Calm After the Storm

Wednesday Shiphrah had her two month check-up appointment and we went to Bi-County Gwinnett Pediatrics. We had a pleasant experience: I came prepared with all the forms filled out in advance, submitted the new insurance card and co-payment. The reception desk was friendly and they also took the other forms I prepared for both Moriah and Lily at the same time. Within about 10 minutes or so we were moved to triage. Shiphrah weighed in at 11 pounds and 10 ounces. :-) The triage nurse was nice and enjoyed playing with her while doing her examination. When we moved into our formal examination room we were met with a medical student within a short time who asked basic questions and performed a simple exam. After another 10 minutes or so the doctor comes in and does her round of questions and exam. Everything went very pleasant until Shiphrah received her vaccinations. The expected crying commenced and she was comforted accordingly. Upon leaving we were able to check out with our next appointment set. We were in and out in 75 minutes. Yay!

Then the storm began. (Literally it started raining when we left.) Then Shiphrah began screaming, literally screaming, in pain for the next 12 hours. She did have some short bouts of unsettled comfort, maybe 30 to 45 minutes. But her appetite was abated and when she was hungry, she couldn't bear the pressure on her thighs to breastfeed! G'Wanda came over from work to help out. I could not have made it through the evening without her help! She did finally eat from her first bottle which she was VERY reluctant to take. Every time she kicked her leg, pressure was put against it, or she was in any position other than over the shoulder, she would scream bloody murder. It was really rough. I don't mean regular baby crying. Her face would get red, hot and sweaty, the scream was blood curdling and her entire body would tense up. Her entire left thigh was red. She did not run any fever but it was obvious that she was miserable. Tylenol didn't do anything to relieve her pain.

But, by the grace of God alone, at about 1:30 a.m. it stopped! It was like a miracle! Seriously, one minute she is screaming and then the very next minute she would coo at me, kick her legs and not be in pain! It was amazing! She nursed and was fine! Then she slept for 5 hours before her next feeding! Thank the Lord! I can't describe the gratitude Jeramy and I had when she was no longer in pain AND slept well.

I don't know if we'll submit to those vaccines again. If we can put them off until she's older, I think I would much prefer that instead.

Baby Projects

There are several things we've been doing around the house to get ready for the new baby. And I've not been very good at being specific in sharing them. :-(

One of the main things was to convert the guest bedroom closet from the previous office storage space back to a functional closet. Unfortunately I don't have a before picture, but use your imagination. The existing shelves were removed. The holes were spackled, sanded and painted. The hanging clothes rod and the doors had to be installed. Jeramy did an excellent job. Don't you think?

An unexpected repair was made to the ceiling fan. This is another testimony of God's grace and provision. One night Jeramy went into the room and pulled the cord to turn on the light then he proceeded into the closet to resume some work. Suddenly the ceiling fan crashed down to the floor while Jeramy was standing in the closet!! However the previous owners had it installed was incorrect. It was one of those where the motor hangs down from the ceiling mount and swayed while the fan turned. Imagine all the horrible scenarios had it happened at any other time!!!! God is good and He is sovereign and merciful!! Pictured below is the new ceiling fan, mini blind and the new location of the guest bed.

We really needed a new changing table. The one we have been using was used from Jeramy's cousin and we've put it to really good use. But it's been falling apart. The repairs could easily be made by hand, but some aspects of the design could be improved upon. For instance, the two shelves underneath have been unusable for most things because the girls pull items off or climb on it and the particle board pieces have finally broken. So, I designed a sketch for a new changing table that would be more stable, safe and enduring. Here are some pictures of its construction and the last photo shows that it has been coated twice with stain and once with gloss. It may be ready by the due date for functional use. It looks great, yeah?! And it's real wood. Notice that the side guard rails are removable so that one day it could be used as another dresser or furniture piece. Cool feature, huh?!

