Hospitality Helps

This week in my Essentials of Christianity class for the Seminary Wives Institute at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary we learned about hospitality. Mrs. Mohler taught our class and it was such a blessing. Here's some highlights from the class.

Some Key Verses Regarding Hospitality:

Romans 12:13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

1 Peter 4:9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.

Hebrews 6:10 For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love that you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do.

Colossians 3:23-24 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.


1. Hospitality is the unselfish desire to meet the needs of others. (Dr. Dorothy Patterson)
2. True hospitality comes before pride, it has nothing to do with impressing and everything to do with making people feel welcome and wanted. (Mains)
3. Hospitality is not merely an interest or a talent but a gift of the Holy Spirit and thus a supernatural ministry as well as a command to all believers that can be used of God above and beyond what we can even imagine.
4. Hospitality is found in the dictionary between "hospice" (shelter) and "hospital" (healing).

It is NOT:
1. An option- Christians are commanded to practice it.
2. Synonymous with entertaining:

• Entertaining is more concerned with things and not people.
• Entertaining has a motive to impress whereas hospitality seeks to provide comfort and edification.
• Entertaining tends to major on secular functions and minor on a genuine desire to serve.

Basics of Planning an Event:
1. Pray.
2. Brainstorm on paper using a form that works for you.
3. Do a recipe search.
4. Do as much as you can in advance.
5. Enjoy yourself as you practice the true art of hospitality.
6. Keep good records.

I hope that this information helps us all to better honor God by serving both His children and people we desire to witness to, through the discipline of hospitality.

Blogs I Like - Part 2

Life Hacker

This is a very cool blog; in fact, it is too cool for me. They update many times a day with posts ranging over a myriad of topics all with one goal: to make life easier (hence "lifehacker"). This blog has something that appeals to everyone. I usually skip over the computer/software posts as they are usually way over my head. But if you watch, you can learn neat ways to make Gmail perform better and Facebook do things you didn't even know were possible.
I really enjoy the posts on more general topics. The other day they had a really good one on managing finances. Other favorites include: how to order at a five star restaurant, how to hide money so a burglar won't find it, and how to use vinegar to give your towels their life back.
This blog is extremely practical and I've learned so many little tricks to save time and money every day. There is no way you can keep up with every post; it would be a full time job in of itself. They help you with that, though, by giving the title of each post a 'tag' that identifies what kind of topic the post is. You can quickly identify which tags you are interested in and only pay attention to those. My favorite tag is the 'tip jar' which is just a series of tips that didn't really deserve a full post but were too good to discard completely. I definitely recommend that you check this blog once or twice a day; the posts are short and you can see in just seconds if they have updated something you are interested in.

Tim Challies
Tim Challies lives in Canada with his wife and children and works as a web designer. He is also one of the top Christian bloggers in the world. I like Challies' blog in part because it is very organized. His topics are always good and his posts, while sometimes on the long side, are well written, thought out, and biblical. I enjoy his 'A La Carte' posts where he links to interesting articles that he found throughout the day. He also does a 'Free Stuff Fridays' post where he gives you tips on where to find...well, free stuff. :)
Another feature of his blog that I enjoy are his 'Reading the Classics Together' series. Challies take a classic book (the most recent of which was 'Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment' by Jeremiah Burrows) and doe a book study with his readers. We read a chapter a week and then he will write a post with his thoughts and observations on the chapter and the readers discuss in the comments.

CJ Mahyne's View from the Cheap Seats
CJ Mahyne doesn't update his blog very often but his posts are always worth reading. He does a lot of series. Recently he has also been doing a lot of interviews with some of the big names in the Christian world and he just finished up an awesome series on Adoption. He also just brought on two other pastors from Sovereign Grace to write with him.

Witty Wednesday

Happy Wednesday Ladies! Karen asked me to post this week's Witty Wednesday since she is in the hospital for the next few days. Please remember to keep her in prayer during this time - that the Lord would see fit to heal her quickly but even more so that she would react to this trial in such a way that His Name would be glorified.



Delegates from the original thirteen states formed the Contented Congress. Thomas Jefferson, A Virgin, and Benjamin Franklin were two singers of the Declaration of Independence. Franklin had gone to Boston carrying all his clothes in his pocket and a loaf of bread under each arm. He invented electricity by rubbing cats backwards and declared, "A horse divided against itself cannot stand". Franklin died in 1790 and is still dead.

George Washington married Martha Curtis and in due time became the Father of Our Country. Then the Constitution of the United States was adopted to secure domestic hostility. Under the Constitution the people enjoyed the right to keep bare arms.

Is Your Home an Attractive Place To Be?

