Gloria

Sometimes...
our efforts to praise Him fall so far short.

Someday...
we'll see Him face to face and be able to - finally! - express fully the depth of our love.

Meanwhile...
this song helps me to worship.

Prayer to Live By

It's been a good week so far.  Even though we've gone without Internet access and I haven't been able to blog each day, I have been enjoying my times with God.  I've even been successful at getting up early for quiet times every morning this week.  So far.  That would be yesterday and today.  Two days isn't much, but it's a start; and when facing a challenge as difficult as the get-up-early one is for me, it's important to celebrate each victory!  :)

This evening, while sorting through some books to take to the thrift store, I came upon a slip of paper in one that had this inspirational message written on it:

This is the beginning of a new day.  God has given me this day to use as I will.  I can waste it or use it for good.  What I do today is important, because I'm exchanging a day of my life for it.  When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving me in its place something that I have traded for it.  I want it to be gain, not loss; good, not evil; success, not failure; in order that I shall not regret the price I paid for it.
~ author unknown

As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.
~ 1 Peter 4:2

Back on Track

I've gotten off track, derailed this week by Internet connectivity issues, a busy schedule, and a lack of focus.  But rather than bemoan my temporary derailment, I'm ready to put that aside and jump back in.  I'm so grateful for fresh starts and new beginnings, eagerness and hope, and the promise of abundant manna to feed my soul!

Tonight these verses from The Message are ministering to me:
What a God we have!  And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus!  Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven--and the future starts now!
~ 1 Peter 1:3-4

What We So Keenly Long For

Heaven is not here; it's There.  If we were given all we wanted here, our hearts would settle for this world rather than the next.  God is forever luring us up and away from this one, wooing us to Himself and His still invisible Kingdom, where we will certainly find what we so keenly long for.
~ Elisabeth Elliot

But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.
~ Philippians 3:20

Simplicity

Our life is frittered away by detail...simplicity, simplicity, simplicity.
~ Henry David Thoreau


Speaking to the people, he [Jesus] went on, "Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot."


Then he told them this story: "The farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop. He talked to himself: 'What can I do? My barn isn't big enough for this harvest.' Then he said, 'Here's what I'll do: I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll gather in all my grain and goods, and I'll say to myself, Self, you've done well! You've got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!'


"Just then God showed up and said, 'Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods—who gets it?'


"That's what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God."
~ Luke 12:15-21 (The Message)

What Grace Teaches Us

Last evening, we had a wonderfully lively discussion during Bible study here in our home.  We started in Galatians 2, then branched out from there as various people brought up different verses.  One that stood out to me from that discussion--and from an earlier talk around our supper table--was Titus 2:11-12...

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.  It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age.

Today's manna is here at Life on Sylvan Drive.  I'm so grateful, not only for the physical blessing of our house, but the blessing of the spiritual family God is building us into!

Thoughts after Spending Time on FaceBook

I poured out my heart in a lengthy post on Life on Sylvan Drive.

Lamentations 3:22 is especially comforting to me tonight.  Your love, O God, is great!

A Challenge from Keith Green

I grew up with the music of Keith Green being part of the soundtrack of my life.  Even now, his clarion voice continues to challenge me.

The Path of Right

The best things in life are nearest:  Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you.  Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life.

~ Robert Louis Stevenson,

as seen on my thoughtful blogging friend Polly's blog

A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work.  This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?

~ Ecclesiastes 2:24-25

The first time I read this quote, I loved it...but I didn't notice the phrase that is particularly jumping out at me tonight:  "the path of right just before you."  Recently I've noticed how each day is made up of countless moments of deciding whether or not to do what is right.  I want to be quick to follow "the path of right."

Why Didn't I Think of That?

A great parenting insight from a bulletin insert from Grace Covenant Church:


One of the roadblocks to sibling harmony is selfishness.  Children want to be first or best.  Teaching kids to serve others is an important way for them to learn honor.  A servant gives more than half, considers others' needs, and looks for ways to benefit those around him.  Children who learn to be servants make better employees, develop meaningful friendships, and enjoy relationships more.


One fun way to teach children to be servants is the "I Cut, You Pick" rule.  It helps children who both want the last piece of cake, or plan to split a chocolate bar.  It simply goes like this.  When children must divide something between the two of them, ask one child if he would rather cut or pick.  The other task goes to the second child.  This plan motivates the person cutting to be as equal as possible.


Now, instead of two children arguing about who got the biggest piece, they are both involved in the solution.  The "I Cut, You Pick" rule equips children with a tool they can use in many situations to bring peace instead of frustration in relationships.


The technique actually comes from a Bible story of Abraham and Lot.  They had too many herds and not enough food so they decided to divide the land between the two huge families.  Abraham, being a wise servant of God, said, "I'll cut the land into two pieces and you pick which one you'd like."  In the story, Lot chose what appeared to be the better piece but Abraham was rewarded in the end and, most importantly, their relationship was preserved.


~ Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN

* The whole story of Abraham and Lot's conversation is recorded in Genesis 13.

The Morning

Convicting (oh, SO convicting!) quotes from Oswald Chambers that I read on this blog:

* If you have ever prayed in the dawn you will ask yourself why you were so foolish as not to do it always:  it is difficult to get into communion with God in the midst of the hurly-burly of the day.


* It is by no haphazard chance that in every age men have risen early to pray.  The first thing that marks decline in spiritual life is our relationship to the early morning.


* Get into the habit of dealing with God about everything.  Unless in the first waking moment of the day you learn to fling the door wide back and let God in, you will work on a wrong level all day; but swing the door wide open and pray to your Father in secret, and every public thing will be stamped with the presence of God.

In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you 
and wait in expectation.
~ Psalm 5:3

Sanctuary

I really (really, REALLY) like Psalm 63, and today I posted on my other blog about my manna which was one of the wonderful verses from that psalm.

I have "seen" Jesus.

I long to see Him more and more.

Time

Place a high value upon your time; be more careful of not losing it than you would of losing your money.  Do not let worthless recreations, idle talk, unprofitable company, or sleep rob you of your precious time.  Be more careful to escape that person, action, or course of life that would rob you of your time than you would be to escape thieves and robbers.
~ Richard Baxter,
quoted in Home Educating Family magazine

Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
~ Ephesians 5:15-16

What Were Peter's Prayers Like?

Tonight during our fellowship potluck, we were discussing Acts 10-11; and when we read Acts 10:9 (which says, "About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray."), I started thinking about what Peter's prayers might have been like.  Did they consist of the Jewish prayers:  prescribed prayers that were recited in a certain way at a certain time?  Or was he praying to Jesus:  in essence, talking to his best friend who had been killed not so very long before this?  Surely he must have learned a lot about prayer from watching the example of Jesus who prayed often (and long and intensely) while here on earth; maybe Peter's prayers were very similar to the conversations Jesus had with His Father during His years on earth?

I wish I could go back in time and be a fly on the roof of Simon the Tanner's house the day Peter prayed there, just so I could see what his prayers were like.  :)

Seed, Yeast

When we see things we believe need to be changed, most of us are impatient to see them done at once.  The kingdom of God does not operate spectacularly, with a sudden rush of irresistible force, but rather like seed and yeast.  These are small and wholly unimpressive and go to work only when buried.  They need an appropriate medium in which to generate change, but the life-principle is there, latent but powerful, ready to begin the slow and marvelous process of transformation.