To go with the new changing table, Jeramy suggested I make a pad instead of buying one. I purchased another piece of polyurethane foam, this time 2" thick, and covered it over with a waterproof fabric. It came out much nicer, I think, than the hearth cover. It's 18" x 34". Normal retail price is in the $30-$40 range. I got the foam on 50% sale at Jo-Ann Fabrics and the fabric was discounted too, but I don't remember by how much. The total cost was probably around $20.

Afterwards, I considered that the baby might not like lying on some plastic waterproof fabric. So I decided to make some pad covers. I chose fleece because it's soft and doesn't fray at the edges. I turned the sides and corners, sewed them down and inserted some soft stretch elastic. Boom, there you go. I chose to use the elastic because simply laying a blanket on top of the slick pad won't keep it in place when the child is active or when lowering/lifting the child up and down. The covers were only a 2-hour project. When I saw how easy they were to make, I made some more for other friends of mine who just had babies. For them I made it easy to remove the elastic if they desired to use it like a regular blanket and I think they liked it. :-) It's not expensive (I got the fabric on sale at Hobby Lobby), not difficult and personal. If you bought a changing pad cover at Walmart it's $9.50. All the elastic and fabric together cost about $21 for 3 covers!! Here are the cute prints I chose for our new baby girl.

God's Grace on a Tuesday

Last Tuesday, Mom planned to drive back up to Virginia for one more visit before beginning work at her new job. All the preparations were made and she set out early in the morning. As she was driving up the highway, not more than 50 miles, she began to feel dizzy and noticed some kind of visible fumes coming out of her air conditioning vents. She also realized that she had been following a carbon monoxide truck for quite some time.

After turning the A/C off and opening the windows, she decided that she needed to pull over when she could no longer read the writing on the road signs. She pulled off at an exit near Jefferson into a Waffle House parking lot. After resting a few minutes in the car she realized that her condition was not improving and she needed an ambulance. She was able to step out of the vehicle and enter the Waffle House before collapsing on the floor with a fully conscious seizure.

The employees called an ambulance which came and took her to the hospital. We met her in the ER and she appeared, in all respects, to be normal. The EMT personnel did not give her any medication and she seemed to recover on her own. After only a few hours of collecting blood work and performing other tests, the ER discharged her and we took her home.

The next day the mechanic found nothing wrong with her vehicle and concluded that it was safe to drive. The day after, Friday, Mom's follow-up appointment with the doctor indicated that her episode was consistent with carbon monoxide poisoning and should not produce any long-term side effects.

Praise the Lord!

So many other things could have happened! This situation could have ended much, much worse than it did! God's grace is great and amazing! We know that He still has some work for my Mom to do, more time to learn, be sanctified and to glorify our God in heaven! He is sovereign, even if the circumstances were drastically different. Let us trust in Him.

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that."

James 4:13-15

Christmas in April! Part 2: Tupperware!

When Grandma Jane came up to watch the girls when Jeramy went to TX for a couple of days, she decided to give Jeramy and me our housewarming present: Tupperware! It was really funny how she approached me with it. She said that she didn't want to offend me (since our cabinets were in disarray) but asked if would I like to have some more organization in the kitchen. I said I was open to the idea, but I didn't know what would work to make it better. Then she said the magic word, "Tupperware". So I called Jennifer and she came over and spent about 3 hours with us gabbing in the kitchen and helping me to decide what items would work best. Let me tell you that it looks awesome! Notice how much more room there is available in our cabinets! I do confess that I was unwilling at this time to get rid of some of the boxes. :-)

My in-laws are so very generous. Through them I have learned more about how immeasurable the grace of God really is, because you can't even begin to pay back all the kindness you've received. It is the same with the Andersons. Thank you so much Mr. and Mrs. Anderson for your really awesome housewarming gift!!!

Scriptures For Saturday

I will cry to God Most High,

To God who accomplishes all things for me.