"The most powerful way to keep your child from being attracted by the offers of camaraderie with the wicked is to make home an attractive place to be. Young people do not run from places where they are loved and know unconditional acceptance. They do not run away from homes where there are solid relationships. They do not run from homes in which the family is planning activities and doing exciting things." -Tedd Tripp (Shepherding a Child's Heart)

As a mom with 5 kids this is something that stands out to me. I'd like to hear what people think about this. Do you agree or disagree with Mr. Tripp? Why or why not?

I would love for some of you to share stories about your families. How did you parents strengthen the trust and love in your family? Was home a place of peace, where you knew you were loved and accepted? For those who grew up in christian homes, was the gospel central in the home? How clear was that to you and why was it, if was? Why not, if it wasn't?

Would you mind sharing any fond memories you have just to testify of God's goodness? Believing family or not.

Thank you!

God will always be near

 

 

I read a quote from Mother Theresa that really spoke to me.   She said: God will never, never, never let us down if we have faith and put our trust in Him.  He will always look after us.  So we must cleave to Jesus.  Our whole life must simply be woven into Jesus.    I am so thankful that God promises to take care of His children.  This was always an area in my life that I struggled with and sometimes still do.  But, I am trying to keep my eyes on the Lord and put my trust in Him.  With everything around me in chaos, I can rest in the Lord and have peace in my heart.   God is always faithful, even if we are unfaithful.  He loves us and He will always be there working in our lives even if our minds are far from Him during a trial of some kind.  I remember being in the hospital after one of my leg surgeries and I was hurting so much I didn't think I could take it anymore, but I knew in my heart that He was watching over me and would take care of me.  I tried to pray but, at that point I was unable to.  God really helped me to feel His presence during that time and gave me comfort.    God is so good!

Your Redeemer

I am so thankful. I have been reading through Isaiah lately and it just blesses me every time! I see God calling Himself "your Redeemer" and showering his love and mercy and promises upon the people of Israel. He speaks so tenderly to them and yet reminds them that He is good to them because of His own choice and His own purposes. He is so personal in Isaiah. Plus, you see so many references to the future work of Jesus and it just fills my mind with the Gospel and reminds me of how/why it really is such good news. I think that in Isaiah God reveals Himself and His heart in such a real way, an understandable way. You really feel the nearness of God in this book. So today, I am going to share a passage from Isaiah that is just one of many that are so fantastic and helpful in warming my (too often) cold heart towards worship of our great God and Savior.

Isaiah 44:21-24

"Remember these things, O Jacob, And Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant, O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me. "I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud And your sins like a heavy mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you."

Shout for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done it! Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth; Break forth into a shout of joy, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it; For the LORD has redeemed Jacob And in Israel He shows forth His glory.

Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, "I, the LORD, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself And spreading out the earth all alone,

Blogs I Like Part 1 - My 3 Favorites

Happy Thursday Ladies! Today I am kicking off a four part series devoted to sharing with you the blogs I read on a consistent basis. These blogs are all worth visiting and I have personally learned a lot from each and every one of them.

The Blazing Center
The Blazing Center is my favorite blog. Hands down. It is co-authored by Mark and Stephen Altrogge. This blog rarely features series, but rather focuses on new topics every day. The blogs are never very long and are written succinctly. Their topics are always practical and biblical and it's easy to incorporate what was discussed into your day (and, hopefully, in the days after that!) I really enjoy the way they write, the examples they use, and the topics they discuss. I never miss a post!

Big Picture
This is a really cool website. Photographers travel the world and take...well...pictures :) Each picture is captioned with a line or two with some interesting information about the photo you are viewing. Themes range from "Recent Hindu Festivals" to "Remembering September 11" to China prepares for its 60th Anniversary" to "Afghanistan, September 2009." They document important global events such as the Olympics, presidential elections, wars, natural disasters, trips to space, etc. The pictures are fabulous. I get really excited whenever I see the Big Picture has been updated and highly recommend you checking it out!

Desiring God Blog
The Desiring God blog is kind of a given for a favorite. John Piper, along with others from Bethlehem Baptist, contribute to the writing of this blog. In addition to typical posts (which are always God centered and written to convict or encourage), they provide updates of what is going on in their ministry. This includes finding out about new books, good deals, new translations of the Bible, sermon series, conferences, and more. It is definitely a blog I follow daily.

Witty Wednesday

Hi everyone!!! I hope you are having a good week. Here are some more student bloopers. There are two really crazy ones for today!! Enjoy!!



