just a season.

Today we dropped my mom off at the train station after two weeks of her being around to help out with Benjamin and the house as I have been recovering from surgery and attempting to take the infamous advice that everyone gives new mothers, “Sleep when the baby sleeps”. The past couple of weeks have been very good ones in terms of recovery. It’s also been really nice to have my mom around in the first place because she is one of my best friends and I miss being closer to home and seeing her more often.

So, now we are on our own for a little while until Carl’s mother comes for a visit… and I’m not really nervous about taking care of two kids and the house {as best as my recovery allows… I’m not going to push anything because at my appointment today, my doctor said everything is healing up perfectly and I certainly don’t want to reverse that}, it’s just that I’m … tired.

Like, really tired.

I’m starting to remember what it’s like to have a newborn in the house {not a bad thing!} and just how exhausted you can be because of it. It can be frustrating when you need rest and can’t always get what you need because you have a baby that wants to nurse every hour.

At times where I have wanted to sit down and cry, I’ve had to remind myself that this is just a season. At some point, the cluster feedings will end. And then, the nursing will end all together. And then, Clara will be busy toddling around and won’t want to be the cuddlebug that she is now. And then, she’ll be big like Benjamin and getting ready to start school…

It’s just a season, and while it’s a frustrating one, it’s a blessing to have someone who depends so entirely on you.

And it sort of reminds me about how the Bible tells us we’re to be like little children… and how dependent we are supposed to be on God, and how we are supposed to rely on Him for everything. and trust Him for everything.

So maybe it’s all a lesson to me about how I need to be more like Clara, and Benjamin, and put all my trust into my Heavenly Father… maybe it’s a lesson to me to try and emulate my Heavenly Father by caring for my children, no matter the things that may frustrate me {because I am certain that there are things I do that probably make God sigh}.

Perspective. I needed that.

Morning Glories : My Savior Cares!

"In God is my salvation and my glory:
the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God."
Psalm 62:7

I have always loved this verse and love to pass it along to friends or family who are going through a hard time. It is a verse that is filled with comfort. You can see here that God is our solace. He is the harbor in the tempest, the calm in the storm. God is immovable and never changing and that makes Him dependable in all situations.

Sometimes we go through life and we may feel lost, but God is the beacon of light guiding us safely to the harbor. But we have to look for Him. We know in Matthew 6 Jesus tells us that we don’t have to worry about the things of this life if we seek after God first and foremost in our lives. When we are dealing with the pain of loss or suffering, God is our rock of strength and He is our refuge.

The greatest way to seek that refuge is within the Holy Scriptures and to come to God in prayer. Let Him speak to you through the Word, and then speak to Him humbly in prayer.

“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
1 Peter 5:7

In your time of trial, God cares for you. Don’t forget that!

Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth or song,
As the burdens press, and the cares distress,
And the way grows weary and long?

Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.

Does Jesus care when my way is dark
With a nameless dread and fear?
As the daylight fades into deep night shades,
Does He care enough to be near?

Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.

Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed
To resist some temptation strong;
When for my deep grief there is no relief,
Though my tears flow all the night long?

Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.

Does Jesus care when I’ve said “goodbye”
To the dearest on earth to me,
And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks—
Is it aught to Him? Does He see?

Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.

Have a blessed day! If you need prayers, please don’t hesitate to let me know. I would be honored to pray for you.

Morning Glories : Renew Your Strength!

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run, and not be weary;
and they shall walk, and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:31

I have always thought this passage to be such an empowering passage. Don’t you think so? It’s a comforting passage in times of trial because we know that no matter what, when we are waiting upon the Lord, we are going to be renewed and strengthened! When we wait upon the Lord, we can soar to greater heights!

And sometimes this renewing doesn’t happen physically. But we can know that spiritually we can be nourished and enriched and strengthened when we do go to God and lean on Him, and give Him our cares! I have had times in my life where I have felt as though I were in the “depths of despair” (to quote Anne of Green Gables), and I admit that sometimes I would let myself get so far gone before remembering that God is always there for me. Sometimes it is hard to remember this when you’re going through so much! It really hasn’t been long since I have learned this lesson – honestly not even a year ago, when I felt like my world was crashing down all around us and there was nobody for us to turn to.

Until I realized that there was! God is always right where He’s always been, and it is up to us to seek Him!

And when we do seek Him… burdens are lifted; our spirits soar! What a blessing! God is so good to us!

