Sweet, Sweet Words

February 23, 2011

God is good! He has allowed us more rejoicing again and we have seen Him move in mightier ways than we could have imagined. The details are becoming a bit overwhelming at this point, and coupled with very little sleep, no appetite, and ministering to all who walk through our door we are getting tired. But overall we are rejoicing still! God will take care of those little details and as long as He gives us the strength and the clarity we will press on, we will rest when He gives us that as well.

We were able to take a trip to buy new celebration clothes yesterday. As most of you all know I am so frugal so this was a big part of our rejoicing and celebrating in preparation for tomorrow. The details are coming together, it is like planning a wedding for our son in less than a week. Numerous people have stepped in and blessed us and I have allowed them to.

The details God has given us to handle He has also been faithful to give us the strength to do. We are being diligent to continue to find our strength only in the Lord and hold tightly to His word, prayer, and worship. As a family we are watching out closely for each other, and so far God has allowed us all to be like minded and long for God's glory in all of this; feeling honored to be a part of His work. God lead me to Philippians this morning and it was oh-so sweet.
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3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
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12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.
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Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.
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29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.
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17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
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 1 Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.
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3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more:{enter here anything that I could take confidence in other than the Lord~ my knowledge, my faith, my trust, my strength, my church, my family, etc., etc.,}
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 7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
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 12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
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 17 Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.
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 1 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!
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 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
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 10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
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 20 To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
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 And just a few more of God's whispers to me over the past few days~ This has been granted to me as a gift. It is allright to rejoice over this good work of God forever. I can take Christ as my example when He considered God's plan for salvation~ It would be done through death, and he never got angry or questioned God, but rather submitted and praised Him for His wisdom. God's will be done, not mine. I am free to do the same and trust my heavenly Father in this as well. We can praise God for this, even if we watch others around us struggle with God through it

God's Grace is More Than Sufficient

February 22, 2011

It has amazed me again and again in the last four days how God moves in His children. To allow us to rejoice in the midst of this suffering has baffled many, but the power of God's love has sustained us and caused us to only love Him more and trust his hand more. To be able to walk into the hospital room and see my sons dead body and praise God; to be able to wake up the next morning and still rejoice that my son was in heaven; to quietly and peacefully, and with clarity, decide with Rob how to best honor God's plan for Trent's life at the funeral; to then go sit and discuss with the funeral director how we wanted the celebration planned; to be used as a testimony to what God's word says and proclaim His perfect plan in this and still be smiling. Then this morning as God gave me the words to write my son's obituary and articles for the papers has only caused me to believe all over again that God's grace is sufficient in all things. Praise the Lord! Feel free to share our message where you would like. From all of this we long to have the gospel spread, and the question asked "What if it had been you? Where would you be?" We know where our son is, and are rejoicing in God for it. Please pray intensely for us as we celebrate what God has done with Trent's life on Thursday, February 25, 2011, from the hours of 2:00-11:00 as many will hear the gospel for the first time and will have to see death first hand and the finality of it all. Please continue to keep our family upheld in prayer as well, as it is only by God's grace that we are able to rejoice in all of His good works and long to be used by Him in this.

Our son, Trent, was born on March 10, 1998. God granted us 12 years with this precious boy before He chose to bring him home to heaven through a skiing accident on February 18, 2011.Trent was a child that lived his life fully, with somewhat reckless abandon. He found great joy in hunting, fishing, building, playing football and sliding down mud hills. But overall his joy was found in his King and Savior, Jesus Christ, of whom he would confidently proclaim. Trent will be remembered with many tears of joy for his life lived by his parents Rob and Terri, siblings Alexis, Cole, Grace and Micah, his grandparents Janice, and Duane and Nancy, many aunts, uncles, pancake eating cousins, and friends. He is preceded in death by his grandfather, Donald.It is with great rejoicing that we release our son, Trent, age 12, to our Heavenly Father. Dance before your King my son.

The article for the paper:

Everybody dies, but not everybody lives.

On Friday February 18, 2011, God did the unthinkable in our life~ He chose to take our 12 year old son, Trent, home in a skiing accident. It is only considered the unthinkable because our plans are not Gods plans, and our ways are not Gods ways. Before Trent was born we have entrusted the Lord with his life and have asked Him above all else to bring salvation to our son, to use him in a mighty way for God's glory, and to let him dwell in heaven for eternity. God only answered our prayers last Friday in a mightier way than we could have imagined, and we have been rejoicing in His good works and His mercies ever since.

Trent was a boy who truelly lived. From the very beginning he did what he loved and enjoyed the gifts and skills that God gave him to the full. In his short life he saw much of this world, traveling as far as India, the Bahamas, and Missouri to his favorite destination of Bass Pro Shop for his golden birthday, as well as many camping trips. God instilled a love of hunting and fishing into Trent and a joy of the great outdoors. Since he was little all he wanted was to turn 12 to be able to go hunting. During his 12th year God allowed him to shoot 2 deer. Trent loved to cook, to pick on his siblings Alexis, Cole, Grace and Micah, to protect his mother, to snuggle with his father, to be with his friends, especially his best friends Thomas and Samuel. Everything he was interested in he tried, even carving his own long bow and succeeding in taxidermy. In his short years he truelly lived.

But as we are all destined to, Trent also died. On Friday February 18, 2011, we said goodbye to our son as he left for a skiing trip with his friends, not knowing he would not be coming back home. God says he knows the number of our days, that He has created each one, and that He will do what He pleases. Trent struggled with his own sinfulness before God for most of his life. He knew that he was not right before God, and nothing he could do would ever make up for the sins he committed to make him worthy to enter heaven. In the summer of 2010 God graciously chose to bring salvation to Trent through repentence and the saving grace of Christ Jesus. Trent's life was transformed and we enjoyed the young fruit in his life as we watched God work.

It was with great peace and much rejoicing that we as his family have sent him off before us and accepted Gods perfect plan for Trent's life. Our longing is that God would be glorified in what He has done to wake up many to the realization that we are not guaranteed any number of years in this world. On Friday morning we had our son, on Friday afternoon he was gone. God's standards to enter his kingdom are high, He expects perfection. Trent was not perfect, not even close. God graciously provided His perfect son, Jesus Christ, as an atonement for our sinfulness and requires that we simply believe and acknowledge Him for it. God does the rest.

What we have asked nearly every person we have seen since Friday is "What if it had been you? Where would you be right now?" We diligently raised Trent up to know his sinful state and taught him what the word of God says because we know the implications of denying Christ now, and God was gracious to answer our prayers and to save Him. Scripture says that the gospel will go forth with much sorrow and heartache. Please let Trent's short life be a wake up call to you. We are rejoicing in the sorrow because we know where our son is and that we will one day be with him again for eternity because of our own salvation.

God's mercies are new everyday, and His peace does surpass all understanding. God has been so gracious to us in these few days by blessing us first of all with His peace. The family and friends that have surrounded us and have lifted us up in prayer are amazing and another testimony to God's goodness. It is with great rejoicing that we release our son, Trent, age 12, to our Heavenly Father. Dance before your King my son.

His Mercies are New Everyday

February 21, 2011

Thank you for sharing this walk with us! Know that God's plans and God's grace are greater than ours. We have been rejoicing since Friday for the good work that God has done! We have prayed for over 12 years for Trent to go to heaven one day and to be used by God in a mighty way~ and God has honored that. Who are we to complain when and how?? Trent died in a skiing accident with his youth group in Duluth, MN. In God's sovereignty he went just the way he would have wanted to go, in the woods, instantly. God's mercies have been many and amazing! We are praising him for them! Feel free to share the photo and our message on facebook (I understand it is already on there) or your blog as we are trusting God to use this for salvation for many and long for the real story of God's glory to be known through it. I love you all and will share more soon. Your words of encouragement mean so much to me, and your prayers are felt immensely. Terri

A New Home

February 19, 2011

On Friday February 18th our twelve year old son Trent went home to heaven. God's peace that surpasses all understanding is at this point being poured out on our household and we are rejoicing in His goodness. God granted Trent salvation last summer and we all enjoyed the fruit in his young life. Already we are seeing God move in mighty ways and desire to see Him glorified in it. Dance before your king my son.