During the Renaissance America began. Christopher Columbus was a great navigator who discovered America while cursing about the Atlantic. His ships were called the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Fe. Later, the Pilgrims crossed the Ocean, and this was known as Pilgrims Progress. When they landed at Plymouth Rock, they were greeted by the Indians, who came down the hill rolling their war hoops before them. The Indian squabs carried porpoises on their back. Many of the Indian heroes were killed, along with their cabooses, which proved very fatal to them. The winter of 1620 was a hard one for the settlers. Many people died and many babies were born. Captain John Smith wa responsible for all of this.



One of the causes of the Revolutionary Wars was the English put tacks in their tea. Also, the colonists would send their parcels through the post without stamps. During the War, the Red Coats and Paul Revere was throwing balls over stone walls. The dogs were barking and the peacocks crowing. Finally, the colonists won the War and no longer had to pay for taxis.

Where is your treasure?

As American Christians we are all having to continually fight against the "world" and its "toys".  Many times in our culture we see others with more or better "toys" than we have, such as a fancy sports car or a huge beautiful home.  To us, those with the best "toys" are the most well-to-do and successful.  However, 1 Corinthians 4:7 tells us that everything we have is from God, not luck or anything we have done for ourselves.

 

The verse goes like this: ..."What do you have that you did not receive?  And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?"  It is true that hard, diligent work has its rewards.  The Proverbs say over and over not to be a "sluggard".  But when a person denies that what they have has been given is from the Lord, they often times tend to brag about what they have.  They think that they earned it all by themselves.  I think this is wrong.  For me, I believe that everything I have has been given to me by God and that they are His blessings upon me that I in no way deserve.  If I have a roof over my head, I need to thank the Lord for it.  Maybe the roof isn't as nice looking or expensive as others but never the less, it is what God has given to supply for my needs at this time.  It would be very wrong of me to say to God that His provision isn't good enough. 

 

It does seem sometimes that those who are unbelievers get all of the best "things" and don't have as many problems as believers do.  When I think that way, I need to remind myself that when it is all said and done, unbelievers will spend eternity in Hell.  Their good times will be past and eternity is a long, long time.  They bought into the lie that life on earth is all that really matters.  Their motto is "eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die"

 

Believers on the other hand, may not have the best of everything on earth but we will spend eternity with God.  We will be eternally happy and Heaven promises to be gloriously beautiful!  On earth believers can be content with what the Lord has provided for them and have joy in their hearts.  Believers know that thay are just "passing through" and that life on earth is not the end-all, beat-all of their existence. 

 

Believers can boast about what the Lord has done in their lives and of the hope they have in Jesus.  I know I would rather boast about what God is doing in my life than in "things" that I may accumulate during my life on earth.  Things are just things.  There is a saying that we brought nothing with us and we can take nothing with us.  The Bible says to build up your treasures in Heaven, not where moth and rust destroy. 

 

 

Time Management

I am taking classes for Seminary Wives while we are here at Southern Seminary and one of them is called Essentials 1. This particular class is sort of a smorgasbord of the elements needed to be a godly wife, mother, and "keeper of the home". One of the classes was on “Time Management” recently and boy, did it hit a nerve. In fact I came to that class having come off of a whirlwind week of running around like a chicken with its head cut off. At one point during the class we were supposed to take a few minutes to discuss a helpful tip for managing our time and I told my partner that I didn't have one because I was an awful time manager and needed to be taught everything they were teaching us. My partner happened to have a great one, so I was blessed by her experience and giftedness in this very important area.

Anyways, part of our practical application assignment was to start using a home planner/organizer if we don't already (which we learned how to effectively use during class). I really appreciated Mrs. Mohler's advice for making the home planner truly effective. She said,"...for an organization notebook to work for you and your family, you have to do two things: First you have to write in it and store information in it... and second you have to look at it (in order to process and act upon that information). If you don't do those two things, it will never work." I thought that was very practical and truthful advice. So now I own a lovely, red, size 4 organizer that I both write in and read. I must be doing it right! (Right?)

Here are some helpful things that a home organizer can be used for:

· Keep a family calendar in which you have all of the appointments/commitments of everyone in your household.

· Keep a daily record of your own general schedule/appointments/deadlines, etc.

· Keep a record of phone numbers of friends, family, acquaintances from church, etc. (goodbye old church directories!)

· Keep a copy of your budget in it

· Keep receipts to track your spending

· Keep an ongoing “to-do” list of things that are necessary but don’t necessarily have a pressing deadline. Ie: buy birthday gifts, sign up kids for soccer, etc.

· Keep a homeschooling schedule/ goal sheet in it

· Keep a verse memorization goal sheet/plan in it so that you can stay on track with your memorization.