Psalm 57:2

This passage hit me today as I was reading along. Notice the utter dependence on God, looking to Him only, resting on His power and ability to accomplish all things. See that this verse is not speaking of the health/wealth prosperity "gospel" preached today in some churches, but in the context of the remaining verses of the Psalm and the book as a whole, it speaks of spiritual things: refuge, salvation, mercy, lovingkindness, grace, strength, vindication, the application of righteousness and holiness. This verse reminded me of the following two passages:

Bless our God, O peoples,

And sound His praise abroad,

Who keeps us in life

And does not allow our feet to slip.

Psalm 66:8-9

In Him you also, having heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation - having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise who is given as a pledge of our inheritance with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.

Ephesians 1:13-14

In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 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.

Philippians 1:4-6

Salvation is a work completely begun and finished by Almighty God. God's grace for salvation is not a reward for repentance, it is the cause. And likewise the application of sanctification and perseverance in the faith. We can rest in the accomplished work of Christ on the Cross knowing that God is the one who keeps us from straying out of His hand.

"My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand."

John 10:29

It Is So Much Easier

• to complain rather than be grateful;
• to keep peace rather than make peace;
• to rely on human effort rather than divine grace;
• to be unrestrained rather than self-controlled;
• to say what we think rather than bridling our tongue;
• to think of me rather than you;
• to envy the unrighteous rather than count our blessings;
• to indulge the desires of the flesh rather than walk in holiness;
• to veg in front of the TV rather than read God's Word;
• to do things our way rather than yield to God's means and ends.

The Law came in so that the transgression would increase;

but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more . . .

Romans 5:20

Grace swallows up our weaknesses, overpowering them to allow us to live righteously unto eternal life in Christ Jesus!

My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.

2 Corinthians 12:9

For Grace, Not Despair

O Lord, rebuke me not in Your wrath,

And chasten me not in Your burning anger.

For Your arrows have sunk deep into me,

And Your hand has pressed down on me.

There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation;

There is no health in my bones because of my sin.

For my iniquities are gone over my head;

As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.

Psalm 38:1-4

There have been times in my walk with Christ where the Holy Spirit makes me aware of a boatload of sinful tendencies all at one time. Discontentment, ungodly easily provoked anger, lack of self-control, self-centeredness, selfishness, lack of love, gluttony, ungratefulness, unbridled tongue, bitterness, resentment and pride. Any attempts to repent and overcome these sins in order to walk in holiness by my own strength utterly fails. At this, a new temptation arises - despair. But the Holy Spirit does not make me aware of these things to cause me despair - He does it so that I will repent, yes, but rely on His strength through the grace of Jesus Christ instead of my own human efforts at behavior modification. It's kind of like a heightened sense of what some unrepentant people think before they can come to Christ, "Let me get my life together first - then I'll come to Christ." But the Gospel is not about behavior modification, that's the business of psychologists. Christ takes utterly useless, wickedly abased people and transforms them into vessels of mercy for His glory. He is in the business of heart transformation.

Repentance is still important for the daily practice of walking in the holiness and righteousness of Christ, but the crucial thing to remember is to rely totally on the grace of God and not mere human strength and human effort. The divine spiritual realm is needed to overcome the physical stronghold of sin. What is spiritual created everything that's physical - what awesome power lies in the hands of our Great God! How then could I possibly rely on physical strength and fallen human will to accomplish a divine work begun and completed in the Spirit?!

Wretched woman that I am! Who will set me free from this body of death?

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Romans 7:24-25

When Satan tempts me to despair

and tells me of the guilt within

Upward I look and see Him there

Who made an end of all my sin.

Because the sinless Savior died,

My sinful soul is counted free

For God the Just is satisfied

to look on Him and pardon me.

A Woman's Work Is Never Done

There's always more laundry that needs to be sorted, washed, folded, put away. There's always some dish that needs to be cleaned. There's always a dirty bathroom, dirty floor, mail, bills, meals, diapers, dust and more and more laundry. All of these things strike me as vain. Just as soon as I've finished the laundry for this week, I have to start again. Just as soon as I've finished cleaning the kitchen or vacuuming the floor, it gets dirty again. I feel like I'm going to spend the next several years just cleaning over and over and over again. Am I going to clean my life away and miss what I'm staying home for?