I hope your day is beautiful and blessed!

Morning Glories : Children of God

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us,
that we should be called the sons of God:” 1 John 3:1a

Besides my God and my husband, the next person who holds the most affection and adoration in my heart is my child. I am sure everyone who knows me knows this. Benjamin is very precious to me and I do what I can to ensure his safety and health, physically but most importantly spiritually. I rejoice when he rejoices and I feel my heart break when he is torn apart for whatever reason. I hate to discipline him although I know it’s necessary. I do it all because I love him dearly.

Think about all of this in light of the fact that the Father has called us His children. Don’t you think that all that applies for how God cares for us? He takes care of us physically and most importantly spiritually, feeding us by way of His word. Don’t you think He feels our joy and our sorrow? And His discipline, isn’t it difficult for Him, but necessary and out of love?

When you go about your day, do you think about how blessed you are to have a Father who bestows such love upon us and calls us His children? Doesn’t it make our life more meaningful?

It is my prayer that we all will go about our day, remembering that God is our Father and we are His children, and act accordingly. I know that as a kid I wouldn’t do certain things not only because I was taught a certain way by my wonderful parents, but because I didn’t want to bring shame to their name. I didn’t want to behave in a manner that would reflect badly upon them. That is how I believe I should act in light of the Heavenly Father claiming me as His child. I need to act in a manner that reflects positively on the claim that He has laid on my life from the moment I obeyed Him in baptism, rising anew a child of God.

I hope you all have a blessed day!

All My Mistakes

We may not all have a whole lot in common with each other, as in interests and things like that. But there is at least one thing that we all inevitably have in common with one another and that is that we are all human, and we all as humans make mistakes. Even those of us {meaning, myself included} who hate to admit that we make mistakes … I am saying right now that we, I, do. I know you are thinking, duh. We all know that. There is probably not one person who honestly believes that they are never, ever at fault for anything, ever. The Bible even says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” {1 John 1:8}

I’m thinking about me here. You’ll have to excuse me for a moment. But I mean … I have made a lot of mistakes. I mean a lot. I am not proud of any of them, and I have hopefully learned from them {although sometimes the lesson needs to be heard more than once … but like I said, I’m human}. And what … I don’t know  if this is the right word, but what baffles me is how patient God is with me. With me. I’m a mother of a nearly 3-year-old {don’t go gettin' teary-eyed on me, now, Kristen!} and I have a new puppy who pushes my buttons and things get ‘hairy’ around here {especially lately with my brand-new Achilles tendinitis, YAY D:} … and I admit that patience is not always my strong point … okay, hardly ever. But God… God is so patient with me, even when I make the same mistakes over and over and over. Do you know what some of my favorite verses are?

“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” - Romans 5:6-8

While WE {you, me, everyone!} were yet sinners, Christ DIED {not only died, but faced the most excruciatingly painful death known to man!!} for US {the UNGODLY!}. Why? Because He LOVES us.

I feel like you could knock me down with a feather every time I read that passage.

I am soooo not perfect, but because of verses like these, I want to try my hardest. It’s only right, right?

Thank God for second chances!! And third, and fourth, and fifth…

But with that we also have to remember that some day there may not be another chance… “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” Hebrews 9:27; “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” James 4:14

 

I was reminded about this tonight as we watched two very dear friends get remarried – to each other. And I was thinking how powerful forgiveness is, and love, and the desire to reconcile with each other even when the most unthinkable have come between two people. But think about it. Doesn’t God do that every time we sin and then come back to Him in repentance? Amazing.

It just … wow. Amazing.

-----------------------------------------------

And I just wanted, while I have your attention {that is, if} to say that I was featured over at Marli’s blog and I am so humbled by being featured over there! You should definitely check out her blog – she is such a sweet young woman! We don’t know each other very well but I love her dearly and her sweet sister Memory too.

Morning Glories: The Winning Team

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
Matthew 16:33

Life is difficult sometimes. It is heartbreaking to see the state that the world is in, with the perversions that exist. Sometimes it is overwhelming because we Christians have been commissioned to fight that. We’re to go out and spread the good news in a world of bad news and sometimes it is just so overwhelming, especially when the good news is not the popular thing to be spreading in this day and age.

But Christ has given us this gem of hope. “I have overcome the world.” Because of this, we can be of good cheer and we can have peace. Christ has already won the victory, that much is certain. He has vanquished the final enemy: death.