· Keep a list of upcoming birthdays, anniversaries, etc.

· Keep gift receipts in it.

· Keep homeschooling schedules in it.

· Keep monthly meal schedules in it.

· Keep personal goal sheets in it ie. For exercise/diet, or book reading, or bible study, etc.

· Keep home-improvement planning sheets in it.

· Keep Monthly/ Yearly chore sheets in it. (for those seasonal or infrequent types of housework that need to get done, eventually.

There are so many awesome ways to benefit from using a home organizer notebook. Can you think of other things that it can be useful for?

For those of you who would like to have one, but don’t want to go out and buy one; you can do a search online and find lots of good free materials for it. I know that I (and hopefully my family) will be better off for having learned so much about time management.

The Courage to Pray - Part 2

Last week I posted The Courage to Pray - Part 1 where I discussed the main reason that I have the courage to pray. I wrote this in response to a post by Mark Altrogge on the blog that he and his brother, Stephen, write, The Blazing Center. Take a moment and review their post here.

In his post, Mark addresses several promises of god and the impact that the belief in these promises has on his prayer life. He refers to a huge truth about prayer that I think many people tend not to think about.

How often do you pray for your aunt's health or for the neighbor kid's broken leg or for your Grandmother's cancer? Have you ever wondered how God would answer? It's hard because the Bible doesn't speak to cancer or broken legs. So you bring your requests to God knowing that He will hear you but not how He will answer. May I venture to suggest something better?

Search the Bible for promises and commands of God and then pray that these would come about in your life and in the lives of your friends and family and in the lives of unbelievers. When you are doing this, you are asking for something that is within the will of God; you are asking for something that God has already willed to happen. God commands that believers love one another. So pray that God would cause love for others to grow in your heart. He has commanded you to love so you can have absolute confidence that when you ask for love He will give it to you, because it is His will that you love!

God promises that He will provide for all of our needs, so never be afraid to ask Him to. Quote Him His word as you do so. "Father, you say in Philippians 4:13 that you will provide for all of my needs. So I am asking that you would and trusting that you will. You are a faithful God and I have never been without something that I need and I thank You for this and ask that you will continue to honor your promise and provide for me, for I know that all I have is from You." This is a powerful prayer.

How about this one: you want to be able to stand before God one day and hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant." You want to be found faithful. You have read Philippians 1 and so you pray to God, "Father, I want to stand before you "sincere and blameless" one day. I know that it is not in my power to do so. So I am asking you that you would cause my love to grow. And that it would grow, not just in a vague way, but in a very purposeful one. I ask that my love would grow in the knowledge of the Scriptures. I ask that my love would grow in the knowledge of You. I ask that my love would grow in the knowledge of the gospel. Father, more than this, I ask that You give me discernment in that knowledge. Give me the power to use this knowledge skillfully, in such a way that it glorifies you. Teach me to approve of what is excellent rather than what is sinful. Teach me to approve of and love that which is from you and not to waste my time in the trivialities of this world." Again, you can know with absolute confidence that God will hear this prayer and give you what you are asking.

So the next time you go to prayer for Grandma's cancer or for the neighbor kid's broken leg, lift up their physical needs. But don't stop there: lift up their soul's needs. And know, that while Grandma's cancer may never go away, ever prayer asked in accordance with the will of God will be answered the way that you wanted it to.

Jesus' sacrifice gives us the ability to go before God as a child. Sisters, we do not take advantage of this awesome privilege as we ought. Come to God mindful of the blood of Christ that you are covered in and delight the Father by asking for the things that He desires us to have. Your prayers will have found new power.

Witty Wednesday

Happy Wednesday!!! Here are some more student bloopers... enjoy!



The government of England was a limited mockery. Henry VII found walking difficult because he had an abbess on his knee. Queen Elizabeth was the "Virgin Queen." As a queen she was a success. When Elizbeth exposed herself before her troops, they all shouted "hurrah". Then her navy went out and defeated the Spanish Armadillo.



The greatest writer of the Renaissance was William Shakespear. Shakespear never made much money and is famous only because of his plays. He lived at Windsor with his merry wives, writing tragedies, comedies, and errors. In one of Shakespear's famous plays, Hamlet rations out his situation by relieving himself in a long soliloquy. In another, Lady Macbeth tries to convince Macbeth to kill the King by attacking his manhood. Romeo and Juliet are an example of a heroic couplet. Writing at the same time as Shakespear was Miguel Cervantes. He wrote "Donkey Hole". The next great author was John Milton. Milton wrote "Paradise Lost". Then his wife died and he wrote "Paradise Regained".

