Young woman learn "what is good"

A new blog

2010-08-04T14:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I've decided to take a break from this blog for a while. So... I've started a new one. Switching it up a bit to reflect some of where I am now. Although I certainly will continue on the journey of "learning what is good," for now... I'm just going to concentrate on the Everyday Life.

Ode to the Jeep... and the man who owned it

2010-06-29T12:10:00.000-07:00

This is my husband, in his Jeep, top down, parked out on the beach in Nags Head.

My husband really likes this jeep.

You see in back in 2005, he got a woman (me of course), this Jeep, and a Mac laptop all in one week.

It was a good week.

This Jeep has been through a lot...

We departed our wedding in it

It reminds us of our honeymoon to Colorado (Pikes Peak)

It brought home our crib for our children

Micah and Ryan had tons of quality father and son time in this Jeep

Our our kids always found it such a treat to ride in it

But....

My husband, despite finding so much joy in this Jeep and treasuring so many memories, he sold it. He sold it for a '99 Saab. The Saab is great, it was a gift from God dropped in our lap, but I do not take the sacrifice of my husband for granted. We had many pending expenses (seminary and Uganda expenses) that we did not know how we would cover and so my husband, sacrificing a material good that he found much enjoyment in, gave up his Jeep. We will always have the memories and the pictures, but I do not take for granted that my husband would give up his car so that our family would be in a better financial situation. He has seen this new car as a tool to further his ministry and as long as it gets him from one place to another, then it has served it purpose. I rejoice that my husbands identity is in Christ and not in his car. I love you Ryan and I thank you for your sacrifice and service to our family.

Charismatic Bugs?

2010-06-07T12:59:00.000-07:00

As we were weeding the garden this morning, Micah became acquainted with a new type of bug. I suppose they seemed rather charismatic to him, because they are now know as "Holy Rollies?" I love it!

Daddy's gone...

2010-06-02T11:43:00.000-07:00

Daddy is gone and the kids seem to really be missing him... so I tried to make last night special to help them feel a little better. We had tacos for dinner, one of their favorites.

(because of the chips and salsa, of course)

and we went to the park.....

(I learned the best time ever to go to the park is after dinner- hardly anyone else was there)

We miss you daddy!

Motherhood....

2010-05-27T06:58:00.000-07:00

Hilarious!

(*this was a clean brand new diaper!)

Filled with all Joy and Peace...

2010-05-20T04:51:00.000-07:00

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."

This verse got me excited this morning. I think I forget that there is joy and peace that comes from believing in the gospel. Seems silly, but when I am downcast, it's because I have lost the focus that I am an utter sinner was condemned to death, yet Christ was victorious and I am now raised to life. Not to death, but raised to life. Sounds like a pretty good reason to me to find joy and peace in believing. And in doing so, the power of the Holy Spirit will cause me to abound in hope.

2010-05-06T04:58:00.000-07:00

Now these Jews [Barenans] were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men."

Acts 17:11-12

I want to be like the Jews from Berea: noble [good birth, open-minded], receiving [Dechomai- to receive favorably, give ear to, embrace, make one's own, approve, not to reject], the word [ Logos- a word, uttered by a living voice, embodies a conception or idea] with all eagerness [Prothumia- zeal, spirit, eagerness, inclination, readiness of mind].

I can't help but think this comes from examining the Scriptures daily to determine the truth of all we experience (though reading, seeing, examining, teaching, learning, hearing etc.) The Bareans listened to what was taught by the Apostle Paul and examined God's word to determine it's truth. Reminds me of Romans 12:2,"...that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what it good and acceptable and perfect."

If you can't say anything nice...

2010-05-03T13:30:00.000-07:00

"If you have been foolish, exalting yourself,
or if you have been devising evil,
put your hand on your mouth."
Proverbs 30:32

And who said the Word of God isn't practical in its application!? HA!

"For pressing milk produces curds, (Cooking instructions)
pressing the nose produces blood, (medical advice)
and pressing anger produces strife." (anger management)
Proverbs 30:33

I love....

2010-04-21T10:13:00.000-07:00

Micah says all the time, "I love... (insert anything a 3 1/2 year old loves: cars, food, balls, coloring, etc.)! In an attempt to teach him the difference between biblical love and worldly love we always say, "No we like (insert anything a 3 1/2 year old loves), but we LOVE people like mommy and daddy and Lydia (or any other person he knows) AND we love God."

.... But today Micah said, "No, I love mommy and daddy! I don't love God." Oh theological truth coming from such a little person. I wanted to correct him, but the truth is he doesn't so I just told him that hopefully one day he will like mommy and daddy.

And this is why I pray each morning for his (and Lydia's) salvation... sobering

Something I can never do...

2010-04-14T06:42:00.000-07:00

For some reason I just can't write in my Bible... but apparently Lydia disagrees!

From whom do I seek recognition?

2010-04-13T08:06:00.000-07:00

"Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God." John 12:42-43

We all want to recognized and if we are honest, sometimes at the cost of the gospel. We so desire for the praise of something, that often we look for the recognition of man because it seems more immediate and available. Sometimes I struggle with doing things "unto the Lord," because I can't see Him. When impatience rises up, when I don't act in the flesh by acting out my anger but rather act in self control, (which would be God glorifying) the glory is not given to whom it is due because I am puffed up with pride and delight in the recognition of anyone who is watching.

The Greek word doxa (δόξα), meaning glory, referring to the recognition belonging to a person, honor, or renown. In other words glory if the recognition given to something. When I give glory to God, I recognize Him in that situation for who He is. The Apostle John is telling us, that although these men believed (were persuaded in their mind) in Jesus, they did not publicly confess (to speak agreeably to the fact and truth) Jesus because they did not want to be removed from the people that recognized them. Notice the verse does not say they did not want to confess Jesus because they would be removed from their place of worship. No, it is because they did not want to be removed from the glory that comes from the people who reside in their synagogue. Ouch! In many instances could that be me?

This post is long, but I have to share this quote because it explains more adequately the subtle way in which this recognition of man is manifested:

"There is something that assaults God even more directly. It is the subtle sense that grows in us, usually unconsciously, that the real effectiveness of our spiritual acts is at the horizontal level among people, not before the face of God. In other words, if my children see my pray at meals, it will do them good. If the staff sees me fasting they may be inspired to fast. If my roommate sees me read my bible, he may be inspired to read his. And so on.
Now that's not all bad. Jesus' public prayers certainly inspired the disciples (Luke 11:1). But the danger is that all of our life- including our spiritual life- starts to be justified and understood simply on the horizontal level for the effects it can have because others see it happening. And so God subtly and slowly can become a secondary Person in the living of our lives. We may think that he is important to us because all these things that we are doing are the kinds of things he wants us to do. But, in fact, he himself is falling out of the picture as the focus of it all. And this registers in the motives of our hearts so that we feel satisfied when other are watching, but feel unmotivated if no one knows what were are doing- not one but God!...
Jesus is calling for a radical orientation on God himself. He is pushing us to have a real, utterly authentic, personal relationship with God. If God is not real to us- personally, vitally, real to us- it will be miserable to endure something difficult with God alone as the one who knows. It will all seem very pointless, because the whole range of horizontal possibilities will be nullified since no one knows what we are going through. All that matters is God, and who he is, and what he thinks, and what he will do."
-John Piper, A Hunger for God: Desiring God Through Fasting and Prayer

(Emphasis mine)

For we have heard for ourselves....

2010-04-09T09:04:00.000-07:00

"Many Samaritians from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, 'He told me all that I ever did.' So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, ad he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, 'It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have hear for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.' " John 4:39-42

Through the testimony of the "woman of Samaria" many believed in Jesus. But as they sat under Christ's teaching it was through His Words, which they heard for themselves, that they knew he was the Savior of the world. There is power in our testimony (as people see Christ's work in us), but what a relief that it is through the proclamation of God's Word that people come to know Christ as their Savior. I think sometimes we forget the power of the Gospel and the transforming power of the Word of God.

The hour is now here...

2010-04-01T04:56:00.000-07:00

"The woman said to him, 'Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our father worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.'

Jesus said to her,'Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on the mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him. God is spirit, those who worship him must
worship in spirit and truth.' " John 19-24

You have to love the "But"s in scripture. As Christ begins his ministry, he proclaims to this woman, a Samaritan, your people were never able to worship the living God, for salvation was only known to the Jews, But, the hour (Matthew 26:45) now has come where you don't need a mountain or a Temple to worship the living God, for He is seeking those who will worship Him. A salvation that was once not for people outside of the Jews, is now for all and God is the one who seeks those whom will worship Him. Because of the Cross there is no longer a need for a mountain, building or temple to approach the presence of God, for the Spirit of Christ dwells within all those who believe. So worship the Triune God in all places!

Again praise God, for His atoning work through Jesus Christ and for the Spirit that indwells us and allows us to draw near to the Throne of Grace and cry "Abba, Father." (Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:6-7, Hebrews 4:14-16)

The Fullness of Christ...

2010-03-31T11:34:00.000-07:00

This morning we had a lunch for the women in the church. A time to encourage one another towards Christ. With Easter approaching I thought it necessary to speak on the work of Christ. I took a few moments to explain how through Christ being fully God, fully man, fulfilling the Law, and being fully Righteous, we are recipients of grace upon grace. Here is the handout. Celebrate the work of our Risen Lord as you dwell on these verses of scripture!

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth…And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever see God; the only God; who is at the Father’s side,
he has made him know.” John 1:14, 16-18

Fully God

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:1-5
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities- all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the first born from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of the cross.” Colossian 1:15-20

Fully Man

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

Fully Accomplished the Law

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until it is accomplished.” Matthew 17-18-19
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15

Fully Righteous

“Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness lead to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.” Romans 5:18-19
“But when Christ has offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified…Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.” Hebrews 10:12-14, 18

Therefore…

“But when the fullness of time has come, God sent forth his only Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying “Abba, Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” Galatians 4:4-7
“And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” John 1:16

Grace- Greek word Charis (Χάρις)- A favor done without expectation of return; absolute freeness of the loving kindness of God to men finding its only motive in the bounty and freeheartedness of the Giver; unearned and unmerited favor.

Average morning at the Davidsons....

2010-03-29T09:00:00.001-07:00

A little Penny Whistle-ing, a little brake dancing, a little screaming....