Christ has already told us that He is always with us (Matthew 28:20). God is on our side!

“What shall we then say to these things?
If God be for us, who can be against us?”
Romans 8:31

We can fight! God is with us, Christ is with us, and we know then that we are on the winning team. We have hope, while the enemy has none. We can have peace, while the enemy can have none. Be of good cheer.

I hope you all have a beautiful day and think of ways to be courageous! Remember that God is with you!

Morning Glories: Be Still

“Be still, and know that I am God:”
Psalm 43:10a

There are some times in our life when we can easily lose our heads and our minds in situations. There are times when you feel lost and alone and feel as if you are in the depths of despair. These words from our Heavenly Father should be words that we use to comfort ourselves. “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Find comfort and calm in knowing that God is always in control. Sometimes things happen in our life that we can’t understand and we can’t control and we can’t keep from happening because that’s just how things are sometimes. But know that God is still God, He is still in control, and we can still lean on Him and draw comfort from Him.

Pass it on! If you know someone who is hurting, in any way, pass the words along to them. I hope you will all have a blessed day!

Morning Glories: Seek to be Restored

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.”
Psalm 51:10-12

I can’t read these verses without singing the song in my head. Do you know which song I’m talking about? It’s one of my favorites. I love it. I love these verses because the psalmist perfectly portrays our complete reliance on God, especially in our darker times.

Nobody is perfect. Christ Jesus is the only One who lived on this earth and lived it perfectly. He was in always tempted as we are, yet without sin! {Hebrews 4:15}

We do fall, we all do. {Romans 3:23} And when we do, where do we go? We go to God {at least, we should}. Isn’t it comforting to know that even when we mess up {and we will}, we can always go to God for restoration and renewal.

These verses also really shows us that there is joy in salvation, and that means when we are separated from God, there is no joy. At least no true joy, spiritual joy. It is so nice to have that joy in Christ, such a comfort and a blessing to know that when we are within the flock, we can rest assured that we are protected, cleaned, and can live joyfully and contentedly.

May we always seek to be restored if the situation arises that we need to be! I hope your day is beautiful, and if you encounter storms, I hope that you are safe and protected, and your loved ones as well!

Rest Assured: You Can!

There are some people who are turned off of Christianity because all they hear about are things that they can’t do. A lot of the time, Christians mostly focus on the things that you shouldn’t do – and I am guilty of this as well. A lot of the time I may see something that someone has written, an article or blog post, and repost it because I believe it is something that needs to be read by many people. Ignorance is never an excuse and I never want to be held accountable for something because I didn’t pass the word along to someone when I knew that I could have.

However, I want to take the time right now not to focus on things that you can’t do in your Christian life, but things that you can do.

Maybe you never realized this but Christianity is more about what you can do over what you can’t do, although the two go hand in hand most of the time. The blood of Christ frees us from the bondage of sin and gives us freedom under the law of Christ! Christianity is not supposed to be a burden on us and the law of Christ is not supposed to be grievous {Matthew 11:30; 1 John 5:3}. It’s not so much about what you can’t or shouldn’t do, but what you can and should do.

So what can you do?

Well, for starters, you can cast all your cares upon Christ. As Christians, you have the privilege to carry all of your burdens to Christ and letting Him take care of it for you. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Casting all your care upon Him; for He cares for you.” The way I read that doesn’t just mean that Christ cares about you, but that when you cast your care upon Him, He takes care of it for you. He cares for you so that you don’t have to do it.

By doing so, you can have peace of mind! Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Be careful for nothing could be translated as, “Don’t worry!” – achieved by casting all our cares upon Christ! And then? We can have peace! The peace of God, which surpasses all that we can ever understand will keep our minds and hearts! We can be at peace with whatever we are going through because God grants us this peace when we hand things over to Him. Sometimes it feels like everyone around us has too many worries to count, and wouldn’t it just be nice to be able to not worry? To have a peace of mind for once? Well in Christ, you can!

