Renewed Day by Day

2011 Reading List

2011-12-05T10:43:00.006-06:00

It's high time for a new post on this neglected blog.
Since we are fast approaching the end of 2011, I thought a post with books I have read this year would be a good way to wrap up the year and recall all the books read. I had no real reading goals for this year so any books read or completed were an accomplishment.

1) When People Are Big and God Is Small by Edward T. Welch
I read and used this book for a ladies small group study. We used the discussion questions at the end of each chapter and I added a few of my own. This was probably one of the best Scripturally grounded and eye-opening books I have read. This is one book that one would do well to re-read, perhaps once a year. It is a book whose lessons one must learn over a lifetime rather than a few months or years.

2) 31 Days of Praise by Ruth Myers
This is an excellent book to understand how to praise God at all times and for all things as His word instructs us. It is a devotional format meant to take about a month to get through. There is much Scripture throughout each chapter which the author uses to write the prayers of praise in this book. One could also read through this book for several months with starting over at the beginning each time. I still have much to ponder and implement by example from this book.

3) Christ Our Mediator by C.J. Mahaney
This was a re-read after a couple years. A great little book to be used as a devotional or meditation. This is another book that is worth re-reading from time to time. I have always appreciated the way that Pastor Mahaney writes about the Gospel and Christ as Savior.

4) The Covering by Hank Hanegraaff
I had read this book before as well, but found it very helpful and grounding to better understand spiritual warfare, God's spiritual armor, and prayer from a proper Biblical standpoint. Some would disagree with the views of this author in regards to spiritual warfare, but I found them balanced and well-grounded in Scripture. One of the main points the author reiterates throughout the books is, "The key to victory in the invisible war is not found in deliverance, but discipleship." This is a very good read for the Christian given our culture's increasing fascination with the occult, demons, witches and exorcisms.

5) This Great Salvation by C.J. Mahaney and Robin Boisvert
Here is another book I used in small group Bible study. A group of 16 went through this book together over seven weeks. We would discuss each chapter using the discussion questions in the book. This book is part of a series for small groups called, "Pursuit of Godliness" published by Sovereign Grace Ministries.

6) Country Doctor: Essays in Memory of Walter E. Eells, M.D.
I discovered this up at a local estate sale and found it both fascinating to learn how medicine was practiced in the northeastern US 60 years ago and also heart-warming with the many accounts of Dr. Eells care for patients and interacting in his community. It was written by his eldest son from interviews with patients, journal entries by his father, and first-hand accounts from his father.

7) PALS Provider Manual by the American Heart Association
This has been a nursing industry related read and also for personal growth. Not necessarily of interest to most I found it helpful as related to nursing practice and learning the recent updates for care of children in emergency situations. Not a recommended read for those squeamish about blood, human anatomy, or emergency situations.

8) Developing a Healthy Prayer Life by James W. Beeke and Joel R. Beeke
I picked this up at a conference in North Carolina. Pastor Joel Beeke was one of the many conference speakers. I enjoyed his talks very much so I wanted to get something from his to read. This book did not disappoint. An excellent aid in becoming more aligned with Scripture in prayer and understanding the purposes of prayer for the believer and how it accomplishes God's purposes in the world. This is another short book with 31 entries that would be excellent as a personal devotion book to read through in a month.

9) When I Don't Desire God by John Piper
This is a book I had been wanting to read for a while. I ordered it this year, but have not finished it completely. Characteristic of John Piper's style, it is Scripturally saturated, pastoral in tone and helpful at addressing problems of the soul in the believer's life.

10) Large Family Logistics by Kim Brenneman
My sister, who is all things organizational and orderly, recommended this book to me to have an idea for how to well-order a daily schedule, time management, personal discipline and much more. The book is quite large and thorough with 47 mostly short chapters. I am still reading through this and enjoying it. It is not just for those of large families but anyone desiring to become more disciplined with time, planning schedules, and making more efficient use of spaces and possessions.

11) Genesis and Job
In our family Bible reading, we started with Genesis and plan to read through the entire Bible chronologically. This was started a couple weeks ago. The elders in our local church are preaching through Acts so we have been in that book for most of the year. We also read through Daniel and Revelation as a family.

12) In my personal reading I have read through the Psalms multiple times this year, Galatians and Colossians, parts of some Old Testament prophets, some of Proverbs, and several chapters from Romans and James.

10 Year Graduation Reflections

2011-05-31T17:12:00.003-05:00

Today* was the 2011 TPA graduation ceremony. I attended with my brother, Joshua. Every time I have the opportunity to attend a TPA graduation I try to make a point to go. They are always inspiring, encouraging, and humbling to me. This year's ceremony was no exception. As a TPA homeschool graduate myself, every time I go they almost seem like class reunions to see old friends and catch up on each others' lives. So this was like my 10th high school reunion. :)

The keynote guest speaker was Wayne Simien Jr., an NBA basketball player turned full-time minister and Gospel proclaimer. I was so humbled and impressed by his wise words.

I had never heard someone with that sort of life experience and numerous athletic accolades to so clearly and boldly share the truth of the Gospel as a charge to home-school graduates. One thing that especially stood out to me was how Mr. Simien gave a bold charge to the graduates to be faithful and look for opportunities to tell those around them of the truth of the Gospel as three KU students had done for him while he was a student. They were faithful to keep proclaiming that message to him and showing him Christ's love and God used that to draw him to Jesus Christ and acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior of his life. What power! What boldness! What fear of God and lack of fear of man! Even a man who was great and worthy to be afraid of from a human standpoint.

As I listened to his wise, truthful words I found myself wondering silently, "Why don't I do that? Why don't I more boldly, fervently, actively, intentionally and purposefully share of Christ with others? What is holding me back?"

One other prevailing thought upon me was how long it has been since I graduated in a similar ceremony 10 years ago almost to the day. I began to take stock of my life since that day in May 2001 when I walked down the same aisle in my royal purple cap and gown to "Pomp and Circumstance." I had given a speech that day to the parents, students and guests gathered for the occasion. What did I say in that speech? Did it really matter? Was it worth saying? Where am I now? What have I done in 10 years? What have been the most important, valuable, and meaningful things that I am glad to have accomplished and what are the trivial, insignificant, wasted things I could have let go? Where will I be in 10 more years? How will I get there? What does God want for me in 10 years?

In some respects I felt like an "old fogey" compared to the 51 graduates who were 10 years my junior. But I could still have many years ahead of me, if the Lord wills, and what I do in those years as I look back on them to know have contributed to the most important things in life. Loving and serving God, loving others, the truth of the Gospel, and making a difference for time and eternity in people's lives.

Maybe each of us need to ask ourselves these sorts of questions more often. It is far too easy to get wrapped up in the trivial things of life and the day to day struggles. I know I have this tendency more than I care to admit.

This graduation ceremony was a reminder to me of where I have come from, how God has been with me all the way and how He continues to guide my steps, whether great or small, and lead me for His glory.

"But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ..." Philippians 3:7-8

*I wrote this entry originally on May 7, 2011 but am just now getting around to sharing it. :)

Pajama School Promo Video Contest

2009-09-01T05:20:00.001-05:00

To gear things up for the fall, I am letting you all know about a creative and exciting new contest sponsored by the Pajama School Blog and Advent Film Group.

To join in the fun produce a 30-60 second video promoting the new book, Pajama School- stories from the life of a homeschool graduate. The winner will receive a family pass to the 2010 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival!!!

I have attended the SAICFF twice and let me tell you, it is an amazing festival to experience. If you love quality, family-oriented and Christian films or want to learn more about producing your own films, you won't want to miss this inspirational event.

What better way to experience film making first-hand and get a head start for the festival than to enter this great contest?!

Haven't yet read the book Pajama School by Natalie Wickham? Well, you are in for a treat. Natalie is an enthusiastic supporter of homeschooling and an amazing storyteller. As a homeschooled graduate she writes from a first-hand account of life as a homeschooled student. And as part of the film contest you can get a special discount copy to review at 50% off!!!

Want to know something else? If you help promote this contest on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. you will be entered into a drawing for a great giveaway package. How neat is that? Even if you don't submit a film to the contest, if you help spread the word about the contest you can be entered to win some great prizes!

You will need to upload your film to YouTube for the judging. The judging for the three finalists will take place by a panel of three judges from the Christian film community:
George Escobar, founder of Advent Film Group
Julia Camenisch, founder of EyeReach Productions
John Moore, producer of The Widow's Might (2009 SAICFF "Best of Festival" Jubilee Award Winner) and co-founder of HeuMoore Productions

The public will be given the chance to vote on their favorite of the three finalists and the finalist receiving the most votes will be declared the winner of the contest.

For more information and to see full guidelines for entering the contest go to the Pajama School Blog.

I am so excited to see the films produced and witness the creativity of the contestants. Get started this week! You won't want to miss this exciting contest!

Song Lyrics that Instruct and Edify

2009-05-05T09:13:00.005-05:00

This is a recently learned song I was thinking about today. I first heard it during the time of hymn singing at leader's meeting in BSF. It has become a new favorite of mine and I love that the words are taken directly from Psalm 1. I memorized that Psalm many years ago as a young girl and have not forgotten the words. Some of my favorite songs and hymns to sing and think about are those that incorporate either direct words of Scripture or clear Scriptural allusions.

Last evening I reviewed some hymns with the children that we have been learning throughout the year during the study of Moses. I was so pleased that they knew many of the words by heart and were eager to sing their favorites. It seems two of the hymns they love best are He Leadeth Me and Lift High the Cross. I reminded them to sing these songs often and to think upon the words-- to remember who God is and how we should praise Him. I hope the words of this song will encourage you as you meditate on God's law.

Blessed Is the Man
Words and Music by Michael Baughen
Arranged by Jim Thornton

Blessed is the man, the man who does not walk
In the counsel of the ungodly: blessed is that man.
He who rejects the way, rejects the way of sin
And who turns away from scoffing: blessed is that man.
But his delight, by day and night,
Is the law of God Almighty.

He is like a tree, a tree that flourishes,
Being planted by the water: blessed is that man.
He will bring forth fruit, his leaf will wither not,
For in all he does he prospers: blessed is the man.
For his delight by day and night,
Is the law of God Almighty.

The ungodly are not so, for they are like the chaff
Which the wind blows clean away: he ungodly are not so.
The ungodly will not stand, upon the judgment day
Nor belong to God's own people: The ungodly will not stand.
But God knows the way of righteous men
And ungodly ways will perish.

Refrain

Blessed is the man, the man who does not walk
In the counsel of the ungodly: blessed is that man.

Truth for the Restless Soul

2009-04-06T14:11:00.005-05:00

As Long As You Are Glorified
Words and Music by Mark Altrogge from Sovereign Grace Music

Shall I take from Your hands Your blessings
Yet not welcome any pain
Shall I praise you in days of sunshine
Yet grumble in days of rain
Shall I love You in times of plenty
Then leave You in days of drought
Shall I trust when I reap a harvest
But when winter winds blow, then doubt

Oh let Your will be done in me
In Your love I will abide
Oh I long for nothing else as long
As You are glorified

Are You good only when I prosper
And true only when I'm filled
Are you King only when I'm carefree
And God only when I'm well
You are good when I'm poor and needy
You are true when I'm parched and dry
You still reign in the deepest valley
You're still God in the darkest night

Oh let Your will be done in me
In Your love I will abide
Oh I long for nothing else as long
As You are glorified

So quiet my restless heart
Quiet my restless heart
Quiet my restless heart in You

Job 1:20-22
Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said. "Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD."

In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.

Job 2:9-10
Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die." But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Psalm 131
O LORD, my heart is not lifted up;
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.

O Israel, hope in the LORD
from this time forth and forevermore.

Amen.

Musical Words

2009-03-31T21:20:00.008-05:00

So after posting about my favorite theological words and my favorite medical words I decided to create one more list encompassing some favorite words.

I have studied music in the past on a very small scale. I really don't feel like I can call myself a musician but I am certainly a music afficiendo, especially of the classical and sacred variety.

Thus to avoid a ritardondo in this post, here is my list of musical and vocal terms.

1)adagio
2)allegro
3)fortissimo
4)pianissimo
5)fermata
6)recitative
7)oratorio
8)bass buffo
9)mezzo
10)falsetto
11)a cappella
12)lyrical
13)musicology
14)crescendo
15)diminuendo
16)orchestra
17)vivace
18)andante
19)arpeggio
20)cadenza
21)decibel
22)marcato
23)obbligato
24)pizzicato
25)tutti
26)harpsichord
27)glissando
28)antiphonal
29)acoustic
30)aria
31)baroque
32)cacophony
33)canticle
34)clavichord
35)cantata
36)descant
37)cadence
38)dulcimer
39)ensemble
40)etude

What are your favorite musical terms or other words from a specialty area?

Counting Blessings for Today

2009-02-23T12:06:00.004-06:00

Just a few moments ago I was changing out some laundry in the bathroom. Taking dry clothes out of the dryer and putting wet clothes in the dryer. As I was doing this, the Lord suddenly brought to mind some blessings I am enjoying today. In recalling these things to my mind I began to thank God for each of these blessings in my life.

I thought I would share a few with you and ask you to do the same here.

1) I am not experiencing any back, shoulder, or neck pain today.

2) I have an extra day off this week to get my BSF double lesson done before Saturday.

3) I have readily available to me many delicious and varied kinds of food to eat.

4) I have God's word to instruct me, chastise me, convict me, and encourage me.

5)I received a call from the physical therapy office today and was able to get an appointment scheduled for Thursday since there was a cancellation.

6)I slept well last night and awoke well rested.

7)I get to witness answered prayer in my life and the lives of those around me.

8)I have seven adorable baby bunnies outside with their mother to hold and cuddle anytime.

I could go on and on with the blessings. As I share this list, I am not at all admitting that my life is perfect or that I don't have struggles and times of great discouragement. I am trying to consciously reflect on the good and pleasant things God has brought into my life while also asking Him to use the challenging and hard things I experience.

My Bible lesson this week is based on Numbers 11-12 where Moses was ridiculed by his own siblings and then listened to the murmurings of the Israelite people. They wanted meat to eat after God had provided them with bread from heaven for all their days traveling in the wilderness. They finally got the meat they wanted, all right, along with a lot more than the bargained for as God sent a plague upon them for their complaining, disobedience and lack of trust in His provision.

How often I resemble the Israelites in my bitter groanings and complaints instead of emulating the example of faithful Moses who went to God in prayer in times of difficulty and asked God to intercede for him.

This was a blessing for me to reflect on today and I hope it blesses you as well.
May we all seek to count our blessings, praise the Lord for who He is, and look to Him for guidance as we wander through the wilderness of this harsh world.

More favorite words

2009-02-12T06:06:00.002-06:00

After making my theological and scriptural list of words, I decided to compose a list of my favorite medical and scientific words.

1) insoluble
2) cation
3) covalent
4) rhonchi
5) adventitous
6) joules
7) ambulate
8) supine
9) coccyx
10) Bundle of His
11) mol
12) sternocleidomastoid (my favorite muscle)
13) jugular
14) Purkinje fibers
15) autosomal
16) organelle
17) mitochondria
18) osteoblasts
19) osteoclasts
20) myocardial infarction
21) epithelial
22) squamous cell
23) cogent
24) cognizant
25) xyphoid process
26) electrolytes
27) erythema
28) nares
29) auscultate
30) extubate
31) propathol
32) histology
33) hematology
34) periorbital
35) necrotizing fasciitis
36) dorsalis pedis
37) post tibialis
38) bigeminy
39) idiopathic
40) autonomic
41) calcaneus
42) trapezius

I chose these words mostly based on how they sound when pronounced. Many of them are just plain fun to say though very unpleasant of a condition to have, i.e. necrotizing fasciitis.

What are some of your favorite words related to a particular field or discipline of study?

Sentiments of a New Day

2009-01-19T13:23:00.000-06:00

From "The Valley of Vision"

God Enjoyed

Thou Incomprehensible
But prayer-hearing God,

Known, but beyond knowledge,
revealed, but unrevealed,
my wants and welfare draw me to thee,
for thou hast never said, 'Seek ye me in vain.'
To thee I come in my difficulties, necessities,
distresses;
possess me with thyself,
with a spirit of grace and supplication,
with a prayerful attitude of mind,
with access into warmth of fellowship,
so that in the ordinary concerns of life
my thoughts and desires may rise to thee,
and in habitual devotion I may find a resource
that will soothe my sorrows,
sanctify my successes,
and qualify me in all ways for dealings
with my fellow men.

I bless thee that thou hast made me capable
of knowing thee, the author of all being,
of resembling thee, the perfection of all excellency,
of enjoying thee, the source of all happiness.
O God, attend me in every part of my arduous
and trying pilgrimage;
I need the same counsel, defence, comfort
I found at my beginning.

Let my religion be more obvious to my conscience,
more perceptible to those around.
While Jesus is representing me in heaven,
may I reflect him on earth,
While he pleads my cause, may I show forth
his praise.

Continue the gentleness of thy goodness
towards me,
And whether I wake or sleep, let thy presence
go with me,
thy blessing attend me.
Thou hast led me on and I have found thy
promises true,
I have been sorrowful, but thou hast been my help,
fearful, but thou hast delivered me,
despairing, but thou hast lifted me up.
Thy vows are ever upon me,
And I praise thee, O God.

Reflections on Christ's Birth

2008-12-24T08:54:00.000-06:00

I wrote this post last year and meant to post it before Christmas. Although I am no longer studying Matthew, (I am now studying Exodus and the Old Testament books of the Law)the Scriptures and thoughts hold true so I thought I would share it this year instead. What have you been reading or reflecting on during this season of remembering our Saviour's incarnation?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lately, I have been reading through several chapters of Old Testament prophecy that pointed to the coming Messiah. I thought this would be a meaningful way to prepare for the time of remembering the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Through studying the book of Matthew in BSF, the idea of biblical prophecy being fulfilled through Christ has struck me in a new way. I have known for a long time that Christ fulfilled these prophecies through his birth, ministry, death and resurrection but I had never reflected on them in depth until studying Matthew.

Since the gospel of Matthew was written primarily to a Jewish readership, it was crucial for Matthew to provide numerous references to the prophecies that Christ had fulfilled. Thus, the Jewish writer, Matthew, showed that Jesus Christ was the promised Messiah whom the Jews eagerly anticipated for hundreds of years.

I found a helpful table in the back of my Bible referencing several Old Testament prophecies along with the New Testament fulfillment that foretold the birth, ministry and purpose of Christ in coming to earth. I have mostly been focusing on the passages that foretold of his birth, however it would be equally worthwhile to read the passages relating to his atoning death and resurrection from the dead.

Here are a few of the chapters I have been reading recently as part of my evening devotions.

Genesis 3:15; 12:3; 17:19; 49:10
Psalm 2:7; 16:10; 35:11; 41:9; 49, 68, 69, 109, 110:4,
Isaiah 7:14; 9:1,2,7
Jeremiah 31:15;
Zechariah 9:9; 11:12; 12:10
Daniel 9:25
Micah 5:2

I hope you find these passages encouraging in realizing how Jesus was the only man who has perfectly fulfilled these prophecies just as His Father had foretold the Messiah would.

Christ's Humilty Led to His Humanity

2008-12-23T21:00:00.000-06:00

A couple weeks ago I was at a friend's house making Christmas cards and cooking dinner with her. We were listening to some Christmas music while we were working and one of my favorite more recent Christmas songs was playing. As I listened to the words I began reflecting on Christ's humanity. How He became a man when He came to earth and how He came in a lowly state as a newborn babe. When one dwells on these things, one can't help but be awed with Christ's humility and complete emptying of Himself.

One Small Child
Words and Music by David Meece

One small child in a land of a thousand
One small dream of a Savior tonight
One small hand reaching out to the starlight
One small Savior of life

One king bringing his gold and riches
One king ruling an army of might
One king kneeling with incense and candlelight
One King bringing us life

See Him lying a cradle beneath Him
See Him smiling in the stall
See His mother praising His Father
See His tiny eyelids fall

See the shepherds kneeling before Him
See the kings in bended knee
See the mother praising the Father
See the Blessed infant sleep

One small child in a land of a thousand
One small dream of a Savior tonight
One small hand reaching out to the starlight
One small Savior of life

My favorite line from this song is "See His mother praising His Father." His mother was Mary but His father is God. Thus, Mary praised God for sending the Messiah into the world and granting her the privilege to give birth to Him.

When Christ left His Father in heaven and came to earth He not only left behind all His riches, glory, honor, and majesty but He became the lowliest of the low. He was born as a little, helpless baby and He had to depend on others to meet His every need. How uncharacteristic of a king and how contrary to our human, sinful way of thinking.

This Scripture passage came to mind that exhibits His humility and self-denial.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:5-11

I was reminded once again of these thoughts after reading the following from the Desiring God blog.

Jesus is Still Human

Jesus' Humanity Throughout History

Jesus' Humanity Now

This season, may you remember how Jesus came to earth as a man to become a great High Priest for His people and to offer Himself as a sacrifice for all who would call upon Him for salvation.

Praise Christ Jesus for His humility and His humanity.

What to do on this night?

2008-10-31T18:18:00.007-05:00

Looking for something creative and educational to do for Reformation Day? Why not head over to C.S. Hayden's blog and take his quiz?

I guarantee you will be challenged, enlightened, and amused as you take the quiz. You may even learn something new!

Actually, I learned several things. For one, how badly I need to study more about this important period in church history. :)

After you take the quiz, gather around with your kith and kin to sing one of the great hymns from our forefathers of the faith.

You could start with "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" by Martin Luther then try your vocal chords at something a bit more obscure such as "Jesus, Refuge of the Weary" by Girolamo Savonarola or a hymn from John Bunyan's celebrated work, Pilgrims Progress.

Then you could look up the Five Solas and reflect on what they brought to us and how our lives and culture has been changed as a result.

For some homemade inspiration, check out some authentic hand made costumes from some fellow Reformed folk.

If you still haven't gotten your fill of Reformation goodness, head over to Tim Challies to wade through the many contributions to the 3rd annual Reformation Symposium.

Lastly, spend some time thanking and praising our Heavenly Father for His providence and goodness to His people during the time of the Reformation. What was once a very dark age has been gloriously illuminated by the beauty and truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

New Word for the Day

2008-10-13T12:59:00.004-05:00

I interrupt my Bible Study to bring you a new vocabulary word for the day:

Antediluvian

How you say it: an-tee-di-loo-vee-uhn

What it means: "before the flood" (or deluge) usually refers to the time or people before the flood of Noah as recorded in Genesis 6-8.

Where it came from: Latin ante (before) + diluvium (flood or deluge)

How you use it: as a noun or adjective

When the antediluvians were on the earth their age span was several hundred years longer than modern man.

Animals and plants have become much smaller since the antediluvian days.

Where I saw it: In my BSF study notes from Lesson 6.

Beloved Words of Theology and Scripture

2008-09-30T20:20:00.002-05:00

Kara, the Biblio-file, has posted a list of some of her favorite words. I decided to follow suit, but with a slightly different emphasis. I am making a list of some of my favorite theological words and concepts. Some of these I like strictly for their sound and others for their meaning or even the implication for the lives of believers.

I think Tim Challies did something like this awhile back on his blog. My apologies in advance if there are misspellings. I didn't thoroughly verify the correct spellings of all, but if one came up as incorrect on my auto-format spelling, I tried to search for the correct spelling.

So in no particular order, here are several of my favorite theological or Scriptural words and phrases:

1) efficacious
2) effectual
3) sovereignty
4) sanctification
5) justification
6) providence
7) grace
8) hermeneutics
9) perspiscuity
10) inerrant
11) infallible
12) laud
13) redemption
14) propitiation
15) atonement
16) potentate
17) glorious
18) majestic
19) God-head
20) soteriology
21) Christophany
22) eschatology
23) orthodoxy
24) orthopraxy
25) Christology
26) baptistic
27) Soli Deo gloria
28) Sola fide
29) Sola scriptura
30) Solus Christus
31) Sola gratia
32) immutable
33) eternal
34) ineffable
35) immortality
36) Selah
37) quicken
38) omniscient

I hadn't intended this, but I noticed there is one word in common between Kara's and my list. Can you find which word it is?

Do you have any favorite or especially meaningful words to you?

Autumn Taste Inspirations

2008-09-26T20:11:00.000-05:00

Once autumn sets on I seem to gather a renewed interest in cooking and baking. You can't beat the tastes, smells, and sights of the autumn months. They remind us of harvest, blessings, bounty, and goodness. I happen to equate many spicy type seasonings to the autumn months in my mind so I have been trying out some new recipes for this season with some spice and a little pizazz.

On Monday I made pumpkin cookies which sound ordinary enough, but with the inclusion of chocolate chips, cinnamon, and oatmeal they turn into a moist, chewy treat that is almost satisfying enough for a breakfast meal (or at least a breakfast treat). As in many dessert or sweet recipes I make, I reduced the sugar by almost half of what is called for in this recipe. The result was not an unpleasant lessening of sweetness but rather a more pronounced taste of the cinnamon, chocolate, and other savory flavors.

Pumpkin Cookies

2 eggs, beaten
2 c. butter
2 c. brown sugar, packed
2 c. granulated sugar
2 t. vanilla
2 c. pumpkin
4 c. flour
2 c. oatmeal
2 t. baking soda
2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
2 c. chocolate chips

1) Mix eggs and butter 2) Add sugars and vanilla, and then add pumpkin.
3) Mix remaining dry ingredients. 4) Drop by heaping tablespoon on greased sheet. 5) Bake in 350 degree Fahrenheit oven.

This will be a definite keeper and the only suggestions I would make to improve it would be to perhaps try adding a few other savory spices like allspice, cloves or nutmeg and to be careful not to overcook the cookies as they are better with a lighter, chewy consistency. I found this in our church's cook book published several years ago.

