Plan to Pray

Before we get started on the method, I think we need to remember the heart of the matter. We can practice the discipline of prayer and never be conformed to the image of Jesus, which is our desire, if we merely pray for the sake of praying. We must examine what drives us to our knees. Are we coming to God because we need Him, desire Him, love Him, and fear Him? Do we pray because we pant for Him as a deer pants for streams of water? Or, are we hypocrites who pray to be heard and admired by others, as those trying to earn some sort of "in" with God? I know I am constantly examining if I have a heart for God in prayer so that my prayers are not ineffective cold mantras.

The heart matters, but having a plan or method helps in matters of the heart. Don Whitney said that sometimes our prayer life is hindered because our prayers get boring. "We pray the same old thing about the same old thing". So what method or plan does Don Whitney recommend to give our prayer life....life? What is the method that I have so benefited from? ..... Pray through Scripture! Pray God's word back to Him. He recommended starting with the Psalms. I can pray for myself, family, friends, finances, work, and church using God's Word. There are 150 Psalms and I have yet to pray through all of them. I have found my heart filled with praise and actually good words to speak it using what God inspired the psalmists to say about Him already. And I know that it is in line with the true character of God because it is God's word about Himself. I have experienced and heard from others how one line from a Psalm has inspired at times 30 minutes of prayer and there was no notice of time passing, so I have really found it helpful to start my day out looking at a Psalm and starting to pray through it. Even if I do not get to the rest of my Bible reading until later, this has been a sweet nourishment for my soul as I start my morning out reading and praying through a Psalm like this: Remember, O Lord, Your compassion and Your loving-kindnesses, for they have been from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to Your loving-kindness remember me, for Your goodness' sake, O Lord.( Ps. 25:6-7) Bible reading, meditation, and prayer are taking place all at the same time! I love to pray through the book of Titus. Titus 2:3-5 is a favorite of mine for praying for myself and other women. Titus1 is great for praying for my elders. And who doesn't want to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and live sensibly, righteously and godly in this present age?( Titus2:12) Outside of the Psalms, this is the most prayed through book in the Bible for me. This book is short, simple, to the point and jammed full of practical stuff! Can you tell I love this book? I'm a simple person, what can I say. It is very helpful and dare I say necessary to pray with the Word of God in hand. John Piper said: "In the Bible, God speaks to us, and in prayer, we speak to him. And the two are interdependent in their effectiveness. The Scripture teaches us to pray and shows us what to pray and how to pray and tells us the basis for prayer and fills us with encouragement that God hears our prayers. And prayer applies the Scriptures to ourselves and others. It turns the word into prayer, and it pleads for help from God in understanding the meaning of the word and living the word. So prayer and the word are interdependent in the way they help us be conformed to the image of Christ." I believe this wholeheartedly!

I would add that I find it very helpful to journal at the same time. The best suggestion I have in order to keep the discipline of journaling consistent is to keep your journal with your Bible and write in conjunction with your Bible reading and prayer time. If you use your computer for journaling, keep your Bible by the computer. Frankly, many of the things that show up in my blogs are from my journals.

If you have read any of these blogs on prayer you have simply been given a glimpse of the meditations of my heart. You have come along with me as I have struggled through why I do not pray as I ought. I have found writing out these things absolutely necessary for my heart and mind to process these things. So, for me, reading, meditation, prayer and journaling are all very intricately connected. What I read, write, and think about set the tone of how I react and pray throughout the day, as I teach my children, fold the laundry, sweep my floors, talk on the phone and write my emails.

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (2 Thess.5:16-18)

The Heart of Prayer: Awe

Psalm 47:1-2 “O clap your hands, all peoples; shout to God with the voice of joy. For the Lord Most High is to be feared, a great King over all the earth.”

Am I in awe of the Most High God? As I look at His handiwork and behold His goodness in my life and the lives of those around me, am I shaken to the core and do I tremble at the God who is the Maker of heaven and earth and the owner of the cattle on a thousand hills?

Prayer is for those who are utterly dependent on God, those who look to God in humble expectancy, and those who fear Him - are in awe of Him.

Am I given to praise the way the Psalmist is given to praise in Psalm 66? Shout joyfully to God all the earth; sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious. Say to God, "How awesome are your works! Because of the greatness of Your power Your enemies will give feigned obedience to You. All the earth will worship You, And will sing praises to You; They will sing praises to Your name."
Come see the works of God, Who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men (vs. 1-5).

Am I so in awe of this God that I desire to tell of his great works and hear others tell of His wonders? Psalm 66:16, “Come and hear, all who fear God, And I will tell of what He has done for my soul.”

I have to ask myself these questions if I am not given to praying with a heart filled with praise and thanksgiving. We are called to fear God. He is able to cast the soul into hell and He able to save us and cause us to enter into His eternal joy and experience His eternal pleasures. The fear and awe we are called to have should drive us to God - not away from Him. If we live an awe-filled life we will live a life of prayer. We will be driven to Him. As we pray in humble expectation, we will be struck with holy fear as we see how He displays His great power, compassion, wrath, faithfulness, and we will be filled with a sense of awe. This sweet communion with God as I pour my heart out to Him, helps me to consider the character of God and the works of God like Pastor Matt recently exhorted us to do. And if I am considering God and His works, I am spurred on to stand in awe of Him. The more I pray in accordance with who He is, as found in His word the more I find God to be what Jonathan Edwards once said about who God is to His people: God is their wealth and treasure, their food, their life, their dwelling place, their ornament and diadem, and their everlasting honor and glory. This God is surely to be adored and feared.

In the early church it says in Acts 2:43, “Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe (fear); and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.” I want to be in a consistent state of awe. I think watching God work in the humble, expectant prayers of His people can provoke that in our hearts.

Come and behold the works of the Lord, Who wrought desolations in the earth. He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire. cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. (Psalm 46:8-10)

If humility, expectation and awe drive a person to pray, will prayer just happen? Or, is it truly a discipline? Do we need a plan to pray, dare I say a method? Does it take practice?

Tomorrow we will Plan to Pray.

Witty Wednesday

The Heart of Prayer - Expectation

In humility do I really expect/believe that God will act. Am I praying and eagerly anticipating God to do what He says He will do? Do I see God as big? As good? As the life giver/changer? Can I say with the Psalmist: For I hope in You , O LORD; You will answer, O LORD my God.( Psalm 38:15)

Often I do not live a life of persistent prayer, because I don't expect God to hear me and answer me when I pray; or I pray with the wrong motives. ( James 4:3 ) Which that brings me right back to pride. I do not think God answers me unless things go my own way according to my own plan. See the focus? It is on me, rather than on God. A heart filled with expectation is looking for God to act in a way that will fully demonstrate His precious glory. A heart of expectation will be looking for God to act in such way as to reveal a little more of His character to me and those around me, as well as reveal a little more of my complete dependence upon Him.

