Christiana...Today!

This Blog is Moving

2011-06-12T00:11:00.000-07:00

Thank you for stopping by! I will soon be deleting this blog, and have a new public blog (with all the articles that are here plus new stuff) up and ready for a visit from you. Check it out at myrashealy.blogspot.com. And if you have this blog linked on yours, please make the appropriate changes. Thanks, friends!

Where is God When Disaster Strikes?

2011-03-28T07:29:00.000-07:00

A visiting pastor spoke in our evening service last night and gave some timely insight from Luke 13:1-3 to the question "where is God when disaster strikes?" In the aftermath of the devastating tsunami that hit Japan, many people are stopping to consider what has happened and why.

When Jesus was asked to help his disciples make sense out of a tragedy that killed many people, his response called them to do three things:

1. Consider their own mortality.

2. Consider their own accountability.

3. Consider their own eternity.

We live in an age where people are tempted to think that death is rare, but it is common and life is desperately temporary. We will all die. The Scriptures teach that after that all will face judgement. The disciples wrongly thought that those who suffered a tragic death did so because they were more sinful than those who escaped. That is wrong. Thankfully, though all die, not all will perish (spend eternity separated from God and suffering punishment for their sins). Christ came to die and secure for sinners a righteousness that will be accepted before God as perfect and sufficient for any who trust in Him. There is no hope for salvation in any other!

All this should cause us to live a life of continual repentance and gratefulness for the Gospel! We must never wander away from the daily importance of what Christ has done for us, but stay camped at the foot of the cross. That is where our hope lies. We must each day awake and preach the Gospel to ourselves, lest we become self-righteous and forget the gracious love of the Savior who gave his life for undeserving sinners like all of us. Nothing will kill your love for Christ quicker than your own self-righteousness. What do we have that He hasn't given us? O, how we need Him!

When we consider tragedies and disasters in the world side by side with our belief in the sovereign control of God, it should cause us to renew our rest in Him. Put away fear and anxiety! Your sovereign God is merciful and gracious. He is awake and on duty.

Psalm 46 is a wonderfully comforting passage to remind us that God is fully in control and reigning over our world. We can put our hearts at ease in Him.

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, and

thought the mountains should slip into the heart of the sea;

though its waters roar and foam; thought its mountains quake at

its swelling pride...Come, behold the works of the Lord,

who has wrought desolations in the earth...

Cease striving and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth."

Praying for Japan

2011-03-14T07:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we watched the aerial video images that were captured as the tsunami swept over Japan. The scenes of overwhelming destruction were horrifying and seemed surreal. We could see cars trying to outrun the oncoming waves behind them, only to be overtaken by another wave that came from a different direction. Real people were dying as the camera continued recording. It broke our hearts for the people of Japan. Finally, our 9 year old son said quietly, "I guess God wants everyone to know how powerful He is."

The devastation we witnessed made us pray for the people in Japan, that God would use this catastrophic event to bring many souls to salvation. Thousands have died, but for the people who have survived I am praying that their eyes will be opened to their great need for a Savior. The mighty God who can unleash an unstoppable wave of death is the same God who tenderly offered His only precious Son to die a hideous death on the cross, so that people in Japan can cry out to Him and be saved.

I found a fascinating passage in Ezekiel 33:11 this morning. It is a message of hope and comfort to anyone, but my thoughts are on the Japanese as I read these words of the Lord: "Say to them, 'As I live!' declares the Lord GOD, 'I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways!'"

There is a very moving prayer for the people of Japan by John Piper on the Desiring God blog this morning. Click here to read it.

Spurgeon on Election

2011-01-20T08:13:00.000-08:00

"I believe the doctrine of election, because I am quite certain that, if God had not chosen me, I should never have chosen Him; and I am sure He chose me before I was born, or else He never would have chosen me afterwards; and He must have elected me for reasons unknown to me, for I never could find any reason in myself why He should have looked upon me with special love."
- Spurgeon

(My 21 year old daughter says that when she gets to heaven she is going to hang out with Spurgeon and C.S. Lewis, and is constantly quoting both of them. The above quote is from a sermon on election that she was reading out loud to me yesterday.)

Cute Quote

2011-01-19T12:57:00.000-08:00

Me, addressing my 5 year old: "Did you like Reepicheep?"

(We had just come out of the theater after watching the latest Chronicles of Narnia movie. Reepicheep is a large Narnian mouse, who is very skilled with his sword, and known for his bravery and adventurous spirit. )

My little boy: "Reepicheep is the boss!"

What God Can Do

2011-01-18T13:01:00.000-08:00

Today I was reading a new book that I picked up on Sunday called Gospel-Powered Parenting. The author, William P. Farley, shared a great quote from Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847) and was showing how it is possible for children to follow Christ in a world filled with sinful allurements.

"Christians overcome the world by seeing the beauty and excellence of Christ. They overcome the world by seeing something more attractive than the world: Christ, "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Col. 2:3)... In the same way, Christian parents try to make Christ and his kingdom glorious. Their children conquer the lusts of this world with a higher passion: the moral beauty of Christ."

Farley's own testimony of raising his five children echoes the same idea. They put all their hope in the life-transforming power of the Gospel:

"We aimed all our arrows at our children's hearts, knowing that once their hearts were changed, the decisive battle was fought and won."

I have been watching this happen in my own family. Today, I took my four sweet daughters out for a special girls time together. We reserved a study room at the library, and spent a couple of hours just talking together, and sharing what God is teaching each of us. As I sat and listened to the conversation around the table, I was so moved by what God has done/is doing in their lives. I was struck by the amazing fact that God can do in their hearts what parents can only pray for as we teach, love them, rebuke, exhort, and encourage through our days together. He captures hearts and makes them love His Son, and embrace His wisdom and His ways. I am so grateful and filled with hope for what He will do with my-- well, with His children in the days ahead.

So Thankful That...

2011-01-17T12:38:00.000-08:00

God is always the loving Father who runs with outstretched arms to welcome any wayward child who leaves the pig pen to come back home to Him.

Yes, I really love the story of the prodigal son and how it truly illustrates the heart of the Gospel.

Quoteworthy:

2011-01-16T12:35:00.000-08:00

"The goal of learning truth is living truth."

-Phil Foley in the parenting class he was teaching at church today, session 10 in the series. It is available here, if you would like to hear all the sessions.

Reciting the Victories of the Gospel

2011-01-15T22:56:00.000-08:00

In the 2003 printing of John Piper's Christian classic, Desiring God, he wrote an updated preface. The entire book is dedicated to his father, William Solomon Hottle Piper, and John Piper addresses him directly in the last paragraph:

"Finally, a word to my father. The dedicatory words I wrote in 1986 are still true seventeen years later. I look back through forty-five years and see mother at the dinner table, laughing so hard that the tears run down her face. She was a very happy woman. But especially when you came home on Monday. You had been gone two weeks. Or sometimes three or four. She would glow on Monday mornings when you were coming home.

At the diner table that night (these were the happiest of times in my memory) we would hear about the victories of the gospel. Surely it is more exciting to be the son of an evangelist than to sit with knights and warriors..."

What a statement! John Piper thought that being the son of an evangelist was more exciting than keeping company with knights and warriors. And why? There was something about his father coming home from the front lines of the spiritual battle and telling the stories of how his captain, Jesus, was winning the war. That impacted him as a young boy. His parents obviously longed to see Christ gaining victory in people's hearts. This was something they valued. They got excited about it! His dad, as a traveling evangelist, was giving his life to preaching the Gospel, and his mom, characterized as a happy woman, wanted to hear those stories, and rejoice with her husband over what God was doing. Looking back on his childhood, John Piper held those times as exciting and happy memories.

This little scene that John Piper described reminded me of the opportunity that we have as parents to influence our children. In this case, he was influenced by the example set by his parents of Gospel work, and the natural conversation that flowed out of their delight in what God was doing. How simple! Our children are listening, and they are taking notes on the things that we give our lives to, and get excited about. How fitting that the little boy around that dinner table, listening with great interest to the victories of the Gospel, grew up to be a passionate preacher and writer, who has greatly influenced many to cherish Jesus Christ as their all-satisfying treasure.

I'll be thinking of that when we sit down for our next meal together.

Enjoying Your Mother's Day Gifts

2010-05-09T21:51:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother’s Day, ladies! Maybe some of you were treated to special meals, cards, flowers, gifts, jewelry, chocolate, and other loving gifts today from your families. Or maybe some of you received none of these things and felt forgotten today. Whatever the case, you were already given the one gift that qualifies you to celebrate Mother’s Day as a mom…..CHILDREN! And God himself is the one that presented you with that precious gift. He is kind, isn’t He??!!

Often when we receive something as a gift, it comes with instructions, use and care guidelines, or tips for maximum enjoyment. Did you know that when God gave you children he gave you a special manual to help you enjoy your role as a mom to the maximum degree? It’s true! The One who breathes the breath of life into every newborn infant, and created the parents that were involved in the procreation process that brought the child into existence, knows the very best way for children to be raised to adulthood. He has had these principles written down in His word, the Bible, available to all who would read and apply them to their lives.