She looks well to the ways of her household,

And does not eat the bread of idleness.

Give her the product of her hands,

And let her works praise her in the gates.

Proverbs 31:27 & 31

"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing."

John 15:4-5

"My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness."

1 Corinthians 12:9

In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will . . . a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.

Ephesians 1:8-10

HEAVENLY FATHER,

Thou hast placed me in the church

which thy Son purchased by his own blood.

Add grace to grace that I may live worthy of my vocation.

I am a voyager across life's ocean;

Safe in heaven's ark, may I pass through a troubled world into the harbour of eternal rest.

I am a tree of the vineyard thou hast planted.

Grant me not to be barren, with worthless leaves and wild grapes;

Prune me of useless branches;

Water me with dews of blessing.

I am part of the Lamb's bride, the church.

Help me to be true, faithful, chaste, loving, pure, devoted;

Let no strong affection wantonly dally with the world.

May I live high above a love of things temporal,

sanctified, cleansed, unblemished, hallowed by grace,

thy love my fullness,

thy glory my joy,

thy precepts my pathway,

thy cross my resting place.

My heart is not always a flame of adoring love,

But, resting in thy Son's redemption,

I look forward to the days of heaven,

where no langour shall oppress,

no iniquities chill,

no mists of unbelief dim the eye,

no zeal ever tires.

Father, these thoughts are the stay, prop, and comfort of my soul.

(The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions. Ed. Arthur Bennett. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1975. pp 306-307.)

What Reminds Me to Be Grateful

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

But God, being rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the so-called, "Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human hands- remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenant of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY AND TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR, for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then, you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

Ephesians 2

Christ Is Enough

"I have no longings for another; I'm satisfied in Him alone." Is Christ enough for us? I pray daily for a grateful heart, remembering that I could just as easily have been on the fast track to hell, but by His grace alone, I am not. There is nothing else on earth that can satisfy like Christ who "is all in all" (Ephesians 1:23 NASB). In Heaven we will be able to be enamored with the beauty of Christ's face. If we don't want this, then we don't want Heaven. I Will Glory In My Redeemer, if you click on the song title in the list, you will hear the first verse. If you order anything from Sovereign Grace Ministries, shipping is free and their prices are very inexpensive.

I Will Glory In My Redeemer

I will glory in my Redeemer

whose priceless blood has ransomed me.

Mine was the sin that drove the bitter nails

and hung him on that judgment tree.

I will glory in my Redeemer

who crushed the pow'r of sin and death.

My only Savior before the Holy Judge:

The Lamb who is my Righteousness.

The Lamb who is my Righteousness.

I will glory in my Redeemer.

My life He bought, my love He owns.

I have no longings for another;

I'm satisfied in Him alone.

I will glory in my Redeemer.

His faithfulness, my standing place.

Though foes are mighty and rush upon me,

My feet are firm, held by His grace.

My feet are firm, held by His grace.

I will glory in my Redeemer

who carries me on eagle's wings.

He crowns my life with lovingkindness.

His triumph song I'll ever sing.

I will glory in my Redeemer

who waits for me at gates of gold

And when He calls me it will be Paradise:

His face forever to behold!

His face forever to behold!

Discontentment & Idols of The Heart

What is it that we desire most? What is it that will make us happy and content? What motivates us to do the things we do? Do we complain? Why?

"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Matthew 6:21-22

The heart is the source of all human motivations. If we do things for our own pleasure, peace, freedom, love, comfort, meaning, success, control, respect or reputation we have exchanged the Living God for an idol. In reality, all sin can be summarized as idolatry. When we commit a sin, we substitute obedience to God for obedience to something else whether the world, flesh or devil.

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

1 John 2:15-16

Jesus Christ, the all-powerful Creator, Redeemer, our Righteousness, is not enough. We need something more. I need Christ and . . .