Also, you can have hope in eternity! Isn’t that what drives us, as Christians? Knowing that in the end, when this life is over and we have won the victory, we still have hope in heaven and in heaven we will be with Christ Jesus our Lord! Those who do not obey God and who do not know His love do not have this hope {Ephesians 2:12}, but as Christians, you do have this hope and it makes all the difference in this life. What makes our trials and temptations bearable? Knowing that “this world is not my home”. We are sojourners in this life, merely here on earth for a time and later we will go home to be with God the Father in eternity, in heaven where Christ is preparing a place for us! “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” {John 14:2-3}

{How can you? I was in the midst of writing this when Amanda posted this wonderful blog post that fits right in with this point. Take the time and go over to her blog to check out what she has to say on the matter!}

What you can do as a Christian is much more important that what you can’t do, though it does not negate the need to obey God’s commandments concerning all things. You can’t do any of the above if you don’t obey, but when you do obey, you can rest assured that you can be blessed.

Christianity is not a religion, it’s a relationship, and when you are in the right relationship with God and with Christ, then you can enjoy the bountiful blessings that can only be found within Christ Jesus our Lord {Ephesians 1:3}.

Morning Glories : Oh Yes, He Cares

"In God is my salvation and my glory:
the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God."
Psalm 62:7

I have always loved this verse and love to pass it along to friends or family who are going through a hard time. It is a verse that is filled with comfort. You can see here that God is our solace. He is the harbor in the tempest, the calm in the storm. God is immovable and never changing and that makes Him dependable in all situations.

Sometimes we go through life and we may feel lost, but God is the beacon of light guiding us safely to the harbor. But we have to look for Him. We know in Matthew 6 Jesus tells us that we don’t have to worry about the things of this life if we seek after God first and foremost in our lives. When we are dealing with the pain of loss or suffering, God is our rock of strength and He is our refuge.

The greatest way to seek that refuge is within the Holy Scriptures and to come to God in prayer. Let Him speak to you through the Word, and then speak to Him humbly in prayer.

“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
1 Peter 5:7

In your time of trial, God cares for you. Don’t forget that!

Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth or song,
As the burdens press, and the cares distress,
And the way grows weary and long?

Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.

Does Jesus care when my way is dark
With a nameless dread and fear?
As the daylight fades into deep night shades,
Does He care enough to be near?

Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.

Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed
To resist some temptation strong;
When for my deep grief there is no relief,
Though my tears flow all the night long?

Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.

Does Jesus care when I’ve said “goodbye”
To the dearest on earth to me,
And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks—
Is it aught to Him? Does He see?

Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.

Have a blessed day! If you need prayers, please don’t hesitate to let me know. I would be honored to pray for you.

Morning Glories : Renew Your Strength!

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:31

I have always thought this passage to be such an empowering passage. Don’t you think so? It’s a comforting passage in times of trial because we know that no matter what, when we are waiting upon the Lord, we are going to be renewed and strengthened! When we wait upon the Lord, we can soar to greater heights!

And sometimes this renewing doesn’t happen physically. But we can know that spiritually we can be nourished and enriched and strengthened when we do go to God and lean on Him, and give Him our cares! I have had times in my life where I have felt as though I were in the “depths of despair” (to quote Anne of Green Gables), and I admit that sometimes I would let myself get so far gone before remembering that God is always there for me. Sometimes it is hard to remember this when you’re going through so much! It really hasn’t been long since I have learned this lesson – honestly not even a year ago, when I felt like my world was crashing down all around us and there was nobody for us to turn to.

Until I realized that there was! God is always right where He’s always been, and it is up to us to seek Him!

And when we do seek Him… burdens are lifted; our spirits soar! What a blessing! God is so good to us!

I hope your day is beautiful and blessed! Don’t forget to pray! {I  need to practice this! Pray that I will make the time to meet my Father in prayer, please!}

Morning Glories : Children of God

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:”
1 John 3:1a

Besides my God and my husband, the next person who holds the most affection and adoration in my heart is my child. I am sure everyone who knows me knows this. Benjamin is very precious to me and I do what I can to ensure his safety and health, physically but most importantly spiritually. I rejoice when he rejoices and I feel my heart break when he is torn apart for whatever reason. I hate to discipline him although I know it’s necessary. I do it all because I love him dearly.

Think about all of this in light of the fact that the Father has called us His children. Don’t you think that all that applies for how God cares for us? He takes care of us physically and most importantly spiritually, feeding us by way of His word. Don’t you think He feels our joy and our sorrow? And His discipline, isn’t it difficult for Him, but necessary and out of love?

When you go about your day, do you think about how blessed you are to have a Father who bestows such love upon us and calls us His children? Doesn’t it make our life more meaningful?