A Courtship to Remember

Okay so..... I get a little reflective and sappy about this time every year. October 9th was my 10th wedding anniversary. Whenever this day approaches I cannot help but think back on how God brought us together and all His goodness in giving me the best husband for me! Rick is a far better husband/lover/friend/shepherd, then I could have picked out for myself.

When Rick started pursuing me almost 11 years ago, it was a complete surprise to me! It wasn't something I expected or had even crossed my mind. Frankly, I had never really given "Mr. Aldrich" (as I was still calling him at the time) a thought. I remembered that he had been my Sunday School teacher when I was in 5th or 6th grade. I knew he was one of my Elder's and a trustworthy man, and I knew his family because at the time all of them were at the church.
But, honestly that was the extent of my thoughts about him. I had been counseled to talk to him about financial stuff, like establishing credit and such, but hadn't gotten around to it yet when.......

My sister told me one night when I got home from work ( I think) that Rick Aldrich had taken my mom out for dessert. We were freaking out! We thought that we must have done something wrong, or else why would one of the Elder's be wanting to meet with my mom? (teehee, secretly I thought my sister had done something wrong! :-0)

Well, that night when I was brushing my teeth in the bathroom, my mom came in and told me Rick took her out to ask if he could court me. WHAT? That is not what I expected, and honestly my first response was immature ( I was 19, show me grace). I said, " Isn't he like 40?!) I don't remember what she said, but really something along the lines of "no"! ( he was 31)

But to my surprise I really wasn't freaked out about it, or adverse in my mind. I honestly felt calm and said "okay".
After that he began pursuing me. He was clear with me from the beginning about what he wanted. He assured me that his mind was already made up about me so I had nothing to prove to him, in fact, he laid the burden of the relationship completely on himself. Something which I greatly appreciated and yet, in my youth and immaturity did not quite understand. I still had fears of rejection and really tried in some ways to pretend like it was just a get to know you kind of relationship.

I did believe a few things going into the relationship that caused me to desire it. I figured, if he can shepherd a church he ought to be able to shepherd a family. I also trusted him and believed him to have honorable character. This trust caused me to be willing to enter into this relationship.

As he pursued me I got to see things I didn't know about him. Such as, his quick wit and great sense of humor. I had perceived him as a totally serious all the time kind of guy. But, I actually enjoyed his company. He was thoughtful and not afraid to talk about our Savior with me, and about his plans, and how he saw our relationship heading. Ladies, he talked about marriage from the very beginning and even told me to tell him when I was ready!

I remember him asking me how many children I wanted and telling him 10! That didn't scare him off and that is saying something!

My respect for him was growing by leaps and bounds as we talked and spent time together with our family and friends. A man I had given very little thought of was now becoming someone I admired and felt tenderness toward. I admit I still had reservations about our age difference of almost 12 years, but those concerns were fading. I kept telling myself that he would see all my immaturities and faults and be done, but that did not happen. I was amazed that this man who loved our Lord, cared deeply for His people,and was mature in his thinking was interested in me... not just to have a good time but for marriage!

Then it happened. It was about 5 months after our courtship began and he decided it was time! He realized I wasn't going to just tell him I was ready to get married, so he told me! That's right, he told me I was ready and 3 months after that we were married!

I have not been disappointed. He has proven to be a faithful shepherd not just to the church, but to our family. I have seen his passion for the savior grow and he has helped me to grow. He has been used by God to grow me as a disciple of Jesus and become who I am 10 years later. I have a long way to grow and I am glad he is the man washing me in the word.

We have 5 children and I am not saying we will never have 10, but I have changed my ideas about actually bearing and giving birth to 10 children! :-)

Ten years may not seem like much to some, but it has been a blessed and beautiful ten years filled with highs and lows. This past year has been a bit rougher then the previous 9 with many changes and having to watch my beloved being yo-yoed around and just trying to keep up with the craziness, but now more then ever I am growing in my affection and respect for him. His compassion and kindness are unwavering. He has shown great steadfastness and delight in the Lord. Our God has graciously been providing for us abundantly beyond what we can ask or think and we have seen much to rejoice in. OUr Father has been growing us and stretching us as He has given us this time to just watch Him display His greatness and splendor to us. So I give thanks to my Heavenly Father for this time. And, I give thanks that it is "Mr. Aldrich" that I am sharing this with and growing with.

I am looking forward to growing with and loving the man God gave me for as long as we live. I can't imagine where we will in another 10 years if the Lord tarries and we are still both alive and well, but I can only imagine a stronger and deeper love for each other and I am looking forward to it.