17 “See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.

18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy.

19 I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.

20 “Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; the one who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere child; the one who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.

21 They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

22 No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands.

23 They will not labor in vain, nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD, they and their descendants with them.

24 Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.

25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says the LORD.

Freedom

He has come to give us life and life abundantly. We have been set free. Mercy. Love. Hope. Joy. Peace. Life. Salvation. Have you ever had the overwhelming flood of God washing over you? The time when you bask in His goodness, His mercy, and His love. To feel the washing of it. The rising of joy in it. The healing and freedom. The walls come tumbling down and you let them. You know you're not worthy, but He loves you anyway. The shame and the unworthiness have no place. Free to be who He made you in Him. When your hands are raised and there is nothing but God alone. The things you have been trying too hard to keep in check all fade away~ the bitterness, the worries, the cares of this world. It' all for the glory of the King.  When you build walls so high and so thick sometimes you even start to wall God off. I don't want Him walled off. I want everything He promised me. I want Him. I am laying down my trowel and letting God reconstruct the ruins. I will continue to wait patiently as He does His work and will trust Him for it.

God Is So Good!

God is so good! God is so good! He's so good to me! Don't you love it when God meets you in the simple places. Like on the recliner in the early hours of the morning when all the kids and even the dogs are actually still asleep and you can enjoy your coffee and the peace and quiet. Especially the times when we have our own agenda of what God is obviously going to do in our preplanned meeting time with Him and then He sidetracks you to a place in His Word that penetrates your heart to the core and brings tears and repentance and renews yet again your faith and love and awe for this eternal maker. Headed to Romans this morning I found myself in Malachi instead. Over the past year I have been spending alot of time in the Old Testament for some reason and have enjoyed it immensely. Chapter 4 spoke so clearly to so many things that God has been whispering in my ear and I have been very good at ignoring. Today He brought me to my spiritual knees again in the areas of tithing. "Trust me in this" says the Lord. It appears to be so much easier to hold on tight to the lesser pay that has been coming in here over the past year and worldly it makes no sense to be letting it go. The deeper issue tho is my heart. Why don't I trust God with His own money? What is my biggest fear? That He won't be faithful to His very own word? Oh Lord, teach me to let go. "You have said 'It is futile to serve God. What will we gain by carrying out His requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty?'" Is that not what I was just whining about the other Monday morning my friend? How sweet of God to settle this so quickly in my heart. How many times do I count all the little things that nobody even seems to notice as not having any value? The encouragement, the prayers, the steadfastness, the stubborn standing on the word of God, the continuous attitude checks, the continuous training in our home, the diligence of not letting the "world" influence, the continuous battle within myself against flesh and spirit. God reminded me that He notices. He called me His treasured possession. Treasured. Just let that sink in. God's Treasured Possession. He says it makes a difference to Him and that one day He will come and make a distinction between those who are His and those who are not. "But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings."

As I was consumed with what God was telling me this morning this verse made me stop and brought me as close to tears as I ever get. A few years back a lady from our church lost her son in a horrible car accident between two friends playing chicken. For the past 5 years we have watched and prayed as she triumphantly dealt with the tragedy, struggled to trust God in it, continued her witness to her unsaved family, loved and cared for her grandsons that were spared, and longed for her son. Last week she herself was killed in a tragic car accident, leaving behind those family members not trusting in God. Kathy revered Gods name. He himself has brought righteousness with healing in its wings. She now stands before her God. Scripture goes on to say "And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall." Rejoice Kathy and dance like David before your King. He promised He would wipe away all our tears and He has now wiped away yours. As for you, dear friends, how's your heart? Are you right before your creator? Do you know the saving grace of the savior that went to the cross to spare you from God's wrath for your sins? His name is Jesus. And he says you are His treasured possession as well.

Did you know?

Did you know that God loves you?? Really, really loves you like crazy?? It's what He's been reminding me of over and over again lately and I just thought you might need a reminder too. Happy Monday!

These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name...... [I will] acknowledge that I have loved you.
From Revelation 3:7-9

Ponderings

There are so many God things that I have been continuously pondering lately. I have been enjoying reading some of Corrie ten Booms book's and am always encouraged, ashamed, and inspired by them. What a life she led for the Lord! What great trust and peace God gave to her through her trials, allowing her to share that with the world through her experiences. One of the more persistent thoughts that have been rolling around my brain has to do with God's will in our lives and where we are serving Him. One of her comments in her book "Clippings from My Notebook" really struck me last night. "I was the same Corrie ten Boom. But in the concentration camp I was in the place where God had called me, and He was my strength. Here I was not in His will, and without Him I was nothing~ I was stupid, weak, and helpless." I have had experiences of both being empowered and used by God, full of great joy, energy and clear thinking and also times of dullness, suppression, and frustration. Do those times indicate that we are out of God's will in our lives, or that He is purifying us in our sinful nature? Believing that Scripture teaches that God is sovereign over everything I know that no matter what I do, where I go, or what happens is the will of God, but are there certain ways that He directs that we choose to be dull to? And what, then, when if you're the wife and long to honor God through submission? Hmmmm..... what a marvelous God we have to intertwine all these things to somehow still present us as righteous before Him one day.

The other thing I have been pondering a lot is the word of God itself. Primarily the reason that professing Christians are straying from it. Why it is losing it's place and value even in the church, but primarily in the believers life? Psalm 119 was such a sweet reminder to me this morning of God's word and the value God himself puts on it. Why is the word not more highly valued in our lives? Why is it that we think we can twist it? Why is it that we think we have the right to choose how to discern it and what to obey in it? When did we cross over into thinking that somehow we stand above it, rather than humbly coming below it in honor of what God has to say? Why do professing Christians not bother to even read it? I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes. It is time for you to act, O Lord; your law is being broken. Because I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold, and because I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path. Psalm 119:125-128

And I loved this quote from Corrie ten Boom's book "Tramp for the Lord": "When the Bible interferes with man's theology it always causes a strain." And what is it that is so important in the Bible? It is the revealing of a just God, the creator of the universe and all that is in it, who will one day call all of us to account according to His standards. But the story doesn't end there. For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him may not perish but have eternal life. Jesus became the perfect sacrifice to cover the sins that we can never atone for. We were by nature objects of God's wrath, but because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions- it is by grace you are saved, through faith. He has done it all. He promises.

Some Meat to Chew On

My devotional time has brought me to the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament. There are just a few things in there that God has really made stick with me the last few days so I thought I'd share the conviction.

Isaiah 1:17
Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.


Isaiah 2:17 and 20
The arrogance of man will be brought low and the pride of men humbled; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day, and the idols will totally disappear. In that day men will throw away to the rodents and the bats their idols of silver and idols of gold, which they made to worship.


Often times I still get totally wrapped up in this world and the sparkly little trinkets it has to offer. I forget about the eternal kingdom that my Father has prepared for me. This life is just a shadow, scripture says, a foretaste of what is to come. This world is the imperfect world where we do not see clearly. The day is coming when God will make all things right and Jesus will rule. In that day we will throw these treasured items to the rodents and the bats in comparison of what God has in store for His children. It makes me look a whole lot differently at what's really important.


