The Truth About Mother's Day with Kimm Crandall

Last week, I sat down with Kimm Crandall, a friend and author of the book Christ in the Chaos, to get down to the sweetest truth about Mother's Day.  I'm not talking about all the homemade or Hallmark cards, the pot of flowers, pretty necklace, or the breakfast in bed you may receive as a  mother on Mother's Day.  I'm talking about the sweetest, best, biggest gift of all.  Watch the video to learn more!

....and if you want to hear more of that sweet truth, please give Haven Today's radio program a listen.  Kimm Crandall will be on all week!  Today's program is "How the Gospel Changes Mothers."  Visit https://www.haventoday.org to listen.

As I sit down at my kitchen table with my dirty dishes in view, trying to get my wits about me as a recover from a busy weekend, with a long to-do list bouncing throughout my brain, and a toddler in my lap trying to "help" me write this post, I am reminded of the amazing Gospel truths that I need to hear on a daily basis.  It is a constant battle to look to Christ and not my sin.  Thanks, Kimm, for the much needed reminder!

Pinterest-y Easter

As I was scurrying through Target with the little bit of energy I had that the flu had not taken from me to gather items worthy of my children's Easter baskets, I contemplated how I wanted to make it a point that Easter wasn't about candy and bunnies and eggs.  I have no extra energy for anything extravagant, and I want to be to the point.  No fluff.  No "Jesus Loves You" Bunnies.  Of course, we love giving our kids gifts, which is why we give them an Easter basket, but I want Easter to be a day that focuses on more than just the Easter basket, the big meal, and the egg hunt.

I searched Pinterest high and low for Christ-centered ideas to celebrate Easter with kids.  Most of the ideas that I found, were, well, just cheesy and didn't help explain why we celebrate the fact that Christ is risen.  For example, I was not looking for a "No Bunny Loves You Like Jesus!" printable to put in the kids' Easter baskets.  I don't want to force Jesus into our Easter baskets.

So, this afternoon, I found it.  I found the Easter-y thing that creatively connects eggs and Christ AND helps explain why we celebrate, "He is Risen!"

I believe the "proper" name for the thing I found is "Resurrection Eggs."  Sofia's Primary Ideas is the blog that best explained each egg for me.  (CLICK HERE FOR LINK)  All you need is 12 plastic eggs and all the other items you can find around your house and yard.  Each egg contains a message, a passage, and an item to describe the events leading up to the Resurrection of Christ.  It is sort of like an "Easter Advent."  My kids LOVED the advent calendar we did at Christmas time, so I know they will enjoy this.  You fill the eggs, label them, and hide them.  The kids find them, open them, and you read each message and passage.  I'm not sure if we will do this Easter morning or after church, but either way, I've made the eggs (it took me about 30 minutes) and I am excited!

Christ in the Chaos: A Review

I remember growing up, painting or drawing a piece of art would be a common thing for me to do. When I was close to finishing up the piece, I would show my parents the almost-finished product for their opinion. To them, these pieces of art were beautiful. To me, there was always imperfections and room for improvement. I was critical and always very hard on myself as an artist. I remember my mom telling me that "You are your worst critic." Oh how true it is! 

In reading Christ in the Chaos, I have had the opportunity to examine my heart, especially in regards to the motives of my heart.  My motives seem to be driven from high expectations from myself and false (or perhaps nonexistent) expectations from others.  I will never meet these expectations.  I will always find myself lacking.

No matter how I may see myself lacking---a canvas painted with many imperfections and mistakes---God sees me as a perfect masterpiece because He sees Christ. You see, I can continue to try to improve and cover up my bad brush strokes and blemishes. I will. It's in my nature. I can continue to care about what other people think and seek their approval. That, too, comes very natural. Even as I write this post, my sinful heart seeks your approval and many views from my followers---all 14 of them. But, those things don't matter. All God sees is Christ! Not my imperfect paintings or my blog posts seeking approval! Oh, and for that, I am so very thankful! That drives me to obedience. I pray that The Lord continues to work in my heart and that I would more often look to Christ and not to what others think of me. 

