Truly Amazing Grace

Paul & I went to see the movie Amazing Grace and were very blessed! We can highly recommend this movie. It's about William Wilberforce, a godly man who abolished the slave trade in England. His life is truly provoking and inspiring. He loved the Lord passionately and served Him wholeheartedly, giving his life to the calling the Lord had for him. He struggled with serious health issues and endured intense political opposition. His wife was a match for him in every way, providing the encouragement and support he needed to heed the call of God on his life. What a great example for us!
John Piper has an audiobiography online that's great, and I hear there's a couple biographies which we will seek to read. Also, Focus on the Family has done a dramatization of his life (their series are always excellent).
Go see the movie!! It's wonderful!!
Paul & I thought the actor for William looked like Bob Kauflin! :)

Come and Eat!

My honey made (well heated up my) homemade chicken soup and DID make a delicious spinach garlic tomato saute thingy for dinner. I was sitting here with the laptop and said I had no appetite. He beckoned me to eat anyway. I obeyed submissively and as soon as we gave thanks I inhaled the delicious dinner. My dormant taste buds started to live again!
My coherent meditation on this is that even when we don't feel like eating. we must for our health. Even more importantly, even when we don't feel like reading the Word, we must for our spiritual health! Sometimes it may feel like taking vitamins and sometimes it may be a gourmet experience, but either way we need the Bread of Life!

awfully sick

Well, the miracle didn't happen..meaning I did get the flu most likely from my sweet husband! This is truly the flu and I hope no more! My fever was gone but now is back which makes me suspect an infection of sorts may be brewing somewhere in my body. Pleasant, huh?
Amazing, the truffle chocolate kisses I so enjoyed last week (you've gotta try them-they're regular kisses wrapped with dark chocolate) taste awful to me right now. Interesting that our health affects our appetite and taste buds so much. Made me ponder the spiritual side of this a little bit, but not enough to write anything coherent about it.
I'm rejoicing right now though because I just heard that my friend Briana is on her way home with her new baby Isabella!!!
Praise the Lord!!
We have two pregnant ladies in our church and I think it's the best way to grow a church!!

Valentine's Blizzard?

We're readying for a big storm that's predicted to bring about a foot of snow! It's about time. It's good timing for us, since John & Mary are down with a nasty virus and we're not going anywhere anyway! Paul introduced the virus to our family and is now in Gaithersburg for a pastoral counseling course at the Pastors' College.
We did get away to celebrate Valentine's Day early, thankfully. We stayed at a wonderful Hampton Inn in Portsmouth NH and thoroughly enjoyed our time in spite of Paul's nasty cold (thank God for medicine!). I guess it will be a miracle if I don't get this thing!
Happy Valentines to all you love birds out there..enjoy your man! I can't wait to see mine on Friday!

Micki

Today is my very dear friend Micki's birthday. (She's the cutie on the right.) I thought it fitting to honor her.
Proverbs 17:17 says "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity."
This verse reminds me of Micki's friendship and character. I am so blessed by our relationship. Micki's Dad was a pastor and so she has a real sensitivity to the challenges and the blessings that come with this call. God has graced her with the gifts of encouragement and wisdom, and has brought me so much good through her! She asks great questions and follows up to see how I'm doing in areas I'm struggling with.
Micki has been there through all the trials and changes that we've experienced in our church plant. (I must add that Jeff, her hubby, has been a HUGE source of encouragement and help for Paul in the ministry at King of Grace.)
Micki makes my laugh and helps me to enjoy life :)
We often say the reason God put us 30 minutes away from eachother is because we'd spend way too much time hanging out and getting nothing done but fun! I still wish we lived closer though!
Micki has had chronic migraines for 16 years now. Sometimes they're so severe she can't get out of bed for several days. I've never heard Micki complain about her suffering and am amazed at God's grace in her to sustain her and use her to serve again and again (another gift of hers is serving). I pray that God grants her the gift of healing from these headaches this year!
I could go on and on about this amazing friend; my comrade and sister. I thank God for you, Micki!!! Thank you for loving at all times. I want to be more like you. I love you!!

