Polished Cornerstone

Please Pray

2012-02-19T12:59:00.002-06:00

Please pray for my Mom and Hannah. This morning as we were getting ready for church, they both had a bad fall down the stairs. Dad and I took them both to the ER. Mom has a concussion and had to get two staples in her head. The checked her for bleeding on her brain and for fractures in her skull, but the didn't find either one. She is feeling better, but her head is in a good amount of pain and she is very stiff all over. Somehow, Mom was able to really protect Hannah as they fell, so Hannah has no injuries. She was shaken up pretty badly, but she is back to her happy little self. We are so thankful to God. The ER doctor said that accidents like this are usually much, much worse, if not fatal. God had His hand of protection on them both today. Please keep Mom in your prayers.

The Love of God

2012-02-14T11:15:00.001-06:00

God’sDeclarations and Demonstrations of His Love for His People:

“TheLORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime;
And His song will be with me in the night,
A prayer to the God of my life.” Psalm 42:8

“But Iwill not break off My lovingkindness from him,
Nor deal falsely in My faithfulness.” Psalm 89:33

“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.” Jeremiah 31:3

“Ihave loved you,” says the LORD.” Mal 1:2a

“ForGod so loved the world, that He gave Hisonly begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but haveeternal life.” John 3:16

“Forthe Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Meand have believed that I came forth from the Father.” John 16:27

“ButGod demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while wewere yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

“ButGod, being rich in mercy, because of His greatlove withwhich He loved us, even when we were dead inour transgressions, made us alive together with Christ.” Ephesians 2:4-5

“Nowmay our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternalcomfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in everygood work and word.” 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

“Butwhen the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He savedus, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, butaccording to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the HolySpirit,” Titus 3:4-5

“FORTHOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES,
AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.” Hebrews 12:6

“See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us,that we would be called children of God; and such we are.” 1 John 3:1a

“Bythis the love of God was manifested in us,that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might livethrough Him. In this is love, not thatwe loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to bethe propitiation for our sins. We love,because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:9-10, 19

“BecauseYour lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips will praise You.” Psalm 64:3

“Blessthe LORD, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;” Psalm 103:2-4

“Shoutfor joy, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth!
Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains!
For the LORD has comfortedHis people
And will have compassion on His afflicted. But Zion said, “The LORD hasforsaken me,
And the Lord has forgotten me.”
“Can a woman forget her nursing child
And have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget, but Iwill not forget you.
“Behold, I haveinscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.”

Isaiah49:13-16

“Forthe mountains may be removed and the hills may shake,
But My lovingkindnesswill not beremoved from you,
And My covenant of peace will not be shaken,”
Says the LORD who has compassion on you.” Isaiah 54:10

“I shall make mention of the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, the praises ofthe LORD,
According to all that the LORD has granted us,
And the great goodness toward the house of Israel,
Which He has granted them according to His compassion
And according to the abundance of His lovingkindnesses.

In all their affliction He wasafflicted,
And the angel of His presence saved them;
In His loveand in Hismercy He redeemed them,
And He lifted them and carried them all the days of old.” Isaiah 63:7,9

““The LORD your God is in yourmidst,
A victorious warrior.
He will exult over you with joy,
He will be quiet in His love,
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” Zephaniah 3:17

“What then shall we say tothese things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did notspare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also withHim freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? Godis the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He whodied, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who alsointercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, ordistress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just asit is written,

“FOR YOURSAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG;
WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.”

But in all these thingswe overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced thatneither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present,nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other createdthing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in ChristJesus our Lord.” Romans 8:31-39

“THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEENAND EAR HAS NOT HEARD,
AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN,
ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.” 1 Corinthians 2:9

“Like a shepherd He will tendHis flock,
In His arm He will gather the lambs
And carrythem in His bosom;
He will gently lead the nursing ewes.” Isaiah 40:11

“A bruised reed He will notbreak
And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;
He will faithfully bring forth justice.” Isaiah 42:3

“having loved His own who were in the world,He lovedthem to the end.”John 13:1

“Just as the Father has lovedMe, I have also loved you;abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; justas I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things Ihave spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy maybe made full.” John 15:9-11

“I have been crucified with Christ;and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the lifewhich I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up forme.” Galatians 2:20

“We know love by this, that He laid down Hislife for us;” 1 John 3:16a

“Jesus Christ, the faithfulwitness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. ToHim who loves us and released us from oursins by His blood” Revelation 1:5

“Forsuch is God,
Our God forever and ever;
He will guide us until death.”

Psalm48:14

CHD Awareness Week

2012-02-09T12:18:00.000-06:00

This week is Congenital Heart Defects Awareness Week. We know a precious little baby named Ella who is facing this right now, and she needs all your prayers. Visit her blog and read about what it is like to have a baby with this horrible condition, then lift up a prayer to The Great Physician that He would comfort her and her family.

Ella's Journey

Spring Preview

2012-02-06T13:43:00.001-06:00

How Do You Wait on God?

2012-02-02T12:33:00.000-06:00

I listened to this sermon today and was greatly encouraged. I along with the rest of my family am in a period of waiting. Dr. Beeke really explains well this lesson that God works to teach us. If you can I encourage you to take the time to listen to this sermon.

1 Peter 5:6-11

2012-02-02T10:08:00.001-06:00

⁶ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, ⁷ casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. ⁸ Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. ⁹ But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. ¹⁰ After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. ¹¹ To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:6-11

Unbroken Praise ~ As We Sail to Heaven's Shore

2012-02-01T15:10:00.000-06:00

If you can get a copy of Steve Green's album, "The Mission", you can listen to this beautiful and uplifting song. He sings it so beautifully!

As We Sail To Heaven's Shore

Storms may rise on seas unknown
While we journey towards our home
Surely we'll learn what grace if for
As we sail to heaven's shore

Send us strength O pilgrim guide
Sin would drown us in its tide
Be close at hand and go before
As we sail to heaven's shore

Holy Spirit lead us on
Give us courage bring the song

Lord we trust Your Father's care
Will convey us safely there
Open or seal off every door
As we sail to heaven's shore

Straighten our course with every prayer
Let heaven's breezes speed us there
And grant us mercy evermore
As we sail to heaven's shore

Draw us near O finest Friend
From dawn's light to evening's end
Each passing day we love You more
As we sail to heaven's shore
As we sail to heaven's shore

Words by Phill McHugh
Music by Greg Nelson
Copyright 1986 New Wings Music (a div. of Lorenz Creative Services)/Greg Nelson Music/River Oaks Music Co. (admin. By Tree Pub. Co., Inc. - 8 Music Square West, Nashville, TN 37203). All Rights Reserved. International copyright secured.

Meeting an Astronaut

2012-01-25T18:24:00.001-06:00

Today we went on a very exciting field trip to the science museum. The Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle is a spacecraft that will be taking men to Mars, and a model of it is visiting three different states (one being Oklahoma). The museum had exhibits set up with all kinds of neat space equipment and models to look at. They even had all different kinds of space food!