It is my prayer that we all will go about our day, remembering that God is our Father and we are His children, and act accordingly. I know that as a kid I wouldn’t do certain things not only because I was taught a certain way by my wonderful parents, but because I didn’t want to bring shame to their name. I didn’t want to behave in a manner that would reflect badly upon them. That is how I believe I should act in light of the Heavenly Father claiming me as His child. I need to act in a manner that reflects positively on the claim that He has laid on my life from the moment I obeyed Him in baptism, rising anew a child of God.

I hope you all have a blessed day and don’t forget to pray! :}

Morning Glories : Meditate!

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” Psalm 1:1-2

Yesterday’s verse had to do with ‘oh how happy’ is the man, and so does today’s! I had a different verse picked out, one that was stuck in my head all day yesterday, but then I got to thinking about these two verses, mainly because of what verse two says about meditating on the law of the Lord. The reason this really stuck out to me was because yesterday I had a different Psalm stuck in my head and I found myself thinking about it all day and I did find that I was pretty much happy all day long.

These two verses say that the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the ungodly, who doesn’t stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of the scornful is a happy man – because his delight is in the law of the Lord and he meditates on it day and night. I found this to be true with me yesterday! As long as I had my thoughts on scripture, on godly thoughts, on things that really uplifted me… I was happy!

So I will share with you the verse that was ‘stuck’ in my head all day long, which I thought about as I went about my way:

“This is the day that the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

Keep that in your heart today and think about it every chance you get and see if you don’t feel happy. Doesn’t that verse, just reading it, bring a smile to your face? Each and every day that we wake up to is a blessing from God and we should rejoice and be glad in it! We may be dealing with many trials all at once, we may be sick or have sick loved ones, or maybe we just don’t feel like we got enough sleep… maybe we are dealing with money issues or find ourselves without a job, but just think… God has blessed you with another day on this earth. Why not make the best of it while you can? Rejoice. Be glad in it. You are able to choose the mood that you are in, why not choose to be thankful to God? See if you don’t feel blessed if you do.

I hope you all face the new day with a mind to meditate on God’s word! Have a blessed day and don’t forget to pray!

Pressing On …

There have been times, even recently, where people have thanked me for my example of a Christian woman, wife, and mother. I am humbled by such a statement and truly do not find myself worthy of that sort of gratitude. I do strive to live my life in front of others to be an example of purity. I suppose I know my faults and my flaws better than anyone else, and this is why I have such a hard time thinking myself a good example. To those who have said such to me recently, I want you to know that you have touched my heart. I am far from perfect in my actions and words and thoughts, but I am striving. I discussed this with my husband not too long ago and he told me that I’m not perfect, but I am faithful, and that’s what matters. It’s hard dealing with imperfections. But I am ever so thankful for Christ’s blood which covers  me and continuously cleanses me. Each and every day I am more and more thankful for my decision on September 15, 2003 to become baptized into Christ, to wash my sins away and free me from the bondage of sin.

After spending nearly a week at the Memphis School of Preaching lectureship, learning about the Behavior of Faith, I have been really looking inward. I have been reflecting on myself and I see what I need to change – not a want, a need – and I am learning how. I never knew that this life would be such a journey, filled with the twists and turns and bumps and dips. I try to think  back and see how I got to where I am now, who it was that helped me along the way so much… I can name a few people, and I just attempted to but deleted because I did not want to leave anyone out and feel bad for it later.

I owe it most of all to God, because HE is the One who has blessed me with all the other people who have helped me along the way. God is so good. It saddens me to know that there are people out there who live without Him in their lives and are perfectly fine with it. I feel so sorry for those who will never know the blessings found only in Christ Jesus.

A sincere thank you to all my friends who have helped me along the way, even in the smallest ways. I hope that you will continue to help me. I’ve decided that now is the time to transform my life, renew my spirit and zeal and love for Christ. I’m going to blog about it when I get the chance. I hope you don’t mind. :)

I’m pressing on the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining every day;
Still praying as I’m onward bound,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”

Lord, lift me up and let me stand,
By faith, on Heaven’s tableland,
A higher plane than I have found;
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where those abound,
My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.

I want to live above the world,
Though Satan’s darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught the joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground.

I want to scale the utmost height
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I’ll pray till heav’n I’ve found,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”

Thoughts.