I need to see myself as a child coming before a loving, faithful and extravagantly generous father. Matthew 7:7-11 says: Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and the door shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, how will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! A person filled with faith or as I have been saying it, expectation, will pray, pray, pray, because they believe God is good, he hears, and He answers. We come to God empty handed humbly and joyfully expecting to be filled.

One way I find help in cultivating a heart of expectation, is to journal. I know it is not directly commanded in the Bible to journal, but if you think about the way we have benefited from the lives of saints from the past, you will see we have learned of how God was moving and working in them, through them, and all around them, through their journals. For me, when I journal as I am reading my Bible and praying, my thoughts and applications of what God is teaching me is reiterated or made clearer to me. I am also able to look back and see how God has answered prayers I have prayed and how he answered the many requests that I have written down. So, when I am discouraged and feel like God is not listening and my faith begins to falter, I can look back and see how He has heard and answered in the past. For me this cultivates an anticipation of what God might do in the future, and it keeps me persistent.

I have 4 siblings that are not in Christ. In my feeble, proud, and small faithed mind, there are times I do not think that praying for their salvation will do anything. Then I look at how God has worked and moved in those around me and even in my family and recognize that I am benefiting from being in communion with God, and how He is constantly reminding me that it is He who saves and Him alone, so what else can I do?

Even now I look back on things I had written when Si was in the hospital and how God moved His saints to pray even when most people did not know that my little boy was getting surgery at the very moment in the middle of the night that they were moved to pray for him. James 5:16 says: Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. When I start to forget this, I look back and go, wait a minute girl, get a grip, of course prayer is effective, because God says so, and you have seen it!

So, I am going to keep eagerly anticipating God to work through the prayers of His people. I am going to choose to believe that God delights to hear His children cry out to Him. He calls us to a life of prayer, so we need to get busy falling on our knees and expecting great things. I don't know about you, but I want to see God do things that boggle my mind, I want to see Him do abundantly beyond all I can ask or think.

Pray and expect to be wowed! Pray and expect to be able to say with the Psalmist: How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust, and has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood. Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which you have done, and Your thoughts toward us, there is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, they would be too numerous to count. ( Psalm 40:4-5 )

The Spiritual Discipline of Prayer: The Heart of Prayer - Humility

As followers of Jesus we know we must pray. Jesus prayed, His disciples prayed, and we are commanded to pray: And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kind of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Ephesians 6:18

Prayer is a means by which we commune with our great God and Savior. It is an avenue by which we get to experience and delight ourselves in Him. There are promises attached to prayer such as in Philippians 4:6-7. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Prayer is a means that God uses to fight against an anxious heart. I don't know about you, but when I find myself becoming anxious about life and the things that go on around me, I have to remember that God has given me the tools I need to battle it and have the peace of God settle my heart and keep me focused on Christ. Sounds great! Sounds like something I need to be busy about doing.

So, I ask myself, why do I struggle to have a constant attitude of prayer? I think the number one hindrance to a life of unceasing prayer flowing from a heart of thanksgiving is PRIDE. Stuart Scott defines pride this way: Pride is the mindset of self (a master's mindset rather than that of a servant): a focus on self and the service of self, a pursuit of self-recognition and self exaltation, and a desire to control and use all things for self. Pretty nasty stuff. Pride is guaranteed to ultimately lead us to our destruction according to the Bible. ( 1 Peter 5:5) Proud people are not praying people. Proud people think that their problems are too big for God. Proud people think they can endure and handle things on their own. If I want to know if I am proud, I evaluate the way and how often I pray. The prayers of the proud are few and far between or self-focused; they are all about being seen by family, friends, and society as godly, righteous, a fantastic prayer, a good man/woman. The proud will pray so as to say, “Be like me, look at me, I am great.” Or pride will say, “God is obligated to me because of my great theologically sound prayers.”

Another way to evaluate whether or not pride is hindering your prayer life is to take note of how often you compare yourself favorably to others. Remember, God is not impressed with you because of your knowledge and wordiness so do not deceive yourself into thinking you are impressing Him and obligating Him with your prayers. He certainly wasn't impressed by the hypocrites in Matthew 6:5-8.

If pride is the hindrance then humility is the remedy. Humility is a complete and utter dependence on God. A life of prayer is a manifestation of that complete and utter dependence. We pray when we see God as the only source of strength, hope, compassion, and provision for all things. If we see ourselves as among the weak and foolish, nothing can keep us from dropping to our knees. We will pray for our children because it isn't our awesome parenting skills that will save them, it is Jesus! We will be driven to our knees for our brother's and sister's in Christ because we are not great counselors, disciplers and friends, rather Jesus is. We will wake up in an attitude of prayer because we acknowledge our very breath is held in His hands. We pray so as to stand against sin because we know how sneaky our own flesh is and have no confidence in ourselves to conquer it. We pray because we cannot help but breathe out praise to the One who is awesome in His Compassion, Love and Power.

So how do we fight the pride and become more humble? Prayer is the answer. God humbles us to see pride as sin against Him and we are moved to pray, but not yet as we ought! In faith, we must continue to come before Him humbly seeking the grace that only He can give. It is a discipline we must practice in faith knowing that God will move and work in our hearts, giving us more grace to slay the pride enabling us to pray more. Prayer then is not only a sign of the humble but also a means to humility. Be eager to pray so that you can see God work. Pray in humble expectation. That is where I'll pick up tomorrow... The Heart of Prayer - Expectation. Do you truly believe God will hear you, answer you, and work in you as you pray?

In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to you and eagerly watch. Psalm 5:3

Spiritual Disciplines: bible intake and meditation… day 4

I will finish up with a testimony.