Isaiah 2:22
Stop trusting in man, who has but breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?


How many times is it man (or woman) that we trust in for our happiness and joy? How often do we feel the right to hold a grudge or make ourselves superior to others in order to elevate ourselves? Don't we have the right to be bitter at so-and-so for days, or weeks, or months, or years for what they did or did not do to hurt MY ego? That so-and-so is a sinner just like you, dear friend. Even in the days since I have read this verse I have had to substitute so-and-so's name to remind me that it is God alone whom I should be trusting in. "Stop trusting in so-and-so to do what I want them to do to make ME happy. Start trusting in God alone. Start being the one who does what makes God happy".


Isaiah 3: 10
Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.


And this one kind of hurt~
Isaiah 3:16-24
The Lord says, "The women of Zion are haughty, walking along with outstretched necks, flirting with their eyes, tripping along with mincing steps, with ornaments jingling on their ankles. Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion; the Lord will make their scalps bald. In that day the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces, the earrings and bracelets and veils, the headdresses and ankle chains and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, the signet rings and nose rings, the fine robes and the capes and cloaks, the purses and mirrors, and the linen garments and tiaras and shawls. Instead of fragrance there will be a stench; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of well-dressed hair, baldness; instead of fine clothing, sackcloth; instead of beauty, branding.

Hmmmm.... unless I am unlike all the other women that roam this earth I still fall under the trap of being somewhat haughty and relying way too much on good looks, cute clothes and hair-do's and all the other feminine charms. Well, unless I'm on the farm with my goats, but even then I like my mascara. Where should my focus be? Rather than on my outside it should be on my inside. Love, joy, peace, kindness, meditating on the word of God, delighting in his laws and decrees. And don't let anybody tell you nose rings aren't in the Bible. God doesn't seem to have an opinion here one way or another, other than if they are a distraction from Him. That still doesn't convince me to get one~ ouch!

And my favorite Isaiah passage~
Isaiah 6:1
... I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.

Blazing a Trail

Have you ever tried to cut a new trail? Many, many times we have endured that toilsome process here on the farm. Through swamps, weeds, and trees amongst the elements of freezing cold or scorching heat we have been known to be out working on new fences or repairing the old ones or winding our way out in the woods to design horse trails. There are the old barbwire fences and posts to pull out or trees to be removed. New ground needs to be travelled over again and again to stay ahead of the weeds so that we can travel the new trails with the horses. Sometimes even the big equipment has had to come in to remove large trees or chunks of earth. I have come to see this journey of Motherhood to be much like blazing a new trail in my life. As a Christian mother besides, one who was saved shortly after becoming a mother, this path also has had many obstacles to go around, forge through, prepare in advance, or endure all for the sweet reward of hopefully watching my children one day walk in the ways of the Lord.

One of my revelational thoughts lately has been how as much as I am training my children up in the Word of God I am at the same time trying to conform them to the world so they are seen as acceptable to others. Entering the teenage world has been as much of a learning experience for me the second time around as it was the first. After over a decade of mothering you would think you would be ready to watch your little children start to soar on their own but I am realizing it is as scary as when they first let go of your hand and went to Sunday School by themselves, or were finally old enough to play in the yard by themselves without you. Growing up in the public school I only know public school ways. Be the popular one, do what others do, don't look different or act different and by all means don't be a God freak. Maturity has slowly transformed some of those thoughts, but our foundation is still our foundation. I heard the other day that people rarely change their world view after they are 20 years old, just past the time one would graduate. How fast those first 20 years go and how little we really knew when we thought we knew it all. Now I'm rambling.... my point is this teenager.

This teenager who, since the age of 2, has been challenging me in the ways of the Lord versus the ways of the world. This teenager who has chosen to not conform to the ways of the world but rather be transformed by the Word of God. This teenager that does not strive for social acceptance by giving in to her peers' opinion of what is cool and what is not but rather has her goals set on her Lord and His calling in her life. This teenager who is addicted to the Word rather than the worlds opinion of her. This teenager who longs to be trained up to be a servant to one day serve in a higher calling. I am humbled. I repented. I gave her back to God and His plans in her life, not my plans.

May your father and mother be glad; may she who gave you birth rejoice! Proverbs 23:25 I am glad; I am rejoicing!

Just Some Thoughts

Just some of my God thoughts for the week because some of you ask and actually really want to know.

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James 1, especially verse 2 "Consider it PURE JOY my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds...." and verse 5 "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." PURE JOY in trials of many kinds. PURE JOY means no more whining, fussing, whimpering, pity parties. Suck it up buttercup. PURE JOY! And how many things do I take into my own hands, thinking I know how to handle them, rather than asking the God of the universe for His wisdom? He's already started implementing that in my self focused heart.
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James 4, particularly verse 5 "Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?" And just what is the Spirit envious of? He is envious of anything that is anti Christ. Anything that is not glorifying to God that we harbor and coddle in our hearts. He envies intensely. Hmmmm..... which side do I lean to mostly, and am I making his struggle to conform me to the Word easier or harder? How subtle these "little" things are that we allow to rule us, rather than the Spirit Himself.
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Isaiah 31:1&3a. "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord. But the Egyptians are men and not God, their horses are flesh and not spirit." How easy it is to trust in our own created horses and chariots rather than God alone. Trying to define mine and destroy them, looking rather to God for His wisdom and strength and provision.
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Isaiah 32:17 "The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever." Hmmmm.... righteousness, peace, quietness, confidence. Forever. Forever. Forever. A little Michael and Debi Pearl for some conviction this happy morning. Conviction is good stuff my friends:
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"The first and the most important thing you will ever do as a mother in training your children is to reverence your husband, delight yourself in him, love to obey him, feel honored to be married to him, joy in his presence. In doing so, you are building up your house, you are creating a home, you are establishing a foundation. This is the first and most important ingredient in raising happy, obedient, creative, respectful children, children who delight to be part of the family. This kind of atmosphere in the home causes your children to love each other, to enjoy being with their own brothers and sisters...... Ladies, we have in our grasp the opportunity to reverence our husbands, thus teaching our children how to reverence God. I can change eternity by choosing to delight myself in my husband, obeying him, loving him, and causing him to stand before God free from the shackles of domestic condemnation. As Mike once said, "When a wife suggests that her husband take the lead, any leading he does after that is just following her suggestion."" Taken from page 89 of their fabulous book No Greater Joy, Volume One, in the article titled Carnal Husbands, Cranky Wives and Cantankerous Kids. Read the whole article here, along with many other good ones.
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And one last thought, after watching my older children start their early limited venturing into the world without mom this summer is the realization that their foundation has, for the most part, already been built and established in our home. They are now starting to build their own lives on the foundation we have layed for them. I can see faults in it, but also so, so many strengths (Praise the Lord!). I see them maturing and glorifying their Lord, not only their mother's Lord. I also see the hard work I need to commit to the younger ones as their day will soon come too.
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So.... what's God doing in your life??? And How's your Heart???
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I've got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy

I've got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy
Down in my heart!
Where? Down in my heart!
Where? Down in my heart!
I've got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy
Down in my heart to stay!
And I'm so happy, so very happy
'Cause I've got the love of Jesus in my heart!
~
Do you remember that song from Sunday School? It's one that we sing quite often here. Alot of times when somebody is not so very happy. It really is a heart check moment. Do you have friends who make frequent heart checks just to see "how's your heart"? I do. And she gets me every time. But back to the song. It's been a topic that God has been weighing on me to consider the past few weeks. Maybe it's because I'm getting older and the world has failed to promise all that it dangled before my younger eyes and every time I go to Walmart it is more a disappointed feeling than that old high of getting something new. As people and circumstances continually refuse to fill that joy spot I realize that they were never meant to fulfill it in the first place. All over in scripture God keeps bringing me to joy verses. And your joy will be complete; for the joy of the Lord is your strength; with the joy of your presence; the joy of your salvation; Shout with joy to God all the earth; gladness and joy will overtake them; that your joy may be complete; their overflowing joy; consider it pure joy my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds.