Oh! And a little tattoo-ing...

oh my.... =)

2010-03-25T14:09:00.000-07:00

In the article The World's Best Country for Women, the writer explores which country in the world is the best place for women to live. The rankings seem to be based on: job power, education, time out of the home, dating, and acceptance of femininity. Here are just a few quotes:

The goal of equality starts young: "Anti-Sexism Awareness Training" begins in kindergarten, where male toddlers are encouraged to play with dolls, and females with toy tractors. In school, classes in cooking, sewing, metalworking, and woodworking are compulsory for both sexes. All education, including college, is free, and girls routinely outperform boys; in 2005, women made up more than 60 percent of all Swedish college students. All this adds up to more flexible gender roles later: As one Swedish website puts it, "In our country, women drive the buses and men push the baby buggies."

Ebba's live-in boyfriend, who works 9-to-5 for a leather company, also does the household chores. According to one study, Swedish men do more housework than men anywhere else — an average of 24 hours per week...While her boyfriend cleans house, Ebba focuses on being a role model for the 250,000 young female readers of her magazine.... Nevertheless, she's a firm believer that Swedish women don't have to give up their femininity. "I love makeup, I wear pink, and I'm obsessed with handbags," she confesses. "I'm proof that you can be both smart and womanly. I get thousands of letters from girls saying that I inspire them."

"Even so, Sweden's acceptance of women as the aggressors in relationships has its perks: Anna-Maria regularly dates three or four men at a time without social disapproval. And when it comes to sexual freedom, it's hard to imagine a country with more relaxed rules...One-night stands are also common. "You can sleep with whomever — there's no stigma against women who've had many sexual partners," she says. Which is convenient, since Anna-Maria is having too much fun to settle down just yet. In time, she says, she hopes to meet a long-term partner and have a family. Though her requirements might seem unrealistic, Anna-Maria knows what she's looking for: "I couldn't give up my job, so I wouldn't dream of marrying a man who wasn't prepared to stay at home and look after the children on an equal basis with me."

What garbage is this? Femininity is chalked up to loving make-up, wearing pink, and being obsessed with handbags (If this is true than I fail miserably). Sexuality is praised not in the context of marriage but because you can have multiple partners and you don't have to "settle down just yet." Not to mention that little boys are taught to play like little girls and little girls are taught to play like little boys. Where is the recognition that we are created male and female. Yes equal as humans, but MALE and FEMALE! AHHHH! It is outrageous that these are the standards of the world. How we buy into the lies of Satan that what we were created to be is somehow wrong or must be improved upon. The only improvement to our being is Christ. His work, His sacrifice, and His imputed righteousness on our account! I pray that women of Sweden's eyes would be opened to see the glory of God's created order! That they might know true joy in His role for their lives. This is why there must be godly women in the church who are willing to teach the younger women what is good....

"...and so train the young women to love their husband and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled." Titus 2:4-5

"For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman from man." 1 Corinthians 11:8-9

"Then the LORD God said, "it is not goof that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him...So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brough her to the man." Genesis 2:18,21-22

I'm so annoyed and disgusted... can you tell??

Lydia! Where's your....?

2010-03-24T12:18:00.000-07:00

This is one of our favorite games to play with Lydia... specifically for the last one!

Lydia where's your.....

tongue?

eye?

Teeth?

Nose??

hahaha... we have some interesting findings during this game!!

Parenting score.... Zero

2010-03-23T06:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Lydia picked up "The Jesus Story Book Bible" and clear as day said "Bi-ble." I was so excited to think that we have talked about the bible enough with her and Micah that it was a word that she added to her vocabulary, which is expanding everyday! So I thought with my prideful spirit... Score one for decently good parenting....

But turns out Micah has also been expanding his vocabulary. About a month ago we put a ban on Micah watching the original 101 Dalmatians. It is his favorite movie. But after viewing it, we realized they say a word often in there that we did not want to be used by him. So before he started to use it, we thought it best to put that movie on the shelf. Well yesterday about a month after the last viewing of the movie, as Micah and Lydia were playing, he looked right at her and said, (insert silly voice) "Don't do that you i-di-ot." YIKES! Parenting pride took a plunge back to ZERO. I didn't punish him because he really didn't understand what he said, but after a good conversation and the promise of a spanking the next time it was used was given we moved on.

So yesterday was a good day of words and a not so good day of words... but regardless, they were all good teaching moments!

Our Christian walk is like a rose....

2010-03-18T13:59:00.000-07:00

I was visiting with and older women from my church this morning and without knowing it, she gave me a beautiful illustration of the Christian walk.

She said when her granddaughter was young, they would take walks together and she would take the opportunity to point out the glory of God as they walked through the beauty of His creation (Romans 1:19-20). She liked her granddaughter to a rose. She said now you are like a rose bud, small and beautiful with potential for so much. With time your pedals will bloom and the world will see your beauty as you open into what you were created to be. And as you age, you will give off a wonderful fragrance (a fragrance of godly wisdom) to all those who come in contact with you.

I saw the image she was describing. As we sat at the table, her fragrance was strong. The wisdom she shared, the beauty of her gentle and quiet spirit, and her fear of the Lord left me longing to hear more. In her, I saw her Creator and she praising His name.

"But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere."
2 Corinthians 2:14

Contentment...?

2010-03-12T08:14:00.000-08:00

A question that weighs on my mind often is, how do we teach our children to be content? Content with the toys they have, where they live, how much play time they have, what food they are given to eat, what books we read, the little bit of TV they watch, and the list goes on. This verse weights heavily on my desire to teach them contentment in Christ and not in this world...

6 Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
1 Timothy 6:10

Any suggestions?

It felt like spring... so we did spring type things!

2010-03-09T16:00:00.000-08:00

It felt really nice outside today... so Micah and I started preparing for our garden!

I'm really looking forward to the garden this year. I think now that it's not such and unknown, I will be more prepared to deal with the bountiful harvest!

Micah was excited to put his "Diego" gloves back on and help me dig in the dirt. I was surprised how much he remembered from a year ago!

We are trying something new this year by starting some of the plants inside then transporting them to the outside garden once it's been weeded.

Currently my favorite song....

2010-02-26T06:50:00.000-08:00

And my second favorite musical artist.... (second only to his daddy)

My God is so BIG
So STRONG and so MIGHTY
There is NOTHING my God CAN NOT DO!

Reading a righteously convicting book that has brought me to my knees in prayer several times since I began it. I want my children's minds to be filled with truth about God and His mighty power to save, His holiness, and His wrath against sin apart from Christ....

"And all this is one of God's merciful arrangements. He gives your children a mind that will receive impressions like moist clay. He gives them a disposition at the starting-point of life to believe what you tell them, and to take for granted what you advise them, and to trust your word rather than a stranger's. He gives you, in short, a golden opportunity of doing them good. See that the opportunity be not neglected, and thrown away. Once let slip, it is gone for ever."
-J.C. Ryle The Duties of Parents

Davidsons run on Dunkin'...

2010-02-25T06:39:00.000-08:00

We dropped Ryan off at the airport this morning. He is headed to Southern Seminary for a class/conference. Since it was early and we hadn't had breakfast yet, we thought it necessary to go to Dunkin' Donuts. We got some donut holes, orange juice, and hot chocolate. Although I do not like coffee, I love the smell of it, particularly Dunkin' Donuts coffee. So it was sad because Ryan wasn't there and it just seemed wrong not to buy some... but not wrong enough to get one myself. I miss my husband already and his coffee drinking self.

But while I was there, a man dressed in casual clothes, mid thirties, with a stocking cap on came in, handed me something, and said "have one." At first glance it was a comic strip, but with further examination I realized it was a Salvation tract. I smiled at him, kindly told him I wouldn't need it, and that my husband was a Baptist pastor. He smiled, asked what church it was. I told him and then he told me he was not from around here. I encouraged him in his efforts. The encounter made me realize how easy it could be to engage someone about the gospel. My hope would be that he is engaging those he encounters in conversation, but nonetheless, the gospel was being proclaimed. Something for me to ponder....

Teaching grace with a piece of chocolate...

2010-02-15T16:11:00.000-08:00

Each night at dinner we require Micah to eat a certain amount of green vegetables. If we are honest, the amount he has to eat really can not be contributing to his health, so with each passing year (uhh... I mean meal), we are increasing the amount he has to eat. Tonight we asked him to eat a healthy sized piece of broccoli. I know, what kid (or adult) really likes to eat that stuff? With dinner being over and 10 minutes having already past, I told Micah he could have the chocolate he asked for if he ate his broccoli before I counted to 10. When I got to nine and delayed about 30 seconds before I finished getting to 10, the broccoli was still on the plate... so no chocolate for Micah.
As I finished feeding Lydia her last bite of chocolate, my heart desired to give Micah his piece even though he didn't deserve it. So, a light bulb went off in my head and I realized that I had a teaching moment on my hands.

Me: Micah, do you know what grace is?
Micah: ummm... nope
Me: grace is when you are given something that you don't deserve
Micah (silly voice): oh... grace
Me: Micah, do you know who gives us grace?
Micah: God
Me (with excitement because he knew the answer to the last question): do you deserve to have a piece of chocolate?
Micah: no
Me: why?
Micah (quietly under his breath): I didn't obey and eat broccoli
Me: That's right. But because you finally obeyed daddy, even though you lost the chance to have your chocolate, mommy is going to give you this chocolate. God gives us his grace even though we have done nothing to deserve it because he loves us. So we should thank God for His grace when we eat our chocolate
Micah (yelling): Thank you GOD for grace!!!

I had been struggling with helping Micah understand God's grace. When I show him grace in everyday situations, I'm not sure he always understands. A piece of chocolate is nothing to be compared to God's grace. But it was a good tangible example for Micah to understand favor that is not deserved. It was a good reminder for me too!

And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace John 1:16

** Side note: Micah did eat his broccoli before he had the chocolate, just not before the chocolate privilege was taken away! So yeah for getting something green in him before the chocolate!

Raising Baptists!

2010-02-09T09:30:00.000-08:00

I realized this morning that we are raising a couple of Baptists. They have learned early that food and fellowship go hand in hand... I see nothing wrong with that!
They sure know how to pack a pew! During the fellowship time you can have the priviledge of meeting(from left to right): Beebee (Baby in Lydia talk), Beebee Mon, Boy, and Boy Monkey... I know I know... the creativity of these names is astounding! But what can you do? =) At least they get credit for a full pew!

Prayer is necessary... and good

2010-02-04T14:53:00.000-08:00

Prayer has been hard to reconcile in my mind. If God is sovereign over everything, how then do my prayers have an impact on what he will or will not do. If Psalm 134:16, "...in your book were written, everyone of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them," is true, then why pray?

This is my conclusion: Jesus assumes it, scripture commands it, and I am within God's will when I do pray. If I am in Christ, then I have to take scripture as a whole and believe, apply, and practice what is says.