I have been saved for approximately 12 years now and probably since day 1 (of salvation) I have always decided that I was going to read my bible every day and finish the bible in one year... And each year I would look back with intense disappointment and see that I had not been faithful in reading my bible each day and had long since given up trying to get through the bible in a year. So then come January, I would renew my pledge and start over only to fail again. 2 ½ years ago I again started out my January with my yearly pledge to read my bible daily and get through the bible in a year. Something was different that year though... (Of course I didn't know it until December). Each day I would read God's word and try to journal something about what I read. I found it easier to meditate upon God's word and found that it was becoming more of a natural part of my life to read God's word daily. I would pray more and my thoughts were more focused on the Lord. Did I stop sinning? Clearly not. However, I do find my thoughts more captivated with the glories of Christ. I do find it easier to be gracious to others and to be encouraging. I find my heart filled in silent song to God and musings about Him more often. I think much deeper on the things of God and I am lead by His word and Spirit more... If nothing else I am certainly convicted of sin more often. (The Holy Spirit is using that ammunition to fight sin within me!) God is faithful to His promises and He promises that His word will not return void, but it will accomplish the purpose for which He intends it (Isaiah 55:11). And if we are His children, we know that His will for us is our sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3).

In my opinion, I have grown more spiritually over these last 2 ½ years of consistently practicing the spiritual disciplines (especially the reading/meditation of God's word with prayer) than I have over the previous 10 years in the Lord. I have found my faith strengthened... (Go figure… for faith comes by hearing and hearing through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17) and I have found obedience to Him easier, especially when I can sit down and read God's word while pondering a decision of how to respond to a situation. So I know by faith in God as well as by personal experience that His word is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword... it is able to do the work of cutting away the really sneaky sin that is hidden deep down inside of me... for the purpose of making me more like God... so that I will grow more in loving God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength... because He loves Himself like that!

So this begs the question: why don't more people persevere in pursuing a love for God through His ordained means, the spiritual disciplines (which will bring us into the obedience and joy which we so long for)? I think that partly, I was just too lazy for 10 years...it was dull work going through Leviticus to this new believer... (shame on me) and I was short sighted, not seeing God in all of His word (but rather only where it was easy to see Him). However, I think I was also so busy trying to put out "fires" of sin in my own life that I didn't recognize that the long term solution to all the fires was a lifelong plan of pursuing God daily in His word. I didn’t see that the living water of God's word studied in faith consistently, would start to extinguish the flames of the sin that was burning in my life. Ultimately, I will look back on those times and say God is good, and He is still at work in my life. But I praise His name that He has given such simple ways to pursue love for Him... ways that even I can understand. (I think).

I hope this has not been too confusing or exhausting... May we all be encouraged to chase hard after a greater love for God, expecting with all hope that He will bless us and fill us with love for Him and joy in Him... if we come to Him through Christ who is the living word of God as revealed to us in the Holy bible by the Holy Spirit.

Here too, are some helpful hints that Jasmine found from John Piper:

Dr. Piper says: "Many good things do not happen in our lives for the simple lack of planning.... Most Christians neglect their Bibles not out of conscious disloyalty to Jesus, but because of failure to plan a time and place and method to read it"

Regarding time: "I earnestly recommend that it be in the early morning, unless there are some extenuating circumstances. Entering the day without a serious meeting with God, over his Word and in prayer, is like entering the battle without tending to your weapons. It’s like taking a trip without filling the tires with air or the tank with gas. The human heart does not replenish itself with sleep. The body does, but not the heart. The spiritual air leaks from our tires, and the gas is consumed in the day. We replenish our hearts not with sleep, but with the Word of God and prayer."

Regarding place: "Pick a place of seclusion…. It needs to be secluded so that you are not distracted, and so that you can speak out loud and sing and cry. If your family situation or home does not have such a place, then create it, not by space, but by rule.... One saintly mother with a large brood of children would use her apron to make a tent for her head and her Bible at the kitchen table and the children were taught, when mother is in her tent, make no noise."

Regarding method: "There are many ways to read the Bible. Any is better than none. Coming to the appointed place and time with no plan for how to read the Bible usually results in a hit-and-miss approach that leave you feeling weak, unreal, and discouraged. For many years I have read through the Bible once each year following 'The Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan'.... The design is to read daily from two Old Testament and two New Testament books. I find this variety helpful. Others don’t, and would rather use some other approach. That’s fine."

Finally, I would highly recommend that you get a copy of Donald Whitney's book "Spiritual Disciplines For The Christian Life". God has used this mightily in the lives of many believers. May you all be blessed and may your love for God greatly increase as you pursue Him through the spiritual disciplines!

Here is a link to Donald Whitney's website: http://www.spiritualdisciplines.org/

Spiritual Disciplines: bible intake and meditation … day 3

Let's resume our talk on bible reading and meditation with some more practical application.

I don’t want to steal Jasmine’s thunder as she will be writing about prayer and journaling, but I will say a few quick things. Before you open your bible to read, quiet your mind and heart before God. Ask Him to help you to know Him and love Him and see Him and His works as you read His word. Ask Him to convict you of sin against Him and others and to humble you before Him. Keep those things in mind as you read. Set aside your own agenda and really dig in to what God has to say to you in His word. Ask Him to help you see real ways to apply His word to your life. Carolyn Mahaney (see our link to "Girl Talk" in the sidebar) recommended in her book "Shopping for Time" that you ask two questions as you read your bible. One: Who is God (as revealed in the passage) and two: What should my response be to God as He is revealed in the passage? I really like these types of questions because they help me to direct my thoughts to God in worship and submission, as well as giving me wonderful things to meditate on throughout my day. Notice that second question is self-examining… not other person examining. Don’t read God’s word to try and fix someone else or make them more godly, without humbling yourself under God’s mighty hand and His sword of truth, first.

Another thing that I have found helpful is if I purpose to talk to somebody about what I read and am trying to meditate on from God’s word. Usually my boys are the “lucky” recipients of this. They are on the same reading schedule as I am and so this helps me to hold them accountable as well. But it also helps me to articulate my thoughts when I have to verbalize them in a comprehendible way to them. Plus, because they are still young (9, 11, and 13) it helps me to take a big idea and bring it to their level of understanding. This helps me to know and understand God more, in that He does the same thing for us.

Also, I find that it is easier to meditate on God’s word when I limit the distractions around me. I don’t have the TV on or a lot of background noise during most of the day so that I can focus my thoughts on God and what He would have me pursue each moment. (I hope this helps my boys similarly). Also I don’t spend a lot of time talking just for the sake of chatter. I do happen to home school my boys and though we have a lot of fun, we don’t sit around idly chatting on most days. We may have an exciting conversation about the goodness of God in giving us Jesus or we can have a serious talk about our sinfulness, but I try to be purposeful about directing my mind toward things of God whenever I can. When I am working in my kitchen or in my house or driving in my car, I can think about Jesus. Sometimes I will listen to good Christian music and that will spur on further meditation, however that is not a substitute for quiet focused meditation on God’s word.