 Now, I have a confession to make.  Christ in the Chaos is the first book written to women (but not only for women) that I have finished since I became a mother.  I started plenty, but I was never motivated to finish them because they showed me my weakness (the weakness I already very well knew of!) and didn't show me Christ.  Yes, they showed me passages in Titus or Ephesians or Proverbs which are great reminders of how I am to act as a woman.  But I always would become discouraged because I could not live up to those expectations.  I always mess up.  Always.  This was the first book that not only assured me that would happen, but pointed me to Christ in that he has already done all the work for me.  Now, I need to clarify that this doesn't make me lazy.  Quite the opposite.  This amazing outpouring of God's grace drives me to repentance and obedience.  In fact, that grace is the same grace that sort of "smacks the sense" into me with I go on a sinful rant when something (or many things) don't go the way I think they should.  Kimm points that out several times in this book.  And it is true!  It's truly extraordinary what God's grace can do!

One of my favorite passages from Christ in the Chaos is as follows: 

"Mothering has taught me how very weak I really am, and that is a hard, hard truth to accept.  But by living in my weakness, I see more and more how powerful God really is.  I come to understand that his power is shown to be perfect through my weakness and failures."  

Oh!  How I relate to how mothering has truly shown me my extreme frailty as a human being!  What comfort to know that especially in our weakness, God is showing His power!

Summing up the same chapter, Kimm writes, "Let me encourage you to take off the "strong mother" mask and embrace your weakness.  Stop hiding the very inadequacy God wants to use to display the gospel.  Believe his grace is sufficient.  Allow his power to be made perfect in you and then boast!  Boast all the more gladly so the power of Christ may rest upon you.  In your weakness, you will be made strong."

One of the chapters in Christ in the Chaos addresses the "Masks" that we put on in order to "fake it" so that we may get the approval, acceptance, and love of others.  I am constantly, in the deepest, darkest center of my soul, comparing myself to everyone around me.  Whether it be the mother at church who has more kids than me and somehow seems to be holding it together very well, or the mother who home-schools with several little ones with what looks like ease, or the mother who manages to find time to weight lift and compete and has more muscles than I would ever know what to do with.  I am constantly seeking the approval of my own self.  My "self" tells me that I need to have the kitchen sparkling everyday, that my kids don't need to watch any TV (Ha!), that I need to workout six days a week, and that I can never show any weakness to my kids, my husband, or my peers.  I have to constantly battle this.  Kimm shares that she does too.  That makes this book different than all the rest that I ~ahem~ started to read.  She says that these things will always be a struggle, but to run to Christ---to remember (Christ's work on the cross and how it relates to YOU daily), to repent (daily of those sins and desires to do it on your own) and to rest (in knowing that Christ has FINISHED the work for you.  He has paid it all.  We owe nothing.) REST!  What a truly freeing concept!  

Here is where I am going to say that if you have not read this book, READ IT.  It is only $9.99 in paper form and $5.99 in Kindle form.  I knew Kimm before reading this book, but even if I hadn't, I would feel as if she is one of my dear and closest friends after reading this book.  She is the first woman who has said to me, "You will fail. And when you do, run to Christ.  Rest in Him." I appreciate that honesty so very much.  And for that reason, as Anne Shirley (Anne of Green Gables) would put it, I feel as though the author of this book and I are "Kindred Spirits."  I know she has gone through (nearly in earthly terms) hell and back as a mother.  I know she understands me and my weakness.  I know she prayed that it would effect me and everyone else who ate up the words from cover to cover.  I am so very thankful that God has used her life ---from the seemingly bottomless pit of despair she was in to the completely freeing Grace of God that she has come to know as a mother--- to speak to women who really, really needed to hear how the Gospel changes motherhood.  Thank you, Kimm, for the love, effort, prayer, and hours you poured into this book. 

Christ in the Chaos: What Sweet Truth!!!

I just received Christ in the Chaos by Kimm Crandall in the mail a few days ago.  For two days in a row, I got some much needed (and very rare) quiet time while my two youngest napped.  So, I took a break from my chaos---from my kitchen counter stacked with dishes, from my living room with couch pillows strewn about, from the laundry in the washer waiting to be transferred to the dryer before it gets sour, from the already wrinkled clothes needed to be folded in the dryer, and read the first two chapters of this book.  As I sat down and started to read the forward by Elyse Fitzpatrick, my two cats got into a fight in the kitchen and the patio umbrella fell down from a gust of wind outside.  I silently laughed.

