3SN8albqBd7KtnRXn_1RikcEF-HTd_z07eonK753wLr-YWq/s1600/6IMG_1651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9RfeHJDXSe7Rr2LRzSenuA8pbaIxVbsBMVUMNtIqhhSrKw81NC28P7CFwwPAAQO7JvW0trGuXV3XP55QajAkBT5tjhzEG-3SN8albqBd7KtnRXn_1RikcEF-HTd_z07eonK753wLr-YWq/s640/6IMG_1651.jpg" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Learning to fish</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZFMZSMcmHoyUCpU299iPSdwOW7hVMaeD5fJiKoKp-pBsc2WLEnLxwscFhzmpul-L-7B-MtnDOmyWpJ5yUuZCxYhGzKc_uhleESyav5RoM9czLdRFl2qlocmuy_I7swicwzv8e9suSH5wU/s1600/7IMG_1652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZFMZSMcmHoyUCpU299iPSdwOW7hVMaeD5fJiKoKp-pBsc2WLEnLxwscFhzmpul-L-7B-MtnDOmyWpJ5yUuZCxYhGzKc_uhleESyav5RoM9czLdRFl2qlocmuy_I7swicwzv8e9suSH5wU/s640/7IMG_1652.jpg" width="476" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTVB_reTQaku1j5MTgSqICd0B3jFqmYf4NKbnK6SwRig9Gr6hbyD9RAywLGHovxzrtCGeQ48OZWpYmadbOA7F4UVxWRR7qbkQLh9X1LGQIxXG_BQPkWfnE9RCU99NaCb2R9z4-E8QPshi3/s1600/8IMG_1657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTVB_reTQaku1j5MTgSqICd0B3jFqmYf4NKbnK6SwRig9Gr6hbyD9RAywLGHovxzrtCGeQ48OZWpYmadbOA7F4UVxWRR7qbkQLh9X1LGQIxXG_BQPkWfnE9RCU99NaCb2R9z4-E8QPshi3/s640/8IMG_1657.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">He caught his first fishy!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpDKLil7pu6QfBu243TaV3DcYbxBCTEnweWy8inTXSPl916aq9clS3wjs7Wncp1AIwdlpB5g-JK1uRz91Vb5vURalJP8RQeyPPHr3jIJ_ygPQxQxphHSDUsUXJLpcIkb79rYk4TK2IkZh/s1600/9IMG_1648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpDKLil7pu6QfBu243TaV3DcYbxBCTEnweWy8inTXSPl916aq9clS3wjs7Wncp1AIwdlpB5g-JK1uRz91Vb5vURalJP8RQeyPPHr3jIJ_ygPQxQxphHSDUsUXJLpcIkb79rYk4TK2IkZh/s640/9IMG_1648.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Checking out the spoils.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vjQ79mswiZC9RfZ9cZw1aqoSloRmyBeQY4kGGLAkA4Wwshl8BdZe-7MOuyTbCWKkHOPVG0CrI0yYIYQL5zP8Sq2jCWx-6FvdQ2cSwumHpeHfar-Ql6kNfifIWGlDk4uHoqw7pxQ6inrX/s1600/10IMG_1646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vjQ79mswiZC9RfZ9cZw1aqoSloRmyBeQY4kGGLAkA4Wwshl8BdZe-7MOuyTbCWKkHOPVG0CrI0yYIYQL5zP8Sq2jCWx-6FvdQ2cSwumHpeHfar-Ql6kNfifIWGlDk4uHoqw7pxQ6inrX/s640/10IMG_1646.jpg" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Our day at "the beach."</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMFvh6CCRXHhbWg70OlQEyDLn-zmrE5pXkx7WPdYvFS9yChbzXRHBqm9FhryMofTjt1Mi7ZaiypVELUPFuFmmsjpVI2iaxbHeupNwbRa3dxnFYhZ6bq8ePGkb6Uy9UuFWN7rTuwSdfIf6_/s1600/11IMG_1643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMFvh6CCRXHhbWg70OlQEyDLn-zmrE5pXkx7WPdYvFS9yChbzXRHBqm9FhryMofTjt1Mi7ZaiypVELUPFuFmmsjpVI2iaxbHeupNwbRa3dxnFYhZ6bq8ePGkb6Uy9UuFWN7rTuwSdfIf6_/s640/11IMG_1643.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">A bald eagle sighting... SO cool!</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2A0XhB8TD_QzgEhMAXOYA2OY7v5Z9ijTN_cLPNbhVGM2i_6p2RVZDxOgpp-nhAcO4CQIgVjc79zXK3npzT4wR0O33-YR3qWq7k2swFzsLT7-h7HKcOBc9pSbw3-HOwudit6lZqqNjus2z/s1600/13IMG_1658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2A0XhB8TD_QzgEhMAXOYA2OY7v5Z9ijTN_cLPNbhVGM2i_6p2RVZDxOgpp-nhAcO4CQIgVjc79zXK3npzT4wR0O33-YR3qWq7k2swFzsLT7-h7HKcOBc9pSbw3-HOwudit6lZqqNjus2z/s640/13IMG_1658.jpg" width="476" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Waiting for their sunset cruise.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Daddy's attempt at a perfectly roasted marshmallow, via cordless screwdriver.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAPen4ZHiWZMgidO7nSAx_usLTOad1BOhSX6u2iAo46GIdsCzF-4eYtRuqIpgMZuynZIO-p9X09h1vWvnveWVjEf9K9oWoSD5r7nsFBch5xNXpEGuI7YdoDVG9_D7CzDewWHvWjXkSFcRL/s1600/16IMG_1655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAPen4ZHiWZMgidO7nSAx_usLTOad1BOhSX6u2iAo46GIdsCzF-4eYtRuqIpgMZuynZIO-p9X09h1vWvnveWVjEf9K9oWoSD5r7nsFBch5xNXpEGuI7YdoDVG9_D7CzDewWHvWjXkSFcRL/s640/16IMG_1655.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Tie-dying t-shirts.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0GGlAUBVN0xEgNrN0h6wDMXizR2wNlzsOP3li2-KYpTV-P6vpfppiDcTVLSlsnLhkgxj3FaK8GzSf4MsPJvWqDJNJBMUU2Xe1lqkh5nK12uYy2zu_10M21ZhB4eDoRpcKiNV9XZOrSGk9/s1600/17IMG_1675.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0GGlAUBVN0xEgNrN0h6wDMXizR2wNlzsOP3li2-KYpTV-P6vpfppiDcTVLSlsnLhkgxj3FaK8GzSf4MsPJvWqDJNJBMUU2Xe1lqkh5nK12uYy2zu_10M21ZhB4eDoRpcKiNV9XZOrSGk9/s640/17IMG_1675.jpg" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Our finished artwork.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhazBJcg1u8NgjXNbdFuOgFK-RCW9VxsMM23NjloD2TmN3JfE0mTdGgXj_o-pqA5hTU3IyuylxrG3Mv0RQsmL96wVT2yiI-K8WfsTA1-dIUfDLKJqYo6SeMCmtRoflqGO20VL8NPzJ_Hcdz/s1600/18IMG_1687.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhazBJcg1u8NgjXNbdFuOgFK-RCW9VxsMM23NjloD2TmN3JfE0mTdGgXj_o-pqA5hTU3IyuylxrG3Mv0RQsmL96wVT2yiI-K8WfsTA1-dIUfDLKJqYo6SeMCmtRoflqGO20VL8NPzJ_Hcdz/s640/18IMG_1687.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Sunset! (No filter added... this was for real!)</span></td></tr>