We will finish up our focus on bible intake/reading and meditation tomorrow, so "stay tuned"!

Witty Wednesdays

Spiritual Disciplines: bible reading and meditation… day 2

So how does this work in real life? Am I to get out my spiritual disciplines book, make a list of the various disciplines and start doing them? Well no... And yes. I am to pursue a love for God through the spiritual disciplines... I am to pray to Him and plead with Him to fill my cold heart with greater love for Him. I am to pray that as I open my bible to read it, that my soul will be fed the living water and bread of life which is Christ who is the word become flesh. I am to meditate (think deeply) throughout the day on the holy words of God which I have tasted during my bible time... I am to memorize God's word out of a desire to fill my mind with good things of God (and ammunition for the Holy Spirit to use in the fight against sin). And so on the list goes... but it is not merely a list ... it is a faith filled decision to step into the place where God has promised He will do a good work in our hearts, for His glory, in His perfect time.

So it's not that the list of spiritual "to-do's" is bad, no rather it is good... IF... it is coming from a heart of faith that desperately wants to love God more and as such it comes to God seeking HIS means of pouring that love into us. “For without faith it is impossible to please God,” Hebrews 11:6.

Let’s discuss bible intake and meditation. These go hand in hand. Bible reading is like eating God’s food and meditation is like digesting it. Through meditation the Holy Spirit takes God’s word and uses the “nutrients” to feed your soul and cause spiritual growth. Obviously there are other factors that God uses to cause spiritual growth, such as trials, but those interact with God’s word within us as digested by the Holy Spirit through meditation to produce the growth that God designs for us. Picture a person who exercises to be strong and healthy. If they don’t eat properly, they don’t physically prosper. If they do eat properly, but their body won’t digest the food and use the nutrients to benefit their body, then they still will not prosper. In fact, under those circumstances their body will actually be harmed by the added strain of the exercise. Similarly, we must be eating God’s word daily and then digesting it through meditation upon it, so that we may grow in respect to godliness. We can be sure that when we ingest and digest God’s word by faith motivated by desiring greater love for God, the Holy Spirit will do His part in bringing forth the peaceable fruit of righteousness within us. As we grow in love for God, our whole lives will reflect it and we will be following in the footsteps of Jesus. As such our joy will be made full! These are awesome benefits!

So how do we get started? First things first, this is a lifelong discipline so think of it as such. Some people decide to start reading the bible daily so they get a “read the bible in a year plan” and start off strong. However when they fall behind, they get discouraged and give up due to a hopeless feeling of “I’ll never be able to finish the bible this year because I’m so far behind.” Then they end up reading hardly ever! I would recommend that you seek to read the bible over the course of the year; however, I would not recommend getting so caught up in the one year schedule that when you fall behind, you give up. Rather, keep in mind that you are developing a lifelong daily delight (a sanctified habit) and you are reading God’s word for the purpose of knowing and loving Him better. This way you can be free to joyfully, though purposefully, pursue God by reading through His word at a pace that best fits you. Donald Whitney scandalously encouraged believers (at a spiritual disciplines conference held annually at our church) to meditate more on God’s word even if it meant that they had to read less of it during their bible reading time. This is so true! If we are desiring to really be changed by God’s word then we must meditate upon it, and if in order to fit it all into our hectic lives we must only read one chapter a day (instead of the 3-4 chapters daily required to make it through the bible in a year)… then do it. But keep at it. Don’t give up. Each day go before God and read His word (that’s Him speaking to you telling you what’s important) then listen to Him and think about it deeply (that’s meditation). In Joshua 1:8 it says: “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.” Also in Psalm 119: 11, 15-16 it says: “Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You… I will meditate on Your precepts and regard Your ways. I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your word.” So set aside time each day to read God’s word and then meditate on what you’ve read.

Thursday I will offer up some more nitty-gritty application type of thoughts regarding bible intake and meditation.

Spiritual Disciplines Marathon !

Hello all! For the next 3 weeks we will be doing a series on the Spiritual Disciplines. I am going to start us off. First, let’s look at the heart of the matter (from my perspective).

A while back, Pastor Matt was preaching in the morning service and he defined sin as not loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength (my own paraphrase). I really appreciated this particular definition because it captured the heart attitude behind our actions. By that I mean that my flesh is so sneaky and utterly sinful and deceitful, that I can justify my actions as not sinful (oftentimes) because "technically" I was not disobeying a direct command of God's word. However, when seen in light of this definition, I sin ALOT more than I would own up to. So... my mind went from there to meditate on the opposite of sin: godliness... (my own antonym).

Now I looked at godliness from two ways... one: I pondered godliness as "being like God"... but like God in what particular quality? My thoughts went back to the definition of sin and to God’s first and foremost commandment to us... and decided that the pre-eminent quality of God which I need to "be like" is (as John Piper says) God's supreme satisfaction (love) of/in Himself. In other words, to be like God I must love Him first and foremost. And then two: I also looked at godliness from the simple aspect of it being the opposite of sin (note the definition of sin in the first paragraph). By implication, the definition of godliness would then be “love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength". So the two ways that I was pondering godliness have coincided so far... both ending up with my needing to love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength for me to be godly.

Later in the evening service Matt was preaching out of Psalm 27 "4 Crucial Keys to Overcoming Fear.” His second point was: be passionate about your pursuit of God. This got me wondering. How do I pursue God passionately? What about when I don't feel very loving toward God but rather cold or just methodical? Can I pursue Him then? Into my head pops the scripture verse "Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness…” 1 Timothy 4:7. Wait a minute... discipline myself for the purpose of loving God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength? Discipline... that takes daily deciding to do what does not come naturally to me... but which will apparently make me love God? I desire to love God more... In fact the reason this line of thought caught my mind is because I find myself living life by a check list.... such as: read bible, clean dishes, make dinner, be submissive, correct math sheets, etc. And only too often do I look back on my day and see a lot of things done, but not much passion for God and not nearly enough enthusiasm and love warming my heart and drawing me closer to Him. I want to be passionate for God but something is lacking.