Often the principles in the Bible that affect motherhood in the greatest way are principles that relate to heart attitudes of the parents. I’m very thankful for the wealth of wisdom regarding such topics as the discipline and instruction of children in the Bible, but I have to say that before I can get to the "how to's", I need the kind of help that simply starts with my own heart, and deals with the sinful attitudes with which I struggle.

With that said, when I cultivate the following three heart attitudes, I find that I greatly enjoy the eight gifts that God has so graciously entrusted into my care for a few short years. And really the years of having children in our homes passes quickly, so there is no time to waste.
So, to fully enjoy your Mother’s Day gifts (your children), ask God to give you…

I. …a heart of excited joy

Your child is a display of God’s amazing handiwork! God is revealed in His creation and man is the pinnacle of His creative genius. Psalm 139 talks about how each and every person is wonderfully made. When we look at a beautiful painting, we not only admire the beauty before us, we say “Whoever painted this is an awesome artist!” I marvel especially when I hold a newborn baby and see the perfection of each little fingernail and eyelash. Modern science in all of its technological advances, can’t fully explain how the human body works in all of its intricacies. It makes me say, “There is a God! Look what He can do!!!” Beyond that, the Christian can say, “MY God did this, and he is amazing!” It should fill our hearts with joy to know the God that made the whole world and your child.

When you think of your child, you should also get excited! The same God, who made children and put them into our families, has exciting work to do through you. His plan is that parents would be the primary instrument through which the next generation of worshippers would be raised up. Psalm 78:1-4, and verses 6 and 7 tell us that God wants parents to tell the next generation to come of the wonders He has done, and that He is worthy of their trust. It’s an exciting privilege and He wants to use you to lead your children to Him.

Ask God to give you….

II. …a heart of humble gratitude

We live in a culture that is all about demanding rights and getting what we “deserve”. But the Scriptures teach that, from God’s perspective, our sin makes us deserving of only one thing—death! So when God comes to undeserving sinful man and offers His Son Jesus Christ to pay for their offenses against Him, we should marvel at his grace and bow before Him in humility and gratefulness. For the believer, we should see everything He gives beyond His forgiveness as a further marvel of His kindness to undeserving sinners. That’s how we should respond to such a gracious gift as a child. We should say, “That you would give your only Son to save and forgive us is unfathomable, but this too??!! Thank you, Lord!” I Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks.”

Now I know that this seems easy to do when your child is an adorable newborn, sleeping sweetly in your arms. But even if he grows into a sweaty, disrespectful teen that is loud and selfish, he is still God’s gift to you, and God will give you the grace to love unconditionally from a heart of humble gratitude. James 4:10 says that God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. After all it is by grace that God loves us, and we have all acted like problem children toward Him at one time or another!

And finally, ask God to give you…

III. …a heart of confident trust

There are so many factors in our lives that could tempt us to be anxious about our ability to care for our children. Will we have the wisdom necessary to teach and train them? Will we be able to survive the workload, the sleepless nights, and the crying? Where will the money come from to pay for all the doctor and dentist bills? How will I afford enough food to feed hungry teenagers and their friends? The list goes on and on.

Many times, upon hearing that I have eight children, people have remarked, “Your husband must make a LOT of money!” I love it when I get a comment like that, because while my husband has always worked hard to provide for all of us, it is a great opportunity to say, “It is God who always provides!” We have had children in our home for 20 years and God has never failed to provide what we needed.

Matthew 6: 33 says that God knows about all of our needs, and we should just concentrate on the priority of seeking His kingdom and righteousness. We can be confident that He can be trusted to meet every need that we have.

Beyond physical needs, God has also graciously provided many resources to help fulfill our spiritual responsibilities to our children. We have access to our heavenly Father at any moment through prayer. We were given the Holy Spirit at the moment we were born again, to produce His fruit of love, joy, patience, etc. in our lives. We have His Word that equips us for every good work, and His people to encourage and help us along. There is no need to fear, but be confident in God and trust Him to help you.

Can you see why Hebrews 4:16 is one of my favorite verses? It says, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Enjoy your children. They are truly precious gifts from God!

Forbear and Forgive

2010-05-06T18:26:00.000-07:00

Isn't it funny how the irritating things that others do can seem so hard to live with? In a single day we are faced with many quirky, sometimes maddening, even hateful things perpetrated against us by those we love. Especially when I am tired, these things, usually done by my children, seem as irritating as sand blown into my eyes, or a pebble in my shoe that seems to grow with every step I take.

But I've been meditating on Colossians chapter 3 lately and am thinking about the phrase that says, "bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, whoever has a complaint against anyone." It is humbling to recognize how often I am tempted to complain. That is mostly because I am selfish by nature. But there is a clear prescription given in this verse for dealing with those things we want to complain about. Christ calls us to forebear and forgive. That means putting up with all those irritations and further, direct acts of unkindness, and forgiving the ones who do those things. That is what true, unconditional love chooses to do.

When my heart needs to be motivated to do this, I focus on the very next phrase, "just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you." Nothing shrinks the irritating sins of others down to size for me like being reminded of my own sins. I have been guilty of all the things that I hate for other people to do! And though it's bad enough that I've sinned against others, my sin first is against the Lord Himself. I stand before the Lord each day as a debtor who owed a debt that was too great to ever be repaid. But because the One I owed is merciful, He Himself paid my debt for me and forgave it all.

Keeping my eyes on the cross, and the mercy I received that I didn't deserve, helps me love and give grace to those around me, whether they deserve it or not. His grace given to me shrinks the boulders in my shoe back down to pebble size.

In The Valley

2010-05-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

I have been listening to Sovereign Grace's cd called Valley of Vision, a collection of songs inspired by the Puritan book of prayers called The Valley of Vision. It is so encouraging that I had to share the words to the first song.

In the Valley
When You lead me to the valley of vision
I can see You in the heights
And though my humbling wouldn't be my decision
It's here Your glory shines so bright
So let me learn that the cross precedes the crown
To be low is to be high
That the valley's where You make me more like Christ
Let me find Your grace in the valley
Let me find Your life in my death
Let me find your joy in my sorrowYour wealth in my need
That You're near with every breath
In the valley

In the daytime there are stars in the heavens
But they only shine at night
And the deeper that I go into darkness
The more I see their radiant light
So let me learn that my loses are my gain
To be broken is to heal
That the valley's where Your power is revealed

(Copyright Sovereign Grace Music )
Click the link below if you would like to take a listen to this song.The words are even better set to music. Very meditative... http://www.sovereigngracemusic.org/albums/category/sovereign_grace_music/valley_of_vision

Powered by His Might

2010-05-06T06:17:00.000-07:00

I am very blessed to live in a house with eight children. So I know firsthand that more children means more joys and trials, more fun and conflict, extra work and play, exhilaration and exhaustion, and a greater need for PRAYER!

I love the example of Paul as he prayed for his friends, the Colossians. In Col. 1:9-12 he asks God to fill them with the knowledge of His will so that they would walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. He lists five components of a worth walk:

1. to please the Lord in all respects,
2. to bear fruit in every good work
3. to increase in the knowledge of God
4. to be strengthened with the power of His glorious might
5. and to joyously give thanks to the Father.

From a human perspective those five elements are impossible for us to attain. As a mom, I know that it is easy many days to focus on how great the task is and how small our strength is. But notice that the strength to strive for a worthy walk is powered out of His glorious might. Isaiah 40:28 says that “The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired.” And in v. 31 He promises that “those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength.”

A woman who is striving to walk before the Lord in this worthy way, empowered by His strength and might, is a woman who will be a great blessing to her family. Her husband will have a refuge from the troubles of this world in her love, and her children will find in her a resource of truth, wisdom, and encouragement. I love to pray this for my friends who are also mothers, and I would love for you to pray this for me as well!

Remember, Respond, and Rejoice!

2010-05-01T23:48:00.000-07:00

Recently, a good friend of mine delivered her seventh baby. Seeing her with a new baby boy in her arms caused me to reminisce about what my life was like when our 7th child was born.

My oldest daughter was 11, and of course all the others went down like stair steps from there, ages 9, 8, 6, 4, 2, and then our little newborn baby boy. It was in those years of little children, their constant needs, the constant work that was necessary to meet their needs, the noise, the energy, the fun, the crying and the laughter, that the phrase HAPPY CHAOS was coined. In fact, I used to joke with my husband that my job would be a little easier if I were an octopus! Then I would have an arm for each kid, plus one left over to cook, clean, and help him!

In those busy days, I found that I could easily get distracted, and lose my focus. There had to be an over-arching goal of what God was calling me to do with my life, and if I didn’t focus my mind on that I could get bogged down in the overwhelming work load and forget that this was about way more than just fulfilling the day to day duties of being a busy mom.

For believers that driving purpose for existence is to know and love Jesus Christ, and to give our lives away so that others will come to do the same.

Three little words helped me in those busy days to keep a focused mind and to keep the happy chaos moving in the right direction. I needed to remind myself of these truths often so that I wouldn't get lost in the chaos and forget the big picture of what Christ had done for me, and what He wanted to do through me.