There is a difference between joy and happiness. Happiness is a feeling~ it is temporary. It revolves around something that happens and is not meant to last. Joy, on the other hand, is deeper. Because it revolves around God it is not based on circumstances. As I look around I see everybody consumed with trying to be happy, trying to replace joy in God for something that feels the same way. It hasn't worked so well in my life. How about yours? So the journey continues that God has me on to rid myself of all the false notions that anything but Him will bring me joy. I am learning really what that simple Sunday School song means, day by day, as I seek the Savior who it is all about. That pure joy really is found down in my heart, in Jesus' love, even in trials of many kinds as James says, not in an aisle of Walmart. To God be the glory forever and ever my friends!

Bible Bingo

A long ago pastor called it Bible Bingo. I call it talking with God. I have fond memories of my Dad mentioning conversing with the Almighty through His word in much the same way. What am I talking about? Simply asking God what He has to say to you today and patiently waiting for His answer. Waiting for God's direction to lead us in His word. Aside from daily being immersed in Scripture God speaks profoundly to His children from passages we wouldn't even consider going to on our own little scheduled sanctification plans. Places like Revelation 13, where He again reminds His children to beware of the schemes of the evil one. Warns them of the days to come, where deceit and lies will rule. Encourages them to patiently endure and hold faithfully to His word. Reminds them of who wins in the end, and that He really will be with them and will come riding in on his mighty steed to save them. This calls for wisdom. Wisdom from above. People get ready, the days are getting shorter according to my understanding. Are you ready for eternity?

It's All About Me

Or.... maybe it's not, but it sure seems like it in our consumerist world.

Just a little rant/observation/pondering I have been noticing for quite some time now: while listening to or reading anything Christian related (sermons, songs, books, articles, conversations) I have started to put things through my own little filter test. The simple questions that I base this test on are 1) Who is this about~ God or me? Easier defined by asking "Did I learn something about myself, or about God?" 2) Is scripture the central teaching point, or is the teaching based on just another theory that is popular? Pay attention the next time and see for yourself.

And, after some self examination on my continuing stingy conservative stands on scripture, God reassured me with these sweet words this morning. So true! So true!

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. Psalm 84:10b

Blessed

Blessed is the man you discipline, O Lord, the man you teach from your law; Psalm 94:12When I read these words this morning it was as if God was speaking directly to me. This is for you, Terri, He said. As I was struggling with some of my own issues due to my lack of discipline, enjoying the pity party thank you very much, it really put a lot of things into perspective. It made me think first of all of God's love for me and how He shows that. In provision, comfort, consolation, salvation, joy, peace, but also in discipline. God disciplines those He loves Hebrews says, so I took comfort in His discipline to realize that indeed He does love me.

But who likes discipline? Grace certainly didn't when she had to receive a spanking session for her bad attitude the other morning. Did I enjoy spanking her? No, not on the level of the actual act, but did I enjoy the sweet repentance and joyful heart afterward? Absolutely. Do I have a daughter who quickly learned that it is a lot easier to smile in the morning and be a joy to her family rather than cause a scene and disrupt the whole household? Absolutely. Will she fall again? Absolutely.

Now, believe it or not, but I am really a rather lazy, self indulgent person. Left to myself I would flit from one thing to the next, not really getting anywhere. I definitely lack discipline in my life, so these words were like honey to me to realize that God's discipline is proof of His love. And notice that this discipline is taught from His law. Hmmmm.... interesting. And why does He give us His law and then expect us to hold to it? To grant us relief from the days of trouble (verse13). The little bit of pain that I have to experience now to learn to love, follow, and obey His word will save me a heap of trouble in the days to come. It only makes me all the more steadfast to continue for myself and for my children's sake in immersing ourselves in the word and striving to obey until the day of the Lord's return. Go fight the good fight Christian!

God Stuff

The days are going by so fast and so often it seems that I don't take time out to really stop and see what God has been doing in my life and heart, and also in the lives He has chosen to put around me. In my quiet time this morning I was pondering so many things of the last few weeks and it made me rejoice in my Lord all over again. It is so easy to be discouraged, but when we really start counting our blessings it puts our hearts right.

Some of my bigger God moments from the past few days:

I love how God takes my broken, sinful nature and somehow has used that to nurture these 5 beautiful children He has entrusted me with for all these years. To see one certain young man repent and become right with God has caused me to be in total awe. Another certain daughter has so surpassed me both in her love for her Lord and her knowledge and desire to know Him more that I can only sit back and wonder what God will do with the rest of her young life. A husband who holds so strongly to the Lord and His word has been my steady rock for so many ups and downs.

I love when God is so gentle in my disobedience. Rather than giving me what I deserve He so gently wraps His arms around me in my disgruntled state and leads me ever so gently to His word. Unmistakeably leading me to just the scripture He ordained to be wrote hundreds of years ago that He might whisper it into my ear now and bring repentance. When I put my feelings before His words He forgives even that.

I love watching how God puts people right smack in the middle of my life when I am not even aware of it, and then takes such person and allows me to watch Him transform them. How he grows me right along beside them and allows them to watch the growth in me as well. To rejoice in their joys, and wrap my arms around them in their repentance.

I love how God reunites people after hurt and allows rejoicing in the works of His hand. When His time has finally come to bring things to completion and together we can anticipate what He will do next. Bring home those babies God!

I love how God used His son Jesus to remove the sting of death, even from a too-young-mothers early homecoming. How, somehow, in the midst of cancer and death a family can rejoice that she is now with her Savior and long for their own meeting with their maker.

I love it when God uses something as simple as a few quiet moments and lots of questions in the midst of a 30 hour weekend shift to share the gospel with a friend whom He has continued to bring into every area of my life. I love it even more when He gives me the words to say.

I love knowing that therefor there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ. That for an eternity I will keep learning how wide and how long and how high and how deep is the love of Christ for me.

Claiming the Promises

The word of God truly is living and active. I love it while I am in it how God reveals, grows, deepens, and makes me hunger for more. I have been soaking up the promises and praises, as well as the lamenting and pleading, in Psalms for a few weeks now. This morning it really struck me how the claims of the Bible are ours to claim as a child of God. They are not just for David or Paul, but for every child that the Lord has marked with his seal.

They cried out to the Lord in their trouble and he delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful harvest; he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased, and he did not let their herds diminish. But he lifted the needy out of their affliction and increased their families like flocks. (from Psalm 107)

I have been reading the biography of Nelson Bell (A Foreign Devil in China), the father of Ruth Graham Bell. He was a medical missionary in China for several years, including during the beginning of World War II. Daily he watched atrocities around him, but his walk was so close with God and his understanding and belief in God's sovereignty and His promises that he felt safer in a foreign country under daily sniper attacks and threat of kidnapping doing the Lord's work because he knew that this was where God wanted him to be.

It has really made me ponder my walk with the Lord. My trust, obedience, faith, desire to follow Him rather than my own desires. I find myself coming up lacking in the prayer department. I long to walk that close walk with God but find other pleasures that rule my life more~ like sleeping rather than forming a disciplined prayer life. Nelson held prayer and spending time with God above all else. He had set aside time daily for private prayer and family and hospital prayer a minimum of 4 times a day. It has reminded me of the story of Daniel and how he set aside time for prayer daily with the windows open for the world to see. As a result he walked with God so closely that he felt his presence. Can you say that in your life? Do you walk with God as a friend? Those promises are yours to claim from your Heavenly Father. He promises good for his children. He promises all that He does is because He loves them. He promises eternity with Him.