Our prayers for change--in people, in situations--are summed up in the old petition, "Thy kingdom come"--but when we ask for that, we are asking for what may seem an excruciatingly drawn-out business.  We will need the patience of the farmer and the baker who, having done the one thing needful, then quietly (and with calm faith) wait for the thing to happen.
~ Elisabeth Elliot,
from A Lamp for My Feet

He told them another parable:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.  Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches."


He told them still another parable:  "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough."
~ Matthew 13:31-33

Under Construction

Obviously, design changes are happening here; and more work needs to be done.  But I don't have time to finish tonight.  Let me just quickly say that today's post on my regular blog includes my manna for today.  Lamentations 3:21-23 has been an encouragement during a day of discouragement.  I thank God that He never runs out of mercy!

Feet Up

God rules the universe with His feet up.
~ James MacDonald,
in a sermon I heard on the radio this past week

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.
~ Isaiah 6:1

Expositional Preaching

From the latest issue of Home Educating Family magazine:

Expositional preaching in a nutshell is defined best by Mark Dever, founder of Nine Marks Ministries:
An expositional sermon is a sermon that takes the main point of a passage of Scripture, makes it the main point of the sermon, and applies it to life today.  In other words, an expositional sermon exposes the meaning of a passage of Scripture and shows its relevance to the lives of one's hearers.  That's it.


Why is it important?  Expositional preaching is important because God's Word is what convicts, converts, builds up, and sanctifies God's people.  Preaching that makes the main point of the text the main point of their sermon makes God's agenda rule the church, not the preacher's...


A sermon about Jesus feeding the five thousand could be used to say, "God will provide for your needs."  But that would not be an expositional sermon, because that's not the primary point of the passage.  Rather, the point of the passage concerns who Jesus is.  "Jesus is someone with the authority of God himself, the authority to create and provide for his people."  One application of this text is that Jesus will provide for his people, but the text is most fundamentally about Jesus and who he is.  Therefore, an expositional sermon on this passage will make the question of who Jesus is its primary point.


Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
~ 2 Timothy 2:15

Results Are God's

Duty is ours; results are God's.
~ John Adams

So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, "We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty."
~ Luke 17:10


So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.
~ 1 Corinthians 3:7

Mixed Up and Muddled

[Feminism] is mixed up with a muddled idea that women are free when they serve their employers but slaves when they help their husbands.
~ G. K. Chesterton,
The Collected Works of G. K. Chesterton, vol. 4, p. 440

The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone.  I will make a helper suitable for him"
~ Genesis 2:18

I Gave You to God

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading Stepping Heavenward and have gleaned so much wisdom from its pages!  I sincerely hope that I have become (and will continue to become) a more loving, patient, peaceful, heaven-focused wife and mother as a result of this book.

Here is one more quote from it before I set this book aside and pick up another one.

Katy is talking to her son about his plans to go to the mission field, despite his father's desire for him to become a doctor:

"Dear Raymond," I went on, "I gave you to God long before you gave yourself to Him.  If He can make you useful in your own or in other lands, I bless His name.  Whether I live to see you a man or not, I hope you will work in the Lord's vineyard wherever He calls.  I never asked anything for you but usefulness in all my prayers for you; never once."

I echo this prayer for my sons.  What Katy says is true:  I gave them to God long before they gave themselves to Him, and my earnest prayer is that each one of them will work faithfully in the Lord's vineyard wherever He calls.

I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him.  So now I give him to the Lord.  For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.

~ 1 Samuel 1:27,28

Small Beginnings

From Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss...

Another Sunday and all at church except my darling Una, who keeps watch over her mother.  These Sundays, when I have had them each alone in turn, have been blessed days to them and to me.  Surely this is some compensation for what they lose in me of health and vigor.  I know the state of each soul, as far as it can be known, and have every reason to believe that my children all love my Savior and are trying to live for Him.  I have learned, at last, not to despise the day of small things, to cherish the tenderest blossom, and to expect my dear ones to be imperfect before they become perfect Christians.


Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.
~ Zechariah 4:10


This verse has been one of my favorites in recent years.  It's such an encouragement at this stage of life!

Parenting and Marriage

From Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss...

People ask me how it happens that my children are all so promptly obedient and so happy.  As if it chanced that some parents have such children or chanced that some have not!  I am afraid it is only too true, as someone has remarked, that "this is the age of obedient parents!"  What then will be the future of their children?  How can they yield to God who have never been taught to yield to human authority?  And how well fitted will they be to rule their own households who have never learned to rule themselves?


Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
~ Ephesians 6:1


...


My married life has been a beautiful one.  It is true that sin and folly and sickness and sorrow have marred its perfection, but it has been adorned by a love that has never faltered.  My faults have never alienated Ernest; his faults, for like other human beings he has them, have never overcome my love to him.  This has been the gift of God in answer to our constant prayer, that whatever other bereavement we might have to suffer, we might never be bereft of this benediction.  It has been the glad secret of a happy marriage, and I wish I could teach it to every human being who enters upon a state that must bring with it the depth of misery or life's most sacred and mysterious joy.


So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
~ Ephesians 5:33

Thoughts about Children

From Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss, some thoughts about children...

Katy remarks about the ease of life without an infant to care for:
...we have had a delightful summer, not one sick day nor one sick night.  With no baby to keep me awake, I sleep straight through, as Raymond says, and wake in the morning refreshed and cheerful.

Mrs. Brown, Katy's hostess in the countryside, tells of a conversation about children that she had with her husband:
"Well," says I, "supposing you had a pack of 'em, what have you got to give 'em?"  "Jest exactly what my father and mother gave me," says he; "two hands to earn their bread with and a welcome you could have heard from Dan to Beersheba."  [I LOVE that last line:  "a welcome you could have heard from Dan to Beersheba."  That's fantastic!]

Katy responds:
"I like to hear that!" I said.  "And I hope many such welcomes will resound in this house.  Suppose money does come in while little goes out; suppose you get possession of the whole farm; what then?  Who will enjoy it with you?  Who will you leave it to when you die?  And in your old age, who will care for you?"
"You seem awful earnest," she [Mrs. Brown] said.
"Yes, I am in earnest.  I want to see little children adorning every home as flowers adorn every meadow and every wayside.  I want to see them welcomed to the homes they enter, to see their parents grow less and less selfish and more and more loving because they have come.  I want to see God's precious gifts accepted, not frowned upon and refused."

Katy writes later:
Home again and full of the thousand cares that follow the summer and precede the winter.  But let mothers and wives fret as they will, they enjoy these labors of love and would feel lost without them.  For what amount of leisure, ease, and comfort would I exchange husband and children and this busy home?