The King is comming soon

 

I have been reading through Phillipians this week and I came across some verses that I find encouraging.    Phillipians 2:9-11 say: " For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on the earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father ."   It is very encouraging for me to know that, in the end, everyone who has ever been created as well as the angels in heaven and the demons in hell will all bow down to Jesus and confess that He is Lord.  It means that when all is said and done, Jesus wins!    At this time in our country, it seems that Satan (the world) is winning.  We no longer are a country who is dependent on God and it seems that many people are offended by Jesus and are working very hard to make Him "go away".  Kids can't sing Christmas carols in school anymore but they can sing praises to Obama.  It appears that any talking about God or Jesus over the radio and TV will soon be taken away by the government.  Will preaching from the pulpit be next on the hit list?    As Pastor Matt has said, we may be coming into a time of persecution for our faith.  If this does occur, I will still speak out for Christ and ask Him for help and strength in dealing with the consequences.  I will also remember these verses and the fact that someday everyone will recognize Jesus and will bow before Him either willingly and blessedly or unwillingly and painfully.   Time is short and so we need to be witnessing for Jesus through word and deed all the more.  Our lives should be lived in a way that brings glory to God and causes others to see the difference in us and want what we have.    Jesus is coming soon!  Are you ready?

Meditations from Isaiah

Isaiah 12:1-6

1 Then you will say on that day, "I will give thanks to You, O LORD; For although You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, And You comfort me.
2 "Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For the LORD GOD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation."
3 Therefore you will joyously draw water From the springs of salvation.
4 And in that day you will say, "Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; Make them remember that His name is exalted."
5 Praise the LORD in song, for He has done excellent things; Let this be known throughout the earth.
6 Cry aloud and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

I was reading this passage this week and meditating on it. What a beautiful reminder that though God does discipline us (for our good) and it isn't pleasant, God will keep us and fill us with the joy of His salvation. It is so good to be one of God's children, the recipients of His excellent greatness!

May God so work in our hearts that we are constantly running back to "draw water from the springs of salvation". May we always trust in His work on our behalf. And may we look to the time when we will worship Him free from the effects of sin!

Here's a song that really lifted up my soul this week at church.

Lion of Judah
Isaiah 11, Revelation 11

You're the Lion of Judah, the Lamb that was slain,
You ascended to heaven and ever more will reign;
At the end of the age when the earth You reclaim,
You will gather the nations before You.
And the eyes of all men will be fixed on the Lamb
Who was crucified,
For with wisdom and mercy and justice You'll reign
At Your Father's side.

And the angels will cry: 'Hail the Lamb
Who was slain for the world, Rule in power.'
And the earth will reply: 'You shall reign
As the King of all kings
And the Lord of all lords.'

There's a shield in our hand and a sword at our side,
There's a fire in our spirits that cannot be denied;
As the Father has told us for these You have died,
For the nations that gather before You.
And the ears of all men need to hear of the Lamb
Who was crucified,
Who descended to hell yet was raised up to reign
At the Father's side.

And the angels will cry: 'Hail the Lamb
Who was slain for the world, Rule in power.'
And the earth will reply: 'You shall reign
As the King of all kings
And the Lord of all lords.'

Copyright © 1993 Daybreak Music Ltd.

The Courage to Pray - Part1

The other day I read a post at my favorite blog, The Blazing Center written by Mark and Stephen Altrogge. The name of this post was The Courage to Pray. In the post, Mark discussed various scriptural reasons that he, as a mere human, had the courage to pray to God, the creator and sustainer of the universe. As usual, it was a well written post and I encourage you to read it. Don't worry, its short; it will only take you a matter of minutes to read.

Although I enjoyed the post, Mark left out the main reason that I personally have the courage to pray. He invited readers to leave comments sharing other reasons but I chose to share with you instead. :)

Have you ever thought of prayer this way? Have you ever decided not to pray because surely God had so many better things He could be doing instead of listening to you? Have you ever prayed in a timid, worried manner because, well, He was God and you are...well, not? I have. Thankfully, I have been well taught and I know that this thinking is at its very root erroneous and based in either an incomplete knowledge of our 'status' as Christians or in an unbelief that this status is real in a practical way. But it can still at times be a struggle.

So why do I have the ability to go to God in prayer and know that he will hear me? Simply put: because of Jesus' death and resurrection. When I was saved I was justified - I was covered in the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ and from that moment on whenever God looks at me, He sees His Son. And God has great love for His Son. I know that when I come in the name of Jesus to approach the throne room of God I will gain immediate access. I will be listened to as a favored child. And I have this all because of the blood of Jesus, because of His work on the cross.