‘Whate’er My God Ordains in Right’

by Samuel Rodigast, is the title of Bach’s favorite hymn. I learned on Sunday from our guest speaker, Jared Mellinger, that Bach had 20 children, of whom 13 died. In the life of one who suffered so much loss, this hymn speaks of great faith in a good and great God.
In our day of comforts and convenience, we do well to prepare for inevitable suffering personally and corporately. Yet ‘we want to live our lives more aware of Christ’s suffering for us than our own suffering.’


Whate’er my God ordains is right:
His holy will abideth;
I will be still whate’er He doth;
And follow where He guideth;
He is my God; though dark my road,
He holds me that I shall not fall:
Wherefore to Him I leave it all.
Whate’er my God ordains is right:
He never will deceive me;
He leads me by the proper path:
I know He will not leave me.
I take, content, what He hath sent;
His hand can turn my griefs away,
And patiently I wait His day.
Whate’er my God ordains is right:
His loving thought attends me;
No poison can be in the cup
That my Physician sends me.
My God is true; each morn anew
I’ll trust His grace unending,
My life to Him commending.
Whate’er my God ordains is right:
He is my Friend and Father;
He suffers naught to do me harm,
Though many storms may gather,
Now I may know both joy and woe,
Some day I shall see clearly
That He hath loved me dearly.
Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Though now this cup, in drinking,
May bitter seem to my faint heart,
I take it, all unshrinking.
My God is true; each morn anew
Sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart,
And pain and sorrow shall depart.
Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Here shall my stand be taken;
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine,
Yet I am not forsaken.
My Father’s care is round me there;
He holds me that I shall not fall:
And so to Him I leave it all.

Have Mercy!

Have mercy from above,
please save the ones we love!
And save our enemies
(not just the ones we please).

Lord, hear our cries today,
pour out your saving grace!
On this, your favor day,
have mercy, Lord we pray.

Use us to reach the lost,
help us to count the cost.
To redeem our every day;
and the truth boldly proclaim.

Fill us, O Spirit of God,
help us forsake our pride.
Not our will, but yours be done,
please let your kingdom come.

What a wonder, what a grace~
to be filled and used each day.
Glorify your Name, we pray
til we see you face to face.

Glory, glory to Your Name;
please increase your holy fame
in all nations, tribes and tongues~
in all those you died to love.

Come, Lord Jesus, come, we say
hasten to redeem this day.
You're our high exalted king
and the ruler of all things.

Glory, glory to the Lamb,
to the One slain for man.
We celebrate your saving grace
and are blessed to run this race.

Growing Up

Growing up
Happens before our eyes,
One day in the cradle
The next, junior high.

When it happens to your own
It is strange indeed,
How could this boy who
I nursed, cuddled and reared
Grow into a man with a beard?!

Will he remember his appointments without my reminders?
Will he feel happy and loved without my every day hugs?
How hard it is to let go and let God take control
(as if He didn’t have it before?!)

My son’s a young man, yet still my child to me,
Lord, help me to know how to relate and to see
What will serve and what won’t; when to call, when refrain
I don’t want to let go, but I'm comforted to know

YOU will never let him go, not a moment, oh no,
You will hold him and keep him and love him each day
You’ll correct and protect and reveal your love and truth all the way.
How grateful I am to know this is true
That my young man is Your man and Your plan is good and perfect too.

Thank you for letting me mother him for so long,
Teach me to mother in new ways while that he’s gone.
Keep him safe, grant success and bless his college years
With growing wisdom, godly friends and a faith that endures.

I got tagged and it's fun!

Lisa tagged me!