You don't know Him you say? He is the God of the universe. The creator of all. Because of the sin of all mankind he sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the price for that sin. He became the bridge back to God. Scripture says that all have sinned. All are separated from God because of our sin. Ephesians 2 says that mankind is actually dead in our transgressions and sins. But because of God's great love for us he made us alive in Christ and what he did on the cross to pay the penalty for us. By grace he has promised to take away all our sin and guilt and shame and cover them with Christ's righteousness. What do we have to do you say? There is nothing we can do my friend. We are dead, remember. It is Christ who has done it all. He is the one who causes us to see our own sinfulness. He is the one who causes us to repent. He is the one who opens our eyes to salvation and begins the work of righteousness in us. As we continue on the journey He is faithful to see us to the end where we will ultimately see Him face to face. Take the time to ponder where you are with God today. Is He beckoning?

Be On Alert

1 Peter 5:8Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.~I had a very "A-ha!" kind of moment this morning as I was spending time with the Lord. Again I woke up discouraged. Rather than being able to focus on all the things that God is ordaining for his glory I found myself again only seeing the devil's handiwork. It appears that he is working overtime in his role as ruler of the kingdom of the air. I don't tend to give the devil any more credit than he is due as I know whom he has to go through to achieve any of his work, I know who really has everything under His control and I know that we as sinful beings do a mighty fine job of messing things up ourselves. But it is still so easy to only see short sighted what is happening around us. He seems to be on overtime around here.

As I was having my little pity party I realized what I was doing. I have responded, finally, to God's prompting to hide his word deep in my heart by taking the challenge to memorize Ephesians this year. For the past 2 1/2 months I have spent time nearly daily in Ephesians focusing on God's word in a very different way~ writing it, memorizing it, reciting it, letting it sink in in a way like never before. No wonder the devil did not like it. No wonder I have been feeling so attacked in my very soul. We as Christians, God's elect, live as strangers here. This world should not be our comfort, nor should we look for our comfort from it. We live in enemy territory, and as Trent has been reading about King Solomon it is easy to get sucked into the lifestyle of a foreign land. King Solomon had 700 wives whom he longed to please by building temples and idols to each of their Gods, little-by-little forsaking his God and losing his soul along the way. (1 Kings 11)

What is Peter's answer? Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:9-11)

Stand firm in the word. Watch for the attacks~ the wedges that cause division, the bitterness that causes years of pain, the discouragement that takes our focus off of Christ and what He did on the cross, the little justifications that lead us astray from the Word of God. Finally be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Ephesians 6:10-13)

And to you, Laura and Maddie my partners in this challenge, and Alexis who has taken on her own challenge, I will remember to keep you in my prayers a bit more as the challenge continues. Now, after all that encouragement....... anybody else want to join us??? Go deep, you only live once, and we have an eternity to look forward to of telling our stories of what Christ did in our lives when we were obedient to the good works which he prepared in advance for us to do.

Chronic Pain

I'm going to whine a bit here, just because this is my soap box and I am in a whiny kind of mood. Maybe if I whine I'll get it out of my system. I'm not looking for sympathy, just sharing my journey in the hopes that somebody else out there may not feel so alone. For the past 10 years or so I have lived my life in near constant pain of some varying level daily. This thorn in my side that God has allowed has taken on many different levels in my spiritual growth. Due to ongoing health issues I started out hoping for a quick doctor/miracle cure. After all this time, and all this pain, I am learning to submit my poor, getting old, hurting body into God's hand for his plan. I have to admit, some days it takes all I've got to keep doing and going and being somewhat happy about it all. I am too stubborn to stop, and feel that I can't miss out on all the things that God has laid before me to quit doing things. I am not the type to sit, and to go back to bed and cry is just too far from my nature. So I go on. Day after day, pain or not. I try not to be a grumbler, but the state of my heart is so often far from that. It's myself that I grumble too. I have come to realize that God is forcing me to seek Him for all of my joy. None of this outside stuff matters. Everything we have, our health, our spouse, our livelihood, our children, can be taken away. God is the only stable. In Him I am learning to rejoice, no matter what the outside is. I will admit~ it is a long, hard struggle some days, but one that will ultimately glorify Him and bring me great joy. Like Alexis said yesterday, it makes us long for Heaven all the more.

Want A Challenge?

Go check out Alexis' last post for a challenge from a young lady. My, oh my, what a way to start a God honoring life. I'm just a smidgen proud, being her mom and all:)

Be Still my Selfish Heart

Before my feet hit the floor this morning I found myself thanking God for the hot chocolate in the cupboard to make on this cold morning for all my sweet little dumplings. I found myself thinking about how much I appreciate these gifts, but long for them more than the good gifts sometimes. The hard work involved in God growing his fruit in me is not always appreciated. How much do I really long to be made patient? For the umpteenth time to have to practice kindness, only to lose my temper, again. Practicing joy when everything around you seems to be falling apart, or you are in pain, or the cupboards are running low, or the work hours are short, or it is still cold and snowy outside. Who wants to practice self control when the sin is so enjoyable to indulge in? Peace? In an old farmhouse with 5 children, 3 of them noisy boys? Gentleness when the picky little fights are about the same issue day, after day, after day? To display love and goodness to people you would rather scorn because of the hurt involved. Faithfulness to stay in the word, keep fighting the good fight, stick to your guns, when the world keeps spinning so fast and the chores need to be done, and breakfast made, and school started. I find it's easier to just long for the hot chocolate in the cupboard.

But what is God's agenda? To stretch me and grow me into the image of His Son. To be different than the world. To reflect Him. To hold to His statutes. Because He loves me, He keeps disciplining me. The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure, and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

Galatians 5:22 and Psalm 19

Still Gonna Praise God

Though the fig tree does not bud,
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop failsand 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
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And, may I add my own sorrows from this past week~
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Though I struggle with the shock and the hurt of watching our friends deal with the unexpected death of their teenage son,
Though the transmission goes out on the new-used van with the claimed rebuilt transmission only 1 month after buying it,
Though the hot water will still not stay hot in the next to new hot water heater and I am tired of sponge baths and my husband insists we dig up and replace the water line this spring (if we can wait that long) rather than building that entry way,
Though after spending 2 days watching and worrying about Belle in a delivery that did not seem right to me and she delivered a dead little doe kid without me,

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,I will be joyful in God my Savior.
The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.
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The Lord is in His holy temple;the Lord is on his heavenly throne........ Psalm 10:4