"5 And when you pray... 7 And when you pray...10 your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Matthew 6:5, 6, 10

"16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

"16 ...the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." James 5:16b

"14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he heard us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the request that we have asked him." 1 John 3:14-15

(1) Jesus, when teaching the disciples to pray, says "and when you pray." He doesn't say, "and if you pray", he says "and when you pray"... so I am concluding that Jesus assumes, if you are in Him, that you will pray.

(2) Paul commands us to pray. He say rejoice, pray, and give thanks. Paul, also assuming that we are praying, says to do it without ceasing. That means all the time communication with God.

(3) Paul also says it is the will of God for us to pray without ceasing. Jesus says that while we are in prayer we should pray for the will of God to be done. And John tells us that when we are asking, according to God's will, and he answer our request, that we can have the confidence that we are in Christ; therefore, we are within the will of God.

I watched a sermon yesterday about the disaster in Haiti and I realized I can't afford to neglect prayer. I have to much on my heart to pour out to God. Praise and adoration, thanksgiving, and supplication. I will have to pray without ceasing in order to have enough time to say it all....

Prayer although a mystery to me... is necessary and good!

Temporary Addition to our family... and a snowball fight!

2010-02-01T12:26:00.000-08:00

Here is Hump-fa-ry! The newest addition to our family (as long as the weather stays cool that is)!! Ryan and I helped Micah put this guy together. He has lost his face already due to the sun, but he's still pretty cute!

And nothing like a friendly little snowball fight. I think Micah is trying to use some special snowball fighting tactics by going into the woods!

Seven Reasons I really enjoyed the snow:
1. Uninterrupted time with my family
2. Worship was sweet and simple
3. We had 6 home cooked meals together
4. Fires in the fireplace brought relaxation and sweet family time
5. We didn't get out of our pjs for a whole day
6. I got to see the joy of a snow day through the eyes of a child
7. I was able to really enjoy my husband because there were no time demands, work to do, or schedules to meet.

I thank God for snow, not only because it is beautiful, but because for our home it brought rest, appreciation, worship, and delight!

No hugs for your Hump-fa-ry... no hugs for you!

Snow day!

2010-01-30T08:20:00.000-08:00

It's only noon and I am guessing we already have about 4 inches of snow. Of course we were outside as soon as breakfast was over and are now exhausted and ready for a naps.
Part of being worn out comes from just getting ready!

The kids seem to have a blast. Lydia is getting over a cold so we only kept her out of a little while! Being pulled on the sled by daddy was the best part!

Lydia decided to take a breather in her rocking chair. Walking around in that snowsuit is pretty hard. Micah was starting to get cold, we need to get him some better snow pants!

But to tell you the truth, the best part of playing in the snow was when my parents came over. Lydia went to bed and Micah wanted to come inside. So once his movie was playing and he had a snack, we (my parents, Ryan and I) went outside to have a gigantic snowball fight and a sled race! It was great. We don't have much opportunity just to play sometimes. It was good to just enjoy one of God's creations!

Hope every is have a great snow day!

If I am honest with myself...

2010-01-28T10:33:00.000-08:00

Of all the verses in the Old and New Testaments, my greatest struggle is with this one:

She looks well to the ways of her
household
and does not eat the bread of
idleness.
Proverbs 31:27

General information:
Being a stay at home mom means I am called too and consumed by certain duties: watching my children (feeding, cleaning, changing, protecting, etc.) , cleaning the house (vacuuming, dusting, sterilizing (needed often), and straightening up), doing laundry (7-8 loads a week), cooking meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), paying bills, and grocery shopping. To be completely honest I delight in most of these things, especially grocery shopping. Folding laundry is probably at the bottom of the list, but nonetheless, I gave up a long time ago resenting these duties. So for the most part, if you walk into my home, you would say that I "look well to the ways of [my] household." Generally in the morning I wake up early to have time with God before my family is awake. This time prepares me for the day I believe by setting my thoughts on God and seeking His grace and mercy for the day.

My problem:
When my quiet time is finished, all of my jobs at home are completed and my children are asleep, I struggle with idleness. I would love to say that I take the two or three hours I have each day during nap time and fill them with encouragement to women of my church, reading books by authors who spur me on towards Christ, or in hours of prayer... but for the most part, I haven't. In most cases, I can't say where the time goes. Maybe in reading blogs of people I don't know, to find out what they think about all kinds of things that don't matter really, or looking at pictures and statuses on facebook of people that I don't really keep in contact with and which only leads to me judging them (which thanks to our James study that has been an area growth for me, but still much needed prayer), or searching for random stuff online, or who knows what (I'm just being completely honest here). Before I know it, the time is gone and it's time to start dinner. This is not always the case, but in reality, it shouldn't be this way at all.

Ryan came home the other night and asked how I was doing. I told him that I was doing alright but that I was struggling with idleness. He sort of looked at me with confusion. I explained that I didn't mean in regards to caring for him, the children, or the house, but as it pertained to my free time. Rest is good (Sweet is the sleep of a laborer Ecclesiatstes 5:12a), taking a break is fine, but what am I filling that time with.... To tell the truth: it is my fleshly desire to be mindlessly entertained.

The Solution:
Fear the LORD. The Proverbs 31 woman sets a high bar. She is not idle because she looks well to the ways of her household, yes.... but most importantly because she fears the LORD. And for that reason alone is why she should be praised.

For your entertainment:
So this video reminds me of my fleshly desires and how ridiculous they must look sometimes! Enjoy!

* As a side note:
I DO think there are benefits to facebook and blogs. I have been able to contact many lost friends through facebook and I am often encouraged towards Christ in what I read in blogs... so don't worry, I haven't gone off the deep end. Just being more disciplined as to what I read and how I spend my time.

I'm glad God is Soverign

2010-01-23T13:10:00.001-08:00

Micah has been sick for about the last 17 hours. About midnight we woke up to him crying our names. To my unfortunate surprise, he has thrown up all over his bed. He went to bed feeling like his usual self at 8:00, but apparently something was already lurking inside. It was a rough night. Each time he would fall back asleep we were up within the half hour back in the bathroom. I think mommy, Micah, and daddy slept a total of 2 hours.

He has been pretty pitiful today. The stomach bug has continued, but thankfully he has finally found rest now (going on 2 hours now). But all of this got me thinking. Micah's sweet, innocent, pitiful-feeling self, believes that his mommy and daddy have everything under control and all he has to do is call our name and we will be there; however, as I am holding his head each time he gets sick... I feel helpless, knowing there is nothing I can do to heal him.

So, in the midst of Micah sickness it has made be reflect on how much I should rejoice in the God who is all-knowing and sovereignly in control of all things. When I plead out in my pain, he does not feel helpless; rather, He hears my cries and he speaks to me through His word, "fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10)

If Micah can cry to his mommy who is fallible, untrustworthy, impatient and lacking power to change his circumstances, how much more should I cry out to a God who is perfect, steadfast, constant, and all powerful.

He's awake... off to watch 101 Dalmatians! (again!)

2010-01-22T08:54:00.000-08:00

He's home! Things went fine while he was gone, but I don't want to be the leader of my family. I want to be the helper. I am grateful to have my partner back. It was refreshing to me to miss him so much. I am grateful to God for his provision of patiences and mercy these past 12 days. He sustained me and I praise Him for it.

Thoughts for the New Year

2010-01-02T10:24:00.000-08:00

My thoughts (not resolutions) for the New Year :

(1) Christianity is state of being, not just doing

(2) Often I allow my emotions to tell me what truths to believe, but thanks to the book of Jonah, I have learned that truth (absolute truth set fourth by the Bible) must dictate my emotions.
so...
This means I have to know the truth of God's Word. Most people make the resolution to read the whole bible in one year or 6 months or 90 days. But for me... I'm just going to tackle the New Testament. There are 27 books in the New Testament with a total of 246 chapters. There are 365 days this year. If you take out the 104 weekend days, that leaves you with 261 week days. So, I'm going to take my time and read one chapter out of the New Testament every week day this year. Someday I might read the whole bible in a year, but for now, I want to take my time and really absorb what each word, phrase, sentence, paragraph, and chapter is saying! I'm excited about spending this time with God.

Happy New Year to Everyone!

2009-12-14T10:06:00.000-08:00

My children are sick today. They are crying a lot. They have spilled water all over the floor twice. The prized toy truck has been broken and fixed 30 times already this morning. Noses are running out of control and face it...there just aren't enough fruit snacks in the package. There have been times (and admittedly there was one) when I have wanted to shut myself in the Laundry Room and block out the crying. And then I ran across this and realized it's all worth it. I know it is... but I just needed a sweet reminder that there is a purpose to all of this.

"In 1972 people my age were saying it's a sin to have more than 2 kids. And some were saying it was a sin to have kids because population blah, blah, blah.

And I just thought to myself, "OK. If you have more than 2.1 kids you're putting a strain on the planet? I don't think so. Because the kids I'm going to raise are going to lift a million burdens."

You Christian, you've got to believe that bringing kids into the world and being brought up in the Lord makes them burden lifters, not burden adders. They are in the world to lift the world, to save the world, to love the world.

You're not just adding dead weight to the world when you bring a child up in the kingdom. You're bringing up lovers of people and servants of the world." John Piper

Innocents of Children... sort of

2009-12-07T07:51:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning the children of our church sang a few Christmas songs. Despite all the practice that goes into these things, children are children. Although the performance is never flawless, it is, nonetheless, entertaining and well... sweet. So here is the video I took. Notice the boy in the white stripped sweater and khaki pants. He never sings a word, but he responds well to his daddy's correction. Score one for obedience! (Can you believe it's the pastor's kid who is break dancing before they sing!) HAHA!! I'm so proud of that boy!

I'm glad our children can be involved as we as a church anticipate and celebrate the coming the Christ! "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

My creativity is stunted by my need for order...

2009-11-02T06:42:00.000-08:00

What I see as three nice, perfectly separated balls of play-doh

Micah sees as a dragon riding a surf board

Church as it is meant to be...

2009-10-26T05:29:00.000-07:00

This past week our church was getting ready for our "As You Have Need" distribution. The women's ministry decided to sponsor an event that would ask the members of our church to donate their own personal goods for the benefit of the community. We sent out letters to the surrounding community to advertise our FREE sale. Anyone was welcome. As you can see in the pictures below we were blessed beyond my imagination with goods. Our church space was quickly changed into a Thrift Store before my eyes.