I had a good idea of what the first chapter would be about.   I met Kimm about eight years ago through my husband, who is an old friend of Kimm and her husband, Justin.  Several years ago, I remember sitting at Kimm's table and her telling my husband and I that she came to the conclusion that see wasn't a Believer---that she was trying earn her favor with God and that she was working through those things.  She believed that she had been saved since then.  I saw the changes in her shortly after I became a mother.  Instead of conversations on homeschooling or how to make your own sour cream, I started to enjoy long, late-night Gospel-centered conversations with her when her family slept over at our house.  I value her candidness and honesty as a fellow mother.  I even breathed a big sigh of relief when she told me she used paper plates all the time, just like I did.  Her willingness to "rest" in the Christ and the Gospel has been such an blessing and an example to me.  I am so thankful that she encouraged me to steer clear of those "dress-wearing, child-bearing, homeschooling, bread-baking, perfect-living" blogs that I naturally had an interest in (not that there is anything wrong with those things themselves, but you know what I mean).  With that said, reading chapter one of Christ in the Chaos still brought me to tears.  I struggle with focusing on Christ's faithfulness to me.  I struggle with beating myself up if I don't get my bed made in the morning, or if Jackson is late for school, or if I drop 3 dollars worth of Greek yogurt on the floor, or forget to buy the butter (all of which happened yesterday).  I must admit, those things, at the moment, seem tragic to me.  My sinfulness creeps into my heart and mind and the truth I know---that Christ is faithful, even with all my shortcomings, HE IS FAITHFUL---becomes harder to grasp in those moments.  It is in hindsight, perhaps moments later, or hours later, that I realize His faithfulness despite my imperfections, and the chaos, once again, becomes strangely dim.

At the end of each chapter, Kimm has a few questions for the reader entitled "Getting Real."  Here are my answers:

Chapter One
1)  A summary of my testimony:  I was very young when death and mortality became a reality.  I saw a man drop from a heart attack right in front of me.  My mom was in and out of the hospital with severe, sometimes deadly illnesses.  My friends were murdered at a very, very young age.  My dad was diagnosed with Melanoma.  Not only that, I saw that I couldn't depend or rely on the material things of this world.  [Parent's] Jobs are lost.  Houses are lost.  This all happened before or around the age of ten.  Sometime in the mix of those trials, I was saved.  I had said The Prayer at five, but I surely didn't understand the Gospel then.  It was when I realized that everything was out of my (and my parents') control, when I realized that the things I relied on the most wouldn't always be there, when certainty became uncertain, that Christ showed me his faithfulness, despite my sinfulness and my undeserving of favor.   I, too, like Kimm, rededicated myself many times to God, but I remember realizing that just because I still sinned, didn't mean I was no longer a Christian, or had fallen any farther from God's favor.
2)  What do you think makes someone a "Good Christian?"  Why?  What makes someone a "Good Christian" is absolutely nothing.  I can do nothing to become a "good Christian."  God does His work in me.  He changes my heart.  His son, Jesus, covered me and all my impurities so I am spotless and blameless to him.  What a sweet relief!  I'm not saying that I don't struggle with trying to be good, or patting myself on the back when I do something that would look good to others.  It is a struggle to remember these truths in the midst of sin!
3)  What do you find yourself putting your faith in today?  Does the hope you have in your parenting, marriage, or ministry override your hope in the finished work of Christ?  What does it really mean to "rest" in Christ?  I find myself putting my faith in myself and my abilities (or lack thereof) to clean house, cook, and take care of my family in a way that pleases others.  This is a struggle of mine.  Christ always seems to reel me back in to the reality that none of that matters and that I need to "rest" in him.  But, sometimes, that may be after my sin has gotten the best of me and I've wallowed in my frustration, anger, or resentment for a few hours.  Resting in him to  me, looks like this:  Instead of running around all day cleaning, cooking, washing, and tirelessly taking care of kids, then, then throughout the day, throwing up prayers to God in tough moments, "Oh! Lord, please help me!", not expecting, or having faith in the how much I complete in a day.  Resting in Christ means knowing that it doesn't matter if I get the laundry washed, the dishes loaded, or the kids bathed.  Although I will continue to try and do those things in order for my family to function, I have the comfort to know that no matter what shortcomings I have, Christ will always be faithful, and he is my portion.  As 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
4)  What assures you of your salvation?  Are you afraid that if your commitment to God waivers, then he will drop his commitment to you?  What does 2 Tim 2:13 tell us about God's faithfulness?  I am so very thankful that my salvation does not depend on anything I can do.  It is a gift.  I often cling to Ephesians 2:8-9 in regards to salvation.  "For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."  There is nothing I can do to earn my salvation, and there is nothing I can do for it to be taken away.  2 Timothy 2:13 is a wonderful reminder that no matter how much we screw things up or don't accomplish what we think we should have accomplished, no matter what, He is still faithful.  What a relief, isn't it?