Monday Morning Fight

Often times when I need a bit of encouragement I enjoy reading through the book or sermon notes that I have recorded. Printed words have always had a great impact on me. As much as possible I try to take notes or write lengthy blog posts about God's word in my life. It becomes a map of the way that God has been shaping me and leading me, as well as a reference to go back to the truths that have impacted me. It gives me a way to process and ponder something that so often is heard or read, then nearly immediately forgotten because of all the other demands of life.
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When I had nearly a whole week to myself in a hotel room while Rob was at the World Dairy Expo in September I had read a book of Alexis' called Battle Cry for my Generation, by Ron Luce. The book was as powerful the second time around as it was the first time I read it. It is mainly directed at a teenage audience and is a wake up call to what shapes the minds and decisions of this generation. It is a battle cry to the Christian teen to wake up and look around at what is happening right in their midst. It reveals the subtle yet immense power of media in our lives, and especially the lives of young people as they grow up with the messages always being heard and seen on TV, movies, radio, and magazines, not to mention the Internet.
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As conservative as we are in our home with these outside sources I realize just how much the scales are still off when we balance the influence of scripture verses computer and movie time. Think of it... how many days a week do you sit down with your children (or by yourself) and read the Bible for 1 1/2 hours straight, the duration of a normal movie? Ron Luce states in his book that "When we exalt someone, we allow them to influence us and give them authority in our lives." So when we see Ariel swimming around for the umpteenth time in nothing but a bikini top, then she trades her whole species for the promise of a ring, what does that say to my girls? When the radio blares "You've got me and Jesus!", what kind of theology does that teach my children? Or when they hear again that Little Foot lived with his fellow dinosaurs millions of years ago, how does that shape their beliefs on creation and evolution?
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The subtleness is, well, so subtle. "Satan is not able to force you to sin, instead he goes to work on your mind, introducing tiny deceptions, one at a time. Then, little by little, when he has enough influence in your life, you begin following through on temptation. He is successful because he has been invited to do it. Media, TV, Internet, video games, and movies have provided him with more than enough means to dupe us a little at a time." "You may be surprised to find that you have become desensitized to what's out there- just because it is so common."
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While reading the Bible do you try to justify your life by it, or do you let it be God's measuring rod, taking it at face value for what it really says? It is His word. Unbelievable effort has been taken in translation to keep it true to what was originally written by inspired men of God. Countless tests have been run to test it's authenticity and accuracy. It is the heart of man that has insisted on changing it's meaning.
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After pointing out the enemy and his tactics, Ron Luce calls us to decide how we are going to fight this battle that is waging right outside our doors. The battle that longs to consume our children and our very souls, all for the exchange of a few trifling moments of pleasure. He says "It's time to wake up and realize there is a war going on for your generation. Your enemy is not playing games. It's time for us to take a stand and fight back." Do you believe that? That there is a war going on? Do you feel the pull? Do you see the battles? Do you see how easy it is to be sucked into this culture and it's beliefs, rather than draw near to God? It is very subtle, and we are experts at masquerading a Sunday Smile and justifying our very own sins and complacency. "If we have that attitude we will lose out and pay the price for our inactivity. You have a lot more influence than you know. It's time for us to take a stand and fight back. While the enemy hates us with every fiber of his being, he is not so strong, nor the battle so large, for us to be defeated. We have the living God on our side~ If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31"
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"The question is, what will you do? Are you ready for a fight?" He encourages us to know our enemy, and even more to know ourselves. The fight within us, Christian brother and sister, will not end until death. Even though we are saved, the battle for sin still rages right within our very own soul. The sin of the devil, pride, is so deep and so subtle that we easily overlook it in our own lives. Our first desire is not to glorify God ultimately but to make ME happy. Praise the Lord, we do have the Holy Spirit to guide us on that walk, but it is a practiced art to allow him to guide us. "If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle. What are my weak points? Do I see the enemies attacks coming? 2 Corinthians 11:14 Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. We become easy prey because we voluntarily let Lucifer into our minds. After seeing and listening to so much bad stuff... what's right and what's wrong start to become a little hazy. 83% of this generation believes that truth is relative to the situation!" Those are our children lumped into that percentage mark, unless we choose to fight. "Almost like a herd of cattle, so many just fall in line and allow themselves to be led into the fuzzy world of moral relativism. The devil's offers look freeing, but they always lead to bondage." God wasn't kidding when He wrote the Bible, my friends.
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"It is time to wake up and stop playing into the devil's hands by pretending everything's okay. Col 3:2 Set your hearts on the things above rather than earthly things. Romans 12:9 Love what is pure, hate what is evil, cling to what is good. And let's stop telling ourselves that we are not being affected. You must wake up and fight. God never creates someone with a small destiny. To finish we need: devotion [to the word], defiance [to sin], courage [to live it], and endurance [to finish the race]. Where is God calling [you] to live more courageously? If it is in God's word, we need to uphold His code."
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And, more encouraging words from my notebook by Todd Friel, "People are sick of silly, they want serious, holy, deep." In the direction that everything is headed people are seeing that these lies of peace, joy, happiness, and comfort are crumbling right before their eyes. There has to be something more; there is something more, and it's found in God. And... "If you question whether something in scripture applies to you~ if it is wrote in scripture, it applies to you.
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So what does all that look like in practice? In my life it has encouraged me to go deeper in the word, both myself and with my children. To memorize that word, uphold it against all else, teach it where possible, live it as best I can. Another area in my life that I am trying to develop is regular, purposeful prayer for my husband and children, as well as myself. I long to see God's hand work to grow them deep in the word, to have a desire to obey that word, to love their God, purity, future spouses, opportunities for growth, for Godly teachers who will encourage them. In my own life that God would change the areas of my heart that are not yet submitted to Him, to know His word more, and to love it, that I would be quick to obey, to be joyful, to constantly seek the Lord, to be so passionately in love with Jesus that it is contagious. I have to admit, it has brought both condemnation and joy as we hold unswervingly to His word.
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Again, in the words of Ron Luce "There will be times when you may have to endure personal turmoil while God is changing you. You will have to endure the attacks of the enemy as he becomes more and more irritated with you and the damage you are doing to his shrinking kingdom." In the end, I want to stand before my savior and hear Him say "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Coffee and a Bible

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. ~ 3 John :4

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And like RedGateFarm just recently posted, children don't just happen to start walking in the truth all on their own ~ they follow their example and respond to the teaching of dedicated parents. Although I am far from perfect, or even close to fully resembling Christ, I always find it great joy when God allows the kids to witness nearly every morning my quiet time with a cup of coffee and a Bible. Our primary relationship with Christ is through the word. To walk in the truth we have to know the truth. My prayer and my goal is that I, too, would have no greater joy as I hear that my children are walking in the truth. For there is no greater joy than walking in the truth with your Savior.

More Minor Prophets

The Lord will care for them; the Lord will be awesome to them; the Lord is righteous; the Lord is mighty to save; the Lord has taken away your punishment; the Lord is with you.
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The Lord will punish those who are complacent; the Lord will bring great distress on the people; the cry on the day of the Lord will be bitter; the Lord will sweep away everything from the face of the earth; in the fire of the Lord's jealousy the whole world will be consumed; the great day of the Lord is near~ near and coming quickly. ~ The Prophet Zephaniah
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Happy Monday Morning! The coffee's strong and the Lord is good! Whew! I have to say, working my way through the minor prophets has been challenging. It is hard to wake up every morning knowing that, again, I have to see myself in the very same place as many of the nations that these prophets warned. She obeys no one, she accepts no correction, she does not trust in the Lord, she does not draw near to her God (Zephaniah 3:2). In the depths of my soul that is still me.
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How many times do I cringe at obedience, even (especially?) to the word; how many times do I refuse to accept correction (from my husband, pastor, loved ones); how many times do I whine, worry, and complain rather than just trusting God for even the small things (like toilet paper, let alone my salvation); how many times do I let the world (the internet) consume me rather than drawing near to my God?
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My immediate justification is to only focus on God's goodness to me. Yes, yes, yes, I know, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, but I do not want to forget who I am, lest I leave a legacy of apathy to my children. This great salvation of God came to even me. Throughout all the ages He has required His children to walk in His ways. He has given us numerous prophets and warnings, and yet we stray. Like the Israelites in Exodus we claim "Just tell us what to do God, and we will obey!". Yet, at the first test, we fail Him. In the easy things, we fail Him. It's not about saving the world, signing up for every project at church, or following the law to a T. God requires that we act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him. Proclaiming his statutes by our lives and obedience.
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Let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows [the Lord].