Here are some ways I saw God "do far more abundantly than all that [I asked or thought] Ephesians 3:20."
(1) True sacrifice of those in the church:
~People brought so much stuff. Not for tax credit or for profit, just because. Some realized that we lacked in a few areas so they went home to give even more of things they use, but could do without.
~Women took off work in order to help in Wednesday mornings set up. The women in the bible study I lead agreed to help set up. What a blessing and I could not repay them for their sacrifice. But there were two women who took personal time off of work to help. Brings tears to my eyes because to me.... this is what the church is all about. Sacrificing self for the good of others. "...to him be glory in the church Ephesians 3:21a."
(2) The stories of those who came to the distribution and the blessing that our small effort was making in their lives. My friend April writes about it best.
(3) Community in the church. Those in our local cities had and still have a need and so we attempted, and will continue to attempt, in a small way to meet it.
~"Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common...There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold...and it was distributed to each as any had need."
(4) Every Bible we had was taken
"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account Hebrews 4:12-13."
(5) There was an overwhelming expression of gratefulness.
(6) We had very little left! Over 40 Families came and were able to find some practical things that each needed. Here are some before and after pictures of the distribution. Almost every room was left this empty!

Saturday morning I meditated on this verse. How I marvel in the fact that we have God who fulfills His word and is faithful to those who seek him. May God receive all of the glory! Pray that all of those who came will recognize that all that they have is because of the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ our Savior.

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen Ephesians 3:20-21."

Lead by example... there are very good benefits!

2009-10-19T13:53:00.000-07:00

For years it has been my routine to clean the house on Mondays. The weekend always seems to bring a mess, so it has been both practical and helpful. I enjoy starting the week off with a clean house. It makes the rest of the week fall more easily in place: play dates, last minute dinner invites, and whatever else may come. Micah, since he could crawl, has always wanted to help when I am cleaning. For his second birthday we bought him a kids Dyson so that he could vacuum just like mommy. Well recently, it has gone from just cleaning when I clean, to doing it for fun! The other day he found some sponges in his art kit and asked me if he could have a bowl of water. A minute later I found him doing this....

He said, "Mommy, this wall soooo dirty...I need to clean it!" I thought to myself, "Sweet!!!...Sure wish I could give him some Lysol!" Sobering to realize that my actions and example will have a lasting affect on this little boy's life... But as for this example....I'm very glad he is following in my (and his daddy's) foot steps!

Faithful are the Wounds of a Friend...

2009-10-12T19:35:00.000-07:00

As I was preparing for our James Study this week, a verse popped out at me: "So whoever knows the right things to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." (James 4:17) The first four chapters of James are filled with exhortations towards holiness and rebukes towards worldly passions.

A few examples:
Count it all joy when you meet trials of various kinds (1:2)
In faith, ask for wisdom (1:5-6)
Quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger (1:19)
Be Doers of the Word, not just hearers (1:22)
Visit the orphans and widows (1:27)
Be unstained by the world (1:27)
Show no partiality/judgment (2:1)
Love your neighbor (2:8)
Produce good works as evidence of your faith (2:14-26)
Tame/bridle the tongue (3:1-12)
Do not be friends with the world (4:4)
Do not speak evil against one another (4:11)
Acknowledge the will of God (4:15)

In light of all of these, we have been talking about our responsibility as sisters in Christ to hold one another accountable in these areas. James 4:17 says once you know the truth, you are accountable to holding it otherwise you are in sin. So Yesterday as I was reading I came across Proverbs 27:5-6:

Better is an open rebuke

than hidden love.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend;
profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

A rebuke towards a friend will be faithful to bring out repentance. Hidden love (or ignoring the sins of a friend) will be as a kiss of the enemy. Better to cause a wound that leads to repentance, than a kiss the leads to death.

My friends, if anyone among you wonders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wanderings will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
James 5:19-20

learning new things is good... but only half learning a skill brings problems

2009-10-09T10:13:00.000-07:00

Lydia has learned a new skill: climbing the stairs. This brings joy to my heart to see her learning and growing, but it brings panic to my heart when I find her halfway up the stairs (really, where is her mother?).

Consequently, she has figured out (from her older brother) that the fun of being upstairs means being able to throw something down the stairs.

But she hasn't learned how to get back down the stairs yet, so what goes down... doesn't have a ride back up...

But not to leave Micah out, he has learned to close his eyes during prayer... and boy does he make sure they are really closed! No distractions for Micah! I love this boy!

The glass IS half full...

2009-10-06T05:28:00.000-07:00

Optimism is "an inclination to put the most favorable construction upon actions and events or to anticipate the best possible outcome."

I have been thinking lately, shouldn't this be our default mode as Christians?

"Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls." 1 Peter 1:8-9

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

"Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

"You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forever more." Psalm 16:11

" 'It is finished,' and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." John 19:30b

"Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:7-8

"And he will swallow up on this mountain
the covering that is cast over all peoples,
the veil that is spread over all nations.
He will swallow up death forever; and the
Lord GOD will wipe away tears for all faces,
and the reproach of his people he will
take away from all the earth,
for the LORD has spoken.
It will be said on that day,
'Behold, this is our God; we have
waited for him, that he might save us.
This is the LORD; we have waited for him;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.' "
Isaiah 25:7-9

Seems to me a valid case for looking towards the "best possible outcome" in all things. Something to think about...

Not exactly what is good for you....but more like tastes good to you!

2009-10-05T07:48:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning Ryan wasn't feeling very well so I decided to let him sleep in. To my surprise Lydia also decided to sleep in till about 9:15. So, Micah and I decided to take advantage of it just being the two of us... and we made donuts. When I was a little girl every once and a while my mom would make fresh homemade donuts. Those were my favorite Saturday mornings. Just her and I making something I thought you could only by in the store. So Micah and I set out to do the same thing. And I must say, it was a success. I found this donut recipe online and it made amazing homemade donuts. I thought it was something good to share!
1 cup of warm milk
5 teaspoons of yeast (2 packets)
pinch (1 teaspoon) of sugar
2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of potato mashed up*
Oil for Frying

1. Mix together milk, yeast, and sugar. Let stand for about 5 minutes
2. *Microwave medium size potato for 5-6 minutes until soft when squeezed. Scoop out insides and mash with a fork.
3. Mix together flour, salt, sugar, and mashed potato
4. Add milk mixture to the flour mixture. Mix in mixer (with dough hook) for 3 minutes. (dough will be very sticky)
5. Remove dough from mixer onto a very floured surface. Knead until dough is not sticky and able to be rolled out
6. Find something to cut out a large circle and something to cut out a hole in the center
7. Let rise about 5 minutes while oil heats up in the skillet to about 360 degrees (1 inch or so of oil in skillet)
8. Drop donuts a few at a time so the oil does not cool down. Turn when color turns like brown
9. Let cool and drain on a rack
10. Shake finished donuts in a bag of cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar! Enjoy

Recommendations for the donuts by my kids!

When I was a child...

2009-10-01T05:54:00.000-07:00

It is unreal how much my daughter looks like me when I was a child. However, what strikes me most is not just the similar outer appearance, but the exact same personality (as I have heard and I suppose I admit). Now, I love this little girl. I had no idea what a joy it would be to have a daughter. The sweetness and laughter that she brings with her presence was nothing I could have imagined. However, the apple did not fall far from the tree when it comes to being strong-willed and stubborn. I like to make the joke that the only thing that is going to save her from daily battles with her parents if early regeneration. I say that because a turning point for me was when I recognized who Christ was (and is) and that his call to those He saves is not just to be a moralist. The call that lead me to exhibit love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22) and not my strong-willed and I guess I will admit, stubborn nature.

I have said it before, but having children is a great way to point out your own sin. Not just in the way I interact with them, but watching all of the sinful behaviors that they learn from me, or in the way they act out their own sins. Face it, we just sin in a more self-controlled manor. So I saw this picture of Lydia and as cute as she is, I thought the hair, the smile, and the fact that she is standing up in her crib when she is supposed to be laying down, was yet again a picture of my spiritual condition. So I thank God everyday that he has given me such a cute way to be reminded of my need for a Savior and that one day I (and I plead my children) will see Christ face to face. So through my children, God is continually pointing out what is good...

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man [woman], I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully know. 1 Corinthians 13:11-12

The Book of James is good...

2009-09-30T04:41:00.000-07:00

All of scripture falls under "what is good," but I like to call the Letter of James the Guide to Christianity. At first glance James is a really hard book to swallow, I read much of his words and find myself burdened. But I have realized that this letter is a mirror and as I gaze into it the refection I should see is one who is like Christ. In chapter 1:22-25 he says:

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

So James is indeed a mirror. I look inside of his words and I don't see the law, for Christ has fulfilled it, but I see a standard for those who are in Christ that I must weigh myself against. So I thank God for his grace and the Holy Spirit working in me. So James.... definitely filed under what is good!

Waffles and Family Worship

2009-09-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

I have changed up the blog a little bit. By no means am I abandoning the original intent of living out Titus 2, but rather just expanding it. I am realizing that the command to "learn what is good" is really a call to learn who God is and so live your life accordingly.

So, I have been looking at scripture with new eyes lately. At our women's bible study we have been going through James, a wonderful but challenging book, and I have been left with the question: If we are commanded to "count it all joy," how do we do that? The answer is Christ, but how do I find enjoyment in Christ in the midst of day to day life. I see how he reveals himself in big ways, but I have fallen short of finding my enjoyment in Christ in all of the small things. Most of which I often I see separate from God. Like waffles! Until this morning. For a while we have had the tradition of "Morning Family Worship" at breakfast time. Originally breakfast we intended to just keep the kids quiet at the table, but now I see it as a springboard for prayer and a practical example to our children of God's daily provision. So thank you God for declaring your goodness through waffles this morning, they were truly enjoyable.

"There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy...." Ecclesiastes 2:24-2

Things that are good...

2009-09-28T13:51:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I take life to seriously... and I miss some of the really good things! Like:

A daddy who is willing to lead by example...

Getting to ride Daddy's Jeep with the whole family

Making a birthday cake with TWO digging trucks that a little boy has been asking for since June! And seeing the big smile on his face when he saw it!

"And God saw everything that he made, and behold, it was very good..." Genesis 1:31a

The battle of the no... I mean bow

2009-08-12T11:58:00.000-07:00

Lydia's hair has started to grow and so I have been putting a bow in her hair lately so that she will be used to having something in her hair. I figure in all of my motherly wisdom (i.e. what I have gathered from other moms), that this will make it easier down the road when trying to fix her hair. Plus I just think they are pretty!

So here is the lovely Lydia in her beautiful bow!

Here is the lovely Lydia taking off her beautiful bow (which she does frequently) During which there is a lot of "NO LYDIA" and "DON'T TOUCH LYDIA" coming from mommy!

Here is Lydia proud of herself for removing her bow even though mommy said "NO"

Here is a not so happy Lydia when she was corrected for not obeying mommy and taking off her beautiful bow!