My other experiment in autumn cooking involved dabbling in some ethnic cuisine with an English twist. This particular day I was wanting to make a soup, but I wanted it to be a soup with ingredients we already had on hand. I scoured through several recipe sites and happened on this recipe for a Mulligatawny that seemed to fit the bill perfectly. Most all the ingredients were items already stocked in our pantry or refrigerator and it had some of the lovely aromatic spices I have come to enjoy in Indian cuisine. I did have to make a quick run to the store for some celery but since we use this regularly and it lasts quite awhile I figured the purchase wouldn't be a waste to my wallet.

While putting together the soup I had been perusing my Cooking with Four Ingredients cookbook and found a simple enough recipe for some Tandoori Rotis. It looked like the perfect companion for my soup so I set out to make up a batch. I am not an expert bread maker so this was a bit of a challenge not because it was a difficult recipe but because of my lack of experience in technique. Thankfully, the flat bread turned out fairly well and those in the tasting department seemed to highly approve of it with the soup so how can you disagree with that assessment? I loved that the recipe taught you how to use a hot oven technique (called a Tandoor in India) using modern equipment in your home. The pre-heated baking sheets in a hot oven worked wonders at cooking the bread up at just the right consistency for a chewy flat bread. I have to admit I was skeptical how well this recipe would turn out since it only called for four ingredients and an odd baking method.

Tandoori Rotis

3 cups atta or fine whole-wheat flour (I used electric mill-ground whole-wheat flour)
1 teaspoon salt
2-3 tablespoons melted ghee or butter, for brushing

You will also need a little oil to use for the plastic cover while the dough is resting. I like to use olive oil, a traditional Mediterranean oil used for many purposes.

1) Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Add 1 cup water and mix to a soft dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 3-4 minutes, until smooth. Place the dough in a lightly oiled mixing bowl, cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap, and leave to rest for 1 hour.

2) Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into six pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Press out into a larger round with the palm of your hand, cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap, and leave to rest 10 minutes.

3) Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place three cookie sheets in the oven to heat. Roll the rotis into 6-inch rounds, place two on each cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. Brush with ghee or butter and serve warm.

I might add that it is important not to flatten your dough out too much or you will have crispy rotis rather than soft, chewy rotis.

These recipe makes 6 rotis, but I 1 and 1/2 it to make about nine.

Along the lines of frugal cooking, this would be a wonderful recipe to use for those on a tight budget.

Do you have any treasured autumn recipes you would like to share? Have you ever made rotis or a similar Indian flat-bread?

Kara's thoughts on "Get Married"

2008-09-26T11:49:00.007-05:00

For those of you who asked prior, Kara has posted a 2-part review of Candice Watter's book, Get Married. It is a helpful review and one thing I appreciate about it is its thoroughness while managing to be relatively brief. This is not one of my strong points in reviewing books, but Kara pulls it off very well.

Anyway, check out her review and maybe you'll even see a review post (or four) here in the coming weeks, but no promises, as my sporadic blogging habits indicate all too well.

And THIS is what I think about THAT...

2008-09-22T08:35:00.002-05:00

My brother, Caleb, has just posted a timely and compelling response to those who would argue that voting for the "lesser of two evils" is the best option for the Christian. I couldn't agree more with Caleb's assessment. I have wanted to write my own post on this topic of voting, but after reading Caleb's terrific post, I think his arguments more than suffice.

Thank you, Caleb, for your bold and accurate assessment of the political culture of our day and for reminding us of God's infallible and unchanging Word as related to our lives.

If you would like to compare each of the presidential candidates (including 3rd party candidates) side by side on where they stand based on the issues and their voting records, please go to "On the Issues."

"Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost."
-- John Quincy Adams

Resting in Jesus

2008-07-28T07:50:00.003-05:00

Jesus I Am Resting, Resting

Jesus I am resting, resting
In the Joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart.
Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee,
And Thy beauty fills my soul,
For by Thy transforming power
Thou hast made me whole.

Chorus:

Jesus, I am resting, resting
In the joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart.

O how great Thy loving kindness.
Vaster, broader than the sea!
O how marvellous Thy goodness,
Lavished all on me!
Yes, I rest in Thee, Beloved,
Know Thy certainty of promise,
And have made it mine.

Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,
I behold Thee as Thou art,
And Thy love, so pure, so changeless,
Satisfies my heart;
Satisfies its deepest longings,
Meets supplies its every need,
Compasseth me round with blessings;
Thine is love indeed!

Ever lift Thy face upon me,
As I work and wait for Thee;
Resting 'neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus,
Earth's dark shadows flee.
Brightness of my Father's glory,
Sunshine of my Father's face,
Keep me ever trusting, resting;
Fill me with Thy grace.

Yesterday, one of our hymn selections for the morning service was "Jesus I am resting, resting." What a blessing this hymn was to my soul. I needed to be reminded to rest in Jesus and that He satisfies my soul.

This hymn is on the "If Eyes Could See" CD from the Steve Pettit Evangelistic Team. I love their rendition with an original melody sung as a duet by a tenor and soprano.

What hymn spoke to your heart this week?

Quotes and Recent Reading

2008-06-02T19:34:00.006-05:00

"If we value comfort more than character, then trials will upset us. If we value the material and physical more than the spiritual, we will not be able to count it joy! If we live only for the present and forget the future, the trials will make us bitter and not better."
-- Warren W. Wiersbe

I read this quote from Warren Wiersbe on the Boundless blog. It made me stop and think and re-read a couple times. These thoughts are certainly something I need to hear more often than I do.

And speaking of Warren Wiersbe, I am currently reading through one of his books; Be Delivered: Finding Freedom by Following God. As preparation for the upcoming study in BSF, "The Life of Moses," I picked up his study book on Exodus and have been reading it as I read through Exodus.

I was so excited to find it on a bargain table at one of our local Christian book stores. What a great find as pre-reading for the study of Moses and the book of Exodus. I am enjoying it so far and I think it will be a wonderful addition to my library. I have found several worthwhile thoughts that may even merit highlighting (of which I am not often want to do). :)

Here is one other quote I came across in the curriculum I used this past weekend to teach children at our local homeschool convention during the Adventures in Character program.

"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength." --Corrie ten Boom

I hope you enjoy these two quotes and think about the godly reminders they provide.

Priceless

2008-05-17T17:24:00.006-05:00

I just viewed this clip of 2-year-old Zoei singing The Lord's Prayer. It is truly precious. You will have to see it for yourself.

Makes you wonder if she heard Charlotte Church sing this. ;) Her rendition reminded me of Charlotte's.

HT: Girl Talk blog

Recent Frugal Ventures

2008-05-09T08:12:00.006-05:00

Did you think I fell off the face of the blogosphere? Well, almost.
I thought I'd post a few quick things while I had a chance. Life has been incredibly busy and it will probably only get busier if current trends continue. I'll try to post more updates later.

Not a whole lot has changed in the grand scheme of things. Just general busyness and preoccupiedness (Yes, that is a word per the very authoritative "Lydia's English Dictionary"). :)

So where to begin...

Frugality

I have been trying to put some new skills into practice with couponing and learning how to shop sales at the grocery stores.

This past Saturday I got two boxes of Kashi cereal for FREE from Walmart. I had to pay for a third box but I did it partly because it looked like they weren't going to honor my free cereal deal. So, in effect, I got three boxes for the price of one. Walmart was running a special with buying 2 boxes of select Kashi cereal for $4. I had a couple $2 off coupons I had printed off the internet, thus combined it made the cereal free. The third box wasn't included in the special sale price.

I went to one of the ritzy health food/whole food stores on the other side of town and found some great deals in the bargain bin. I bought three 16oz. bags of Hawaiian granola for $1/bag. This regularly sold for $5.99 per bag! They had also discounted much of their whole wheat, locally made bread since it was almost to the sell by date. I bought one loaf of cracked wheat bread, one loaf of raisin bread, and a bag of 11 whole wheat rolls for $1.69 each. Mom froze one loaf since we wouldn't be able to finish it before it went bad and we used the other loaf for breakfast and the rolls for lunch sandwiches.

A couple weeks before that, Walgreens was running a sale on Trident chewing gum among other things. With the sale and a couple coupons I got four packages for $0.15! I know it sounds odd to take advantage of sales on chewing gum but when you chew gum at least once every day at work you go through quite a bit in a short time. Also at Walgreens, we ordered two photos online this past Wednesday and got them for FREE with a 8x10 photo special they were running.

As for this week, I hope to make it over Dillons (Kroger) today and take advantage of some good sales they are having this week. They have SunChips on sale 2 bags for $1.98 and I have two 55 cents off coupons to boot! We like SunChips and use them for packing daily lunches and sometimes to go with our meals at church on Sunday afternoons. Why not stock up now with the sale? Dillons is also selling Orange Roughy fish for $5.99/lb. Maybe that sounds steep to you, but for Orange Roughy it is an incredible deal. It usually sells for $9.99 or $10.99 a pound! It also happens to be one of my favorite fish and a very healthy fish so you can't beat buying when it's drastically reduced. I'll have to see what other deals I can dig up. Maybe I can find some free items. :)

Any good deals you are finding lately on groceries or other items?

Resurrection Sunday Anthem

2008-03-23T17:43:00.003-05:00

Jesus, at Your Name
Words by Mark Hayes and Music by John Parker

Over all of heaven's bliss,
Jesus chose a birth like this
Laid aside His royal crown
The Son of mercy traveled down

No feather bed on which to lie
Instead this Christ was born to die

Jesus, at Your name every knee will bow
Jesus, at Your name every tongue confess
Jesus, at Your name every voice proclaim
That You are Lord of all!
Oh, Jesus at Your name

Pilate set Barabas free,
But You they hung for all to see
A cross, a spear, and thorny crown
Became Your emblems of renown

Faithful to Your final breath
Obedient even unto death

Jesus, at Your name every knee will bow
Jesus, at Your name every tongue confess
Jesus, at Your name every voice proclaim
That You are Lord of all!
Oh, Jesus at Your name

(Bridge)
Let this mind be now in you
That though Christ owned the earth
He laid aside His very life
To embrace this humble birth

Jesus, at Your name every knee will bow
Jesus, at Your name every tongue confess
Jesus, at Your name every voice proclaim
That You are Lord of all!
Oh, Jesus at Your name

All hail the power of Jesus name!!!

We sang this glorious anthem at church today in celebration of Christ's resurrection from the tomb. May you be reminded of what His death secured for you 2,000 years ago; forgiveness of sin, peace with God, and eternal life.

He is risen!
He is risen, indeed!

Who says you have to be low-income to shop at Goodwill?

2008-03-17T12:20:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday, Mom, Susanna and I went out shopping at Goodwill for their advertised $1.10 day. Each piece of donated clothing they sell was reduced to $1.10. My Mom purchased a discount card a while back which provides an additional 10% off a purchase so with the card we effectively paid $1.00 per clothing item.

I was thrilled to find two skirts, a black belt, a pair of brown pants, a beautiful autumn sweater, a medium-sized denim tote bag, an elegant blue lace overlay dress, and my personal favorite: a black, Croft and Barrow brand mole-skin zip jacket to coordinate with many items I already own.

I had been wanting either a black jacket or sweater for some time. Black is a basic color and goes with many things. I used to have a roomy, black knitted sweater that was falling apart through many washings. I was really wanting a replacement item and although I didn't have this in mind when I went shopping I was so excited to find just such an item in new-like condition for a bargain price.

The autumn sweater and brown pants were from one of my favorite collections: Casual Corner. These were both in good condition and it was like getting almost an entire outfit for around $2 as they look wonderful together. Sadly, thrift shops and garage sales are about the only sources to obtain them now as the stores all went out of business a couple years ago.

My grand total for the shopping at two Goodwill stores was $11.53. Not bad for all those items. I'd be hard-pressed to find even one piece of quality clothing for that price on a sale rack.

Where do you shop most for good value, quality, style, proper-sizing and modesty?

We Have Babies!

2008-03-14T21:13:00.001-05:00

You didn't know my family was expecting, did you? And you also didn't know we were expecting multiples. Well, after several weeks of anxious waiting and watching, the delivery occurred on Wednesday shortly before 1:00 pm. It was a mildly messy business. Nathan, Mom, and Susanna watched nearly the entire event and Nathan even captured most of it with our digital camera. Sadly, I was at work for the day so I missed the exciting occasion. :) Mother and her two kits are doing well. The little ones are full of vigor as they tumble over each other in their soft down bed.

Nathan and I spent part of the afternoon yesterday making sure the wee ones were getting proper nourishment from their first-time mother. Here are a few photos I took while Nathan supervised the feeding.

Nathan is especially thrilled as he obtained the doe for the purpose of breeding.

More pictures are sure to be on the way as the babes grow and hopefully, develop to look more like rabbits rather than little piggies. Hehe.

I didn't realize Dutch rabbit kits are born with their markings before they have hair. Their eyes should open in about a week.

Are there any new births in your family this spring?

Altering Recipes for Better Health

2008-03-13T10:26:00.004-05:00

I said I would post about some more of my cooking endeavors but I haven't been cooking quite as much as I planned. I had hoped to make Lime Chicken a couple weeks ago but then I became very ill for three days, I got busy with other activities, I went out of town for four days, work was crazy... well, you get the idea. Now I am posting about a recipe I tried just this past Monday afternoon. One thing I do frequently during my lunch breaks at work is to read the newspaper. We don't take the paper at home so I catch up on local news and interesting bits a couple times a week at work. And, no, I don't read the paper while I am working. Just on my breaks. :)

We have a particular section of the paper that I enjoy reading called "Wichitalk." It encompasses many different aspects and is primarily geared toward women, though it is not stated as such. Usually there are a couple recipes each week, an interesting featured article, a few columns, the daily comics, and reviews of entertainment venues around town. I have recently been clipping some of the recipes from this section. That is where I found the Lime Chicken recipe and now this one.

This recipe was from the March 3rd edition along with column piece about old-fashioned cooks. The recipe sounded good and fairly simple so I thought I'd give it a try. I remembered that we had several bags of frozen, whole filbert nuts in the freezer. My mom found them on sale at the local grocery store several months back for $0.25 a bag! Needless to say, we stocked up big time.

On to the recipe. I had to make several substitutions or adaptations since we didn't have any white flour on hand and since we have been trying to eat healthier lately.

I will post the original recipe along with my version and explain my rationale for the substitutions.

Viola's Filbert Squares

1/2 cup shortening or softened butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup filbert nuts or pecans, chopped*

*Filberts are another name for hazelnuts

Beat shortening or butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla in a bowl for three minutes. Sift dry ingredients into mixture. Mix thoroughly. Stir in nuts. Pour into greased square baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Lydia's Improved Filbert Squares

1/2 cup real salted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs (farm fresh from friends)
1 teaspoon vanilla (pure vanilla, not extract)
1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup brown rice flour OR you could use all brown rice flour
Leave out the salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup hand-cracked filbert nuts

Cut the sugar in half. You won't notice the difference and it will be much lower in calories. Sugar is usually a "filler" sort of ingredient. It is cheap and easy to add in making things taste better. If you cut the sugar in half you will be able to taste the nuts and the vanilla flavors easier, the real stuff in the recipe.

During the spring and summer months we purchase fresh eggs from families at our church assembly. It is amazing the difference you notice immediately in the color of the yolks. They are such a beautiful, dark orange color-- full of beta carotene. I learned recently that if the eggs have been washed they must be refrigerated but if they have been left unwashed they still have a protective coating that keeps them from bacterial growth. You don't have to refrigerate unwashed eggs but they look nasty until they are washed.

We use real vanilla that came from Mexico. The taste is amazing and it adds a lot to this particular recipe. I have heard controversy as to what is "good" and pure vanilla from Mexico but I am not sure so you will have to check that out for yourself.

I was going to use the white flour this recipe called for but we didn't have any. We mostly use whole wheat flour in our baking, but I was concerned all whole wheat flour would be too heavy for this recipe. My mom mentioned using the brown rice flour to help lighten it up. I tried that and the recipe turned out wonderfully. It still has the benefits of whole wheat over white flour but it was a lighter texture as if I had used white flour. I think using all brown rice flour would work very well too. For those following a gluten-free diet this recipe could work for that. I would not recommend using all whole wheat flour unless you don't mind the heartier, heavy texture in desserts.

About the salt, I completely left it out. I was concerned about the chemistry of the recipe if I left it out, but my mom assured me that in a recipe without yeast it would make no difference in the texture. Sure enough, it turned out great and I didn't miss the taste at all. I used salted butter, but if you use unsalted butter you may want to include the salt.

I already mentioned the filberts, but I would just add that cracking a cup of filberts by hand takes a very long time. Prepare to spend a good half hour doing this if you are cracking nuts by hand. I think that was the bulk of my time spent in making this recipe. My hands were pretty sore afterwards and I thought I might have developed a blister on my palm but thankfully I didn't. I used the old fashioned, squeeze nut-cracker to crack the nuts. The recipe took almost a whole 16 oz. bag.

The taste-testers:

My mother, sister, youngest brother and myself all sampled some of the squares once they were cool enough to eat but still quite warm. Mom and Susanna especially raved about them. Mom commented that they were delectable and tasted like a tea bread. They reminded me somewhat of a heavier shortbread. We all thought it would be a great recipe for versatility. You could add various chopped fruits or nuts and even shredded coconut for variation. I think it would go splendidly with tea or coffee for an afternoon treat. Nathan enjoyed just getting to eat something with real sugar. We all thought the recipe was a definite keeper and one that could be used for a variety of settings. I took a few bars for sharing to my BSF meeting later in the evening. I didn't hear from too many of the ladies but the ones who did comment said they were very good.

Hopefully, you will inspired to try something new, experiment with a favorite recipe or look for ways to make your own recipes healthier after reading this. I am hoping to make that Lime Chicken recipe this weekend so keep reading for a review of that dish.

Looking Well to the Ways of Her Household

2008-03-10T16:24:00.007-05:00

I read this article today on the Boundless Webzine. I thought it provided some helpful considerations for women preparing for marriage along with those who are already married but seeking to transition into being full-time, stay-at-home wives and mothers. This article seems to fit in well with my last post regarding the book Get Married and the conversations occurring in the comments on that post. Hopefully, the article will give several of you more food for thought on how to be preparing for marriage now if you are not yet married. I would venture to guess that the thoughts in this article are along the same line as what Candice Watters has written in her book, Get Married.

Here is a sneak peek into the post:

At times like that, I sometimes just longed for explicit biblical instruction. You know, some verse that would just settle the whole debate: "Thou shalt be a stay-at-home mom" or something like that.

I realized, though, that I was asking the wrong question. Instead of asking for a sign to point me down my specific road, I should look at God's roadmap for motherhood. What did He expect of me? What did He want me to know?

I was already familiar with Titus 2 and Proverbs 31, but now I read them with a different eye. Instead of dismissing them as chauvinistic or as historically isolated (as I was prone to do as a girl-power collegiate), I looked to try to learn what God might be telling all women, including me as a future mother.

At that time, it wasn't so easy to hear. But I found that I was to work hard for my household. I was to love my husband and children. I was to make sure that those under my roof were clothed, fed and instructed. I was to be busy with the work of the home.

Though Proverbs also describes a woman who bought fields, had profitable trade and made garments to sell, there was still the overarching idea that she did these things in the context of her household. Her work enriched her family and her home, it didn't conflict with them.

Check out, Why I'm At Home by Heather Koerner

Tim Challies reviews "Get Married"

2008-03-04T21:27:00.004-06:00

For those of my readers who had heard about the recently published book, "Get Married" by Candice Watters, you may want to check out this review. It is the first review I have seen of the book since it's release last month. The book sounded somewhat interesting to me, but I was wondering if it was worth my time and money to read. I am not one that goes shelling out money for just any old book and if I can read a few reviews first or better yet borrow the book from a friend before I buy, all the better.

Here is an excerpt from the review:

Get Married is a book about living like you’re planning to marry. Watters offers biblical wisdom and hard-won experience to encourage women to live like they wish to marry. She shows that marriage is a good and worthy goal and one that may not be too far off. The book will be a challenge and encouragement to any woman who desires to get married.

I provide this post with a link to Mr. Challies' review as a service to those who are considering reading the book. I have not read it myself so I can't give any just praise or criticism of it's contents.

If you have read this book, feel free to share your thoughts from it.

Cooking in the Fresh

2008-02-21T22:42:00.000-06:00

Well, I've been getting in the mood to do more cooking lately. On Tuesday in the newspaper I saw this fabulous sounding recipe for Lime Chicken like what Applebee's restaurant serves. I clipped the recipe and brought it home. I am looking forward to trying it hopefully this weekend. The newspaper version was purposely made to be lower in fat and calories than what you would order from the restaurant.

This morning I was discussing with Mom what we would be having for dinner this evening. I mentioned I was in the mood for some kind of soup with the weather being so cold and dreary (we received a small amount of snow again today). I thought minestrone sounded good and I had never tried making it before so that is what I made for dinner. Mom helped me some. She graciously chopped the onions. That was so thoughtful of her. I greatly dislike chopping onion. I think I might be more sensitive to it than most people. Even if I am in another room while someone is chopping onions my eyes will begin burning and getting teary. Even today while I was finishing up adding the ingredients to the crockpot my eyes began burning from the cutting board nearby with onion residue. There were NO onions just "juice."

But anyway, back to the minestrone. I scanned many different recipes online before I decided on how I wanted to make my minestrone. I didn't follow a recipe. Mine was a compilation of several different recipes. I thought it turned out alright. It could have used maybe a bit more seasoning. I didn't add any salt so I had to give it some flavor from herbs and other seasonings. I used dried sweet basil, thyme, dried oregano, a couple bay leaves, three fresh pressed garlic cloves, fresh parsley and fresh ground black pepper. I wanted it to have lots of fresh vegetables and a variety of ingredients. All the veggies were fresh except the tomatoes were canned and the tomato paste. We used two different kinds of beans (kidney and garbanzo) that we soaked ahead of time in pots. I learned something new about garbanzos. My mom mentioned that is what hummus is made from. I thought it was made from "chick peas." Well, it is. Garbanzos and chick peas are the same thing. I never knew that before. I can't figure out why but the soup had a mild "metallic" smell and taste after it had cooked awhile. I kept saying "it tastes like iron." The only ingredients that we used from a can were tomato paste and tomato chunks. Maybe it was that little bit that did it. I have know idea, but no one seemed to complain about it. Maybe my sense of taste was just "off." It really smelled more like metal than it tasted of it. However, since both senses are so closely related you can pretty much taste something you are primarily smelling.

Tonight, almost all of us where here to eat as a family except my middle brother. He was still gone for his college classes. My mom had baked fresh French loaves earlier in the day so we had those with our soup. She mixed up some olive oil with seasonings as a "spread" for the fresh bread. It was so incredibly good. I just love her homemade bread. I commented to her that she was really "spoiling" us because she had baked two batches of bread today. She likes to bake bread on extra cold days to keep the house warm. I like her to bake bread at any time.

Other cooking tidbits from today: I sliced some fresh fruit and put it in the freezer this evening to have available for smoothies in the next few days. I cut one mango in chunks and broke apart into pieces two well-ripened bananas. I can't wait to try some new smoothie recipes with the fruit. Mom and Susanna went out to the store and came back with a fresh coconut. Susanna and Nathan had great fun taking turns trying to break into it. They managed to get a good size opening using an ice pick and a hammer. Now we have fresh coconut juice and coconut flesh for more new recipes. I tried some of the fruit and tasted a bit of the juice. It was quite good but not nearly as sweet as I expected. That flaked coconut you buy from the store has lots of added sugar.

What cooking ventures have you tried lately? Sharing them in the comments.

Raw Recipe

2008-02-18T16:05:00.003-06:00

Well, I needed to find something to post to this poor, neglected blog. Lately, life has been busy and full with other concerns besides blogging. But I don't care to get into all that on my blog at this time. So for now, I thought I would give a small glimpse into what I have been doing while sharing a recipe at the same time.

I have been researching raw food recipes since yesterday. A few of my family members have been eating a mostly raw food diet for the last few days. I am trying to be a helpful, contributing family member by doing some research and providing some recipes to help them in their new venture. I've been eating more raw foods myself as well.

This recipe comes from rawfoods.com. It is super easy to make and tastes delicious. I made it just this morning for my breakfast and shared some with a few family members. This smoothie is so sweet that you could almost use it as a dessert after a meal. It is loaded with vitamins and minerals and does not contain any hard to find ingredients unlike some smoothie recipes.

Golden Smoothie

2 ripe kiwi fruit
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup frozen mango fruit (or other frozen fruit chunks)

Peel and cut the two kiwis in pieces. Place in a blender or Vitamix and blend until smooth. Add the banana, orange juice and frozen fruit. Blend all ingredients until smooth. Pour smoothie into a tall glass with a few ice cubes. Makes 2 servings.

A few tips:
I used fresh-squeezed orange juice for my smoothie. You wouldn't have to, but I think it added to the fresh taste of the smoothie. We didn't have enough mango so my frozen fruit was a combination of mango and peach. I used a little less than 1/2 cup but I also added a couple ice cubes directly to the blender to give it some added chill and texture. I used a Vitamix machine to blend my smoothie. I started it on the variable setting in the middle and gradually increased the speed until it was blended thoroughly.

Nutrition FYI:
This recipe is high in the nutrients Vitamin C and B vitamins, and potassium.

Hope you enjoy the smoothie recipe. Everyone in our family who tried it seemed to enjoy it. Let me know if you made it and what you thought of the results.