Loving the Word

Working my way through the Minor Prophets has been a bit depressing. It is hard to see the continuous rebellion in the Lords people (maybe it hits a little too close to home??) and the constant hurt this brings to them and God. I have started to balance things out a bit by spending time in the Psalms. Today, Psalm 119 was such an encouragement to me in so many ways. The 176 verses of this long Psalm reflect on the truth of God's word. It is thought that Ezra wrote the psalm, honoring the God whose word He loved. It resonates with my struggles today, thousands of years later.

In my life, as a Christian, I love the Word. The Bible is a daily part of my life. Either by reading it, hearing it, or meditating on the promises of it. Scripture is the only perfect revelation that God has left to his people until He returns. It is His love letter to His future bride. I read it in longing for Him to come. I love it because I love Him. I strive to obey it, because He wrote it. What encouragement He gave me today to stay steadfast in it.

Don't take my word for it. Read it for yourselves, and see what God has to say to you.

Would the Real Christian Please Stand Up?

I can look back over the past few years and really see where God has been leading me; removing my grip on this world and the things of it, and looking to Him for my joy, provision, comfort, and satisfaction. In many ways it has been a journey that I would not have chosen to go myself, but do we ever really seek and long for spiritual growth that is hard aside from the Lord bringing it? One of the things that I have noticed over the course of this time has been the various distinctions between people who are truly seeking God, and those who are just going with the flow of the Christian heritage of our culture. The "nice" people who really have not been transformed, but don't want to offend you. Or the one's who have sat in the same church pew for years, but have not been touched by God. The one's who make up their own God, and insist I follow him. It has caused me to evaluate, from the point of Scripture, just what the true Christian would look like. Not to judge outwardly, but to judge myself inwardly. Do I know, that I know, that I know that I am saved? If so, then what should my life look like, not work based, but heart based.
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John points out in 1st John 4:7 that those who love have been born of God. Which, in my brain, only tends to confuse things more. Our society has deemed love as making people happy, primarily ME! We have been taught by commercial adds, psychiatrists, even churches, that if I am not happy, then somebody doesn't love me. But what is love? Love is not making somebody happy at any cost, but rather seeking the good for that person at any cost. Is it greater love to let a child go undisciplined and let him have his way, or is it the greater love to discipline them for their own good? Is it greater love to watch somebody go astray in the name of love, or is it the greater love to share with them your concerns? And what is the greatest "good" for a person? Scripture tells us that we are all sinners, and apart from Christ we are all headed to Hell. Therefor, the greatest good of a person is to tell them of the saving grace that came from the shedding of blood on the cross, for their very own sins. But who wants to hear that? And who calls that love?
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John points out in 5:1 that everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. This is a continuous belief, an ongoing belief that never ends. It comes with an understanding that not only do we profess Jesus is the Christ with our mouths, but with our whole lives as well. It does not imply just mouthing the words, but living the words. The life that is transformed because they know that Jesus is the Christ, born of God, and all that implies.
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John says in 5:3 that to love God is to obey his commands, and His commands are not burdensome. This love is an action word. It is not mearly a mushy, gushy feeling deep down in our hearts, like when we see the Folger's coffee commercials, but it has an underlying depth that does not come without sacrifice. It will cost us to love God, but it will not be burdensome, but rather a joy to serve our King. To obey the commands, tho, the Christian would need to know the commands. If we reveal that we love God by obeying His commands, and we do it with joy, then we reveal that we are truly His.
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God has used the passage of Acts 10, the story of Cornelius and Peter, as a measuring rod in my life the past few weeks. Both of these men were devout and God fearing, and that is when God spoke to them. As we claim revelations from God without the first part, we best be checking where these revelations come from. Is our life devout and God fearing? Do we commit ourselves to Scripture, the reading of it, the true interpretation (not our hearts desire of what we want it to say) of it? Are we in a constant battle to rid ourselves of the sin that longs to rule, and seek to live righteously in honor of our King? Are His commands burdensome? Do we know His commands? Do we know Him?
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As the kids and I have been reading through Exodus we see again and again the Israelites' grumbling and unbelief against God. In chapter 18 Moses' father in law, Jethro, pays a visit. His wisdom and instruction to Moses is to teach the people the decrees and laws of the Lord, to show them the way that they are to live. Back in chapter 16:4 God tells Moses that He will test them and see whether they will follow His instructions. In a home with several children it is easy to see this "testing" around here; not so easy to always follow His instructions. As we know His decrees and laws, and if we are truly saved, then the Holy Spirit will begin to cause our hearts to gladly obey Him; and His commands will not be burdensome. As we learn to obey Him in the small things, it becomes easier to obey Him in the big things. Check your heart! What commands are burdensome in your life? Are you willing to take Scripture for whatever it says and just obey?
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But, how many people do we truly see living this way? How many churches are preaching salvation, sin, obedience, knowing the word, heart transformation rather than outward conformity? As we have gone through a couple of Bible studies lately I have taken a role of mostly observing. I find it interesting to see what peoples beliefs really are, and am saddened to see some of these young people, who were brought up in the church, with so little knowledge and desire for God and His word. Satan's first deceit in the Garden of Eden was to twist the word of God enough that Eve questioned it. Have we not become masters at twisting the Word ourselves, so it pleases us, rather than glorifying God in it's entirety?
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I don't think that God was kidding when He said one day He is coming back to judge the nations. The hearts and lives of everyone will be revealed. God says in Amos 7 that He is setting a plumb line among His people [Israel]. He is the plumb line, His word is the standard, His people will follow it and gladly obey it. Oh, that He would raise them up to be bold and courageous in a time such as this.