Here is a compliant, but not really happy about it Lydia... with a beautiful bow!

I'm thinking about just fighting the hair bow battle another day... but the battle of obedience will be fought our whole lives. It is amazing how the actions of my children cause me to search myself and disobedient ways. It was be a journey was I learn and instruct her in what it means to be obedient. "As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.' " 1 Peter 1:14-16

So as Lydia turns one tomorrow, we will continue instructing her in this commandment:
"Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right." Ephesians 6:1 and loving her all the more as we learn what it is to "bring them [Lydia and Micah] up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." Ephesians 6:4b

Happy 1st Birthday Little Girl! You have truly brought joy into my life and I am blessed to be your mommy!

2009-07-20T08:09:00.000-07:00

It has already started and Lydi hasn't even turned One!

Commandments are not a burden

2009-06-23T15:17:00.000-07:00

I was struck silent this afternoon when I read this verse. How quickly with one verse my sin nature was utterly exposed.

1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome (1 John 1:1-3).

I have been really wrestling lately with what it means to truly love the church. I don't mean the local building that you attend on a Sunday morning. I mean each individual born again believer that attends that church as well as the thousands of other churches that are spread across this world. In my life, up to this point, I have miserably failed to meet this commandment set forth by Christ,

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples. If you have love for one another (John 13:34-35)."

Lets unpack this verse for a second. First, we are commanded, not asked, commanded to love one another. Now, we would hope that this word love would be left up to each individuals interpretation, but Christ knowing our sinful flesh qualifies it by saying, "Just as I have loved you." This of course means that the way we are to love one another is the same as Christ's work in Gospel. Christ gave himself up for us (Galatians 2:20). So I am to love the children of God by constantly giving up myself for them. Scripture is filled with passage after passage on how to love one another: Be at peace with one another, be devoted, honor, be of same mind, have concern, serve, have compassion, be subject, stop passing judgment, accept, instruct, greet, wait, carry one another's burdens, be kind, forgiving, have humility, teach and admonish, comfort, offer hospitality, confess, encourage, exhort, rebuke, and the list continues. That's a lot and it's difficult and can feel, well, like a burden. And here is where the verse hit me "his commandments are not burdensome." Man, I don't think I have ever really read this verse.

So here's where the application comes in. If everyone that has been born again in Christ is called to love everyone else that has been born again in Christ (1John 1:1) then we are called to love the body of believers, the church. This means that I am to love each individual believer within my own church as well as each individual believer in the thousands of churches world wide, without treating it like a burden. Face it, it is much easier to serve some than others, especially if their theology is different than mine. That is the thought of my sinful flesh at it's best.

So how do I walk away from these sets of verses. I can walk away thinking, alright, I'm going to do better loving my fellow believers. I will be a little less selfish, more eager to lend a hand, I certainly won't judge as much, and most of all, I am going to do my absolute best to be somewhat intentional with every person I come in contact with. But if that is it, then I totally miss the point. Why? Because we are only able to love each other, the way Christ loved us, by falling on the grace upon grace which we have received from the fullness of Jesus Christ in the gospel (John 1:16-17). Through Jesus Christ we have the perfect example of love. To obtain this love I must fall on the mercies of God in prayer and plead for a renewed passion and delight in the people of God. So this begins with the church.

At this current season of life I have been blessed to be a part of an amazing body of believers. I have heard often the desire of the body to grow in community and true biblical fellowship with one another. But with this will come the need to set aside all selfish desires to have my ideas of what the church should be so that I may embrace each individual member, at their current walk with Christ. We must walk alongside each other as we both grow our devotion to Christ and to one another. Be encouraged church, "For everyone that has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world- our faith (1John 5:4)." Rejoice as you are partnered with the body of believers to which God has called you.

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
(Romans 15:5-7)

Take the time to listen...

2009-05-19T09:35:00.000-07:00

Every action, thought, and word that we have on this earth is based on our perspective of who we are and who God is? Are our lives God-centered or self-centered? This message by Rachel Barkey it outstanding. It is 55 minutes long and well worth your time. "Rachel Barkey is a 37 year-old wife and mother of two who is dying of cancer. She only has weeks to live (DG blog)" and her perspective on life, death, and the glory of God was a jolt to my self-centered world.

Getting rid of Sickness

2009-05-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

Why is it that when our physical bodies are sick, we will do anything possible to immediately rid ourselves of the discomfort and the ill affects of the nastiness that is plaguing us, but we are sluggish and complacent when ridding ourselves of the sickness that plagues our souls, sin. Is sin not the thing we want to banish from our bodies? Or is it the sickness that plagues only this momentary flesh...

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.
1 Peter 2:24

Just a thought as I so desire this cold to go away...

(Micah a few months ago)

Humility or fear of judgement?

2009-04-22T12:34:00.000-07:00

I was listening to a sermon by John Piper in regards to the churches responsibility in confronting our brothers/sisters or "so-called brothers" (1 Corinthians 5:11) who are unrepentantly in sin. A very strong message but I was struck by this: "Humility does not try to tell God how to be gracious. It listens and tries to obey with fear and trembling." How often do I not go to a brother or sister in sin because I think "who am I to cast judgment on their actions." Although we all suffer with sin issues, we are commanded to go to one another and point each other towards Christ. Humility towards Christ should thrust us forward with fear and trembling to admonish and rebuke our brothers and exhort them in the teachings of Christ not falsely claim passive humility towards another because of our own fears and sin.

If we are in Christ, than we are being purified for his purposes. "Who [Jesus Christ] gave himself for us to redeem is from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works (Titus 2:14)." So those who are in Christ should look towards His purification in us. I am coming closer to the conclusion that Christ will use me in the life of others and others throughout the course of my life to sanctify me and purify me so that I might be used according to His purposes.

"If you reject Christ as a purifier, you do not have Him as a pardoner. You do not have Him as a divided Christ, He is One." (John Piper)

Convicted by a two year old... Part 2: Why you do that?

2009-04-11T12:15:00.000-07:00

Since I have returned from my trip, Micah has been in a new phase. Perhaps we should call it the "question" phase. "What's that mommy? What that do mommy? Why you say that mommy? What you doing mommy?" and my favorite "Why you do that mommy?" Ordinarily those are great questions to ask. I am aware that Micah is starting to notice everything around him and so naturally there are questions that are beginning to form in his mind. He wants to know what everything is, how it works, why it works the way it does, and what purpose it holds. At first it was rather cute. I would try to come up with the best answer possible, really trying not to just brush him off and say, "because that's just how or what it is." However, after many days of nonstop questions I have grown weary. I have taken little time to answer his questions and in fact I have become irritated. Many times today I have had to apologize to Micah for my response and try a little harder to give an adequate (for a two year old) explanation. In the midst of one of my not so great responses the Holy Spirit again saw fit for a sanctification moment. The rebuke was so clear, "Do you not spend a lot of time trying to discern, understand, and question the ways of God. Perhaps you should have the grace and mercy and patience that God has towards your constant questioning towards Micah and his questions. But also just as you want Micah to rest in your answers, so you should to rest in Gods." In that moment I realized that Micah is not out to bother me, but rather it is his way of attempting to understand the circumstances around him. But just as it is important for him understand his circumstances, he needs to learn that sometimes mommy does what she does or says what she says because she is mommy and for the most part, she knows best. In the same, I need to learn that God does what He does and says what He says because He is God and He always knows best. Praise the Lord that I may put my trust in One who is infallible, unmovable, unchangeable and just. I am constantly reminding myself that everyday I need to exemplify Christ to Micah. So although I am fallible, I need to be to him unmovable, unchangeable, and as just as I can. Not to mention filled with grace and mercy and patience. So I must continually place my own desires aside to embrace Micah since he has been given to me to be loved, cared for, and brought up in the way he should go.

"Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways! For who has know the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor? Or who has given a gift to Him that he might be repaid? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen."
Romans 11:33-36

Convicted by a two year old...

2009-04-10T17:55:00.000-07:00

As we were driving home from our evening activities, I was instructing Micah to stop fussing because he wasn't getting his way. Each time I told him to stop, he would. Than a few seconds later he would follow it up with a sigh, grunt, moan, or just an out right "no" or "don't." It was absolutely infuriating. I was thinking "what boldness he has to think he should get the last word. Why can't he just accept what I say? Certainly he isn't challenging my authority. " And then, like a crashing wave, I was sharply rebuked by the Holy Spirit and immediately I recognized that I am just the same. Nothing like having the Holy Spirit point out your faults by saying, "Look, you are just like a two year old. Don't you always do the same?" I often feel like I have to have the last word so that my side is heard or my point is made or that I make known the discomfort that I am feeling instead of just letting it go. Some battles are meant to be fought, but I have to face it, most for me are just fought out of pride and self preservation, not love.

So, I take tonights little lesson, not the one taught to Micah, but the one taught to me and I look towards my future conversations with more open ears and speech that is filled with a little more grace, a little more mercy, and a lot more humility. Praise God for giving us the exact children we need to help along our sanctification process.

"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires."
James 1:19-20

A special thanks

2009-03-26T11:37:00.000-07:00

Today has been one of those days where I am overflowing with satisfaction in God and how he has formed my life up to this point. Realizing that any of the mistakes that I made along my journey could have drastically changed my path had it not been for the sovereign will of God. As many people say, if you would have asked me six years ago if I would be where I am today, I would been taken back in laughter. Not because of many of the things in my life now, but because of this one thing: I am married to a senior pastor of a church. This one thing alone causes me to fall to my knees in praise towards God because it is because of this pastor, my husband, that I have grown in my journey with Christ in such an intense, face to the ground, kind of way. Of course it is only through the work of the Holy Spirit that we are transformed, but I thank God each day that the one he chose to be the closest, most defining influence of my sanctification process, is my husband Ryan.

I have always had a healthy respect and love for my husband, but it has been over the last few months as we have journeyed at Grace that I have seen his true freedom and joy in Christ. What a passion I see in Him as he strives to bring those around him a deeper understanding of God's Word. There is something so real about Ryan as he struggles, like each one in his congregation, to discern the will of God in his life and then embrace it, love God all the more for it, and rejoice.

So today Ryan, I thank you for who you are. My husband, my best friend, and my pastor. I thank you for your leadership in our physical family, but also our spiritual one. Thank you for always pushing me towards Christ, for loving me when I desperately need it, and for having patience when I fall. I look forward with great anticipation to the ways God will use in you in lives of so many. You are doing well my husband...Thank you for letting me labor with you as we live our lives together for His fame...