Well, then my thoughts went to something I have heard Pastor Rick (my-brother–in-law) say many times ... (my own paraphrase) " The spiritual disciplines are a God ordained channel that we (believers) put ourselves in whereby God will meet us and bless us and draw us closer unto Him. He will use the spiritual disciplines to grow us into the image of Christ as we submit ourselves to His word and the Holy Spirit”. So then God wants us to be like Him... (Loving Him with all our heart, soul, mind, strength, etc) and He has ordained that the means to pursuing that love for Him is through the spiritual disciplines. So ... I want to love God more. God must produce this lasting love in me through Christ / the Holy Spirit within me... but I am not called to sit on my laurels and wait twiddling my thumbs for God to pump me full of this love for Him... (For God's word says, "work out your salvation with fear and trembling knowing that it is God who is at work within you both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13 paraphrased). I am called to pursue, yes, even chase after a heart/mind that loves God more. How do I pursue that which is so intangible though?

Well, God is so gracious and kind that He has made it so that a child believer can even pursue this love for Him. He has given us "the spiritual disciplines" as revealed to us in His word... (That being one of the primary disciplines... intake of God's word). I will be discussing this important spiritual discipline as well as its counterpart: meditation, today and for the next three days.

Decisions, Decisions...

I have given much thought to decisions of late. Specifically, my thoughts have returned to the finality of a decision made. We make decisions all day long, often without putting much (if any) thought into them; yet once I have made a decision (whether in thought or in deed), that decision is done, gone. Whether good or bad, I cannot take back my decision. I cannot make it better or fix it or redeem it. A decision made leaves no room for undoing but only for consequences… and generally our consequences will be reflective of the quality of our decision. If I make a bad decision it will bring bad consequences. If I make a good decision, it will bring good consequences. Sometimes the discernable consequences for a good or bad decision will be the beginning of a newly formed habit (either good or bad). As such, tomorrow it will only be easier to walk in the same path that I walked in the day before, whether it is one of disobedience or faithfulness.

Now, that is not to say that we can always judge the quality of the consequences by our own standards. We must hold up God’s word as truth and judge our consequences or results by what God says is good. If I choose to honor God through obedience, but am treated badly by others because of it, one could wrongfully say that the consequences didn’t match the decision (bad consequences for a good decision). However, God says in His word that we are actually blessed when we are persecuted for the sake of Christ and will be rewarded greatly in Heaven. The long term consequences may not be discernable to us for many years to come or not even until we enter into eternity with our Lord. But I think it would be much more honoring to God if we took a good hard look at the things we think about and do (both of which are decisions we make) and examine them to see what is motivating them and where they will lead us.

God can and does save us from our sin and the ultimate consequence of death and hell for all who have believed in the saving work of Jesus on the cross, but He also will faithfully discipline us for our daily sin (in order to make us holy) and bless us for our faith-filled obedience. However, every time I decide to believe a lie of Satan (and this perishing world), my attitude and actions will reflect and react to that false belief (the root decision). So I am challenged to really examine my belief system, and the resulting thoughts, attitudes, and actions. This is the only way that I can “redeem the time.” For, though Christ has redeemed us from our sins and our slavery to sin, He has graciously left us the earthly (temporal) consequences of them, so that we may learn to stop walking in them (our sins) and rather turn to Him in faith filled obedience… moment by moment, decision by decision… for His glory.

Dressing to Adorn the Gospel - Pt 2

In my first post the heart of modesty was dealt with, today we're getting practical.

When thinking about all the previously said things, I began to think about the statement that husbands and fathers put their wives and daughters in a dangerous position when they do not guard them in this way. It was stated that these women were 'unloved'. Rick and I began discussing what some of these dangers are. So, what danger are we put in when we are unguarded? Here are some things that Rick came up with that I have been thinking about. I hope this might be of some help to those of us that might be struggling in this area right now.

One danger is that we dishonor the word of God. Titus 2 lists the things that a woman ought to be so that she would not bring dishonor to the word of God. Being discreet and chaste are part of that list. 1 Tim. 2:9 says, "women are to adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, BUT, that which is proper for women professing godliness with good works." Do we profess godliness? Are we reflecting that in how we dress? Are we in fact being discreet and chaste? If not, then we are giving room for the gospel of Christ to be mocked! Dear sisters this is not what we want to do!

We also are opened up to ruining our name. Our own reputation is tarnished. What husband and father who loves you wants that? What woman wants that for herself? Prov. 22:1 says, "A good name is to be more desired than silver or gold." Dressing immodestly opens you up to all sorts of accusations. Some guys may think you're "easy" or that you will do things that you would never do. People may say you have done things you have not, but they are believed simply because you look like the sort that would. I'm not saying this is always fair, but it is a fact of life.

You may attract unwanted attention. Young unmarried ladies beware, you may be attracting the wrong kind of men! Do you want to marry a man who loves God? A man with a pure heart? A man who pursues and delights in righteousness? You ain't gonna find one dressing like a Prov. 7 woman! A godly man will avoid you because he will see you as a danger to his soul! I'm serious! God is gracious, but as a good friend of mine, Gina, likes to say "DO NOT TEMPT YOUR LORD." So do not think "God will give me a good man anyway, things will work out in the end."

Another danger is that you are made vulnerable to men who seek to devour you - not only their eyes, but physically! I don't think any woman asks to be raped, kidnapped, or murdered. But there are men, evil men, who are lurking about looking for a victim! Don't be stupid! Being out with those who are up no good, or being out late, doing who-knows-what in the wee hours of the morning, dressing to kill makes you an easy target! Yes there are those who are raped and killed that were guarded and protected and wise in their choices, but they are harder to get to. Don't make it easy for evil men to hurt you!

You may also ruin your father/husbands reputation. You can do him harm by dressing immodestly! Do not be the woman who destroys her own home with her own two hands! Do not be the rottenness in your husband’s bones! (Prov.12:4;14)

We are called to a life of self-control. Do not be like the woman in Prov. 5:6. She does not ponder the path of life, her ways are unstable and she doesn't know it! Ponder the path of life. Be wise and sober-minded. You have been taught well. Live it out! Build your house. Build a good reputation. Glorify God in all aspects of your life. Put yourself in order. Be the crown of your husband! Be the kind of woman a righteous man is looking for! Adorn the gospel so that you can serve others freely! Modesty is relevant no matter what stage of life you are in.

Oh, how I desire to honor God in this! Let us take all that we have heard in the sermon to heart. Let's make it easy on our husbands and fathers as they lead and disciple us. Just as we are commanded to make sure that we are a joy to our elders as they shepherd us, let's do the same for the heads of our households. Don't fight! Make their job pleasurable. Also, don't use the excuse that they don't care how you dress. Because God does!