1. REMEMBER…. Christ has saved you!Whoever you are and whatever you do all day, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, then this is your starting point every morning. Never lose sight of the wondrous mercy that God has shown you in the sacrifice of His Son. You are finally alive! You, like all of us, were once spiritually dead, you walked in darkness, willingly enslaved to sin as an enemy of God, and existing to carry out Satan’s agenda and your own ungodly desires. Whether in smug self-righteousness or openly fulfilling the lusts of the flesh, we all lived with the wrath of God hanging over our heads. We could not come to God, and we strongly preferred not to anyway, because we loved our darkness too much. These phrases are how the Scriptures describe us: lost and sinful and dead to God.But then an amazing, wonderful, undeserved, and unexpected thing happened to you.“While you were yet sinners, Christ died for you!”

The wise, loving, sovereign God sent His Son to suffer your punishment on a cross so that you could be clothed with the righteousness of Christ

In his book, Finally Alive, John Piper describes our release from our spiritual deadness. I love this quote because it paints such a vivid picture of our captivity to/and love of sin, and then how all that changes when we are awakened to truth and Christ.

P. 58: "God grants repentance-- that is, he awakens the life that sees the ugliness and danger of sin and the beauty and worth of Christ. That truth sets the prisoner free. It's what happens when a person in the dark fondles an ebony brooch hanging around his neck, and then the lights go on and he sees it's not a brooch but a cockroach, and flings it away. That's how people are set free from the devil. And until God does that miracle of new birth, we stay in bondage to the father of lies because we love to be able to tell ourselves whatever we please. We keep fondling smooth roaches and warm fuzzy tarantulas in the dark."

Being a mother that honors God, and keeping the right focus, doesn’t start with parenting "how to’s". It starts with remembering that you once were dead, but God who is rich in mercy has made you alive together with Christ. Remembering this good news is the starting point for every day that we are alive, because it changes everything: your values, your direction, and your purpose on this earth.

CJ Mahaney says, “Love the Gospel. Never leave it. Never stop being awed by the mercy of God displayed to you in Christ.”

2. RESPOND….Christ has a job for you!2 Cor. 5:15 says “and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for HIM who died and rose again on their behalf.”

How do we live for Him?
By exalting Christ and proclaiming His Gospel to our children during the short time that we have them with us.This may seem like an obvious statement, but I can testify to the fact that a concerted effort must be made daily to see that this happens. Every child has needs, and the more children, the more needs and we must focus our minds to make sure that we make the important things happen each day. Also, there are stresses, conflicts, resistance, disappointments, and each of those things can cause us to forget that we are here to live for Him.

Living for Him involves EXALTING CHRIST. In Phil. 1:20-21, Paul expresses his great desire that Christ be exalted.Everyday we make decisions that either exalt the Lord that we say we follow or contradict our confession before our children. Many opportunities arise each day where we choose to show that we love Christ, that we are committed to doing His will, that we long to obey His word, that we want to imitate Him, and that we love the things that He loves. Christ is exalted by our obedient conduct, and our children are watching. Paul said that whether he lived or died, no matter what happened, he wanted His life to exalt the name of Jesus.

Living for Christ means PROCLAIMING HIS GOSPEL: Paul says in Colossians 1:28,29 that his goal was to teach and admonish others with the result that they would be presented complete in Christ one day.
In the same way, we must make the effort to speak to our children about the Lord. Not only through our actions, but we have a responsibility to teach, exhort, encourage, rebuke, convince, and persuade, our children of the truths of the Gospel. There are many opportunities, but without a focused mind to this goal, we can rush through the busy day and miss them. There are many things against us when we set out to do this, but dependent on the grace of Christ, we must keep striving toward this goal. Christ promises to bless his word and cause it to bear fruit. We must labor for this, always praying to the God who loves sinners, delights to transform hearts, and beg Him to save and sanctify our children.

And finally,
3. REJOICE! Christ is all you need! One of the best pieces of advice that I was ever given was this:“Don’t let anything steal your joy!”

It was Brian who exhorted me with those words, and he said them to me when I was discouraged and worn out by a conflict that had lasted for many days with one of my children. He reminded me that my joy should be so securely anchored in Christ alone, that I could be at peace in Him no matter what happened. If everything else that I valued were stripped away, He would still be enough.Having Him was more important that even the good things that I longed to see in the lives of my children.

As Piper says, “Jesus should be our greatest treasure.” The apostle Paul counted everything as a loss in comparison to knowing Jesus.Even in resistance, fatigue, trials, hard work, and little rest, we will find in Jesus Christ alone the deep satisfaction and fulfillment that will allow us to say, “He is enough. I need nothing else in this world to be happy.”
These three truths still drive my every day, as the happy chaos continues! God is good!

Joy!

2010-02-02T00:31:00.000-08:00

One of the greatest tools that the Christian has for evangelism is joy.

Gleanings From Ruth

2009-04-16T23:15:00.000-07:00

"Behind every bitter providence is a smiling heavenly Father that is working to bring about your good and His glory."
The entire book of Ruth pictures this truth so well. It is the story of a Hebrew woman, Naomi. She had suffered through famine, living in a foreign land, losing her husband, her sons' marriages to Moabite wives, their ten years of barrenness (no grand children), and then the deaths of both of her sons. Naomi had left her homeland "full, but the Lord has brought me back empty!" as she explained to her relatives and friends when she returned to the land of Judah. "The Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me!" She felt as if she was filled only with the sorrows of life, but the rest of the book unfolds the wonderful workings of God on her behalf, as He showed her that He was not finished with her!

In all her bitter tragedies, Naomi failed to see the glimmers of God's mercy that were springing up all around her. She and her family had left Judah in the first place because of a famine, and had gone to Moab because there was food there. But now the Lord had ended the famine in Judah, and she returns just as the barley harvest was beginning. And she wasn't really empty or alone after all. God had given her a daughter-in-law (Ruth) who was fiercely committed to staying by Naomi's side, vowing that the only thing that could pry her away was death itself. Beyond that, God's mercy glimmers again in the amazing conversion of Ruth who wasn't just following Naomi, but had more importantly embraced the one true God and was following Him.

All of these things had not "just happened", but were clearly God's hand at work. There's more... the Lord provides food for these two lonely widows, and a relative who, according to the custom of the Hebrews could still redeem the family land, and with Ruth (an available widow) thrown into the equation, could raise up another generation to carry on the family name. Boaz, the kinsman redeemer, wasn't just anybody, but was a godly man, and a rich one to boot! These amazing proofs of God's answer to their needs turns Naomi's bitter heart, and she finally confesses that "..the Lord...has not withdrawn his kindness to the living and to the dead."

Of course, God's plans are always way bigger than just deliverance from our trials, painful though they may be. Woven through the tragedies of this one Hebrew family, God was bringing forth the long-awaited Messiah, in whom all the families of the earth would be blessed! The union of Boaz and Ruth produced Obed, then Jesse, then King David, whose throne would forever be established through his descendent, the Lord Jesus Christ!

How grateful we should be that the Lord never abandons His children. How humbled we should be that the majestic Creator who sits enthroned above the heavens stoops to hear the cries of his discouraged and hurting people. How hopeful we should continue to be, even in the darkest trials! Our God is not finished, but will bring comfort and deliverance, and His plan for redeeming sinful man will go forth to completion!

Encouraging Loving Sibling Relationships

2009-02-22T00:35:00.000-08:00

Of all the friends your children could make in their childhood years, deep, loving relationships with their own brothers and sisters is crucial to family unity. The family, as God designed it, with only reach it's full potential when all the members love God and one another. So, how can you encourage your children to cultivate their "best friends"among their own siblings?

1. First of all, determine to love all of your children equally. Parents who show partiality to one child over another will cause their children to be jealous and resentful of one another. There will be times when one child may be at a more challenging phase of discipline and growth than another. But the wise parent will resist the temptation to draw a comparison between the two. Be careful what you say about your children to them and to other people.

2. Teach your children to show love to their siblings with the words they use. There is no place among brothers and sisters for name-calling and insults. Instead, Christian parents should help their children learn how to say words that will encourage and build up. Hold them to the standard of Ephesians 4:29 that says, "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear." Children must also be taught to use appropriate tone of voice, one that is kind and gracious and will not heighten a conflict. "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." (Proverbs 15:1)

3. Help your children practice acts of love to one another. It has been said that actions speak louder than words, and there is no better way to prove loving words than by loving deeds. This can start with a toddler being encouraged to share his crackers with his big brother, or an older child giving a turn with a game or special toy to a younger sibling. Coach your children in the art of giving cards and handmade gifts to one another on birthdays and other special occasions, or just because. Teach them to govern their actions by Matthew 7:12, "however you want people to treat you, so treat them." Children will remember how they were treated by their brothers and sisters. Help them build memories together of loving words and actions.