Listening to a demonstrator explain the artifacts

A star atlas that belonged to Wernher von Braun, the rocket scientist

A look inside the atlas

Those are real gloves, and all the plastic bags are filled with different dehydrated foods that will last for 12 years

Demonstrating how the heat shield on the space shuttle works

A real space helmet

Apollo model

This is the model of Orion

The highlight of the trip was meeting Colonel Terry Virts, one of the astronauts who will be traveling in Orion!

He gave a wonderful and very interesting presentation about his mission aboard the Endeavor, a space shuttle which went to the International Space Station. We saw lots of cool videos from on board the shuttle and the space station, and afterwards he took questions from the audience. We learned quite a bit!

At the close of his presentation, he autographed photos for everyone which gave us all an opportunity to meet him and have our pictures taken with him.

What was really special is that Colonel Virts is a Christian. Under his signature he wrote the verse Prov. 3:5-6. He said it is incredible to see the glory of God displayed in Creation up in space! (if you're wondering why Hannah looks so grumpy, it's because she is. :) She perked up after lunch when she got a chance to explore the museum!)

Happy Birthday Olivia!!!

2012-01-24T10:39:00.001-06:00

I made her a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake with homemade chocolate frosting.

We bought her the most lovely little bouquet of flowers for the table

I love photographing flowers!

11 years old!

Oh Hannah... she certainly kept the party lively and opened every present with Olivia!

See what I mean? Her little hands make her look like she can't take the anticipation!

Baby doll clothes

a new book... she was thrilled to get several

These are some beautiful baby animal books from our photographer friend in Tenessee.

Today is Olivia's 11th birthday!!! Last Saturday we had a party for her with our sweet neighbor across the street. Olivia had a wonderful time! Today we are taking her out to lunch for her birthday to a fun baseball themed burger place.

Here are some things about Olivia:

Outgoing
Lovely
Imaginative
Very Sweet
Inquisitive
A Good Helper

Growing up
Responsible
A Wonderful Big Sister
Compassionate
Encouraging

Happy Birthday Olivia!!! I love you!!!

The Big Picture

2012-01-18T16:51:00.001-06:00

Ephesians 1:3-14
³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, ⁴ even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love ⁵ he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, ⁸ which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight ⁹ making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ ¹⁰ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. ¹¹ In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, ¹² so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. ¹³ In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

This past Sunday I heard a wonderful sermon on this text. Ephesians 1:3-14 is like a theological fire hydrant of information, and you could spend forever digging deeper and deeper into the richness of the gems all throughout. Instead of spending his time going over each one in detail, the pastor wanted to give us a wide-angle view of the passage, and help us discover the big picture and the point Paul had in mind when he wrote this section.

He gave three reasons why Paul wrote this for the church:

1. Paul wants us to praise God for what He has blessed us with. That is what he starts with in verse three. He blesses God for all the spiritual blessings we have been given, then continues on with one long sentence in the Greek elaborating on them. When we know more and more about what exactly God has blessed us with, that stirs up more and more praise to the Father who has poured out His lovingkindness toward us. It causes us to live lives of immense thankfulness for God's taking notice of wretched sinners like us. It blows me away what He has done for me, and I won't ever be able to comprehend all of it until I see Him face to face in glory.

2. Paul wants us to see who we are in Christ. This gives us strength and confidence to face the trials and afflictions we must endure in this dying world. Not only that, but it calls us to press onward toward Christ-likeness. We are to walk according to who we have become in Christ. How can we do this well without knowing who we are? From this passage alone, we learn so many things about out new life in Christ. Verse 4 says that we were chosen to be holy and blameless. Verse 5 says that we have been adopted into God's family. We are His children! Verse 7 tells us that we have been redeemed and forgiven by the blood of Christ. Verse 11 says that we have and inheritance in heaven predestined for us. Finally, in verses 13-14 we learn that we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit as the guarantee of our inheritance. These things make the load seem lighter, and compel us to press on toward Godliness and to live as citizens of heaven.

3. Paul wants us to see that God has blessed us so that we can bless others. God has given and will continue to give us the exact blessings that we need to accomplish His particular calling for each of our lives. Sometimes the blessings come with thorns, but if we recognize that the thorns are blessings in disguise, it will grow us in a way that nothing else can. Just like God blessed Abraham so that through him all the nations would be blessed, God blesses us so that we can turn around and bless those around us. Life is not about us. It is all about God being made known and glorified, and that is our purpose while on this earth. God fills us up overflowing with blessings for us to pour them out on others.

In closing, I want to mention one thing the pastor said that really struck a chord with me. Sometimes we get so caught up in being informed by the text that we fail to be transformed by it. That is what I want for myself. I want it to change my heart, not just fill my head. If I can put these into practice, than I will have really understood the point of this beautiful passage.

Happy Birthday Dad!

2012-01-07T16:45:00.001-06:00

Today is my Dad's birthday! I have such a wonderful Dad.

He loves to play with us (when we were younger it was not unusual for Him to come up with the coolest stuff to do - building tents out of the living room, making movies, or creating paper mache space helmets complete with blue plastic windows)
He always takes extremely good care of us
He is very smart (anytime we had trouble with Algebra we'd come running)
He has the patience of Job (we could be pretty naughty in our younger days. Trust me.)
He is creative (see the first point. He could also draw anything we wanted.)
He is the most responsible and hard-working man I know (if we are lazy it is not his or Mom's fault)
Most importantly, he takes our spiritual lives very seriously and spends time teaching us God's Word in family Bible time.

Take a look at Mom's blog for some pictures of him!

Happy Birthday Dad! I love you!

Colorful Pegs and Chocolate Chips

2012-01-06T12:24:00.000-06:00

Hannah loves playing with her colored pegs. I took the chance to take some cute pictures of her (she doesn't keep still very long! With so many things to play with who has time for a photo shoot?)

After enjoying the pegboard, she decided to work on her homemaking skills. She loves to cook so much that we bought her a little kitchen for Christmas!

A few days ago I made some wonderful cookies, called Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies. I found the recipe on Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Another Sermon

2012-01-02T16:12:00.001-06:00

I know I just posted a sermon yesterday, but I enjoyed this one so much and was so sharpened by it that I had to share this one too.

Characteristics of a Useful Vessel

2012-01-01T17:26:00.000-06:00

I listened to this message by Dr. John MacArthur this afternoon. This is directed to pastors particularly, but like he said in his message the standard for pastors is our standard too. We who belong to Christ are all His vessels that He uses to accomplish His work.

Side note: Dr. MacArthur's biography by Ian Murray is a wonderful read. At my house, Dr. MacArthur is a family favorite!

Only one life...

2011-12-30T13:35:00.001-06:00

As the year comes to a close, I always seem to spend a lot of time in reflection. I spend time reviewing the past twelve months, thinking about the pain, the joy, the mistakes made, and lessons learned. This year has been full of all these, and there have been many blessings that have brightened the path as well.

I want to make the best use of my time, because life is too short to waste. Working on and praying about some resolutions for the next year has a recent project. My list is very long and I confess that I am afraid of failure. I have a type A personality plus I am an over-achiever, so I tend to be hard on myself! Mom has been encouraging me, telling me that I have to remember to take it slowly, because the Christian life is a marathon - not a sprint. I have to pace myself, or else I might burn out before I reach the halfway point! On a lighter note, I have made a list of fun resolutions - fun things I want to plan and do and places I would like to go with my family next year. I think I will share it in a later post when I finish the list.