Glorying in Christ's Peace and Perfection in the Faith

2008-02-14T21:51:00.003-06:00

This evening we sang the following hymn during our family time. It has been quite awhile since I have sung this hymn, but it happens to be one of my favorites. I also thought it fit in perfectly with what Scripture passages I had been meditating on recently. I shared these two passages with my mother the other night. We were able to encourage each other in the Word.

Like A River Glorious
Words by Francis Havergal
Music by James Mountain

Like a river glorious, is God’s perfect peace,
Over all victorious, in its bright increase;
Perfect, yet it floweth, fuller every day,
Perfect, yet it groweth, deeper all the way.

Refrain

Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest
Finding, as He promised, perfect peace and rest.

Hidden in the hollow of His blessed hand,
Never foe can follow, never traitor stand;
Not a surge of worry, not a shade of care,
Not a blast of hurry touch the spirit there.

Refrain

Every joy or trial falleth from above,
Traced upon our dial by the Sun of Love;
We may trust Him fully all for us to do.
They who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true.

Mark 9:23-29

23Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
24And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
25When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
26And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.
27But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.
28And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?
29And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.
(emphasis mine)

John 6:60-71

60Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
62What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
63It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
64But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
65And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
66From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
67Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
68Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
69And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
70Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
71He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.
(emphasis mine)

I hope that by reading these hymns and Scripture passages you who see this may also receive blessing by the encouragement to remain faithful to the Lord even in the midst of afflictions and adversity. I was also greatly blessed to see how it was the Lord who chose His disciples for His purpose. Our salvation in Christ is never dependent on our own efforts. Not from the start and not even to the finish. It is Christ alone who redeems, justifies, purifies, sanctifies and glorifies us according to His eternal purposes. (see Philippians 1:6, 2:13; Hebrews 13:21)

I Can Relate

2008-01-31T12:17:00.000-06:00

I read this post yesterday evening after 2 days in a row of work at the hospital doing what can only be described as "marathon nursing."

The following is an excerpt from the post:

As the intern year has gone on, compassion has been harder to feel, and later, even to fake. Patients mean work, and when your work is this draining and frustrating, the real people behind the mountains of paperwork become frustrating...

...And that was the shock. I realized, despite the bitterness, despite the pain, despite everything that over the last few months has brought so many undesirable characteristics to the fore in my personality, I did care. I'm not sure anyone who hasn't gone through a similar situation can fully understand this. The point of it was, I really did care, I do care, and though I am saddened to know it took something so extreme to remind me of it, I am enheartened that I have been reminded.

I can so relate to the thoughts of this resident physician. I only wish I could muster up enough pleasantness and optimism on the outside to make it seem so. I am praying it through and meditating on the example of Jesus from Matthew 14.

Paul's words seem to express my sentiments the best:

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Romans 7:18-25

Prayers are much appreciated. :)

Three Year Mark

2008-01-18T14:50:00.000-06:00

Three years ago today...
...I passed the state boards to become an RN.

Three years ago last month...
...I graduated from nursing school.

Three years ago this month...
...I "camped out" in a 34 degree house with my grandparents and 2 siblings during a power outage due to an ice storm.

Three years ago last week...
...I started my first full-time nursing job.

Three years ago...
...I began an adventure in learning to trust God and cry out to Him for strength as a nurse.

Praising God for His faithfulness through the years and in the time to come.

Lamentations 3:21-25

This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

Recent Musical Meditations

2008-01-17T23:04:00.000-06:00

I listened to the Holy Holy CD while I was cleaning my room last Saturday. This song, from The Wilds, greatly ministered to me. I hope it blesses some of my readers as well.

Trust Him
Words by Lucy A. Bennet
Music by Mary Lynn Van Gelderen

Trust Him when your soul is burdened with the weight of all its sin;
He will speak the words of pardon, He will make you clean within.
Trust Him when dark doubts assail you, trust Him when your strength is small;
Trust Him, when to simply trust Him seems the hardest thing of all.
Trust in God.

Trust Him for the "grace sufficient" ever equal to your need;
Trust Him always for the answer, when in Jesus' name you plead.
Trust Him when your cares are many; trust Him when your friends are few;
And the time of much temptation is the time to trust Him too.
Trust in God.

Trust Him! He is ever faithful; trust Him for His will is best;
Trust Him for the heart of Jesus is the only place of rest.
Trust Him through the cloud or sunshine, all your cares upon Him cast;
Till the storm of life is over, and the trusting days are past.
Put your trust in God.
Trust in God.

But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God. Psalm 31:14

But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works. Psalm 73:28

They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. Psalm 125:1

He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat. Proverbs 28:25

The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe. Proverbs 29:25

Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Proverbs 30:5

How I Saved (over) $100 in 2007

2008-01-12T02:53:00.000-06:00

Upon Crystal's encouragement, I purposed to write out a list of ways I endeavored to save money last year. This was a wonderful project to reflect on how I saved money and to brainstorm how I can save more money over the course of this year.

Here are 11 ways I saved (over) $100 in 2007:

1) I pack my lunch nearly every time to take to work. I usually put together a bowl of leftover food from dinner the night before or I make myself a sandwich. Occasionally, I will take along a frozen meal such as a Healthy Choice entree I have purchased on sale and with coupons from the grocery store. This still keeps my costs down to around $2.00 per meal. I prefer to eat hot meals for lunch especially during the winter months. This also saves money in regards to future health care costs as I seek to eat lower calorie, lower fat meals that, Lord willing, will spare me from many medical problems that commonly plague most Americans.

2) I cashed in a couple of my CDs and moved the money over to my checking account. On first glance this may sound like a way to lose money, but in actuality it is a greater gain. I did it because my checking account draws more interest than any of my CDs. I earn 6% interest on my checking account each month but only about 4-5% APY on a CD. I do have to make at least 10 electronic transactions per month from my checking account but this is not difficult to accomplish with typical expenses like gasoline, car insurance, buying groceries, and other necessities.

3) I attempted to do more thrift store shopping. I found some wonderful skirts and even a couple of nice blouses through a local, upscale second-hand store. When I am able, I also try to hit the Goodwill "Dollar Days" every few months. This is where I found most of my second-hand skirts that were still in relatively good condition. And yes, each item is about a dollar. $1.10 to be precise. :)

4) I drink water nearly all the time rather than coffee, pop, or expensive beverages. I don't stop by the local Starbucks for coffee before work, as is the typical practice of some, and I don't buy a beverage with my lunch each day. This saves loads of money. My family usually practices foregoing any ordered beverages at a restaurant when we eat out. I DO buy loose tea blends at a local tea shop, but I buy it in bulk and it lasts several months at a time. I partly do this for health reasons and more so during the winter months to keep warm indoors. We keep our thermostat fairly low during the winter months so drinking hot tea and bundling up in flannel blankets helps immensely in staying warm on a chilly day.

5) I shop sale racks and clearance events. I have tried, to the best of my ability, to never purchase something at full price. I look for coupons, sales, clearance racks, and discounts in whatever I am endeavoring to purchase. The only exception is probably buying food at the grocery store or the occasional time I eat out with a friend for lunch when a coupon is not always available.

6) I asked the auto repair place if they offered any types of discounts when I bought four new tires and had some maintenance done on my car a few months back. I was pleasantly surprised when they said they offered a 10% discount to AAA members. I realize it wasn't much, but every little bit helps. It certainly pays to ask about such discounts and it rarely ever causes a problem.

7) I have made it a habit to price compare on items before making a purchase. I am collecting Fiesta dinnerware for my future home and I recently discovered that a nearby antique mall sells several newer pieces from this collection at lower prices than the local department store. After finding this out I made a list of the pieces I was looking for and at what price they were being sold. I bought a few of my pieces at the antique store because they were a better price than the department store. Plus, I saved a little on gas since the antique mall is closer to our home than the department store.

8) For the first time ever I shopped some estate sales in our area. I found a super neat end-table that I purchased the second day of the sale when all items were marked down by 50%. It was in top condition and looks beautiful with the pieces I already have in my bedroom. It has wonderfully versatile function and would perform well for a variety of settings. I paid $37.50 for it and when I asked some friends what it would go for new in a furniture store they guessed between $200-300. It is all hard wood and has a beveled glass table top insert. Although perhaps it sounds somewhat cheap, I even bought one of my Christmas gifts from an estate sale. My dad had seen a workbench he wanted for his shed. I went back and purchased it when my mother told me it was something he had been wanting. I paid about $20 for it. It was in fairly good condition and I knew it was something my dad would appreciate and use. A new bench from a store would cost over $100. I was then able to purchase something else to go along with the workbench as a gift.

9) I try not to impulse buy. If I see something I would like to have I will not buy it at the time I first saw it. Instead I wait a few days or weeks and if I still really want it or feel that I need it I will go back and purchase it. I also ask my parents about certain purchases (mostly more costly purchases) before I go ahead with them.

10) I had a fabulous summer vacation in Texas with a friend for a very reasonable price. My friend, Natalie, and I spent a week in Texas visiting friends, shopping, touring a ministry's headquarters, and serving families for under $100 each! We took Natalie's car (which had excellent gas mileage), we stayed in fellow believer's homes the entire week and we took food we had either prepared or purchased from the grocery store ahead of time to save on costs. Consequently, I needed to learn to drive a car with a manual transmission before we could embark on our excursion, but that was relatively simple with Natalie's expert driving instruction. :) We did eat out a few times which included a quaint tea room in an antique mall and buying some exotic fruit and fresh ground almond butter at the Whole Foods Market in Austin. My total cost for the trip was a bit more than Natalie's since I did some of my Christmas shopping while we were there and I had brought along some purchased gifts for the families with whom we stayed. With those added expenses my total probably came closer to $180.

11) What else can you get from the bank besides money or a loan? Would you believe free tea bags? This is one other way I save money. Our local bank just a few blocks from our house has complimentary Starbucks coffee and Tazo tea bags. Each time I stop in to cash a check or make a business transaction I pick up one free tea bag. Over time I have accumulated quite a collection of wonderful Tazo tea varieties. Tazo tea is not the most economical on the market, so I love being able to pick up a tea bag during each bank visit. I think a box of 18-20 bags runs about $4-5 at the local grocery store. I store my tea collection in a small wooden caddy on my new end table. I also enjoy being able to set out a few of these tea bags whenever we have house guests or visitors.

Living frugally can actually be a fun challenge to those who view it that way. It opens up doors to use money in other ways for ministry or helping others and it frees people from needless debt and burdens about the future. My grandma (Dad's mother) used to like making a game out of how much money she could save. It was a fun challenge for her to stretch her family's budget. She made all her children's clothing (including suits and coats), looked for good buys, collected aluminum cans to cash in, and worked hard for the things that were important to her and the family.

What ways do you routinely save money while still being generous and having a fruitful life? I would love to hear your ideas. Do you have any goals set up or ideas to save money this new year?

The Wonder of Seasonings

2007-12-24T09:25:00.000-06:00

The Christmas season makes me think of cooking, baking, and eating wonderful food. The other day I was reminded of some of my favorite cooking seasonings and flavors. I thought it would be fun to make a list of these items and have my readers share their favorite seasonings. I hope it will inspire you to try out some new recipes with your favorite flavors and to share your best ideas for using them in recipes.

Italian Basil~ chopped into freshly made pesto for pasta
Cardamom~ ground and mixed with other spices for Chai mix or added to Indian cuisine
Chives~ snipped fresh and blended in dips, salads, and soups
Cilantro~ chopped and mixed into guacamole
Cumin~ generously blended into fajita mixture or Indian dishes
Fresh garlic~ minced and added to just about anything: cole slaw, marinades, fajitas, and stir-fry
Fresh ginger~ diced or grated and stir-fried with veggies for Chinese egg rolls or added to Indian dishes
Rosemary~ sprinkled liberally with other seasonings on chicken breasts for grilling, added to stuffing with sage and thyme
Tarragon~ fresh leaves placed atop chicken on sandwiches or dried leaves mixed into chicken salad
Tumeric~ sprinkled in Indian curries to give it a lovely golden color and a touch of pizazz

There is just something amazing about twisting the lid open from one of these flavorings or slicing into it fresh and breathing in deeply of the aroma. It transports one to distant lands, other times and diverse cultures.

So what are your favorite seasonings and spices for cooking? How do you use them? What do they remind you of as you breath in their distinct aromas?

A New Christmas Hymn

2007-12-16T18:25:00.000-06:00

It has been a great source of delight over the last two Christmas seasons to introduce a new Christmas carol to my readers of this blog. This Christmas, the new carol I learned is not so much of a carol as it is of a hymn. And, it could even be considered a hymn that is not necessarily written for Christmas, although the concept of that first Christmas in Bethlehem is clearly referenced. With that in mind, how would Christmas at Renewed Day by Day be complete without a new Christmas carol for my readers to enjoy! Well, it wouldn't be. Therefore, I present a new hymn for your consideration this Christmas season.

Back in October, one of our music leaders at church introduced this song to the assembly. He prefaced it by saying he enjoyed singing Christmas songs all year long (and indeed we should). While it was wonderful to sing a new hymn and reflect on its words it was even more wonderful to come across the very same hymn the following week during our opening assembly time in BSF. You wouldn't believe my surprise as the familiar melody rang in my ears. I was especially pleased that I had heard the song once before so that now I could sing along more easily with the other children's leaders and students in BSF. So, what is this mysterious hymn that most of you have probably never heard?

Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne
Words by Emily E. Elliot
Music by Timothy R. Matthews

Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown,
When Thou camest to earth for me;
But in Bethlehem’s home was there found no room
For Thy holy nativity.

Refrain

O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.

Heaven’s arches rang when the angels sang,
Proclaiming Thy royal degree;
But of lowly birth didst Thou come to earth,
And in great humility.

Refrain

The foxes found rest, and the birds their nest
In the shade of the forest tree;
But Thy couch was the sod, O Thou Son of God,
In the deserts of Galilee.

Refrain

Thou camest, O Lord, with the living Word,
That should set Thy people free;
But with mocking scorn and with crown of thorn,
They bore Thee to Calvary.

Refrain

When the heav’ns shall ring, and the angels sing,
At Thy coming to victory,
Let Thy voice call me home, saying “Yet there is room,
There is room at My side for thee.”

My heart shall rejoice, Lord Jesus,
When Thou comest and callest for me.

Philippians 2:5-11

5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Related: Christmas Carols from past years
2006- Brightest and Best

2005- O, Sing a Song of Bethlehem

A Picture of God's Grace to His Children

2007-12-14T09:34:00.000-06:00

I just read this beautiful post from Tim Challies entitled, "Delighting in Delight." It reminded me of a somewhat similar Christmas I experienced as a child many years ago. I meant to share my own Christmas recollections last year, but never got around to it. It is basically ready to post soon, so look for it here in the next few days. In the meantime, read Tim's touching post that captures the true essence of Christmas through the eyes of a child.

Here is a small glimpse to spark your interest:

"I think there is a lesson in my son’s behavior and it’s one I see time and time again. It’s a lesson about grace—free grace. As sinful humans grace is so foreign to us that we so often get it wrong. So often, I realize, I have been just like my son, attempting to repay God for His gifts. I attempt to provide good works as repayment for mercy. God gives us grace as a gift and does not expect us to repay Him for it. As with myself when looking at my son, God’s satisfaction is not in our attempts to repay Him, but in seeing our heartfelt delight as we rejoice in His free gift."

Related: Check out John Piper's book, "Future Grace" for more insight into God's grace given to us as believers.

A Christmas Carol quiz

2007-12-13T16:54:00.000-06:00

Last year I devoted several posts to testing my reader's knowledge of various Christmas carols. This year, I found this quiz from the Chicago Tribune and I thought I would share it with my readers.

I scored an 84% on the quiz. I have to point out that of the four questions I missed, all were based on secular carols. :) So I did pretty good in the sacred Christmas Carol category.

Christmas Carols happen to be one of my favorite things about the Christmas Season. This coming weekend we will be going out with two separate groups to carol families and individuals who are needing some special encouragement at this time. Next Wednesday, our local church assembly is hosting it's annual Christmas party and fellowship. I will be singing the song, "Mary Did You Know" with a group of ladies along with a solo Christmas carol. I haven't decided which one yet. Too many favorites to choose from!

For those who missed my Christmas Carol quizzes from last year, here are the two I made up.

#1: Christmas Carol Activity

#2: Christmas Carol Activity Part II

Here are the answers to Part I of the quiz.

Enjoy the quizzes. Feel free to share your scores and answers in the comments section.

From the Bookshelf

2007-11-12T12:28:00.000-06:00

I have been trying to incorporate more reading into my daily habits of late. I thought some of you might enjoy seeing what I have been reading most recently.

1) Biblical Foundations for Manhood and Womanhood edited by Wayne Grudem
I enjoyed a brief conversation about the content in this book with a dear friend during breakfast a few weeks back. She had been reading Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood which I also purchased at the same time during Desiring God's $5 book sale back in June. A fabulous read and one that greatly assisted in helping me develop a biblical understanding of manhood and womanhood. This is one I would highly recommend for any Christian to read, both male and female, early on in their Christian walk. I have one chapter remaining in this book. I got a bit bogged down with the Greek in chapter 5 from Wayne Grudem because I know very little Greek other than the alphabet and a few words similar to the Latin roots.

2) God's Plan for Victory- The Meaning of Postmillennialism by R. J. Rushdoony.
This is the first work by Rushdoony I have ever attempted to read. It is a rather short book so hopefully I will have it read within a week or so. I didn't get around to reading it at the youth symphony yesterday as I was having too much fun visiting with family and friends (BEFORE not during the concert mind you). I am still formulating my thoughts in regards to this book. I thought some of it was helpful. Thanks to C.S. Hayden for loaning it to me from his ever-growing library. Now, who would have guessed that C.S. had Rushdoony books on his shelves?! ;) *wink*

3) The above are in addition to my continued study of Matthew's Gospel in depth through Bible Study Fellowship. I think most of you already knew I had been studying Matthew.

Feel free to share what you have been studying, reading, and learning of late. Any book recommendations? Send them my way also.

Question for Discussion

2007-11-12T12:09:00.000-06:00

Well, I am trying something a little different here at Renewed Day by Day. I have decided to open up the floor for a discussion on a topic of my choosing.

Here is the question for discussion:

Should Christians invite non-Christians into the Church?

What provoked this question? Yesterday, during lunch, our family was sitting around with several others from our local church assembly having some pleasant conversation. Somehow this questions was raised by one of the women in the group. I thought it was a worthwhile question to ponder and the correct response might shock you. (Ahem. Yes. There IS a correct response.)

I plan to post my own thoughts pertaining to this at a later time. For now the floor (comments section) is open for discussion.

A few guidelines before we begin:

1) I am mostly interested in a biblical response to this question so if you are going to respond I would like to hear your thoughts based on Scriptural principles and passages. Keep the whole teaching of Scripture in mind as you reflect on this. Don't go pulling out verses here and there to try supporting your personal view. And while thoughts from Church fathers and historians may be pertinent in this discussion, I am primarily interested in a Biblical response to this. I will probably approve comments anyway if you do quote from the Church fathers or historians, Bible teachers, etc.

2) I capitalized the word Church on purpose to signify the whole of God's people; not a physical building but the Body of Christ. His members joined to him through faith in his atoning work on the cross.

3) Please keep all comments free from slander, name-calling, disrespect and general uncharitable behavior. I reserve the right to delete/not approve any comments I deem not fit for this discussion. I will leave comment moderation enabled at this time.

Okay! Enjoy the discussion.

$5 book from Desiring God!

2007-11-07T05:44:00.000-06:00

I received an e-mail notice a couple days ago that Desiring God Ministries is once again offering the $5 price on books. This time it is on one book in particular. The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World looks to be an excellent read for understanding our culture in light of God's infallible, divinely-inspired Word. So, if you haven't already head over and check it out!

The book is edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor and includes contributions by six tremendous pastor-theologians: John Piper, Voddie Baucham, D. A. Carson, Tim Keller, Mark Driscoll, and David Wells.

May I also strongly encourage you to consider making an additional donation to this very worthy ministry. $5 for a book is hardly anything and I am sure God would use your gift to continue making these resources available to others who truly cannot afford the small price.

Don't put it off! This great sale lasts only through Friday, November 9th.

You can also read the book online!

Living and Active

2007-11-05T14:47:00.000-06:00

After over a month away from the world of blogging, I am ready to re-enter this realm; hopefully with renewed vigor, purpose, and vision.

What better way to return to blogging than with a post dedicated to the Sword of the Spirit which is living, active, and sharper than any two-edged sword. (see Ephesians 6:17 & Hebrews 4:12) With this in mind, here are a few Scripture passages that I have been meditating on lately:

Psalm 27:4-14
4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.

5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.

7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.

9 Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.

10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.

11 Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.

12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.

13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Proverbs 31:10-13, 16-17, 30-31
10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

11The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Matthew 6:25-34
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Matthew 7:7-12
7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

James 1:19-25
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

I am so blessed to have God's Holy Word readily available to me for study and meditation. I pray, by God's grace, that I take James' words to heart as I seek to be not only a hearer of the Word but also a doer of the Word.

What Scriptures passages have you been reading and meditating on of late?

In Remembrance

2007-09-11T15:15:00.000-05:00

Higher Ways

Words and Music by Steven Curtis Chapman

If I could only fly
I'd go up and look down from the sky
So I could see the bigger picture
And Lord if I could sit with You
At Your feet for an hour or two
I'm sure I'd ask too many questions
'Cause there's so much going on down here
That I must confess I just don't understand

BRIDGE
But I have prayed
At Your feet my whole life has been laid
So I won't worry I won't be afraid
'Cause my soul is resting on Your higher ways
Let the road ahead become unclear
I am Yours so what I have I to fear
If my soul is resting on Your higher ways

CHORUS
Your higher ways teach me to trust You
Your higher ways are not like mine
Your higher ways are the ways of a Father
Hiding His children in His love

BRIDGE
So let it rain
And if my eyes grow dim with tears of pain
This hope I have will not be washed away
'Cause my soul is resting on Your higher ways

Someday I will fly
Maybe then You will take me aside
And show me the bigger picture
But until I'm with You
I'll be here with a heart that is true
And a soul that's resting on
Your higher ways

In memory of the victims of the 9-11 terrorists' attacks on
New York City and Washington, DC in 2001.

May God's grace and peace rest upon those who put there trust in Him.

Isaiah 55:8-9
Psalm 27:1-7

May the Mind of Christ My Savior

2007-08-27T19:14:00.000-05:00

This is a new hymn I was introduced to last year through BSF. We sang it again this past Saturday during the BSF training workshop. It greatly ministered to my heart and I hope it blesses those who read and sing it.

Words by Kate B. Wilkinson and Music by Arthur C. Barham-Gould

May the mind of Christ, my Savior,
Live in me from day to day,
By His love and power controlling
All I do and say.

May the Word of God dwell richly
In my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph
Only through His power.

May the peace of God my Father
Rule my life in everything,
That I may be calm to comfort
Sick and sorrowing.

May the love of Jesus fill me
As the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing,
This is victory.

May I run the race before me,
Strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus
As I onward go.

May His beauty rest upon me,
As I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel,
Seeing only Him.

Here are some of Scripture references I found that are alluded to in the lyrics:

1 Corinthians 2:16

Philippians 2:5

Colossians 3:15-16

Hebrews 12:1,2

Psalm 90:17

What other Scriptures can you find in the words?

Random Happenings

2007-08-04T22:55:00.000-05:00

I thought I would share a few updates on what I have been doing over the last several weeks. This will in no way be an exhaustive post. To read more about our family's activities from the past two weekends, visit Caleb's blog and read his three most recent posts with photos.

One thing I purposed to do this month was to read through the entire book of Matthew. I will again be participating in teaching children through the BSF international program. This year we will be covering the book of Matthew starting in mid-September and running concurrently with the school year through mid-May. I have greatly enjoyed my past 2 1/2 years of involvement in BSF and look forward to future years as either a student of the Word myself or part of the leadership team in teaching children. I think the study of Matthew will be one of the most eye-opening and instructive in regards to Jesus' life and teaching. I have already been struck by many thoughts as I have read through the Beatitudes of Matthew 5 and Jesus' teaching on end-times events (or the eschaton) from Matthew 24. I hope to be challenged, stretched, and built up in my faith through this wonderful time of personal study and sharing God's word with children.
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In addition to reading and reflecting on God's word, I have been busy about practical matters related to daily living. I have been trying out some new recipes including a couple of my own invention for two separate chicken marinades. My gratitude goes to the Serven Clan for sharing their very tasty recipe for basil pesto with pasta. I have made this dish twice now including once for a ladies' gathering with our local church assembly.
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Also in the area of practical matters, one of my wonderful friends took me out for driving lessons after the Busenitz wedding a few weekends ago.

I had never learned to drive a vehicle with a manual transmission and this seemed like the most opportune time to learn. Natalie not only sat in the passenger seat while I drove around town through some fairly heavy traffic, but she even let me borrow her car for several days to drive on my own, back and forth to work. Wow! Now, that is some generous, trusting friend! I didn't do too badly. Some of my starts from intersections were a bit lurching. It took me awhile to learn that first gear and third gear appear very similar in position so I'd better double check before letting off the clutch. :) My father was also a tremendous help in coaching me along during a few practice sessions.
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In reflecting over the last few weeks, I have had some very interesting conversations with various people on diverse topics. One of which was with a former radiology technologist from the Annapolis Naval academy who had performed echocardiograms on both Presidents Bush Sr. and Clinton. I never knew Bush Sr. had chronic a-fib during his presidency. This was one interesting thing I learned from the conversation. I tend to have many unusual and intriguing conversations with people from my work place whether they be co-workers, patients, or family of patients.