Here are some links to articles I have found helpful: The Modesty Heart Check , C.J Mahaney's series on modesty( he has a 7 part series) The Rebelution's Modesty Survey

Witty Wednesday

It has fallen to me again to find something funny to post for our 'Witty Wednesday.' Here are some pictures that my mom sent me in an email entitled 'Why Women Live Longer Then Men.' They made me laugh and I hope they make you laugh too.

Dressing to Adorn the Gospel - Pt 1

This time of year brings me thoughts about how I dress more than any other time. This is because this is the time of year where bikinis, shorts, and skimpy shirts are the norm. As someone set apart by the grace of God through Jesus, I need to ask myself, do I adorn the gospel in my life? In particular, does this affect how I dress? If all things are to be done for the glory of God, does that include putting on a shirt? I think so. I admit that there are times, much to my shame, that I give very little, if any, thought to God when I pick out my clothes. This is why I am writing this post. I want to remind myself of some of the things I learned when my pastor preached on modesty a year ago. If you would like to hear the sermon for yourself, it is on sermon audio.

In our pastor’s sermon, we learned that the way we adorn ourselves is a reflection of the heart. Dressing modestly springs from a heart of humility and a desire to serve others. I understand that some who dress modestly may be motivated by spiritual pride, but that doesn't excuse us from obeying our Lord. As those who follow Jesus, we dress modestly because we are commanded to. We honor God in obeying so I think dressing properly can reflect a love for God and the Gospel. We were challenged to serve our brothers in Christ by dressing modestly. We saw in the sermon that we have the ability to help them in their battle against lust. As fellow soldiers in the battle against sin, we ought to delight in doing whatever we can to help.

The men were pled with to protect their wives and daughters. Protecting them from other men devouring them with their eyes was one thing in particular that was mentioned. A great point! I know that some may be put off by the fact that it seemed to be more about protecting men that have no control over themselves while putting all the blame on us women, but I didn't take it that way. Even if that were true, the first and last sermon in the series will help in understanding that we do need to put others first and serve them. This includes serving brothers in Christ, by dressing modestly. We should desire their good and the good of the church as whole. It was also mentioned that, of course, there are those who will lust anyway. There are those who are looking to see things they ought not see. So let's not give them anything to see!

We must understand that we are in a battle against those that desire our harm and desire to dishonor us as women by looking at things they shouldn't. We cannot do battle by giving them what they want. Ladies, let's battle by dressing in a pure and God honoring way. We need a Christ centered mindset in order to do this. If indeed, we love the One, Jesus, who loved us and gave Himself for us, we want to display His glory, grace, compassion, and holiness in all we say, do, and put on.

On Thursday we will discuss the dangers we put ourselves in, when not dressing modestly.

Remember Them In Prayer

I remember thinking when I was a little girl that I would like to grow up to be a missionary. Although I am not completely convinced that this is not the Lord's plan for me, I do know that it is not His plan for me now. However, as we are continually reminded at Temple, there are two kinds of Christians: those who are missionaries and those who send missionaries.
Many women are moms who bring little or no actual income into their households. Others, like myself, have a small income and are only able to give to missions from this amount. If you are like me, often times you have felt like you wish you could do more for the people who devote their lives to spreading the Good News of salvation to the world. Let me encourage you through the reminder that prayer is a powerful tool.
I may not be able to get on a plane tomorrow and fly to Cameroon to share Christ with unbelievers, but I can actively lift up in prayer those who have. I may not be able to give large sums of money to believers working in Myanmar, but I can richly bless them through my continuous prayers. Psalm 6:9 "The LORD has heard my supplication, the LORD receives my prayer."
With this in mind, please be in prayer this week for the people in Burma. They are now estimating that the deaths from the cyclone earlier this month are close to 100,000. This number will go much higher if survivors are not able to receive adequate and timely prayer.
Also, keep in mind the people of Myanmar, who are still receiving little aid. Government officials are refusing any foreign aid to come to the survivors of the cyclone and these deaths are now estimated to be over 28,000.
Keep these people's physical needs in your prayers along with their spiritual needs. Pray for believers who are present, that they would be bright lights amid all the darkness and that the Lord would use them powerfully to spread the gospel.

Moms, mom, and a mother…

In honor of Mother’s Day, I would like to share some heartfelt memories and appreciations of some of the moms in my life as well as some of my own joys of motherhood.



I'll start with my memories…

Firstly, my mom (Susan) came to Christ about 6-7 years ago and ever since she is always trying to focus her mind all the more on Christ. She is currently living with my family. She loves to help us through encouragement, generosity, supporting us as parents, and especially through prayer, prayer, and more prayer. She is a huge blessing to me.


Secondly, my mom-in-law is my friend and a really fun person to be with. Ruth has loved me like a mom ever since I married her youngest son. She welcomed me with open arms into her life and heart. She is spunky and we laugh a lot together… especially at scrapbooking weekend getaways!


Thirdly, my step-mom Becky… we’ve had some hard times, but I remember how special she made me feel at an awkward age. I was 13 years old and had just started menstrating for the first time. As the youngest of 4 girls (plus 1 older brother), I was sort of overlooked in this new “adventure”. Becky said that since I was now a woman she would take me for a day of woman pampering. We went to the local cosmetology college and got our hair cut and styled, a facial and a manicure… because we were “women!” I always smile when I think of that great day we had together and her kindness in making a curse into a blessing for a day!


Lastly, my foster mom… Sherry. She was warm and stable when my life seemed to be in much upheaval. She affectionately called me Sue-Sue. I remember how she always sang so beautifully. She died a few years back and was very lovingly remembered by all who knew her.


I'll finish with my own joys of motherhood....

Now that I’m a mom of 3 boys, I can better appreciate the care and love that was shown to me by my “moms”. However, I have to say that I think it’s easier to for me to be a mom than it was for me to be a kid. The biggest difference is that I didn’t have Jesus when I was a kid, but now I do, so life is filled with joys that even childhood couldn’t begin to compare with. I have such joy in knowing Jesus and telling my boys about Him. I have such joy in seeing God at work in my home life and my boys’ lives. I am filled with hope for the future as I see God’s word producing fruit in my children’s lives and as my children are used to teach me more about God! I praise God for His Holy Spirit’s guidance of my husband and I in the raising of our boys, as well as for bringing godly men and women to us to teach us about parenting when our oldest was still a baby! Motherhood has been a blessing from God because of how it brings me back to God. I am so thankful to be a mom and for my moms. Happy Mother’s Day Moms!