4. Teach your children how to resolve conflict. While it may come natural to your children to respond to conflict by pouting, yelling, or revenge, these ways are not God's ways. Instead take your children to the Scriptures to learn Biblical conflict resolution. Practicing these 4 steps will help children be at peace rather than at odds.
1. When sinned against, go to your brother and privately reprove him. (Matt. 18:15)
2. When you have sinned, confess your sins to one another. (James 5:16)
3. Forgive one another. (Matt. 6:14)
4. Be humble and unselfishness. (Phil. 2:3,4)

5. Help your children to honor one another by respecting the property of others. Some simple standards like asking permission before borrowing or using something will help minimize conflict among siblings. Be sensitive to an older child who is reluctant to hand over his fragile or special possession to a toddler who has a reputation for destruction.

6. Finally, encourage physical affection. One of the sweetest things you will see in your home will be children showing their love with hugs and kisses! This should be modeled before them, and sometimes they will need to be coached along to show affection.

Now, I wish that after almost 20 years of trying to teach my children to love each other that I could say that they have it all down! Unfortunately, though, they are sinners like their mother, and loving others is a lifelong pursuit. So we fail and repent and ask forgiveness, and pray for God's grace to motivate us to love others like He has loved us. It has given me many opportunities over the years to talk to them of their need of Christ's work in their hearts. So, as I see my children growing up and becoming close friends, I thank God for what He has done.

Dealing with Anger

2009-02-08T00:09:00.000-08:00

Every mom feels the rub of dealing with disobedient, rebellious, ungrateful, and sometimes irritating children. It is compounded, of course, as many of us have come to painfully realize, by our own sinful, angry responses. A family is just a houseful of sinners, and for the Christian family, they are trying to live together in love to the glory of God. But, learning how to love unconditionally is not easy. It requires a humble, teachable, and repentant heart. It is definitely a growing process, and God uses this crucible of sanctification to make you more like Christ. We have to always set that before us as the goal: to be more like Christ, and to glorify Him in the choices we make for obedience as we go throughout our days. I think God uses children to show us the true condition of our hearts, and I can tell you from my own experience, it is humbling. God greatly desires to exalt the humble, but warns us that He will personally oppose the proud. So humility is a great place to find ourselves.

If I have been helped in my temptation toward anger over the years, it has been by focusing on three facts:

1. I deserve nothing but God's wrath. Most of my anger came because deep down, I didn't think I deserved the treatment that my children gave me. Actually I deserved much worse!

2. Christ died to save me when I was His enemy. I fought against Him, ignored Him, didn't thank Him for the millions of ways that He blessed me each day, and failed to worship Him as He deserved. Yet He loved me to the greatest degree.

3. If He can love and forgive me, then I can serve Him by loving and forgiving others, especially my children. Maybe that's why I love the story of the unforgiving servant so much. It pictures my heart when I am angry and unforgiving, and I don't want to be that way and disregard the loving sacrifice that the Lord has made for me. "She who has been forgiven much loves much".

God is so faithful. He never abandons His children though they struggle and fail in this area. His mercies are new each morning, and He promises grace to face each challenge that you will encounter in each new day. I like to think to myself on the morning of a new day: "God is on His throne, you are still alive, and there is always hope in Christ!" I also like to remind myself that the word "training" by definition implies practicing over and over against resistance. We are trying to train ourselves in the discipline of godliness, and our flesh resists!!! We are trying to train our children, and their sinfulness and childishness offers great resistance. But God is greater than this resistance, and he will help us overcome! "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world." I think when all of our children were little I was at times caught off guard by how hard it seemed. But I learned to say, "That is just the way it is, and I will still choose, by God's enabling grace to love them and obey God."

If I could encourage you to do anything, it would be to enjoy your children! When they are difficult that may seem impossible. But it is a choice that has to be made, and in making it, you will be loving in a truly unconditional way. Our enjoyment of them doesn't have to be dependent on how they act. It can come from a heart of compassion that remembers that they are not our enemy. The real enemy of our souls would love to steal these days from you and have you set patterns now in your responses that will wreak havoc in your relationships, and make it harder later on to change. Ask God to help you to smile at your children, speak gently to them, give them the needed discipline, then hug and kiss them. Chase them down and tickle them, look into their eyes, tell them all day that you love them, and develop a thick skin if necessary so that you can get over the little assaults quickly and go back to being sweet....whether they deserve it or not.

A Thankful Heart

2008-11-27T20:15:00.000-08:00

This has been a wonderful day. We started our day with homemade biscuits just like my mom used to make, then cleaned up the house with my husband directing our small army to keep working. Next threw up our Thanksgiving decoration around the house ( ok almost missed it, but better late than never!) and then worked together to make our Thanksgiving meal. After that, we worked on our Thankful Tree, a paper tree that we tape to the wall and cover with colored construction paper leaves. Before we stick the the leaves on the tree, we write things that we are thankful for on them, as an exercise in reviewing God's blessings to us this year. It was a very restful day to just be together and enjoy each other's company.

As I sat around the table at dinner with the nine people that are my greatest gifts in this life, I was reminded again that the Lord has been so kind and gracious to our family. I want to always acknowledge that "every good and perfect gift comes from above!" Every blessing is straight from His hand. He has filled our lives with indescribable riches.

While all those gifts are so wonderful, Christ Himself is truly my greatest treasure. What would husband and children and friends and material possessions be without the Lord Jesus. As Stephen Curtis Chapman said so well in one of his older songs, "Jesus is LIFE...the air I'm breathing, why my heart is beating, everything I'm needing...Jesus is life!"

Pondering Jesus gives me a very thankful heart, indeed!

Thankful for Thanksgiving

2008-11-23T10:14:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Day is one of my most favorite holidays. It's not just the yummy food, (though the scale may tell a different story in a couple of weeks!), but I am glad that we still have a day set aside in our country that originally was to be a day of prayer and thanksgiving to God. And while the commercialization of every holiday is a reality in our country, Christians can get past that and enjoy a day of remembering God's great blessings. Certainly we want to do that every day!

With that said, one thing in particular that I'm thankful for today is the comfort that Christ brings to the heart of the Christian. It really is true that this life is full of trouble. Over the last year many friends my age suffered devastating physical trials. Cancer and strokes and accidents strike when no one expects them. Then there are the overwhelming financial burdens that have come to families because of our ailing economy. Last spring there were 6 families in our Bible study that were facing a loss of employment. Various other trials, big and little, happen daily that overtake us and leave us feeling as if someone has just punched us in the stomach. Pain and anxiety are real, and we cannot escape them in this life.

But those who have put their trust in the Lord Jesus have a refuge from the troubles of this world. He says to all, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:28,29) Circumstances often remain difficult, yet in the midst of it the Christian can cast all his care on the Lord and experience peace, comfort, and rest. No one else can set a troubled heart at ease. I have experienced this personally, and I am so thankful that the Lord cares for us in this way. He sits as the Sovereign of the universe, and He alone has the power to change our circumstances. At the same time, He is wise, and if He chooses to let our trial continue on, then we can trust that in His lovingkindness and wisdom, He is accomplishing His purposes in our lives by the best means possible. He can fill our hearts with hope, and help us to carry on, even rejoicing in Him. How kind and gracious is the Lord!

Heavy On My Heart

2008-11-08T00:23:00.000-08:00

When I compare the trials that I have personally experienced in my lifetime with the grave difficulties that I have watched many friends endure, I realize that I have not really been tested in the area of suffering. Nevertheless, when a trial overtakes someone that is precious to me, the pain of watching them suffer hangs heavy over my heart as well.

For the last week I have had a very heavy heart for a dear friend and her family. On October 30, my friend Connie suddenly and unexpectedly suffered a severe seizure that lasted for 30 minutes. She was rushed to the ER that night, and a week later she lies in a hospital bed unable to speak or move. She is a wife and mother (to six children all still at home, ages 18 months to 18), and to all who know her, she is a light for Jesus Christ. Connie was one of my dearest friends in the church where my husband pastored for many years, and I have many memories of her encouraging words to me, her loving example, and her sacrificial service to whomever God brought across her path. In fact, the last time I saw her was when our family stayed in her home for three days.

Connie's doctors up to this point have said that her condition is the result of nerve damage at the base of the brain and that it is untreatable and irreversible. However, she was moved last night to a different hospital, and her new doctor is pursuing other meds and tests in an effort to come up with answers.

There are so many people who love Connie and are praying for a miracle for her, her husband Jeff, and their six children. I share all of this with you to ask you to pray along with us. We serve a great God who made our bodies, and has the power to heal and sustain life. Yesterday, as I was struggling with the gravity of what has happened to these friends of ours, my daughter came into the kitchen and handed me a post-it note with a Bible reference on it. We had been praying throughout the week, and she was encouraged by a verse she found. It was Job 42:2 which says, "I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted." That is our God! He can do immeasurably beyond all that we ask or think, all to the praise of His glorious grace. Please pray for Connie!

Homeschooling With Babies and Toddlers

2008-10-13T16:32:00.000-07:00

(This is our 15th year of homeschooling and we have always had toddlers and babies underfoot while our schooling was going on during the day. Since I am often asked about how to be Mom and Teacher at the same time, I thought I would post my answer here...)

