Witty Wednesday

A Smart Blonde Joke

A cop pulls over a blonde, and says, “Ma’am, you were speeding. May I please see your driver’s license?”

“Oh, well, you see officer, I don’t have a drivers license,” the blonde replies. “I never really had the time to go to the DMV and stand for hours in line…and anyway, all you get are terrible pictures.” The slightly taken aback cop says, “Well, then, may I see your proof of registration?"

“Well, officer,” the blonde says, “this isn’t my car. I wanted to borrow it from my neighbor, because it’s so much faster than mine and I was late for a wedding – that’s why I was speeding – but he said no really rudely, so I hit him over the head with a tire iron and stuffed him in the trunk.”

The horrified police officer backs away and calls for backup, and the police chief himself comes out, along with a squad, to see about this.

“Ma’am,” says the chief, “may I see your driver’s license?” The blonde hands it to him and it hasn’t expired or anything, everything’s okay. “May I see your proof of registration?" The blonde hands that to him, and it’s her car, and everything’s okay. “I hate to bother you,” the chief says, “but may I look in your trunk?”

So she pops the trunk and there’s nothing in there. The chief comes back to her window. “We’re sorry, ma’am. The officer over there said that you didn’t have a driver’s license, this wasn’t your car, and that you’d killed a man.”

“You know what,” says the blonde, “I bet he told you I was speeding, too.”

Get Reading

Tim Challies lists his top 8 books of the year. I am looking forward to working myself through some of his recommendations.

Also, there is another blog called, Buzzard Blog, and he has a list of twenty books to read in your twenties. Good thing I have read most of them already, because the twenties are quickly disappearing for me!

Here is Tim Challies list and some of his comments to go with them.

Don’t Stop Believing by Michael Wittmer looks at rigid conservatism and loose postmodernism, attempting to find a third way that cuts through the middle, holding fast to sound Christian theology while also emphasizing love and action.

Crazy Love by Francis Chan, though targeted primarily at a younger audience, is a powerful challenge to those “who are bored with what American Christianity offers. It is for those who don’t want to plateau, who would rather die before their convictions do.” It is a call to emphasize obedience far higher than comfort.

The Reason for God by Tim Keller is Keller’s long-awaited major release—one of two this year. It is written specifically to challenge postmodern skeptics. It carefully and patiently answers the objections of their skeptical friends and does so with grace and in a way consistent with the Bible.

Christless Christianity by Michael Horton shows that much of what passes for Christianity today is really anything but; it is Christianity without Christ. This book is a call for the church to return to its biblical foundations and to remain true to those convictions. It is a clarion call and one that Christians would do well to heed.

Unpacking Forgiveness by Chris Brauns deals with a tough subject and one which we all have opportunity to practice. He eschews the easy, pat answers and looks to the Bible to provide God’s wisdom on how and when we are to forgive. Relying on his experience as a pastor and on his deep knowledge of Scripture, he provides what is a logical, well-illustrated book on the subject.

Love or Die by Alexander Strauch focuses on Revelation 2:2-6, verses where Christ praises the church at Ephesus for their love and discernment but exhorts them to be marked by love. Strauch turns these verses on the reader, encouraging Christians to view love as a distinguishing mark of the Christian. Had Carson not written his book (below) this would have been my top pick.

And here is my favorite book of the year:

Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor by D.A. Carson is D.A. Carson’s tribute to his father, a pastor who labored for many years in relative obscurity. Tom Carson was an ordinary pastor, a man who struggled with depression and who saw his ministry bear visible little fruit, but he was a man who remained faithful and who served the Lord with all his heart. This is a must-read book for anyone in ministry.