Meet ..... Betsy

I am Betsy Aldrich. I am 31 years old, though I feel like I’m in my early twenties until I exercise… then I feel much older. I am blessed to be a part of this group of ladies because I see very clearly God’s hand of grace working in each of their lives and in mine as well. The more time I spend with them, the more they inspire me to want to know and love Jesus better. (Plus they're alot of fun!)

As I look back over my wayward decisions of early adulthood, I am so thankful that God didn’t leave me to my own stupidity but rather saved me from my sins, myself and the power of Satan in my life; to live a life filled with joy in knowing and being known by Jesus. All of us, apart from Jesus, were utterly lost, so I won’t go into my story of “lostness” right now (so as to keep this post relatively short), however I will say that being found in Jesus makes me exceedingly glad and fills me with anticipation for what each day holds for me in Christ.

I have been blessed with a wonderful husband (Ryan) for the last 13 ½ years. We have 3 sons who are growing up way too fast: Aidan (13), Aaron (11), and Austin (9). We are ministered to by our family at Temple Baptist Church and endeavor to return the favor as well. We love to laugh, talk, play games, read good books, watch fun movies, and spend time with others. We have been through some hard times and have witnessed the faithfulness of God to hold us and bear us through for His glory and our good.

As I look at my life as a whole, I can only say that it is rich and full because of Jesus’ work in it. Praise be to God! I hope to be used by God to encourage some ladies and maybe even help them to experience some of the joy that we can have daily through Jesus as we follow Him and He touches our lives.

This Age

In But not Of

The fact that you’re reading this blog and I wrote it for you to read, shows the times and age we live in. It is a stretch for me to be doing this, this is a girl that only until recently began to venture into the blog hemisphere. The extent of my internet surfing encompassed sending e-mails, paying bills, checking out the news, and balancing my bank account. I feel we’re living in the Hellenization (spread of the Greek language, culture, and religion throughout the Middle East and Central Asia.) The spreading of the gospel was made possible across the region because they all spoke the same language. Our common language, in this case, is of course the internet. It is amazing to me how we can use this avenue to reach out literally to people from all over the place, if God is willing. As Christians we are called to live in this world, and not be of this world. The internet has been used, as we all know, in more evil ways than we can imagine, but using it to glorify God and exhorting others to do so, is a privilege I’m blessed to be part of. So I decided to come out of my cave and expand my idea of serving and spreading the gospel.

In the section of our blog called “THIS AGE” you shall see issues of life that this world throws at us or Satan uses to rob the joy and sufficiency in Christ that we feel. We hope to challenge you as well as ourselves in the many areas that pertain to our everyday life which could really include anything from the clothes we wear, to the things we eat, the movies we watch (or not), the music we listen to, and of course the people we vote for to lead this country…

To give a token of what we’re talking about and keeping with the Mother’s motif, I found this thought provoking article in the Kenosha News (April 29, 2008). It was entitled "Sacrifice: An American Virtue on Rebound". While the article argued that Americans are sacrificing more, though they don’t recognize it as that, our government and leaders keep avoiding asking people to sacrifice more. Nevertheless, government data shows that people are volunteering at historical rates and that whether we’re asked to …”join the military, feed the poor, conserve energy…", the next president is likely to find the most receptive audience since John F Kennedy’s “ask not” address…”. He goes on to quote people about what they think of the sacrifices they’ve made; one says “I think there’s something in each of us which wants to make things better for other people….I get more out of this than what I give—by a longshot.” That sums up the article, it starts with man and it ends with man—no thought of God and that is how the world works.

What in the world does this have to do with Moms you may ask yourself? Motherhood comes with a great deal of sacrifice. Physical sacrifices are the name of the game, just ask a new mom. Our bodies change never to be the same again, sleeping eight hours straight is a thing of the past, and the list goes on. But more than that, moms (myself included) are far too often, willing to sacrifice truth for a lie. In I Samuel 15:22, God tells us what He thinks about sacrifices “…to obey is better than sacrifice..”. Too often, we buy into the lies of this world that define what we should be doing, for the sake of gratifying ourselves. It may be a shopping spree, a makeover, or giving all our time and energy to our jobs, when our time should be spent at home caring, teaching, and correcting our children. While I was writing this piece, I had a deadline and was trying to meet it, but this time my kids kept needing me to break up “selfish fights”, refill their sippy cups yet again, and to make things worse; my littlest got behind the computer desk and turned off the computer. Yeah, I lost most of my article. I disciplined him, but then I realized that my job was to care for these guys first and if God wanted me to do this blog, He would have to provide a way for me to do it. And He did.

There are a million ways we can sacrifice our God given role and responsibilities in the name of a “good cause”, but as I was reminded: to obey is far more honoring to God than to make sacrifices…. Let me ask you Moms, what sacrifices are you making today that are keeping you from obeying God first?

Meet...Esme

My name is Esme (short for Esmeralda) Randle and I’m from the South…Mexico. I was born and raised there until I was 15 years old. I’ve lived in the States as long as I lived in my native country (so you do the math). As I look back, I can see how the Lord not only brought me here but prepared me to hear and receive the gospel. The Lord used many faithful Christian people to convict me that my sin separated me from God and ultimately believed that Jesus is Lord and that He paid for my sin on the Cross. My husband (Jon) was one of those faithful Christians God put into my path to show me “the Way...”. We got married shortly after I became a believer. Eight years of marriage and four boys (all 4 years and under) later, I still marvel at the mighty hand of God in my life. He has blessed us with a very sound church (Temple Baptist) where we’ve been blessed to serve for the past six years. We love our church family and we pray that the Lord will continue to grow us and mature us in our faith.

My husband and I are quite different in character, but, as he says, “that’s what keeps it interesting…”. Nothing has brought our differences to light more than raising our four sons. But when my patience is lacking and my strength is low, his grace and sense of humor help me to get through unproductive days or when illness strikes our home. So I guess our differences more often than not bring us together and it is only by God’s grace that we can become one.

I follow politics (and yes, my husband could not care less!) probably as much as many people follow their favorite sport. I like to keep informed even though I have to weed through all that they throw at us.

That's it for me now…us girls also have different personalities and interests and it will show as we write. Hopefully you will come along with us as we grow in our lives and delight in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Witty Wednesday

Welcome to Witty Wednesday! Every Wednesday we will try to post something to make you laugh. Enjoy!

Esme found this video on YouTube and she, Jasmine, and I almost fell off our chairs we were laughing so hard. We hope that you enjoy it too!