Expect Interruptions:
If you have small children in your home, they will provide many distractions to your schooling. But remember that they still need you to be their Mommy and some interruptions are necessary and important. It is a mistake to constantly shoo them away to go play without specific direction, and to do so teaches them that what you're doing with the older children is more important than they are. Having them on a routine of naps, structured playtimes, etc. will help minimize the unnecessary distractions, and create an ordered environment in your home. The discipline and training of your children is important and shouldn't be seen as a distraction. Your academic progress will be of little value if you don't take the time to take care of their spiritual needs.

A Sweet Attitude:
It is important that you not enter into homeschooling naively. There are elements of stress and difficulty that will be part of your day. Attempting to homeschool, care for little ones and keep the house somewhat under control is a daunting task, but not an impossible one. The way you respond in those stressful times will set the tone for your home during the day. If you are irritable and impatient, sarcastic and unreasonable, your children will most likely respond with resentment and rebellion. If you are this way, there is hope in the Lord! Homeschooling may be the perfect intense sanctification booster you need!!! He is committed to making you more like Christ, and wants you to submit to and participate in this plan. Make it your daily prayer to have the same graciousness, gentleness, and loving forbearance toward your family that God extends to you moment by moment in Christ. Be known as a mother who is genuinely encouraging, a sweet servant, and excited about being an agent of grace in the life of your husband and children. Also, guard your lips against complaining to your husband at the end of the day. If homeschooling is the decision you and your husband have made, remember that you have a BIG God, and He has all the grace you need.

Keep It Simple:
Over the years we have seen the value of mainly focusing on the "3 R's" (reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic) when our children were young. Once they are able to read, the scope of independent learning greatly expands, and they are able to investigate many things that Mom may not have time to take on. Also, as they grow older, our goal is to give them curriculum that is self-teaching, so they aren't so dependent on Mom to teach every lesson of every subject.

Persevere!
Anyone who wants to train their children to eat their vegetables doesn't give up after one try. In the same way, settling into a feasible homeschool routine will take time, flexibility, and hard work, especially with small children in the house. Continue to pray, get input, and ask questions of those who have walked the road ahead of you.

Practical Tips:
Regular naps: Little ones do require rest during the day. Training them to go down for a nap will help avoid having to deal with a cranky, inconsolable baby or toddler. Naptime will also provide some quiet focused time to work on more difficult subjects with your older children.

Scheduled play times: You can teach your little ones to play contentedly in their crib (or room with a gate) with a few well-chosen books and toys for 30-45 minutes. We started with 5-10 minutes and used a kitchen timer. They learned to wait for the "ding" and we slowly increased the time.

Book time: We did the same thing on the couch with a few favorite picture books.Snack time: Sometimes mid-morning when the older children would be around the kitchen table with their books, the baby would join us and enjoy some Cheerios in the high chair.

Older/younger partners: If you have older children, assign them to take turns having a playtime with the baby or toddler.

Quiet busy work: When we read a book aloud, we sometimes all gather around the table with drawing supplies ad coloring books for the younger ones. You will be amazed how much your younger ones will gain just by being around while the older ones are learning.

Start early: From our first year of homeschooling, when I had a kindergartner, a 3 yr. old, a 2 yr. old, and a newborn, I discovered that if I started our studies as early as possible, even with all the interruptions factored in, that we would usually accomplish a reasonable amount as the morning progressed. Being prepared the night before is important. I usually try to set bowls, spoons, and cups out before I go to bed. And I almost never cook on school days. Instead we usually have fruit, cereal, instant oatmeal, bagels, or muffins (made ahead of time). To make a big mess in the kitchen will delay getting on to our work.

Take breaks: Everyone is happier at our house when I alternate intense study time with activities that provide a break (and that even the little ones can participate in). For example a morning schedule may be: Math, English, quick clean up in bedrooms, spelling , read-aloud history, a walk outside, Bible time, Science, etc.

Recharge your heart: Post a favorite verse near your kitchen window or on your bathroom mirror to remind you of your source of help when the day begins to dissolve into conflict or chaos. My favorite is:

Hebrews 4:14-16:
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannnot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.

The Word Is Alive

2008-10-06T00:12:00.000-07:00

For the last two weeks our pastor has spent part of his Sunday morning message talking about the power of the Word of God to transform lives. He has his story of how he set out to prove to his brother that the Bible was nonsense, and so he picked it up and begin to read it. Just a few chapters of reading the Gospel of John and his heart was pierced through with the truth of who Jesus Christ was. Though he had spent all of his life up until that point living for himself and not caring, suddenly his eyes were opened by the words that he read. He was consumed by the thought that he was a sinner in great need of a Savior --the only Savior, Jesus Christ!

I have experienced the power of the Word in my own life. October 7th, 1985 was one of those never-to-be-forgotten experiences. It was on that day 23 years ago that the Living Word pierced through my darkness to show me that Jesus was the Light of the World. My self-righteous shell was no match for the Word that sliced to my heart like a knife, exposing my sin and making me see that I needed the Lord...His mercy and forgiveness and His grace at work in my life!

There have been times over the years that I felt so burdened from a million little trivial stresses that cloud the day. Sometimes there are BIG stresses, and sometimes it is just a tired, idle mind that gets loose and wanders off to ponder irrational things that COULD happen. At times the weight almost feels physical. It drives me to the Word, though, and there I always find peace and rest. Sometimes I am met with rebuke for a bad attitude or a lack of love, or anger toward my children. But in the end there is always balm for the necessary surgery, and I can truly feel my heart at ease, resting in Christ, and in His loving care for me.

Playing in the background of my mind (as I've thought about the power of the Word of God) is Casting Crown's song called "The Word is Alive" from their most recent album "The Altar and the Door". I love the words...

The Word Is Alive

Looking out from His throne, the Father of light and of men
Chose to make himself known and show us the way back to Him
Speaking wisdom and truth into the hearts of peasants and kings
He began to unveil the Word that would change the course of all things
With eyes wide open, all would see
The Word is alive
And it cuts like a sword through the darkness
With a message of life to the hopeless and afraid
Breathing life into all who believe
The Word is alive
And the world and its glories wil fade
But His truth it will not pass away
It remains yesterday and forever the same
The Word is alive

Simple strokes on a page
Eternity's secrets revealed
Carried on from age to age
It speaks Truth to us even still
And as the rain falls from Heaven
Feeds the earth before it returns
Lord, let Your Word fall on us and
Bring forth the fruit You deserve

With eyes wide open
Let us see
The Word is alive
His Word is alive

Go See "Fireproof"!

2008-10-02T23:28:00.000-07:00

My husband and I had the treat of getting away for a date tonight, and we got to see the new movie "Fireproof". It is made by the same people that made "Facing the Giants", and has the same bold proclamation that Christ is the answer to all problems, and in this case, marriage problems. It will really grab you by the emotions, so bring some tissues along. This movie does a great job portraying the change that can come to a life that seeks Christ, and the impact that change will have on all those around. I loved it, and highly recommend that you go see it!
Click the Fireproof movie poster above to go to their website and see the official trailer.

In Our Trials

2008-10-02T23:17:00.000-07:00

Recently I had the privilege of hearing Mark Talbot speak on suffering. I really appreciated what he had to say about one of the amazing things that God accomplishes in our trials...

"By being joyful in faith, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer, we witness to a redemption that is yet to be completed. And thus we display to a watching world that the normal travails that humans undergo in this world (including even things such as the loss of our health, the loss of our life work, the loss of our loved ones, or even the impending loss of our very lives) do not need to lead to cursing or despair. We display that our hope lies elsewhere and thus the eyes of the watching world are lifted off of us to look with us to the return of a glorious Savior!"

He also reminded us that we are not to expect our life here to be our "best days". Though I've experienced many days of blessing, better days, by far, not even worthy of comparison, are coming when we see Jesus face to face! These trials make us give up our improper optimism about finding ultimate joy and satisfaction in this life, and instead force us to find our hope, peace, rest, deep-seated joy and satisfaction in the Lord Jesus Christ ALONE. Those who seek all that in Him will never be disappointed!

Goodbye, Summer

2008-08-21T22:01:00.000-07:00

I always feel a bit sad when August winds down, and the busy preparations for the coming school year take the place of vacation days with no pressing schedule. I look back at the ambitious list of projects that I intended to do this summer, and laugh. The list remains undone, because more important things, like playing with my children and giving them a fun summer, took precedence. Oh, well.
One day my busy household will be quiet and the children will probably be grown and gone. I don't yearn for that day, though the days now can be tiring and long at times. But I am committed to enjoy this time now, as these days will pass, and can never be retrieved. Maybe then I will get the garage cleaned out. Who knows.

Q and A: Finding Time for the Word

2008-05-31T23:17:00.000-07:00

"As a mother of small children, I often feel defeated about my times of reading the Bible. It is difficult to find interruption-free times to study the word as I would like. With eight children in your home, how do you find time to concentrate on the word? Any tips?"

(I am asked this question often -- twice last week -- so I thought I would post it here.)