"For the Lord our God has made us
And the Lord our God has saved us
The Lord our God is growing us
And the Lord our God has brought us
This day in which to offer
Our lives together for His fame."
-Of All Daughters J. Ryan Davidson
copyright November 2005

Beauty of Creation

2009-03-23T08:28:00.000-07:00

"The heavens declare the glory of God,and the sky above proclaims his handiwork."(Psalm 19:1)

Sometimes in the midst of changing seasons, it's nice to take a few moments and reflect on the amazing beauty that God uses to bring forth new life. I was in our front yard playing with my kids when I realized the tiny white flowers that had blossomed in our tree. The ones on the top have already come, served their purpose, and have died, but I happened to catch a picture of some of the ones still hanging on... I found this small clump of buds to be breath taking! I think the flowers sing the praises of God where I so often fail...

"And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13)

Perhaps I have found my life's verse...

2009-03-06T12:06:00.000-08:00

Soon after I completed my time in college, I ran across this particular set of verses in Ezekiel. At that time they had such a profound impact on my life.

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules...and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. (36:26-29a)

For a season of life, I had walked so far away from God that my heart had become like stone. In so many ways I was unable to see past my goals, my accomplishments, my struggles, my feelings, my life, and my mistakes, that my heart felt as hard as stone. I let nothing and no one in, and never let anything out. But, through God's constant pursuit of this saint, He began to break down the walls of my heart so that the heart of flesh, that He Himself has once placed in me, was able to hear His truth. How powerful the words "And I", "I will,""And I will,""cause you,""give you,""And I will be," and "I will" were to my soul. I was finally beginning to realize that it was by no work or merit of my own that could change the reality of my sinful state. It is only through the merciful work of God that I can be transformed. What a beautiful promise he lays out, "And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses." What an undeserved gift that Christ is the one that is looked upon by God, not me in my utterly sinful state. So, for a season, that was my life's verse.

But now, as I have reflected over the past months of how blessed I am in this season of life, I realize (in a very humble and joyous way) that I could be at the height of "physical blessings" in my life. The health of my husband, children, and extended family is good. Our house is more than we ever could have imagined. The church has surpassed all expectations and continues to do so. The love between Ryan and I gains passion and depth each day, and I could go on... So, in desperately desiring not to put my faith, my hope, or my trust in these earthly things, I look forward with great anticipation to the promises of the following verses:

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

We are not promised an easy life, in fact we are promised the opposite. It is through the struggles that we experience in this life that we grow in our "praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:7)." So my prayer is that I will welcome with boldness the future, all of the blessing and the trials, in hope that one day I will gaze on the things that are eternal...

Being Pure

2009-03-04T12:31:00.000-08:00

Within Carolyn Mahaney's series A Fresh Look at Titus 2 she tackles the hard topic of being pure. In this talk, she challenges our approach to what we watch, read, think about, and even our intimate relationship with our husbands. It is absolutely worth your time to listen! Here is a link to the free download! "Being Pure" The other 6 parts to the series are worth the time as well!

Am I Willing to Offend?

2009-02-19T17:01:00.000-08:00

As I have journeyed through the Christian life, I have been presented with many opportunities to point both believers and nonbelievers toward Christ. However, I think that more often than not, it is just as difficult to proclaim Christ and the way we are called to live to the believer as to the nonbeliever. If I am perfectly honest with myself, I know that in hopes of being an encouragement or even liked, I am unwilling to point out sin in another persons life. I realize that my hesitation is rooted in my fear of man and my unbelief that God will do as He has promised. I was reading in the twelfth Chapter of Luke the other day and it struck me how many times Jesus commanded "do not fear, do not deny, do not be anxious, fear not..." and the list goes on. All of these commands come in a string of teachings which all have the same point: Man can do nothing less than destroy the body, only God can control the fate of mans soul.

I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. v. 4-5

And it hit me. What reason is there to fear man? I might be laughed at, made fun of, mocked, ignored, shunned, called judgmental, made to feel uncomfortable, cut off from communication, or even (and face it, no one likes this one) disliked. We all live in a world where we think the approval of man is the be all and end all to who we are. In the same chapter Jesus asks:

Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. v.51

I am coming to the conclusion that as believers we are to be constantly holding one another accountable. Pointing one another towards Christ even if it risks offending another believer. We should be willing to be cast aside by someone if it means pointing them towards their eternal good. I know that I avoid these situations because I worry that perhaps I will not know the correct things to say, or maybe it's not my place, but Jesus says:

And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God...do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say. v.8-9,11b-12

I don't believe these verses apply to the proclamation of the Gospel alone, but rather to all things that are "...good, acceptable, and perfect." (Romans 12:2d) So, I am realizing that perhaps in my unwillingness to interfere with the lives of others, am I not in fact denying who Christ is before man.

So as I move forward with boldness (hopefully) I will cling to this promise of Jesus:
"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." (v.32) I pray that the promise of God's kingdom would be enough for me to risk the possibility of be disliked. And I realize this means a willingness to accept others views on my actions as well. May we all be humble enough to grow in Christ.

I'm An Aunt!!

2009-02-18T13:16:00.001-08:00

I am so beyond proud of my brother Aaron and his wife Becky! They just had their first baby! A little girl named Regan Marie! Now I just have to figured out when I can get out to Arizona to see them! How amazing is God's grace that he allows us to be a part of bring life into this world!

Can my sweet baby girl really be a sinner?

2009-02-10T07:59:00.000-08:00

Is it possible that this sweet little girl who are rarely cried during her first six months of life could be born a sinner? Lets take a look shall we?

Although Micah was being generous and letting Lydia play with his toys, she still thought it necessary to pick on him!

Lydia has decided as of late that she will pick the food she wants to eat and the location in which she will eat it. Apparently she has decided that her seat isn't good enough! So I guess to the high chair we go...

Conclusion: "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6 I am seeing what a glorious and overwhelming task it is to be one called to "train up a child in the way he should go." May God grant me the grace to get out of His way. He will guide and reveal Himself to my children if that is His will. So for now, I plead and pray that they will be ones that belong to Him. For as fallen as they are, I would be the same if it were not for my hope in Christ. I pray that within their lives I may be a vessel of honorable use, one that is useful to the Master.

Living Life As If There Is a Therefore

2009-02-08T17:36:00.000-08:00

I often put links on here to different messages or sermons that have had an impact on my life or my view of God and hope that they will do the same for those who see them on here, but I fear that not many of them are listened to. So, I have taken out a section of quotes that I think can be life changing if we allow them to be.

So we say, “Because of God’s mercy revealed in Christ, therefore, I do this and not that. Because of God’s mercy revealed in Christ, therefore I speak this way and not that way. Because of God’s mercy revealed in Christ, therefore I cultivate this kind of emotion and put that kind to death. Because I exist to glorify the mercy of God in Christ, I live this way and not that way. Christian living is built on something!

The somethings he is referring to here is the grace given to us through Christ. God in His infinite grace chose to save us from our utter sinful state, therefore, we should live as if there is someone who is worthy to be glofied in our whole being. The reality of the Christian walk is to be different than that of the world because we are built on something greater than those of the world.

One application: Parents, teach your children that the behavior and attitudes you expect from them are built on something! Don’t say, “Just do it.” As they get older help them see that the standards of thought and attitude and action and entertainment and ministry and mercy are all built on the mercy of God in Christ. Help them see that Christian living is not a list of do’s and don’ts, it is a way of showing the glory of God and Christ. Help them see that Christian living—for children and teenagers and adults—is built on the gospel—on the beauty of Christ crucified and risen and reigning. The question is not mainly, “What’s wrong with this music or this movie or this party or this dress or these drugs or these friends?” The question is, How can I act and speak and feel so that I help my friends see the worth of Jesus above all music and movies and parties and friends? How can I live to show that Jesus didn’t come into the world to help me party better but to help me love better and die better? -Build Your Life on the Mercies of God

I have learned that in my own life, but especially with my children, that I need to be teaching them that they are to do or not do, act or not act, talk or not talk in certain ways because their life is to be built on something greater than just them. Their, or my, momentary happiness is nothing compared to the eternal majesty and glory of God and His mercies toward us through Christ.
So, I have to realized that those who see me will only know the worth of Jesus in my life by my priorities, my decisions, my actions, my attitudes, and my willingness to be different from this world. Because of God's mercy I will rejoice in all seasons of life, for Christ should be the only value I need to bear and I will praise Him each day for the blessings in my life that are so undeserved.

A Good Idea???

2009-01-27T13:20:00.000-08:00

I suppose sometimes you just have to let boys be boys!!

The Quest for Divine Guidence

2009-01-13T14:12:00.000-08:00

“The prerequisite of divine guidance is not a quest for messages; it is a quest for holiness.” Excellent Message by John Piper

Words of Inspiration

2008-12-18T11:06:00.000-08:00

"Christ has already conquered the sin that is conquering you."
-Pastor Ryan Davidson, Grace Baptist Chapel

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:37-39

The Word

2008-12-09T12:04:00.000-08:00

I was in the car driving the other day, and a song came on that I had not heard in a long time. A good friend of mine had loaned me her set of Sara Grove CDs and through my listening of all of the songs, although many rang true with me, this particular song was my favorite. She talks about the complacency that we have with our faith and our desire to make it fit our moods or life circumstances. The first stanza goes like this:

I've done every devotional
Been every place emotional
Trying to hear a new word from God
And I think it's very odd
That while I attmept to help myself My Bible sits upon my shelf
With every promise I could ever need

I love those lines. I so often base my faith, my devotion to Christ, my family, and my church on my emotional state. However I feel is how much I will give of my time. This often ranges from everything to nothing at all. How often I miss the greater purpose of what God has called me to. The song continues on, but it the last verse that always gets me so excited about the promises of God and the confirmation that He doing a work in us:

I think it's time I rediscover
All the ground that I have covered,
Like seek ye first what a verse
We are pressed but not crushed
Perplexed but don't despair
We are persecuted but not abandoned
We are no longer slaves
We are daughters and sons
And when we are weak we are very strong
And neither death nor life nor present
Nor future nor depth nor height
Can keep us from the love of Christ
And the Word I need is the Word that was
Who put on flesh to dwell with us
In the beginning

"And the Word I need, is the Word that was, Who put on flesh to dwell with us." Wow, I often find myself searching through scripture looking for something to inspire me or to provoke an emotional response to motivate me, but reality is, the Word I need is the one who became flesh to dwell among men.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

So as my pastor pointed out this past Sunday, embrace the truth that God was willing to put on flesh to dwell with men. Isaiah 7:14 "...and shall call his name Immanuel" (meaning God is with us).