Do we believe this? Do our actions show this by complaining, grumbling, in bitter envy, jealousy, strife and discontented attitudes? Are we convinced that someone or something else will fully satisfy us more than Christ? Compromised trust in Christ is really a turning away from God because we're not satisfied only with Christ; we want more.

The human heart is a factory of idols. Our sin nature produces insatiable, unending lists of desires. Those desires are idols if it is not a hunger and thirst after the Living God.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."

Matthew 5:6

Who is our Righteousness but Christ Himself?

Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You.

I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord; I have no good besides You."

The LORD is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot.

The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.

You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy;

In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Psalm 16:1, 2, 5, 6, 11

See how content the psalmist is in the LORD? See how grateful he is to God for all of His benefits? How about the contentment of Paul. As we read through his epistles, we know that he didn't write these words in a spiritual vacuum.

Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:11-13

But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.

1 Timothy 6:6-8

And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever. Our circumstances are always changing, in some ways we like and other ways in which we don't like. But God stays the same. He is uppermost in His own affections. There is no higher being, nothing more satisfying than knowing God. That's why God commands us to love Him above everything else, with every part of us. God is glorified by godly means but we must understand that God's glory is the end also.

In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him, with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.

Ephesians 1:8-10

All things - ALL THINGS - find their purpose in Christ. If we, as true believers, do not live as though we are completely satisfied in Christ, what reason will non-believers have to consider the gospel? As chasing after the world is vain (Ecclesiastes) and Christ doesn't satisfy, then there truly is no hope for any of us.

May we cry out with the psalmist and Peter:

Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.

My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Psalm 73:25-26

Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God."

John 6:68-69

Christ is enough, more than enough for me - may my actions and attitudes reflect that.

Independence Day, 2009

Two Scriptures in particular have been on my mind all day, in reference to our nation:

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:1

"When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

2 Chronicles 7:13-14

America is not a Christian nation though it was founded upon a Judeo-Christian ethic that recognized the authority of Scripture in regards to our Creation, Corruption, Catastrophe and Confusion that occur in the first 11 chapters of Genesis (and all that follow for that matter). The founding fathers recognized the sinful nature and proposed the laws and system of government as a way to deal with it - to keep lawlessness and those individuals in power, in check. The further away our varying governing authorities get from the authority of God's Word, the more arbitrary they deem the law, the more corrupt our society will become. America will soon collapse if we continue on this slippery slope.

Confession & Petition

Holy Lord,

I have sinned times without number,

and been guilty of pride and unbelief,

of failure to find thy mind in thy Word,

of neglect to seek thee in my daily life.

My transgressions and short-comings

present me with a list of accusations,

But I bless thee that they will not stand against me,

for all have been laid on Christ;

Go on to subdue my corruptions,

and grant me grace to live above them.

Let not the passions of the flesh nor lustings

of the mind bring my spirit into subjection,

but do thou rule over me in liberty and power.

I thank thee that many of my prayers

have been refused-

I have asked amiss and do not have,

I have prayed from lusts and been rejected,

I have longed for Egypt and been given a

wilderness.

Go on with thy patient work,

answering 'no' to my wrongful prayers,

and fitting me to accept it.

Purge me from every false desire,

every base aspiration,

everything contrary to thy rule.

I thank thee for thy wisdom and thy love,

for all the acts of discipline to which I am subject,

for sometimes putting me into the furnace

to refine my gold and remove my dross.

No trial is so hard to bear as a sense of sin.

If thou shouldst give me choice to live

in pleasure and keep my sins,

or to have them burnt away with trial,

give me sanctified affliction.

Deliver me from every evil habit,

every accretion of former sins,

everything that dims the brightness

of thy grace in me,

everything that prevents me taking delight

in thee.

Then I shall bless thee, God of Jeshurun,

for helping me to be upright.

[Amen.]

(The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions. Ed. Arthur Bennett. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1975. pp 138-139.)