I have completed the first two chapters of Christ in the Chaos, and there are so many sweet truths that God is using Kimm to remind me of.  I look forward to reading chapter 3 today!

PS:  If you are a mother, I would recommend this book, even though I've only read the first chapters.  That is how good they were.  So, buy the book here:  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Christ+in+the+Chaos

Saved, not by works!

November 23rd

Thankfulness Day 23

The Salt Lake Temple

 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  Ephesians 2:8-9

Today I am so very thankful, beyond words, really, that Christ has given me the gift of salvation.  I am so thankful that I don't need to carry around a burden to do good works so I can earn my spot in heaven.  We visited the Temple Square in Salt Lake City today because they turned the Christmas lights on there this evening.  I must say I was oddly depressed.  My heart ached for the LDS.  There were seemingly millions of tiny, festive lights strung on all the trees on the Temple Square grounds surround the temple.  There was a beautiful reflection pool with a nativity scene in the middle of it.  There was a narrator over a loud speaker narrating the story of Christ's birth in a light show.  They are telling the story of Christ's birth and trying to emphasize the importance of it.  However, they don't believe the coming, death, and resurrection of Christ fully save them.  They do work to earn their salvation, among other things. The people who take part in the LDS religion are hard workers.  You can tell.  Their temple and churches are beautifully built and kept.  Their Elders and Missionaries are out in large numbers sharing their religion.  But, can their work here on earth save them from their sin and death or even earn them more in the life to come?  And if so, what purpose did Christ serve on the cross?  Oh!  If they only new the true Gospel story!  What a burden would be lifted!

Freedom to Worship

Thankfulness Day 12

Yesterday our church observed the International Day of Prayer (IDOP) by gathering with a few other churches from the community and praying for the persecuted church throughout the world.  Specifically, we prayed for Turkey, Iran, and North Korea.  In these places, Christians, who are quite scarce, can't worship publicly without consequence.  They preach the Gospel knowing it may cost them their life.  They preach the Gospel knowing it could cause them torture and assault.  Despite the hatred that is shown towards Christians in those countries, Christians still seek to spread the Gospel of Christ.

A man from Turkey shares his testimony of his salvation and the beatings and torture that came along with it.

Now picture this.  I was in the IDOP service and the worship music started up.  It was loud.  Louder than I am used to.  I have to be honest, during the first song, I was somewhat distracted with a feeling of anxiety because it was so loud.  Perhaps it was the drums.  Perhaps it was the smoke machine.  Perhaps it was my pride.  Just because these folks were using a different and louder means to worship God, doesn't mean it was any lesser of a worship to God!  Right then and there, I was convicted.  My pride was pierced.  How could I be so critical of worship because it was loud???  I mean, these fellow Christians, my brothers and sisters in Christ in countries like Turkey, Iran, and North Korea can't worship like that!  I have a freedom to do just that in our country---and in a very safe place, for that matter.  So, today, and hopefully everyday, I am thankful for the freedom we have to worship God in this country.  I pray that I don't so easily take it for granted!

My Church

This small building is a big part of my life, not because of the bricks that hold it up, but because of the people who gather there, and for the reason they gather there.

Today being a Sunday, the Lord's Day, how appropriate that I point out that I am very thankful for my church.  The people in it are like family.  It is such a privilege to gather with these people every week to worship God in song and hearing the preaching of God's word.  I have attended this church for 11 1/2 years now and have been a member for just over eight.  I remember the first Sunday I heard Pastor Robert preach.  WOW.  Ephesians had never seemed so clear.  I realized I had never heard preaching like that before.  It was full of grace and truth.  I am so thankful for such gifted preachers!  I know what it is like to go years without being edified with meaty portions of Gospel preaching.  It is an awesome blessing to get it every Sunday.  (That's not to say that it doesn't get interrupted at times by my "Sweet Kids.")    :)

I am also very thankful for the fact that I met my husband at this church.  It is a great thing to be spiritually like-minded in marriage!  That spiritual like-mindedness also reflects in the unity our church family has been blessed with.  I know this doesn't come naturally to a whole bunch of sinners who gather in one place once a week.  Surely, I have experienced churches that have had quite a bit of division.  It sure does make church life miserable.  I give God all the glory for this unity, for He truly has done a work in holding this body of believers (and sinners) together!