I had my yearly eye exam last week and am happy to say that my eyes continue to maintain peak functioning without contact lenses or glasses. Other than a bit of slight near-sightedness, I have 20/20 vision. I can only attribute that to God's goodness and His provision of quality genetic material. Not to mention my parents' contribution. Thanks, Mom and Dad. :)
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Last weekend when I was out shopping with Mom for my grandfather's birthday gift, we stopped in a large department store. I wanted to look at the Fiesta dinnerware dishes to see if there was anything I could add to my collection. Boy oh boy, was there! They were running a sale for place settings in buying four and getting one free. Well, it just so happened that of all the current colors (with the exception of white and black) available at the store there were exactly five colors that I did not yet have. So I bought one place setting of four colors and got the last one for free. Now, I have eleven, 5-piece place settings each of a different color for my collection. They will look so fun mixed together.

If you are not familiar with Fiesta Dinnerware, you may recognize them once you see some pictures. They have been manufactured by the Homer Laughlin China company for over seventy years. I love them because they are dishwasher safe, oven and microwave safe, good quality, durable and affordably priced. They work well for casual or more formal occasions in table settings. The design is simple yet elegant and is patterned off of the art deco style. These were not the actual colors I bought. I just happened to already have these photos edited and saved in my collection for blog pictures.

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The last event that sticks out in my mind from the last several weeks was when I got to practice my nursing skills and critical thinking with a family member. My brother, Nathan, sliced his hand by accident with a utility knife one evening. Although nothing terribly serious, it did produce a goodly amount of blood. Enough so that it got my adrenaline running for a bit as I tended to the wound. This resulted in: a call to my parents (who were out having dinner) hunting for the ER location where our health insurance would fully cover the medical bill, a nearly three hour visit to the nearby ER and finally returning home exhausted but relieved it was not a more serious injury.

Friday evening of last week I was able to put my nursing skills to the test at home once more as I removed the four sutures from Nathan's hand.

It was not a difficult undertaking other than when Nathan was pretending he was going to faint while I was removing the sutures. :) What a face!

He seems to be healing quite nicely despite being somewhat careless while the sutures were in place. I had to get after him a bit when he decided it wouldn't hurt to submerge his wrapped hand in a swimming pool at a family's home last week. That is my job, after all, being a nurse and an older sister. :) Thankfully, no harm seemed to have come to the swimming pool-submerged hand.

So, those are the recent happenings that are most prominent in my mind from the last three or so weeks. I will not be blogging for a few weeks as I have much preparation for BSF and will be out of state for a bit with friends. Check back for a final post before my sabbatical from blogging.

New Modest Clothing Source

2007-08-02T22:24:00.000-05:00

I have recently come across a wonderful, family-operated business dealing in modest, fashionable clothing for women at Christa-Taylor.com.

Although, not all the styles appeal to my personal taste, I think the concept behind the clothing presented is wonderful. Part of my reason in bringing this unique site to your attention is for a special contest sponsored by Christa-Taylor.com and the sponsoring blog Lessons from the Scrapbook Page.

You have the opportunity to win a $150 shopping spree for any clothing from Christa-Taylor.com through the Make A Wish Contest running now through September 1, 2007. I found many feminine and modest skirts that I liked from the site. Although, I have never ordered from them, it seems from the wonderful testimonials and at least one person I know who did order, that the clothing is well-made, beautiful, and exceptionally unique.

Here are a few items from my wishlist:

1) Red and White Embroidery Skirt

2) Brown Eyelet Skirt

3) Crystal Flower Headband

4) Long Beach Bermuda Shorts

5) White Eyelet Skirt

To enter the contest to win a free $150 value shopping spree, follow these easy steps:

1) Visit the site to select your favorite items to add to your own wishlist. You can easily add an item you like by clicking on the Wishlist link on each page showing an item.

2) Once you have selected an item you will need to set up an account to create your Wishlist. This is very easy to do but you must enter your name, address, e-mail and create a password to access your account.

3) After you have created your entire wishlist, post the link on the sponsoring blog's site to be entered in the contest. You should post it in the comments section and include a note about the Christa-Taylor site, if you wish.

4) Lastly, post something about the contest on your own blog or website. This is optional, but a great way to spread the word to other young women looking for stylish, modest clothing. As seen above, the Christa-Taylor site offers banners and posters for your blog to advertise the contest.

That's all there is to it. You can be part of the revolution, or perhaps a better word would be the "rebelution," of daring to dress modestly and femininely in a secular culture of dressing "cheaply" and with foolish indiscretion.

I don't know about you, but I think most of us need all the assistance and helpful pointers we can find for discovering sources for fashionable, yet modest and tasteful clothing.

Some of you may have heard about Wendy Shalit's latest book, "Girls Gone Mild," that has been mentioned on many blogs and forums. I don't know much about the book other than what I have read, but the admonitions toward dressing tastefully and discretely is certainly something to be encouraged. I am not endorsing the book nor recommending that you agree with everything it presents, but it may be worth a closer look at the concepts it contains. For a few other people's perspectives on the book, check out these sources:

Crystal's Blog

Tim Challies

Carolyn McCulley

Film Review: A Journey Home

2007-07-25T22:54:00.000-05:00

Recently, I enjoyed an evening viewing a wonderfully, family-friendly film. A Journey Home, produced by Franklin Springs Family Media, is the delightful true-life account of the Waller family from Russell Creek, TN. Narrated by the Waller's eldest son, then eighteen-year-old Brayden Waller, this warm-hearted story gives a glimpse into the quiet, faithful life of the Wallers as they interact with their neighbors and community at large in Russell Creek.

Incorporating interviews from various family members and acquaintances of the Waller family, the viewer is taken on a journey from the Waller's beginnings in fast-paced, hectic Nashville to their new lifestyle of gentler, slower farm life near an Amish/Mennonite community. While watching the film I began to sense the Waller's heartbeat for a deep, abiding faith in God and a tender, genuine love for family.

Upon receiving a new direction by God, Tommy Waller moves his wife and four boys to the rural area of Russell Creek to take up organic farming and the simple Amish way of life. Through the years they add three other boys and four girls to their family and form many beautiful friendships with those in their community. They set an example to all around them of hard-work, discipline, faith in God, and love for their fellow man. Mrs. Sherri Waller is a faithful example of love, joy, respectful service and motherly concern toward her family. In Mr. Tommy Waller's own words, his vision is "to ready the family for whatever God has for us." His faithfulness in teaching his children from Scripture and working alongside them in farm labor is a wonderful picture of a father's faith and love for his family.

There are many delightful film clips and photos of the family working together, singing together, selling vegetables at the market and reading Scripture as a family. One of my favorite aspects of the film was the uplifting variety of music--bluegrass sung to guitars and violins, a cappella, monophonic sound of the Old Amish, and lively strains of Messianic Hebrew music. The girls of the family practice steps from Davidic dance in the living room while the sounds of a male, Hebrew singer can be heard in the background.

As the film progresses, the viewer begins to understand why the Waller family was called to leave their comfortable, prosperous life in Nashville for the small farming community of Russell Creek. Mr. Waller believes God has called their family to move to Israel to minister to the Jewish people through farming alongside them and forming friendships with the people in the area to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. By faith and trust in God's provision, the Wallers have chosen to follow God's direction for them in this new venture. The film closes with a few clips of their family and friends sharing how they see God's leading for the family in this direction. It includes actual footage from Israel during their first visit to establish relationships with the people.

If you enjoy inspiring, well-told stories of family harmony, faith in God, and love for people, you will be blessed by this beautiful film from Franklin Springs Family Media.

As to the quality of the film itself, I am not well-versed in the aspects of film production, but from what I saw of the film it was well put together, with fitting music, a good variety of footage, and well-executed cinematography.

Buy this wonderful, quality film for your family to enjoy together for many years to come.

To learn more about Franklin Springs Family Media, visit their website.

Candid reflections on Getting Serious About Getting Married: Part IV

2007-07-20T18:38:00.000-05:00

This is my last post in the series for my Getting Serious About Getting Married book review. My apologies for taking so long to wrap up this series. I had to employ a bit more introspection on this post and thinking from Scripture to be sure what I shared was really the truth from the Word. Here, now, are my conclusions regarding the ideas in this book.
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Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter...

I have found that as I am focusing on the Lord and the tasks He has called me to that I have great joy and fulfillment. My fulfillment certainly does not come from working as a nurse, earning and storing up money, acquiring things for myself or any such worldly pursuits. It comes from following the Lord, Jesus through the guidance and counsel of my parents and delighting in the truth of His word. These are what I see as my duty and delight as an unmarried woman in Christ. The following is a short list of five ways I believe unmarried women can be preparing and encouraging those around them toward godly marriages in the Lord's timing.

1) Pray fervently and without ceasing. Pray for all aspects of your marriage. To whom it will be, the timing of the relationship, the details, your parents involvement, his parents' blessing, etc.

2) Prepare yourself. Think about everything required to be a wife and mother. Work at these with all your heart. Discuss with your parents the areas you need to improve and how to get there.

3) Promote marriage by the way you act and words you say. Don't go around talking about marriage all the time, but don't be afraid to make it known that you hope to marry some day. Speak highly of it to others around you. Honor the godly marriages you observe in your church and community.

4) Pursue opportunities to be serving the Lord and others. This will prepare you to serve your own family someday while blessing yourself and others in the present. Whether you marry or not, developing a servant's spirit and a love for others will carry you far in any ministry the Lord may give you.

5) Practice contentment. Contrary to what many believe, it is a conscious decision and not a feeling based on circumstances. "For I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all thing through Christ which strengtheneth me" Philippians 4:11-13. One can learn to be content in whatever circumstances one finds oneself. Contentment is a commitment one makes through faith in God's promises and provision to His people. "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: For he hath said, 'I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.' So that we may boldly say, 'The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me'" Hebrews 13:5-6.

Ultimately, it is not about what age you are when you marry or how long you had to wait to get there, but rather what you did with the years God gave you as an unmarried person for the Lord's glory and honor. As believers, the entire course of our lives must be lived for Him; not just those years when we are married and begin families of our own. God desires faithfulness and obedience as a life-long commitment out of love for Him.

In conclusion, I would encourage those who are at the point they could marry and who have a mature faith in Christ to read this sobering, practical, needful book. I don't believe this is a book for just anyone to read, and I wouldn't recommend it for people still in high school or younger. In addition, I think it could cause greater struggles for some who deal with bitterness and discontentment over not being married. Sadly, this is probably the audience most likely to pick up this book. Even with its faults and inadequacies, you will gain much from looking deeper into its pages. It has drastically shifted my paradigm of the marriage relationship and how to arrive at it in a godly, glorious manner. I hope all who read it will be able to receive something instructive, meaningful, and lasting towards life change.

If you are so inclined, you can read other's thoughts from the book in these postings:

Kara A's book review from her Biblio-file blog.

Sherrin's overview of the book in Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

Brandy from Afterthoughts has a whole slew of posts related to reviewing this book. Her blog has recently become one of my new favorites. And to think, I found it by searching for reviews of "Getting Serious..." on Google!
1) Rethinking the "Gift" of Singleness
2) Lack of Male Leadership as a Root Cause of Singleness
3) More on Four
4) The Effects of Education and Independence on Singleness
5) "Jesus is My Husband" Singleness
6) Protracted Singleness and Rampant Promiscuity
7) Defining Terms
8) Maken's Plan of Action
9) Inspiring Those Men
And you all thought MY series was entirely too long! :)

For the guys who want a man's perspective of the book, check out:
Aaron's thoughts and tidbits of insight into the book.

Another of my favorite "big-time bloggers," Tim Challies, gives his thoughts on the book.

A super helpful look at the book with it's inadequacies in two parts by Farmer Tom.

You can also check into other posts of mine in regards to marriage:

Marriage: Goal or Calling?

Marriage on the Brain

Just to get the cogs turning.

Any further thoughts of the book or general ideas presented?

Two Musicians Unite in Holy Matrimony

2007-07-18T22:19:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, I had the great joy and pleasure of witnessing the marriage vows between two Godly, young people. Daniel Busenitz wedded Rebecca Chaney in a exuberant ceremony on July 14th.

I don't have time or space to share of all the glorious details and God-orchestrated circumstances. You will have to be content with a few photos from the rehearsal Friday night and wedding on Saturday afternoon. Yours truly sang soprano in an eight member ensemble along with Natalie, Kara A. and a few others.

Here a group of young people gather for conversation at Rebecca and Dan's rehearsal dinner, Friday evening. Pictured from L to R: Caleb, Doug Pearce, Nathan, Natalie W., Kara A., and yours truly.

The one aspect that set this wedding apart from most others I have attended was the quality and quantity of music in the ceremony. Rebecca and/or Dan wrote four original compositions to be used during the wedding ceremony for the ensemble, processional, photo presentation, and during the lighting of the unity candle.

The two families sang a stunning a cappella rendition of a Scriptural blessing to the new couple after their vows had been taken.

The location was a quaint, old-fashioned church in rural Kansas. Inside, the sanctuary was adorned with white tulle, brightly colored flowers and baskets of arranged flowers.

A picturesque, country church.

The adorned bride during the pre-ceremony wedding shoot.

The ceremony was a glorious celebration of family, faith, friendship and fiddling. Yep, I said fiddling. Rebecca chose eight lovely ladies as bridesmaids who each had been personally taught by Rebecca to play the violin over the last several years. Four of those bridesmaids were her younger sisters.

Even Rebecca's youngest, six-year-old sister was up on the platform with all the rest keeping the tempo and notes superbly.

Charity, the flower girl.

The bride and her joyful parents.

I don't think the ceremony would have been complete without the two families singing together in such varied selections as, "This is the Day," "I Know That He is Faithful," and "Benediction." The brothers joined together for a rousing, bluegrass rendition of "Wedding Music" by Kirk Talley and Phil Cross.

The groomsmen brothers rehearse during Friday afternoon.

And what could be more appropriate for the happy couple to be showered with than small bags of wheat kernels in honor of Dan's occupation as a wheat farmer.

All seven brothers of the couple joined in to decorate the getaway car. Notice the brightly colored neck-ties knotted around the car's antenna. Each of the groomsmen had a different colored tie with their matching black suits.

Those of you who read my college series from last summer may remember a contribution by a young woman who had chosen to forgo her continuation of college to more fully minister to her family and local church assembly. That young woman was Rebecca Chaney. God has blessed her richly as she has continued to follow the path He had led her to in music ministry.

Amen, Praise the Lord!

2007-07-15T22:32:00.000-05:00

He Brought Me Out

Words by Henry J. Zelley and Music by Henry L. Gilmour

My heart was distressed ’neath Jehovah’s dread frown,
And low in the pit where my sins dragged me down;
I cried to the Lord from the deep miry clay,
Who tenderly brought me out to golden day.

Refrain

He brought me out of the miry clay,
He set my feet on the Rock to stay;
He puts a song in my soul today,
A song of praise, hallelujah!

He placed me upon the strong Rock by His side,
My steps were established and here I’ll abide;
No danger of falling while here I remain,
But stand by His grace until the crown I gain.

Refrain

He gave me a song, ’twas a new song of praise;
By day and by night its sweet notes I will raise;
My heart’s overflowing, I’m happy and free.
I’ll praise my Redeemer, who has rescued me.

Refrain

I’ll sing of His wonderful mercy to me,
I’ll praise Him till all men His goodness shall see;
I’ll sing of salvation at home and abroad,
Till many shall hear the truth and trust in God.

Refrain

I was thinking of this hymn today. We sang it a few weeks back during the worship service. By my estimation, it is right up there with Hail, Sovereign Love by it's powerful message. It seems to me, the second stanza refers to the believer's eternal security in Christ after conversion. You can't get much more Gospel saturated than this for a hymn. Does anyone else sing this hymn in their church congregation?

Psalm 40:1-4
I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet on a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

Project Parenting vs. Relational Parenting

2007-07-14T23:02:00.000-05:00

Today, I was thinking about a recent conversation I had with my mother. We were discussing the differences between people who are project oriented vs. people who are people oriented.

I shared the observation with my mom that I see project-oriented women as tending to be good mothers to babies and young children. After all, young children require much time and training. They need constant attention and oversight by their parents. In contrast, people-oriented women, in general, tend to be better mothers to older children. They enjoy the counseling, nurturing, interacting part of parenting teenagers and young adults.

I tend to take after my mother in this regard by being more oriented to people rather than projects. It is interesting as I think on this. In the BSF children's program I naturally tend to gravitate to the older children or teenagers. I was working mostly with the younger grades this past year and I will continue to do so as I am too young to be a leader for the junior high and high school aged children. But given the choice, I would probably choose to teach the junior high aged group. My own mother taught 4th grade at a private, Christian school up until the time she married. I think she loved this age group because they were more interactive and able to carry on a conversation than Kindergarteners or 1st graders. She is definitely more relational than project oriented. She genuinely enjoys people and interacting with them in meaningful ways.

This is not to say that I dislike babies or young children. I enjoy them also and hold them occasionally at church. But my natural inclination is to spend time with grade school or older children.

If you really think about it, training young children is like taking on a huge, long-term project. In the beginning you must do everything for them including meeting their basic needs and protecting them from harm. It is like carrying out an overwhelming task while trying to make some meaningful sense of what you are doing in the process. Everything you do involves planning, organizing, managing and following through to be sure your "project" reaches the desired outcome. As they mature and progress, children are more readily able to develop intentional relationships with those around them including their parents. As a mother of an older child you begin to understand how your child thinks, what is important to him or her, where he or she may end up as an adult and all the amazing individualities that make up a unique human being. You are in more of a counseling, listening, advising, and guiding role to this child.

I think my relational tendencies partly are what drew me to the field of nursing. I also enjoy science, especially biological science. However, I think I would go mad being cooped up in a lab all day carrying out research and analyzing data. Nursing gives me the opportunity to interact with people while using science in a practical manner to meet peoples' needs directly. That is not to say that I always enjoy being around all people. Some of the patients I have taken care of in the past have made me feel like running from the room and out of the building! Of course, this is neither helpful nor advisable. In these cases I pray for wisdom, take a deep breath, and carry on with what needs done.

So these are my thoughts in regards to the relationship between parenting and how people are oriented in their motivations. Feel free to share your own thoughts.

The Biking Adventure Continues

2007-07-12T21:14:00.000-05:00

After riding bikes with Nathan last Thursday, I found that my front tire was not holding air. Nathan said he would help me repair it when I had a day off. So this past Monday morning we set about to discover the source of the air leakage.

Nathan is incredibly handy with tools and repair jobs. Much more than I expected he would be and especially so for his age. He knew exactly what to do to find the leak. After loosening the wheels from the bike frame, I pulled off the wheel and pried loose the tire. I had asked my dad the night before how to repair the leak. He gave some simple instructions and said I should look the rest up on the Internet. Well, Nathan beat me to it. He found a site with full-color illustrations and step-by-step instructions for repairing a flat bike tire.

Anyway, back to the process. Once we took the wheel off the bike and pulled the inner tube from the tire, Nathan filled a large, metal bucket with water to find the hidden hole. The perplexing situation was that there didn't seem to be any air leakage from the tire. There were no streams of air bubbles and no sound of leaking air. Puzzled, Nathan and I drove over to the nearby gas station to air up the inner tube, thus to get a better idea of the problem. Our portable bike pump seemed to have been misplaced or broken.

We returned home with a nearly full inner tube and still no sign of a hole. Back into the water the inner tube was plunged. This time, success! A stream of tiny bubbles began to rapidly appear from a pin-point hole in the tube. Excitedly, we plucked the tube from the water and rushed into the house to find some duct tape for marking our newly found hole.

Off to the neighborhood hardware store we rushed to find a repair kit. We had quite the time trying to locate the proper supplies. Since we didn't have a working bike pump, Nathan recommended we might as well buy one to use in airing up the tire after the repair. Once we found the package with the patches, glue and buffing tool we were headed to the cashier to make our purchase.

As I looked over the directions on the package, Nathan was already buffing the rubber, applying the glue and preparing to place the patch over the hole. The bike tire was as good as new!
Now, to get it back inside the tire and on the wheel. We had to let some of the air out before it would fit back inside the tire. Onto the frame went the wheel, the screws were tightened and we were ready to roll. We didn't have long to ride, we soon discovered, as we could hear rumbling thunder in the distance and see dark storm clouds heading our direction. Being the astute weather man that he is, Nathan checked the weather forecast for our area. We were expected to have a severe thunderstorm with high winds and torrential rains within the hour. Postponing our biking venture for later in the day, we settled in for a game of Rummikub with Susanna and Joshua.

We were able to carry out our plans for another biking trip once the storm had passed. The tire held air fairly well with some minor deflation. I was as tired as ever pedaling along but glad the bike tire was fixed and we were back on the road. Meanwhile, I am looking forward to biking excursions with Nathan in the near future. That is, as soon as I find a more comfortable bike seat.

*Edit* Nathan and I rode again this morning for about 30 minutes in our neighborhood. The tire held air fairly well, but the seat is still hard as a rock. I think I have built up more stamina for riding after just three times on the road in the last week. We may ride again tomorrow if the weather holds up. This has been the weirdest summer for rain and cooler weather. It was in the mid-70's today and mostly cloudy.

You know work has been stressful when...

2007-07-11T21:28:00.000-05:00

The CEO offers FREE lunch from the cafeteria to all the employees not once but TWO days in a row! (no joke)

You wake up abruptly to your alarm clock startled from a dream about work in which you had 6-7 patients and you forgot several important tasks during the course of your shift (things like doing the physical assessment or admitting a new patient).

You think about keeping a pair of roller skates instead of tennis shoes in your locker.

You are grateful your shift lasts ONLY 12 hours.

The only thing that could make the day seem worse is if one of your patients coded or you had the whole floor of patients by yourself.

On your subjective rating scale of "worst work days" this one would rate about a 8/10 with 1 being the best and 10 being the very worst.

You didn't realize how bad your joints were getting.

You wish the ER would quit being so generous with their patients.

You feel like you could sleep for over a year without waking up (or moving).

When one of your close friends calls, you can't help but vent about the horrible day you had.

You begin to wonder of this job is worth the pay you are getting.

And finally...

You forget that you are at work. You were beginning to think maybe you ended up in prison somehow.

Sad but true, folks. That has been my work week in a nutshell.
Praise the Lord there are only 24 hours in a day!

Finding Adventure Without Really Trying

2007-07-05T22:28:00.000-05:00

Since I haven't posted anything for a bit, a post is in order. It will have to suffice until I can come up with something more creative. I have not been in a very creative mood recently. Must have something to do with my crazy work day this past Tuesday. Never mind that.

We participated in a full day if activities for Independence Day at the Cook family's property. For pictures and more complete commentary, head over to Caleb's blog.

This evening Nathan and I set off on a biking venture that turned into quite the adventure. Everyone had left the house for various activities around town. After stopping by the filling station to air my bike tires, we rode back home for me to change clothes and grab a few items for our longer trek. Along the way, I discovered that certain skirts are not conducive to riding bikes and that a set of keys placed in a pouch tucked into a water bottle holder on the frame will not last the entire trip back home. (Whew!)

It also became painfully obvious to me how physically out of shape I am. I don't think I have rode my bike in over five years! That is a shame. No wonder my tires had some trouble holding air and my legs felt like lead as I pedaled up hill. It was a joy to ride beside Nathan around our neighborhood. We saw some wildlife (squirrels, baby cottontail rabbits, birds, insects) and many other people outside enjoying the beautiful weather.

Back to our adventure. As we were nearing our driveway on the return trip I realized that my pouch with the house key had somehow fallen off my bike. "Oh, great. Now, how are we going to get in the house before everyone else arrives home?" I thought to myself. I determined we had to go back and retrace our path to look for the lost pouch with the key. Off we pedaled down our street back toward the street from whence we came. I whispered a quick prayer to the Lord to help us find the missing pouch soon. Along we rode scanning the curbs and lawns on the opposite side of the street. As we neared the grade school were I used to attend, Nathan suddenly came to an abrupt stop a few feet in front of me. He stooped down and scooped up a pinkish colored pouch from the grass in front of the school entrance. Here was our missing pouch and the missing key! I praised the Lord out loud for his goodness and mercy in guiding us to the pouch.

What a blessing to find the pouch before dark and in time before other family members returned from their ventures. I am thankful to the Lord for protecting Nathan and me during our ride and opening our eyes to find the lost pouch.

That was our adventure for the evening. I am looking forward to future and more frequent bike rides with Nathan. I want to make it a habit of engaging in regular physical activity. This is part of my attempt to do that.

What has been happening to others during the week? Feel free to share here if you wish.

Grateful for more than gourds

2007-06-30T21:47:00.001-05:00

Over the last few months we have been studying the book of Jonah during Wednesday night meetings at church. This past Wednesday was our last time to study Jonah. What an incredible narrative! Not just because of the miraculous events surrounding the account: of a fierce storm, a man being swallowed alive by a large fish and surviving in the belly of the fish for three days, but also the amazing lessons and real-life application one can glean from the account.

It seems God had some very specific lessons for me to learn and understand after studying the book of Jonah. In many ways, the character of Jonah reminds me regrettably much of myself.

At the beginning we read of a man who was fleeing from God and pridefully ignoring a specific task given to him by God. God isn't deterred by Jonah's selfishness and pride. He pursues Jonah even as he is in the ship heading in the opposite direction from his instructed destination. He harnesses Jonah's attention in a very drastic manner. By having him be swallowed by a fish and kept alive in it for three whole days then vomited on land by the fish!

Jonah comes to humbly recognize God's sovereign intervention in his life. He gives praise and glory to God for his goodness to him. He submits to God's plan for him to travel to Ninevah and preach to the people of repentance from sin. But what do we read of his self-righteous response in chapter 4! Jonah became angry and bitter at God for his mercy in sparing the people of Ninevah from death and destruction. In fact he is so angry that he proclaims he simply cannot go on living any longer. He would rather die than watch as wicked, turned humbly repentant, people are spared by a sovereign, gracious and merciful God.