One big area I want to work on is listening to God through His World. I am a student, so I am very disciplined when it comes to studying. It is easy to forget that I need to listen to His Word as I study, to be more sensitive to what He wants to teach me through what I am reading.

The other major area that I need to work on is ministry. I want to be a better minister to the needs of those around me. I would love to marry a pastor someday, and I want to use the blessing of being in a large family to practice ministry to many different kinds of people. As a part of that, I want to work on skills that I have that can be developed and used for ministry.

So what are your new year's resolutions? Burk Parsons from Ligonier Ministries shared these principles for making resolutions:

1. Resolve sensibly. Our resolutions must be in accord with the Word of God.

2. Resolve dependently. Ever resolution must be made in dependence on God.

3. Resolve humbly. We should approach God in humble reliance, seeking not merely the blessings but the One who blesses.

4. Resolve for Christ's sake. We cannot resolve to do anything with a presumptuous attitude before God.

Blessings for the new year,

Bethany

Christians in the World

2011-12-20T22:02:00.000-06:00

True Christian living in the world

("Golden Thoughts" 1879)

"Do not love the world, or anything in the world!" 1 John 2:15

True Christian living in the world, is like a ship sailing on the ocean. It is not the ship being in the water which will sink it--but the water getting into the ship! So, in like manner, the Christian is not ruined by living in the world, which he must do while he remains in the body--but by the world living in him.

The world in the heart has ruined millions of immortal souls!

How careful is the mariner to guard against leakage, lest the water entering into the vessel should, by imperceptible degrees, cause the vessel to sink; and ought not the Christian to watch and pray, lest Satan and the world should find some unguarded inlet to his heart?

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Proverbs 4:23

Today is Caleb's 17th birthday, so go look at my Mom's birthday post she did for him!

Snow From Last Winter

2011-12-19T07:00:00.000-06:00

Please Pray for the Sproul Family

2011-12-18T14:52:00.001-06:00

Denise Sproul, the wife of RC Sproul Jr., has completed her life on this earth after a battle with cancer. Please keep the family in your prayers. They have 8 children ages 18 to 2.

Happy Birthday Mom!

2011-12-15T15:21:00.001-06:00

Mother's Day 2011

Today is Mom's birthday! I am so thankful that God chose to make her my mother. I could list so many reasons why:

1. She loves me better than anyone else could
2. She takes her role as our mother very seriously and works very hard to do her job well
3. She is a faithful counselor (if she had a nickel for every hour she's counseled me...)
4. She finds her fulfillment and joy in raising us and homeschooling us
5. She sacrifices time (and lately sleep) to take care of all of us
6. She is lots of fun to be around
7. She spends a lot of time teaching us about God and the Bible
8. She is very generous and gives all she has to us
9. She is a wonderful example to us
10. She loves God and teaches us to do the same

I could keep going on! On our birthdays, she sometimes makes a list of a number of things that is the same number as our age, but I don't know if she would want me to do that... :)

Happy Birthday Mom! My prayer is that God would give you a very special blessing in the next year that would be beyond what you could ask or think!

Reputation vs. Character

2011-12-08T22:16:00.001-06:00

Reputation is what other people think of us.
Character is what God knows of us.

~ Thomas Paine

The Christmas Flower

2011-12-02T13:43:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving is...

2011-11-24T19:16:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving is a moment to express profound, deep, sincere and genuine gratitude to the providence of God for a year's worth of tender mercies that we have received from the hand of His benevolence. From his care, from His comfort, from His guidance, from His government of our lives, we are to take time to be grateful.
—R.C. Sproul

The Thanksgiving Lesson

2011-11-24T10:34:00.000-06:00

The Thanksgiving Lesson
by J. R. Miller, 1912

Gladness may not be thanksgiving. It certainly is not all of thanksgiving. One may have a heart bubbling with joy, without a note of thanksgiving. The task of happiness is one to which we should all firmly set ourselves. To be miserable in this glorious world, is most unfit. We should cultivate joyousness. But our present lesson is a larger and deeper one. Thanksgiving implies thought of God. One may be glad all the day—and never think of God. Thanksgiving looks up with every breath, and sees God as Father from whom all blessings come. Thanksgiving is praise. The heart is full of gratitude. Every moment has something in it to inspire love. The lilies made Jesus think of his Father, for it was he who clothed them in beauty. The providence of our lives, if we think rightly of it, is simply God caring for us. Our circumstances may sometimes be hard, our experiences painful, and we may see nothing in them to make us glad. But faith teaches us that God is always good and always kind, whatever the present events may be. We may be thankful, therefore, even when we cannot be glad. Our hearts may be grateful, knowing that good will come to us even out of pain and loss.
This is the secret of true thanksgiving. It thinks always of God and praises him for everything. The song never dies out in the heart, however little there may be in the circumstances of life to make us glad. Thanksgiving is a quality of all noble and unselfish life. No man is so unworthy, as he who never cherishes the sentiment of gratitude, who receives life's gifts and favors—and never gives back anything in return for all he gets.
Until we think seriously of it, we do not begin to realize what we are receiving continually from those about us. None may give us money, or do for us things which the world counts gifts or favors, but these are not the best things. Our teachers are ever enriching us by the lessons they give us. Those who require hard tasks of us and severely demand of us the best we can do, are our truest benefactors.
Sometimes we complain of the hardness of our lives, that we have had so little of ease and luxury, that we have had to work so hard, bear so many burdens, and sometimes we let ourselves grow bitter and unthankful as we think of the severity of our experience. But of all times—it has been in these very severities that we have got the richest qualities in our character. If we are living truly, serving God and following Christ, there is no event or experience for which we may not be thankful. Every voice of our lips should be praise. Every day of our years should be a thanksgiving day. He who has learned the Thanksgiving lesson, well has found the secret of a beautiful life.
"Praise is lovely," says the Hebrew Psalmist. Lovely means fit, graceful, pleasing, attractive. Ingratitude is never lovely. The life that is always thankful is winsome, ever a joy to all who know it.
The influence of an ever-praising life on those it touches, is almost divine. The way to make others good—is to be good yourself. The way to diffuse a spirit of thanksgiving—is to be thankful yourself. A complaining spirit makes unhappiness everywhere.
How may we learn this thanksgiving lesson? It comes not merely through a glad natural disposition. There are some favored people who were born cheerful. They have in them a spirit of happiness which nothing ever quenches. They always see the bright side of things. They are naturally optimistic. But the true thanksgiving spirit is more than this. It is something which can take even an unhappy and an ungrateful spirit—and make it new in its sweetness and beauty. It is something which can change discontent and complaining into praise; ingratitude into grateful, joyful trust.
Christian thanksgiving is the life of Christ in the heart, transforming the disposition and the whole character. Thanksgiving must be wrought into the life as a habit—before it can become a fixed and permanent quality. An occasional burst of praise, in the midst of years of complaining, is not what is required. Songs on rare, sunshiny days; and no songs when skies are cloudy—will not make a life of gratitude. The heart must learn to sing always. This lesson is learned only when it becomes a habit which nothing can weaken. We must persist in being thankful. When we can see no reason for praise—we must believe in the divine love and goodness, and sing in the darkness. Thanksgiving has attained its rightful place in us, only when it is part of all our days and dominates all our experiences.
We may call one day in the year Thanksgiving Day, and fill it with song and gladness, remembering all the happy things we have enjoyed, all the pleasant events, all the blessings of our friendships, all our prosperities. But we cannot gather all our year's thanksgivings into any brightest day. We cannot leave today without thanks, and then thank God tomorrow for today and tomorrow both. Today's sunshine will not light tomorrow's skies. Every day must be a thanksgiving day for itself.