Here’s how this tag goes:

1) Grab the book closest to you
2) Open to page 123, go down to the fourth sentence
3) Post the text of the following 3 sentences
4) Name the author and book title
5) Tag three people to do the same

My Bible says on pg. 123, fourth line down:

"You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's."

The author is my Best Friend, Jesus.

I tag Briana, Daniel, and Enza!

Friends

Being in Maryland this past weekend has me pretty nostalgic. It was so nice to see dear, old friends. The beauty of friendship is being able to pick up right where you left off, no matter how much time has passed. The wonder of godly friendship is the grace to overlook the many imperfections one has brought to the table and enjoy the many graces God bestows instead. I’m so thankful for this grace that my friends give me time and time again!!!

It is always hard to have limited time for our visits ‘down’, and sad to miss out on real visits with so many we love. This makes me look forward to heaven where we’ll be together with our extended family in Christ and have all the time in the world, I mean, in heaven to enjoy!!!

This reminds me of an oldie but goodie song:


Words: Deborah D. Smith
Music: Michael W. Smith

Packing up the dreams God planted
In the fertile soil of you
Can’t believe the hopes He’s granted
Means a chapter in your life is through
But we’ll keep you close as always
It wont even seem you’ve gone
cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong

Chorus:
And friends are friends forever
If the Lord’s the Lord of them
And a friend will not say never
cause the welcome will not end
Though its hard to let you go
In the Father’s hands we know
That a lifetimes not too long to live as friends.

With the faith and love God’s given
Springing from the hope we know
We will pray the joy you’ll live in
Is the strength that now you show

But well keep you close as always
It wont even seem you’ve gone
cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong

sweet contentment

Here's a poem by William Cowper called 'Contentment' that's wonderful! May your year be filled with the sweet and satisfying fruit of contentment in our dear Lord Jesus!

Contentment--Philippians 4 (From The Olney Hymns)

Fierce passions discompose the mind,
As tempests vex the sea:
But calm content and peace we find,
When, Lord, we turn to thee.

In vain by reason and by rule
We try to bend the will;
For none but in the Saviour’s school
Can learn the heavenly skill.

Since at his feet my soul has sat,
His gracious words to hear,
Contented with my present state,
I cast on him my care.

“Art thou a sinner, soul?” he said,
“Then how canst thou complain?
How light thy troubles here, if weigh’d
With everlasting pain!

“If thou of murmuring wouldst be cured,
Compare thy griefs with mine;
Think what my love for thee endured,
And thou wilt not repine.

“‘Tis I appoint thy daily lot,
And I do all things well;
Thou soon shalt leave this wretched spot,
And rise with me to dwell.

“In life my grace shall strength supply,
Proportion’d to thy day;
At death thou still shalt find me nigh,
To wipe thy tears away.

Thus I, who once my wretched days
In vain repinings spent,
Taught in my Saviour’s school of grace,
Have learnt to be content.

New Year's Resolutions

Here's some great goals from Jonathon Edward's pen, written at age 17!:

http://doctrinematters.blogspot.com/


I long to be more effective in my walk and my witness for God's glory this upcoming new year. He has filled me with joy unspeakable and I want to proclaim the GREAT NEWS of the gospel with boldness and grace regularly. Please pray for this fresh zeal to glorify God and obey Him to only grow in me and bear much fruit! Thanks!!

Happy New Year!

TREASURES

I’ve been meditating on ‘treasure’ verses lately. How I long to enjoy the finest Treasure more and more. Here are some verses I’ve been looking at:

Mtt.6:19-21 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Mtt.13:44 The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”

Prov. 2:1 “My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.”

2Cor.4:6-7 “God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

1Tim.6:17-19 “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hole of that which is truly life.”

Col.2:2-3 “that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

May this Treasure be gloried in and enjoyed immensely by all the children of God this Christmas season and always!! We are rich indeed, in every way!