A few months later, she writes this:
It is not always so easy to practice as it is to preach.  I can see in my wisdom forty reasons for having four children and no more.  The comfort of sleeping in peace, of having a little time to read, and to keep on with my music; strength with which to look after Ernest's poor people when they are sick; and, to tell the truth, strength to be bright and fresh and lovable to him--all these little joys have been growing very precious to me, and now I must give them up.  I want to do it cheerfully and without a frown.  But I find I love to have my own way, and that at that very moment I was asking God to appoint my work for me, I was secretly marking it out for myself.  It is mortifying to find my will less in harmony with His than I thought it was and that I want to prescribe to Him how I shall spend the time, and the health, and the strength that are His, not mine.  But I will not rest till this struggle is over, till I can say with a smile, "Not my will!  Not my will!  But Thine!"


The next summer, Katy and her family return to the countryside and stay with the Browns:
We got there this afternoon, bag and baggage.  I had not said a word to Mrs. Brown about the addition to our family circle, knowing she had plenty of room; and as we alighted from the carriage, I snatched my baby from his nurse's arms and ran gaily up the walk with him in mine.  "If this splendid fellow doesn't convert her, nothing will," I said to myself.  At that instant, what should I see but Mrs. Brown, running to meet me with a boy in her arms exactly like Mr. Brown, only not quite six feet long and not yet sunburnt.
"There!" I cried, holding up my little old man.
"There!" she said, holding up hers.
We laughed till we cried; she took my baby and I took hers; after looking at him, I liked mine better than ever; after looking at mine, she was perfectly satisfied with hers.
[This exchange reminds me of the joy I had last summer when not only were we blessed with a beautiful baby boy, but so were our next-door neighbors.  It was delightful to be pregnant at the same time as Wilma, and it's wonderful to now see two yearling boys around:  her Jason and my Shav.]

Sons are a heritage from the Lord,
children a reward from him.


Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are sons born in one's youth.


Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their enemies in the gate.
~ Psalm 127:3-5

Security

Once we have set ourselves to be pilgrims and strangers on the earth, which is what Christians are meant to be, it is incongruous for us to continue to insist upon the sort of security the world tries to guarantee.  Our security lies not in protecting ourselves from suffering, but in putting ourselves fully into the hands of God.  The desire for physical and material security makes us sly and hard.  No.  We must be like little children.  The child in its father's arms is not worried.  It lies quietly at rest because it trusts its father.


We disobey sometimes because we say it is impossible to do what God asks.  Impossible?  Perhaps what we mean is impossible to do that and keep our security, impossible to obey without tremendous cost, or at least tremendous risk.  Where, then, will we find safety?  Is it likely that we will find it elsewhere than in the arms of the Father?


Teach me to rest in your everlasting arms.  Make me know that all other security is illusion.
~ Elisabeth Elliot

The eternal God is your refuge,
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
~ Deut. 33:27a

In God Alone

Today in a sermon on Colossians, I heard a reference to Psalm 62:8, "...pour out your hearts to him."  So, being curious, I turned to Psalms and read all of Psalm 62.  I was immediately gripped by the very first line, "My soul finds rest in God alone;" and although the rest of the psalm is very meaningful, too, I kept coming back to the first verse.  It seems wonderfully fitting for this year of my life.  As we have journeyed from church to church, searching for a congregation in which to settle down and put down roots, striving to hear God's voice clearly as He directs us, but not yet feeling peace about where we are to be, this truth has come alive to me:  My soul finds rest in God alone.  He has proven Himself more than capable of feeding me in the desert; but I, being human, long for more. I long for the human connection of knowing where I belong, of being able to say, "This is my church."  Is this why He's kept us wandering in the wilderness?  Does He long for me to learn this truth more and more?

My soul finds rest in God alone.

He Knows You Knew

Proverbs 24:11-12 - Each time I read these verses, I'm convicted to my core.  Lord, help me to live this out.

NIV -
Rescue those being led away to death;
hold back those staggering toward slaughter.
If you say, "But we knew nothing about this,"
does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who guards your life know it?
Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?


NKJV -
Deliver those who are drawn toward death,
And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.
If you say, "Surely we did not know this,"
Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it?
He who keeps your soul, does He not know it?
And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?


NLT -
Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die;
save them as they stagger to their death.
Don't excuse yourself by saying, "Look, we didn't know."
For God understands all hearts, and he sees you.
He who guards your soul knows you knew.
He will repay all people as their actions deserve.


The Message -
Rescue the perishing;
don't hesitate to step in and help.
If you say, "Hey, that's none of my business,"
will that get you off the hook?
Someone is watching you closely, you know--
Someone not impressed with weak excuses.


CEV -
Don't fail to rescue those who are doomed to die.
Don't say, "I didn't know it!"
God can read your mind.
He watches each of us and knows our thoughts.
And God will pay us back for what we do.

Jerusalem

I've been missing Israel recently, especially Jerusalem.  Psalm 137 comes to mind often:

By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion...


How can we sing the songs of the Lord
while in a foreign land?


If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
may my right hand forget its skill.


May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
if I do not remember you,
if I do not consider Jerusalem
my highest joy...

Christ Alone

Tonight I'm moved by this.

It makes everything else diminish in my mind, as Christ is exalted.

Go Where the Grace Is

I used to think that Jesus could heal anybody at anytime.  Luke 5:17 implies that there were times for healing.  In other words, there were times when grace was available for healing.  Jesus learned obedience to the Father's will by constantly maintaining an open ear to the Father's voice through the Holy Spirit (see Hebrews 5 & 8).


As disciples we must learn the same thing--how to manage the pouring out of His grace; learning to go where the grace is.  If we do not acquire this discernment, we find ourselves striving in limited human energy to serve God.  If we are praying when we should be serving or serving when we should be praying, we do so with minimal favor.  Disciples learn to pursue favor (a "grace" related word).  This process of learning can be frustrating because we often stumble.  Yet we learn valuable lessons when we make mistakes.  Ecclesiastes 3 shows that there are times and seasons for all of the activities of life.
~ John Elliott,
in a recent email devotional

...And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick.
~ Luke 5:17

As They Began to Sing and Praise

Today I've been uplifted by an event that I've read about before but haven't thought about for a very long time.  2 Chronicles 20 tells the story, and the whole passage is just SO GOOD.  In a nutshell, three armies were coming against Judah; and King Jehoshaphat and the people sought the Lord for deliverance.  The role of worship through music was HUGE in this situation.  To quote just a few verses...


Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem FELL DOWN in worship before the Lord.  Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites STOOD UP and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with very loud voice...


After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:
"Give thanks to the Lord,
for his love endures forever."


As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.
~ 2 Chronicles 20:18,19,21,22

Wow!  I'm in awe!  This is fantastically, wonderfully, incredibly phenomenal!  :)

And it changes my view of spiritual warfare.

Credit goes to my beloved husband for bringing this to my attention and to John Piper for his insight on this.

Stuff

While reading Polly's blog recently, I came across this convicting quote. It made me ask myself, "How am I doing in relation to stuff? Am I a slave to it? Am I longing to acquire more? Am I unselfish enough to let it go and bless others? How many books/clothes/toys/dishes/CDs, etc. does a family need anyway? What holds me back from getting rid of things?"