A Tribute to My Mom

I am truly thankful for my mom. She is the toughest person I know. I have watched her endure many God ordained trials where she has suffered much heartache. With humble dependence on God, she has always come through these times, a bit sweeter and more dignified. My mom, Shelly Smith, was truly the glue that held the family together while we were growing up. She raised 5 children and we're all still alive, which is really saying something! LOL

I am especially grateful for the fact that my mom preached the gospel to us everyday. I could fill page after page with what my mom did for me during my childhood. Her influence and care hasn't stopped; it continued to this day.

My mom plays a very integral role in my daily life. This woman loves me despite the fact that she now has to put up with me on a daily basis as an adult rather than a kid under her authority. She now helps me take care of my own family! She has often sacrificed her own comforts and desires in order to care for my children, giving me opportunities to minister and be ministered to in ways that would otherwise be impossible. Her ministry to me and my husband Rick is immeasurable.

My mom lives a life of service. It's not just what she does, it's who she is! Jesus did not come to be served but to serve! She follows Jesus, therefore she serves! She serves her parents, by taking them to appointments and picking up prescriptions; this woman even runs errands last minute for a daughter (such as myself) who forgets to take a meal over to someone! She tries to always do what is most beneficial for the whole family rather than what is most convenient for her. Lord willing I too will be like this someday.

Mom, I am glad you are a part of our daily lives. I am thankful for the influence that you have and how good you treat my kids. I hope my life is an honor to you and I hope my children's lives will be an honor to you. Mom, your life has far more influence than you know. I love you, thank you for everything.

Meet ...Jasmine

My name is Jasmine Aldrich. I am 29 years old... almost! Still a year shy of 30 for your information, Betsy. Jesus loves me and gave Himself for me, a wicked useless sinner; therefore, I love Him, and I desire the grace to love Him more.

It is a great joy to be the mommy of four cool little kids ages seven and under; three rambunctious little boys who love to wrestle and be very loud and a little girl who reads all the time and whose idea of excitement is a trip to the library.

I am married to a wonderful man (Rick) whose passion for Jesus and His body (the church) inspires me everyday and increases my affection for him. We have the joy of serving alongside our brothers and sisters at Temple Baptist Church and being served by them. They mean more to us than we can express and have aided us in our walk with the Lord in ways we cannot measure.

Rick and I enjoy reading...he always seems to know what I need to read next! We are big Milwaukee Brewers fans, go Brew Crew! Whenever possible we enjoy listening to the game on the internet and I aim to go to a game this year, Lord willing.

I am delighted to be part of this blog. Betsy, Nichole, and Esme are very dear to me, and they have to put up with me more than anyone else.... yet they are allowing me to blog with them! I am looking forward to learning what God is doing in their lives and sharing in their joy as we do this together. As you read this blog, my hope is that you will see our delight in Jesus and our enjoyment of life and each other because of Him.

Characteristics of a Mom

Good Morning! The girls and I decided to start our blog out with a series on motherhood. We thought it appropriate with Mother’s Day right around the corner. Since I am the only member of our group not a mother, I opted to write my blog on three important characteristics of mothers as taught in Scripture. There are many others, but in interest of time I will only deal with the three I personally consider to be most important.

First, Jesus taught that the most important command in all the Bible was to “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your mind and with all your strength.” It is important that mothers love the Lord most – even more than they love their children. This love needs to be evident to others. I can remember, as a little girl, watching as my mom asked my younger sister, “Who do you love most?” “You!” my sister cried, wrapping her chubby arms around my mother’s neck. “I love you too,” my mom whispered, hugging her back, “But I love God most, and so should you.” This was an everyday occurrence growing up. My mom didn’t just talk to us about God, but she daily lived out this love in front of her children and I cannot speak to the value this has been to us.

Second, mothers should faithfully preach the gospel to their children. I am reminded of Timothy, whose mother and grandmother were faithful to preach to him the Word of God as he was growing up and the impact that this had on him. Never underestimate the power of Scripture on your children’s lives. One of my favorite stories to tell mothers as they become discouraged is the story of John Newton, author of the famous hymn Amazing Grace. As an adult, Newton worked on a boat as a slave trader. His job was to kidnap people and bring them to different countries to be sold as slaves. As a young man, he was very proud of the sins that he had committed. He even used to brag that there was no sin that he had not committed. For entertainment, his shipmates used to sit around and try to think of sins that he hadn’t yet committed and if one was ever found, Newton set out to do it at the earliest possible time. One day there was a terrible storm while they were at sea. It was so terrible that all on board, including Newton, despaired for their lives. In the midst of his terror, Newton suddenly remembered verses that his mother had taught him as a young boy. As the waves crashed against the boat, Newton repented of his sins and turned to Jesus as his Savior. Later, remembering his salvation, Newton wrote Amazing Grace. Mothers, never be discouraged when you are teaching your children. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

Lastly I would like to say that it is important to delight in your children and not to look at them as a burden. The Bible declares that children are a gift from God and it is important that mothers treat their children as though this verse is true. After God and her husband, there is nothing in this world that my mom loves more than her children. I have absolute confidence that she would die for any one of us without a moment’s hesitation. This has been such a huge blessing in my own life and I cannot imagine life without it. If the rest of the children in the world are anything like me, then they are rarely very easy to live with, making a mother’s love a true blessing.

My own mother has excelled in all three of these areas. I love her so much and she has had a hugely positive impact on my life. I can only urge you to love the Lord, faithfully preach the gospel to your children, and delight in your children. As they grow up, they truly will “rise up and bless [their mother]” as I have.

Meet......Nichole

My name is Nichole Henry. I am 21 years old, daughter of Matt and Kim Henry and older sister to Rebekah , Lydia , and Matt.

I love to read (a lot) and enjoy watching good movies, playing board games, and hanging out with friends. I am currently going to school to get a degree in finance and working as a deli supervisor.

I am also a member at Temple Baptist Church and I love to serve there with my brothers and sisters in Christ and have the joy of being ministered to. I like to work with younger kids and spend quite a lot of time doing this.

I am excited to be part of this blog partly because I will have more opportunities to hang out with my friends Jasmine, Esme, and Betsy. However, I am mostly looking forward to seeing how the Lord will use this blog for His glory. None of this would be possible without His saving faith that He graciously gave to us and His Holy Spirit, which continues to grow us more and more like Him each day. I still have quite a ways to go yet. My prayer is that this blog will help Jasmine, Esme, Betsy, and I to do better what we have already been doing: daily preaching Christ and His gospel to each other and to others.