Jeshurun: Deuteronomy 32-33 and Isaiah 44:2

An Unresolved Tension

I feel that there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish all of the things I feel I need to do, I want to do, I'm compelled to do, commanded to do and feel obligated to do. I understand that all things have a certain level of priority to them. But I often think of how some of these women who have many more children than I, who homeschool, nurse babies, teach, sew, do laundry, clean, cook, etc. find the time to do all these things, maintain their sanity and, more than that, do so graciously with a gentle and quiet spirit, completely content in the grace of Christ.

Honestly, I don't know how they do it. I feel as though there are so many of these different things that I am unable to do - but I give them up, reasoning that this time to raise my children is short and could be gone so quickly. I consider that there are some tasks to undertake that will make a more lasting impression, with a more righteous origin and motive. How is it possible that I could do all these things? I suppose that the Proverbs 31 woman didn't have a whole lot of spare time, as active as she was. Maybe my problem is that I need to use every moment of every day more wisely and find more efficient ways of doing those things that are necessary that I find myself doing daily, like laundry, dishes, cleaning, etc.

Because of all these things competing for my time, I feel very discouraged, as though I thought I knew what was the most important, giving priority to that task, but I really don't. Perhaps by filling my life with all these things, making the most out of the time I have, I am afraid I would then give in to busyness and miss out on yet something else I might regret later. Perhaps all of this is just the fear of disappointing the people I love, maybe it's pride, anxiety or self-centeredness. I don't know.

---------------------

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.

Galatians 6:9

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Ephesians 5:15-17

A Psalm & A Prayer

Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You.

I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord;

I have no good besides You."

As for the saints who are in the earth,

They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.

The sorrows of those who have bartered for another god will be multiplied;

I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood,

Nor will I take their names upon my lips.

The LORD is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;

You support my lot.

The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;

Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.

I will bless the LORD who has counseled me;

Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night.

I have set the LORD continually before me;

Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;

My flesh also will dwell securely.

For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol;

Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.

You will make known to me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Psalm 16

THE GREAT GOD

O Fountain of All Good,

Destroy in me every lofty thought,

Break pride to pieces sand scatter it to the winds,

Annihilate each clinging shred of self-righteousness,

Implant in me true lowliness of spirit,

Abase me to self-loathing and self-abhorrence,

Open in me a fount of penitential tears,

Break me, then bind me up;

Thus will my heart be a prepared dwelling for my God;

Then can the Father take up his abode in me,

Then can the blessed Jesus come with healing in his touch,

Then can the Holy Spirit descend in sanctifying grace;

O Holy Trinity, three Persons and one God,

inhabit me, a temple consecrated to thy glory.

When thou are present, evil cannot abide;

In thy fellowship is fullness of joy,

Beneath thy smile is peace of conscience,

By thy side no fears disturb,

no apprehensions banish rest of mind,

With thee my heart shall bloom with fragrance;

Make me meet, through repentance,

for thine indwelling.

Nothing exceeds thy power,

Nothing is too great for thee to do,

Nothing too good for thee to give.

Infinite is thy might, boundless thy love,

limitless thy grace, glorious thy saving name.

Let angels sing for

sinners repenting,

prodigals restored,

backsliders reclaimed,

Satan's captives released,

blind eyes opened,

broken hearts bound up,

the despondent cheered,

the self-righteous stripped,

the formalist driven from a refuge of lies,

the ignorant enlightened,

and saints built up in their holy faith.

I ask great things of a great God.

(The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions. Ed. Arthur Bennett. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1975. pp 8-9.)

Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

This hymn reflects my thoughts from yesterday on Galatians ("He, to rescue me from danger") and here lately as the Spirit has caused me to meditate on the abundance of His grace and power at work in every believer, especially in the realm of fighting against the world, flesh and devil (O to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be).  For a wonderful list of all the blessings lavished on believers, see Ephesians chapter one, some of which I wrote in bullet format here.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ . . .

Ephesians 1:3

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing, 

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;

Streams of mercy, never ceasing, 

Call for songs of loudest praise:

Teach me some melodious sonnet, 

Sung by flaming tongues above;

Praise the mount!  I'm fixed upon it, 

Mount of Thy redeeming love.