A Poem for Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T12:36:00.002-06:00

Leaf Jumping

2011-11-20T21:06:00.000-06:00

On Saturday we raked the leaves in the front yard, and we had a ton! We raked all of them into a huge pile and had a blast jumping in it! Here are some pictures of the younger kids jumping in it.

This is my favorite series of pics

Hershey and Brinkley were just giddy about romping in the leaves!

Hannah loved playing in the pile

Blog Awards

2011-11-14T13:48:00.000-06:00

Today my sweet friend Julia awarded me with two blog awards! Thank you, Julia!

Here are the rules for the awards:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you

2. Share 7 things about yourself

3. Give the award to 15 other bloggers

Okay, here are 7 things about me:

1. I am a bibliophile (I LOVE books). I have too many favorite books to list!

2. My favorite seasons are spring and fall. I love mild temperatures and I don't like extreme ones.

3. I would love to travel to a beautiful place, like Europe or the East Coast.

4. My middle name is Rachel

5. I love music! My favorite kinds are hymns, orchestra music, classical, big band (love Glenn Miller), and some contemporary Christian.

6. I am terrified of bugs. Just ask my siblings.

7. I love the BBC Jane Austen moves of Pride and Prejudice (with Colin Firth), Sense and Sensibility (2008) and Emma (2009).

I don't have 15 people to give these awards to, but I hereby award:

1. My Mom
2. My sister, Katherine
3. Lauren
4. Julia (I know you already received the award, but I award you back!)

Autumn Colors

2011-11-09T16:50:00.000-06:00

Our neighborhood is just beautiful in the fall. We live in a very wooded part of town with so many lovely trees, and the colors are all different. I haven't taken as many pictures of it as I would like, but I took a little time the other day to take some around our yard.

Delight in God by James Smith

2011-11-02T20:18:00.001-05:00

"Delight yourself in the Lord--and He will give you the desires of your heart!" Psalm 37:4

Sin has taken our attention off of God--and fixed it upon ourselves, and the things around us.
Grace calls our attention off of everything else--to fix it upon God. It directs us to . . .
look to the Lord,
come to the Lord,
trust in the Lord,
wait on the Lord,
hope in the Lord, and
even delight in the Lord.
"Delight yourself in the Lord." Take delight--not in health, or wealth, or position, or friends, or in anything that is changeable--but in the unchangeable Lord.
Delight yourself in His glorious character--as gracious, merciful, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.
Delight yourself in Him, as . . .
the father of the fatherless,
the friend of the friendless,
the hope of the wretched,
and the Savior of the lost.
Delight yourself in His gracious covenant, which . . .
anticipates your needs,
provides for your needs,
limits your trials, and
provides strength for the day, as every day's work requires.
Delight yourself in His paternal relation. He is not only your God--but your Father!
He cares for you, with a father's care!
He loves you, with a father's love!
He pities you, with a father's pity!
He will receive you to Heaven, as to your father's house!
Delight yourself in His precious promises. They are but drops from His ocean of love! They are intended to . . .
show His love,
display His grace,
manifest His care,
draw out your confidence,
banish your fear, and
assure you of all necessary supplies.
Delight yourself in his special providence. A providence that . . .
marks your steps,
directs your paths,
measures your troubles,
bounds the rage of your enemies,
numbers the very hairs of your head, and
makes all things work together for your good!
God in His providence, superintends all your affairs, even the most minute--so that nothing can happen to you by 'chance', or inadvertently do you harm!
Delight in creatures--only produces disappointment, dissatisfaction, and discomfort.
Delight in God--ensures satisfaction, comfort, and certainty.
To delight in God, is only to prefer . . .
the ever-flowing fountain--to the shallow stream;
the glorious sun--to the dim candle!

Today's Prayer from Valley of Vision

2011-10-27T07:43:00.001-05:00

Take time to read this slowly. What moved me was the description of what Christ suffered so that I might be blessed.

My Father,

Enlarge my heart, warm my affections,

open my lips,

supply words that proclaim‘Love lustres

at Calvary.’

There grace removesmy burdens and heaps them

on thy Son,

made a transgressor, a curse, andsin for me;

There the sword ofthy justice smote the man,

thy fellow;

There thy infiniteattributes were magnified,

and infinite atonement was made;

There infinitepunishment was due,

and infinite punishment wasendured.

Christ was allanguish that I might be all joy,

cast off that I might be broughtin,

trodden down as an enemy

that I might bewelcomed as a friend,

surrendered to hell’s worst

that I might attainheaven’s best,

stripped that I might be clothed,

wounded that I might be healed,

athirst that I might drink,

tormented that I might becomforted,

made a shame that I might inheritglory,

entered darkness that I mighthave eternal light.

My Saviour wept thatall tears might be wiped

from my eyes,

groaned that I might have endlesssong,

endured all pain that I mighthave unfading health,

bore a thorny crown that I mighthave

a glory-diadem,

bowed his head that I mightuplift mine,

experienced reproach that I mightreceive

welcome,

closed his eyes in death that Imight gaze

on uncloudedbrightness,

expired that I might for everlive.

O Father, who sparednot thine only Son that thou

mightest spare me,

All this transferthy love designed and

accomplished;

Help me to adorethee by lips and life.

O that my everybreath might be ecstatic praise,

my every step buoyant withdelight, as I see my

enemies crushed,

Satan baffled, defeated,destroyed,

sin buried in the ocean ofreconciling blood,

hell’s gates closed,heaven’s portal open.

Go forth, Oconquering God, and show me

the cross, mighty to subdue, comfort and save.

(emphasis mine)

Something Cute

2011-10-26T13:29:00.000-05:00

Jacob and Samuel in the tree

Every day as a part of their school, I work with Jacob and Samuel on memory work. We are using the Truth and Grace Memory books, which I really like. They work on memorizing Bible verses, Hymns, and Catechism questions.

Today I asked Samuel the question, "Who wrote the Bible?" The answer is "Chosen men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit", but Samuel's answer was "Chosen men who are expired"! I said that yes, that is true, but I was looking for something a little more specific. :)

Another time I asked him the question "How did God create man?" The answer is "God created man male and female, after His own image", but Samuel said "God created man male and email after His own image"!

I love hearing the stuff little kids say!

My Birthday

2011-10-23T07:14:00.001-05:00

Today is my 21st birthday! It feels weird to be the age that I used to think was "old". What's funny is that I don't look 21 at all to anybody. Whenever someone asks how old I am, they always think that I couldn't be more than 15 or 16! No one ever thinks I am the oldest since I am the shortest of the older kids.

Mom and Dad always take us out for lunch on our birthdays, so that we can have a special time alone with them. My brothers and sisters and parents have blessed me with wonderful gifts, and tonight Mom is making me a wonderful dinner and my favorite birthday cake - Pumpkin Sheet Cake! Thank you Mom!