I Have No Greater Joy

I am so very thankful to the Lord for His grace upon my son Daniel! I don't think a greater joy can be found on earth than to see our children walk with God. I read this on his blog today:

Friday, December 08, 2006
"Life Ticks DownI am almost done my first semester, but it doesn't even seem real. I still feel like I'm gonna wake up one day back in my house in Maryland and realize that I've been twelve years old this whole time. Am I really a college student? Does life really go this fast? Crazy. And who knows what lies ahead? But I'm gonna make sure I serve God with my life, cause I don't wanna waste my days. What is your will for me? I just wanna trust and believe, cause I really have no other choice. I've always thought or life as one big day in which we take many naps and grow and learn. It's like a video game with a mission. We're all going to reach the end sooner than we know. I just wanna make sure that my mission gives God glory, so that when Game Over comes, I'll hear the "well done good and faithful servant" and enter into rich rewards, seeing family members and friends who I led to salvation there. I know that Christ has already won my salvation for me, but I wanna know this even more, and be compelled to live everyday not considering my life of any worth apart from serving him. I wanna sacrifice my soul, body, work, tongue. Make me like Christ!"

(Daniel is joining our church this Sunday as an official adult member :)

Barren Beauty

Barren beauty of the trees

Reminds me now of Calvary

Where You bled and died for me

Upon that awful, barren tree

Before this day, I oft would dread

When all the leaves the trees laid bare

I’d long for snow to cover them

And laden white, they’d look so fair

You opened my eyes to see the gift

The bereft trees are to my faith

For reminders are needed every day

Of that Day of Day of grace

So now I’m thankful for the trees

Though plain and stark; their beauty deep

That speaks a better word to me

Of life and death and eternity

Thanksgiving: glorifying to God and so good for my soul!!

The other day I was struggling with weak faith. As I cried out to the Lord, alone in my room, just Him & me, I read about the thorny soil in Luke 8. The thorns represent the concerns of this world, which choke the word and make it unfruitful. The Lord showed my this was my problem-my worries were choking my faith. He also gently showed me my lack of thankfulness.
Right about the same time a dear friend came to the door to drop something off. Paul was downstairs to receive the item. I came down soon after she left to find an anniversary gift-a beautiful wreath made with sand dollars. I thanked God for Lisa’s thoughtfulness and their incredible family that’s such a blessing to our whole family and church. As I contemplated God’s goodness and my serious lack of thankfulness of late, I gazed out my bedroom window to see our friend Christopher chopping wood for us. He was working hours, serving our family with joy. He is here with the Catalyst program to serve our church in outreach as well in other ways like this day. He enjoys doing stuff on Paul’s to-do list!!! This is no small blessing to our family! I was overcome with tears of thankful joy to my gracious God. He has blessed us so much and I realize that thankfulness is the opener of my eyes and the softener of my heart.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication WITH THANKSGIVING let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”Phil.4:4-7

My faith was built up greatly as I exercised the grace of thankfulness. I want to grow in this so much more!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Abe Started It (Official Thanksgiving Day, that is!)

Proclamation of Thanksgiving
by the President of the United States of America

The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful years and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the Source from which they come, others have been added which are of so extraordinary a nature that they can not fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict, while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the field of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than theretofore. Population has steadily increased notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield, and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.

In testimony wherof I have herunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

[Signed]
A. Lincoln

O The Wonderful Cross!

Here's an excellent post from Josh Harris's blog about how the gospel alone transforms our lives. Praise God for His glory invading our hearts and working out in our lives!!

Change Happens Because of the Gospel
Today I'm working on a message I'll be giving to the small-group leaders of our church. The theme is "change." We're taking two days away to talk about sanctification, how God's Spirit works in us to change us and conform us to his image. The main goal of my message, which opens the retreat, is to remind us all that the basis of the ongoing work of change is the finished work of Jesus who died and rose again for our justification.