We are so blessed to be here.
To live where we live.
To know the people we know,
and love the people we love.
We are so blessed – with every breath of air
with which we fill our lungs,
with every beat of our hearts,
with every smile and every tear.

I can’t help but to be so thankful
to the God of heaven who has given us
all this and more.
I did nothing to deserve this,
but I am so grateful.

I’m sitting on our screened-in porch,
looking out at the peach blossoms,
listening to birds sing and dogs bark and kids play.

God has truly blessed us.
I never want to take this for granted.

Conditions on Love

Something  has been on my mind lately and I hope you don’t mind my fleshing it out here. Stick around if you’d like and if not, no worries. It’s been on my mind since it was mentioned in passing at a Ladies’ Breakfast we had here and it has just been on my mind and I can’t get it off. It’s the subject of love, which personally I think we need more of. More love. Stronger love. Love that brings about obedience and love that causes you to want to bring others to Christ and make sure that they are right with God in all areas of their life. We need more love.

But sometimes we tend to put conditions on our love. How come we do this? We are only willing to love someone if they happen  to fulfill some of your needs, or perhaps if they make you feel good, or they like the same things as you do, or they hold the same opinions. In marriages, we love our spouse as long as they take the trash out when we ask them to or keep the house clean or make the dinner or fill other needs. We place conditions on ourselves and on others concerning their appearance or how they react to the way we function.

We are told many times in the Bible that the greatest commandment is love: loving the Lord our God, loving our neighbors as ourselves {and that means that we need to love ourselves in the first place too}, and we’re to love our enemies. Love is stressed so many times in the Bible and yet we find so many reasons why we shouldn’t love.

Does God place conditions on His love? Some might think that unless you’re a Christian, God doesn’t truly love you. This isn’t true. God doesn’t put conditions on His love. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8; God showed us how He loved us while we were yet sinners! Humanity had rebelled against God, disobeying His commandments and turning against Him in every which way. And yet while man did this, God still loved us all enough to send His Son to die for us on the cross to shed His blood – the blood that washes away our sins when we come to Him in obedience {Romans 10:17; Matthew 16:16; Acts 17:30,31; Romans 10:8-10; Acts 2:38}! There are no conditions to God’s love – He loves us regardless of what we have done! {That isn’t to say that there is no condition to salvation – that is proved within the verses listed above.}

So if God, who gave His Son to die for those who rebelled against Him and continue to rebel against Him can show us unconditional love and desire the best for us {that is, to be saved – 1 Timothy 2:4}, how come we can’t show the same unconditional love toward each other. Instead of holding grudges against each other for the smallest slights, or being way to sensitive so that every little thing sets us against each other… why can’t we just say, “We are all human, we all make mistakes, but that doesn’t change the fact that we are to love one another.”

I just don’t understand why we always insist on placing conditions on our love. And that isn’t to say that I don’t do this. I certainly do. And it is something I certainly need to work on. Let’s all love each other.

Standards.

This is a post for Christian mothers or parents.

Ever since I had a child I have become more aware of what has been going on in the "motherhood" community. I've learned a lot of wonderful things concerning cloth diapering, breastfeeding, co-sleeping, homeschooling, and many other things. However, I've also come across a lot of different things that sort of incense me. Perhaps you have noticed as well and agree with me. Perhaps you don't agree with me. But I've been thinking a lot lately on a specific subject and since I am able to speak my mind on my blog, I'm going to.

I want to talk about nursing in public. It is such a hot topic now days because of the controversy. I believe breastfeeding is the best way to nourish your child. I believe God created our bodies so that we could take care of our children the best way we can. I am all for spreading awareness and all for it becoming more accepted. I am not, however, all for women doing so in public with no discretion whatsoever.

This to me is not an issue of Rights. It is an issue of Modesty, and an issue of God's Standards.

When I recently shared my views about nursing in public discretely, I was told that just because I was comfortable nursing "modestly" did not mean everyone else had to. I was told that my "standard" of modesty was not the same as others and should not be held to others. I was absolutely flabbergasted, because I had stated that as a Christian, I could not justify nursing in public and being immodest in so doing.

It isn't My standard.

It's God's standard.

My standard of modesty means nothing if it isn't aligned with God's standards. God's standards are perfect and all are subject to them. I know that this is sometimes debated, whether those who aren't Christians are held to the same standards, but consider the book of Jonah. Jonah was sent by God to Nineveh to preach to them and call them to repent or God would destroy the nation. This nation was not a nation which followed God. They worshiped their own gods and all in all they were extremely immoral. And yet God held them to His standards, even if they did not worship Him. Just because they worshiped some other gods did not make them immune to the God of Heaven's standards.