I always like to look back over the past year and think about how I have spent it. Have I grown in the ares were I struggle? Have I spent my time wisely on things that matter for eternity? Have I made a difference in the lives of those I am around? Have I glorified God this year?

There are definitely areas where I need work, but thankfully God is the same God year after year, and His grace will be there again when I need it, and His forgiveness is mine in Christ.

I am looking forward to next year to see what God has for me, and am praying that God would grow me and change me to be more like His Son.

Being Obedient

2011-10-22T09:25:00.000-05:00

"God uses anyone whose heart is completely His... Just keep on walking obediently in the path you find." - Journey's of Faithfulness

The story of Esther is one of the most exciting stories in the Old Testament. The thing that I admire most about Esther is that she was a queen on the inside. She was spiritually royal. This was evident by her actions, words, and life.

What was it about Esther that made God choose her to fulfill His special purposes? What made her unique? I think it was because her heart belonged to God.

"For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His." 2 Chronicles 16:9

Something important to learn from Esther's story is found in the early chapters, during her time in the palace before she went before the king. It was during those days that God was preparing her for the great work He would have her to do.

Think about how lonely Esther must have been during that long year. She was completely alone in her faith, and she couldn't disclose her heritage for fear of her safety. But Esther was obedient, and faithfully did as she was told by her authorities. Most importantly, Esther was faithfully obedient to God by walking the path He had set before her even when she didn't know where she was going.

"Even the darkness is not dark to You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are alike to You."
Psalm 139:12

God know exactly where the path leads, so we can always trust Him when our way isn't clear. The important thing is to always remain obedient to Him.

The servants and attendants at the palace were busy changing and developing Esther's outward beauty, while God was growing and developing her inward beauty.

"God used the tools of loneliness, darkness, and obedience to make her a true queen with a heart to serve Him. Through her trials, she was made ready to be queen. Esther had a choice in the matter, of course - the choice to open her heart to God. She could have become bitter and angry with her lot; instead, she daily chose to remain soft and responsive. Eventually, the people around her began to take notice. Even the maids saw how much more patient and gentle she was than were the other candidates for queen. Keep being obedient during the dark times...God can use those times as tools to shape (you) into the kind of woman He want's (you) to be." - Journeys of Faithfulness

I want to be obedient like Esther, even when my path is lonely, dark, confusing, or frightening. If I am faithful, God will use those times to grow me to be more like Him.

School Portraits

2011-10-20T22:46:00.002-05:00

On Tuesday I took school pictures of the five younger kids. Everyone is growing up way too fast! This is the last picture I have of Samuel with all of his baby teeth. He lost his first one that night. He was so proud! Hannah's photo shoot didn't go quite as planned, so I will try to do hers again another day. This 18 month old has too many things to do and doesn't have time to sit still!

Samuel

Jacob

Olivia

Emily

Oh, she's getting so big!

I love her little toothless smile

She has eight teeth now

I love this one... her little hand holding the flower and her wind-blown hair

This is her naughty side... lil' chickie

The Best I Can Give

2011-10-16T20:18:00.000-05:00

I love the story of Mary anointing Jesus found in John 12:1-8. It is a beautiful example of giving our very best to our Savior and Lord. When Mary anointed Jesus with her costly perfume, it was an outward display of what she had done in her heart. She had given her life to the Master, and devoted her very best to Him. Does Jesus have the best we can give? Is He first among our affections?

"Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest." Leviticus 23:10

I am not consistent when it comes to giving God the firstfruits of my day. I far too easily let the distractions of the day take precedence instead of spending time with Him first. Instead, I should get up earlier or rearrange my schedule to make sure that I get that time with Him before starting my day.

"Your vows are binding upon me, O God;
         I will render thank offerings to You.
For You have delivered my soul from death,
         Indeed my feet from stumbling,
         So that I may walk before God
         In the light of the living."
Psalm 56:12-13

God has delivered my soul from death and my feet from stumbling. This should cause me to always be thankful, not just with my lips but with my life. I should be living my life as a thank offering to God.

"Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude." Colossians 2:6-7

If we have received Christ as our Lord, we are to walk in Him. We do this out of overflowing gratitude for what He has done and continues to do in our lives.

What are some ares in your life in which you haven't been giving God your best? Read these quotes from Journeys of Faithfulness:

"I try to make my early morning quiet time with God my first priority. Sometimes that's not easy. My intentions are good, but good intentions don't get me where I want to go when I let myself get distracted...Before I know it, I've lost minutes by the dozen and my valuable time is gone. When I let distractions get in the way of my quiet time, I am cheating God of my best."

"Mary gave her very best to her Master - the most wonderful, valuable, precious thing she owned. Am I giving the Master my best? What does that mean?"

"As Christians, the Bible tells us we are to do 'everything unto the Lord'... Mary gave her very best to God - not only her most valuable possession, but also her time as she sat at His feet, her mind as she focused on His words, her heart as she chose to trust Him even in the face of her brother's death. Mary loved Jesus so much that she gave herself to Him."

"I want to give God the very best part of me, because He truly is worth the best I can ever give."

Waiting on the Lord

2011-10-14T13:54:00.000-05:00

How long are you willing to wait on the Lord? I have been asking myself this question, and I am ashamed to admit that my willingness is fickle. Sometimes I give in to discouragement and despair when my expectations for my life don't pan out, and I get frustrated.

When Mary and Martha lost their brother Lazarus, I am sure they must have been utterly confused. Why hadn't the Master come when they needed Him? He didn't even have to come. He could have just said the word and their brother would have been healed from his illness. But Jesus didn't fulfill their expectations. Instead, He exceeded them beyond anything they could have ever imagined!

I think most times life doesn't turn out the way we expected. Sometimes there is much more pain and sorrow that we thought was acceptable. We know that as Christians, we are to expect suffering, but at times we wonder if God really knows what He is doing and why He is making things so hard. We begin to think that He is being unfair.

When we feel as if we are in the dark and are completely confused by the events that God in His providence has allowed in our lives, we have to go back to what we know about God:

Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness.
Surely my soul remembers
         And is bowed down within me.
This I recall to my mind,
         Therefore I have hope.
The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
         For His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
         Great is Your faithfulness.
The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
         “Therefore I have hope in Him.”
The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,
         To the person who seeks Him.
It is good that he waits silently
         For the salvation of the LORD.

Lamentations 3:19-26

God's lovingkindnesses never cease, and His compassions never fail. That is a promise. We can't measure God's love for us based on our circumstances alone, but the reasons for the circumstances. God uses our circumstances to shape us and refine us. It is because He loves us that He brings trials into our lives, so that we become more and more like Christ.

When He asks us to wait, He wants us to wait quietly for Him. I am not always willing to wait, much less wait quietly. Are you willing to wait quietly and trust Him?

The steps of a man are established by the LORD,
And He delights in his way.
When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong,
Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand.

Psalm 37:23-24 (emphasis mine)

How long am I willing to wait quietly for the Lord? This is not easy. It takes great courage to follow God in this way, because we can't always see where He is leading us. We can take courage in the fact that He has established our way and already knows the outcome.

Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.