In response to this God asks Jonah if he is doing well to be angry. Jonah boldly and brashly answers back, "Yes, I do well in my anger, even to the point of wanting to die." God causes a gourd to grow up overnight and provide blissful comfort and shade for poor Jonah. The next morning as the gourd whithers from an invading pest, Jonah because angrier all the more that his comfort has been stripped away from him. Yet what of the people of Ninevah who were spared in the night from great destruction? Jonah has no concern toward their eternal souls or destinies. It is much too grievous for him to spend another day in the sweltering heat beside his lookout to concern himself with their outcome.

The narrative seems to have a rather odd ending. We never do learn what happened to Jonah and whether he ever recovered from his bitterness and anger over God's unexpected but sovereign purpose. We assume the people of Ninevah fully repented of their evil ways and went on acknowledging the one true God of heaven and earth.

What can we learn and apply to our lives from this fantastic biblical account? During our discussion time in the Bible study one of the elders in our assembly brought out how we often take the comforts of our own lives as though they were deserved by us. We become angry and bitter when they are suddenly taken away from us. We seem to think we somehow merit all the wonderful pleasant things in our lives. Even the little, insignificant things. They have become our "gourds" so to speak.

Last week when our air-conditioner was broken in the humid heat I was not at all pleased by the situation. When the Internet was connecting slowly or failing to connect I wasn't content with that circumstance. These things had become my forgotten gourds. Each of us have gourds in our own lives. Whether it be a working air-conditioner, high-speed internet access, a functioning cell phone, plenty of food to eat, a substantial roof over our heads or the very life in our beings.

At the beginning of last week I was slowly sinking into self-pity and discontentment. I wanted something more than what I had at that time. I felt I deserved every bit of what I had and a substantial amount more than what I had been blessed with in the present. How dare our air-conditioner decide to fail as soon as we arrived home from vacation! What a sham that the internet could not cease to function in more reasonable timing! It didn't matter that millions of people live without air-conditioning and Internet access and even food and shelter every day on this earth.

I praise the Lord God that he used the account of Jonah to remind me how dependent and needy I am toward him. He provides all the things I enjoy in this life. It is not for me to decide I should have what I want and when I want it. It is solely up to Him as sovereign and Lord of the universe because he created all things and controls all things. By God's grace may I reject the notion of valuing material things and comforts above his purposes for me. He provides the grace I need each day to sustain me, strengthen me and submit me to his will.

I think back on the words of Job when he found himself in immensely perplexing circumstances: "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him."

This is really something!

2007-06-29T20:56:00.000-05:00

I just watched this YouTube clip on the Solo Femininity blog.

If you don't like opera then just skip it, but if you do have an appreciation for it, like I do, watch it and be totally amazed. On second thought, watch it anyway. You won't regret it.

This is no amateur opera singer. This guy is incredible! And to think that he works at some car phone warehouse!

I loved what the female judge said, "I think we've got a case of a little lump of coal here that will turn into a diamond."

Read John Piper

2007-06-27T22:25:00.000-05:00

During our long hours in the van I used the time to catch up on some reading. One of the books I have been reading of late is The Purifying Power of Living by Faith in Future Grace by John Piper. I would highly recommended this book for a wonderfully uplifting and God exalting read. Now you have a great reason to get it soon. The Desiring God ministry of John Piper has priced all of it's books at $5 each now through tomorrow (June 27-28) only online. I am excited to take advantage of this sale in adding to my collection of Piper works.

Here are a couple quotes to peak your interest in the Future Grace book:

"Faith in future grace is the secret that keeps impulses of gratitude from turning into the debtor's ethic. True gratitude exults in the riches of God's grace as it looks back on the benefits it has received. By cherishing past grace in this way, it inclines the heart to trust in future grace. We might say that gratitude has a strong appetite for the enjoyment of looking back on the outpourings of God's grace. Since God does this future outpouring through faith, therefore gratitude sends its impulses of delight into faith in future grace. This is expressed in the words: lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. Gratitude exults in the past benefits of God and says to faith, 'Embrace more of these benefits for the future, so that my happy work of looking back on God's deliverance may continue'" (Piper, 38).

"The reason future grace is so important is that everything in the Christian life depends on it. You can't be a Christian without faith in future grace, Jesus said, 'The way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it' (Matthew 7:14). Every turn in that narrow way is planned by future grace and empowered by future grace. At every point on the way, true saints sing, 'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.' Every glance backward sparks gratitude for bygone grace; every look forward casts the soul onto faith in future grace" (Piper, 67).

Go purchase Piper's book for yourself and be astounded by the implications of Future Grace.

Hat tip: Crystal at Biblical Womanhood for the heads up on the Desiring God book sale.

The Generous Girotti Family

2007-06-27T17:40:00.000-05:00

On Father's Day, as we began our long journey back to Kansas, we were blessed to stay with the Girotti family in Virginia. What a generous and gracious family! We immensely enjoyed our short visit with them at their gorgeous mountain home. I can certainly see why they refer to their blog as Mountain Musings.

After we all piled out of the van, we stood on the driveway and got acquainted for the first time in person!

The men enjoyed visiting amongst themselves outdoors while the women ventured inside to prepare dinner and see their delightful, southern home.

Two other men joined our group for dinner. Caleb was able to meet one fellow at the Jamestown festivities. Both are currently interning at Polyface Farms in Virginia. Pictured from left to right are Jacob, Jonathan Girotti, and Caleb Hayden.

Sarah and Mr. Girotti sitting at the table and enjoying the light-hearted conversation.

The young men sat at this cozy kitchen table for dinner. Here they are partaking of the delicious meal of grilled chicken, baked potatoes, salad, rolls and fresh fruit. (The left side shows Caleb Hayden and Jonathan Girotti. On the right are Nathan Wenneker, and Jacob. The back of Nathan Hayden's head is in the foreground. Not pictured: Joshua Hayden)

Sarah made two scrumptious desserts: turtle cheesecake and oatmeal cream sandwich cookies.

Hannah and Susanna delight in viewing the lovely garden plot on the hillside after dinner.

A magnificent mountain sunset on the horizon.

A view of the garden plot looking southward during mid-morning.

The lovely Girotti women: Hannah, Sarah, and Mrs. Deb Girotti.

Other memorable activities of the visit included seeing Sarah's lovely patterned quilt in progress (now completed), Hannah's exquisite homemade greeting cards with original artwork, conversations of family and faith, and Mrs. G's creative scrapbook for Mr. G.

Thank you, Girotti family, for your warm-southern hospitality, sweet servant spirits and encouraging Christian fellowship. We hope to spend time again with you all soon. God bless you for your labor of love toward us.

"For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister." Hebrews 6:10

See other photos from our visit with the Girotti's on Caleb's blog and the Girotti family blog.

The Creation Museum: A Museum Like No Other

2007-06-26T22:26:00.000-05:00

During our return trip to Kansas, we visited the newly opened AIG Creation Museum in Petersburg, KY. The musuem was simply spectacular. I was amazed by the high-tech displays, life-like wax figures, stunning specimens from nature, brillantly communicated Gospel message starting with Creation onward to the future return of Christ to the earth. What a grand layout clearly showing the Creation of God's universe, Human kind's corruption of the created order by sin, the catastrophe God used to cleanse the earth of sinful creatures, confusion of the people on earth as their languages were changed to thwart their plans at making themselves as God, the prophecy of the coming of Christ through God's prophets, Christ's death on the Cross for sinful humans to bring reconciliation between them and God as it was in the beginning, and lastly the future time when all creation will be restored to its former glory when Christ returns to set up His kingdom on earth (Consummation). These are marked throughout the walkthrough museum as "The Seven C's of Biblical History." Near the end of the walk-through of Biblical History was a well thought-out film clearly proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ from the Scriptures. Following are a few, carefully selected photos to bring you a glimpse of the fantastic Creation Museum.

God has always existed even before the creation of the universe. He is "alpha and omega," beginning and ending.

Creation of humankind, the pinnacle of God's created universe.

Humans chose to disobey God in the Garden of Eden and brought death and distruction on all of creation.

Man must work by the sweat of his brow to provide food and sustenance for himself and his family.

Mankind continued in his sin nature to go against God's design. God planned to wipe out the entire creation on earth by sending a flood to destroy all but the few who had believed on Him by faith for protection from the flood waters.

Through the years God used his chosen prophets and kings to proclaim His message of a coming Messiah to save all people who would come to Him by faith. (Pictured from left to right Isaiah, Moses, and King David)

The Apostle Paul, one of the great men God chose to write down His Word that continues to be read and studied by people today.

We trust by faith that God's word is true but our faith is built on reasonable evidence from fulfilled prophecies, God's unfailing character, his true promises and the creation we see around us. As Ken Ham often points out, "What we read in God's Word agrees with what we see in God's world."

Sadly, most people today want to decide what is best for themselves. They ignore the God who created them and His Law-Word.

People today study fossils from the past to discover what creatures were like and how they may have died. This wax figure depicted a paleontologist with a biblical wolrdview. As he studied the fossils of this dinosaur he summarized that it was killed by a world-wide flood through the process of a rapid burial. He is contrasted with a fellow paleontologist who concludes that the dinosaur fossil was formed over millions of years by layer upon layer of sediment around the remains. Both base their conclusions on underlying assumptions about the earth in the past compared to what is seen today.

This display sums it up well: "Different views of dinosaurs because of different starting points."

Standing beside a friendly dinosaur near the Garden of Eden.

Above the bookstore entrance, another friendly dinosaur.

The bookstore has a large selection of resources for the Christian and the Curious, including creation-themed curricula for Christian private and home schools.

An elegant gazebo in the botonical gardens outdoors. This portion of the museum has yet to be completed. When finished it will have walking paths among lush gardens dotted with life-sized models of dinosaurs and a pond with living creatures.

This magnificent museum greatly exceeded my expectations. With a budget of over $27 million, paid for by generous donors and faithful supporters, it is no wonder the museum was so well designed. It seemed there was no expense spared from any specific area or display. The planetarium show was magnificent. I left so awed by the creative power and genius of our Creator God. It causes you to reflect on just how small and insignificant humans and planet earth are in relation to the entire universe. God truly is an awesome God.

The admission prices I felt were very reasonably-priced. Adults are $19.95, Seniors $14.95, children 5-12 are $9.95 and under five are free. The planeterium tickets are an additional $5/person with a museum admission. There are also yearly family rates and life-long membership rates. Even Noah's Cafe and Grill were beautifully designed and offered many budget-priced selections. We enjoyed chicken sandwiches or wraps with side of fruit and soft drinks for lunch on the covered deck.

I would highly recommend this stellar museum for the whole family to visit. We definitely plan to visit again, hopefully in the near future. I feel that I cannot give this museum too strong of my personal endorsement for others to visit. If you attend on or after July 4th you can see the newly opened Dinosaur Den exhibit.

You can view more pictures and commentary from Caleb's perspective on his blog. Anyone who has visited previously, feel free to share your thoughts of the experience.

Pictures are Coming

2007-06-26T14:43:00.000-05:00

Well, it has been quite the interesting week here at the Hayden House. I have not forgotten about posting pictures and sharing thoughts of our recent vacation. It's just that there have been a few more pressing matters such as an accidentally, partially defrosted freezer (my fault), a broken air-conditioner (being replaced as I type) and regular work hours (last week).

I was able to edit and save about 25 photos yesterday on our main archiving computer. They are all ready to be uploaded to our web-hosting server. Only one problem...I don't know how to do that. Since Caleb was such a prolific photojournalist in sharing from his treasure trove of pics last week, the bandwidth from our old server was completely filled. Hence, Josh arranged a new server for photos and web-hosting, but I don't know how to work with the new system yet.

I sure hope I am able to post them before Thursday. Otherwise, everyone will have to wait for the weekend!

In the meantime, so this blog doesn't become too lonely, I am continuing on with my review/commentary of "Getting Serious About Getting Married." There are two parts left so here is the third part from this series.

Comments are always welcomed but also moderated.

Candid reflections on Getting Serious About Getting Married: Part III

2007-06-26T12:26:00.000-05:00

Part Three of a Series
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was somewhat puzzled by Mrs. Maken's assertions that radical feminism had not much impacted the women of the modern Church.

"Instead of battling feminist ideology that very few Christian women buy in the first place, we must call men on the carpet and ask them to be the leaders that God made them to be. We must not get stuck battling the boogie of Feminism" (Maken, 67) (emphasis mine).

Admittedly, such thinking has affected even my own ideology over the years. Thankfully, through prayer, studying Scripture, reading solid biblical materials and the continuing, sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit I am being conformed to the perfect will of God rather than that of the world (Romans 12:1-3). I have to honestly point out that such false ideology was more often picked up from the culture at large and even the Christian church rather than any specific teaching or indoctrination I had encountered. It certainly wasn't my college education that put these notions in my mind. They were already in place before I ever set foot on a college campus.

There were a few of her observations regarding feminism that I thought were on target.

"Lastly, the modern school of Feminism has not helped women either. The promise that feminists made in advocating no-fault divorce laws was that it would free women. Instead it has left single mothers with children the poorest segment of society. Instead of playing up the female virtue of chastity, they taught women not to be better women but to adopt negative characteristics normally attributed to men, such as sexual roaming. They promoted the belief that men and women are the same--that men and women have the same needs, operate in the same manner,and have the same amount of bargaining power. (I am not talking about the equality of men and women before their Maker; I am talking about sameness.) But there is no sameness because we were made 'male' and 'female.' Men do not bear and carry children; women do. Because Feminism goaded women to exercise sexual freedom prior to marriage, the distinct stages of dating and marriage began to run together" (Maken, 58).

"All too often, Christians are quick to fix the blame on the feminists for the problem of protracted singleness. But if we're going to look at marriage and why so many people are stuck in singleness instead of getting married, we have to take an honest look at the lack of male leadership today...[b]ut leadership is primarily given to men in the Bible, whether fathers, pastors, or even single men. God called the man Adam to account first" (Maken, 65).

"In Western culture, we often equate a woman's lack of economic need to be married to a desire of not wanting to be married. There is an unspoken axiom that if a woman pursued a high-level, fairly sophisticated degree, somehow she shot herself in the foot and now deserves to be single. Inwardly we want women to be punished for getting higher education and having their acts together. I have heard people in the church say that when women take the lead, men retreat, pointing to Genesis and the actions of Eve. We have it backwards. When men sit in silence and forgo leadership, women start doing things. Adam was in the garden with Eve, had been given headship over her, watched an entire conversation...and yet did nothing" (Maken, 67)

Sadly, I can personally relate to Mrs. Maken's statements. I have experienced specific instances where I was harshly criticized by a fellow believer for obtaining a nursing degree and working outside the home, although I had done so under the headship and with the oversight of my father. Not only did I merely have permission but also ample encouragement from my father to pursue such a path.

Ultimately, I think the problems with lack of male leadership along with female usurpation of authority are a two-way street. They are complimentary evils, if you will. I don't believe either would have the profound influence in our current American culture without the existence of the other. If men would step up and take the lead, not abdicating their Biblically ordained roles to women, and if women would joyfully and obediently submit to the male leadership (father or husband) in their lives, neither would be the status quo that it is today in the church. We must have both men and women believing and acting in accordance with the Scriptural pattern for it to be effective. Having said such, this does not give women an excuse to submit only when their husbands are leading or acting out of headship in a godly manner. Women are without excuse to submit and without regards to their husbands' conduct even if he is an unbeliever (See 1 Peter 3:1-6).

The last point I want to bring out from chapter fourteen of this book is that of the need for real, serious, humble preparation on the part of unmarried men. As I was reading this book, many of the godly, beautiful young ladies I know came to mind who have yet to marry. I could probably name over thirty such young women right now between the ages of 18 and 35. Each of them have incredible talents and abilities which would be major assets for a husband. Some are writers, some can design and edit web sites, some are able to skillfully compose and play music, some are capable small business owners and entrepreneurs, some are well-trained seamstresses, cooks, and home managers. They are all over the country involved in many God-exalting pursuits until the time when the Lord choses to reveal to them His design of a godly husband for each of them. On one hand this thought greatly excites me. There aren't too many things that give me more joy than when a dear, godly lady is united in marriage to an honorable, godly man. But it also saddens me. How long will they have to wait? To what extent must they be prepared? Where are the mature, godly, honoring, respectable men to be found as their husbands?

As Maken so aptly explains it:

"In the past there was some method to the madness of who stayed single and became an 'old maid'; looks and a fiercely independent spirit were usually the predominant traits shared by those who were unmarried. Today we have de facto spinsterhood, in which random women--many of whom are incredibly beautiful and not overly independent--are still single with no apparent explanation. Singleness is no longer for the ugly, the cruel, and the indifferent" (Maken, 150).

One ironic thing I have observed is that some men seem to think their role is to be waiting for God to bring them a godly wife. Whatever happened to finding a wife as Proverbs 18:22 instructs? I thought the women were to do the waiting. If the men are waiting nonchalantly for God to drop some spectacular woman in front of each of them as they sit in their recliners and the women are waiting patiently and expectantly for God to bring each of them a dashing man to their front porches, how in the world are godly marriages ever going to come about? Someone has to take on the responsibility of finding, initiating, pursuing and leading in a marriage relationship. I propose that this is the man's role in a relationship. This is the clear Scriptural pattern. Even though some may be quick to point out that God brought a wife to Adam while he slept, I would argue that Adam is not the ideal prototype in this case. That was a unique situation. For one thing there weren't any young ladies around him to pursue for a wife! God had to create one first and then bring her to Adam. Even in the sinless Garden of Eden, God set Adam to be the head and leader over his wife (Genesis 3:8-10, 16).

I think back to the young, unmarried men I see around me. Many are not preparing themselves to be husbands and fathers. Frankly, some of them seem to be better preparing themselves to be life-long bachelors whether they realize it or not. I know of a few such men in my community who appear to be preparing themselves for marriage but very few. Even some who would make godly husbands seem to not desire it at this time or else act as though they have all the time in the world to wait for that "ideal" prospective wife to enter on the scene.

In Maken's own words,

"As parents, as a culture, we have failed to develop a large number of marriage-material men. Many men say they would love to be married, but the greater question is, should any women have them? Most of them are lagging behind women in this culture. Compared to women, fewer men go to college today. Fewer men save up and buy homes. Many men today are like overgrown children who live for themselves and then right at the cusp of forty or some other mystical age according to their internal male alarm clock, they try to acquire a wife, if at all..." (Maken, 66-67).

Now, although I don't fully agree on her standards for what people should attain in order to be prepared for marriage (college education, own a home, etc.) I think Mrs. Maken raises some good points here. In general, we do see a greater number of young women actively preparing themselves for marriage more often than the young men in the same social circles. I must also point out that preparing for marriage by a man involves far more than merely having an income to support a family. It takes careful thought and implementation of practices that are needed to lead and shepherd a wife and children.

I fully recognize that I can not change the men around me, nor is it my jurisdiction to do so. I can pray for them and encourage those I know personally to be equipping themselves for the serious, high calling of leading a wife and for fatherhood of godly children. Instead I have to ask myself, "What do I lack in being prepared to be that virtuous, godly woman for my future husband?" I must focus on my own short-comings and deficiencies rather than pointing my finger at those of others. I am also passionately pursuing my relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. While I fully hope to be married in this life to an earthly husband, I cannot neglect that sacred relationship I have as being a part of Christ's bride, the Church. In eternity I will be joined to Him with every other believer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All quotations of Debbie Maken are taken from the book, "Getting Serious About Getting Married"
published by Crossway Books, Copyright 2006.

All Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version printed by Thomas Nelson Publishers, Copyright 1972.

For more thoughts on roles within marriage read these posts from Amy's Humble Musings:

Submission
How to Disagree with Your Husband

Hat Tip: Crystal from Biblical Womanhood

Read Part One and Two of this series.

Home Sweet Home again!

2007-06-21T22:13:00.000-05:00

We all arrived safely back in town yesterday afternoon from our excursion back east. What an amazing vacation! Not your typically vacation because it was so, well...NOT relaxing. :) Oh, well. We all had a wonderful time and many fond memories were established in our hearts.

I never thought a homemade meal could taste so good until after we had been either eating out or nibbling on snack food for most every breakfast and lunch nearly the entire time we were away from home. Tonight for dinner we had pot roast, mashed potatoes, corn, salad and homemade bread. What a grand feast after numerous meals of mixed nuts, cereal, crackers, breakfast bars and fruit! Not that I am complaining. I was grateful just to have some food in my tummy after long days of walking and listening and writing and visiting. :)

We have certainly not slowed down since our arrival home. No way! Yesterday evening we attended our local church service for the monthly church dinner. Today I spent most the morning catching up on laundry and unpacking all my belongings. I enjoyed a wonderful time at my friend Rachel's parent's home with another dear friend, Kara, for an afternoon of swimming, visiting, eating ice cream, and taking cute pictures of her little boy. This evening most of the family joined several others from church for short time of handing out gospel tracts and engaging folks in conversation about the Lord. It proved a very inspiring and enlightening opportunity. Many in the group expressed an interest in meeting again soon for a similar event.

Anyway, this is partly to explain why I haven't posted any pictures yet or updated until now. Life just doesn't slow down! I am anxious to post several photos from our vacation at all the various locations and activities. If there are any specific pics or things you want to hear about then send them my way! I have already received two requests for photos and details of the new Creation Museum in Kentucky. We all attended for the first time this past Tuesday.

I think that is all for now. Nothing much else to report. Please do pray for me tomorrow as it will be my first day back at work after vacation. I am half-way dreading it and half-way looking forward to it. Isn't that weird?! I guess the routine and regular paychecks will be appreciated but the stress and long hours aren't so pleasant.

Feel free to share what has been happening for you recently. I will try to post something this weekend or early next week in the way of photos but no promises. :) Good night all.

One last thing...Be sure to visit Crystal's blog and learn the exciting news about their second child's birth this evening. God is truly merciful and gracious. He is a God who hears and answers the prayers of His people. Praise to His holy name!

Where's Lydia?

2007-06-14T17:41:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been over a week since I last posted but with good reason. Those of you who have been reading my brother's blog of late already know where I am.

I am taking a wonderful, extended vacation with my family in Williamsburg, Virginia and the surrounding area for the Quadracentennial celebration at Jamestown. We have had a jam-packed, educational, insightful time. For more detailed updates and even pictures (imagine that!), visit C.S. Hayden's blog. I will be back with regular blogging later next week.

Preparing for Marriage Before You Get There

2007-06-04T18:47:00.000-05:00

In light of the reflections I have been sharing from the book, Getting Serious About Getting Married, I am excited to share a couple of resources I have come across recently to assist young people in preparing for this godly calling.

Within the past couple of weeks I have found two separate resources for young adults to help prepare them practically in the area of finances. The first is an article published on the Boundless Webzine geared toward young women who currently work outside the home but desire to stay at home full-time once they have children. I would extend that thought to say you should prepare for living on a single income before you marry.

Check out Ten Things Now to Stay at Home Later by Heather Koerner

Most of the information presented is pretty common sense but it seems in this culture common sense is much of what we are lacking. Here are a few excerpts to whet your appetite:

#1 Ask God

All the financial wisdom in the world is garbage compared to God's wisdom. As you look down the road to motherhood, place it all in God's hands. Ask him to give you wisdom, financial and otherwise, to prepare you for this incredible voyage. As you read through this list, I hope you'll ask the Holy Spirit to come along with you. Ask Him what you need to be doing. Maybe it's on this page, maybe it's not. He'll know.

#2 Prepare to stay at home, even if you don't think you will

You may think now that you'll want to work full-time after having children. You may feel the same way after your baby is born. But you may not. Arrange your finances now as if you are going to stay home, then you'll give yourself the option.

#5 Pay off debt

It's so tempting to buy. But later, when you are holding something eternal in your arms, will those purchases be blessings or burdens? If you haven't already, make getting rid of any debt your number two financial priority! Drive older cars, eliminate credit card debt and only buy big items once you've saved to pay for them. I promise you, you will reap the rewards. Instead of dragging your debt chain around the playground, you will feel like jumping and skipping with your kids.

#6 Save for your wedding

This may seem a little strange, but if I'm going to advise you to cut expenses on cars and other large purchases, it would be remiss not to mention one of the biggest expenses that newly married couples have: their weddings.

So, let's look at two things you can do. One, of course, is cut the expenses. My sister got married last year in an absolutely gorgeous ceremony with a wedding budget of $2,000. I saw what she did. It can be done! The second is to save like crazy for it. Will you be able to save $26,000? I'd be surprised. But you can save a lot. However much you have, you do need to commit to only spend what is in your budget. Let's all say it together: "If I need to finance it, I cannot afford it."

#9 Look for a side income

I freelance write. One friend teaches gymnastics lessons. Others do decorative painting, part-time public relations, photography, graphic design or makeup sales.

For many stay-at-home moms, our "side incomes" help to keep our families in the black. It may help to keep your family in the black, too. Have you thought about what you might be able to do while staying at home? The time to start developing that business is now, when you have the energy and time to devote to it.

For numerous helpful ideas to implement these practices read Crystal's blog with topics such as planning a beautiful wedding on the cheap, earning an income from home and living frugally on one income.