In his book The Gospel for Real Life, Jerry Bridges quotes nineteenth-century Scottish pastor and author, Horatius Bonar. Read this slowly and let its truth sink in:

The secret of a believer’s holy walk is his continual recurrence to the blood of the Surety, and his daily [communion] with a crucified and risen Lord. All divine life, and all precious fruits of it, pardon, peace, and holiness, spring from the cross. All fancied sanctification which does not arise wholly from the blood of the cross is nothing better than Pharisaism. If we would be holy, we must get to the cross, and dwell there; else, notwithstanding all our labor, diligence, fasting, praying and good works, we shall be yet void of real sanctification, destitute of those humble, gracious tempers which accompany a clear view of the cross. False ideas of holiness are common, not only among those who profess false religions, but among those who profess the true. The love of God to us, and our love to Him, work together for producing holiness. Terror accomplishes no real obedience. Suspense brings forth no fruit unto holiness. No gloomy uncertainty as to god’s favor can subdue one lust, or correct our crookedness of will. But the free pardon of the cross uproots sin, and withers all its branches. Only the certainty of love, forgiving love, can do this.


God calls us to participate, to cooperate with the work of his Spirit and, empowered by his grace, to work diligently. But all this labor must be founded on the objective reality of free pardon.

What sin are you struggling against? Anger? Lust? Anxiety? Do you long for a sense of pardon, peace and greater holiness? These fruits spring from the cross. You will only see real lasting change as you believe and apply what Jesus has done for you through his death for you. He has loved you with a perfect love. It is not the result of your works. It is a free gift. Turning from this truth as some sort of twisted self-inflicted punishment will only drive you further from the grace needed to change. Have you ever tried that? “I can’t think about grace, I need to feel condemned for a week as punishment.” It doesn’t work. As Bonar put it, "No gloomy uncertainty as to God’s favor can subdue one lust, or correct our crookedness of will."

No, but "the free pardon of the cross uproots sin, and withers all its branches."

I pray whatever sin you're facing will be uprooted as you believe and trust "the free pardon of the cross."

// posted by Joshua

Happy Anniversary, Darling!

This past week we visited the church we were married in and even got to dine in the reception hall we celebrated our marriage in while we attended a crisis pregnancy dinner!! Our table happened to be right next to where our head table was on that beautiful evening so many years ago. Next week is our 19th anniversary-and I couldn't be more blessed and loved than I am by this man of God!! Thank you, Lord!

Here's a poem I found in our memorabilia box of letters and cards, written in 1998 for my husband


Complete commitment;

Confident trust:

This is the man I love

So very much.



His faith is his anchor,

His God is his Lord,

His life is lived out

By the power of God’s Word.



He’s so much more

Than I deserve-

This is my husband-

My gift from the Lord.



Wherever he goes,

I will follow behind,

So blessed and so honored

That he is mine.



No matter the cost,

No matter the plan,

I know that he’ll follow

God’s every command.



Lord, make me his crown;

A noble wife let me be

For this, the man of all men,

That You’ve given to me!

Blessed Mundane

Yesterday was a busy day filled with many small accomplishments: two loads of laundry washed and folded, some spackling long over-due finally done, organization of a closet and clothes, meal made, home schooling accomplished (thanks to my very independent students!), running a couple errands..



At one point I thought how busy yet boring the day was. I realized that it’s all in my perspective. The Word teaches us young women (I’m still in that category!) to be workers at home. I was satisfied when I realized that I’d fulfilled that directive. I also thought of those who aren’t presently doing the ‘mundane’ routine of life but are instead at doctor’s visits or hospitals to attend their loved ones who are battling illness or trauma. I realized how very blessed and I am to be living day to day doing the sometimes boring ‘homework’.



Yes, godliness with contentment is truly GREAT GAIN.



Teach me, O Lord, to be content no matter what I’m doing and what You’re doing. For the ‘great things’ are probably not so impressive in Your sight as the humble and hidden things. Glory to Your Name, Glorious One!

Amen