Author Tony Campolo says "The typical size of an American house has increased 40 percent in the last 25 years. It's not because we're having more children; we're having fewer children! We need bigger and bigger houses simply to hold all the stuff we don't need. What's even worse is that we're renting out space in storage bins because we can't contain all the stuff we have in the huge houses we have at our disposal. It has become an insane society as far as surplus is concerned."

-from "Laying it Down: Learning to Live with Less in a Culture of Excess," by Jesse Carey, May-June 2007 edition of Relevant Magazine

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

~ Matthew 6:26

The Unseen Is Eternal

If I had time to regularly read another blog (I don't, since I can't even keep up with the ones I currently have on my Google Reader), I would want to read Ann Voskamp's Holy Experience. As it is now, I occasionally pop in and breathe deeply of the beauty and peace and holiness found there. During one of my random visits to her blog, I read this post and nearly shed tears. I don't even know how to describe how I felt: refreshed, refocused, renewed. But so much more. Words fail me.

His Word speaks.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

~ 2 Cor. 4:18

Well Content to Be Weak

An Elisabeth Elliot devotional,

with my thoughts interjected.

What weakness are you feeling today?...

Too many to describe.

A sense of inadequacy for some task laid upon you?...

Yes, yes, and yes. I always feel inadequate for my roles of wife, mother, homemaker, etc. Especially the mother one. Ani lo maspiqah.

Christ has been there before you. Every form of human limitation He knew, and out of that utter poverty we have been made strong. Yet, again and again, in the life of each disciple, comes the experience of weakness in order that we may live His life for others...

Again and again? Does it have to be that way? I'd like to just conquer this obstacle and be done with it once and for all and never be weak again!

This sharing of His weakness is one aspect of the death of the cross, one of the conditions of our discipleship, and hence cause for joy rather than bitterness...

I'd rather think about other aspects of the death of the cross--like the reward waiting us in heaven because of Christ's blood shed for us. But OK, I'll try to be joyful about the frailty of my human condition and not be bitter.

For we walk the road, not alone, but with Christ, "well content to be weak at any time if only you are strong" (2 Cor. 13:9 NEB)...

Thank You, Jesus, that You walk with me on this demanding journey.

The mystery is constantly being worked out--strength out of weakness, life out of death.

Lord, may any success I have along the way, any strength that flows from me, any joy that is evident to the world--may it be obvious that it comes from You, and not from my own self.

Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God's power we will live with him to serve you.

~ 2 Corinthians 13:4b

I Have Made Prayer Too Much of a Luxury

From Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss...

A conversation between Katy and her husband Ernest:

Ernest begins...

"Instead of fancying that our ordinary daily work was one thing and our religion quite another thing, we should transmute our drudgery into acts of worship. Instead of going to prayer meetings to get into a 'good frame,' we should live in a good frame from morning till night, from night till morning; and prayer and praise would be only another form for expressing the love and faith and obedience we had been exercising amid the pressure of business."

"I only wish I had understood this years ago," I said. "I have made prayer too much of a luxury and have often inwardly chafed and fretted when the care of my children, at times, made it utterly impossible to leave them for private devotion--when they have been sick, for instance, or in other like emergencies. I reasoned this way: 'Here is a special demand on my patience, and I am naturally impatient. I must have time to go away and entreat the Lord to equip me for this conflict.' But I see now that the simple act of cheerful acceptance of the duty imposed and the solace and support withdrawn would have united me more fully to Christ than the highest enjoyment of His presence in prayer could."

"Yes, every act of obedience is an act of worship," he said.

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

~ 1 Corinthians 10:31

Overlook an Offense

Something happened a few days ago that I wasn't happy about, and I wanted to come out swinging--verbally, of course. However, I bit my tongue and didn't say a word, motivated by this verse:

A man's wisdom gives him patience;

it is to his glory to overlook an offense.

~ Proverbs 19:11

The funny thing is, after a few hours, I wasn't offended any more. All the heat went out of my blood, my anger was completely gone, I realized full well that the person wasn't trying to offend me or make my life more difficult, and I was SO glad that I had not let my emotions control my mouth, saying words that I would regret later.

It really was a glorious thing to overlook an offense.

I Corinthians 13 for Mothers

I posted this on my main blog some months ago; but today I was so glad to read it again, and I thought it would be helpful to post it here as well. The truth contained in this needs to be repeated periodically so that it will really sink into my head and heart.

I Corinthians 13 for Mothers

adapted by Jim Fowler

If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place,

but have not love,

I am a housekeeper, not a homemaker.

If I have time for waxing, polishing, and decorative achievements,

but have not love,

my children learn cleanliness, not godliness.

If I scream at my children for every infraction,

and fault them for every mess they make,

but have not love,

my children become people-pleasers, not obedient children.

Love leaves the dust in search of a child's laugh.

Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on a newly cleaned window.

Love wipes away the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk.

Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys.

Love accepts the fact that I am the ever-present "mommy,"

the taxi-driver to every childhood event,

the counselor when my children fail or are hurt.

Love crawls with the baby, walks with the toddler, and runs with the child,

then stands aside to let the youth walk into adulthood.

Before I became a mother, I took glory in my house of perfection.

Now I glory in God's perfection of my child.

All the projections I had for my house and my children

have faded away into insignificance,

and what remain are the memories of my kids.

Now there abide in my home scratches on most of the furniture,

dishes with missing place settings,

and bedroom walls full of stickers, posters, and markings.

But the greatest of all is the Love

that permeates my relationships with my children.

Fear of Death

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil--and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

~ Hebrews 2:14-15

This is one of my favorite verses about death because, once the fear of death is conquered, what else is there to fear? Praise be to Jesus for giving us the victory over fear of death!

The Accuser

One of the names of the enemy is the Accuser. It is his doing, when we have sought God's guidance and been as obedient as we knew how, and then remain in an agony of doubt as to whether God did guide, whether we really did obey. There is no end to the "proofs" the Accuser can present to sow doubt in our minds. "Hath God said?" (Gn. 3:1 AV) was the first seed he sowed in the mind of Eve, and he has had a great deal of practice at that kind of planting ever since.

It is to be expected that every decision made with the desire to be obedient to God will be attacked. Spread your doubts before the Lord. Pray for correction of any wrong in thinking or doing and for his word of assurance as to the action you must take. If there is nothing else required of you at this moment, leave it at that. Trust God. Put the whole weight of your doubts and cares on Him--that will foil the Accuser.

"It is God who pronounces our acquittal...It is Christ who pleads...our cause" (Rom. 8:33,34 EB).

~ Elisabeth Elliot,

from A Lamp for My Feet

Submit

Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

~ Colossians 3:18

This verse has been rolling around in my head, ever since it was mentioned in a sermon I heard this morning. I have much I want to say about it, but I think that will have to wait for another blog post. Until then, it will keep rolling around...

Cheap Grace

Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ.

~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age.

~ Titus 2:11-12

A New Look at an Old Verse

While blog-surfing tonight, I came across a mention of this verse from Psalms:

Teach me to do your will,

for you are my God;

may your good Spirit

lead me on level ground.

~ Psalm 143:10

I can't even remember where I saw it, or I would certainly give credit; but the part that stood out to me is that this woman was asking God to lead her by His Spirit through the ups and downs of life, through hormonal changes (pregnancy and postpartum hormonal changes are hugely significant in my experience), through whatever mood swings came her way. She wanted to be on level ground.