The Last Battle

I know, I know, you've heard it before, but the Last Battle is my current favorite book in the Chronicles of Narnia. :) Its very different from the other six books in the series. The story begins with an ape (who is smart and cunning) and a donkey (who is stupid and lazy) discovering a lion's skin. Shift, the ape, dresses up Puzzle in the skin and they conspire to pretend that he is Aslan. We then move over to the current king of Narnia, a young man named Trinian, and his unicorn, Jewel. They initially are thrilled with the reports that Aslan has come, but then confused and worried when new reports, such as of talking animals being sold into slavery to the Calormen's -Aslan's orders - arrive. They conclude that there is nothing else to do but go and discover the truth of the situation for themselves, for they are loyal to Aslan. They know that he is not a "tame lion" and that he need not follow the rules that he has set down for his followers, but they also know his character and are confused by his supposed actions. When they arrive at the place where Shift and Puzzel have set themselves up, they are just in time to witness a Cat convincing the gathered Narnians and Calormens that Aslan and the Calormen god, Tash, are one and the same. Now, Trinian knows this to be a lie, and calls it such, and is then tied up and taken prisoner as a heritic. That night, Trinian is convinced by the ceremonies he sees and the orders he hears given by 'Aslan' that he cries out for help to the High King Peter. As a result, Eustace and Jill are sent to Narnia to assist him. They free the King and escape. Eustace and Trinian find some Calormen armor and begin to conspire how they might use it to fool their enemies. While they are doing this, however, Jill sneaks into the stable where they are keeping Puzzel during the day (because otherwise it would have been really obvious that he was not a true Lion) and frees the donkey, bringing him back with her to their hiding place. Trinian wants the donkey killed for his treachery and blasphemy but Jill intervenese, pointing out that the donkey was tricked in the first place by the ape and that he is very sorry for what has happened and wants to help right it. So they execute their plan - Trinian and Eustace, posing as high ranking Calormen officers, go through the camps in search of Narnian slaves who are submitting because they believe themselves to be there on Aslan's orders, they then bring out Puzzel, dressed in the lion skin.
Of course, now a war breaks out, the Narnian's who believe Tirian against the Calormens and the Narnian's that don't. The dwarves split away on their own (with the exception of one, who chooses to join the Narnian side), chanting that dwarves are for dwarves, and fighting both sides. Its a really horrible time in Narnia and Tirian, Jill, and Eustace are struggling not to loose hope. They receive news then, through an Eagle, that Narnia has fallen, Cair Paravel has been taken by the Calormen army. Jill and Eustace wonder what will happen if (when, as it seems now) they die in Narnia. They journey back to the stable where they were keeping Puzzel and still claim to have Tashlan (their combined name for Aslan and Tash). They are dealing with the rumors that Aslan really isn't inside and have chosen to deal with it by allowing people to go inside the stable if they choose - one at a time. They can then see for themselves if the god really is inside, if they dare. This causes much disturbance and no one is willing to go inside. Finally, the Cat who was responsible for convincing the Narnians and Calormens that Aslan and Tash were two different names for the same god, volunteers to go inside, as part of the ploy. Everything does not go to plan though, and when he emerges from the stable, he is terrified out of his wits and has forgotten how to talk, completely. He is no longer a talking animal. This settles it for the Narnians, they will not go in to see Aslan. But a young Calormen soldier named Emeth steps forward and volunteers to go in. He loves Tash, and has served him faithfully all his life, and wishes to meet him. His superior officers try to dissuade him of this, subtally, for they know what waits inside the stable, but they can't make too big a deal of it or risk giving themselves away to the Narnians. So he goes inside and a moment later falls out again, dead. The Calormens then try to force a talking boar inside and when Tirian, Eustace, and Jill see this, they jump out of their hiding place and call all true Narnians to their side to fight this lie. A huge battle begins now and soon the children find themselves fighting with their backs to the stable. Some dwarves are thrown inside by the Calormen army. Finally, they themselves give way before the army and find themselves hurtling backwards into the stable.
Tirian sees this happen and is sad for his friends that have died. Suddenly, an idea occurs to him, and he grabs the head Calormen soldier, who has been in league with the ape since the beginning, and jumps into the stable with him. There, they are greated by the god Tash, who is very displeased with his servent and kills him. When he turns on Trinian, however, he is banished by seven beautiful kings and queens, all obviously of Narnia. They order him back to his own lands and never to come to Aslan's land again. Tash obeys. Trinian then recognizes the youngest king and queen as Eustace and Jill and is introduced to the rest as the High King Peter, King Edmund, Queen Lucy, Lord Diggory, and Lady Polly. Queen Susan has evidentally turned away from Aslan, and forgotten Narnia and is caught up in the distractions of her world. They are all in a meadow and none of them know how they got there. They go exploring and a little ways away, they discover the group of dwarves that had been thrown in earlier. However, they do not see that they are in the beautiful meadow. They believe themselves to be in the dark, smelly stable surrounded by filth. When the kings and queens try to offer them some fruit they have picked, they react as though they had been given animal waste. The kings and queens leave them and soon meet the real Aslan. He commends Tirian, Eustace, and Jill for doing well in Narnia's last hours. He then calls for Time and the children find that Narnia has come to an end. They watch through the stable door, which is standing alone without walls, floors, or ceiling, in the middle of the meadow, as Narnia disappears and becomes a barren world. All of those who were still alive in the battle outside the stable suddenly came streaming through the door towards Aslan. As each creature passed, it looked Aslan full in the face. Those that saw Aslan and loved him, although some were still afraid, passed through. Those that saw Aslan and felt only terror and hatred ceased to be talking animals immediately. Eustace witnessed that some of the dwarves who helped murder true Narnians only a few hours earlier were among some of those that loved Aslan. When the work was complete, and nothing alive was left in what used to be Narnia, Aslan ordered the High King Peter to shut the door. Aslan then begins to laugh, a happy and joyous sound and bounds away, shouting further up! further in! None could keep up with him, so the kings and queens set off in the direction he went, walking and talking. Lucy is crying over the passing of Narnia, and Diggory is solemn, remembering Narnia's birth. Soon the group runs into Emeth, the young Calormen soldier who went into the stable to see his god, Tash, and was killed. They are surprised to see a Calormen, especially one who displayed such love and devotion for his god up through the moment of his death, in the place they were now at (none of them are really sure where that is now, but they do know that only true Narnias who loved Aslan are alive in it). They ask him for his story and he gives it. He tells how he found himself in the meadow, and how he met Aslan shortly there after and was terrified of him, for he served the god Tash and knew that Aslan would know that. However, Aslan said to him "all the service thou hast done Tash, I account as service done to me." Aslan then goes on to explain that any good thing done in service to Tash is given over as service to Aslan. And any terrible thing done as service to Aslan is given over as service to Tash. Therefore, since Emeth had speant his life living as Aslan requried his servents to live, he was accepted into the place he know was. After hearing his story, the kings and queens journey further into the meadow. They soon realize that they are in Narnia, only not the old Narnia that they know, but a different, newer, and bigger Narnia. Here everything was perfect and beautiful. They rejoice in their finding and begin to run, discovering that they can now run without tiring. They come to a pool, which is kept full by a waterfall falling into it, and swim up the waterfall to get to the top, and run some more. Along the way the encounter many people whom they have known or have heard. Diggory and Polly meet the first talking horse of Narnia, the horse they brought over from England. Eustace and Jill meet Puddleglum and Rillian, Peter, Edmund, and Lucy see Reepicheep. Trinian meets his father. Shasta and Aravis, Caspian, Trumpkin, Trufflehunter, the Beavers, and Tumnus, everyone is present. Lucy then spots a great cloud, but as she looks at it, she sees that it is not a cloud, but another land, England, in fact. As they look, they can make out people there, standing and waving at them, and they recognize Peter, Edmund, and Lucy's parents. They are told that they may journey over to see their parents, but before they can Aslan calls them all to himself. He tells them that they are no longer 'alive' as they would call it, that the children from Earth have all been in a railway accident and that they others died in the battle at the end of Narnia. They are now is Aslan's land, forever.

Okay, so this is already ridiculously long, but I really wanted to summarize the parts I wanted to talk about. First, obviously, in this book Lewis comes out with some of his incorrect theological beliefs. If your kids are reading these books, I think its important to talk to them about the truth, that even if they serve Allah their whole lives in the same way that God commands us to obey, they will not find salvation anyway. Its also a good opportunity to talk about how only Scripture is free of error, and that they should always be watchful for things that go against what the Bible teaches. It also provides an opportunity to talk about hell. The Bible does not teach the same view of hell as is portrayed in the book by the dwarves' view of themselves in the meadow.
However, I think this book does a great job conveying the absolute joy we will have when we finally go to be with our Lord. Everyone there is joy and it is all because of Aslan and for Aslan. They love him and now must never be parted from him.
The book also does a good job reminding us that even though it is hard for us to grasp, this world will one day come to an end. We do not know when this will happen. Certainly Trinian was not expecting it to happen during his reign. We should, then, remember our goal and always be looking for ways to glorify God, preach His Word through evangelism, and live in a manner that pleases him.

The Exciting Questions of the Aldrich Boys

It is amazing how many interesting questions come out of our bible reading. Most of the time I get to answer them myself since Ryan is usually working. Questions like: “What does it mean when it says that he spilled his seed on the ground?” and “What does it mean when it says that some are made eunuchs by birth, some by man and some by choice?”.

A few days ago my oldest son Aidan (soon to be 14 yrs old) asked me (in reference to our daily bible reading) “Why did they have to put Song of Solomon in the bible?”. He had an almost disgusted tone to his voice. I had to laugh to myself. He had overheard me mischievously telling their daddy with a wink that I was reading Song of Solomon for my bible reading and those words were Aidan’s response. I thought to myself that soon would come the day when he would read Song of Solomon with eager anticipation for the wife that God would give him and the relationship that he would enjoy with her (Lord willing). It’s not that he doesn’t understand what Solomon is generally talking about, though he doesn’t understand much of the meaning of the poetry (Praise the Lord). He knows that it’s talking about the relationship between Solomon and his wife and their “relating” to one another, but at this point he just figures that it is something you don’t share with everyone. Or at least that’s something he doesn’t want everyone to “share” with him.

So in response to his question, Ryan and I talked to him about how important the relationship between a man and his wife is (especially the physical relationship) and how people need to be taught about the goodness of the gift of that relationship, within the context of marriage (especially Christian marriage). We talked to him about how many people will go to one of two extremes regarding that relationship and either turn to an idolatrous fixation upon the excitement of the physical relationship or they will react with a prudish, fearful mentality declaring that what God has said is “Very Good” is really sin or just a means to child bearing. We explained to him about how God has called us to great joy and excitement and love and mutual care in the physical relationship between a man and a wife; and the Song of Solomon gives us God’s direction and guidance in this very important part of life. Then satisfied with our answer and his response we went on with our day.