Here I raise mine Ebenezer; 

Hither by Thy help I'm come;

And I hope, by Thy good pleasure, 

Safely to arrive at home:

Jesus sought me when a stranger, 

Wandering from the fold of God;

He, to rescue me from danger, 

Interposed His precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor 

Daily I'm constrained to be!

Let Thy grace, Lord, like a fetter, 

Bind my wandering heart to Thee:

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, 

Prone to leave the God I love;

Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it, 

Seal it for Thy courts above.

O that day when freed from sinning, 

I shall see Thy lovely face;

Clothed then in blood washed linen 

How I'll sing Thy sovereign grace;

Come, my Lord, no longer tarry, 

Take my ransomed soul away;

Send thine angels now to carry 

Me to realms of endless day.

For all the verses and a brief biography visit cyberhymnal.

Thoughts From Galatians

Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead), and all the brethren who are with me,

To the churches of Galatia:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forevermore.  Amen.

Galatians 1:1-5

This opening salutation struck me a few nights ago when I read it:

How careful Paul is to clearly articulate that his apostleship is by the will of God (Eph 1:1), not the will of man and that it is the Father who receives all the credit for this.

The language used in this salutation causes mental images to arise, like that of Jesus Christ, the volunteer as He "gave Himself for our sins."  And His volunteering was for the ultimate good, to "rescue us from this present evil age".  

A mental image pops up - that of a damsel in distress.  Imagine an innocent victim captured by a wicked evil doer who plans torture of endless, various kinds and the palatable reality of death who is then miraculously rescued in the nick of time by our strong, triumphant knight in shining armor!  Except the rescue is so much greater than that and the evil of this age is so much worse than what we realize.

The Holy Spirit encouraged me with the following familiar verses:

"We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.  But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin?  May it never be!  For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor.  For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God.  I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.  I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly."

Galatians 2:15-21

In the context of sanctification this phrase, "Christ lives in me," has given me a renewed sense of hope.  I have been rescued from the worst evil, redeemed by a holy and righteous Volunteer who bore the wrath of God - which I could never begin to satisfy against my own sin - and now by faith that comes through grace, CHRIST lives in me! How awesome is that?!  Not only am I rescued, I am empowered to live righteously to the glory of God.  God's grace is enough because Christ - Christ Himself - lives in me.  The "surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe" (Eph 1:19) is magnified all the more.  These thoughts of rescue, redemption, and the infinite immensity of God's power is manifested by the fact, the fact, that Christ lives in me.  This is the power at work in me, that empowers me with the divine will to resist the world, flesh and the devil.  My systematic theology professor, when asked if it were possible for Christ to commit a sin answered that, "No.  He could not because He was God.  Physically He could commit sin, but His will was so opposed to sin, being God Himself, He hates sin and could never execute a sinful act."  This is the same Christ who lives in me!

That is such an encouraging thought.  God, give me the same hatred for sin, personal sin, that you have.  Thank you, Father!

A Busy, Blessed Day

Today is packed full of wonderful fellowship and ministry!

This morning Mom left to walk through her new home and signed the papers for closing the deal early this afternoon! So, Mom was only officially homeless for one day. :-) After receiving her items this weekend and unpacking to the point of her satisfaction, she will fly back to VA and drive back down with the dogs, Rocky (chocolate lab) and Daisy (border collie mix).

This morning Jeramy, Moriah, Lily and I went to McDaniel Farm Park for a walk. I enjoyed the fellowship of two young believing ladies and Jeramy took Moriah for an "off roading" adventure.

After our wonderful, hot walk, we visited our church family friends for lunch and Jeramy gave them some green thumb pointers.

Currently, we are back home enjoying the air conditioning while the Jeramy and the girls take naps. Later we will go visit Mom's new house before going to the ESL ministry and afterwards . . . some romantic time for Jeramy and I alone gazing at the stars!