I do, too. It's not that I don't want to ever feel times of intense joy or even times of pain--I know they are all part of the beautiful tapestry of life--but I do want to be controlled by the Spirit, and not my moods. Even in the times when I feel like one minute I'm up and the next I'm down, I still want to have the consistency of being directed by God, not by my crazy emotions.

The Death of His Saints

Today my thoughts have returned again and again to the sudden, completely unexpected death of a woman we knew through church. Driving home from Sewing Circle, with her two young grandchildren in the car, she possibly went into cardiac arrest, causing her to lose control of the car and drive into a barn. Although her grandchildren came through relatively unscathed, she did not.

Now she beholds His face and dwells in glory--a wonderful ending to such a tragedy. But oh, the shock and pain that her family must be feeling.

Her death has been such a sobering reminder for me--and for many others--that our days are numbered, the end is coming, and only God knows when it will be. It could be any day.

Precious in the sight of the Lord

is the death of his saints.

~ Psalm 116:15

The Sun Rises Because...

We assume the sun will always rise. It always has. But it rises because God continues to will it so, not because it must in and of itself. I breathe, not because I am a smoothly functioning breathing machine, but because He who holds my breath in His hand wills me to breathe...

The sun does no choosing. God chooses--every morning so far--to make it rise. Yet the Lord of the universe asks me to choose to follow Him--to participate, as Christ did, in the flowing action which is His will. "Dwell in my love. If you heed my commands, you will dwell in my love, as I have heeded my Father's commands and dwell in His love" (John 15:10 NEB).

~ Elisabeth Elliot

from A Lamp for My Feet

Take Strength

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

~ 2 Timothy 2:1

These strong, simple words can be spiritual adrenaline for us when we need them. They were written by a man who knew what he was talking about, as he himself was in prison. He was writing to a young minister who was also suffering and evidently tempted by doubt, fear, even uncertainty of his call. The older man admonishes him very lovingly to take his share of suffering, take his share of hardship like a good soldier, and to take strength from the grace of God (2 Tim. 2:1 NEB).

Where shall I ever find the strength I need to get through this experience, this ordeal, this day, this week? The answer is Take it! Take it from the grace which is ours already, in Christ Jesus.

"Here it is," He is saying, "Will you have some?"

"Yes, thank You, Lord. I'll take it."

~ Elisabeth Elliot

from A Lamp for My Feet

To the Weary

Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

~ Isaiah 40:28-31

Sometimes I feel like I'm soaring; sometimes I feel like I'm running; and sometimes I feel like I'm walking. Isaiah didn't mention this, but sometimes I feel like I'm crawling along at a snail's pace, and sometimes I feel like I'm motionless, stuck somewhere and unable to make any progress.

How comforting to know that regardless of all of that, God does not grow tired. Instead He gives strength to the weary and power to the weak.

I need some of that!

Anything More than a Bee-sting

The Spirit-filled life is one that always begins with death and always leads to life...The death at Golgotha ends in a sepulcher deserted one Sunday morning by the Master of Life--One Whose Life-grip was far too strong for Death to be anything more than a bee-sting.

~ John Elliott,

in an email devotional sent yesterday

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.

~ Galatians 2:20

Unseen Footprints

Psalm 77:19...

Your path led through the sea,

your way through the mighty waters,

though your footprints were not seen.

~ NIV

Thy way is in the sea,

and thy path in the great waters,

and thy footsteps are not known.

~ KJV

As I strive to follow my beloved Master, even in times like these when I don't seem to see where He's leading me, I'm comforted by the fact that even when His footprints are unseen, they're still there.

He's still here.

We Who Live in Material Bodies

How easily do we who live in material bodies devalue the world of spirit. It occurs to me that although Jesus spent much time on issues such as hypocrisy, legalism, and pride, I know of no television ministries devoted to healing those "spiritual" problems; yet I know of many that center on physical ailments. Just as I begin feeling smug, however, I remember how easily I feel tormented by the slightest bout with physical suffering, and how seldom I feel tormented by sin.

~ Philip Yancey,

from The Jesus I Never Knew

quoted in Grace Notes

Having just endured a touch of physical sickness, I can relate easily to Yancey's last sentence.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven"...

...he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins..."

~ Mark 2:5,8-10

Happiness Is Not Dependent on...

I suppose to those who look on from outside we must appear like a most unhappy family, since we hardly get free from one trouble before another steps in. But I see more and more that happiness is not dependent on health or any other outside prosperity. We are at peace with each other and at peace with God; His dealings with us do not perplex or puzzle us, though we do not pretend to understand them.

~ Stepping Heavenward

by Elizabeth Prentiss

Come, all you who are thirsty,

come to the waters;

and you who have no money,

come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

without money and without cost.

Why spend money on what is not bread,

and your labor on what does not satisfy?

Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,

and your soul will delight in the richest of fare....

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,"

declares the Lord.

"As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts."

~ Isaiah 55:1,2,8,9

If Each Will Do Something

We may not be able to do any great thing; but if each of us will do something, however small it may be, a good deal will be accomplished for God.

~ D. L. Moody,

quoted in The Well-Planned Day homeschool planner

From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

~ Ephesians 4:16

When My Pride Is Attacked

I am constantly praying that my pride may be humbled; and then when it is attacked, I shrink from the pain the blow causes and am angry with the hand that inflicts it.

~ Stepping Heavenward

by Elizabeth Prentiss

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

"God opposes the proud

but gives grace to the humble."

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

~ 1 Peter 5:5-6

This One Horrible Sin

More from Stepping Heavenward:

Katy...

There are no words in any language that mean enough to express the anguish I feel when I speak quick, impatient words to you, the one human being in the universe whom I love with all my heart and soul, and to my darling little children who are almost as dear! I pray and mourn over it day and night. God only knows how I hate myself on account of this one horrible sin!

Ernest...

It is a sin only as you deliberately and willfully fulfill the conditions that lead to such results. Now I am sure if you could once make up your mind in the fear of God never to undertake more work of any sort than you can carry on calmly, quietly, without hurry or flurry, and the instant you find yourself growing nervous and like one out of breath, would stop and take breath, you would find this simple, commonsense rule doing for you what no prayers or tears could ever accomplish.

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

~ Philippians 4:5-7

Every Link that Dropped Away

Recently, in the spare moments that come my way here and there throughout the day, I have really been enjoying reading Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss. So many golden nuggets in it! Like this conversation between Mrs. Campbell and Katy...

Mrs. Campbell says:

"I was bound to my God and Savior before I knew a sorrow, it is true. But it was by a chain of many links; and every link that dropped away brought me to Him till at last, having nothing left, I was shut up to Him and learned fully what I had only learned partially, how soul-satisfying He is."

"You think then," I said while my heart died within me, "that husband and children are obstacles in our way and hinder our getting near to Christ?"