…. Until the next day when Aaron asked “Why did they have to put Song of Solomon in the bible?”. I was tempted to tell him to ask Aidan, but I hadn’t warned Aidan that there would be a test so I thought that would be unfair…. Interesting but unfair.

Frozen Pipes and Sick Kids

I wrote this last week. What a cold week we have had. The pipes froze again! All is well now. The kids and the pipes have survived the cold thus far. Despite all of the craziness called life, I am looking forward to spending Christmas with my family and have enjoyed this advent season. Have a Merry Christmas and may we actively wait in eager anticipation of our saviors second coming!

This morning we woke up to frozen pipes and sick children. What a way to start the day! We had just come off a rough weekend and now this.....

Life seems to be changing faster than my mind can wrap itself around and react. Then, more of life just happens. How are we suppose to come up with a plan for our life and catch up with the changes and pace, when we can't even unfreeze the frozen pipes or comfort the sick children laying on the couch, or in Silas' case sobbing in his bed?

I guess I could remember that life isn't as bad as it could be or as bad as others have it, but that is very little help in the battle against self-love. I could tell myself, " buck up lady, get over it, life goes on", but again, what good would that do in the long run? The bottom line is, I know that these things are true. Life isn't that hard, or at least not as hard as it could be. We are not promised a bed of roses. But as I bring my sorrow and confusion and struggles before God, I need to remember God. Who He is and what He has done. I need to remember that "God has much more going on in the world than satisfying the desires of any one person (me), or group of people." ( This really stood out to me from Rick's sermon this week) I need to meditate more deeply on Psalm 77. I need to become like Asaph.

1My voice rises to God, and I will cry aloud;
My voice rises to God, and He will hear me.
2In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
In the night my hand was stretched out without weariness;
My soul refused to be comforted.
3When I remember God, then I am disturbed;
When I sigh, then my spirit grows faint. Selah.
4You have held my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5I have considered the days of old,
The years of long ago.
6I will remember my song in the night;
I will meditate with my heart,
And my spirit ponders:
7Will the Lord reject forever?
And will He never be favorable again?
8Has His lovingkindness ceased forever?
Has His promise come to an end forever?
9Has God forgotten to be gracious,
Or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion? Selah.
10Then I said, "It is my grief,
That the right hand of the Most High has changed."
11I shall remember the deeds of the LORD;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
12I will meditate on all Your work
And muse on Your deeds.
13Your way, O God, is holy;
What god is great like our God?
14You are the God who works wonders;
You have made known Your strength among the peoples.
15You have by Your power redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.
16The waters saw You, O God;
The waters saw You, they were in anguish;
The deeps also trembled.
17The clouds poured out water;
The skies gave forth a sound;
Your arrows flashed here and there.
18The sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The lightnings lit up the world;
The earth trembled and shook.
19Your way was in the sea
And Your paths in the mighty waters,
And Your footprints may not be known.
20You led Your people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron.

May God be glorified though life is filled with frozen pipes and sick kids.

Jesus Will Reign!

I read this passage this morning during my bible time. How amazing to remember that God will bring all things to their proper fulfillment and Jesus will reign!

Revelation 11:15-18
15 Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever."
16 And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God,
17 saying, "We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.
18 "And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth."

This brings to mind the song “Jesus Shall Reign”. May you be encouraged and pointed back to Jesus the Lord who will come again and reign on Earth. And may our lives reflect that worship and anticipation every day this coming year!

Jesus shall reign wherever the sun
Does his successive journeys run;
His kingdom spread from shore to shore,
Till moons shall wax and wane no more.

From north to south the princes meet
To pay their homage at His feet;
While western empires own their Lord,
And savage tribes attend His word.

To Him shall endless prayer be made,
And endless praises crown His head;
His name like sweet perfume shall rise
With every morning sacrifice.

People and realms of every tongue
Dwell on His love with sweetest song,
And infant voices shall proclaim
Their early blessings on His name.

Witty Wednesdays

Excerpts from a Dog's Diary..

8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!


10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 PM - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 PM - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 PM - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!

5:00 PM - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 PM - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 PM - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 PM - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!


Excerpts from a Cat's Diary.


Day 983 of my captivity.
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.

They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed
hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the
rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to
keep up my strength.

The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt
to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their
feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it
clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made
condescending comments about what a 'good little hunter' I am.
Wretches.

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was
placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However,
I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my
confinement was due to the power of 'allergies.' I must learn what
this means and how to use it to my advantage..

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my
tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try
this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches.
The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and
seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.
The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicating
with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move.
My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated
cell, so he is safe. For now.........

I had to laugh about this one. I have both a dog and some cats. This certainly seems like a good representation of at least one of my cats: the escape artist known as Cleo. She certainly gives me the "evil eye" every once in a while.

A Prayer For Contentment

I often use the book, Valley of Vision during my Bible reading/prayer time. This little book is helpful in that it gives me much to meditate on and quite honestly is continually used by God to draw me deeper into communion with Him and is often what I need to pray through. Today I would like to share one of those prayers that just left me thinking and agonizing over with God in my spirit.

Heavenly Father,
If I should suffer need, and go unclothed,and be in poverty, make my heart prize thy love, know it, be constrained by it, though I be denied all blessings. It is thy mercy to afflict and try me with wants, for by these trials I see my sins, and desire severance from them. Let me willingly accept misery, sorrows, temptations, if I can thereby feel sin as the greatest evil. and be delivered from it with gratitude to thee, acknowledging this is the highest testimony of thy love. When thy Son, Jesus, came into my soul instead of sin, he became more dear to me than sin had formerly been; his kindly rule replaced sins tyranny. Teach me to believe that if ever I would have any sin subdued I must not only labor to overcome it, but must invite Christ to abide in the place of it, and he must become to me more than vile lust had been; that his sweetness, power, life may be there. Thus I must seek a grace from him contrary to sin, but must not claim it apart from himself. When I am afraid of evils to come, comfort me by showing me that in myself I am a dying, condemned wretch, but in Christ I am reconciled and live; that in myself I find insufficiency and no rest, but in Christ there is satisfaction and peace; that in myself I am feeble and unable to do good, but in Christ I have ability to do all things. Though now I have his graces in part, I shall shortly have them perfectly in that state where thou wilt show thyself fully reconciled, and alone sufficient, efficient, loving me completely, with sin abolished. O Lord, hasten that day.

The Horse and His Boy

Summary: This book is the only one in the series that does not follow the various adventures of children from England. It takes place during the last chapter of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, during the reign of High King Peter and his brother and sisters. Its story centers on Shasta, a young boy who, at the beginning of the story, is about to be sold into slavery by his adopted father. Wanting to escape this fate, Shasta steals the horse of the Calormen he is about to be sold to and flees. He soon discovers that the horse is able to talk - he is a Narnian horse. The horse, whose name is Bree, tells Shasta of the wonderful country he was born into, Narnia. They determine to escape there together. Along the way, they are joined by Aravis, a young Calormen princess who is also running away. She was supposed to marry the Tisroc, a high up official in the Calormen government but he is old and she does not wish to marry him. To escape, she had planned on killing herself, but her horse, Hwin, interfered by revealing that she could talk and telling her of her home country of Narnia where she could live in peace. Since they are all headed to the same place, they join forces. At one point, they must travel through the capital of Calormen. Along the way, Shasta is mistaken for the prince of Archenland, a friendly neighboring country to Narnia, and is taken away by King Edmund, Queen Susan, and Queen Lucy. Eventually the real prince shows up and he is able to escape. Meanwhile, Aravis is recognized by a friend of hers who agrees to help her escape. But in the process of their escape they overhear the Tisroc's plans to invade and conquer Archenland. They continue on their way to Narnia, this time in a hurry to reach it in time to warn the king of Archenland that they are about to be attacked.