First, let me say that Satan would use anything to try and discourage us, and render us ineffective for the Lord. I have often struggled with feelings of "it's not enough" when I did fit in time in the word. Or, I felt that there should be a more elaborate structure to it, and since that rarely happened, I was just defeated and guilty. Instead of being encouraged by what I did read, I was discouraged, because the time was cut short by interruptions, or I dwelt on my inconsistency. That is simply an attack of the enemy! I have felt that way for many years, and have been so glad that my husband reminded me to just be thankful and choose to rejoice in the Lord and the time that I did have in His word!

When you have little children in your home, their waking hours can be so busy and often intense with discipline. I had to remind myself often when they were all little that their training, instruction, and care has to be the priority of my time when they were up, and if there wasn't hours of focused study time that was ok for this season.

I also learned that I had to work really hard to use the time when they were asleep to get in the word. (I always used a schedule with my children for naps, meals, etc. from their first day, because it was so helpful.) But I spent many "seasons" either pregnant or nursing a newborn and it was hard at times to get up before they did. During those times, I relied greatly on the teaching at church that I heard 3 times a week, and the little bits of time here and there to read and meditate on the word.

Of course, I am not advocating that you give up on reading your Bible because you can go to church, just to really try to take something away with you from all the teaching that you do get. And keep trying to figure out a time each day to pray and read the Word. Nothing ever worked for me for very long. I am still to this day having to periodically start over, and make a new plan when the old plan is no longer working. And that is ok! It's life. Sometimes I would just leave my Bible open on the kitchen counter and keep going by for little "snacks"! At other times, I would write one verse on a note card and put it in a place where I would see it often, like the kitchen window.

It helps to ease the frustration (of little time for intense study) for me by remembering that for most of history since Christ came, believers didn't even have their own Bibles and the only time they had to interact with the word was in their public gatherings. So they cherished what they did have and worked to apply it to their lives. Not that we should ever excuse ourselves if we choose to neglect the word, but for me, I am comforted to know that the Lord isn't standing by with a clipboard to keep track of my quiet times, and their length! That helps me when my children interrupt me or much of a sermon is lost to pew training. I just keep praying for the Lord to make me patient and gracious, to impact my heart with His word, and to help me not lose sight of the fact that these years are over in a flash!

I am actually able to get up earlier than everyone else now to spend time reading the Bible. Click here to see a post on my blog from a few months ago that tells what I'm doing now in my quiet times.

Ponderings From a Feverish Head

2008-04-27T15:59:00.000-07:00

Spending a few days sick in bed has an amazing way of changing your perspective. I have always been blessed with good health, and have been physically able to care for my family for almost 20 years now with no limitations. The few times over the years that I have been sick makes me remember what a great blessing it is to do the simplest things like walking around, having a clear head to think and make little decisions, and having stable body temperature. It has been good to be reminded of these things this week as I lost the fight against that nasty virus that has been going around.

Sickness also reminds me that we are completely dependent on the Lord, and shouldn't presume upon Him for any future plans. As it says in James, we must say "Lord willing" about the things we make plans to do, since we never know what a new day might bring. Catching this virus made us miss our spring break trip to my sister's house, which made for many opportunities to talk with our children about God's wise and loving sovereignty over the events of all of our days.

Interesting timing...I have been reading in John 11 this week about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. What an encouraging, yet convicting and challenging thought that Jesus was in control of the timing of Lazurus sickness, death, and resurrection. Imagine the anguish of the sisters as Lazarus grew worse and worse. A message had been sent to Jesus about his condition, and they waited, hoping the Lord would come. But think about how hopeless they must have felt once Lazarus died. What is more final than death? If they had known that Jesus delayed two days longer after he got the message, I can imagine that they would have even become angry!

But when Jesus did finally arrive, He showed that He is Lord over time, sickness, death, and our lack of faith in Him! He had a reason for all of it, namely "so that the Son of God may be glorified by it" (11:4)! His words to Martha are life changing, and are for us to ponder and embrace in every big trial and little irritation,

"I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"

Bread from Heaven

2008-04-19T23:37:00.000-07:00

In John 6, Jesus says that He is the Bread of Life, a statement about himself that preceded His first miracle. After the miracle of feeding the 5,000 with a little boy's lunch, there was a group of people following Him just because of the food He provided. This was in a time when just finding enough food for each day was such a focus of life. Yet, the Savior responded to these "followers" by exhorting them to not labor for such temporal things as food. He said to pursue the eternal things, namely belief in the one whom God had sent. But they continued to push Him for more "bread from heaven" and so He said,"I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst."

Jesus was talking to the people about eternal life and finding true satisfaction. Neither can ever be found in anyone or anything else. We are to find our satisfaction in Christ alone.

While we may not spend our existence just finding our next meal, it is easy in our time to chase after a myriad of temporal pleasures and things that will never satisfy for eternity. Pursuing houses, furniture, jobs, relationships, position, a savings account, entertainment, hobbies, a retirement plan, or a college degree will never bring to our lives the true joy and fulfillment that is in Christ. Not that any of those things are wrong in themselves, but Jesus is to be our highest pursuit! "Taste and see that He is good"!

The Word and Wisdom for Parenting

2008-04-19T23:24:00.000-07:00

My husband and I have been parents for 18 years now, and I still stand amazed by the power that the Scriptures hold to bring about change in our lives. There have been countless times that we have been anxious and burdened over our children and as we have turned to the Scriptures we have always found the wisdom, comfort, and instruction that we need. Parenting requires great wisdom, and with every passing year I am more aware that I do not have the wisdom to raise my children on my own. But God does! And He promises it to those who ask Him for it.

The book of Proverbs is a good place to start in the search for wisdom. Every parent should become well acquainted with it, for it is the ultimate manual for imparting wisdom to anyone that will read it and heed it! We need it, and so do our children.

Proverbs 23:15, 16, 24, and 25 says, “My son, if your heart is wise, my own heart also will be glad; and my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right. The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise son will be glad in him. Let your father and your mother be glad, and let her rejoice who gave birth to you.”

The writer of Proverbs was reminding his son that wise children are a source of great joy to their parents. I’m sure we all long for the day, when we can say of our children, “God has given them a heart of wisdom!” We want them to be “wise unto salvation” or righteous as this verse states it. We pray that our children will be known for godly wisdom in their thinking, in their actions, and in their words.

Proverbs draws a sharp contrast between two kinds of people in the world. There are those that are wise, and those that are foolish. The children produced by our homes will either be wise or foolish, and will accordingly bring their parents…

joy, blessing, delight and happiness, OR shame, sorrow, grief, and bitterness

Proverbs 10:1- “A wise son makes a father glad, but a foolish son is a grief to his mother.”

Proverbs 17:21- “He who begets a fool does so to his sorrow, and the father of a fool has no joy.”

Proverbs 17:25- “A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her who bore him.”

So, how do children gain a heart of wisdom? First, through the teaching of the Word of God. If we want wise children, we must teach them the wisdom of God. We must teach them God’s Word. If they leave your home with nothing else, give them a love for and knowledge of the Bible.

Once again Proverbs is full of passages that talk of a mother and a father imparting the wisdom of God to their children.

Proverbs 6:2-23: “My son, observe the commandment of your father, And do not forsake the teaching of your mother; Bind them continually on your heart; Tie them around your neck. When you walk about they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk to you. For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light; and reproofs for discipline are the way of life…”

The wise instructions of parents are to be the constant companion of our children. They should adorn themselves with them when they dress for the day, take them with them to bed, listen to them as they awaken and go through the day. The wisdom of God will be a lamp and a light to our children, a source of guidance for wise living.

Many people have come up with elaborate ways to teach the Bible to their children, but we prefer a simple approach. We gather around the dinner table, read a book of the Bible out loud, and talk about it briefly. This has yielded great fruit in all of our lives. With our smallest ones we go through a simple Bible story book.

As you are exposing your children to the Bible, you must have a focus on introducing them to the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 5:39 that the Scriptures bear witness of Him. He is the perfect embodiment of all wisdom. Colossians 2 says that in “Christ…are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Another way that our children will gain a heart of wisdom is through observing the example of godly parents. Not only are mothers to teach their children the Scriptures, but they are to daily show their children how wise it is to walk in the ways of the Lord. Pray that God would make your life a beautiful and attractive example for your children to follow.Teach them what the Bible says about being honest and kind, gracious and giving, but then make sure you treat them with all those same character qualities, especially when they are undeserving and fighting against you. Teach them the Scriptures about humility and forgiveness, and then when you sin against them, confess it to them and ask their forgiveness. Children are never fooled by a parent who doesn’t live by the same standard that they teach. Ask God to make you able to say with the apostle Paul, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.”

I heard someone say once that good parenting means walking close to the Lord, and keeping your children close enough to you that it rubs off on them. Of course that will only happen if you spend time with them. That must be a priority in your life if you would influence them for Christ.

When you think about all that is involved in being a godly parent, I hope you will have a heart full of hope and joy and not be overwhelmed. To teach our children the Word of God and then live it out before them is indeed a weighty task! In fact, it is beyond our strength, but the Lord has not left us alone in our inability and inadequacy.