The next time you hear someone end their prayer "In Jesus' Name, Amen" don't view it as a simple catch phrase, the popular way to end a prayer. Instead, take the opportunity to thank God for His salvation and to remember that you truly are going to the Father in the name of the Son.

Next week, Lord willing, I am going to address the specific points of Mark's post and make some observations on them in general.

Witty Wednesday

Hi everyone! Here is this week's Student Bloopers! I hope you get a good laugh!!


In midevil times most of the people were alliterate. The greatest writer of the time was Chaucer, who wrote many poems and verses and also wrote literature. Another tale tells of William Tell, who shot an arrow through an apple while standing on his son's head.



The Renaissance was an age in which more individuals felt the value of their human being, Martin Luther was nailed to the church door at Whittenberg for selling papal indulgences. He died a horrible death, being excommunicated by a bull. It was the painter Donatello's Interest in the female nude that made him the father of the Renaissance. It was an age of great inventions and discoveries. Gutenberg invented the Bible. Sir Walter Raleigh is a historical figure because he invented cigarettes. Another important invention was the circulation of blood. Sir Francis Drake circumcised the world with a 100-foot clipper.

Leaning on the second Bookend

In this book the authors give us two things that are essential to the christian life, they call them bookends. The first book end on which we are to lean all that is our life is: The righteousness of Christ. The second is: The power of the Holy Spirit.

This last chapter in the book deals with leaning our "books" on this second bookend, rather then relying on ourselves and our own abilities. We could just read this book, agree that our existence as followers of Jesus is reliant on the righteousness of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit, and become relaxed about it so as to fall back into shifting our dependence on ourselves - our own abilities, self-righteousness, intelligence, strengths, and will power, and reading this book will have been a vain exercise.

On page 136 it says: ....... we're to see " the immeasurable greatness of His great might" (Eph.1:18-19). We're to see this with the eyes of our hearts in a way that it touches our emotions, motivations, and decision-making. It's seeing a seeing so deep, it shifts our dependence away from our own strength and onto the strength of the Spirit of God.

This chapter gives three focal points for shifting and keeping our dependence on the power of the Holy Spirit.


1. Our desperate weakness:

We must see that we are but dust, our frame is weak.

2. The reliable power of the Holy Spirit:

We are kept by the Spirit till the day of Christ.

1 Thess. 5:23- Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord.

2Cor. 3:18 - And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the image from one degree of glory ro another. For this comes from the Lord who is Spirit.

3. Rejection of self-reliance:

Self-reliance is dangerous. We must reject it!

The gospel is all about what Jesus has done on our behalf and nothing to do with us.

The gospel should humble us. Humility is what will kill self-reliance.

The quote in the book from John Stott really stood out to me as he described the best place to find humility as we battle the great evil of self-reliance:

Nothing in history or in the universe cuts us down to size like the cross. All of us have an inflated view of ourselves... until we have visited a place called Calvary. It is there, at the foot of the cross that we shrink to our true size.

We will lean on the Power of the Holy Spirit if we keep the gospel before us.

Words from an old hymn race through my mind as I think through this chapter.

Near the cross! O Lamb of God, bring it's scenes before me; help me walk from day to day with it's shadow o'er me.
In the cross, in the cross be my glory ever, till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river.

I have enjoyed reading this book and I am thinking I need to read it again someday soon.

I'd love to hear any thoughts that this book provoked for some of you, and perhaps some things that stood out to you in this final chapter.

Thanks for tuning in! May the Lord cause His grace to shine on you and bring you nearer to Him.

For those just tuning in, if you would like to catch up, you can here.

Eternal Security

 

I've been reading through Ephesians during my daily reading time and I am enjoying it very much!

 

Chapter 1:4-8 and verses 11, 13 and 14, mean alot to me.  Verses 4-8 say: He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.  In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.  In Him we have redemptionthrough His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.  Then in verses 11, 13 and 14 it says: In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His Will...  (13) ...after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, (14) who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to thr redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.

 

When I read these words I realize that before God created anything, He had already chosen me to be His for His glory.  And because at this time I wasn't even born yet, it proves that a person can never earn his way to Heaven.  God had already chosen me!!!  I am so grateful that God chose me to be His child.  It is all of Him, and nothing of me.

 

Then in verses 11,13 and 14, God says that I have an inheritance and that I am sealed in Him by the Holy Spirit.  In Bible times, kings used to use hot wax and a metal piece imprinted with his special mark, a signet ring, to imprint documents making them official.  Only he could place his seal on something, unless he gave his signet ring to someone he had authorized to act in his place.  If the king's seal was affixed to anything, it was to be followed without question and even if someone could pry off the wax, there is still a trace of the color of the wax on the document showing that it had been sealed so there would never be a decree that wasn't obeyed.  I have a seal similar to that one.  It is the Holy Spirit---God Himself!!!  So, I can be completely sure that I won't be left behind or sent to the wrong place when I die. 