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A giant <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">THANK YOU </span>goes out to Alec's family for generously making it possible for us to go. We love you all and had a wonderful trip!</div>
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Until next time-</div>
<a href="http://s132.photobucket.com/albums/q22/k8tycoz/?action=view&current=sigcopy-12.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q22/k8tycoz/sigcopy-12.jpg" /></a>Carmen Klapperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04039283891303943692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136867518186134447.post-50370472806535533052012-07-02T19:47:00.000-05:002013-01-28T09:04:17.673-06:00AmnesiaThis Monday has been rocked by some major amnesia. Not the familiar type of amnesia that affects the human memory. Nope. The kind I've been hit with today is of my soul: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">spiritual amnesia</span>.</span> Temporarily forgetting what the Lord has done in my life and the way He has proven Himself time and time again over the past year. Anxiety and worry showed up bright and early today, ready to throw an ugly party in my thought life.<br />
<br />
Recently, I've noticed that many of my severe bouts of spiritual memory loss seem to be triggered by financial hardships more than anything else. And that was the case again this morning. It all began with an early trip to a physical therapy appointment followed by another visit to the orthopaedics clinic. The past 4 weeks I've seen these guys often as I seek treatment for a chronic overuse injury in both of my knees. Even though I've been able to experience some mild relief from the pain that I've dealt with for 8 months, I was advised this morning that surgery would more than likely be recommended if I don't improve significantly in the next 4 weeks. As much as I long to have relief from this awful pain, these are the only things I could see dancing around before my eyes when I heard those words:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $</b></span> </span></div>
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Lots of money. Lots of which we do NOT have. Boy, did the morning take a terrible turn downhill and fast! And that's when the very UN-welcomed amnesia arrived to wreak some havoc on my day. Tears, worry, and full-blown crankiness soon made their appearance, too. <br />
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As the morning passed, I sadly allowed myself to sink deeper into worry and doubt. Thankfully before too long, the Holy Spirit brought a familiar story to my mind about which I often find myself chuckling. The Bible tells us how the disciples walked daily with Jesus during His earthly ministry and saw the miraculous take place over and over. Because they experienced His work first hand, there was no possible way for them ever to forget what Jesus was/is capable of, right?! Well, not really... check it out:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Now they [<i>the disciples</i>] had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he [<i>Jesus</i>] cautioned them, saying, 'Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.' And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, 'Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And [...<i>here's my favorite question...</i>] <b>do you not remember</b>? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?' They said to him, 'Twelve.' 'And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?' And they said to him, 'Seven.' And he said to them, 'Do you not yet understand?'" (Mark 8:14-21 ESV)</span></blockquote>
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I love to try and imagine the look on those guys' faces! And the fact that they, too, struggled with spiritual amnesia--even while face to face with Jehovah Jireh--is quite comforting to me. There they were on a boat WITH the Bread of Life, yet still fretting over not having enough bread to eat. The whole scenario of their forgetfulness is so blatantly obvious and silly to me as I read about it. So, why wasn't my reaction to my own situation this morning one of laughter instead of fear and forgetfulness? Isn't my amnesia just as silly and uncalled for? I believe the answer is yes.<br />
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While my husband has searched for a full-time job since January, God has blown us away over and over by His undeniable provision. While taking time to thumb through my journal this afternoon, a few reminders flew off the pages and smacked me right between the eyes of my heart:<br />
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<ul>
<li>anonymous gift cards/money left in our mailbox </li>
<li>2 tires anonymously purchased by someone for our car</li>
<li>gift cards and money sacrificially given by close friends and family</li>
<li>car loads of groceries from friends </li>