Anyway, I just consider how wonderful it is to fellowship and enjoy time with our Christian brothers and sisters. I'm very grateful and thankful for the ability to spend time with these inspiring young women. As I become more acquainted with them, it encourages me in seeing their examples of how to show grace and gratitude. These are women of virtue who are chaste, content, gracious, hard-working, loving, gentle, thankful and faithful. What they do is not glamorous, but there is glory in it. I'm very glad to associate with women of this extraordinary character because it encourages me in my walk with Christ. So often discouragement can set in while struggling with the presence of sin, carrying around this body of death. Although Christ has come to set us free from the power of sin, struggling is still something we do daily as we desire to depart from its presence and influence. But as I watch these women in their lives, I am encouraged that sanctification STILL continues and I will not always struggle like I struggle now, but there is hope that each day I am becoming more and more like Christ. 

Still . . . .

Come Lord Jesus, come!

What The Gospel Is Not

The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is not simply behavior modification.  God is primarily interested in the condition of our hearts, not simply our outward habitual practices.

It is true that a changed heart is evidenced by a changed life, i.e. the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25, Romans 6, etc.).  But what is the event that is causing this change, something God did or people did?

Changing our outward behavior of our own effort will not justify us before a holy and righteous God when the Day of Judgment comes.  It is only through faith, trust and hope in Christ alone, His work of redemption and resurrection, that secure the way to eternal life.  And this is all a work of God's grace alone which He does within His elect, His beloved Church.

The motives of the heart change dramatically and are now driven by a desire to please God and remain aligned according to His will, glorifying His name.  Behavior modification is just exchanging one idol (drugs, gangs, self autonomy) for another (hobby, AA, family & children).  The Bible calls us to worship God alone.  Jesus Christ came to redeem those who He has chosen; to free them from the power and slavery to sin and give them eternal life.  

Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.

John 17:3

A Simple Prayer

"Lord, give what Thou commandest

and command what Thou wilt."

St. Augustine of Hippo

An Unexpected Confrontation

Today Jeramy and I decided to take a walk around our neighborhood and get some exercise.  As we were heading up the hill from our townhouse a black man with a book in his hand, determined to speak with us, began admiring our children.  Immediately he asked us if we were Bible readers.  After naming specific books, Proverbs, Psalms, Romans and Ephesians, he continued to speak with us regarding spiritual things.  

My first immediate inclination in response to how quickly he began to speak of divine things cautioned me to think that he was either a Jehovah's Witness or a Mormon.  After offering us an extra-biblical book, Jeramy asked by whom it was published and my suspicions were confirmed - Jehovah's (FALSE) Witness.

Perhaps you've been stopped by them before, even at your doorstep.  My Dad was an object of such proselytization before he came to the Creator and Redeemer, who is God in the flesh, Jesus Christ, as revealed in Scripture.  The only infinitely valuable being able to endure infinite wrath against a Holy God as He became sin on our behalf.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word WAS God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

John 1:1-3

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

George Santayana

This heresy is just the Arian heresy (300AD) recycled in 1872 by Charles Russell.  The Church addressed Arianism back in the 300's but when it later revived, where was the church leadership at that time to refute it and herald a Sovereign Savior, Lord and God, Jesus Christ?  This sect of false religions have totally taken certain Scriptures out of context and preached a bad news gospel.

They know their bad translated text very well and can 

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.

1 Peter 3:15

In fact, I believe this man might have been a preacher of such heresy.  But these individuals won't go back to the original Greek and Hebrew.  They don't spend time learning those languages to understand that their "scriptures" are full of calculated heretical support for the propagation of this false teaching and as a result make it very difficult to be dissuaded by actual Truth, who is the Great I AM, Jesus Christ.

The eye is the lamp of the body;  so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

Matthew 6:22-23

Do you ever feel like living and preaching the Gospel is an uphill battle?  I think that it's more difficult to correct someone's false doctrines than to preach to those who've never heard.

Praise God that it is HIS grace that saves individuals and not our efforts to work with Him, but only our obedience to His glory, which He affects anyway, again, all to His glory!