 

Isn't this great news!!  These thoughts cause me to thank and praise the Lord!!  I'm officially His for all eternity!! 

Waiting for God

A few weeks ago Mrs. Mary Mohler spoke about "waiting" at the Pendergraph's Women Fellowship in September. It was a wonderful and thought provoking speech which I really enjoyed. Since that time God has shown me two examples of the benefits of waiting: a negative example and a positive example.

For the first example, I will give a bit of background. I LOVE it when my husband opens my car door for me. However in the past, my husband generally did not open my car door except on special occasions. The "rule" is: when we go out on a date then my husband opens the car door for me. So needless to say, whenever my husband opens my car door it is something I treasure! Lately, Ryan has been trying to open my car door for me more often. We might be running errands or traveling, etc. and he will jump out of the car and say "I'll get your door", then proceed to run around the car and open the door for me. This is a fairly new occurrence and so we're still working out the kinks.

On one such day, we arrived at our destination and Ry jumped out and said "I'll get your door". But because I wasn't listening carefully to what he had said; I didn't hear him and so opened my own door and got out. I realized my mistake as soon as Ry came around the back of the car and told me that he had intended to get my door (but now I had already gotten out so his efforts were wasted). I was so disappointed! If I had listened carefully to what he had said and just waited for him I would have been so blessed by his gift of opening my door! As soon as it happened I told him what a poignant example that was to me of how often I don't listen carefully for God's leading or wait for Him to work out a situation and as such I plow through my days making a mess of things and missing the blessings that come from waiting for God to act!

The other example is a little sweeter... Yesterday was our 15th anniversary. Ryan had classes all day and I was out running errands. I was right next to a Starbucks and was tempted to stop and get a Double Chocolate Chip Frappaccino (my very favorite drink), but didn't because I had to get to work unpacking boxes at our apartment. I knew what I had to get done and so I figured that I could wait until a more opportune time to get myself a treat. When I got home, I started working on the boxes and stayed busy until Ryan got home from school. When he walked in he had in his hand a Starbucks Grande Double Chocolate Chip Frappaccino which he had picked up for me for our anniversary! The best thing about this is that Ryan strongly dislikes stopping at stores or shopping, so it was a really unexpected and a real sacrifice on his part. For my part, if I had not waited earlier and had gotten myself a DCC Frap, then it would have diminished the blessing of the gift that my husband got me later that evening, not just for me but also for my husband. He would have been disappointed and felt like his gift was not as special.

Both of these instances caused my mind to go back to waiting on God. God never lets you down in the end. He always calls us to wait because He is working out whatever is the best thing for us in our lives and often the lessons which will so bless us and cause us to be like Christ, are the ones that take the most time to develop in our hearts. Praise God for Mrs. Mohler's speech as well as the examples that God showed me in my life.

Why We Were Created

Genesis 1:26a, 27 "Then God said, "Let us make an in our image, in our likeness...So God created man in His own imagine, in the image of God He created him; male and female he created them."

As you read through Genesis one, you see the creation of the world, of day and night, light and darkness, land and water, birds and animals. Finally, on the sixth day you see something new. You see man created. This in of itself is not so radical; God has been creating for the past five days. But with man it is different. Man is created in the image of God.

What does this mean? It does not mean, as I remember thinking as a young child, that we look like God. Instead, it means that we have special 'abilities' that other living things, such as plants or animals, do not. These abilities include having thoughts and emotions and the ability to communicate and make decisions.

So why were we created differently than the animals. Why were we created in the image of God? For one reason: we are called to glorify God. This is not to say that plants and animals do not glorify God - they do. We, however, are created to glorify God in a unique way - by enjoying Him.

Think about this for a minute: we were created with the ability to know God, be entirely satisfied in our knowledge of Him, and spend eternity basking in the joy of our creator's presence. This is how we glorify God!

So today, when you are experiencing trials big or small and you find yourself getting frustrated or discontent, take a minute to pull back and remember your purpose. If you are having trouble finding this joy, stop and reflect on your salvation. Remind yourself of the gospel and thank God for choosing you to be a vessel of mercy rather than wrath.

Things in this world can seem so big, so important, so consuming. Do not let yourselves get caught up in the here and now. Concentrate on your Savior; remind yourself that your time here on earth is to be spent in preparing for an eternity of glorifying God through your enjoyment of Him. And then enjoy Him, for He truly is an awesome Savior, merciful God, and loving Father.