While I attended our area home school convention this past weekend I sat in on a couple workshops by the Maxwell family. They have amazing vision and practical wisdom many families desperately need to hear. One book they sell, authored by father Steven Maxwell, is entitled, "Preparing Sons to Provide for a Single-Income Family." If you have sons, grandsons or are contemplating marriage yourself you won't want to miss this incredible book. It is also available in an audio CD format. I have just briefly skimmed a few chapters, but what little I read greatly impressed me. What a sore lack of wisdom and knowledge are available today in this area of practical preparation for marriage. You will be blessed by the thoughts presented by Mr. Maxwell as he shares from real-life experiences with his older sons and humble exhortations from God's Word as our authority. His first-born son, Nathan, was able to purchase a home debt-free by the age of 24 and marry shortly thereafter.

Here is a quote from Mr. Maxwell that I particularly liked:
"Training a son to provide for a one-income family begins long before he writes his first resume hoping to be hired for a full-time job! The skills, character, education, and spiritual foundation necessary for supporting his family will be established throughout his childhood. As a parent, you will be the most important in your son's preparation for his future as a wage earner. Are you ready for this task?"

How are you preparing yourself for marriage now before you get there? Are you working to get out of debt and/or to avoid getting further into debt? Do you limit your spending habits now to save for your future? Where do you need to reorganize priorities to be in line with God's priorities for you and to set yourself in a position to be ready for whatever He calls you to do?

Life of Late

2007-06-02T22:45:00.000-05:00

Well, I figured it was time for an update of all that has been going on over the last month. Although I have been blogging, my posts have been mostly unrelated to real life. Here I will attempt to provide a brief synopsis of the past few weeks.

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May has been one of the busiest months for our family in quite a while. We all had the delight of attending Caleb's college graduation from the local university on May 12th. Everyone enjoyed the guests in our home afterward for Caleb's graduation reception. The following week, our church assembly provided an "Evening of Honor" for mothers and daughters. The evening began with a covered dish dinner prepared by the daughters. It was a lovely time of listening to poetry, a young ladies' choir, Scripture readings and a special message from a dear, older lady of the assembly. I greatly enjoyed instructing and leading the girls in a simple song from Majesty Music about honoring our parents.

In Mid-May I attended two lovely gatherings with ladies from my BSF group. The first was a fellowship for all the leaders at our teaching leader's home. The second was our year-end fellowship complete with a catered barbecue dinner, sharing time, and dessert reception. I am enjoying my time away from study preparation and teaching responsibilities, but I also look forward to this coming fall when I will resume teaching children from the book of Matthew.

Our area state home school convention took place over this past weekend. I greatly appreciated hearing presentations by several members of the Maxwell family from here in KS. I found a bit of time to browse some of the vendor booths and catch up with old friends. I am looking forward to reading two used books I purchased from a used book vendor, Books Bloom. One is a two-volumes-in-one book of prayer by E.M. Bounds and the other is a Christian fiction work from an author I had read prior.

Yesterday evening I was blessed to witness the marriage vows between my cousin Erin and her groom Jeremy Allen. The outdoor wedding at a nearby farm was simply stunning. What a joy to know that both young people have committed relationships to the Lord and each other. Thankfully, the Lord chose to hold back the rain during the ceremony and reception. My mother, younger sister and I served cake and donuts during the reception. Susanna and I took advantage of the beautiful setting and weather to have our photos taken. Caleb graciously acted as our photographer with his camera.

During the conference weekend, we hosted a couple from Minnesota who run a used books booth. Each year we look forward to their annual visit. While relaxing before the conference set-up on Thursday, I took a walk with my mother and Mrs. Bloom in our neighborhood. We came across two garage sales near our home with several neat things. My mother found a slightly used gadget that can peel, slice and core an apple in short, combined steps. The sale offered two of these gadgets but I wasn't sure how well they would work. After testing my mother's gadget at home I returned later to purchase the other for myself. What fun to use them in making apple pies with Mom later in the afternoon! Ever since taking a pie making class back in March I have enjoyed making various homemade pies for my family and friends.

I will be taking a break from blogging for the next couple of weeks while I am involved in several other exciting opportunities with my family. Lord willing, I will be able to share about some of those at a later date. I am going to try to post the last of my series for the Getting Serious About Getting Married book review. Look for it early next week, Lord willing.

How about you all? Anything exciting, unique, joyous, or informative?

Candid reflections on Getting Serious About Getting Married: Part II

2007-05-28T05:57:00.000-05:00

In the initial post of this review, I explained one of the main premises of this book: Singleness is not the same thing as the gift of celibacy. In addition, I gave a few examples of the faulty teachings propagated by the church in regards to marriage while explaining that Mrs. Maken had attempted to address each of these in her book.

Having given these positives of the book, I will be the first to say that it is not a perfect book with a perfect message. It is not what I would term a "pleasant read." In fact, it paints a very dim picture of the state of marriage in American culture. The overall tone toward unmarried men is one of displeasure and irritation. Besides these caveats, I found myself disagreeing with a major premise of the book. In the middle of chapter eight is printed the heading: "Discontentment with Singleness Does Not Equal Sin."

Repeatedly in chapter eight, Mrs. Maken seems to assert that there is nothing sinful or inherently wrong with being discontent in one's singleness. But isn't this a false concept? I would have to take great issue with this idea. Over and over in Scripture we are told to "be content" and are given the example of Paul who "learned therewith to be content" in exceedingly more dire circumstances than merely finding himself unmarried against his wishes (see Philippians 4:11-13, 2 Corinthians 11:23-33).

"When contentment is touted as a viable solution for the sorrow of singleness, it doesn't take long for it to become a prerequisite for achieving marriage at all. An offshoot of this belief is what I call the doctrine of numbness. Many of us have been taught that we must become completely neutral or numb to the idea of marriage before God will bless us with it. In other words, God will not drop marriage into our laps until we are completely satisfied in him and put our desire for a spouse on the altar of sacrifice, much like Abraham offering Isaac" (Maken, 115-116).

"Unfortunately, we have accepted the blurred line between self-interest and selfishness as normal. Under this simplified platitude of 'Don't touch, don't taste, don't handle!' we readily think it has to be all Christ and never us. The moment we want something in addition to Christ, we think he's out to get us. We think that we must sacrifice everything to God, even the things he wants us to have! We forget that God is the one who instituted marriage to bless us" (Maken, 116).

When Mrs. Maken provides Abraham as an example of sacrificing his desire on God's altar, she fails to mention that the very son whom he prayed for, longed for, and strove for was required by God to be willingly given back to Him out of a show of faith and obedience. Isaac was a gift from God to Abraham. Marriage is a gift from God to individuals. How can we say it is right for a man in history to surrender a gift willingly while distinguishing that the other gift (marriage) is not proper for a Christian to surrender before God? Are we not called to surrender our very bodies to God as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to Him? (see Romans 12:1-2) This is our reasonable and rational service. Yet Mrs. Maken seemingly ignores this Scriptural teaching in favor of the idea that a different ambition, marriage, can be brushed off as nothing significant to surrender before a Holy and righteous God. Why can't we see marriage as something we surrender to God on His altar even though it is a gift designed by Him and even though in the vast majority of cases it is His blessing to individuals? This line of reasoning does not follow. Isn't the Christians' God of today the same God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob from the days of old?

I quickly acknowledge that not all single people are content. Nor are they always at a point of contentment when God brings spouses for them. Contentment is not a prerequisite for marriage, but are we looking at it as something to cultivate for the sake of getting married? "Okay, I'll work on the bare minimum in my Christian walk so God will reward me with marriage sooner rather than later."

No, NO, NO! Contentment is based on a genuine desire to be more like Christ. It is a demonstration of our dependence, gratefulness, and humility before an awesome, almighty God. We don't arrive there naturally. Our sin nature is continually getting in the way. However, God is gracious to bestow His Holy Spirit upon us to lead us down this path of sanctification toward Christ-likeness.

"When single women tell me how wonderfully happy they are being single, I'm left wondering if they're really trying to convince themselves more than me. When we constantly announce our contentedness, it rings false. The truly content don't need to convince or tell anyone about their contentment" (Maken, 106).

I think Mrs. Maken raises some valid points, but I think her arguments break down over a gross misunderstanding of the Biblical idea of contentment. Here is my summation of her proper thoughts on contentment related to singleness: It's okay to be disappointed that you are not married. Fine. You are normal in your feelings to desire marriage. No problem there. But could we say is it approved by God if we are not trusting in His goodness and provision to us in the area of marriage? How does this fit in with Scripture? It seems to me that a matter of poor Scriptural interpretation led to this false concept of discontentment not being something to be condemned. Having contentment while being unmarried is not the same thing as lacking a desire to be married or denying our struggles with prolonged singleness. We can voice our heart longings and pleadings to God while knowing He uses those very difficulties to conform us to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). As Christians, He works all things together for good (Romans 8:28) even when we don't recognize it at the time.

Based on the teaching of Scripture, I fully believe discontentment is a sin as it causes us to distrust God and to focus on our own selfish desires rather than His sovereign provision for us. I think it is very possible for a single person to have a godly, Biblically inspired desire for marriage without being discontent in his or her unmarried state.

See here what Paul wrote to his beloved spiritual son, Timothy:

"If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content." 1 Timothy 6:3-8. (emphasis mine)

For a moment, reflect on the growing Christian's ardent desire to be united with the Lord in heaven for eternity. Often I reflect on what it would be like to be in the presence of the Lord right now. I eagerly and excitedly anticipate the day when I will be reunited with Christ in the flesh for all eternity worshiping and giving honor to His name in heaven.

This was the genuine desire of the Apostle Paul, yet look at what he says about this yearning:

"According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is better by far: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; that your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again." Philippians 1:20-26

Paul gives us a clear picture of the yearning he had to be in the presence of the Lord, yet he was willing and content to remain in his present state on earth because God had called him to continue his ministry to the believers around him. His desire for heaven and reunion with Christ was not birthed out of discontentment but a Spirit-bestowed longing out of love for his Savior.

Does this mean I should be discontent with my present life here on earth? No, because I know God is not finished with me here. He still has a purpose and a work for me to carry out while I live my physical life on earth. I can't spend my life wasting time and pining away for eternal glory with Christ when there is so much to learn and grow and do right now where I am! In the same way, I can't sit around day-dreaming about that day I will be married to my future husband since God still has things for me to do, people to minister to, places to go, lessons to learn and a myriad of ways to be molded more into His image. What a sad, dismal existence to think that marriage is all one must be hoping for, breathing for, preparing for, and living for in this life.

It would seem Mrs. Maken experienced this dismal existence before she was married:

"The unspoken message that joy and happiness are good and discontentment and sorrow are bad sends a clear message that we cannot express our frustration with a very real problem. No wonder so many of us put on a happy face, pretending to be fine when we're really crying ourselves to sleep at night!" (Maken, 112).

"I don't believe the church offers anything that can fill that void on a Friday night. It can't make up for sleeping alone, hearing the floor creak and knowing you are all alone. It can't fill the empty space on the other side of the bed. It can't erase that sigh upon entering a dark, empty home night after night because you could only avoid the place for so long as you buried yourself in office work. It can't provide a date for these events designed for couples. It won't send you flowers on Valentine's Day or fill the emptiness on Mother's Day. It doesn't make up for watching nieces and nephews open presents on Christmas morning instead of your own children. It won't make up for the countless microwave meals eaten alone. It doesn't help as you earn wealth and wonder who will inherit it. It doesn't remove that lump in your throat with each passing birthday. It cannot make up for waking up alone for days, weeks, months, years, and decades. There's just no adequate substitute for a husband and family" (Maken, 109-110).

In response to this I would say, "You are right, the church cannot make up for any of these things. Certainly, even Christ is not with us physically nor does He directly fill in for all these gaps. But that is not the point of being a Christian. Having a relationship with Christ is not about getting what we want out of life. It is about learning and practicing, by the Power of the Holy Spirit, to worship Him, please Him, love Him and serve Him more each day of our lives. He may not directly fill that void for a spouse at a given time, but He grants us the contentment, the peace, the hope, and the patience we need to endure any challenging circumstances. With His grace and provision we are able to transcend the disappointments of life rather than to dwell upon them."

Life for a Christian is about so much more than just marriage. Marriage is a wonderful and godly desire, but it is not the end of itself. Marriage is merely a small part of the grander picture for Christ's mission to his followers here on earth. His desires for us do not exclude marriage but rather encompass it in a God-ordained, Scripturally mandated fashion. That being said, as believers our primary purpose in life is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

I could launch into a whole, separate series devoted to this lone topic. I hope I have given enough biblical argumentation to the idea that discontentment is okay for the Christian. In summation, having a genuine, even passionate desire for marriage is not a sin, but being discontent in any state we find ourselves certainly is a sin. God wants us to have the desires He has for us while waiting patiently and contentedly for His timing. We must be in tune with the Holy Spirit to know God's plans for our lives and to understand how to pursue them in accordance with His will.
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All quotations of Debbie Maken are taken from the book, "Getting Serious About Getting Married"
published by Crossway Books, Copyright 2006.

All Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version printed by Thomas Nelson Publishers, Copyright 1972.

In the next installment, I will take a closer look at what the book has to say about feminism and the man's role in forming godly marriage relationships.

A Hymn from Today's Service

2007-05-27T13:15:00.000-05:00

Sweetly Resting
Words by Mary D. James
Music by W. Warren Bentley

In the rifted Rock I’m resting;
Safely sheltered, I abide.
There no foes nor storms molest me,
While within the cleft I hide.

Refrain

Now I’m resting, sweetly resting,
In the cleft once made for me.
Jesus, blessèd Rock of Ages,
I will hide myself in Thee.

Long pursued by sin and Satan,
Weary, sad, I longed for rest.
Then I found this heav’nly shelter,
Opened in my Savior’s breast.

Refrain

Peace which passeth understanding,
Joy the world can never give,
Now in Jesus I am finding;
In His smiles of love I live.

Refrain

In the rifted Rock I’ll hide me
Till the storms of life are past;
All secure in this blest refuge,
Heeding not the fiercest blast.

Refrain

This hymn has become one of my new favorites. The melody is simple, but the words are rich with meaning. I praise the Lord that He is my resting place and shelter from the storms of life.

"I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies." Psalm 18:1-3

Candid reflections on "Getting Serious About Getting Married": Part I

2007-05-25T23:30:00.000-05:00

When my friend Kara told me about reading the book, "Getting Serious About Getting Married" I was curious to know what it was about. I had never read this book prior, but I was already skeptical of the message conveyed by the the book after hearing a few critical comments and negative reactions to it. Now, having read the book, I can speak more knowledgeably on the content.

This book is a very challenging read not only in the arguments it presents to excuses for delayed marriage but also the thoughts it conveys about the state of modern day marriage. Debbie Maken, herself, admits that this is the sort of book that one will either love or hate . I disagree with her assessment. This book brought great distress to my mind along with great resolve to my spirit. While reading the book I found myself greatly disturbed by the erroneous teaching on marriage, often propagated by the Church at large, while delighting in the implications of what the true, Biblical marriage brings about for the Lord's glory and honor.

One of the points I appreciated most about this book was the author's handling of 1 Corinthians 7 in light of historical and sound biblical exegesis rather than current cultural norms. In chapter two, "What the Bible Says About Being Single," Mrs. Maken clearly lays out the three biblical qualifications for a lifetime of celibacy based on passages from Matthew 19:4-11 and 1 Corinthians 7.

"His disciples say unto him, 'If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.' But he said unto them, 'All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.'" Matthew 19:10-12

Here is how Mrs. Maken states it:

"[T]his passage teaches us (Mathew 19)...that being single is no license to remain single. To be legitimately single requires specific instruction from God. This means that those who are single by personal choice rather than by God's instruction are without biblical excuse for being single. I believe this includes an extremely large portion of Christian young (and not so young) men today, especially since it is within their power to lead a relationship into marriage. On a smaller scale, I also believe it includes women who unnecessarily frustrate the romantic approaches of sincere and honorable men." (Maken, 34).

First would be a physical inability to fulfill the duties of marriage due to a genetic disorder or physical defect. I won't elaborate on this point. Hopefully, the majority of my reading audience knows to what I am referring without going into explicit detail. The second biblical exemption from marriage would be those who also are unable to fulfill normal physical duties of marriage due to some accident or surgical reason. The last remaining exception for avoiding marriage would be a special call for ministry that would present a challenge to a normal home and family life. Here the Apostle Paul is speaking of ministering in an environment with harsh persecution and a very real threat to a wife and children by a husband's serving in such a capacity. This is not implicating the typical pastor, evangelist, missionary or Bible teacher we often think of today around us. It would include a special gifting by God to resist the normal, unfulfilled physical desires that would accompany a lifetime of celibacy. There is not an exception for those who simply would rather remain single "just because" or "marriage is too much work" or "I like being able to live my own life." Marriage is the normative calling for individuals both in history past and today in our present culture. Not only is it normative but it was mandated by God from the very beginning of Creation:

"And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him. And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast if the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found a help meet suitable for him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." Genesis 2:18-24

In all honesty, I had often wondered if perhaps God had called me to remain unmarried throughout my lifetime. Not necessarily because I wanted to remain unmarried nor because I was incapable of marrying but simply because of false ideas passed on to me about God's calling for people in marriage. I had adopted the faulty notion that a person should assume he or she has been given the gift of celibacy (life-long state of remaining unmarried) unless God calls him or her to marriage.

After reading these three biblical exemptions from marriage, I can safely say that I do not meet any of them. Therefore, I can conclude, God would call me to be married at some point in the future. Perhaps his call in the present is not for me to be married, but that does not preclude me being married in the future. Just because I am unmarried in the present does not mean that I have a life-long calling to remain celibate. A single status does not equal having the gift of celibacy. This was probably one of most eye-opening implications of the book from a practical and personal standpoint.

This is how Mrs. Maken explains it:

"Singleness is no gift. That's right. I'll say it again. Singleness is no gift. It is nowhere found in Scripture to be a gift. No other Christian culture considered it to be a gift. Celibacy or the removal of sexual desire in a minority of people is and was considered a gift (see 1 Corinthians 7 and Matthew 19). We have been taught in the modern church that cultural or circumstantial singleness and celibacy are the same thing, but they are not!" (Maken, 87).

The other major portion of the book that blessed me and spoke to me the most were chapters five through seven that refuted common myths, irrational arguments and faulty thinking regarding the institution of marriage. How many of us have come across statements by well meaning friends or acquaintances such as, "You won't be content being married until you are content in your singleness" or else "You have to be the right person to meet the right person." Maken delves into such false niceties as "Being single equals knowing and serving God better," "Wait on the Lord" and "As soon as you stop looking, you'll find the right person." I don't want to attempt refuting all of these fallacies with this post. If you have an ardent desire to defend the premises of these ideologies, I suggest that you read the book and get it straight from Maken within the context of the entire message.

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All quotations of Debbie Maken are taken from the book, "Getting Serious About Getting Married"
published by Crossway Books, Copyright 2006.

All Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version printed by Thomas Nelson Publishers, Copyright 1972.

The next installment of this review will include a probing look at chapter eight in it's assertion that "discontent with singleness does not equal sin."

A Year Later with Cancer

2007-05-16T22:30:00.000-05:00

I haven't given an update recently about my aunt, Leesa, who was diagnosed with colon cancer that had spread to her liver. I know a couple of you who read this blog know her personally and are probably curious about her well-being. I am pleased to report that she is doing quite well although she still has the dreaded disease.

Two weekends ago I was able to attend a bridal shower for one of my younger cousins. This is the youngest daughter of my aunt, Leesa. While eating our lunch I visited with my aunt about how she was doing, what her diagnosis holds, and how things have changed. She has a very positive, hopeful outlook. It was interesting that the day of the bridal shower was exactly one year to the day that she was originally diagnosed with cancer, May 5th. Although the cancer is still very much present, it seems some of it's hold is being lessened. Her chemo treatments have been halted for the time being until the medical team can get her blood counts and liver enzymes stabilized. They hope to perform surgery sometime later this summer to attempt removing the original tumor from her colon. It is truly remarkable how far she has come and how God has given the entire family the strength and trust to cope with such challenging circumstances. She looks incredibly good for someone undergoing chemo, various infusions and other trials that accompany such. Other than losing a fairly significant amount of weight she looks pretty much the same as before her diagnosis.

Last week my uncle sent another e-mail update on her latest condition. Here it is for you to get an idea of how to be praying for her.
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Hello friends:

It’s been a long time since I sent you an email so I thought I should bring you up-to-date regarding Leesa’s health. Overall, it’s a good report. Leesa had her one year anniversary on May 5th after we found out about her cancer which started in her colon and spread to her liver. It’s been a long and trying year; however, we are both much stronger mentally and physically.

Leesa was on a very strong combination of chemo until February 2007 at which time paralysis and numbness associated with the chemo began taking its toll on her hands, legs and hips. She was switched to another form of chemo with its own set of side effects but not as debilitating. During this time, I’ve been giving Leesa daily injections to thin her blood to alleviate blood clots. Her liver enzyme count began rising three weeks ago (not a good thing) which means her liver had been damaged (probably from the chemo). She was taken off all chemo and she is now taking blood thinner orally (this is a good thing) rather than me having to find a place to make the injections. It has been a battle figuring out the right dose for the blood thinner. She was effectively a hemophiliac for a week + until they got her levels stabilized and it’s still a daily balancing act. As of today, her liver enzyme levels have begun to decrease.

Now for some good news: She had a PET scan which indicated no other cancer within her body other than the colon and liver and her tumor markers are low. In fact, the tumor in the colon was very small. We are scheduling surgery for mid-June to remove the tumor in her colon. The Docs still say the cancer in her liver is too vast and is still inoperable. However, the three large tumors in the liver definitely show significant dead tumors cells within the center with live cells around the perimeter of each. Her oncologist re-confirmed that she is not eligible for a liver transplant. The anti-rejection drugs would likely stimulate tumor cell growth which would be present within her body and it is very difficult to get on the transplant list for any condition. The plan is to have surgery this summer and hit it again with chemo to continue attacking the cancer within her liver.

Leesa is still as beautiful as ever. I don’t know how she does it with all the poison they put in her body to fight the cancer. We are both so fortunate and we have continued to be very active in the lives of our two daughters and other kids whom we have claimed. Keep the prayers coming as we still have a long way to go.

Gary
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My father makes a point to pray for her each night during our family prayer time. Thank you to all who have been praying for her. I know it means so much to her and the family. You can review the initial post about her diagnosis from last year. Please keep the prayers uplifted to our Heavenly Father and your own well wishes coming to the family. May God be glorified.

Summer Weather as a Christian

2007-05-15T22:16:00.000-05:00

Purification

Lord Jesus,

I sin- Grant that I may
never cease grieving because of it,
never be content with myself,
never think I can reach a point of perfection.

Kill my envy, command my tongue,
trample down self.
Give me grace to be holy, kind, gentle, pure,
peaceable,
to live for thee and not for self,
to copy thy words, acts, spirit,
to be transformed into thy likeness,
to be consecrated wholly to thee,
to live entirely to thy glory.

Deliver me from attachment to things unclean,
from wrong associations,
from the predominance of evil passions,
from the sugar of sin as well as its gall,
that with self-loathing, deep contrition,
earnest heart searching
I may come to thee, cast myself on thee,
trust in thee, cry to thee,
be delivered by thee.

O God, the Eternal All, help me to know that
all things are shadows, but thou art substance,
all things are quicksands, but thou art mountain,
all things are shifting, but thou art anchor,
all things are ignorance, but thou art wisdom.

If my life is to be a crucible amid burning heat,
so be it,
but do thou sit at the furnace mouth
to watch the ore that nothing be lost.
If I sin willfully, grievously, tormentedly,
in grace take away my mourning
and give me music;
remove my sackcloth,
and clothe me with beauty;
still my sighs
and fill my mouth with song,
then give me summer weather as a Christian.

From The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions

Read at bedtime 5/14/07.

Susanna is Seventeen!

2007-05-10T23:05:00.000-05:00

My "little" sister, Susanna, will turn 17 years old on May 11th. It's hard for me to believe. I'm so glad my mom had another girl after two boys. When I was younger I really wanted a sister to play with and relate to as a girl. I told my mom that I wanted a little sister and she told me I would have to ask God because he was the one who gave those things. I can't remember if I ever made a fervent attempt at praying for a sister, but God must have known the desires of my heart since she came along when I was seven years old.

In honor of Susanna for her birthday, I am listing 17 things about her that describe her best and that I appreciate about her. I adapted this idea from Jessica's blog with the fourteen things to list about your mother and father.

Here they are in no particular order:

1) We refer to Susanna as our "black-eyed Susan" because her eyes are so dark brown that they almost look black. She never had blue eyes as a baby. She was born with dark eyes.

2) Susanna is an extremely disciplined musician. She currently takes violin lessons and plays for the local Youth Symphony orchestra. At one time she was learning, piano, violin, cello and viola during the same time frame! I am amazed at how focused she is in her practicing. If I would have stuck with my piano lessons like she has done, I could have been a concert pianist! Well, not really. My hands are too small and I am a horrible sight-reader. :) Last semester in youth symphony, Susanna held first chair for violins of the 2nd violin section.

3) Probably the one word that describes Susanna the best is "sober." She is a very sober-minded young lady and constantly seeks to encourage others to think and speak of things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of good report.

4) If "Sober" where her first name then her middle name would have to be "domestic." She loves home life and her family that resides there. Her favorite pursuits are cleaning out the nooks and crannies, organizing people's things, sorting and tossing useless items and making lovely things with her hands. For her birthday last year, she requested us to have a garage sale to get rid of clutter in our home.

5) She loves children and has always adored babies ever since she was a small girl. At the sight of any child smaller than herself she would excitedly call out, "Look Mom! A baby, a baby, a baby!" She was another little girl who begged her mom to have a baby. And thankfully, her wish came true too!

6) Her two most prominent spiritual gifts are Prophecy and Organization or Administration. As a result, sometimes she clashes with her older sister who is definitely NOT a prophet but she always has wise, thoughtful things to say.