Preparing for Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T14:01:00.000-08:00

So for Micah's second birthday we bought him a toy dyson. For those of you that aren't familiar, it is the greatest vacuum cleaner in the world. Ryan and I bit the bullet last summer and purchased one. Since the buy, Micah has been fascinated with it, so we thought it appropriate to get him one of his own. So, once a week when I pull out the vacuum to clean, Micah does the same. Well today, I caught Micah in the act of cleaning and realized that he must watch me often because he is also talking on the phone. Now, it might look just like a plan old ear thermometer to you, but oh no, to Micah it is a cell phone.

So needless to say, I was very thankful for my little helper as we prepared our house together for our guests at tomorrow Thanksgiving dinner.

2008-11-19T12:22:00.000-08:00

If you are a pastors wife, this is a must read. When Ryan and I were at the Desiring God Pastors conference this was one of the books that was given to us. This book has been such and encouragement as Ryan and I have started our ministry at Grace. It challenged me in my personal walk with Christ, but also taught me ways to pray for Ryan and the people of our church. I have always had a heart for the women of the church and this book showed me both the simple and the heart level areas where I can be used. What a blessing... I just thought I would pass it along.

Thanksgiving Dinner

2008-11-18T12:22:00.000-08:00

I found this to be a wonderful encouragement and challenge as we begin to look towards that holiday season. If you have 25 minutes or so, take the time to listen! "Whom Shall We invite to Thanksgiving Dinner?" Sermon by John Piper

Holiday Anxiety

2008-11-17T12:23:00.000-08:00

I love the holiday season! There just seems to be something about this time of year that makes everything feel just a little bit more special. However, since I have been married, I have had to learn how to share the holidays with not only my family, but also with Ryan's. It is our desire to be with everyone on those days, but time is short and we always feel a little rushed. So, I tend to place more anxiety on myself then needed to try and make everything and everyone fit. As my children grow older, I don't want them to see my anxiety about this time of year and in return lose some of the joy. So, like everything else in life, I've decided to make this a matter of prayer. I have begun to realize that the holiday season is a chance to spend time with family, but more importantly it is a chance to reflect on the Gospel and how God has continually blessed Ryan and I throughout our lives. Although I have started to have a new perspective on things, I still struggle with who should sit by who at our Thanksgiving dinner for nineteen.

Finally a Post

2008-11-03T11:43:00.001-08:00

I was reminded the other night that I have been quite delinquent in my posting. In general I haven't been writing because I takes me so long to write something that before I know it, I have lost all of my "children free" time. So, for this post I am just going to put a few pictures.

Micah has done so well with Lydia, I couldn't ask for a better transition as far as he goes.

Ryan has really embraced that role of being a daddy to a little girl. I am so excited that he will be the first man to capture her heart. I know she will be all the better because of his role in her life.

Lydia, or Lydi as we often call her, is a wonderful blessing to our family. She has just started to smile and it absolutely cracks us up. No matter the frustrations in life, that smile makes everything better.

I just thought this was a neat picture of Micah at a local park! That boy loves to slide!

The Joyous Mother of Children

2008-08-19T09:50:00.000-07:00

Psalm 113:1
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord!

2 Blessed be the name of the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore!
3 From the rising of the sun to its setting,
the name of the Lord is to be praised!
4 The Lord is high above all nations,
and his glory above the heavens!
5 Who is like the Lord our God,
who is seated on high,
6 who looks far down
on the heavens and the earth?
7 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8 to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.
9 He gives the barren woman a home,
making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord!

When Ryan and I were in the hospital after Lydia's birth I was reading through some scripture and this one stood out to me. The Psalmist declares the glory of the Lord, and all the reasons he is to be praised and he ends it with "He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord." I was awe struck that the God who causes the sun to rise and set, who looks down from the heavens and raises princes from the poor, would also create a home for a woman by making her "the joyous mother of children." Joyous! Wow, how easily I miss the fact that the God who created this universe created me to be the joyous mother of children. As I looked at my new baby girl with amazement and with joy, I prayed that I might always look at her like that. What a wonder to know that among all the things that God has done, he especially set a place for woman, to be the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord!

But a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised

2008-06-10T12:43:00.000-07:00

"Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vein, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised." Proverbs 31:30

I have to admit that I have always been confused by the idea of fearing the Lord. Throughout scripture we are constantly told to both fear the Lord and to draw near. Proverbs 19:23 tells us that "fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rest satisfied." How does one fear something yet find rest in it at the same time. Isaiah 41:10 assures us not to fear or be dismayed, for the Lord is our God. He will strengthen us, help us, and uphold us with His righteous hand. It was not until I heard John Piper use the following passage that I understand how we both fear God and draw nearer to him.

"Now when all the people saw the thunder and lighting and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, 'You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die." Moses said to the people, 'Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.'" Exodus 20:18-20

Moses essentially says to Israel, Do not fear the Lord and run from Him, but rather draw nearer to Him in your fear so that you may not fall into the temptation of sin. Basically, do not run in fear of who He is, but rather draw nearer to Him because of it. The wrath of God is far fiercer for those who run from Him, than those who draw near. Take my son Micah for example. It is much wiser for him to be near me when we are in a store so that he does not get into something he shouldn't, than it is for him to run on his own. The later will lead to him doing something disobedient and being punished, rather than remaining near me and avoiding the disobedience and punishment all together. God gives us a wonderful opportunity through Christ to commune with Him and to know his ways. The doxology at the end of the letter of Jude, in my opinion, is one of the greatest of the New Testament. It says, "Now to him, who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever." The one who is able to keep us from stumbling, by drawing us near, is the one who has all dominion and authority before time and now and forever. What joy there is in fearing the Lord! May I draw nearer to him each day, because my fear of Him is greater than that of this earth.

"There are always temptations to allure us away from the fear of God: temptations to fear financial insecurity more than we fear God, to fear rejection by our peers more than we fear God, to fear the loss of time spent in good deeds more than we fear God." -John Piper A Woman Who Fears the Lord Is to Be Praised

Perhaps many of my decisions in life would be different if I was always drawing nearer to the truths that are in God's Word, rather than spending time on things that are driven out of fear for earthly securities. I have been challenged today with this thought...

So I end with this, "Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleans ourselves from every defilement of the body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of the Lord." 2 Corinthians 7:1

Satisfaction

2008-06-05T15:25:00.000-07:00

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied... Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." -Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5:6,8

The days that I go to bed with the greatest amount of satisfaction are the days that I spend being consumed by who God is, playing with Micah, preparing my home for my family, and seeking to love others. I believe that these things come from a heart that has pure motives, not a desire for selfish gain. But often times I lie in bed a night and realize that most of my day was spent wasting time with TV, the internet, being frustrated with Micah, and having contact with no one but Ryan. Although throughout they day I may be satisfied by these fleeting pleasures, I am left empty and as though the day was a waste. I read these verses today and realized that my soul is only truly satisfied when I hunger and thirst for the righteousness that can only come from seeing God. So, I will seek to have a pure heart (or motive) in all that I do.

Father, grant me a hunger and thirst for righteousness and a pure heart that would allow me to see you each day, leaving my soul satisfied. In Jesus name, Amen

Practical application of holiness...

2008-03-18T13:24:00.000-07:00

'Holiness is not a mere abstraction: it is praying and loving and being consecrated, but also it is the doing [of] kind deeds, speaking friendly words, being in a crowd when we long to be alone.'Being spiritual, for her, was not some esoteric experience. It was being patient with a tired and grumpy child; serving the need of her husband when exhausted herself; listening patiently to the complaints of a discontented church member.

From Sharon James' biography of Elizabeth Prentiss 'More Love to Thee'

Often I forget that I stand holy and blameless before God because of the perfect sacrifice of Christ, but more than that, I forget to act out that standing of holiness. I am found blameless, yet I offer many reasons each day to those around me to find fault in my actions, thoughts, and attitudes. This quote from one of Elizabeth Prentiss' letters struck me when I read it. Holiness is not an individual experience, but the way in which we are called to exist. "...but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'"(1 Peter 15-16)

So today, I pray that I may exude the holiness that is already credited to my account. "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, who you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Amazed...

2008-02-20T08:36:00.000-08:00

My husband constantly amazes me. Although I knew he was gifted in so many areas when I met him, it wasn't until recently that he has gained much confidence in his title as "Mr. Fix-it." We moved into our house about eight months ago, so we have began to notice the few things that we want/need to fix around the yard and house. So, me, not really having the desire to do the down and dirty tasks, have relied heavily on Ryan to do some of these things. So first on his list were the toilets. Two of the three have been constantly running water so our water bill has basically tripled in the past two months. Determined that Ryan could fix them, we headed out to home depot and bought the parts. After much hard work, I am proud to announce that Ryan has fixed all of the toilets in our house so that they both flush correctly and no longer constantly leak. My husband is amazing.

Although I and our checking account our very appreciative for the repair work, I have to say that the neatest part of the whole deal is seeing the confidence and pride that Ryan has found from fixing the toilets. I have always known that he could do anything. He has a wonderfully intellectual mind and a work ethic like none other. I have watched him create unity among hundreds, and fellowship among few. He is loving and wise, sensitive yet strong, filled with emotions while still level headed, serious with the perfect amount of humor, understanding and forgiving yet fair, talented but humble, and always striving to be more like Christ. He is amazing, simply amazing...

I appreciate you husband. The man you are, the man you are continually discovering, and the man that you are to me. Thank you for your work and your encouragement. You are not taken for granted...

Learning some lessons from our children

2007-12-17T16:51:00.000-08:00

A few weekends ago Ryan, Micah, and I went on a road trip to Tennessee for my brother-in-law's college graduation. This was the first long car trip that Micah had been on since he was four months old. I, trying to be the thought-of-everything-mom, packed every possible thing that he could need to be content: toys, snacks, blankets, spoons, pacifiers, something to drink, and his own little cup holder to hold his food of choice whenever he desired. So, by my standard, the trip should be flawless! We were planning on Micah sleeping a large part of the trip because he is still a normal two naps a day kid, but he decided that he only needed to sleep a total of forty minutes of the nine hour trip. Although this was different then his normal schedule, he maintained himself very well, until it was time for bed. We attempted to put him down about 11pm. After two hours of trying everything, we finally just looked at him and said with our parent voices, "time for bed Micah" and he went to sleep. The next day, the day of the graduation, Micah took no naps at all, decided that he wanted to eat almost nothing, drink almost nothing, and be happy about almost nothing. Despite our best efforts, Micah did not want to relax, until I took him in my arms and held him close and he closed his eyes, but minutes later he was up again. During the graduation, Micah and I spent most of our time out in the hall. Micah bounced between being perfectly content to unappeasable. Finally, after an exhausting two days, Micah slept, and he slept well. The next day was our trip home and Micah slept about five of the nine hours home. I think he had finally exhausted enough of his own recourses, that he was just willing to give into what we had always known would be best for him, sleep.