Comments: For a long time, this book was my favorite in the series. There is nonstop action and bickering between the two main characters, which I enjoyed. I also like the serious character development that takes place. Aravis and Shasta struggle a lot with pride. Although Aravis is leaving her life as a princess, she still believes herself to be better than Shasta, a mere runaway slave. As the story progresses, the characters learn more about themselves and this teaches them much humility. I left out how the story ends, because it is supposed to be a surprise, although I think its kind of predictable. :)
My favorite analogy in the book is while Shasta, Aravis, Bree, and Hwin are on their way to warn the king of Archenland of the coming attack. They are setting a quick pace there, but soon realize they are being pursued by an animal. When they realize it is a lion, the horses run as fast as they are able, to escape being eaten. As they are pursued, the entire group is terrified. However, they later learn that they were not being chased by any normal lion, but by Aslan himself. The Lion knew that they would not have reached the king on time at the speed they were traveling, so he arranged it so that they would hurry. I think its a neat reminder to always keep in mind that God knows what is going on in our lives - more than knows, He has planned what is going on in our lives. So even when things look bad, when times are hard, when we don't know what to do, we can (and should!) take comfort in the fact that we do know who our Lord is and so we don't have to despair. Who knows? God may be teaching you something through the trial.

Have a blessed week. Next Monday we will talk about the last book "The Last Battle," which happens to be my current favorite. It is also the book where some of Lewis' theology that I don't agree with comes out, so it promises to be a controversial post!

Faith vs. Sight

My family and I just watched “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”, which has recently been released on DVD. Although I know there are some who do not like the movie for various reasons, :cough Nichole cough: , I personally did enjoy it. I laugh to myself when I think about how Walt Disney has one main motive in producing these movies: money. And yet they are a means to provoke thought and discussion in believers and unbelievers alike, all over the world. I am sure that there are many people who had never read the books or heard of the analogy that is contained in them; who marveled at the Lion that would lay down his life to rescue the traitorous Edmond in the first movie. Similarly, I am sure that there are many who watched the second movie and thought that Lucy was either crazy or seeing things when she proclaimed seeing Aslan when none of their group (or the movie watchers for that matter) had. What wonderful opportunities are presented through these movies to talk about the underlying themes in them with people who will watch an entertaining movie but would not have talked about the gospel or faith, etc. up until that point! So it is in light of this that I will share my reflections from this particular movie!

The biggest thing that stands out to me in this movie is the contrast between walking by faith and walking by sight. In the movie, Lucy sees Aslan (because she was looking for him) and as such looks at a situation such as crossing a deep gorge with no bridge and certain death at the bottom, with faith. Surely Aslan wants them to go that way and would provide the means for them, though it seems hopeless; is Lucy’s mindset. This is contrasted with Peter who has not seen Aslan since their return to Narnia. He too is faced with a situation that is both difficult and seems hopeless. They are preparing to go to war against a much greater foe and Aslan is nowhere to be found (though Lucy challenges that maybe it is because Peter isn’t looking for him). Only Lucy says that she has seen him and is believed by Edmond alone. Peter carries the weight of the lives of the Narnians and his own family in his hands or so he thinks. As they make their plans, Lucy challenges him and calls him to remember Aslan…. To remember that though they must battle, that it was Aslan who defeated the White Witch not them. This is amazing and I hope not overlooked by those watching the movie. What a great reminder that we as believers have to trust in Christ as our strength, wisdom and guide rather than ourselves. Of course later in the movie when the Narnians are at their greatest need for deliverance, Aslan sends help and ultimately saves the day and the Narnians as well. In the end it is not the might of man that delivers one from a gruesome battle, but rather Aslan using the faith of a child (Lucy) who will risk all to seek and follow him. This was a great encouragement and reminder to me and I hope it will be to all of you as well.

Witty Wednesdays

Shirley & Marcy

A mom was concerned about her kindergarten son walking to school. He didn't want his mother to walk with him. She wanted to give him the feeling that he had some independence but yet know that he was safe. So she had an idea of how to handle it.

She asked a neighbor if she would please follow him to school in the mornings, staying at a distance, so he probably wouldn't notice her. She said that since she was up early with her toddler anyway, it would be a good way for them to get some exercise as well, so she agreed.

The next school day, the neighbor and her little girl set out following behind Timmy as he walked to school with another neighbor girl he knew. She did this for the whole week. As the two walked and chatted, kicking stones and twigs, Timmy's little friend noticed the same lady was following them as she seemed to do every day all week.

Finally she said to Timmy, 'Have you noticed that lady following us to school all week? Do you know her?' Timmy nonchalantly replied, 'Yeah, I know who she is.' The little girl said, 'Well, who is she?' 'That's just Shirley Goodnest,' Timmy replied, 'and her daughter Marcy.' 'Shirley Goodnest? Who is she and why is she following us? '

'Well,' Timmy explained, 'every night my Mom makes me say the 23rd Psalm with my prayers, 'cuz she worries about me so much. And in the Psalm, it says, 'Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life', so I guess I'll just have to get used to it!'

Grateful meditations

What am I thankful for? Well, I can think of many things. I have had many temporal blessings in my life; many times filled with laughter and joy. I have memories that I cherish and am truly grateful to have experienced. I have a helpful and loving family, a good marriage, 4 happy children, a sound church, and genuine friends. But notice I said temporal. God is good to His children in this life - He really is - but everything in the here and now is very temporary. It is here today and gone tomorrow. One day you have a job that provides adequately for your family and then next thing you know it's gone. One day health insurance is a good friend and then..... Bam! It is gone before you know what hit you, at a time when it seems like your greatest need of it is there! Tight budgets get tighter, healthy friends and family suddenly become ill, beloved family and friends move or plan to move away ( you know who you are), relationships change! Your precious reputation or status in the workplace, home or church change, fall apart, fall short of the goals you set for yourself. Spouses, children, parents, and grandparents fall short of your expectations and you fall short of theirs. And the conclusion that you come to is, life is filled with disappointment and opportunities to despair. The good things you enjoy and are not wrong to enjoy, at some point in time can be taken away. Does this sound like Matthew 6 to you? Moth and rust destroy! The stuff we love and treasure doesn't really last. The things we work so hard for are very, very temporary. Disappointment, disappointment, disappointment! But not so for the one who has Jesus!

Romans 5:1-5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;

and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;

and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Those of us who have peace with God through Jesus have something that can never be disappointing! We have hope that doesn't disappoint! We have something that can never be taken away from us! We have what is imperishable, a treasure that no one can take and no one can destroy! Hallelujah!

We, along with the Psalmist, King David, can live in joy and contentment even in times of extreme trial and great loss; if our hearts are as captivated by the savior as his was: One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD and to meditate in His temple. Psalm 27:4

If Jesus is who I treasure, my highest goal, greatest desire, and all my hopes and dreams are wrapped up in Him, then life will still be joy-filled and free of total despair. And we can indeed cry out: I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Psalm 27:13

We taste and savor a hope in Jesus that is sure, not some vague hope that we are not able to be confident in. So, I have much more to be grateful for than the temporal blessing that I experience off and on, that are here today and gone the next.