Psalm 27:14

Read this excerpt from Journey's of Faithfulness:

"Sometimes... you can't understand what is happening, but you just have to keep obeying; later on, the light will come... God asks me to wait, to obey in faith, even when I don't understand the darkness or the reason for it."

God has ordained my steps and is leading me by the hand. I will not be forsaken by Him. I will not always understand why He is doing what He is doing, but someday I will see. Because God is faithful, I can wait quietly for Him and have hope in Him.

Journeys of Faithfulness

2011-10-10T18:20:00.000-05:00

I have been re-reading one of my favorite books titled Journeys of Faithfulness. Every time I read it I am convicted and encouraged, as a sister, daughter, and a young woman, about how I can fulfill my roles in a way that brings glory to the Father. I want to begin a series of posts in which I will be sharing the things that have spoken to me.

"And I? I took the road less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference."

Robert Frost

Our lives here on earth are journeys, journeys on the path leading to Godliness. They are short journeys, and we aren't even promised tomorrow. How are we using the time while we are on this journey? Are we daily seeking to be faithful where God has us, bringing honor and glory to Him?

In this book, the author shares the stories of four women in the Bible, beginning with Mary of Bethany. Each story highlights three main principles we can learn from these women. Mary's are:

Service and Stress (Luke 10:38-42)
Waiting on the Lord (Luke 11:1-45)
Giving ourselves to the Lord (John 12:1-8)

Beginning with Service and Stress, how is you attitude when it comes to your responsibilities? I greatly struggle with anxiety and worrying about getting all my tasks accomplished. It is a struggle for me to keep myself from forgetting the eternal aspects of my service, and to keep from getting caught up in the here and now. I am a checklist person and very driven, and I miss the blessings that come from serving by looking at my opportunities as burdens. Here are some quotes from this chapter:

"(In the story of Mary and Martha), Martha chose to focus on herself and all the work and irritation...Mary chose to focus on the Master, knowing that listening to His words was even more important than hospitality. Martha wasn't wrong to be hospitable, but when she forgot to look at Jesus and serve Him out of the love in her heart, her hospitality lost its edge.

"As you go about your days, what choice will you make? Will you be Martha... bustling about, focusing on self, getting caught up in details instead of love? Or will you be Mary, focusing on God, putting love above details, serving others from the heart? I don't know about you, but I want to be a Mary. I want to sit at the feet of the Master in everything I do, so that He can say to me some day that I found the 'good part'".

One of my favorite verses is Philippians 4:6-7 "Be anxious for nothing, 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 comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

This way of living nd handling our cares is so simple, but I have a difficult time applying it. I am to do these things:

Be anxious for nothing, nothing at all.
By prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, take ALL my requests to God.

When I truly do these things, and surrender my burdens to Him, then:

The peace of God (what greater peace can there be?) will guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus.

Because I am in Christ, the peace of God is available to me all the time, so it is truly pathetic that I worry about so many little things.

I have determined to give God my days. I am doing what I am doing to bring Him glory and to further His kingdom, so I can surrender my day to Him because I am in His service. If I don't accomplish something I had planned for the day, He didn't need me to accomplish it. I am giving Him my day to do with as He sees is best. That's when the peace comes.

It's a Dog's Life

2011-10-07T20:50:00.001-05:00

Hershey

He's getting comfy on my bed!

This is Katherine's dog, Jack. He's rather peculiar. (That's the nice way to put it. Really he's just a little grouch.) We have kind of a love/hate relationship!

Little Brinkley likes hanging out in the backyard

Today's Prayer from Valley of Vision

2011-10-05T10:54:00.001-05:00

O Holy Spirit,

As the sun is full of light,
the ocean full of water,
Heaven full of glory, so may my heart be
full of thee.
Vain are all divine purposes of love
and the redemption wrought by Jesus
except thou work within,
regenerating by thy power,
giving me eyes to see Jesus,
showing me the realities of the unseen world.
Give me thyself without measure,
as an unimpaired fountain,
as inexhaustible riches.
I bewail my coldness, poverty, emptiness,
imperfect vision, languid service,
prayerless prayers, praiseless praises.
Suffer me not to grieve or resist thee.
Come as power,
to expel every rebel lust, to reign supreme
and keep me thine;
Come as teacher,
leading me into all truth, filling me with
all understanding;
Come as love,
that I may adore the Father, and love him
as my all;
Come as joy,
to dwell in me, move in me, animate me;
Come as light,
illuminating the Scripture, moulding me
in its laws;
Come as sanctifier,
body, soul and spirit wholly thine;
Come as helper,
with strength to bless and keep, directing my
every step;
Come as beautifier,
bringing order out of confusion, loveliness
out of chaos.
Magnify to me thy glory by being magnified in me,
and make me redolent of thy fragrance.

I read this today and was greatly encouraged. These petitions have been coming from my heart, as I realize my inadequacies. My personality tends to rely on my capabilities to accomplish things (pride, plain and simple) instead of coming daily to the fountain for Living Water.

Just So You Know

2011-10-04T17:34:00.001-05:00

Just so you know, I have taken my blog list and my list of favorite websites off of my sidebar and created a page for them instead. It makes my blog a little neater!

With the eye of tenderest love!

2011-10-03T08:31:00.001-05:00

(J.R. Miller, "Daily Bible Readings in the Life of Christ" 1890)

"He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them." Mark 6:48

Jesus always sees our toils and distresses in this world. We do not see Him--and sometimes we think that He has forgotten us; but that is never true. He never forgets us, nor is He indifferent for a moment.

On the heights, while the battle was in progress, stood a group of men watching the struggling armies on the plain below. In this group was the American general Sheridan, who watched the mighty strife with the keen eye of a soldier. King William was also there; but his interest was different from Sheridan's. His son was in the thick of the fight--and he watched the battle with the eye of a father, as well as of a king.

Just so, Christ looks down upon our struggles in this world. He sees us straining and toiling; He beholds all our battles and strifes. He sees us in the waves and in the storm. He sees us, not merely with the eye of the calm spectator--but with the eye of tenderest love!

This is a great thought! If we can only get it into our hearts--it will give us wondrous courage in the hour of toil, sorrow, or struggle. Jesus knows . . .
when the battle is hard,
when the night is dark,
when the temptation is more than we can bear.

The winds were against His disciples--even though Christ sent them out to sea. We learn here, that even when we are doing the things God which has bidden us do--we may encounter great opposition and difficulty. We may even be beaten back, and find the trial too great for our strength. Many of the Lord's disciples have to make their voyage over very stormy seas--on their way to glory. For some, duty is often very hard. Indeed, a true, noble, courageous, holy life--must always exist in the face of opposition and contrary winds.

Courageous - In Theaters

2011-10-02T14:36:00.001-05:00

Last Friday night, my parents took Katherine and I to see Courageous. It was incredible! This movie has a very powerful message that spoke to all of us. The message is to fathers, but it was convicting to me as well. It is a call to fathers to be the spiritual leaders of their homes, and to put the souls of their family above everything else. It was an exhortation to me because that should be the most important thing in everyone's lives. Ultimately that's all that matters.