<li>a vehicle given to us by a total stranger (for real!)</li>
</ul>
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The list of material provision over the past 6 months could seriously go on and on. God has been overwhelmingly gracious and has proven consistently to my family that He IS Jehovah Jireh. He continues to show me that He is able and all-sufficient through seemingly impossible situations--both in the material realm and, more importantly, the spiritual realm. Why would I even dare let myself think that His provision would cease now?! His Word and His past faithfulness preaches the exact opposite:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>"For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, 'Fear not, I am the one who helps you.'" (Isaiah 41:13 ESV)</b></i></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>"It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." (Deuteronomy 31:8 ESV)</b></i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>"If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how MUCH MORE will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:11 ESV, emphasis mine) </b></i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19 ESV) </b></i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>"For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:10 ESV) </b></i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>"Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good." (1 Peter 4:19 ESV)</b></i></span></blockquote>
It's through these and other truths from His Word that I/we shut down these spiritually immobilizing attacks of amnesia. After re-reading these promises multiple times and praying to the One who is faithful to them, peace began to wash over me. And as crazy as it may sound, thanksgiving for this current situation began to well up, too. I realized I can be thankful for another opportunity for God to increase my faith and trust in Him. Knowing that every detail of each struggle I face is used for God's glory and to make me more like His Son is a crazy-incredible balm for anxiety from spiritual amnesia.<br />
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Soli Deo gloria~<br />
<a href="http://s132.photobucket.com/albums/q22/k8tycoz/?action=view&current=sigcopy-12.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q22/k8tycoz/sigcopy-12.jpg" /></a>Carmen Klapperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04039283891303943692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136867518186134447.post-91435879346886264932012-06-07T16:56:00.001-05:002012-07-14T15:55:56.990-05:00A Letter From a FriendSix years ago this past January, through the heartbreaking experience of a miscarriage, I met some incredible "virtual" friends who I have grown to love and communicate with often. (Feel free to read more about that journey <a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2010/01/greatest-friends-ive-never-met.html" target="_blank">HERE.</a>) A few days ago I received a message from one of those sweet ladies via Facebook, explaining some recent struggles that she has been experiencing in her marriage and life. Because I have been approached multiple times by women who are wrestling through similar issues, I decided to post (anonymously, of course) her letter to me and my response. My prayer is that God will encourage at least one woman who may breeze over this post and give her hope. As my awesome <a href="http://www.bridgesh.com/" target="_blank">pastor</a> says, "Our marriages don't need to be perfect... They just need the hope of change."<br />
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Her message:</div>
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<i>Just wanted to tell you today how much I appreciate your postings and quotes on Facebook lately. I so need to see evidence that prayer and faith work and can change things right now. (I mean, I *know* that, my very existence shows me that -- for that matter, so does my son's) but somehow knowing something and really, truly believing it with all of your heart are two different things. </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Anyway... I read <a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2012/02/my-story-new-marriage-same-spouse.html" target="_blank">your blog post</a> a while back about how so much in your marriage has changed... and meant to read it more intensively... and write you more about it... and haven't. All I can say is that I can identify with the first part, and have spent the past few months dealing with a lot of the same. I'm at a point where I recognize a lot of things I've messed up in my marriage (but can't quite get to the point of forgiving the things my husband has). And I have felt in the past few months, through A LOT of studies I've been going through at the same time, that God is doing something. That he is showing me more about grace - both giving and receiving it. That he is still trying to convince me to reach out to other people instead of doing everything on my own. And that I need to keep turning to prayer and having faith that he will finish whatever it is that he has started.