The Magician's Nephew

Summary: Two children by the names of Diggory and Polly are tricked by Diggory's uncle, a brilliant but cowardly man, to test out a pair of rings that he has invented. He belives that these rings will bring people into other worlds and back out again. Instead of finding themselves in another world, however, they find themselves in a mysterious between-place. It is full of trees and small pools of water are scattered everywhere. They try wading in one of the pools and find themselves in another world. This world is dead, but they accidentally wake up a sorceress who is determined to escape her world. She follows the children back into England which (of course) causes no end of trouble so they try to bring her back. Howver, a mistake is made and instead of traveling back into Jadis' world, they end up in Narnia, accompanied by Diggory's uncle, a cab driver, his wife, their horse, and a piece of lampost the witch had broken off to use as a weapon. It is the first day of Narnia's existence and they watch as Aslan names the animals and gives them the gift of speech. Jadis is terrified of Aslan and throws the piece lampost at him before running away to hide. When the post hits the ground, it immediately grows up into a lampost, which is the same one Lucy sees the first time she enters Narnia. Aslan names the cabdriver and his wife the first King and Queen of Narnia and declares that Narnia will never be right unless it is ruled by humans. After Diggory and Polly go back to England, they bury the rings and a bit of wood in their backyard, so that no one can ever go to the between-place again. The wood eventually turns into a fine tree and as an adult, Diggory has a wardrobe made out of it and places it in his manor in the country (this is the same wardrobe that later transports Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy into Narnia for the first time.)

Comments:
This is my least favorite book in the series. See, I promised I wouldn't say it was my favorite again! The story is good and very enjoyable to read. But it is so different from all the other books, until the very end when we are finally in Narnia. It gave lots of interesting background details I appriciated, like who the Professor was from the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and why he wasn't at all shocked to hear that Lucy had found another world in the back fo his wardrobe. It also explained how the random lampost ended up in the middle of the forrest. It was great to see the love that Aslan had for the population of Narnia, and how he created it and had dominion over it. We again get to witness the utter fear and horror of sin when confronted with the Creator. Its worth reading, and I've read it several times, but no where near as many as any of the other books.

In light of Thanksgiving…

We spent Thanksgiving with Ryan’s family at his parent’s house. We had a great time! It’s funny though, how many families have gathered together and are connected now, through the Aldrich’s. Forty some years ago the Lord brought together Ruth and Roy in marriage. Over the years He gave them first Rick, then Randy, then Ryan (my personal favorite) and finally Rebecca. In 1994 He added me to their Thanksgiving family table, then the next year Aidan. Next He added Leila to the table. Then came Aaron and two years later Austin. Eventually He added Jasmine to the family table. Over the years have come many more children: Jackson, Mac Kenzie, Noelle, Calvin, and Jordyn. Then He added Eric (Rebecca’s husband) to the Aldrich table. Then came more children: Silas, Alexis and Sydney. Now here is where the fun begins…. Leila brought her mother Sue to the Aldrich table and I have brought my mom Susan to their table. Rebecca and Eric have brought his parent’s to the Aldrich table! Throughout the years other visitors have gathered around “the parent’s” table at Thanksgiving, Christmas or any other time of the year.

Why do I mention all of this? Because God was at work in all of these people’s lives to bring them all together at Thanksgiving and other times of the year to: fellowship, talk of the goodness of the Lord, to witness for Christ to unbelievers, to laugh, to cry and even sometimes to yell, humble ourselves and extend forgiveness. In all of these relationships God blesses us. He shows us His love, kindness, tenderness, and grace. He reminds us that relationships are good and ways for us to live out the love of Christ. He reminds me that I would not be able to really enjoy these people if it weren’t for Christ at work in our lives. He reminds me that He is my heavenly Father and many of the people present at the table around me are brothers and sisters in the truest sense: in Christ. He reminds me that those of us who are His children will have perfect relationships free from sin when we get to Heaven. He reminds me that in Christ, God brings together people from many walks of life and many backgrounds all for His glory! I have so much to be thankful for as I look around the Aldrich Thanksgiving Table and it all starts and ends with Jesus! What a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Witty Wednesday

I found this on a blog called, Never Hoot Alone.

I thought 1,5, and 8 were witty enough to qualify as a Witty Wednesday! :)

Enjoy!

10 reasons to kiss your wife first when you get home from work.

1. She’s likely taller than your kids and therefore easier to reach. ( I'm sure this will not be true of me for long)
2. Your kids will see that mom comes first.
3. She’s been waiting all day for you to be at home.
4. Your wife will know that she comes first.
5. She smells nicer than your kids probably do. ( This may or not be true depending on what the kids have spilled or puked all over you)
6. You’ve been dying to kiss her since you left home this morning.
7. She’s had a full day of “kids first” and 5:30pm isn’t a minute too soon for that to change.
8. You don’t want to transfer snot from the kids to the wife. ( I personally think this is the most thoughtful one!)
9. She wants you to kiss her first.
10. She’s beautiful and she’s yours.

Sermon Reflection

When thinking about the recent sermons we heard on False Christianity and True Christianity, this Psalm came to mind:

Psalm 63:1-8

A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly;
My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips will praise You.
So I will bless You as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches,
For You have been my help,
And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.
My soul clings to You;
Your right hand upholds me.

We were taught that True Christianity boils down to discipleship. And, true discipleship is becoming like our Master. I couldn't help but think that if we were truly desiring to be like Jesus our life would be marked by the yearning for God the way described in this Psalm. If we were consumed with our Master this way, we would love others and attract sinners to Jesus; rather than continue to perpetuate the idea that Christians are all about conforming to a list of rules and are a group of judgmental, arrogant hypocrites. I would highly recommend listening to the messages if you haven't already.

The Silver Chair

Happy (or not so happy for those of us who don't like snow and had to knock the snow off their cars this morning with an umbrella instead of a scraper) Monday! ;)

The Silver Chair is one of my favorite books. I'm laughing as I type this because I am pretty sure that I've started out each of my reviews this way. They're just all so good! I promise not to start the next one like this.....
Summary: Eustace visits Narnia again, this time accompanied by a girl named Jill. Right as they arrive in Narnia, however, they are separated. While they are apart, Aslan appears to Jill and gives her a list of instructions and warnings. He commands her to memorize them and repeat them to herself at three specific times each day. He gives Eustace instructions as well. When they meet back up they go on a mission to find the missing Prince Rillian, King Caspian's son. They soon meet up with Puddleglum, a marshwiggle, and is accompanied by him for the duration of the adventure.
The group comes across several individual adventures, including being captured by giants and falling into an underground city. They find Rillian in the underground city and must then battle with its witch queen who does not want to let him go.