"Oh, no!" she cried. "God never gives us hindrances. On the contrary, He means, in making us wives and mothers, to put us into the very conditions of holy living. But if we abuse His gifts by letting them take His place in our hearts, it is an act of love on His part to take them away or to destroy our pleasure in them. It is delightful," she added after a pause, "to know that there are some generous souls on earth who love their dear ones with all their hearts yet give those hearts unreservedly to Christ. Mine was not one of them."

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple...Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

~ Luke 14:26,27,33

Thirsty

I'm so thirsty.

I long for more of the Lord. I long for deep fellowship and growth. I long for impact. I get tired of being thirsty. I get tired of longing.

I look forward with great anticipation to the fulfillment of this promise:

Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.

~ John 4:14

Something Special in Life

Most of us would like to do something special in life, something to distinguish us. We suppose that we desire it for God's sake, but more likely we are discontent with ordinary life and crave special privileges. When Israel asked if they should offer some spectacular sacrifice--thousands of rams, ten thousand "rivers of oil," a firstborn child--the answer was, "He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8 RSV).

There is nothing conspicuous about those requirements. It is not a "special" service for which one would be likely to be decorated or even particularly remembered. But it is worth more to God than any sacrifice.

Lord, deliver me from the delusion of imagining that my desire is to serve You, when my real desire is the distinction of serving in some way which others admire.

~ Elisabeth Elliot,

from A Lamp for My Feet

What I Learned from My Little Toe

My little toe--the one I injured at the conference last week--still hurts. Tonight over supper, I asked my dad how long he thought it would hurt, and he said, "It could be six weeks." Six weeks?! I don't want to be in pain that long!! I don't have much of a choice, do I?

The spiritual principle this has taught me--one of them, anyway--is what Paul so convincingly describes in 1 Corinthians. He writes:

...The head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable...If one part suffers, every part suffers with it.

~ 1 Corinthians 12:21,22,26

One Must Stop Reading the Bible or...

Those few visits [to the sick and poor] used up the very time I usually spend in drawing. But on the whole I am glad I went with Mother because it has gratified her. Besides, one must either stop reading the Bible altogether or else leave off spending one's whole time in just doing easy, pleasant things one likes to do.

~ from Stepping Heavenward

by Elizabeth Prentiss

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

~ James 1:22

Wounds from a Friend

In a conversation with a friend recently, I was complaining (mildly, I thought) about a situation in my life and was admitting how my natural response is childish--about the level of a two year-old, really. She quickly said, "Oh, don't do that. Don't have that tantrum."

As soon as she said that, my thoughts ran in two directions. First, "she doesn't understand because she doesn't have a similar situation in her life," but second, "she's right, absolutely right."

Despite my agreement with her, yesterday when I had to deal with the situation, I found myself thinking (more than once, truth be told), "But I want to have this tantrum." And although I didn't physically stamp my foot like an independence-exerting toddler, I did on the inside. In those moments, her words echoed in my ears, calling me higher, urging me to grow towards maturity. "Don't have that tantrum!"

And then the voice of Wisdom called:

Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.

~ Proverbs 27:6

I don't think this particular friend will ever read this; but regardless, thank you, friend, for speaking truth into my life. Thank you for wounding me. Thank you for contributing to my growth in the Lord. I know I can trust you, and that means so much to me.

Understanding

A mother understands what a child does not say.

~ anonymous

But it is the spirit in a man,

the breath of the Almighty,

that gives him understanding.

~ Job 32:8

Today I pray to have understanding, the deep insightful understanding that comes from God, as I mother my children.

With Parental Fondness

If there is any one truth I would gladly impress on the mind of a young Christian, it is just this, that God notices the most trivial act, accepts the poorest, most threadbare little service, listens to the coldest, feeblest petition, and gathers up with parental fondness all our fragmentary desires and attempts at good works Oh, if we could only begin to conceive how He loves us, what different creatures we should be!

~ Mrs. Cabot (the minister's wife)

in Stepping Heavenward

by Elizabeth Prentiss

And the King will say, "I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!"

~ Matthew 25:40

An Antidote for Pride

The basis of all sin of whatever kind is pride. This was what inspired the disobedience of Adam and Eve, and it is always with us. One very common form it takes is the pride of privilege. When a man is given a special position, he forgets that it was given. He becomes proud, as though "his own arm" had gotten him the victory.

God knows well the heart and made provision for this sin of pride when He instructed the Israelites about appointing a king. He was to make a copy of the law. This would be the antidote, necessary for him and likewise for all of us (for "law" read "Word").

...The attempt itself to keep the commandments, one by one and day after day, will be sufficient to humble us, for the "straightedge of the law" (Rom. 3:20 JBP) will only show us, as Paul found, how crooked we are. We will find, in fact, that we cannot keep it. "The whole matter is on a different plane--believing instead of achieving" (Rom. 3:27 JBP). Pride won't find much foothold on that plane.

"The real test of being in the presence of God is that you either forget about yourself altogether or see yourself as a small, dirty object. It is better to forget about yourself altogether" (C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity).

~ Elisabeth Elliot

When he [the king] takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the priests, who are Levites. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left.

~ Deuteronomy 17:19-20

They Deliberately Forget

I saw this verse at the Creation Museum today. During this week, I've been amazed again at how many New Testament scriptures refer to the Old Testament, specifically the events of Genesis 1-11.

They deliberately forget that God made the heavens by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.

~ 2 Peter 3:5-7

Yet I Will Rejoice

At the Defending the Faith conference...

One of the things I enjoyed the most about the conference was the music that John Elliott provided for us and led us in. My favorite song was "Yet I Will Rejoice," and I'm looking forward to getting his CD that I ordered in the mail so I can listen to it again and learn it by heart. Here are the verses that inspired his song (and here is a post I had written about them on my other blog):

Though the fig tree does not bud

and there are no grapes on the vines,

though the olive crop fails

and the fields produce no food,

though there are no sheep in the pen

and no cattle in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the Lord,

I will be joyful in God my Savior.

~ Habakkuk 3:17-18

Did God Really Say?

At the Defending the Faith conference...

A verse that has been referred to a number of times during this conference is this one:

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"

~ Genesis 3:1

The Genesis 3 attack has been used ever since. "Did God really say..." that children are a blessing and should be welcomed not killed? that marriage is between one man and one woman? etc.

I think, if the conference could be summed up in one sentence, it would be this: Yes, God really said it; the whole Bible, from beginning to end, is true.

To Be Lived In

At the Defending the Faith conference...

Dr. Jason Lisle read the first verse below during his talk on Astronomy and the Bible. I liked that verse a lot, and then read on to the next one which was also quite good.

For the Lord is God,

and he created the heavens and earth

and put everything in place.

He made the world to be lived in,

not to be a place of empty chaos.

"I am the Lord," he says,

"and there is no other.

I publicly proclaim bold promises.

I do not whisper obscurities

in some dark corner.

I would not have told the people of Israel

to seek me

if I could not be found.

I, the Lord, speak only what is true

and declare only what is right."

~ Isaiah 45:18-19

Every Word of God

At the Defending the Faith conference...

Ken Ham mentioned these verses:

Every word of God proves true.

He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.

Do not add to his words,

or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar.

~ Proverbs 30:5-6

No Delight on Earth

I think I know of no delight on earth that is higher than that of knowing that you really are with all your heart adoringly serving God.