Remember:

The Lord will enable us to do His will, through the Holy Spirit.

Philippians 2:13 tells us that “it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

The Lord will equip us to do His will, through the Word of God.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

The Lord will empower us to do His will through prayer. Paul set the example for us when He prayed for the Ephesians. Ephesians 3:14-16 says, “For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man.”

The Lord will encourage us to do His will, through other believers. Hebrews 10:24, and 25 says “Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.” God has put other believers in your life to be a source of encouragement for you.

May the Lord raise up a generation of wise children and graciously use us, imperfect and unworthy vessels, as His instruments!

Questions to End the War of Words

2008-04-19T23:18:00.000-07:00

Paul David Tripp's book War of Words has been a favorite of mine for many years now. Ever since the first time I read it, I haven't been able to escape Tripp's challenge to let my speech be "an agent of grace in the lives of those around me." Of course, like many struggles against sin, there's a cycle of victory and then defeat, and the need to repent and keep striving, with the Spirit's enabling.

Recently I started reading this book out loud to our children, and I'm so thankful to have it's influence around again to help us work on loving, gracious speech. At the end of the first chapter, Tripp includes a list of wonderfully convicting questions to help evaluate our progress. Here's a few:

1. Does your talk with others lead to biblical problem solving?
2. Does your talk have a "stand together" or a "me against him/her/them" posture?
3. Do your words encourage others to be open and honest about their thoughts and feelings?
4. Are you approachable and teachable or defensive and self-protective when talking with others?
5. Is your communication healthy in the principal relationships in your life?
6. Does your talk encourage faith and personal spiritual growth in those around you?
7. Do you talk with others to develop relationships with them, or do you only talk to solve problems during times of trouble?
8. Do you speak humble and honest wods of confession when you sin and words of sincere forgiveness when others sin against you?
9. Do your words reflect a willingness to serve others or a demand that they serve you?
10. As you face the struggles of talk, do you do so with a recognition of the gospel--God's forgiveness, his enabling grace, and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit?

Superhero???!! What??

2008-04-18T12:07:00.000-07:00

I was sitting at my dining room table this morning, during a very stressful hour of our homeschool day, trying to have a sweet attitude and at the same time keep everyone working. It was one of those scenes that makes me sometimes look around for the hidden camera. On one knee was the 2 year old, snuggled against my neck with his thumb in his mouth, and understandably grumpy because of a fever. My 11 year old appeared with an English lesson, a distressed look on her face, and a plea for help, and took the other knee. She really had no choice, as both chairs on either side of me were already taken. On my right was my 6 year old who was slumped in his chair with the handwriting workbook before him that was to blame for wrecking a carefree day of Playmobile guys and make-believe battles. The chair to my left was occupied by my 9 year old, who was hurrying through her work with the hope that today was a computer day, and she would have the first turn.

In the back of my mind was the thought that my three teen-agers were somewhere upstairs with a list of assignments that were hopefully being accomplished. I would need to track them down and make sure, but that would have to wait for a few more minutes, because the needs in the dining room were great. The scene came to an exciting climax as one child swung the toddler's special blanket across the table to him, and in the process knocked over a large glass of water, soaking the books and papers collected there. We all jumped up in an uproar. I ran for a towel, and the responsible child ran out of the room crying!

At that moment, I suddenly had a flashback to a conversation last night with a friend about the stresses and challenges, yet blessings of homeschooling. She had jokingly called me a "superhero" for homeschooling all these kids for all these years. But here I stood in my dining room with water dripping off the table, and the furrowed brow/tight-lipped expression on my face proving that I was anything but a superhero! I wanted to run out of the room crying!

I hope the imagined hidden camera kept rolling, because the hour of stress ended. We all had lunch, the sick toddler went down for a nap, everyone finished their work and I even got to take a quick shower. But there were things of even greater significance that happened around here this week. Had my children been anywhere else, we would all have missed many blessings. There were glimpses here and there, as we went through our days together, of the work that God is doing in their hearts. I got to be around to see it, and to just enjoy time with my children.

There were so many opportunities to talk to them about the Lord. Woven in and around the stressful scenes, (and believe me, they are really less frequent than when I had 6 kids and the oldest was 9!) were many conversations that let me into their world. We talked of finding ultimate joy in Christ alone, about the connection between submission to parents now and submission to authorities later, and about the need to love one another.

There were times this week that I came face to face with my children's sin. It was not a pretty sight! But what a mercy that God exposes their sin, so that they can repent, and we can try to help them learn and grow. God also used my kids to show me a view of my own heart through different conflicts, as I fell to sins of pride, selfishness, and lack of love. It is very humbling to ask forgiveness of my children, but also very necessary. But God is gracious, and my children are forgiving.

We also learned some really interesting things together. I love to see their faces light up when they discover something new. Or see them finally obey and complete an assignment, even though they have no interest in it, and didn't enjoy it. I'll take that as a blessing!

So, when I put the challenges, irritations, and tiring work on one side of the scale, and the joys of all God is doing in the lives of my children on the other side, the latter far outweighs the former! These fleeting days with my children will soon be passed, and no sacrifice is too great while I still have the opportunity. What a privileged position it is to be a mom!

It's been a good day.

Comforting Words for Little Sheep

2008-04-16T08:15:00.001-07:00

John chapter 10 is full to bursting with words of comfort and assurance from the Good Shepherd to all of us who are His little sheep.

First, the portrait painted of our Shepherd, here, shows Jesus Christ to be the one and only entrance into the fold of eternal life. He shows that He is the Good Shepherd (Jn 10:11), because He laid down His life for the sheep, He holds them securely in His hand, he leads them, going before them, and speaking to them, as He calls each one by name. The Good Shepherd protects them from harm, and provides them with food, water, and rest. He gives His flock life, ABUNDANT LIFE! And while He is Life to all who would follow Him, anyone else claiming to deliver eternal life is actually intending to steal, kill, and destroy those who follow them.

Second, the sheep can't help but follow the Good Shepherd. He has paid with His own life to bring each one into the fold, and they know that He can be trusted. His presence with them assures them that they will not be lost as they travel from their safe fold to pasture lands. When the wolves attack, He will be protection to them. His words soothe their hearts as He speaks to them, addressing each one intimately. They trust His promise of provision and rest, and they know that where He is taking them is for their ultimate good, their abundant good!
My favorite verses from this passage:
John 10:27-29: "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternl life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My 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. I and the Father are one."
I will go through my day today with the comfort of knowing that I am resting safely in the hands of my Good Shepherd! What a wonderful place to be!

Let the Idols Bow Down

2008-04-11T00:43:00.000-07:00

Did any of you see the amazing sight that I saw last night at the end of "Idol Gives Back"? I couldn't quite believe my eyes and ears, but the show ended with all the "idols" on stage dressed in white with white confetti fluttering down around them and a choir in blue robes behind them. And they were singing "Shout to the Lord", one of my favorite praise songs that we sing at our church! I didn't see any of the show that came before that closing song, but walked in at that sight and was astounded.
I had to chuckle at the amazing show of God's sovereignty as the most watched, googled, gossipped about and listened to Hollywood wannabees got on a stage and sang, "Lord there is none like you!" Ok, so they did change the first words, "my Jesus" to "my shepherd" but still the very fact that they sang the words they did amazes me. Let the rocks cry out and praise Him....and the idols, too!
Click here to see it.

Note to Self

2008-03-31T18:56:00.000-07:00

Ok, self, some things to remember today.....

1. Don't chafe when there are endless serving opportunities at home today. Praise God that He would not only save you, but that He would give you something meaningful to do for Him. Laundry, meals, baths, endless talks, discipline, basketball games, birthday parties, hugs and kisses, dirty dishes- all equal a great opportunity to love your husband and children so that you will more aptly represent Christ to them.

2. Celebrate the little moments that are here today and gone tomorrow. This life of busy days with children is quickly fleeting. Make sure you live today toward your family in such a way that tomorrow you will have no regrets. Smile at the children, kiss the baby's cute toes, play with them, sincerely congratulate the 6 year old on the intricate Lego Starwars Imperial Dropship that he just made, and don't complain about being tired from all your work.

3. Regularly survey your life and thank the Lord for how He has so incredibly blessed you. You tend to forget some of those blessings when everyone is crying and the cereal bowl just got dumped on your lap. It will give perspective to a stressful day if you will remember how great a salvation you've been given, what precious people are in your life to love and be loved by, and what a significant life you have an opportunity to live as one redeemed by Christ.

Ok, now get back to the happy chaos!

Christ Our Crucified Creator

2008-03-29T21:31:00.001-07:00

The first chapter of John's gospel paints a beautiful protrait of Christ in His humility and gracious love. Verse 4 of chapter 1 describes Jesus as the Creator of the world: "All things came into being by Him and apart from Him nothing has come into being that has come into being." Then in verse 10, He is referenced as the Creator again: "He was in the world and the world was made by Him..." But then the passage goes on to describe the response of man to the Creator as He walked among them. "And the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him."