The Silver Chair is awesome (in my own personal opinion) because of Puddleglum. He is one of my all time favorite fiction characters. He is a very despondant person. If you were to say happy monday to him, for instance, he would quickly give several reasons why it probably will turn bad very shortly. He is, however, extremely loyal to Aslan and Narnia. One of my three favorite parts in the entire series is when the witch queen is trying to convince (through sourcery and persuasion) Puddleglum, Rillian, Eustace, and Jill that they have simply imagined Narnia and Aslan and that it doesn't acutally exist at all. Everyone had begun to sway and even agree with her when Puddleglum boldy steps out in a rare speech where he declares his loyalty to Aslan even if he doesn't exsit. He acknowledges that he does not have any physical proof of the Lion but that he has seen him and his work and says that he would rather serve him and live as he requires even if it turns out not to be real. His actual speech is much better worded than my telling of it. I considered putting the whole thing in here, but I don't actually have access to the book right now and maybe now you will go out and get the book and read it for yourself.
Another good lesson to be learned from the Silver Chair is from Jill. When Aslan first gives her the instructions to remember and repeate every day, she does so faithfully. But after a while, when she knows them like the back of her hand, she becomes complacent and starts skipping her repetition. Soon she forgets them and disaster occures because of it. I think this is a great reminder to us. We should be daily preaching the gospel to ourselves and to others and reminding ourselves of God's commandments in our own lives. Once we become complacent in our faith and stop striving to work it out, only disaster can follow.

Next week I will discuss The Magicians Nephew, which reveals how Narnia was created.

My husband’s journey and my own…

I have many thoughts about this past sixteen days during which Ryan has been in Africa. I have missed him so much. I can’t say that I enjoyed the time without him. It has been hard. However I do think that God used the time to open my eyes to some things that I didn’t see or maybe just didn’t appreciate as much before. He opened my eyes to the kindness and concern in so many of the ladies from church who offered an encouraging word, a loving rebuke, a shoulder to cry on, and many prayers on my behalf and on Ryan’s (as well as the other men on the trip). He opened my eyes to the reality that no matter what plans He has for me, that He designs His plans for my good and His glory in perfect unity. Though I have been taught this before, I didn’t realize how much I question this truth whenever my “world” is upset. He reminded me over the course of these past two weeks that He is not a vengeful God to His children, looking for an opportunity to smack them when they show weakness or sinful tendencies; but rather delighting in training them for their good and because it glorifies Him as our wonderful Heavenly Father, to be a good Father.

I was also able to see that there are some things that I just wouldn’t be able (or willing) to do when my husband is home, such as staying up till midnight painting and sanding and moving furniture for a week and a half straight (and as such I wouldn’t have accomplished as much as I did). If he were home I would have sat around relaxing with him and enjoying his presence and getting not much done (his colorblindness really hinders him from helping with the painting!). So I am thankful for how much God allowed me to get done.

I was reminded of so many of the little things that I take for granted and sometimes overlook (such as the ability to converse about our day without a time limit). But here is one neat thing that the Lord opened my eyes to: my husband actually does understand me and seeks to “live with his wife in an understanding way”! I often misinterpret this verse to mean that he should know my preferences and do sweet things that would minister specifically to me, like buy me roses and loving cards. But this past few weeks I saw instead that my husband actually knows my needs and my weaknesses and he does his very best to lead and guide me (not just his wife in the general sense but me: Betsy) in the way that will help me to become more like Christ. The way he loves me and lives with me is very unique to who I am. He does not interact with me the same way other men may interact with their wives, because I am not the same person as those other women. I am unique and he sees me (praise God) as a gift from God, and so he trys to understand me as God would have him, and then love, lead and teach me in the way that God would have him. Lord help me to rejoice in Your leadership of me through my husband and not to be motivated by a love of self!

How stupid I can be in my self-centered reasoning, but how kind God is to use times like these to reveal His ongoing kindness and provision! Praise God for His work in the hearts of His children! He is so gracious and merciful. I hope that when (Lord willing) my husband returns home that he will find a “newer” Betsy; one who is more helpful, joyful, humble, grateful and submissive; one who gladly accepts her husband’s leadership. May my heart be like my house: daily being made over on the inside and looking more beautiful than ever!

Funny Kid Pictures

I just hope that there is a really great piece of candy at the bottom of that dish which impels this baby to stick it's face in that dog dish, not simply water or even worse: dog food!

Something Worth Thinking About

This is a part of a sermon from Jonathan Edwards that I came across in a John Piper devotional, Pierced by the Word. It has had me thinking, as anything written by Jonathan Edwards does. In fact I have had to read it over multiple times to let it sink in (but maybe that is just me) and I continue to mull it over. So I say with John Piper: "Read this slowly and let it waken you to the true goodness of forgiveness and life."


The redeemed have all their objective good in God. God Himself is the great good which they are brought to the possession and enjoyment of by redemption. He is the highest good, and the sum of all the good which Christ purchased. God is the inheritance of the saints; He is the portion of their souls. God is their wealth and treasure, their food, their life, their dwelling place, their ornament and diadem, and their everlasting honor and glory. They have none in heaven but God; He is the great good which the redeemed are received to at death, and which they are to rise at the end of the world. The Lord God, He is the light of the heavenly Jerusalem; and is the "river of the water of life" that runs, and the tree of life that grows, "in the midst of the Paradise of God." The glorious excellencies and beauty of God will be what will forever entertain the minds of the saints, and the love of God will be their everlasting feast. The redeemed will indeed enjoy other things; they will enjoy the angels, and will enjoy one another: but that which they shall enjoy in the angels, or each other, or in anything else whatsoever, that will yield them delight and happiness, will be what will be seen of God in them.

Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Summary: Edmund and Lucy find themselves in Narnia again, this time accompanied by their spoiled cousin Eustace. They are reunited with Prince Caspian, who is now several years older. They set off on a voyage to discover what became of seven loyal knights that Caspian's uncle had banished during his reign as king of Narnia. They discover several unusual islands with a new adventure on each one. Eventually they discover the fate of all seven knights and Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace return home.

For a long time, this was my least favorite book in the series, which actually surprises me because now I love it! I think it was just a little over my head when I was younger. This book, as all of the others, is full to the brim of analogies I could go on and on about. However, since I am on some serious time constraints - and I'm sure you all are too - I will only focus on one today. You'll just have to read the book to find the others. :)
When the children first arrive in Narnia, Eustace is absolutely horrible. He hates it there and is always complaining and trying to cause trouble. He torments Reepicheep especially. Caspian, Edmund, and Lucy's patience is often tried with him but we see their constant struggle to remain kind to him. At one point, the Dawn Treader gets attacked by a sea monster and after the battle, they land on an island for repairs. Unwilling to help with the work, Eustace wanders off and discovers a hidden treasure trove. He puts on a bracelet he finds there and curls up and falls asleep. When he wakes up, he has been changed into a dragon. He is incredibly horrified by this change. He is scared to go back to the others in his new and terrible form, but he does and after they realize who he is, they make his life as easy as possible. This physical transformation sparks the beginning of change for Eustace. He starts making himself useful and is incredibly helpful in the ship repairs. Finally, the day before they are to set sail again, Aslan appears privately to Eustace. He asks him if he wants to become a human again. Of course, Eustace says yes and Aslan tells him that he has only to peel away the dragon scales on his body. Eustace desperately begins clawing at himself, peeling away layer after layer. He is in considerable pain but he wants to be human again so badly that he continues. Finally, it becomes evident that he is unable to peel away enough layers. Aslan then steps in and does it for him. With one deep and excruciatingly painful gesture, Aslan pulls away Eustace's dragon skin and he is human once more.
I love the picture here that no matter how hard we try to change ourselves, and how successful we may appear to be, in the end, only Jesus can save us from our sin. The relief and freedom that Eustace experiences after this transformation is beautiful.