7) Susanna is known as the person to ask if you need something or can't find something around the house because she will undoubtedly know where it is. With her gift of organization, everything has a home and is in it's place. It's just that the rest of us didn't create the homes for them!

8) Susanna is extremely frugal minded. I think she was pleased that both of the sweaters I gave her last year came from my favorite store's going-out-of-business sale for 80% off. She is constantly looking for ways to save our family money on groceries, clothes, gifts and other items. Recently, she has taken the task upon herself to keep track of all our family's grocery receipts to record how much we spend each month on groceries and where we can cut back. I won't tell you how much we had been spending, but I know the bill has shrunk significantly since she became the record-keeper. Here she is digging out coupons at the local recycle bin to help us save more money on groceries.

9) Susanna is one of the most feminine people I know in her dress, behavior, and mannerisms. She is very lady-like with her conduct and activities. She loves to wear dresses or skirts all the time and she claims that if a girl can't do something while wearing a skirt, then she probably shouldn't be doing it in the first place!

10) Susanna displays quiet strength. She doesn't usually say much but when she does speak, her words are of substance and importance. She rarely utters an idle word. The words that proceed from her mouth are instructive, cautious, thoughtful and sober.

11) She has a true servant spirit. Her aim is to make others successful and meet their needs. I have seen countless times when she will stop what she is doing to help my mother or father with one of their projects.

12) You could call her a "home body." She loves to stay at home doing things within our home for it's improvement and good. Her heart is for home life.

13) Susanna has a tender heart for the Lord. She loves the things that He loves and seeks to please him with her life. She will make whatever sacrifices are necessary to honor Him in her doings.

14) Susanna Lynn's nicknames include: Susann, Nanna (my favorite name for her), Nan, Zanna, Zan, Zannalyn, Zanner, Su, Suserneena, Susanna-banana, and many others.

15) She enjoys working with her hands whether she is designing a homemade card, baking something, playing her violin, holding a baby, sewing a skirt or any number of other activities. The phrase from Proverbs 31 is very true of Susanna, "She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands."

16) Susanna has a big sweet tooth! Especially for homemade baked goods. Anytime I make homemade treats she begs me to let her try a sample. Then when they are gone, she immediately wants me to make more!

17) Susanna is a very practical young lady. She would rather do without something than make a special trip to the store for it. Her favorite kinds of gifts are practical, helpful things for the home. This year she wanted organizational bins for her room as a gift.

I love you, Susanna. Thank you for being the best little sister I could have! You are growing into a fine, godly young lady by the grace of God. I'm glad God made us very different from each other so that we can learn from each other and appreciate the uniqueness between us. May God continue to bless you as seek to honor Him with your life.

To this, I say, "Amen"

2007-04-30T16:16:00.000-05:00

Openness

Lord of Immortality,

Before whom angels bow and archangels veil
their faces,
enable me to serve thee with reverence
and godly fear.
Thou who art Spirit and requirest truth
in the inward parts,
help me to worship thee in spirit and in truth.
Thou who art righteous,
let me not harbour sin in my heart,
or indulge a worldly temper,
or seek satisfaction in things that perish.
I hasten towards an hour
when earthly pursuits and possessions
will appear vain,
when it will be indifferent whether I have been
rich or poor,
successful or disappointed,
admired or despised.

But it will be of eternal moment that I have
mourned for sin,
hungered and thirsted after righteousness,
loved the Lord Jesus in sincerity,
gloried in his cross.
May these objects engross my chief solicitude!
Produce in me those principles and dispositions
that make thy service perfect freedom.
Expel from my mind all sinful fear and shame,
so that with firmness and courage I may
confess the Redeemer before men,
go forth with him bearing his reproach,
be zealous with his knowledge,
be filled with his wisdom,
walk with his circumspection,
ask counsel of him in all things,
repair to the Scriptures for his orders,
stay my mind on his peace,
knowing that nothing can befall me
without his permission, appointment
and administration.

(Italics mine)
Taken from The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions

Read 4/29/07 at bedtime.

Abundant Blessings

2007-04-25T22:17:00.000-05:00

I was thinking the last couple of weeks about how blessed I am to have two excellent managers were I work. There have been a lot of major changes in the administration where I work since I started in June. We recently acquired a second manager who was a floor nurse before that. She is very good about seeing what the nurses need on the floor and making sure they have the manpower and resources they need to take care of patients. It sure does make the nurse's job easier, not to mention more effective. Even though both of these women are competent, excellent nurses to work under I recognize that they have their human weaknesses and deficiencies. I find it a challenge to know how to relate to them or others on a personal level with the hope and peace I have received through the Gospel of Christ.

Often I feel that I am not a very effective witness to my co-workers of my faith. I seem to more often, "play it safe" than speak up about things or get into hot discussions. I wish I had more courage for this sort of thing. I am praying more for it and I know the Lord will give me the boldness and courage I need when the time comes. Usually, it is so crazy busy that there is no time for having deeper conversations with people around me. I just try to do my job as expected and be there to help my fellow co-workers.

Sometimes, I think I am a lousy witness of Christ. I can get pretty irritated when things are super stressful. I try to act humbly and go back to apologize when I think I may have hurt someone or upset them. I had to do that on Thursday of last week. This "dying to self" and "living for Christ" business is tough stuff! Although it certainly has rich rewards.

Anyway, all that to say that I am very grateful that God placed me in a work setting with understanding, supportive managers and helpful co-workers. The overall culture is very good. People are extremely willing to lend a helping hand when you are overwhelmed with many patients or a difficult situation. It was never like that at my previous job. I felt like I was left there to "sink or swim" most of the time. It was as if you were there to fend for yourself. Nobody cared whether you got a lunch break during your 12 hour shift or how many patients you already had when they were placing new patients in rooms. It was the attitude of, "Well, tough. Deal with it." It was such a breath of fresh air when I changed jobs last year.

I am also grateful for the pay raise I received recently. I was beginning to think that I might be making the same salary for quite a while. That would have been okay, but it is much more appealing to stay on at a place that gives raises regularly. God is so good to give me much more than I deserve and more than I need too. Since reading "The Treasure Principle" I have been trying to think of ways that I can be a better steward with the resources God has given me and ways that I can use them to invest in eternal riches.

My other major thankful topic is for my health. I was very sick around Easter weekend. I didn't miss any work since it was during my four day stretch off, but I did miss time doing other things I needed to accomplish. I have not been that sick in a long time. This sickness episode made me again so thankful for the great blessing God has given me in renewed health. I know my good health will not last forever on this earth. I have to be constantly mindful that now, at this time, I must use everything God has given to me for his glory and honor. I think it is incredibly easy for people to take something so simple as good health for granted. I have done is more often than not even though I know what it is like to be very sickly for a long time. I would encourage each of you to remember to thank God for your health this week and whatever else he brings to your mind.

Is there a particular blessing God has impressed upon you this week?

Cooking, Thinking, Reading and Living

2007-04-25T14:46:00.000-05:00

Believe it or not I have been blogging. Just not visibly so. In fact, I have at least three recent new drafts in my folder. The trouble is that I don't really like any of them. Nothing seems to quite measure up for how I want my posts to read. Ah, well. I could post them anyway.

One has my thoughts about the book, Sense and Sensibility since I finished a couple weeks ago. Another was going to be a "Thursday of Thankfulness" post. I could still post that one. The last is some ramblings and rantings about something I have been reading on lately. I don't think I will post that one. Sometimes it is helpful just to get your thoughts out without displaying them for the world to see. I want my blog to be encouraging, edifying, uplifting and joyful. When I focus my own thoughts in that direction purposefully, then often my emotions will follow.

So now for the present. I have been busy as usual. I made breakfast this morning for the family since Dad was off work today. It seems I am hardly ever off work on the days he is off unless it is Sunday. That was a good enough occasion to make a scrumptious breakfast. I made pancakes and scrambled eggs. I fixed a dozen eggs but they weren't nearly all eaten. I guess I should have taken a count on who planned to eat eggs before I made them. At least one person didn't eat any and another ate too many, neither of which will be named. :) Leftover eggs are not very appetizing. They get rubbery in texture. I don't know why, but they do. So do reheated boiled eggs. They also have a stronger flavor. Blah.

I presented my fourth Bible lesson for the children in the BSF program. It was based in Romans 14. I absolutely loved this teaching. As one who has witnessed firsthand the effects of division, arguing, and bickering among believers this passage is such a wonderful, refreshing piece to hear. I adapted the examples for what believers encounter today in having dissensions among them. The trick is to truly determine what constitutes a disputable matter verses an indisputable matter. Certainly there are very real and grave issues that all believers must agree on in accordance with Scripture. Some would also hotly disagree about whether a particular practice is disputable or not. Can we disagree in whether women must wear skirts or dresses all the time? How about whether to worship on Sunday or Saturday? What about the version of the Bible to read, memorize, and teach from? Is is possible to agree to disagree or must we all be fully in agreement on these types of issues? I don't claim to know the answers or have the solutions figured out. I think some clear Biblical principles apply in relating to these types of situations. I will try to expound more at a later time.

I have been reading more lately which is probably why I have not been writing as much on this blog or elsewhere. I plan to write up a few thoughts pertaining to some of my recent reading adventures. If you want a glimpse into what I have been reading you can read the review on Sherrin's blog from yesterday. It seems many folks are digging into this at the present time.

On the agenda for this week:

~Finish up my preparation for the Discovery Time with the Level 1 students next Monday evening

~Buy a second smaller gift to go along with the wedding gift for my cousin getting married this summer.

~Make dinner this evening for the family. I have been hungry for fish so I am thinking of making a baked fish dish with some kind of potato side dish. I think dill would be good in the potatoes.

~Try to find someone to cover my work hours so I can attend Caleb's college graduation ceremony. I guess no one wants to work on a Saturday for 12 hours. Who can blame them?

~Figure out what I want to accomplish this summer in the way of projects and goals.

How goes it with you?

Alive and Well...

2007-04-17T23:16:00.000-05:00

...Once again!

This post serves as an update of what has been happening since my last post which was not that long ago but longer than usual for me. (how was that for a run-on) ;)

Hmmm, where to begin.

Saturday, the 7th, I began having symptoms of a rather odd illness. My grandparents invited us to an Easter service at their church for the Saturday afternoon service. while I was there singing during the worship service I began having chills, body aches and a major headache. This progressed to a very high fever, a sore throat and general exhaustion. Being the good nurse that I am (and having a severe case of insomnia that night) I pulled out my trusty Merck Manual and tried diagnosing what I had. (hey, this is the sort of thing nurses do when they are sick). I was thinking it was most likely a case of strep throat but the odd part was that my throat was not too terribly sore and my glands didn't feel swollen at all. In fact, my throat seemed to feel pretty good whenever I had Tylenol or aspirin on board for my fever. Well, after an episode of violent chills to the point where I could barely walk down the stairs and a fever that registered 104.5 with a tympanic thermometer I decided a day in bed was probably the best medicine. I spent nearly all of Resurrection Sunday in bed either reading, praying, or trying to sleep. My brother, wonderful as he is was a bit alarmed at the degree of my fever and offered to wake up my parents or take me to the nearest ER. I refused the ER for sure (being the stubborn nurse that i am) but agreed to have him alert them of what was going on. I figured if I could get the fever under control with either aspirin or Tylenol I should be just fine and let my body's defenses do the rest.

By Monday morning I was feeling quite a bit better but had a temperature that registered 106.2 in the wee hours of the morning so I thought a trip to the doctor's office might be in order. When I told the receptionist that my temp had been 106.2 earlier that morning she wasted no time in finding me an appointment at the earliest time possible. In fact, my scheduled appointment was so early that it was already past time! It was rather comical. I got there about 8:40am and they put me down for the 8:30 opening after I asked if they had anything earlier than the 9:50 slot they offered me. I thought our family practice doc was quite humorous. After peering into my throat and palpating my glands he said he didn't think it was strep but just to be "all scientific about it" as he put it, he would do a strep screen just to rule it out. I couldn't help but think, "Well, I sure hope you would be scientific about it!" I refrained my urge to say this. Somehow it didn't seem very respectful. ;)

To make a boring, long story short, I recovered quite well. I did not have strep after all as my strep screen was negative and then the final culture was negative. I still don't know what it was for certain but now I am leaning towards some unknown virus. My recovery was full enough by Tuesday evening that I attended one of the BSF seminars covering homiletics. Wednesday I felt good enough to return to work and by Saturday I carried out my regular crazy schedule of attending the leaders meeting across town, staying for the fellowship time, running a few errands, and heading to work for my 11a-11p 12 hour shift. It turned out to be a 17+ hour day away from home. And by the end, I was worn-out but in good spirits.

Now I am back to this past Sunday. We had our usual worship service at church, stayed for the 2nd service where we viewed an excellent video message by John MacArthur about God's will. Afterward we headed straight for an awards ceremony conducted by the business fraternity at the local university where my brother was a recipient. Then we stopped by my grandparents for a brief visit. Finally arriving at home we enjoyed an early dinner of pancakes and eggs. I read a bit from a new book and generally enjoyed my family's company. I was greatly looking forward to a much needed rest on Sunday but by the time we came back home it was too late for a nap. Maybe next Sunday?

Monday I worked fervently to add the finishing touches to my lesson on Romans 13:8-14. I practiced from my outline in front of a mirror as I pretended to be presenting it to the group of 1st and 2nd graders I would be encountering later that evening. I also washed a couple of loads of laundry and did a few household chores.

That brings me to today when I worked another full day at the hospital, ate a late dinner after arriving home from work, and enjoyed a visit from my maternal grandparents in honor of Nathan's 12th birthday. I can't begin to figure out why I didn't have time to post on my blog this last week. Can you?! ;)

Resurrection Day Prayer

2007-04-08T05:46:00.000-05:00

Resurrection

O God of my Exodus,

Great was the joy of Israel's sons,
when Egypt died upon the shore,
Far greater joy
when the Redeemer's foe lay crushed
in the dust.
Jesus strides forth as the victor,
conqueror of death, hell, and all opposing
might;
He bursts the bands of death,
tramples the powers of darkness down,
and lives forever.
He my gracious surety,
apprehended for payment of my debt,
comes forth from the prison house of the grave
free, and triumphant over sin, Satan, and death.
Show me herein the proof that his vicarious offering
is accepted,
that the claims of justice are satisfied,
that the devil's sceptre is shivered,
that his wrongful throne is levelled.
Give me the assurance that in Christ I died,
in him I rose,
in his life I live, in his victory I triumph,
in his ascension I shall be glorified.
Adorable Redeemer,
thou who wast lifted up upon a cross
art ascended to highest heaven.
Thou, who as Man of sorrows
wast crowned with thorns,
art now as Lord of life wreathed with glory.
Once, no shame more deep than thine,
no more agony more bitter,
no death more cruel.
Now, no exultation more high,
no life more glorious,
no advocate more effective.
Thou art in the triumph car leading captive
thine enemies behind thee.
What more could be done than thou hast done!
Thy death is my life,
thy resurrection my peace,
thy ascension my hope,
thy prayers my comfort.

Taken from The Valley of Vision, a collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions

"He is risen! He is risen indeed!"

6For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die-- 8but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Romans 5:6-11 ESV

The Perfect Reminder

2007-04-06T06:02:00.000-05:00

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isaiah 1:18 (italics mine)

As I was driving home from work last night, I reflected on the recent snow fall we received. How strange to receive 1-2 inches of snow right before Resurrection weekend! Or maybe not so strange. The snow was a beautiful reminder to me of how Jesus' blood, by dying on the cross, had washed me "whiter than snow." Thus, I am ever so grateful for this perfect and unblemished sacrifice that atoned for my sins and all those who call on the name of the Lord.

Praise God for his goodness and overwhelming mercy!

Whiter than Snow

Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole;
I want Thee forever to live in my soul.
Break down every idol, cast out every foe;
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Refrain

Whiter than snow, yes, whiter than snow.
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Lord Jesus, let nothing unholy remain,
Apply Thine own blood and extract ev’ry stain;
To get this blest cleansing, I all things forego—
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Refrain

Lord Jesus, look down from Thy throne in the skies,
And help me to make a complete sacrifice.
I give up myself, and whatever I know,
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Refrain

Lord Jesus, for this I most humbly entreat,
I wait, blessèd Lord, at Thy crucified feet.
By faith, for my cleansing, I see Thy blood flow,
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Refrain

Lord Jesus, Thou seest I patiently wait,
Come now, and within me a new heart create;
To those who have sought Thee, Thou never saidst “No,”
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Refrain

The blessing by faith, I receive from above;
O glory! my soul is made perfect in love;
My prayer has prevailed, and this moment I know,
The blood is applied, I am whiter than snow.

Refrain

A Love without wax

2007-04-03T13:15:00.000-05:00

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:9-13

The above passage was a portion of my study and teaching for the children in BSF this week.

What does love have to do with wax?!

The word sincere is derived from two Latin words. Sine and Cera. It means simply, "without wax." The expression comes from the ancient days when pottery was used as the main vessel for holding liquids. A cunning potter could use wax to fill in cracks and imperfections in an earthen vessel and then paint over it to be sold as a new pot. While this practice was occurring, other potters stamped their new, flawless vessels with the words, "sine cera" or "without wax" to show that it had no wax added to make it appear new.

Paul challenges us to have "sine cera" love or a love that is genuine, without false pretenses or trying to hide something not real. Sincere love can also be described as love without hypocrisy. This word, too, is an apt description for the kind of love Christian believers are expected to have. The term "hypocrisy" comes from the Greek theater and implies "from under the mask." The Greek actors were called "hypocrites" and they wore various masks to denote the character they would be playing in a scene. So if one was being a "hypocrite" or acting "from behind the mask," he or she was someone who was not genuine. This person put up a false front while wearing a "mask" to be someone that wasn't real. In the same way, we are called to have love without hypocrisy or a mask to hide ourselves behind. What stunning word pictures of the kind of love that God calls his people to demonstrate to the world they live in! What a challenge for me to emulate as I interact with my family, fellow believers, co-workers and others.

Here is another prayer from Valley of Vision that I read last night before falling asleep. I thought the ideas conveyed were appropriate to reflect on as I strive, by God's grace alone, to be a Christian "without wax" in my life each day.

Christian Love

O Lover of the loveless,

It is thy will that I should love thee
with heart, soul, mind, strength,
and my neighbour as myself.
But I am not sufficient for these things.
There is by nature no pure love in my soul;
Every affection in me is turned from thee;
I am bound, as slave to lust,
I cannot love thee, lovely as thou art,
until thou dost set me free.

By grace I am thy freeman and would serve thee,
for I believe thou art my God in Jesus,
and that through him I am redeemed,
and my sins are forgiven.
With this freedom I would always obey thee,
but I cannot walk in liberty,
any more than I could first attain it, of myself.
May thy Spirit draw me nearer to thee
and thy ways.

Thou art the end of all means,
for if they lead me not to thee,
I go away empty.
Order all my ways by thy holy Word
and make thy commandments the joy
of my heart,
that by them I may have happy converse
with thee.
May I grow in thy love and manifest it
to mankind.

Spirit of love, make me like the loving Jesus;
give me his benevolent temper,
his beneficent actions,
that I may shine before men to thy glory.
The more thou doest in love in me and by me,
humble me the more;
keep me meek, lowly,
and always ready to give thee honour.

So are you practicing love without wax or hypocrisy? Do you wear a mask when you interact with others or are you genuine and true? May we each ask God for the grace to daily display a sincere love for His glory and honor.

Grateful for friends

2007-03-28T22:32:00.000-05:00

I read this prayer in my Valley of Vision book this last week. I wanted to share it as part of Thursdays of Thankfulness for this week.

Holy Trinity,

All praise to thee for electing me
to salvation,
by foreknowledge of God the Father,
through sanctification of the Spirit,
unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood
of Jesus;
I adore the wonders of thy condescending love,
marvel at the true believer's high privilege
within whom all heaven comes to dwell,
abiding in God and God in him;
I believe it, help me experience it to the full.
Continue to teach me that Christ's righteousness
satisfies justice and evidences thy love;
Help me to make use of it by faith as the ground
of my peace
and of thy favour and acceptance,
so that I may live always near the cross.

It is not feeling the Spirit that proves
my saved state but the truth of what
Christ did perfectly for me;
All holiness in him is by faith made mine,
as if I had done it;
Therefore I see the use of his righteousness,
for satisfaction to divine justice and making
me righteous.
It is not inner sensation that meks Christ's death
mine
for that may be delusion, being without the Word,
but his death apprehended by my faith,
and so testified by Word and Spirit.
I bless thee for these lively exercises of faith,
for the righteousness that is mine in Jesus,
for grace to resign my will to thee;
I rejoice to think that all things are at thy disposal,
and I love to leave them there.
Then prayer turns wholly into praise,
and all I can do is to adore and love thee.
I want not the favour of man to lean upon,
for I know that thy electing grace
in infinitely better.

After having many occasions to spend with friends last week over my "spring break" I realize how thankful I am to have wonderful, Christian friends.

Last week I enjoyed seeing one of my dear nursing friends during my two work days as she worked at the same hospital where I work. Even though we didn't have time to eat our lunches together, we enjoyed working near each other on the unit and catching up by phone over break.

I received a real, hand-written multi-page letter from another friend early this week. Her words were such a blessing to me. I am grateful for those who take the time to write beautiful, uplifting words to others in the form of letters or e-mail.

This past Monday evening I had an uplifting time over dinner with Natalie. I am so challenged and blessed as she asks me questions and shares her thoughts about various ideas. Several months ago we planned to each think of a topic and devise interview questions for each other. I am happy to report that after a long drawn out time frame, we concluded our interviews of each other this past week. Now the real work occurs as we edit, condense and re-work our interviews before posting them on our blogs. I am excited to share the interview I conducted with Natalie.

I also had the joy of spending an afternoon with several sisters in Christ over lunch and conversation a week ago. God is so gracious and benevolent to provide such dear, special friendships with many people from varied places.

I count many of you that read this blog as my friends too. What an amazing time and opportunity we have to "meet" and converse with people over the miles through the technology of the Internet and computers.

So what are you thankful to God for during this week?

Just to get the cogs turning...

2007-03-28T22:11:00.000-05:00

A few of us have been participating in a discussion about marriage, preparation for marriage, etc. over at Kara's blog. Join in the stimulating dialogue if you feel led. Along those same lines, here are a few links I have come across recently that may be of interest to some.

Mr. Scott Brown of North Carolina has called for a day of prayer and fasting for fathers that their Christian daughters might be married and that sons might be prepared for marriage.

Our discussion of marriage was sparked by Kara's review of the book, "Getting Serious About Getting Married" by Debbie Maken. You can read Kara's review on her blog.

There are always stimulating articles on the Boundless Webzine regarding marriage and relationships. While I don't always agree with the philosophies presented, I have been blessed and challenged by many of the articles.

So anyone want to share other stimulating thoughts or links on marriage? Include them here in the comments section. Please keep all personal thoughts Scripturally focused and God-glorifying. Inappropriate comments will be deleted at the blog administrator's discretion. You can read additional thoughts of mine in regards to marriage from about this same time last year.

Thinking highly

2007-03-27T05:46:00.000-05:00

Lately, in BSF we have been looking over Romans 12:3-8. Last night I presented to Bible lesson to 3rd and 4th graders based on this passage. It was a real challenge and more so for myself. The adult equivalent of the lecture we heard went straight to my heart. While I don't have the time to give an exhaustive look at the material covered, I will point you to this article on Boundless Webzine that fits in nicely with the concepts. The article is entitled, "Me, Me, Me." Can you guess what it is about? Read Romans 12:3 and then read the article. It was a very sober reminder for me.

Here is another Puritan prayer I read for my devotions last night:

Self-Knowledge

Searcher of hearts,

It is a good day to me when thou givest me
a glimpse of myself;
Sin is my greatest evil,
but thou art my greatest good;
I have cause to loathe myself,
and not to seek self-honour,
for no one desires to commend his own dunghill.

My country, family, church
fare worse because of my sins,
for sinners bring judgment in thinking
sins are small,
or that God is not angry with them.

Let me not take other good men as my example,
and think I am good because I am like them,
For all good men are not so good as thou desirest,
are not always consistent,
do not follow holiness,
do not feel eternal good in sore afflictions.

Show me how to know when a thing is evil
which I think is right and good,
how to know when what is lawful
comes from an evil principle,
such as a desire for for reputation or wealth by usury.

Give me grace to recall my needs,
my lack of knowing thy will in Scripture,
of wisdom to guide others,
of daily repentance, want of which keeps thee
at bay,
of the spirit of prayer, having words
without love,
of zeal for thy glory, seeking my own ends,
of joy in thee and thy will,
of love to others.

And let me not lay my pipe
too short of the fountain,
never touching the eternal spring,
never drawing down water from above.

Bookworm tag

2007-03-22T13:32:00.000-05:00

John tagged me to do this meme about books. I feel a little out of place for although I do enjoy reading, I wouldn't exactly consider myself a bookworm or even a Bibliophile. Well, here goes.

Hardback or trade paperback or mass market paperback?

It depends. Preferably hardback unless it is too expensive or not something I plan to hang on to.

Online purchase or brick and mortar?

Brick and Mortar most the time. I am just beginning to purchase a few books online but they are usually books I couldn't find at a local store or else they are greatly discounted.

Barnes & Noble or Borders?

Borders but only because it is close to our house and I have never been to Barnes and Noble that I can recall.

Bookmark or dog-ear?

Mostly bookmark but occasionally I'll dog-ear a cheap paperback or catalogue. I never dog-ear hard backs or nicer books.

Mark or not mark?