~ from Spurgeon at His Best

by Tom Carter

Whom have I in heaven but you?

And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

~ Psalm 73:25

One's Real Life

The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one's "own," or "real" life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one's real life--the life God is sending one day by day; what one calls one's "real life" is a phantom of one's own imagination. This at least is what I see at moments of insight: but it's hard to remember it all the time.

~ C. S. Lewis

in The Letters of C. S. Lewis to Arthur Greeves

I know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own;

it is not for man to direct his steps.

~ Jeremiah 10:23

Praying for Healing for Luke

I read the following words from Philip Yancey yesterday evening and planned to post them this morning. I never got around to it though; but mid-morning, I learned that a young friend of ours, Luke, was just diagnosed with leukemia. As I grieved at the news, I was reminded of Yancey's words; and they gave me direction and hope.

Dr. Vernon Grounds says that when he hears of someone in need of healing, he prays like this: "God, I know you have your own purposes and undoubtedly have a plan for this person, but I'll tell you straight out what I would like to see happen."

If diagnosed with a serious illness, I would ask directly for physical healing. We are commanded to pray for healing, Jesus decisively demonstrated God's desire for human health and wholeness, and dozens of studies have borne out the effectiveness of prayer in the healing process. Faith works. It aligns body, mind, and spirit, and galvanizes the healing process built into our bodies.

...In prayers for healing, as in all prayers of request, we should honestly present the problem and tell God our heart's desire.

~ Philip Yancey,

in Prayer: Does It Make a Difference?

Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.

~ James 5:14-15

Pray First

From Samaritan Ministries (an organization for which I'm incredibly grateful and thrilled to be a part!)...

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people... This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, Who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth.

~ 1 Timothy 2:1,3-4

In the passage above, Paul makes it clear that prayer is the foundation of ministry...If you are having a fruitful ministry, but not praying very much, you are probably being supported by the prayers of others.

Why is prayer so necessary? Because the work of ministry is so immense...When we pray first, we acknowledge that ministry requires more than we have...

...Prayer is how we express our relationship and reliance on God through the work of Christ.

First of all, pray, then go minister in Christ's Name.

Working for the Lord

I've been thinking about the subject of work recently, and two things in particular have brought today's manna to mind. First, teaching my boys to work (which I write about here), and second, having a conversation with a newlywed couple about who does what chores in the home and how to keep a humble, Godly heart that seeks to bless the other person (even if he didn't do the dishes!).

The manna is...

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

~ Colossians 3:23-24

Today (and probably every day of my life!) I need to be reminded of that.

Left to Himself

Proverbs 29:15 -

A child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. (KJV)

A child left to himself disgraces his mother. (NIV)

~ Do you say, "Just a minute," to a child wanting your attention?

~ Do the minutes run into many more than just one?

~ Do you have a passion for something besides your children? In other words, is there a hobby, work, or other interest that holds you more than your children do?

~ Do you have a quiet child, perhaps one that everyone else speaks for, that you haven't bothered to take aside and get to know? This child is being left to himself.

~ Do your children spend many hours in their rooms, alone, without interaction from you or their father?

~ Is your child being "left to himself" as he spends hours in school or preschool?

* Be the mother your children need. You do not have to "do it all." Neither a spotless home nor a perfect school is required. Focus on the priorities: God first, family next, personal interests last. Put time with God first in your day, then breakfast, then school or child time. After your duties, personal activities come next, or--on some days--not at all. However, a mom who puts "first things first" will usually have extra time for self and interests. Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap (Gal. 6:7).

~ Lorraine Curry,

from Easy Homeschooling Companion

I've heard mention in a few places about the growing "epidemic," so to speak, of mothers who neglect their children because they're wrapped up in the computer: blogging, doing FaceBook, Twittering, etc. These words from Lorraine Curry were a good reminder to me to guard myself in this way. The first two questions she asked were particularly challenging to me because I feel like I'm *always* getting interrupted by someone, and I do have to sometimes answer with a "just a minute." But I know there are too many times when I could pause and give my child the attention he needs at that moment, but I'm simply too selfish to do so. I need to be more vigilant to sow love and attention into my children now--when they're young and want my attention!

Numbers

A few days ago, I rather randomly ran across this short piece about numbers: specifically, the hearts behind counting people in our ministries. When Jeff and I worked in the full-time ministry, this was something we definitely struggled with; but even now, it can be a stumbling block. I particularly like how Mark Batterson identified the real issue behind the problem with numbers. He said, "Numbers tend to produce pride or jealousy." So true. Both of those are things I want to steer clear of and do my best to purify my heart from.

So David gave orders to Joab and the army officers under him, "Canvass all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and get a count of the population. I want to know the number."

But Joab resisted the king: "May your God multiply people by the hundreds right before the eyes of my master the king, but why on earth would you do a thing like this?"

~ 2 Samuel 24:2-3

Gravel

My manna for today is here.

The Cloud on the Tabernacle

I wrote about the context for this manna here, but I want to include the full text of these verses since they have been a blessing to me.

Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out--until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels.

~ Exodus 40:34-38

I long for the day when the presence of the Lord is such a visible manifestation in my eyes!

I Will Never Turn

What is God asking of you? Is it impossible? Do you feel arrows attacking from the left and right? So what! Keep working. Keep walking. Walk straight. Remember when Joan of Arc was asked, "What will you do if no one follows you?" Joan of Arc answered, "I'll never know, because I will never turn to see." God is asking you to walk the line. Keep your head up, focused straight ahead, and see the One who loves to do the impossible for you.

~ Jeanne DeTellis,

in the July 1, 2010, newsletter for New Missions

Anyone who starts plowing and keeps looking back isn't worth a thing to God's kingdom!

~ Luke 9:62 (CEV)

The Father's Song

I first heard this during our church service on Father's Day. I loved it right away and have found the idea, the words, and the melody to be comforting and sustaining since then. Yesterday as I sorted through my kids' junk (otherwise known as toys!), I felt the Father's song swirling over me. As I made macaroni and cheese for my children, I heard the Father's song being passed from me to them. In all the moments of life, that song is there, if I just take a moment to listen.

I wish I could find this song and "All I Want" on playlist.com so I could add them to my playlist for this blog. (And speaking of playlist, don't forget to scroll down and turn off my playlist before you click "play" on this video!) But unfortunately, they're not there--at least, not yet. Regardless, it's here, in my heart, the most important place.

The Lord your God is with you,

he is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you,

he will quiet you with his love,

he will rejoice over you with singing.

~ Zephaniah 3:17

How Do I Treat My Mother-in-Law?

A few days ago, I happened to tune into the radio when a program by Chip Ingram was on. He was speaking on the subject of "House or Home: What's a Child to Do? Part 2"; and during his talk, he gave a strong challenge to adult children about how we treat our parents. In short, even though we are no longer called to obey them, we are called to honor, respect, provide, and care for them. He said a lot of other good stuff, too. :)

My initial response was to feel gratitude, once again, for how close we live to my parents and what a good relationship we have with them. But then I started thinking about Jeff's mom and what a poor job I do of staying in touch with her. I love her dearly and appreciate her very much. When she comes to visit, it's wonderful! But when we're apart (like we are so much of the time), I neglect her dreadfully. The fact that she isn't my biological mother doesn't mean that I shouldn't make the effort to connect with her.