The Glorious Role of Woman

I have been itching to get my thoughts down about this subject ever since that quilting retreat I went to. A girls weekend full of crafting, drinking lots of coffee, and talking about God is a good inspiration. Real life and home school and a farm often get in the way, tho, of having 5 straight minutes to put coherent thoughts down on paper. My journey through the minor prophets (plus that convicting bathroom book) has reminded me again of this glorious role of woman, some of the pitfalls, and the opportunities it holds to glorify God.
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In this day of women's lib, equal rights for women, and throw in some post-modernism for an extra boost, our culture seems to have created the kind of women that God was talking about in Amos 4:1. Women who are so busy climbing the corporate ladder that they oppress the poor and crush the needy (their own children? hurting neighbors?their husbands?) in their greed to get to the top of the proverbial hill in a futile attempt to gain all this world claims to offer. Women who have belittled men and their positions along the way, including their own husbands and their positions as men. It is pretty hard to ignore a verse where God calls these women "cows" and not take a serious look at what He was trying to make clear to them. I know from experience. Once buying into the lie that women can and should have it all- a job, children, thinking that fancy cars and clothes and houses will make us happy, and not having to submit to a man's authority along the way to get there. Throw in a new baby, a home in disorder because of my rebellion, and a sovereign God, and I realized a little of what God was saying.
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We as women long to rule. It was a curse handed down long ago in the Garden of Eden. It runs deep, and even after salvation is a temptation that continually needs to be bridled. Our generations' role models in society have not been primarily of Godly women caring for their homes, but more of scantly dressed females in positions of power on the stage, in politics, and particularly over men. Am I wrong in my assessment? To take a good, hard look at ourselves is the first step in seeing just who we are. Knowing our weaknesses helps us to be aware of them. Breaking free from what the world calls a successful woman and what the Lord calls a successful woman is a long, hard journey. One led by the Holy Spirit, and one worth pursuing. We, as Christian women, owe it to our daughters to leave a legacy and a role model for them to follow.
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God's first role for woman was to be a help mate for her husband. Primarily, after our relationship to God, our first concern should be for the well being of our husbands. As a prayer warrior, encourager, and homemaker we can assist our husbands with the duties that God has given him, which (in Genesis) God says is to bear the image of God, subdue the land and provide for his family. God has set man up as the head of the household, and called women to respect him as such.
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I find the verse in Amos 4:1 to clearly reveal some of the women of our times. Women who have bought into "equal" roles of men and women. We are all equal in God's sight, but He has given us different roles. Not better, not worse, just different. God does not call the husband to be the helpmate to his wife, but the other way around. Yes, the man out of simple love for his wife helps her with duties, but the Godly wife will not request consistently that her husband steal her joy in serving him and their home by completing her tasks. He should not have to come home after a long day and take over her home-making jobs as well. He has enough work to do on his own without having to come home and think about what is for supper. A Godly wife handles those sometimes mundane, behind the scene jobs with joy so that her husband can focus on his work (primarily leading the family spiritually, providing for them, advancing the kingdom). Scientifically God has created women to be much better at multitasking and handling those little details than men. Do we despise this role that God has given us? I admit, I often times buy into the attitude that he should just cook supper sometimes, or sweep the floor, or pick up the dirty clothes. But why would I deny myself the joy of fulfilling my God given role, bringing great happiness to my husband, and simply honoring scripture by complaining?
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A submissive wife also allows her husband to protect her. I have found that by placing myself physically in my Godly role of serving my husband, it is easier to place myself spiritually under his Godly headship. Women have an overwhelming tendency to let their emotions control them. Our poor husbands have to face women who have been taught to belittle men and their positions in the first place, then have their wives try every emotional tactic to control them (tears, anger, etc.), and then they have the hard job of trying to shape these wild tigresses into submissive, God honoring women who are raising the next generation. Outside of an act of God they have a huge job on their hands. As Christian mothers we owe it to our daughters to set a better example to follow so that our daughters can immediately enter marriage as help mates to their husbands, rather than potential home destroyers because they insist on their own ways. And, we owe it to our boys to raise strong Godly men who can handle leading a Godly home.
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God's next role to woman was to be a mother. This precious gift of bearing children and nurturing was given to her alone. Again, a great distinction in the roles of men and women and how God created them. To the woman he gave the overwhelming maternal instinct to love and protect her child. He gave her only a few short years to nurture these little lives and shape and mold them into adults who will go out to make their own decisions. What a tremendous opportunity we have been given!
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Women are called to be keepers of the home in Titus 2:4-5. In our day and age a full-time, working mother is the norm. Our God given role is to take care of the home first. Understanding that some women have no choice but to work, others do have a choice. The choice may be giving up a lifestyle, but it is still a choice. God is glorified when moms stay home and be moms. It is the way He designed it. Think back to your childhood. I cannot think of hardly one time when I came home and my Mom wasn't there. Often with good food to eat, or a project she was working on, or just simply being there. There is a great sense of comfort in knowing that Mom will be there.
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Mothers play a huge role of training their children in righteousness in the home as well. Are we setting an example for our daughters to follow in marriage? In our dress, talk, actions, attitudes? How about for our sons? Would you want your son to marry a woman like you? That is exactly the kind of woman he will be seeking in just a few short years. She will be the kind of woman that is raising your grandchildren. Do our children see us following and honoring God in all we do? Do they see us in the Word? Do they see us serving? Do they see our hearts?
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The last, and final thought, is in women in leadership, primarily in the church. I have been accused of having too high of opinions and even being judgemental on a few certain topics that I feel the Bible is clear on. Women in ministry is one of them. I see clearly in scripture that God has called men to be the leaders in the home and in the church. It does not mean that women don't hold specific roles as well, or that they cannot minister or teach in other ways. 1st Timothy 2:12-14 clearly states that a woman should not be in a teaching position in authority over a man. He goes on to clearly explain that it is because the woman is easily deceived. Ouch! How can we glorify God even in this? By accepting what He has said, understanding that His way is the only way, trusting and praying that God would rise up Godly men who will stand up and teach. If you have followed any of the falling away of the church, then you are clearly aware of the movement to accept women as pastors and leaders in the church. How many other "little" things have we denied in scripture to get to this point? Are we willing as women to accept even this, without calling it denying our rights as women, and trust God to again glorify His name as we honor it? Has he really withheld anything from us in putting men into this position? I often tell my girls when they try that tactic that that is just a "woman's excuse". Remember Eve in the garden? Satan deceived her by tricking her that God was withholding something from her by not allowing her to eat from the tree.
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Stand up Christian woman and rise to the mighty calling that God has for you! It is a time in history, a pivotal time, to decide just who you are in Christ. Go to the word. Cling to it, and obey it. It will cost you your life, all your preconceived ideas of what will make you happy, and bring eternal rewards. God created woman, and He called it good!

Words of the Wise

God gives us pain because it is the only way we can see the times He catches us when we stumble. God gives us hardship and suffering because it helps us understand His true love.
~Alexis, age 13

Delving into the Minor Prophets

After finishing reading Revelation I contemplated just where to start reading next. Several years ago I decided to read through the Bible chronologically, starting with the New Testament. My intention was to read straight through, each book of the Bible, and wound up taking a 4 year journey into the Word of God. What I thought would be a quick process turned into a lot of soul searching and spiritual growth that has made me love the word of God even more. So, now that the kids and I are working through Genesis I really wanted to start somewhere else in the Old Testament. The Lord led me to study the Minor Prophets, starting with Joel. Here we go...

The first thing I realized was how much of John's Revelation was being spoken of through Joel, as well. We serve a God who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. A God who has this all planned out from the beginning, so it is reassuring to us nearsighted sheep to be reminded of this again. The other thing I realized was that there was no opening to the book. It is as if the urgency of the message was so heavy to Joel that he just delves into the prophesy without much introduction or explanation. I often wonder about how, when, and where these prophecies took place in these men's lives. I wonder if anyone believed them. Or if people just thought "There he goes again", "Why does he think God is talking to him?", "Crazy guy!".

But Joel found this worthy to tell not just his listeners, but the coming generations of the great and mighty deeds of God.The land appears to be under attack by locust. I think of how God uses locust elsewhere in scripture as a judgement after warning his children to repent. I think of the "locust" in our culture that are destroying our land. Joel warns these people to "Wake up, you drunkard, and weep!". It is as if these people are oblivious to what is happening right under their noses. But as they ignore it, God makes it unavoidably obvious to them. Causing the locust to be so great in number that they destroy all that is before them; the crops of wheat and barley, the fruit trees and crops of the field. They are so many in number that they are compared to charging warriors, scaling the walls like soldiers, rushing upon the city, climbing into the houses like thieves through the windows. And it is the Lord that thunders at the head of his army. The day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?

But what is the Lord's intent with this attack? It is to turn His people, His called and chosen people, back to Him. To rend their hearts, and not their garments. His desire is that they would return to God with all their hearts, with fasting and weeping and mourning over their sins. For God is gracious, and slow to anger and abounding in love for His people. For it is not God's desire to harm His people, but neither will He contend with being made a mockery of. His righteousness and justice go before Him.

When the people do repent, God will once again be jealous for His land and take pity on His people. He will open the floodgates and pour out on them Himself and His blessings. God will make all things right through His judgement. And the people of God will praise His name, for He has worked wonders. He will be a refuge and a stronghold for His people.

Multitudes, multitudes are in the valley of decision! Choose this day whom you will serve. Being indifferent is a choice. Either be hot or cold. For the day of the Lord is near.

Just a Nuggett

Just a nugget from God's word that really encouraged me this morning:

Psalm 89:14Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.

As I have been contemplating just how the two go together (love and doctrine) God has shown me how he combines them.