God cares for the...Cats.

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 

  Matthew 6:25-26

Madelyn brushing her kitty one last time before she left for her new home.

This post, as are most of my posts, is way overdue.  Mid summer, we started noticing behavior in one of our cats that was most disturbing to our life and were told by the vet it was most likely because we had two other cats.  The vet told us that she would do better in a single-cat home.  I called the Humane Society and they told me that they would most likely have to put our cat, Abby, down because she would be considered "un-adoptable" because of her behavior issue.  This tore me up inside.  My kids LOVE this cat.  She was so sweet to them and always enjoyed their attention.  I called every "no-kill" shelter within our county and the three nearest counties.  Everyone said the same thing: they had too many cats!  It seemed like all hope was lost.  I was so stressed out.  My stomach was in knots about the thought of putting this kitty down.  My worries were even affecting me physically.  I was bringing these worries to God in prayer, yet, I don't know if I was really letting Him take the burden.

In her new book, Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing, Sally Loyd-Jones writes about worry.  She says, "Worry is thinking we know better than God how something should go."  WOW!  Isn't that so true, yet, convicting?  This is a children's devotion, but it sure does a good job at speaking to adults!

In mid-August, I put a plea on Facebook for someone to take this kid-friendly cat.  It took a few days and a few phone calls, but a Facebook friend kindly offered to take our cat.  Madelyn's heart is still sad when she thinks of her kitty friend that is now with another family.  I remind her that the family is loving her and she is happy there.  The relief of our cat, Abby, finding a loving home was HUGE!  Oh!  How I wish I remembered how God cares for his creatures...be it a bird or a cat!  How I wish I didn't so easily forget that He cares for ME!  He knew of the heavy burden on my heart for this cat!  Let us be more like the birds when it comes to our worries.  God always cares for His children!

(By the way, if you are interested in Sally's new book, Haven Today, the radio show my husband produces, is doing a series on it.  Please give it a listen! http://www.haventoday.org )

I Needed the Quiet

****I came across this poem on a blog I read. It is such a good reminder of the need for quiet time with God.****

I Needed The Quiet

I needed the quiet so he drew me aside
Into the shadows where we could confide,
Away from the bustle where all the day long
I hurried and worried when active and strong.
I needed the quiet tho at first I rebelled,
But gently, so gently my cross he upheld,
And whispered so sweetly of spiritual things,
Tho weakened in body, my spirit took wings
To heights never heard of when active and gay,
He loved me so greatly he drew me away.
I needed the quiet, no prison my bed,
But a beautiful valley of blessings instead –
A place to grow richer in Jesus to hide
I needed the quiet so he drew me aside.

– Alice H. Mortenson

Let it be said of us....

As of about 5:30 last night, Mark went to be with the Lord, as his family and close friends stood around him. It is never easy to watch someone pass away before your very eyes. However, the fact that Mark knew Christ as his Lord and Savior put a bit of sweetness into the bitterness of sorrow that we feel. We know that he is with his Lord, and he is rejoicing in His presence. But, still, there is the grieving...grieving for Angie's loss of a husband, for Nolan's loss of his daddy, for Jim and Barb's loss of a son, for Matt, Mandy, and Amy's loss of a brother, for our loss of a cousin and a friend....the list of Mark's roles here on this earth go on and on. I know that God has a plan, and for whatever reason, He called Mark home to be with Him. I cling to that. I know Angie is clinging to that. I pray that others will cling to that. The huge amount of prayer that the family received from Christians all around the world was astonishing. Christ was definitely glorified through this all. Mark would have been thrilled about that. I thank the Lord for the Godly example Mark was. I only pray that my testimony here on this earth would reflect the same qualities. I pray that the presence of Christ would be evident in my life as it was in Mark's. There is a song that I posted in a comment on Mark's blog and that I will post here because the lyrics are what I desire of my life and what Mark showed in his.

"Let It Be Said of Us

Let it be said of us that the Lord was our passion,
That with gladness we bore ev’ry cross we were given,
That we fought the good fight, that we finished the course,
Knowing within us the pow’r of the risen Lord.