As far as the story goes, I have never watched such an emotional movie. One minute I was on the edge of my seat, the next I was laughing out loud, and the next I was sobbing! There was never a dull moment. My favorite part was the very end, but I can't tell you about it or else it might spoil it for you, so go and see it for yourself! I can't say enough about this movie.

I am thankful for men like Alex and Steven Kendrick who are willing to be used by God and are not afraid to proclaim His unpopular but vitally important messages that are found in Scripture. Our prayer is that God would use this movie to get fathers to come to grips with their Biblical roles and responsibilities, and that by His grace they would fulfill them. If they do, it will impact the generations to come in a way that will last for eternity.

Oliver North

2011-09-24T17:13:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I had the wonderful privilege of meeting Lt. Colonel Oliver North with Dad and 3 of my siblings. North came and spoke to the company where Dad works, so Dad took us to go hear him and to meet him. North spoke about the American solider, sharing stories of men who are examples of courage, integrity, honor, and sacrifice. He also shared some life principles he has learned over the years, and exhorted everyone there first of all to honor God in everything. Another counsel he gave was to seek to surround yourself with people who are going to hold you accountable to God's Word and people who are true heroes, people who are willing to sacrifice their well-being for the sake of others. North called us to be servants, and to ask everyone we meet what we can do to help them.

He was very warm, friendly, and down to earth. When we told him that we were home schooled, he was excited to hear that, because several of his grandchildren are home schooled! North said that homeschooling makes all the difference in the world. We all were given an autographed copy of his book "American Heroes in Special Operations". It was an exciting afternoon!

Jesus is...

2011-09-15T18:58:00.001-05:00

The Lord Jesus Christ is God--possessed of all divine attributes, and entitled to all divine honors. He is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit--God over all, and blessed for evermore! He is naturally, essentially, perfectly, and eternally possessed of everything peculiar to Deity.

He owes His existence to none. He says, "I am Jehovah, and beside Me there is no Savior!" He is God--and there is no other. There is no other name given under Heaven, or among men, whereby we can be saved. He is the Rock of Ages. He is the infinite, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, gracious, just, holy, and unchangeable I AM!
Angels worship Him,
devils obey Him,
saints love Him, and
sinners will bow to Him!
He is the author of . . .
Creation,
Providence,
Redemption,
and Glorification!
He . . .
produced all things by His power,
formed them by His wisdom,
supplies them by His bounty,
rules them by His instruments, and
employs them according to His sovereign will.
He is above all--in the glory of His nature.
He possesses all--by essential right.
He will judge all--according to His righteousness.
All things are dependent upon Him, and
all rational beings are accountable to Him.
Nothing can escape His eye;
none can fly out of His hand!
He is exalted above all,
and remains King forever!
He is . . .
the King of kings,
the Lord of lords, and
the only supreme Law-giver of the universe!
He is naturally, essentially, and eternally God:
one with the Father,
equal to the Father,
and infinite as the Father.
Thus, the Scriptures reveal Him; as such, saints acknowledge Him, and join the angelic host in worshiping, praising, and adoring Him!
As such, He loves all His people--yes, He is love to them.
As such, they love Him--and trust their eternal interests into His hands!
No person can have right views of the love of Christ--who has not right views of the deity of Christ. His divinity gives lustre and glory--to His love. If He were not God--His love would be only a passion like ours, and would fluctuate and change. But being divine--His love is an infinite perfection, and remains immutably the same!
He loves with all the majesty of God--and with all the tenderness of man!
His love has the strength of God--and the gentleness of sinless man!
He is all-loving--and altogether lovely!
"Having loved His own who were in the world--He loved them unto the end!" John 13:1

(Written by James Smith)

Unbroken Praise - Breathe on Me Breath of God

2011-09-05T20:12:00.000-05:00

Breathe on me, breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love what Thou dost love,
And do what Thou wouldst do.

Breathe on me, breath of God,
Until my heart is pure,
Until with Thee I will one will,
To do and to endure.

Breathe on me, breath of God,
Blend all my soul with Thine,
Until this earthly part of me
Glows with Thy fire divine.

Breathe on me, breath of God,
So shall I never die,
But live with Thee the perfect life
Of Thine eternity.

Happy Birthday Emily!!!

2011-09-01T14:20:00.002-05:00

Today Emily turns 12! She is growing up to be a fine young lady (it is happening way too fast!) She is growing in wisdom and stature (she is 4' 11" and creeping up on me quickly), and in favor with God and men. She has is moving away from being a little child and moving towards maturity.

Her birthday is extra special because it is also my grandmother's birthday. We miss celebrating this day with her. She was so proud to have a grandbaby born on her birthday! Mom and Dad found out that they were expecting Emily on Christmas Eve, so Emily is a birthday and a Christmas present!

Emily loves her dogs Hershey and Brinkley, she is very creative when it comes to scrapbooking, she is a lovely musician, and is doing very well learning photography. She loves to be with her brothers and sisters, and even though she can be very quiet she is lots of fun to be with!

My prayer is that she would continue to grow in the Lord and follow Him all the days of her life, spreading His blessings to everyone she is around.

Big sis

Emily and Hershey

Emily and Brinkley

Emily Ruth

Learning to sew (she picked it up very fast!)

Oh, she is looking more mature (not like a little bitty girl anymore!)

She loves to swim

Wrapping Up the Discussion

2011-08-31T12:12:00.000-05:00

I have greatly enjoyed reading Dr. John MacArthur and others as they have posted on the Grace to You Blog. They have been addressing certain issues within the YRR movement, and yesterday Dr. MacArthur wrapped up the series with a final charge to keep reforming. It is a wonderful encouragement from a wiser, more mature follower of Christ, and we as young people have a responsibility to seek wisdom from men and women like that.

Here is the link to the post:

Keep Reforming

In case you haven't read all the other posts in this series, you can go to Grace to You and read back articles on the blog.

From the Playroom...

2011-08-27T16:45:00.001-05:00

Hannah loves reading books!

Tiny fingers and toes

She is learning to do puzzles

Toes

Sittin' by the pool

Lil' chickie is her nickname!

So soft

Love you Hannah!

Walking by Faith

2011-08-21T10:08:00.000-05:00

God Knows

2011-08-19T19:58:00.000-05:00

Our Shepherd by Charles Spurgeon

2011-08-19T12:39:00.000-05:00

"And He will arise and shepherd His flock
In the strength of the LORD,
In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God.
And they will remain,
Because at that time He will be great
To the ends of the earth."

Micah 5:4

Christ's reign in His Church is that of a shepherd-king. He has supremacy, but it is the superiority of a wise and tender shepherd over his needy and loving flock. He commands and receives obedience, but it is the willing obedience of the well-cared-for sheep, rendered joyfully to their beloved Shepherd, whose voice they know so well. He rules by the force of love and the energy of goodness.
His reign is practical in its character. It is said, "He shall stand and shepherd." The great Head of the church is actively engaged in providing for His people. He does not sit down upon the throne in empty state or hold a scepter without wielding it in government. No; He stands and shepherds. The expression "shepherd" in the original is like an analogous one in the Greek that means to do everything expected of a shepherd: to guide, to watch, to preserve, to restore, to tend, as well as to feed.
His reign is continual in its duration. It is said, "He shall stand and shepherd"; not "He shall feed now and then and leave His position"; not "He shall one day grant a revival and then next day leave His Church to barrenness." His eyes never slumber, and His hands never rest; His heart never ceases to beat with love, and His shoulders are never weary of carrying His people's burdens.
His reign is effectually powerful in its action; "He shall . . . shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD." Wherever Christ is, there is God; and whatever Christ does is the act of the Most High. It is a joyful truth to consider that He who stands today representing the interests of His people is very God of very God, to whom every knee shall bow. We are happy to belong to such a shepherd, whose humanity communes with us and whose divinity protects us. Let us worship and bow down before Him as the people of His pasture.