God's standards encompass all. 2 Corinthians 5:10 says we will ALL stand at the judgment seat of Christ.

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."

Consider this passage concerning God's standards for us women:

To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Titus 2:5

We are to be discreet, which means to show good judgment, and chaste, which means to be morally pure in thought and act - also meaning modest.

While I do support breastfeeding and stand behind any woman who chooses to nourish her child in this way, I do believe that God's standards even encompass nursing mothers and we should all make sure we are doing so in a manner that is pleasing to God. So many people also say that it is impossible to modestly nurse a child in public, but I disagree. I nursed Benjamin for a little over 12 months (he's just been weened this week - which is very emotional for me so I'm not going to talk about that) and I have never flashed anyone while doing so! And Benjamin is even one of those children who won't keep a blanket over him. It's possible, with practice.

Next time you start getting worked up about your "rights" as a nursing mother, think about God's standards and whether or not your "rights" fall under His standards.

As I usually say when posting a 'spiritual post', you might not agree with me. But this is what I believe.

Praying Just to Pray

Every day it seems that someone new is requesting prayers for some difficulty a friend or family member is having in their life, or maybe even for themselves. I love to pray for other people. I know God has commanded us in His word to pray for the sick (James 5:24) and to pray for God's people (Philippians 1:9-11) by Paul's example. I like to remember to pray to God for our daily needs (Matthew 6:11), and especially for forgiveness when it's needed (Acts 8:22-24). I pray for strength and to resist temptation when I'm faced with one (Matthew 6:13, 26:41). I even try to remember to pray for my enemies (Matthew 5:44), even though I really don't like to call anyone my enemy. We always pray when we sit down to eat, too!

But I was just thinking today... when do I ever pray just to pray?

I have reasons to pray every day. There are so many hurting people out there. And there are also so many reasons to be thankful and to rejoice! But when do I ever just sit down and pray just to pray to my God? Just to talk? Just to let Him know what's on my mind? Sometimes I just feel like venting and sometimes I go to my husband and let him know what's on my mind and what's got me so riled up. Why don't I go to God like that? When something's upset me, how come I don't just sit down and talk through it with the Father?

I think about Daniel, who three times daily knelt down in his home (while in captivity!), to pray to God. Three times daily! Daniel made time to talk to God, and I just pray when we're about to eat or when I get to thinking about those who have asked for and need prayers. I sing the song to Benjamin in Bible Class "Read Your Bible, Pray Every Day" - Listen to God and Talk to God every day - yet I find that I don't do that half the time! Isn't that awful?

It's something I need to work on. It's something I am going to work on. It's something so crucial to my walk with God, and it needs my attention! God needs my attention just as those I pray for need His.

So, the question for you is, how often do you pray just to pray?

Perfection.

I wouldn't say that I am a perfectionist in many ways. I've already shared my thoughts on why my house is not clean, and many other things just aren't at the top of my priority for being perfect. There are a few things that I will put extra effort into because I feel like it should be perfect, and more often than not it's just me having standards much too high to be realistic. In fact, so many times it seems that whatever it is I am stressing over perfection about, it happens to be something that I have no control over, or perhaps only partial control. Relationships - I want them all to be perfect, but nobody is perfect.

Well, except God. God is perfect. The Divine Trinity. Father, Son, Holy Ghost. All perfect. And everything they do is perfect. I am so very thankful to have that knowledge. To know that whatever God does, it is always perfect. He has perfect wisdom and perfect power. Everything He has done, and everything He will ever do.

God's Word? Perfect.

His scheme of redemption? Perfect.

His requirements for repentance? Perfect.

And while we sometimes try to 'fix' these to our own liking, try to force other requirements into the equation or take some away, God's standards do not change. I take a lot of comfort in the fact that God does not change. There's no reason for Him to change: He is perfect, and all He has done... well, you get the picture.

I am so thankful that we don't have to submit to man's requirements in order to gain Salvation. I am so thankful that we don't have to submit to man's requirements in order to gain forgiveness.

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
(Galatians 1:8-9)

God's way is the perfect way, God's standards perfect, God's judgement perfect. While I am not perfect, I take great comfort in knowing that God is. While those surrounding us are not perfect

God IS.