I was SO convicted.

So last night, I did something that I should have done long ago. I got out an actual card, wrote a letter to her, and included two pictures of Shav. I addressed the envelope, put a stamp on it, and took it down to the minivan to take to the post office today. I know that's just a small step, but I hope and pray that it's the beginning of a different way of relating to her.

I want her to know how loved she is and how often we think of her.

I want to respect and honor her.

I want to connect with her.

I want to be the kind of daughter-in-law that I hope to have some day. I haven't been, but I WILL CHANGE.

Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God...If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

~ 1 Timothy 5:3-4,8

Grace - It's Amazing

Grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us more--no amount of spiritual calisthenics and renunciations, no amount of knowledge gained from seminaries and divinity schools, no amount of crusading on behalf of righteous causes. And grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us less--no amount of racism or pride or pornography or adultery or even murder. Grace means that God already loves us as much as an infinite God can possibly love.

~ Philip Yancey,

June 2 in Grace Notes

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

~ 2 Corinthians 13:14

Step One

To be transformed into the image of Christ, I must begin to do the will of the Father in the same place where He began: He emptied Himself. There is for any serious disciple, quite simply, no other starting place. It is a matter of beginning today to say no to yourself--specifically, about something you've been insisting you must have, specifically about something you have been refusing. This is step one.

~ Elisabeth Elliot

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

but made himself nothing...

~ Philippians 2:5-7

Chains, on Independence Day

Today's manna is here.

Training for Maturity

In my other blog, I wrote at length tonight about the training that we're doing with Tobin to help him learn submission and obedience, so naturally the verses that have been on my mind come from Hebrews 12.

I'm most familiar with the NIV, but The Message is refreshing to read for its new way of expressing thoughts. It reads like this in verse 11:

At the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.

"The well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God." That's exactly what I'm shooting for with Tobin, and that's exactly what I'm striving for myself.

Are Good and Do Good

The verse that's been twirling around in my head is Psalm 119:68a.

In the NIV...

You are good, and what you do is good.

In the NKJV...

You are good and do good.

In the NLT...

You are good and do only good.

In The Message...

You are good, and the source of good.

(And the verse continues with this...)

Train me in your goodness.

Yes, Lord, please train me in Your goodness.

If Christ Is Not My Substitute

Jeff received this quote in an email from a dear friend yesterday, and I was so moved by it that I wanted to include it here...

To put it bluntly and plainly, if Christ is not my substitute, I still occupy the place of a condemned sinner. If my sins and my guilt are not transferred to Him, if He did not take them upon Himself, then surely they remain with me. If He did not deal with my sins, I must face their consequences. If my penalty was not borne by Him, it still hangs over me. There is no other possibility. To say that substitution is immoral is to say that redemption is impossible. We must beware of taking up such a disastrous position...

In the process of salvation, God is not transferring penalty from one man (guilty) to another man (innocent). He is bearing it Himself. The absolute oneness between the Father and the Son in the work of atonement must not for a moment be lost sight of. When Christ substitutes for sinful man in His death, that is God Himself bearing the consequences of our sin, God saving man at cost to Himself, not at cost to someone else. In part the atonement is to be understood as a process whereby God absorbs in Himself the consequences of man's sin.

~ Leon Morris

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

~ Ephesians 2:13

The Moat of His Protection

God is our Refuge, our Strength, our Mighty Fortress. Nothing will get by the moat of his protection without his permission. To be afraid of what happens today or what may happen tomorrow is not only an awful waste of energy, it is not only useless, it is disobedient. We are forbidden to fear anything but the Lord Himself...Will power, of course, will not always overcome human emotions. But willed obedience to the One who is in charge, coupled with prayer for his help in vanquishing our natural fears, is something else.

~ Elisabeth Elliot

Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.

~ Philippians 4:6-7 (CEV)

More Wisdom from a Humanist

More words from Ken Ham in The New Answers Book 1...

Huxley made the point that if we are to believe the New Testament doctrines, we must believe the historical account of Genesis as historical truth. Huxley was definitely out to destroy the truth of the biblical record. When people rejected the Bible, he was happy. But when they tried to harmonize evolutionary ideas with the Bible and reinterpret it, he vigorously attacked this position.

More words from Thomas Huxley...

I confess I soon lose my way when I try to follow those who walk delicately among "types" and allegories. A certain passion for clearness forces me to ask, bluntly, whether the writer means to say that Jesus did not believe the stories in question or that he did? When Jesus spoke, as a matter of fact, that "the Flood came and destroyed them all," did he believe that the Deluge really took place, or not? It seems to me that, as the narrative mentions Noah's wife, and his sons' wives, there is good scriptural warranty for the statement that the antediluvians married and were given in marriage: and I should have thought that their eating and drinking might be assumed by the firmest believer in the literal truth of the story. Moreover, I venture to ask what sort of value, as an illustration of God's methods of dealing with sin, has an account of an event that never happened? If no Flood swept the careless people away, how is the warning of more worth than the cry of 'Wolf' when there is no wolf?

No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

~ Matthew 24:36-39

Even a Humanist Sees It Clearly

First, a little history lesson.

Thomas Huxley was a humanist who lived during the time of Darwin and, in fact, became known as "Darwin's bulldog" because he did more to popularize Darwin's ideas than Darwin himself. He wanted to tear down Christianity at every turn; and as theologians of his day compromised the authority of Scripture by adding a belief in millions of years and evolution to the Bible, Huxley used that compromise against them.

In Ken Ham's words...

"What was Huxley's point? He insisted that the theologians had to accept evolution and millions of years, but he pointed out that, to be consistent, they had to give up the Bible totally. Compromise is impossible."

~ Ken Ham,

in The New Answers Book 1

Here is a quote from Huxley himself, written about 113 years ago; and hopefully that background info will help it make more sense...

I am fairly at a loss to comprehend how anyone, for a moment, can doubt that Christian theology must stand or fall with the historical trustworthiness of the Jewish Scriptures. The very conception of the Messiah, or Christ, is inextricably interwoven with Jewish history; the identification of Jesus of Nazareth with that Messiah rests upon the interpretation of the passages of the Hebrew Scriptures which have no evidential value unless they possess the historical character assigned to them. If the covenant with Abraham was not made; if circumcision and sacrifices were not ordained by Jahveh; if the 'ten words' were not written by God's hand on the stone tables; if Abraham is more or less a mythical hero, such as Theseus; the Story of the Deluge a fiction; that of the Fall a legend; and that of the Creation the dream of a seer; if all these definite and detailed narratives of apparently real events have no more value as history than have the stories of the regal period of Rome--what is to be said about the Messianic doctrine, which is so much less clearly enunciated: And what about the authority of the writers of the books of the New Testament, who, on this theory, have not merely accepted flimsy fictions for solid truths, but have built the very foundations of Christian dogma upon legendary quicksands?

~ Thomas Huxley,

in his essay "Lights of the Church and Science"

Your word is truth.

~ John 17:17