</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>So I'm asking, if you don't mind, for you to join me in praying for that. That God will give me the ability to talk through issues with my husband without getting angry about everything and ruining the conversation. That He will show me who to talk to here in real life and what to say (and I have a bit of that... but it is so, so hard to carry on non-superficial conversations with kids always underfoot...). That I will focus on what God has done for me instead of what I think he should be doing. Some of those seem rather vague to me, and I hope it doesn't seem weird to hit you with what is (to me, at least) a pretty personal e-mail message when we don't even know each other in real life. I just really appreciate your transparency and being real (and I get the impression that your church is all about that and so I appreciate that too).</i></blockquote>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
My response:</div>
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First of all, I want to say a big "thank you" for writing me about this. Sometimes throwing stuff out there on Facebook seems like a "crapshoot" of sorts and I always wonder if anyone every really reads it. I confess that I am tempted at times to even stop posting stuff that I believe is beneficial because of the fear of being hidden, blocked, etc. Messages like this one from you remind me that my role as a born-again believer is to share the Gospel and its implications in my life in whatever avenues are available... and then trust the Holy Spirit to do the rest. So, again, thank you.<br />
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Secondly, everything that you've described about your relationship with your husband resonates so deeply with my heart. Believe me when I say, I HEAR you. I know the frustration, tears, bitterness, regret, anger, and so many other emotions that I don't even believe are covered in the English language. I wish there was a step 1, 2, and 3 to give you to make all those awful feelings disappear instantly and to make your marriage suddenly perfect. But we both know there's not one.<br />
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In my experience, all I can point to as the source of my marriage's healing is God and God alone. There was a <a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2012/04/one-year-and-new-heart-later.html" target="_blank">moment in time during our separation</a> that God opened my eyes, showed me how awful & self-righteous I was--WAS, not had become, always was--and then gave me a brand new heart to see the all-satisfying treasure of His Son, Jesus. He really became that: ALL-SATISFYING. THE TREASURE of my life. Everything that I had been searching for in my husband (and all other men in my life years before) and requiring him to be was never, ever going to be found in him. I was trying to make him my savior. And I never really knew the difference until I truly, wholly, supernaturally was given the Savior. What a huge difference!<br />
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Now....... do Alec and I still struggle? Ummmm, yes. Quite often. In 1 Peter 5:8, we're warned that our "adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." I know he still targets our marriage and my family, maybe even more than before. I know that this miracle that God performed in my heart and in my marriage makes him furious. But I also know and live from promises like the ones written in Romans 8:31-39, along with many, many others. <br />
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From a practical standpoint, I will tell you that 1 Peter 2:21-3:6 has been my go-to passage when my flesh screams at me to get angry, fight back, let ugly words towards my husband fly out of my mouth, etc. It wasn't until recently that I even realized what the "Likewise" in verse 3:1 was referring to. It is referring to Jesus and the life He lived in our place when He walked this earth. He gave us wives an example/pattern for situations such as these. "...When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but <i><b>continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly</b></i>..." Once those soul-needs are truly entrusted to and gratified by the One who can fully meet them, we are then free to healthily serve and love our husbands as Jesus did those around him.<br />
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My sister, saturate yourself in the truth of His Word and place all of those unmet, heart-heavy emotions into God's all-sufficient lap. He will take them and He will meet them. He is SO good. And He is good FOR you.<br />