And I am thankful.

TTYVDKFQTJTV

Too Much Information!

So, I don't know if everyone has a facebook here, or if any of you noticed any of your female friends on there posting colors as their status, or perhaps you even posted one of yours as well. Whatever the case is, I'm going to address this issue in this blog post. I don't expect everyone to agree with me. In fact, I know not all my friends agree with my opinion on the subject. But the fact is, I was totally infuriated when I found out what the colors meant and even more so when I saw Christian women defending the reason they posted these colors.

Apparently an e-mail went out to women everywhere telling them to post their bra colors as their status on facebook in an effort to raise awareness and support for breast cancer and the victims of this terrible disease. The meaning of these colors were supposed to be kept a secret from the men and in fact the e-mail seemed to indicate that one of the purposes was to confuse men.

HELLO, THIS IS THE INTERNET. There are no secrets on the internet. I mean, seriously. If an entire manuscript for a book can be leaked out on the internet, don't you think a little secret like what the colors mean will be leaked out too? There were some people that were saying, "This was not for the men to know about, it was supposed to be secret." And although I know this is grammatically incorrect, this is where I say, "Are you for real?!"

I mean, really. Are you for real?!

I do not think it is right to post bra colors on the internet. I know it was for a good cause, I know it was to 'spread awareness', and I know it was supposed to remain a secret. But this is the internet. There are no secrets on the internet. And on top of that, how can a color raise awareness? Especially if it is kept secret? The only thing I felt aware of when I saw all these colors was the number of my friends who had absolutely no self-respect, and no respect for God's commandments on modesty, and no respect for other people.

Woops, there. I let it slip. Yep, I do believe this is an issue that involves overstepping God's commandments.

Telling your friends list about what color your underwear is is nothing short of immodest. The only person who should ever know what my underwear looks like is my husband. You know, there was a point in time when things like panties and bras were called "unmentionables". Or perhaps a more modern term, "intimates". You know, maybe I'm just not a "modern woman", but I feel like private things need to remain just that: private.

I am a young wife to a young husband. Quite frankly, I do not feel like my husband needs to know the color of every on of his female friends' bras on facebook. In fact, we would have a serious sit-down conversation if my husband went around asking women what color their undergarments were, even if it were "for a good cause". In fact, I am quite sure that even if it were "for a good cause" and my husband asked any one of those women what color their bras were, he'd probably get a sharp slap across the face quicker than you can say "ARE YOU FOR REAL?!"

While intentions were obviously innocent - I see that it was supposed to be harmless fun and a secret - when someone spoke out against it saying that it was offensive, I have to wonder why instead of following after 1 Corinthians 8:3-14 and just abstaining because it was known it was offensive, it was adamantly defended.

I saw this mostly after my husband spoke out against this shocking new trend. You know what? We ladies don't know how a man's mind works. And to me, if a man says something is immodest and can create unclean thoughts in a man's mind, it's probably a good idea that we cease in that activity. Consider what a non-Christian male friend of my husband said in his facebook status that night, "kudos to whatever guy thought up this idea of getting girls to post their bra colors on FB." Yep. You know exactly what he was thinking about that night. You never know what sort of thoughts you might put in someone's mind once they figure out that the colors mean you're wearing a fancy bra (or not fancy - or even none at all - yes! some women admitted to that even!). Sinful, sinful thoughts.

"It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones." Luke 17:2

That is what our Savior had to say about those who would cause someone else to stumble! I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty serious to me, and I want to make sure I don't create any sort of stumbling block for any of my brothers in Christ by posting my bra color for all to see!

I'm sorry, I have to say it again. Are you for real? Have we seriously sank so low that we have become desensitized by the world? Have our consciences really been seared so completely? Have we really become as those mentioned in Jeremiah 6:15 who have forgotten how to blush? These sorts of things draw attention to totally inappropriate things, and not to Breast Cancer Awareness.

If anyone wants to spread Breast Cancer Awareness, why not do it with the pink ribbon that cannot be mistaken for anything but Breast Cancer Awareness? Why not give out information about it or perhaps show them the website www.BreastCancerAwareness.com?



Posting your undergarment colors for all to see is inappropriate and immodest. I don't care what you say the cause is.

How would you feel if Christ were your Facebook friend and saw you posting your bra colors for all to see?

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." 2 Corinthians 5:10.