Have a good week and a happy Monday - if that is possible when its snowing. Question: was there snow before the fall? I doubt it. :(

A Psalm of Encouragement

This past week has been difficult for me, with Ryan being in Africa. But God has opened my eyes to some dear friends who have been an awesome encouragement to me. Here is a Psalm that a friend pointed me to specifically as one to meditate on during trials and struggles. Though I have read it many times in the past, it has really blessed me this week and helped me to focus my thoughts on the Lord. May it bless you all too!

Psalm 34

I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul will make its boast in the LORD; The humble will hear it and rejoice.
O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.
I sought the LORD, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears.
They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces will never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him And saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.
O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
O fear the LORD, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want.
The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.
Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Who is the man who desires life And loves length of days that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil And your lips from speaking deceit.
Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.
The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry.
The face of the LORD is against evildoers, To cut off the memory of them from the earth.
The righteous cry, and the LORD hears And delivers them out of all their troubles.
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
He keeps all his bones, Not one of them is broken.
Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

Relationships –Pt 3

So what does it mean to show mercy in our relationships?

Again Ted Tripp and Tim Lane (from the book Relationships-- A Mess worth Making) make these main suggestions:

Mercy means you expect suffering in your relationships and are willing to endure it
Are you willing to be inconvenience and suffer for some else’s sake?

Mercy means you resist the temptation of favoritism
Truth is, we like whom we like and we stick to them. If we’re only comfortable showing hospitality to like minded people—we could show a little more mercy.

Mercy rejects a “personal happiness” agenda
As good trained Americans (living in America ) that we are, we are in the business of pursuing comfort, ease, relaxation, and happiness non stop. But are we willing to forgo those very things to bring comfort and ease to others?

Mercy means you overlook minor offences
Are you easily irritated by what other people say or do? We all have these annoyances that while we can be oblivious to them, we can be quite disturbed if others show their not so pretty side. Can you get over it?

Mercy means you live with a commitment to forgive
We will sin against others and inevitably they will sin against us. Offer what God offers you everyday.

Mercy does not compromise what is morally right and true
Here we don’t leave and turn our back from the sinner, or ignore the sin committed. We rather point them to God’s Law, God’s principles and persevere along side of them.

As I was writing this blog, I couldn’t but think about the many instances where Jaz, Betsy, and Nichole, have shown me mercy as we related to one another in this blog. Nichole stands out in my mind. When we first started this blog I new Nichole the least, but in time she got to know me close and personal as she faithfully editing my blogs and made me look like I knew where commas and periods belonged. Her tireless efforts to be flexible (especially with me…) were humbling and admirable. Her efforts, not mine, are what make her relationship to me a precious one. And today is her b-day--so happy birthday girl!!

I’ll end this with a quick announcement…

Today is my last day posting here at True Women. And though my relationship with these very especial friends of mine does not depend on this blog, I sure will miss interacting with them on a weekly basis. I don’t know if I’ll be back, but I’m sure if I ask nicely they’ll let me visit from time to time...They delight in serving our Lord via this blog. They don’t take their job lightly and mind you no one is asking or expecting them to—they just do it for the Lord. But now it’s my turn to become their most faithful reader and biggest fan and so I will!

Witty Wednesday

Hey all, I was going to find this video on youtube and post it here, but I ran out of time. Instead, I am posting you a link to the blog I found it on. Its really funny, there is an ending you won't see coming, and its only like a minute and a half long. So watch it!!!!! :)

Relationships – Pt 2

I remember going to the priest, one time as a teenager and confessing to him how I just couldn’t stand certain people and how I would get so irritated and annoyed by them. His response though shocking has resonated with me ever since as he uttered these words; “have you ever considered that others may find you irritating and annoying as well?” I was speechless…and you know that’s hard for me to do!! You may laugh, but all too often without even knowing or even intending we act as though we’re the greatest gift to society and not only that, we act as people’s holy spirit, and we expect them to “conform to ourselves.” We’re naturally bent to please ourselves. As women, we not only are good at making it all revolve around us, at times, but with our friend visiting every month you could be a victim of being at the wrong place at the wrong time…

When we consider all the relationships we come in contact with in our work place, at school, in our family, our extended family, our church family, our hobbies, we can get caught up in the agendas and logistics of it all and lose sight of the goal in our relationships. The goal is to reflect God at work in us. Unfortunately, the more I talk to women in particular, the more I hear how there’s a lack of tolerance for others, how loneliness is a real thing, and without a doubt how much they desire for better functioning relationships. We want mature relationships without the growing pains.

So, for time sake I won’t explore the million reasons why relationships are hard, though you know that at the heart of the matter is our sin of self-centerness.

But, what can we do to reflect Christ likeness in our relationships? Consider mercy. Mercy is like humility, we all desire it; we read books, we talk about it, we challenge others to do that (like me right now), but we wish talking and reading all about it would equal practicing them. But why do we find it so hard to practice mercy? Paul Tripp & Tim Lane put it this way, in their book:

“We want to think of ourselves as fundamentally different from the people who need mercy when, in fact, we are the same. We too are flawed people; we too need mercy every day of our lives. But it is more comfortable to think of ourselves as righteous and strong while others are needy and weak. So, when it comes to mercy, we are double-minded. We’d rather give mercy than need it, but even then, we wish the giving wasn’t so costly—and revealing.”

Not showing mercy reveals our love of other things rather than God and the things of God. But we’ve been treated with immeasurable amount of mercy from our Heavenly Father. Those of us saved by the blood of Christ know mercy wasn’t earned or deserved—it was a gift. And none of us would want God to stop showing us mercy. Showing mercy to others not only will change your relationships—but it will change you.

I’ll finish up on Thursday with some practical applications on how to show mercy to others.

So let’s get out there and show mercy to others today.

Prince Caspian

Summary: After spending a year back in their own country, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy again find themselves in another world. They are not sure that they are in Narnia until, after spending a day on an unpopulated and unfamiliar island surrounded by the ruins of a castle, they discover an underground treasure chamber - the same underground treasure chamber, in fact, that was theirs when they ruled as kings and queens in Narnia. They then discover that many hundreds of years have past in Narnia since they were last there and that many changes have occured. Calmorians have overtaken Narnia and have driven out - or so they thought - all original Narnians, such as talking animals, dwarfs, etc. However, there is an underground army of native Narnians forming under the leadership of Prince Caspian, a Calmorian himself, who escaped his uncle, the ruling king of Narnia, when the king tried to have him murdered. Peter and Edmund help Caspian arrange to challenge the king to a personal dual between himself and Peter to try to prevent a battle between the two armies. The king accepts but, when he looses, one of his treacherous noblemen spurs his army into a fight anyway. During the dual, however, Aslan arrives and takes Susan and Lucy to gather up an army to join with Caspian's army. Because of this, the true Narnians win and retake control over Narnia. As Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy prepare to return to their own country, Asland tells Peter and Susan that they will never return to Narnia.

Comments:
This book is the shortest of the series and is one of my favorites for a single reason. Near the end, Aslan returns to Narnia and walks through the capitol city. As he walks the streets, he takes note of the oppressed, hurting, sick, and weak. These he sets free, heals, and stregthens and then they in turn drop everything they have and follow him into battle against the Calmorians - their own people. It is a beautiful picture of how God chooses his people; He truly has come to save the weak and the sick. As Aslan heals and frees, the intense thankfulness and instant change of alliegence is a perfect thing to behold. This scene is one of my two favorites in the whole series. The other doesn't come until The Last Battle.