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Yes, yes, yes, I will pray for you. Please keep me updated on your journey. I'm always one Facebook message away.<br />
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Love you with the love of the Lord-</div>
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</div>Carmen Klapperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04039283891303943692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136867518186134447.post-33043957079649973782012-04-26T13:55:00.000-05:002013-01-21T21:29:58.423-06:00One year and a NEW heart later...This particular week of my life has been jaw-droppingly significant. So monumental and important, that I’ve had to dust off my laptop and get my fingers typing and sharing on this blog again. Not only do I want to record it for memory's sake, but I believe there are others out there who may in the future identify with me (but probably do not realize it yet).<br />
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Actually, this particular post is a continuation-- well, maybe even a back-tracking of sorts-- from the <a href="http://www.keepingupklapper.com/2012/02/my-story-new-marriage-same-spouse.html">previous entry before this one</a>. There were a few statements in that testimony that I now believe need to be adjusted. Go back with me there for a moment as I quote a few sentences:<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i>Throughout the following months, God did a major, unexpected work in my life... A work so significant that I’ll always remember it as the most altering season in my life next to my salvation.</i></span></blockquote>
Right there! Did you see it? I plainly stated that God did a work in my life that I described as <i><b>major</b></i>, <i><b>unexpected</b></i>, <i><b>significant</b></i>, <i><b>most altering</b></i>... but then used the phrase “next to my salvation.” Now THAT is where everything changes. Because what God Almighty has revealed to me over the last 72 hours, is that that particular work WAS my salvation.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">*Right now, go ahead and picture me running around, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">jumping like a crazy person with tears streaming down my face*</span></div>
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Are you familiar at all with the story of Nicodemus from the Bible (John 3:1-10)? He was a man who had LOTS of religion but also a dead heart. He was able to point to Jesus and acknowledge the supernatural in Him, but had never experienced the supernatural work of God in his own life. How very sad it was that Nicodemus considered knowledge of the law and outward works equivalent to salvation! It’s even more sad for me to acknowledge that I thought the same way as Nicodemus for 30ish years.<br />
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I grew up in the church, learned in the church, prayed “the sinner’s prayer” in the church, was baptized in the church... Basically everything that the world expected of a lifelong, Southern-Baptist-soaked, over-churched “Christian” to do, I did. Unfortunately, the main character of that journey was “I” and not God. My god was me and my heart was stone. Until last year.<br />
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Back to quoting from my previous blog post, look at my description of what God awakened in me:<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i>Plain and simple, the ruler of my life was me. My spiritual walk had become grossly disordered from my efforts to pridefully manage and cope with my own sin, yet blaming and exposing my husband’s sin at every given opportunity. The choicest affections of my heart were soaked in my flesh and not in my Heavenly Father. I learned that He longs for me to find my security, identity, approval, and emotional gratification from Him, knowing His resources will never run dry. My time in the Word gradually changed from trying to search out Biblical grounds for divorce to learning about the fear of the Lord and His opinion of me. Once my true self was fully broken, exposed, and laid on the altar before the Lord, I was in a position for Him to then supernaturally and wholly heal my marriage. </i></span></blockquote>
God gave me a new heart. His Holy Spirit blew in and gave me life. It was HIS work, not my own. Hear this loud and clear:</div>
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<b><i>God saved my marriage by saving ME!!!!</i></b></div>
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The only person I had capacity to love before was myself... And I did an awesome job of it. For once in my life, I didn’t set out on a new behavior modification program or a new commitment to try harder to love the Lord. It took GOD HIMSELF cleansing me from all my filthiness and from all my idols (myself), giving me a NEW heart, and putting a new spirit within me (Ezekiel 36:24-28). There was nothing that I did, said, or committed to. It was the complete work of the Lord.<br />