Let the cross be our glory
And the Lord be our song,
By mercy made holy,
By the Spirit made strong
Let the cross be our glory
And the Lord be our song,
‘Til the likeness of Jesus
Be through us made known.
Let the cross be our glory
And the Lord be our song.

Let it be said of us: We were marked by forgiveness,
We were known by our love and delighted in meekness,
We were ruled by His peace, heeding unity’s call,
Joined as one body that Christ would be seen by all.

Let the cross be our glory
And the Lord be our song,
By mercy made holy, by the Spirit made strong
Let the cross be our glory
And the Lord be our song,
‘Til the likeness of Jesus
Be through us made known.
Let the cross be our glory
And the Lord be our song."

I feel immense sorrow right now for the loss of Mark. But, I am so very thankful for the sweetness there is in the hope of Christ, and through this all, that still remains. Through this tragic event (humanly speaking), our great God is still on the throne. Christ still died for sinners. He still rose from the tomb. He still is in glory with God the Father. Mark is now with Christ experiencing that glory that is beyond our earthly comprehension. Those truths still remain true. Praise God for that!

Back in Sac

Last weekend, we headed up to Sacramento for Troy's Grandpa's funeral. The funeral went well. Troy got the opportunity to preach the gospel, and Noah got the opportunity to sing a few songs. It was a beautiful, clear, crisp day for the funeral and it was held in a beautiful location. It is always a great blessing to attend a funeral where the gospel can be shared.

It was a long trip there and back, but we made it through all right. Jackson just had to stop every few hours. Overall, Jackson was a real trooper, and let us know when he wanted to go outside by saying "mail." (He says "mail" for outside because I always go outside with him to get the mail...clever kid!).

We also went a few places in Sacramento. We went to Old Town and to another old mining town called Placerville. So, here are a few photos from our road trip.

Jackson and his Poppy take a nap in the back seat.

Pea Soup Anderson's

We stopped at Pea Soup Anderson's for some soup. Jackson really enjoyed his soup...

I mean he really, really...

really enjoyed it!

(And so did I!)

Jackson and Poppy...Hap-Pea, and Pea-Wee!

Old Town Sacramento

Jackson roaming the streets of "River City."The Fam on the tracks.The tracks.The American RiverOld TownWe found a really cool place to take photos!

Placerville

"Momma, please?""Plllleeeaase?"

The Fam in the oldest hardware store West of the Mississippi...established 1847. They had the best caramels, too!

Jackson found a treasure amoungst the tools!What do you have on your head, Poppy?!?

"Oh, death, where is your sting?"

Troy's grandpa passed away yesterday. He was a Christian. I say that with great joy because we can rejoice in his death. We can rejoice that because Christ died, Troy's grandpa is in the presence of our glorious God. There is no better place to be. What an immense comfort this is in such a time of grief! Please pray that Troy's family is comforted by this reality and that their grief is met by the precious comfort of Christ.

“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain."

1 Corinthians 15:55-58

Did you know....

...that on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted his 95 Thesis on the door of the Catholic Church in Wittenberg. It challenged the Catholic church concerning the selling of indulgences (selling forgiveness of sins of the purchaser or the purchaser's loved one). Luther made many points, and one of them was that forgiveness was God's alone to grant and no one could do any works or pay anything to recieve it, as it says in Ephesians 2:8-10. This event sparked the Protestant Reformation. As a result, Reformation Day is celebrated on October 31. So, instead of celebrating Holloween, I choose to celebrate Reformation Day. It isn't an alternative to Holloween. Better yet, it is a true celebration of God's free grace. I thank the Lord that men like Martin Luther had the guts to confront the Catholic Church.

Charles Wesley’s Radical, Fruitful Risk

Let's be honest here. It is hard to witness to folks. John Piper writes of Charles Wesley taking a huge risk in order to witness to a couple of inmates doomed for death the next day. It is a very encouraging, short read...I recommend it! Click here to read the article.

Strength for the Weary

My friend Tiffany lent me a book called Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney (CJ Mahaney's wife). It is a study of how we, as moms, wives, and even single women can apply Titus 2 to our daily lives. The excerpt below was particularly encouraging and I thought I would share it!

"Strength for the Weary

But what if you have lost your smile? How do you find renewed joy to sacrificially serve and tenderly love your children? Our only genuine source of refreshment comes from God. In Him alone do we acquire fresh strength to carry out this enormous task of mother.