Devotional material is taken from “Morning and Evening,” written by C.H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg. Copyright (c) 2003, Good News Publishers.

Happy Birthday Jacob!!!

2011-08-18T10:18:00.000-05:00

Today my little Jacob turns nine! Time flies so fast.

It is always a little sad every time we have a birthday, because it has been so hard not having our grandmas here to share them with us. They always made our day special, like we were the most wonderful kids on earth. Jacob was the last baby to be born with both of them alive and well. I remember vividly waking up on Sunday, August 18, 2002 to the smell of coffee. Mom and Dad never drank coffee, so I instantly knew that Memaw had come to watch us when Mom went into labor with Jacob! I ran into the kitchen and Memaw told me that I had a new baby brother!

Jacob was such a sweet little baby. He was so happy and affectionate. He was a chubby little guy, like a little marshmallow (his cheeks still feel like marshmallows when you kiss them!). He was the first baby that I was big enough to help out with full time, so we are very close. He called Mom "Momma" and me "Mum Mum".

Two years ago, I was so humbled that God used me to lead Jacob to Christ. I had been praying that God would draw his heart to Him, and it was a joyful time when He did. I have written him a letter that I will give to him when he is older telling him about that night so he won't forget it.

Jacob loves building with legos, cars, planes, trains, boats, baseball, football, riding his bike, and playing games. He is a whiz at math, and he is an excellent artist. He is a fun little guy. Love you Jacob!

Tonight we will have a party, so I will post pictures of him with his cake later on.

Spring 2011

Jacob loves looking around the museum

Jacob and his buddy Samuel

He loves doing jumps on his scooter

He has beet hitting the ball since he was 2!

He learned to swim like a fish this year! He does great!

Jacob counts the days until we can go to Silver Dollar City!

Last year, Jacob was baptized! A wonderful moment.

Abiding in Him

2011-08-11T15:40:00.001-05:00

(This was written by J. C. Ryle)

"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you" John 15:7

"To abide in Christ, means to keep up a habit of constant close communion with Him-to be always . . .
leaning on Him,
resting on Him,
pouring out our hearts to Him, and
using Him as our Fountain of life and strength--as our chief Companion and best Friend!

To have Christ's words abiding in us, is to keep His sayings and precepts continually before our memories and minds, and to make them the guide of our actions and the rule of our daily conduct and behavior."

My comments:

I am not good at this. I wish I never forgot this truth, but it is so easy for me to slip back into a pattern of "coasting along" without drawing on the source of life I have in Christ. I am ashamed that sometimes I have to hit rock bottom before I realize I have been running on fumes. I have to learn to come to Him all the time, to live throughout the day with Him on the forefront of my mind, so that I see things and handle things in a way that reflects who He is. To abide in this verse means to stay or remain. I can't drift... when I do it's really just pride, thinking that I can handle things and deal with them on my own. It's foolish when I really think about it. Why would I think that I can handle things in my own strength, or go through life without living in the riches I have in Christ?

I have to keep reminding myself who I belong to and where my citizenship is. I am in the Father's hand, so why do I ever struggle with worry? Why can't I just rest in who God is, after He has proven Himself as completely trustworthy. He is my closest friend, so why do I forget to go to Him with everything?

True joy and peace will only come when I abide in Christ, my Comforter, Friend, Refuge, Strength, and Savior.

Art

2011-08-09T15:49:00.000-05:00

A few weeks before we started school, the kids learned about Claude Monet through our favorite art program, Meet the Masters. They learned about his life and his unique stye, and them each one made their own masterpieces using his techniques. They had a lot of fun!

Emily

Jacob

Samuel

Olivia

Emily's Painting

Olivia's Painting

Samuel's Painting

Jacob's Painting

Our God

2011-08-07T16:40:00.000-05:00

"This God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even unto death." Psalm 48:14

I recently read a book titled Our God by Octavius Winslow. It is one of my absolute favorites. The most important thing a Christian needs to know is who God is. That study could keep us busy for ever, since we will never be able to fully exhaust the knowledge of our God. A study of the character of God can be so rewarding, so humbling, so encouraging, so convicting, and is so vital to the health of our relationship with God that we as Christians should never neglect it.

This book by Winslow is my favorite so far on the character of God. I can't say enough about it. On every page I was struck by something that the author stated about my God. I don't think I have ever spent so much time meditating on something I have read (except the Bible). Each chapter highlights one of the moral perfections of God, explaining it and showing you how it affects everything in your life. I love the way the author writes; he makes you feel like you are sitting across the table from a loving pastor who just overflows with living water because he is so close to God. After finishing this book, I felt like I was reading my Bible with new eyes because I had grown closer to God by learning more about Him. You can't help but love God more after reading this book.

The different chapters are:

The God of Love
The God of Hope
The God of Patience
The God of Comfort
The God of Bethel
The God of Grace
The God of Holiness
The God of Peace
The God of Light
This God is Our God

My edition was published by Reformation Heritage Books. on the back is an endorsement from Joel Beeke, "Do you yearn to know God better? Read this book thoughtfully and prayerfully. "Our God" may well be Octavius Winslow's very best book, for what better subject can a believer desire to meditate on than the character of the triune God whom he loves, worships and fears? And who is better suited to expound the grandeur and to stammer about the infinity of such a subject than this author who always seems to write profoundly and winsomely about the most sacred themes with remark-able reverence and a commanding flow of language? This warmly experimental treatment of the attributes of God engages the mind and heart as no other that I have read on this glorious subject. Here is angel's food."

I strongly encourage you to read this book and highlight in it. I will be reading this one every year!

Our Bible

2011-07-31T15:13:00.000-05:00

THE BIBLE

Anonymous.

Here is the spring where waters flow,

To quench our heat of sin;

Here is the tree where truth doth grow

To lead our lives therein;

Here is the judge that stints

When men's devises fail:

Here is the bread that feeds the life

Which death cannot assail.

The tidings of salvation dear

Comes to our ears from hence;

The fortress of our faith is here;

The shield of our defense.

Then be not like the hog that hath

A pearl at his desire,

And takes more pleasure in the trough

And wallowing in the mire.

Read not this book in any case

But with a single eye:

Read not, but first desire GOD's grace,

To understand thereby.

Pray still in faith with this respect

To fructify therein;

That knowledge may bring this effect,

To mortify thy sin.

Then happy thou in all thy life,

What so to thee befalls;

Yea, doubly happy shalt thou be

When GOD by death thee calls.

Unbroken Praise - Our Great Savior

2011-07-31T09:16:00.000-05:00

Jesus! what a Friend for sinners!
Jesus! Lover of my soul;
Friends may fail me, foes assail me,
He, my Savior, makes me whole.