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So, yes, absolutely this “addition” to my previous post is significant. But why today? A month before my husband and I were separated, I had entered into a new mentor/discipling relationship with an incredibly Godly woman (who I now LOVE dearly and won’t ever be able to thank appropriately). She had encouraged me to start a journal of what God would teach me in the months ahead and so I did. But once things in my marriage were at their worst and separation began, my journaling stopped. I was too numb, confused, and (now I know) spiritually dead. Until 3 months later, God awakened me and I picked up my pen again. Here’s a picture from my journal of that day:<br />
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How awesome and COOL of the Lord to reveal this to me exactly one year after it began! </div>
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I do believe the many years in my life before this illustrate God’s relentless pursuit of me. But I clung tightly to self-righteousness and approval, never really grabbing hold of the Gospel. Little did I know then that the Person of the Gospel would grab hold of this tired, bored, selfish “Christian” and make everything NEW. GLORY!!!<br />
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ALIVE in Christ-<br />
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Carmen Klapperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04039283891303943692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136867518186134447.post-86589435654129298032012-02-22T14:35:00.000-06:002012-08-09T09:06:21.283-05:00My Story: New Marriage, Same Spouse<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Psalm 50:15 says, "And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me." I wrote the following post for <a href="http://www.bridgesh.com/2012/02/new-marriage-same-spouse-my-story/"><b>The Bridge Church's</b> blog</a> this week in hopes of doing just that... glorifying HIM. Because of that reason, I decided to share it here on my personal blog, as well.</i></div>
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"My Story: New Marriage, Same Spouse"</div>
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As many of you know, Josh began a new sermon series this past Sunday entitled, <b>Real Marriage</b>, based on the newly released book by Seattle pastor, <b>Mark Driscoll</b>, and his wife, Grace. To say that the first message of this series was already powerful and convicting would be an understatement. Yes, it certainly was both of those things... but, another word I would personally choose to describe it would be “glorious.” Hearing Pastor Josh proclaim the statement from Genesis 3, “Because of the power of Jesus, the Risen One, there is hope for anyone to have a new marriage with the same spouse” set off deep rejoicing in my soul. It was all I could do to sit silently in my chair and not jump up and shout, “YES! YES, There IS hope!” The reason why I desired in that moment to so boldly and openly claim this is because I recently lived the transformation of which our Pastor spoke. And by the end of that worship gathering, I knew without a doubt that God was compelling me to somehow share my own story with the rest of the church body. <br />
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You see, one year ago this very month, my marriage was rapidly destructing. On February 1, 2011, my husband, Alec, and I were separated, honestly not knowing whether or not we would ever be together again as husband and wife. The reasons of our separation were many and had unfortunately began accumulating from the day we spoke our vows. Anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness had taken residence in my heart early on and were slowly corrupting my relationship with my husband. On the inside, I felt I had it all together and had mistakenly chosen to marry someone who didn’t. On the outside, however, I had become a self-righteous, nagging wife who consistently pointed her finger at all of her husband’s issues, while avoiding honesty about her own.<br />
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I spent the first month of our separation in a fog of numbness, both emotionally and spiritually, just trying to daily survive my new role as a single mother. The reality and seriousness of my situation had not truly set in at that point. I was still headstrong and in waiting for Alec to learn HIS lesson and change for me and our children. My conversations with others would sound something like this: “Look at what he is doing to me and our family! How can he continually hurt us in this way? I am an innocent victim of his terrible choices and there is no other answer but to leave him. He hasn’t changed in 5 years, so there’s no hope of him changing any time soon.” Little did I know that God was about to soon send a giant wrecking ball through the fortified city of sin I had been constructing in my own heart.<br />