I usually dislike marking in books unless they are textbooks. I didn't even mark in my Bible for years until recently. I guess it seems like I am defacing it somehow. Weird, I know.

Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random?

Not alphabetize but rather categorize. By subject first, then author. Not by title unless of the same subject and author.

Keep, throw away, or sell?

Usually keep or give away. If it is a book I haven't read in long while or something not worth holding on to I will give it away or sell it. I sold most of my "Left Behind" books at our last garage sale. :)

Keep dust jacket or toss it?

Always keep. Why would you throw away part of a book?

Read with dust jacket or remove it?

Leave on. I know it sounds weird, but to me a dust jacket is like clothing so removing it would be like having a "naked" book. :)

Crack the spine or leave it unbroken?

Try not to crack it, but sometimes it is unavoidable such as with a heavy college textbook. Nursing textbooks are the worst. I had one that weighed over 5 pounds! Paperbacks almost always get "creased" on the spine.

Favorite book of all time?

Ugh, I have no idea. I am not much of a "favorites" person.
I have always appreciated the Proverbs of Solomon.

Short story or novel?

Usually novel out of habit, but shorter stories are enjoyable too.

Fiction or non-fiction?

I enjoy both but read non-fiction more often. I think it is more practical and helpful, generally speaking. I am reading a fiction book currently that I began last week. Before that I think the last fiction book I read was "The Last Sacrifice." That was last year!

One book at a time or have several in process at the same time?

I prefer to finish a book or keep them limited in number but recently I have been experiencing difficulty in finishing any book. I don't quite know why. Maybe I have a shorter attention span or maybe because the vast majority of my reading has been non-fiction.

Collection (short stories by same author) or anthology (short stories by different authors)?

I don't think I have ever read an anthology. At least not that I can recall. So I would have to say "collection."

Lord of the Rings or Narnia.

Narnia. I must have read the entire series at least 3-4 times during my grade school years. My first time reading was in 2nd grade (age 8). I always loved fantasy growing up. The top reason I didn't select LOTR is because I have never read it! I am hoping to change that soon.

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?

At chapter breaks. It just doesn't seem right to quit mid chapter. Sometimes I find myself nodding off toward the last few pages. :)

“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”?

Tough one. Probably, "It was a dark and stormy night" since I enjoy adventure and mystery more than simple tales.

Buy or Borrow?

Usually buy unless I want to check out if I really want the book before buying.

New or used?

More often, new. Used if borrowed from a friend or a book I know to be good already.

Buying choice: book reviews, recommendation or browse?

Usually recommendations or browsing. I don't often go searching for reviews unless they are something I run across on blogs or other publications. I don't put much stock in reviews for the most part unless from a trusted source like a friend. I will browse at the local Christian retail store but even then I am already geared toward a specific genre or general idea of what I want.

Tidy ending or cliffhanger?

Depends. Cliffhanger is okay if it is a series but I generally like to feel satisfied at the end of a book. Like all the loose ends are tied up and there is a sense of closure. That being said, I don't like unrealistic, saccharine sweet endings. That is not how life is. Never has been, never will be. At least not in this life. :) But a satisfyingly happy, albeit, realistic ending is the best.

Morning reading, afternoon reading or night time reading?

I tend to read more later in the day either afternoon or evening. I try to read devotional material right before bed (currently Valley of Vision) and in the late morning I start on my BSF preparation which includes study notes, Bible passages, children's lessons, study questions, teacher's manual, etc. I may read for pleasure in the late afternoon. Recently delving into some classic fiction, Sense and Sensibilty. Yes, I took the plunge to read Jane Austen. :)

Standalone or series?

More often stand alone but sometimes I find a series that is great. I wouldn't recommend a series for the most part though. The books seem to get worse and worse as the series progresses. There is something about a first book that makes it the best.

Favorite series?

Chronicles of Narnia and Cooper Kids Adventure Series (Frank Peretti)

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?

I honestly don't know. I don't read too many remote or unknown books. I guess these may or may not qualify:

Exploring the History of Medicine by John Hudson Tiner

The Merck Manual published by the Merck Pharmaceutical Company. I have my very own copy I received as a gift for Christmas a couple years ago. I used it to diagnose my own gallbladder problems when even our family practice doc said I was just having "gas pains." I will have to write more about the Merck sometimes. I greatly enjoy looking up all kinds of medical diagnoses in it.

Favorite books read last year?

The Last Sacrifice by Hank Hanegraaff and Sigmund Brouwer. Hmmm, trying to remember some others.
Knowing Scripture by R.C. Sproul was helpful.

Favorite book of all time?
The Bible, of course and...

I was greatly touched and challenged by the books Joni Eareckson Tada has written, especially some of her later books like Choices...Changes and The God I Love. Even though I have never met her personally I felt her writings assisted me in stretching my faith and encouraging me to put my complete trust in God for my future. Even though I have experienced some great personal trials in my life they seemed as nothing compared to everything she has faced. Her story reminded me that if God would be with her and provide for her in the midst of those difficulties then surely he could do the same for me in my lesser trials. She is an incredible woman with a deep heart for God and His truth.

That is all. This was a long meme. That is why it has taken me ever so looonng to complete it. :) I will tag Susan (if she is still around), Caleb (ditto), Mountain Musings and Zan. I wanted to tag Kara since she is the biggest "Bibliophile" I know but she beat me to it! You can read her responses over at her blog. Also check out the responses of Ashley from Onward and Upward.

Field Trip to the Flint Hills

2007-03-16T19:07:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week my father had asked me if I would like to accompany him on an excursion to the Flint Hills. Since I had already worked my two days for this week and this is the start of a five-day mini spring break, (yay!) I thought it would be a great excuse for a day trip. This weekend my father and brothers had planned to host a father-son camp-out at the Red Oaks Ranch in the Flint Hills. Yesterday Dad wanted to scope out the property and set up a few things before the campers arrived this afternoon. Although it made for a long, tiring day I enjoyed the trip greatly. I will share a few highlights from the afternoon.

We left home around 9:30 am after stopping by the bank and store first. Briefly we visited my grandparents to pick up a large grill pit and a few cooking implements. The drive itself is about an hour and a half. Dad, Nathan and I all packed into the little red, one ton pick-up and headed off for a day of adventure and exploration. It turned into more of an adventure than we anticipated after discovering a flat tire on the truck after we had driven down into a valley over some rough terrain. My own 11-year-old brother changed the flat tire almost single-handedly. Just a bit of help in placing the tire jack and loosening the lug nuts. I don't know whether I could have changed that flat as expertly as he did! That was probably the most exciting part of the day.

Not long after we had been at the property, we decided to hike up a hill to find the pond where the men and boys could fish. It took a good 30 minutes to find it. The water level was quite low so probably not ideal for fishing at this time. It was humorous to watch Nathan and Dad discussing which direction to take in finding the pond. We didn't bring a map so they had to go by either their memories of previous visits or remembering the layout from the map at home. I could tell that my father knows directions very well while Nathan has a ways to go in developing his map skills. I had to chuckle to myself as Nathan would point in one direction for the return trek back to camp while Dad pointed in an entirely different direction and helped guide Nathan to remember where we were headed.

My most memorable moment was finding several fossil specimens in the dry creek bed. The Flint Hills of Kansas are literally packed with tremendous fossils. I discovered a small piece of rock embedded with coral, a slightly larger piece with a section of a crinoid stem and another piece with a detailed fragment of a shell. The last was my favorite piece. It has some red coloring near the edge probably from some iron deposit. All the specimens are primarily of limestone. It was amazing to pick up interesting fossils just as one walked along the creek bed. There was no picking or shoveling needed! These were not large fossils and certainly not as impressive as an Allosaur skull or mammoth tusk but they were neat for me to find so easily and inexpensively.

Before hunting for fossils with my dad and brother I climbed up into a deer stand about 15 feet above the ground to have a better look around. I sat up there for about ten minutes or so just listening to the sounds around me and watching my dad and brother foraging the woods below. As I sat, I saw a large woodpecker flit through the branches above. I couldn't tell what species it was and even after returning home and looking it up in our field guide I couldn't tell for certain. I think it was possibly a red-headed woodpecker. It was hard to get a good view of it since it was flying high above me through the tree tops.

After changing the flat tire, we headed for the nearest town to air up to the spare and find some lunch. By now it was late into the afternoon and none of us had eaten since breakfast around 8:30 this morning. We were all very ready to eat and head for home. We settled on an area Sonic drive-in for lunch and all chose cheeseburgers with tater tots and limeades. After a filling lunch we started for home. I dozed off most the way as Nathan talked excitedly about the soon-approaching camp-out and Dad listened patiently.

What a relief to arrive home safe with the truck and everyone in it. It was a adventurous yet tiring day. I slept about as well as I ever had. I went to bed around 11:30 pm and didn't awaken until 6:40 am. Then after saying good-bye to Dad before he left for work, I went back to bed for awhile. I think I should get out and walk more often. Maybe I would sleep more soundly like that.

Any exciting adventures from others? I have another tale of excitement around our house from last night and all day today but it shall have to wait. We are about to head out for a bite to eat and join with a mother and her daughters for an evening of fun and fellowship.

I knew I was in the wrong profession...

2007-03-13T22:15:00.000-05:00

I found this over on John's blog today. Since this blog has become somewhat lonely and boring I thought maybe a post, however insignificant it was, would liven things up a bit.

So, here is my supposed highest intelligence ranking. The ironic thing is that I can barely read music or play the piano. I mostly learned to sing by ear. I guess you could say I am "functionally illiterate" when it comes to music. :) I can pound out the melody on the piano but I learn a new song much easier just by listening to it two or three times.

Your Dominant Intelligence is Musical Intelligence

Every part of your life has a beat, and you're often tapping your fingers or toes.
You enjoy sounds of all types, but you also find sound can distract you at the wrong time. You are probably a gifted musician of some sort - even if you haven't realized it. Also a music lover, you tend to appreciate artists of all kinds.

You would make a great musician, disc jockey, singer, or composer.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

Interestingly, several of my vocal instructors in college kept asking me why I wasn't majoring in vocal music. *Thinks to self* "Uh, because you can't make a living doing that!" I am much too sensible for such a thing. I don't think I would enjoy music nearly as much if it were my work. I prefer to use it as a hobby or for ministry. So that is how it shall remain. I do sometimes wish that I had at least minored in music. Maybe I would be a better musician now if I had. :)

So for all those reading, take the survey and tell me what is given as your highest intelligence. I honestly want to know if anyone has Spacial Intelligence (no, not "Special" intelligence) as their highest. I am pretty certain that it has to be one of my lowest. I think that is partly why I am no good at sewing. The patterns totally confuse me as I try to picture how they go together.

Happy Tuesday! Hopefully more enlightening posts on the way. Today was a work day and my brain is kinda' fried. :)

Thankful in part...

2007-03-08T05:47:00.000-06:00

This week I have a couple brief thankfulness items to share.

1) In BSF I have been studying about the attributes of God and how much more superior he is to man in every area. In my notes said something along the lines that if I have food to eat, clothes on my back, a warm place to sleep, the ability to read and safety around me I am considered one of the world's richest people. I am so thankful for all these mentioned thing. The one that stood out to me was the ability to read. I guess I hadn't considered what a privilege and blessing it is to be able to do that. My mother was my primary reading instructor in home school. I loved to have books read to me repeatedly when I was a little girl. So much so, that one book in particular I had memorized word for word by the time I was three years old. My parents would ask me to "read" my book for people and I would happily oblige with this particular book. Now I can read for real without memorizing texts ahead of time. What a blessing to be able to read and study God's word and additional books that turn my heart to God and His ways. So can you read? Thank God for that. The founders of our great country had a desire that all people were able to read so that they could study the Holy Scriptures for themselves. At that time their was a very high literacy rate even among the poorest folks. It is so sad the rate of illiteracy we have in our country at this time. If one of your younger siblings or another you know doesn't know how to read, perhaps consider teaching them so that they can learn to read the Holy Scriptures as well.

2) I am ever so grateful for a loving, Godly, intact family. I don't say this to boast or make others jealous. It was none of my doing anyway. The other day I was commenting to my parents that one of the observations that surprised me the most while working around nurses at a hospital was the number of them who are or have been divorced. It must be at least 50% and probably higher. Such a sad thing to observe. People treat marriage so casually these days. It is almost seen as a commodity. Something that can be traded around or "sold" when one isn't satisfied with the end result or finds a better deal. God has been so gracious to place me in a wonderful family to train me, love me, pray for me, and encourage me. I don't know where I would be or how I would have turned out without them. If only I would see this more each day and treat them accordingly as cherished blessings. By God's grace he will continue to work that into me as I am renewed day by day.

Those are my Thursday of Thankfulness thoughts for this week. If you have something you would like to share for the upcoming weeks, please e-mail them to me no later than Wednesday evening at 9:00 pm (CST) the week that you desire to participate. If you send just the link and a short description of your post that would be very helpful for me including your contribution.

Blessings to all this week as your reflect on the bountiful blessings God has given to each of you.

Where I have been

2007-03-07T20:57:00.000-06:00

Well, I have a few minutes to write a quick post before I get ready for bed this evening so I thought I would give a few quick updates on what has been happening.

I have really wanted to blog more but my thoughts are either very unorganized and disoriented or else I have very little time to actually compose something worth the effort.

I have had a very busy past weekend and week so far. Friday I worked all day (0700-2030). Saturday morning I went to my BSF leaders meeting and then ran a few errands for my mother before heading over to work. It was a good day albeit extremely busy. I worked 1100-2330 on Saturday.

On Sunday I attended church with my family, ran home to grab a quick lunch and spent most the afternoon downtown enjoying a youth symphony concert. My sister plays in 1st chair of the 2nd violins section. After the concert I stopped by our house briefly with my grandfather and brothers to pick up a few items before heading over to my grandparents house for Sunday dinner.

Monday I spent most the day working on my BSF preparation to teach 7th-8th graders. I taught homiletics and actually greatly enjoyed it. I thought Tuesday would be a bit slower and more relaxing but I received a call to make pies with a couple young ladies in a class so I spent most my afternoon doing that. I made my first banana cream pie complete with meringue topping. It was quite good even if the crust did not stay together and look as pretty as I had hoped. I attended a ladies birthday celebration supper with my mother later in the evening and went to bed soon after arriving home. That brings me to Wednesday when I worked another full day with a good group of patients. It was such a pleasant day that I didn't pull my hair back in a ponytail the whole time! You have to know I had a great day when my hair didn't annoy me while being stressed to the core (as I usually am). :) Oh, another side note about my hair. I am toying with growing it out a bit. Not terribly long just a little longer around 4-5 inches below my shoulders. Have to see how long I can tolerate it once the hot weather begins. ;)

Hmm, what else... I have loads of BSF prep to complete as I am a little behind since having such a full weekend and first two weekdays. Not much hope for a post in the near future until after Saturday. Then I'll have to see.

That is about all for now. Hope to be posting more in the future if I can find the time. I have some many, varied posts bouncing around in my brain. Maybe I can construct something cogent soon.

Have a wonderful week to everyone. Pray for me tomorrow. More nursing work then and on Saturday.

New topic for consideration

2007-03-01T20:08:00.000-06:00

Since reading through "The Treasure Principle" I have been inspired to start a short series on my blog dealing with giving, viewing possessions in light of eternity and honoring the Lord with the resources he has entrusted to us. I began one draft already with many quotes and thoughts from "The Treasure Principle" book. However, I don't want the focus to be on this book alone. Rather I desire it to be a springboard for discussion and reflecting on our own spending habits, use of resources, giving practices and the like.

I hope to share some testimony from my own changes in dealing with money. It has been a process and one I am still heavily in the midst of undergoing. My desire is that God be glorified in the outcome as I seek to bring my practices under submission to His word and wisdom.

Look for upcoming post dealing with these ideas in the coming weeks. If you have any helpful, practical resources you have found helpful for using money wisely, instilling an attitude of giving to others or how to honor God with money, please send them my way via e-mail. I would appreciate it.

Thankful for a glimpse into things that are eternal

2007-03-01T20:06:00.000-06:00

I am posting my Thursday of Thankfulness a couple of weeks overdue. I have no good reason for it other than focusing on a few other projects and pursuits. I have been on the lookout for some great additions to include for this week and I discovered some fabulous posts to share. You will find both of them at the end of this post.

For my own thankfulness ideas I will be sharing from a few recent happenings.

1) I am thankful for a father with a heart for evangelism and serving the Lord. Recently my father has shared a desire he has to begin a family Bible study of the Gospel of John for people in our neighborhood. We plan to invite several people by letters sent to them in the coming months. I am so excited for this vision God has given him to reach others who may have never heard the glorious gospel of Christ. My father has also been given an opportunity to lead the congregational singing occasionally for our local assembly. The hymns and scripture songs he selected the week before last Sunday were such a blessing to me. They included "Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven," "To God Be the Glory," "Send the Light," and "The Church's One Foundation."

2) The other item I am thankful for this week are edifying, Christian books. This week and last I have been reading, "The Treasure Principle" by Randy Alcorn. I am sorry that I was not made aware of the truths in this book much sooner in my Christian walk. The content is so rich and practical for believers of all times, ages, places, and statuses. I hope to share more in depth from it in the coming days. So many of the principles presented have been like a halogen bulb going off in my head. They have been intensely piercing and overwhelmingly brilliant. This is one book, while small in size, is packed full of sobering, convicting, useful, God-glorifying, Scripturally-sound material. I would encourage any believer to pick it up as soon as able.

3) With temperatures in the 60's and 70's the last several days I have realized how grateful I am for warmer weather and that spring will soon be arriving. The sights and sounds of an approaching spring are all around me. One morning as I was lying in bed I heard a chorus of birds singing outside my window. Typically one doesn't hear many birds during the winter season unless they are crows or starlings. These were lovely song birds. Just the kind that remind you of a spring morning when they sing to greet the coming day. I have also enjoyed watching several birds eat the bread we set out near a tree. I saw some sparrows and chickadees busily pecking away. I also discovered that the downy woodpeckers had returned once they found the suet we hung out in the feeder. I love to watch the incredible variety of birds in our yard. We have many species partly because of our location in the midwest. I am so glad that the Lord caused there to be differing seasons for our pleasure and to glorify himself. My favorite is spring but I like each one for its own uniqueness and special qualities.

For the other super posts I found this week check out the following:

While not written originally for ToT, Susan does a lovely job of declaring her gratefulness for God's abundance bestowed upon her through numerous gifts, both earthly and heavenly. You won't want to miss this part Valentine's Day answer to prayer, part love-story and total awe for the riches of Christ given to his children.

Jessie, in a humble and delightful post, shares of God's faithfulness to her through answered prayer in the little things. She carries it forward by pointing us to expect God to provide for the big things in life just as he has shown himself faithful to provide in the little things.

There is nothing new...

2007-03-01T09:45:00.000-06:00

I was reading from Tim Challies yesterday and found this piece to be quite intriguing.

What Tim said is so true. "The more things change the more they stay the same." It is nothing new for a group of so-called "scientists" to claim that Christ never rose from the dead and to try proving that by saying they had found his very tomb with his bones and those of his supposed family. Read the linked articles and you will see very clearly that the testimony propagated by these men is based on shaky evidence at best although, in reality, outright lies and deception.

Ecclesiastes 1:8-10 NIV

8 All things are wearisome,
more than one can say.
The eye never has enough of seeing,
nor the ear its fill of hearing.

9 What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.

10 Is there anything of which one can say,
"Look! This is something new"?
It was here already, long ago;
it was here before our time.

I went back to the Gospels to re-read the account of what happened after Jesus had risen when the Pharisees gave money to the Roman guards to persuade them in perpetuating the myth that Jesus' body had been stolen by the disciples and never risen from the dead.

Matthew 27:57-28:20 ESV

57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

62 Next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, "Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, 'After three days I will rise.' 64 Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, 'He has risen from the dead,' and the last fraud will be worse than the first." 65 Pilate said to them, "You have a guard[i] of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can." 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

Matthew 28
1 Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he[j] lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you." 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me."

11 While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. 12 And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers 13 and said, "Tell people, 'His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.' 14 And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." 15 So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[k] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

It is so sad to see that this sort of thing still gets passed around today and by some of the very people that were God's chosen (the offspring of the Patriarchs, the Jews).

These people will not be saved by anything other than faith in Christ. There is no other way for them to be reconciled to God. We have been studying Romans 11 in BSF for the last two weeks and much of the passage speaks of this very thing. It is interesting that God has blinded (hardened) the eyes of the Jews for a reason so that the Gentiles have the opportunity to come to faith in Him. The Gentiles coming to faith is meant to provoke to jealousy the Jews so that they will desire to know the One True God as well. There will be a time when God will open the eyes of his own people and many out of the entire nation (a remnant) will be saved. Until that time it is our responsibility as Gentile believers to pray for the Jews and that their eyes would be opened and their hearts softened to Christ and His marvelous Gospel. We must also live in such a way that others would desire to have the same hope that we possess by believing in Christ.

I thought I would include these two hymn as a reminder of what our hope, as believers, must be founded upon and where our trust is stayed.

The Solid Rock

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

Refrain

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

Refrain

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.

Refrain

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

Refrain

My Faith Has Found a Resting Place

My faith has found a resting place,
Not in device or creed;
I trust the ever living One,
His wounds for me shall plead.

Refrain

I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.

Enough for me that Jesus saves,
This ends my fear and doubt;
A sinful soul I come to Him,
He’ll never cast me out.

Refrain

My heart is leaning on the Word,
The living Word of God,
Salvation by my Savior’s Name,
Salvation through His blood.

Refrain

My great Physician heals the sick,
The lost He came to save;
For me His precious blood He shed,
For me His life He gave.

Refrain

May we proclaim boldly and confidently for all the world to hear, "He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!"

A Nurses' Survival Kit

2007-02-19T15:15:00.000-06:00

I have been thinking about what I consider to be the necessities for a nurse each day while working on the floor. Here are a few items I would include in my own personal Nurses' Survival Kit:

1) A few moments in private prayer
During my morning commute each day to work, I set aside the time for prayer to commit my day to the Lord and lift up the needs of others he has laid on my heart. I cherish the 20 or so minutes I have to quietly reflect on the coming day and how I can be a light of Christ to all those around me. It is a continual process as I commit my plans to the Lord and trust his leading in my life.

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints..." Ephesians 6:18

"Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

2) A positive, upbeat attitude
Whenever I arrive at work with a sour, negative approach, invariably the day only seems to worsen as I meet my patients and go about my tasks. Part of giving care and comfort to others is in having a proper attitude. I want my words and expressions to convey the love of Jesus Christ to those I am around. Often I fall so far short of this ideal. It is what I ask God to work into me by his grace.

"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the bones." Proverbs 17:22

3) A genuine, caring smile
Sometimes it is a real challenge for me to smile when I am being pulled in what seems like a hundred different directions. I must remember that I am there to serve others and cheer them; not to bring myself comfort or meet my own needs. It is amazing how much more willing a patient is to take medication, or follow unpleasant orders or try to be polite to the nurse, when he or she sees someone who gives a pleasant smile and words of encouragement.

"A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken." Proverbs 15:13

4) At least one or two hair bands
When I am running helter-skelter, the last thing I want is to have my hair hanging in my face or dangling in some disgusting substance over a patient. I usually start out my shift with my hair down but on most days it goes up in a ponytail by lunch time. I keep a hair band around my right wrist throughout the day so it is available for a quick "up-do."

5) A warm, zip-up jacket
Hospitals are notorious for being freezing cold in the summer time from the constant air-conditioning. The med room at the hospital where I work is particularly cold to keep the computerized med cabinets running at peak capacity. One day last week, the thermostat read 63 degrees F. Yes, a jacket is certainly appreciated when you are standing in line waiting for your turn to use the medication system.

6) A small bottle of moisturizing lotion
While washing my hands between patients and after handling soiled items, I have seen how dried out my hands become. A pleasant scented lotion is just the thing for a quick "tune-up" of my skin.

7) A water bottle or coffee mug
Since I have a desk with a computer where I do all my computerized charting, I am able to keep a bottle of water nearby when I need a quick sip. Sometimes I have a mug of hot tea to pep me up on a cold morning or afternoon.

8) A number of black ink, writing pens
When doing paper charting, most hospitals require their nurses to use black ink instead of blue. With so much writing done throughout the day, it is crucial to have several "back-up" pens in case one fails. My favorites are the drug rep pens that my dad gives me or that I obtain from working around the hospital.

9) A pack of mint flavored gum
I have found that chewing a piece of spearmint or wintergreen gum after my lunch break helps to freshen my breath and keeps stress down as I am constantly exercising my jaw muscles. There is something about chomping on a piece of gum that helps one keep sane while running to and fro and juggling a multitude of simultaneous tasks.

10) A tube of lipstick or lip gloss
After lunch in the break room, I freshen up with a quick do-over of my lips. Especially helpful with the dry air indoors from the heater running.

Maybe some of the items in my survival kit will be an encouragement for you to implement in your daily routine whether you be a wife, mother, working outside the home or ministering to others in a special capacity.

I have seen firsthand of the importance of implementing a cheerful heart, a genuine smile, and habitual prayer as "must-haves" in working as a nurse. I can see that without these practices I am not able to effectively minister and serve those around me. The nursing profession is incredibly demanding and draining. It takes nearly everything out of one physically, emotionally, and mentally. I have learned to constantly depend on the Lord to provide me with what I need to meet the challenges I face on the job. God is good to answer not only faithfully but abundantly as I ask him for strength and guidance. I am hopeful that the difficulties I encounter as a nurse will further prepare me for whatever calling he has for me in the future and to remember to call out to the Lord for help in other difficult situations I will encounter along life's journey.

How has the Lord been equipping you for what he calls you to do?