So may I encourage you to size some time alone to meet with God? This should already be out daily practice, but in seasons of weariness, there is tremendous benefit in withdrawing for a more lengthy time to pray and read God's Word.

Now some of you mothers with little ones might be asking, "How is 'alone time' possible? I cannot even go to the bathroom by myself, much less consider an extended period of solitude!"
Maybe your husband could arrange this time for you, or possibly you could trade off with another mom. Whatever it takes, it's worth he effort to make it happen!

Taking time to meet with God is a practice modeled for us by Jesus Himself. We read in Luke 5 that multitudes were coming to Him with their needs: "Crowds of peoples come to hear him and to be healed of their sickness. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed" (vv 15-16, NIV, emphasis mine).

Doesn't this sound like a description for motherhood---everyone coming to Mom with needs? Yet look at what Jesus did. He withdrew to solitary places and prayed.

Now if Jesus needed to withdraw frequently and pray in order to receive His Father's help and strength, do we suppose we need such times any less? So if you are weary, or if your joy and vision for motherhood is waning, take some time this week to be alone with God."
~Carolyn Mahaney

An amazing quote...

Last night, Troy read me this quote and we both found it amazing that this writer worded it so well... (taken from John Piper's Blog)

"And Jerram Barrs writes in his article, "Christianity and the Arts" (PDF):

Our work in any field of the arts will be imitative. We will be thinking God’s thoughts after Him—painting with His colors; speaking with His gift of language; exploring and expressing His sounds and harmonies; working with His creation in all its glory, diversity, and in-built inventiveness. In addition, we will find ourselves longing to make known the beauty of life as it once was in Paradise, the tragedy of its present marring, and the hope of our final redemption. All great art will contain this element of being an echo of Eden: Eden in its original glory, Eden that is lost to us, and Eden restored. (pg 7)"

I've never been able to put to words the reason why I love to create a piece of art or write a short story. Barrs succeeded in putting it in words for me. I thank God for the ability He has given me to use and imitate the words, colors, and textures He has created. I am just a child imitating my Father.

Weekly Passage (Review)

One night list week, I was laying in bed thinking about the passage below. I was thinking about how easy it is to "throw in your lot" among sinners (friends, peers, co-workers). This could be anything from joining in a gossiping session with the ladies at work, giving in to the pressures of materialism with the rest of the world (and for that matter, debt), peeking at the websites with scantly-clad men/women on them, kissing or your boyfriend/girlfriend at bit too much (or going farther than that...). The opportunities to join the world in sin are countless. May we take heed to the advice in these verses! My pastor preached a great sermon on this subject a couple weeks ago. He spoke on 1 Tim 4:12 (Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.) To be a good example in all those things listed in 1 Tim, we must stay away from those sins/sinners that tempt us to join in! I pray the Lord guides my path so I may do just that.

Proverbs 1:8-19
The Enticement of Sinners

8 Hear, my son, your father's instruction,
and forsake not your mother's teaching,
9 for they are a graceful garland for your head
and pendants for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you,
do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood;
let us ambush the innocent without reason;
12 like Sheol let us swallow them alive,
and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
13 we shall find all precious goods,
we shall fill our houses with plunder;
14 throw in your lot among us;
we will all have one purse”—
15 my son, do not walk in the way with them;
hold back your foot from their paths,
16 for their feet run to evil,
and they make haste to shed blood.
17 For in vain is a net spread
in the sight of any bird,
18 but these men lie in wait for their own blood;
they set an ambush for their own lives.
19 Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain;
it takes away the life of its possessors.

End of the Spear

Last night, we rented End of the Spear and watched that with Matt and Tiffany. It was a good movie, but, I must say we were a bit disappointed that it didn't explain much about Salvation and the purpose and passion of Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, etc. It made me think that a person who isn't a Christian may wonder why these missionaries were "crazy" enough to approach such a violent tribe of people and not defend themselves. It is an incredible story, though. The missionary's widows went to their husband's killers and taught them the Gospel. Mincaye, the man who killed Nate Saint, is now a Christian and lives to tell people about Christ. Steve Saint, Nate's son and Mincaye are brothers in Christ now. They serve the same God. To see the transformation of a man who only knew the violent, vengeful, sinful ways of his people, to a man who passionately shares the Gospel with others is amazing! Its very encouraging to those of us who share the Gospel with people in our own lives! If you would like to see a clip of Micaye sharing the Gospel with Steve Saint interpreting, click here.