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Throughout the following months, God did a major, unexpected work in my life... A work so significant that I’ll always remember it as the most altering season in my life next to my salvation. God began showing me that for as long as I had been pointing fingers at my husband’s addiction and sin, I unknowingly had addiction and sin of my own. Sure, it looked very different, yet it was real and it was surely destructive. God opened wide my eyes to see how much I idolized other people’s opinions and approval of myself. This was more complex than a simple struggle with peer pressure or wanting to fit in. This was a true emotional addiction to what people thought of me. Not stopping there, God then convicted me of the ways I had even cruelly used the issues and broken circumstances in my marriage to receive attention, affirmation, and approval from others around me. In a nutshell, God bluntly but gently showed me, “The problem is YOU.” For the first time in a very long time, I truly saw and faced the condition of my own heart.<br />
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Plain and simple, the ruler of my life was me. My spiritual walk had become grossly disordered from my efforts to pridefully manage and cope with my own sin, yet blaming and exposing my husband’s sin at every given opportunity. The choicest affections of my heart were soaked in my flesh and not in my Heavenly Father. I learned that He longs for me to find my security, identity, approval, and emotional gratification from Him, knowing His resources will never run dry. My time in the Word gradually changed from trying to search out Biblical grounds for divorce to learning about the fear of the Lord and His opinion of me. Once my true self was fully broken, exposed, and laid on the altar before the Lord, I was in a position for Him to then supernaturally and wholly heal my marriage. <br />
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The main instrument that was key to getting me to this new place spiritually I believe was prayer. Yes, Alec and I weekly sought guidance and wisdom from a Godly marriage counselor who walked with us through much turmoil. But the prayers of His children kept us going and holding on. I prayed as much as I could. Some prayers at times were barely made up of much more than “God, please help...” And then when I couldn’t muster up even the simplest words, others were praying. My friends prayed. My House Group prayed. Our church leadership prayed. Many, many people kept on praying. I’m certain God even heard the simplest prayers from my 4 year old whose chosen words for a blessing before meal time were, “God, please help my Mommy and Daddy to become best friends...” God’s people prayed and He moved mightily.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmwR7nytue22hpYl66zsNhRIkRy47dLORIMHTGcMA5AiKrvGRJETxpySBvREXEfivzOzpgLGZlGb7eeqcx5_QNOacuY9uatonMY9zOC-mUO6YjbydF1IaMjSpYKTkaKS_DlsolAhiStbC/s1600/IMG_0320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmwR7nytue22hpYl66zsNhRIkRy47dLORIMHTGcMA5AiKrvGRJETxpySBvREXEfivzOzpgLGZlGb7eeqcx5_QNOacuY9uatonMY9zOC-mUO6YjbydF1IaMjSpYKTkaKS_DlsolAhiStbC/s320/IMG_0320.jpg" width="320" /></a>Now a full year later, my relationship with Alec is stronger than it has ever been. The level of intimacy we have now is new, fresh, and real. I am able to daily view my husband as a gift and not as an enemy. When problems and conflicts develop, I begin with repentance of my own sin instead of shifting blame to his. Even though this current year has my family walking through a season of intense financial adversity, I can confidently and joyfully say that we’re now able to truly love, support, and encourage each other through each difficult day, instead of turning on each other. And most importantly, because I am learning to relate to Alec with genuine humility and respect, my relationship with my Heavenly Bridegroom is much more tangible and satisfying. Because of His dynamic and deep work in my heart, I truly do have a new marriage with the same spouse. <br />
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<i>Thank You, Almighty Father, for giving us REAL hope in our marriages. I pray that there would be at least one husband or wife reading today, whose heart is crying out for a new marriage, who will openly hear and receive Your comfort in these words that You’ve led me to share. Help my brothers and sisters in Christ know that you CAN and DO make beautiful things out of the filthiest dust. To You be every single bit of the glory!</i><br />
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<a href="http://s132.photobucket.com/albums/q22/k8tycoz/?action=view&current=sigcopy-12.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q22/k8tycoz/sigcopy-12.jpg" /></a>Carmen Klapperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04039283891303943692noreply@blogger.com0