Also, this is the book that introduces Reepicheep, everyone's favorite talking mouse. We see an interesting conflict in a character who is extremely proud but who loves Aslan more than anything else. The picture here, too, is clear: what is the point of a human who is proud? For, in ourselves, we are no better than an insignificant mouse. However, through the work of God in our lives, we can be mighty warriors but must never forget where our might comes from.

When the children first realize they are in Narnia and receive word by Trumpkin, a dwarf, that they are needed to help Caspian, they must make a long journey to where the prince is hiding. Along the way, Lucy sees Aslan and realizes that he is leading them a different way. However, when the others do not see her, they presure her to go along their original path and she follows. Disaster occurs. Only then do the others realize that they should have listened to Lucy and they go back the way she originally told them to. However, when Lucy sees Aslan after this, he reprimands her for not simply choosing to follow him alone when the others decided to go their own way. He reminds her that even if no one is is choosing to obey him, she must obey herself and that her wrong actions are not cancelled out because they were accompanied by others' wrong actions. This is a good reminder to us all.

Edmund, who in the first book was the brother that betrayed them all to the White Witch and was then redeemed when Aslan gave his life for him, was the only one who voted to follow Aslan with Lucy, even though he himself did not see Aslan. His reason for doing so was clear: the last time they were in Narnia, he did not believe his sister when she told of Aslan and everything bad happened because of it. Therefore, even though he didn't see Aslan, he was willing to obey anyway. It is a great picture of the truly repentent. Edmund's character is a wonderful example to us all of one who has tasted great sin and even greater forgiveness and chooses to honor his savior as best he can in all situations.

We Were Made For Relationships

I once heard that the babies of the family tend to be very friendly and practically have never met a "stranger." I am the baby of my family (thank goodness, after 8 kids...) and if you know me, you would know that, that is for the most part true of myself. I may lack in other places, but not in relationships or friendships. However, I pursue relationships sometimes without even giving a second thought. Last week Jasmine directed us to an article encouraging women to seek five specific types of woman relationships. I found it extremely helpful and encouraging but these words really caught my attention; "Look for a woman who makes her relationship with God a priority." I can honestly say I didn't seek these types of women in my life--they CAME to me! I've been richly blessed in that department, and is not due to my wise choices and irresistible personality, but rather God's mercy on me. The more I considered the subject of friendships and relationships I realized we cannot be best friends with everyone and have the privilege of having five real good friends. More often than not, what we have are relationships; you know the occasional visit to that friend of yours from High School or college, and then there are the relationships that take work to have, and the ones that are not so impressed by you and your talents and they make you grit your teeth... and the ones that we hide from, and of course the ones you wish you did not have to have...

In my search for more "bosom friend" relationships material, I found this very insightful book called Relationships A Mess Worth Making by Tim Lane and Paul Tripp. In only the first few pages he makes the argument that we must not be surprised that we (male and female) long for relationships. We were created in the image of God and in the Trinity we find a community of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Neat huh? I never thought of it that way. Good, I can breath easier now, my delight in relationships is not, after all, such a crazy idea to pursue. The authors go on to say that the problem with relationships is not that we have them, but that we don't give them their proper place. They quote C.S. Lewis with this:

When I have learnt to love God better than my earthly dearest, I shall love my earthly dearest better than I do now. In so far as I learn to love my earthly dearest at the expense of God and instead of God, I shall be moving towards the state in which I shall not love my earthly dearest at all. When first things are put first, second things are not suppressed but increased.

So, they make the point to say that this may not always be so clear to us, but the following could be evidences of reversing the order of things:

Letting go of a moment of hurt
Becoming defensive when challenged
Avoiding conflict out of fear
Being too political at work
Gossiping about people
Pursuing comfortable relationships and avoiding difficult ones
Doubting God when our relationships are messy
Envying other people's friendships
Controlling relationships out of a desire for security
Blowing up at people when our agendas are trampled
Living in bitter isolation in the face of disappointment


Okay my "bosom friends", we'll talk about this more next week. Have a safe and blessed weekend!!

Missing You…

My husband is in Cameroon Africa right now. It’s odd how my thoughts have changed since he has gone. I now think in 2 time zones simultaneously. I orient myself based upon what I am doing and what my husband might be doing at the same time. For example, while I am typing out this post it is late evening here and in Cameroon it is very early in the morning (say 5am-ish) so my husband is probably still sleeping or maybe just waking up. I pray that he has slept peacefully and gotten good rest so that he can be equipped for whatever the day may hold for him. I pray that he can accomplish much today and that He will honor and glorify God and minister faithfully to the Yongs and the other people he will encounter. I will continue in this manner of thought as I prepare for sleep and throughout the morning tomorrow; then I will start over again (Lord willing) tomorrow evening. In this whole circle of events, I liken our marriage to that of our relationship to Christ. And in that I am saddened as I realize how I am generally more moved to prayer over temporary and relatively inconsequential things, than over broader, eternal things… Kingdom type issues.

Peter said we are aliens and strangers in the world. And right now, I understand that. I feel like my world is upside down. My husband is on the other side of the world and I feel like I am present in the body but detached from the things going on around me (at least to a large degree). My other half is separated from me and I feel the loss (Lord willing- temporary as it may be). But isn’t this how I should feel every day, not because I’m apart from my earthly husband, but because I am separated from my heavenly husband Christ by this body of death… this body that cannot fully contain His glory. Shouldn’t I long for the reunion with my heavenly husband so much that I ache within my heart and lament the temporary limitations that restrict my full enjoyment of Him? Why don’t I find my thoughts straying very often in prayer to God that He would spread His gospel abroad to all the nations so that people may see His beauty which I so delight in? Why aren’t I drawn consistently to pray that He will do a good work today in the hearts of His missionaries and that He’ll refresh their spirits for His glory? How sad that I can’t help but be concerned for the good of my husband Ryan every waking moment, but am so often shallow in my thoughts, desires, affections, and subsequent prayers for the spread of the “light of the glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ”. So to that end, though I am still missing my husband, I am also glad that God is using this period of separation to show me some things about myself that need to change and grow for the glory of God and for my own good as well as the good of those around me.

Have a blessed day and remember to enjoy your heavenly husband who gave Himself perfectly, sacrificially, and entirely for the redemption of our unworthy souls and to show forth the radiating beauty of God’s glorious plan.

America Has Chosen A President

Al Mohler wrote a very insightful article about, as he put it, The President. The American President. The only President. Our President.
The fact is American's get to choose the President and folks, we did. He wasn't my choice, nor many of yours, but he is in fact the choice of the people and ultimately God. We must view him and treat him and his family with the honor due to him. I think Al Mohler does a great job talking with Christians about how we are to respond now that the election is over. He says we would be foolish to think that as Christians we will not be frustrated or disappointed or that we won't have a long road ahead of us. We, as followers of Jesus, must still protect the unborn, elderly and infirmed no matter who our President is. With that said, we must still work to do all we can to come alongside our President. We must labor in prayer for him and his family. We must rejoice in his well being and celebrate this historic election. This article that Dr. Mohler wrote is well written, articulate and practical. Please give it your time. It is far better than anything I could write.