Picture the Creator, the Son of God taking on flesh and blood, becoming a man and visiting the world that He had spoken into existence! He had sent advanced notice that He was coming. There had been many prophecies from His spokesmen concerning His arrival, and then the messenger of the King running ahead crying, "Prepare the way for the Lord!"

And yet, no grand reception welcomed Him. He was a stranger to the world. His own people had no place in their hearts for Him. They ignored the proofs of His messiahship, rejected Him, hated Him, and then crucified the One who had made them. Still, their Creator hung there dying on the cross in the place of all those who would turn from their sin and receive, embrace, and believe in Him.

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (verse 12)

What humility! The Lord of Heaven set aside His glory to come to Earth and die a criminal's death at the hands of His creation! And what amazing love that He would do all of that to save the ones that He had set His affection on before the foundation of the world was laid. As Chris Tomlin says, "How can I keep from singing Your praise! I can never get enough! How amazing is your love!!!"

Weary In The Trenches

2008-03-29T08:12:00.000-07:00

When I look back to the days when I only had small children, I remember that at times I felt like a weary soldier fighting in the trenches of a battle zone, not sure who would still be standing when the smoke cleared! The conflicts seemed so intense, and the mental and physical exhaustion of caring for small children was often overwhelming. (Of course it wasn't always like that. Thankfully the Lord weaves the challenges together with unspeakable joys, and I am thankful for every day of the last 18 years of motherhood! It is a great and humbling privilege to be entrusted with children to raise up for the Lord. With that said...) Every day of training was done simply in faith, having not lived long enough to find out what spiritual fruit looked like in the lives of my children, and if I would ever see any.

My thoughts were turned back to those days recently as I was studying about Paul's exhortation to Timothy to be a good soldier of Christ. Paul urged Timothy to be aware that a spiritual battle is always going on, and that a good soldier will be on the alert and engaged in the conflict, always watching lest he become entangled in civilian affairs and rendered useless in the battle.

For those of us entrusted with children, we've been given a divine mission to point little souls back to their Creator. It is a daunting task, and when the conflicts are intensified by fatigue and our own sin, it is really easy to forget about the spiritual battle that we are in. We are not just changing diapers, and wiping up that millionth spill, and looking for that lost shoe. But it is Divine Duty to care for and love and build a relationship with our children, so that we will have a platform from which to give them the Gospel.

Unfortunately, I sometimes forget that when everyone is crying or the bedtime routine is unnecessarily drawn out, or I'm simply distracted by the busyness of life. Praise God for His Word that grabs us by the shoulders and points us back in the right direction when we are straying off the path!

A New Approach

2008-03-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

A few months back I was at a place where I needed to start something new in my Bible reading and study time. So a friend and I decided to read the Gospel of John as we study through parts of it in a discipleship workbook. But, instead of the approach I've always taken, (reading a chapter a day until I'm done with the whole book) I have taken a different approach. I have been reading the same chapter every day for 7 days, and I am learning so much! Throughout the week I also read the notes from my JMacArthur study Bible, and try to jot down just one main thought each day to meditate on. Spending 7 days on each chapter allows me to really live with the content, and helps me notice and ponder things that I always missed before by covering a greater number of verses in a shorter amount of time. It has been a rich way to take in the Word and meditate on it through out the day.

"How Can I Ever Fight Against Him?"

2008-03-28T22:20:00.000-07:00

Our pastor reminded us recently to look back to the cross when we find ourselves facing the choice to submit to or fight against the Lord in a difficult situation. He was actually preaching about the roles of men and women in marriage. Often a woman will reject the teaching of the Scriptures on submitting to/respecting her husband, because she feels that his sinful mistreatment of her makes him undeserving. A man, in a similar way, will give up on choosing to love a woman that belittles him and treats him in a dishonoring way. While these responses are the natural human response, they are not the right response.

Instead, the believer has been given the power in Christ to actually love as Christ loved. With the power of the Holy Spirit at work in her life a Christian woman can actully submit to and follow the leadership of an unreasonable, even hateful husband. And dependent on his Savior, a husband can have the grace to tenderly love a woman that fights against him.

How? Looking back to the cross will motivate us to love others as Christ loved us. We will remember that when we despised God and mocked His Son and cared nothing for all the kindness He had shown us and were ungrateful for the gifts He'd given, even then Jesus suffered and died FOR US!

How can we ever fight against a Savior so gracious and kind??!! How can we not obey His commands when He has forgiven us every affront?

Long Days, Short Years

2008-03-28T00:18:00.000-07:00

Baby Blues is my favorite cartoon. My family thinks the mom in that strip, Wanda, even looks like a charicature of me, and she and I have had much in common for many years now.Today my kids, who love to read the funnies, made sure to show me Baby Blues, because they knew I would appreciate it.

The text in the first frame said, "The days are long" and it depicted the mom peering into the baby's mouth and wondering aloud if the first little tooth will ever appear. The second frame said, "But the years are short," and here the mom is showing the dad the recommendation to consult with an orthodontist for braces for the same child who has grown up fast! The dad's response is, "Already??!!?"

That is an accurate portrayal of how it feels to be a parent. One minute it seems you're waiting in great anticipation for those "1st" events, but before you can even believe it, that same baby is adult size and making plans to go out into the world to make a life of her own. It really does go by so fast!

But the idea of "long days, yet short years" resonated with me for another reason. Many times I find myself focused on how LONG a particular day seems because of the conflict and opposition that is a very real part of raising children. To begin with, parenting is simply hard work, and sometimes continues around the clock. Meeting the constant physical needs and striving to engage children in the spiritual dimension can be exhausting. But then factor into that equation a child that is not responsive, but resistant, and in fact openly rebellious against your instruction or parental wisdom, and the day seems to slowly drag by.

There are so many wrong ways to respond to the opposition, and I'm sure I have been guilty of all of them at one time or another. The tension and stress can tempt me to become angry, lose my joy, withhold affection, become self-righteous, despair, focus on their sinfulness, and forget the power of God to change them and me! Choosing any of these responses just complicates their sin with my own.

But "the years are short"! And I don't want to wake up one day and realize that my house is empty, the eternal souls given into our care for a short season are gone, and I wasted my opportunity.

So aside from repenting when I have responded wrongly to my children's opposition, I am asking the Lord to help me pursue love. It is a pursuit that makes me get on my knees and pray for the Holy Spirit to work in my heart and give me the grace to do it. It is not natural, but can be done by God's supernatural enabling.

There are a couple of passages from the Bible that I've found very helpful when the conflict is intense:Colossians 3:12-14 is an all-time favorite: "And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity."

And, I love the convicting truth of I Corinthians 13:4-8a: "Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek it's own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."

May the Lord help us to love especially during the long days, with an eye to the future as the years are short.
*****
BTW, if you are also a Baby Blues fan, you can visit their site by clicking here.

Pilgrim in Progress

2008-03-26T00:53:00.000-07:00

First post....hmmm... Let's see. I guess a little about me is in order.

I am a Christian, and for 22 years now, I have been a follower of Jesus Christ. All those years ago, the Lord showed His mercy by sending someone to tell me that I was a sinner who deserved the wrath of God. That was the bad news, though I knew it immediately to be true.

Thankfully, they also told me the Good News. That same God, who was as merciful as He was just, had made a way for me to be forgiven of all the sin I had committed against Him. There still had to be a payment for my sins, though, but God Himself had given His only Son, whom He loved greatly to take the punishment in my place. The Son of God, Jesus Christ had come into the world over 2,000 years ago to live a sinless life, be rejected by His own people, and die a hideous death on a Roman cross, all to pay for my sins. And His sacrifice, being perfect, would be accepted by the Father on my behalf. He took all my sin on Him, though He had never done anything wrong, and gave me His righteous standing before God, though I had done nothing deserving of God's favor.

God opened my mind to His truth, and made me His Child. I acknowledged my sin against Him, my pride, disobedience, ungratefulness, my rejection of His commandments, my unloving ways toward other people, and my apathy toward all that He had done for me. I saw that Jesus Christ was indeed the one sent by God to be the Savior of the world, and suddenly I loved Him! All that He had suffered for me, all that He had done to give me a joyful life of peace here, and eternal life after I died--these thoughts flooded my heart with such a sense of hope and gratitude and love!

My life was changed so radically then. I was no longer at home here, though my life has been filled with wonderful blessings like a loving husband, precious children, many dear friends, and significant things to do here. But, I am on my way to another place. It is hard for most of us to really ever even think about Heaven. We are too comfortable with the life we have here. But the One who shed His own blood is preparing a place for me in His presence, and I long to be there with Him.

Meanwhile, I journey along toward that day when I will see Jesus face to face. He has many lessons to teach me that will help me be ready to meet Him, and much to do here to see His name proclaimed and exalted through my life. He is teaching me to love in all the relationships that are in my life, and most of my thoughts relate to my role as a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, and Christian.

I find myself much like Christiana, (Christian's counterpart in the well known classic Pilgrim's Progress) as I also am a pilgrim passing through on my way to heaven, only set in a different day. Join me in the journey?