So lessons I learned about God and myself from my son:
-God (like a mom attempts to be) is all knowing and has provided for our every need (Romas 11:33-36)
-I (like Micah) have no idea what I need and I am unwilling to give into what God (mom) knows I need
-God (like a mom) knows us, His children, intimately and has already ordained our paths (set a schedule) (Psalm 23:3)
-I (like Micah) think that I know what is best for me and I will whine, cry, and pout until I get it or realize finally that is not going to happen
-God (like a mom) has to sometimes be firm to get us to follow His instructions (Proverbs 3:11-12)
-I (like Micah) sometimes need a firm reminder of who I am and who my Father is
-God (like a mom should be, but I often fail in) is just, patient, loving, and slow to anger (Psalm 103:8)
-I (like Micah) take God (his mom) for granted
-God (like a mom) embraces his children and is always a place of rest (Matthew 11:28)
-I (like Micah) only allow those moments to last for such a brief time

So over the past few weeks I have watched Micah and I have realize how much I can learn from him. Sometimes we have our tough moments, but most of our time is spent in laughter and wonder. He is the most wonderful little guy and I see such a desire in him for encouragement and approval. In the littlest things that he does, he wishes to be seen. He wants to know that Ryan and I are proud and that who he is is good. How I am like that. But I wish that I could be as simple as Micah is. Often I don't just look for the approval of my heavenly Father, but rather I seek that from so many others. Micah right now knows no people greater then his mom and dad and I hope that one day we will be able to point that approval towards Christ. So, the next time that I find myself in mommy vs. Micah, after the situation is settled, I should reflect on what greater things I can learn about myself and my relationship with my higher authority, Christ.

Micah's growing up!

2007-12-10T08:05:00.001-08:00

Micah has started to walk, so life at our house is a whole new ball game. I am so proud of the little guy each time he learns to do something new, but I am also saddened that he is growing so fast. I realize that each moment that I have with him comes and goes more quickly then I ever would have imagined. What a blessing it is to watch him grow, but what an intimidating task to be one of the people that will guide him as he matures into a man. That is one area where I need to seek God's grace each day. But for today, I rejoice that he is walking!! Good job kiddo!!

A Womans Image... Part 2

2007-12-05T09:37:00.001-08:00

Isaiah 53:2 describes the coming of the incarnate Christ by saying, "...He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him." If Christ Himself, with God in the creation of beauty, did not see fit to render himself beautiful as a means to draw others to him, why then should I desire to have or create a beauty that will point others to myself and not Christ? "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted (Matthew 23:12)." What a complex concept. As a woman I wish to be beautiful for my husband and to be desired. Where is that line that makes me pleasing to my husband, but not consumed by the images shaped by this world? As I wrestled with this question I ran across a verse that I’m sure I have read before, but this time was the first time that my eyes were opened. "But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their husbands (1 Peter 3:4-5)." There is something greater then the physical beauty that exists just in our physical likeness of Christ; it is the beauty of our inward or spiritual likeness of Christ. “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord…Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands (Ephesians 5:22,24).” Not that submission is the key to all beauty, but is a mighty tool that is constantly used by God to remind His children to be humbled and to keep a gentle and quiet spirit.

So what should our adorning be? Where is that line? The bible speaks of the Proverbs 31 woman saying, "Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at time to come… She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong (v. 25,17).” Perhaps this clothing carries a greater reward then the satisfaction of thinking I look beautiful.
The Reward: “Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, he praises her: ‘Many woman have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” There is the line. Beauty is found in the ways that God has called us to walk as woman. Beauty is described by all of the things that are embodied in the Proverbs 31 woman. Let look at how this Proverbs ends, “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her words praise her in the gates.”

Amen and thanks be to God that he has created a beauty that is greater then that which is measured by this world. Be encouraged about yourself this day wife and mom!

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you (Jeremiah 1:5)"

A Woman's Image... Part 1

2007-12-03T06:57:00.000-08:00

Like everyone, for most of my life I have had insecurities about myself. Whether it was teenage (or adult) acne, crazy puffy frizzy hair (you can't imagine some of the pictures) or even some the clothes I wore, there has always been an area in which I have felt I could improve. In spite of all of those things, my physical body image (my shape or condition) was never really a source of attack. Now, perhaps it is because I was obsessed with my hair, which never looked right, but my body was just not an area of struggle, until recently. I had my son fourteen and half months ago and although I was back into my regular clothes about 10 days after his birth, nothing has ever been the same. Within the past few months this has really become an area of attack for me, so I thought I would devote a few days to searching out what God says about the physical image of a woman. Lets begin with this in mind from Proverbs 31 "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised (v30)." There is no doubt that what is inside of a woman is where much of her value lies; however, we would be blind to believe that the physical presence has no worth. It says of the Proverbs 31 woman that "...her clothing is fine linen and purple (v22b)." These materials are seen through out scripture as a representation of stature and beauty. But let us look first to the one who created us before we define both our outward and inward appearance.

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:2)." The word likeness, dmuwth in Hebrew, means likeness, resemblance, similitude; image, model, pattern, or shape. In other words, we were made to resemble and simulate the image, model, pattern, and shape of our Creator. So what does scripture say about our Creator: Psalm 19:1a says, "The heavens declare the glory of God." In Revelation 4:2-3"...a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of emerald." In Job 37:22b "God is clothed with awesome majesty." In 2 Peter 17 God is described as the Majestic glory. Majesty, the Hebrew word hadar, is translated as glory, beauty, and excellency. Just these few glances of God as the eyes of men have see him, give us the idea of God's majesty, beauty, glory, and grandeur. This is the image in which we were created. But let us conclude with this view, Hebrews 1:3 says "He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High." We are created in the image of the Majesty on High and the one who is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature. For today, let us take some solace in the fact that our image in liked to the one who is more majestic and glorious than we can even fathom. Everything about God is beauty, so if we are created in His likeness, we can only be but beautiful.

More to come...

A fresh look at working at home

2007-11-27T07:14:00.000-08:00

"But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went in to him and said, "Lord, so you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:40-42)
Let's take the example of Mary and Martha. This story has been looked at often as a story where Martha, although perhaps correct in her desire to prepare the house for her guests, it is Mary that Christ highlights as choosing the best portion at that moment. You see Christ rebuke her by saying you are busy about a lot of things, all of which I'm sure Christ saw the value in, but He says that one thing is important and Mary has found it. Perhaps this has greater application then just a Mary versus Martha choice. Maybe woman can glean from this that although we are do much at home, first, when Christ beckons, sit at His feet and listen. What we will learn through the work of the Holy Spirit will prepare us from the tasks of the day. How are we to worship God through our fulfillment of Titus 2:4-5 if we have not taken hold of the good portion that equips us for all things. "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training is to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself or us to redeem is from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people who are zealous for good works (Titus 2:11-14)."
We as women allow the command to work at home to distract us from "the good portion" of "sitting at the Lord's feet and listen[ing] to his teaching (v.39)." We become so busy around the house cleaning, doing laundry, cooking, playing with the kids, talking with our husband, and caring for the dog, that we often allow or even out right neglect our time spent with the Father. I have countless days where I get so much stuff accomplished inside and outside of the house that I have never get to the one who is the giver and sustainer of all I have. The one that is often left as the last task to accomplish is the one who has given all that I have to clean, cook, spend, and enjoy. How often I can let things that are before me distract me from Him who is "the good portion." Now, as I wrote about yesterday, I believe that there are many ways that we can worship God through our actions and choices as woman, but first he calls us to come and sit at his feet and listen to him teach. His grace as already appeared (a one time action), but it continues to train me in all the areas I am called to as a woman. He calls us and equips us for ever good work, but we must seek that daily grace first.

learn what is good

2007-11-26T13:58:00.000-08:00

Perhaps I should explain the meaning behind the title of this blog, Young woman learn what is good. Okay, so I realized that this is not directly from the Titus 2:3-5 passage, but rather it a phrase that sums up the application for young women. In verse three the older woman are instructed to "teach what is good, and so train the young woman..." to do what I believe are seven critical continuous choices. The continuous action of choosing provides the daily opportunity to worship God. In Romans chapter twelve, Paul appeals to the believer that they should "present their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." Look at the things that the older woman are instructed to teach the young women: to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husband. Each one of these beckons the young woman to choose to give of herself for the betterment of both herself and her family. These actions are found to be holy and acceptable in the eyes of God, qualifying them to be spiritual worship. What a difference it makes when I realize that my daily life is more than wiping noses and rears, cooking meals, and maintaining my home, but rather through each of these actions I can present myself as a living sacrifice. I must realize that my life can be used as a constant act of worship before God and not just a series of tasks to accomplish. Just something to ponder.

In my life's journey I am often the younger women, so here I will try to record my journey as I seek to learn "what is good."

Know God...

2007-11-21T12:22:00.000-08:00

Life on this earth is a grand journey. The Maker of the universe has drawn some unto Himself and has already set before them a path filled with grace to equip us each day as we grow. Often as believers we do not live as though this process has already been planned and completed in the eyes of our maker. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 tells us that the "God of Peace himself" will sanctify us completely so that in spirit, soul, and body we will "be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." The God that has called us is faithful, and will surly complete His work. He already knows the work that He will fulfill in me, and yet I often doubt His hand in the everyday matters of my life. The God of Peace himself, what does that mean? Perhaps Jesus explains it best when he says in John 16:33 "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." I think that is it. In the world you will have tribulation. Period. But I (I love that) have overcome the world. That blows me away. The God that I worship has already overcome the world. That means that the tribulation that I face or better stated, each sanctification moment that I meet, I should have peace in, because Jesus has already overcome it. He walked on the earth as fully man, and triumphed over it. Romans 8:35 and 37 say "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?...No, in all these things we are more then conquerors through Him who loved us."

How important is it for us to know our God and to believe the promises that he has set before us to read. As a wife and mom, life hands me different trials then perhaps if I worked outside of the home. If I allow, I could begin to see my work as unimportant or perhaps not as valuable as others; however, the way that I grip onto scriptures and as I embrace the work of the Holy spirit in me I see the great importance that God places on woman at home (Proverbs 31), and the work that he preserves just for me. I must know my God and understand Him intimately to value my place on this earth. I was at a conference a few weeks ago and heard a woman speak about the importance of woman in the church. In a later interview she said,” By self-consciously pursuing a deeper understanding of God, we fortify ourselves for the challenges and difficulties that will inevitably come our way." -Carolyn Curtis James

Know your God and realize that He has "purified for himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works." Titus 2:14

Be encouraged today by the Holy Spirit wives and moms...