Wake-up call to Thankfulness

January 18th, 2006

Bobby and I have nearly finished preparing the baby’s room and I started thinking all it needed now was a rocking chair. I went out looking at several stores, but all I came home with was a surprising reality check on how much they cost, anywhere from $300-$600–definitely above our budget. So I went online and found several very basic rocking chairs that were just around $100 and one even less. My mom is very good at finding bargains and she suggested that I look at the thrift stores in our area because she had seen rockers at thrift stores where she lives. One day last week I set out with a list of several that were nearby. After visiting four stores I hadn’t found anything, and there was only one store left on my list. I walked in and saw this glider rocker sitting in the furniture section. I was excited because the wood matched that of the crib, so I quickly looked for the price tag which read $39.99. I was beside myself! I sat myself down on the rocker right then and called my mom to tell her what I’d found. But it got even better! When I checked out to purchase the chair it rang up as only $20.99! After washing the cushions and polishing the frame it fit perfectly in the baby’s room, color and size! This was definitely my find of the year! (I don’t think I’ll ever beat last year’s $5 sofa!)

Last night we had a family from our church over for dinner. They had not seen our new place so we gave them a little tour. As we sat and talked at the table I was reminded of how God has blessed us. Our new place is almost twice as big as our old one-room apartment, so we can have more people over and everyone fits comfortably. Before the Lord brought us here to our new home, I thought the baby would sleep in a dresser drawer and that the few things we could get would have to be stored in the living room…but now there is a whole room and people have given us so much!

I wish I remembered each day all God has given to me. It is easy to be thankful for what I have right when I get it, or when I’m reminded. I really want to have the quality of Paul’s exhortation in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” This isn’t a circumstantial exhibition of rejoicing or thanksgiving. He uses 100% language–always, without ceasing and in everything. I don’t know if anyone else finds themselves needing or getting those wake-up calls to thankfulness. I am glad that I had one last night. I don’t ever want to forget how the Lord provides above and beyond my needs. May our praise and thankfulness overflow to Him as our lives are filled with Him and all His goodness!

“My goodness is nothing apart from you…
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Psalm 16:2, 11


Pondering Passion

January 16th, 2006

Even though Bobby is out of town for the weekend the high school Sunday morning class still met today. It was an encouraging to see older students leading the younger in fellowship, teaching and worship. Evan, one of our seniors, shared some thoughts from God’s Word and I hope that all of the students there were as encouraged as I was!

“(our great God and Savior Jesus Christ)…who gave Himself for us
to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself
a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works.”
Titus 2:14

Evan spent some time explaining what “zealous” means. Some of the synonyms are: dedication, devotion, excitement, fervor, intensity and passion. Everyone has a passion for something, even the most apathetic person. It might be for a relationship, image, success, good grades, a sport or hobby. Passion in most people’s lives is directed to self. But Jesus has redeemed us to be passionate for Him and Him alone. He sets the example that we must follow, of being passionate foremost for His Father’s will (John 6:38).

Passion for Purity–Jesus was passionate about keeping His people pure. He “redeemed us from all lawlessness” so that we would be pure. Evan referred to Matthew 21:12 where Jesus makes a whip and turned over the tables of those selling in the temple. Why did Jesus do this? To keep His Father’s house pure. If we are His children our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19) and we should have the same fervor as Jesus in keeping ourselves clean from sin.

Passion for Unity–Evan read Luke 14:26 where Jesus says that if anyone wuold come after Him they must hate all else. Evan explained that Jesus was not saying that we are to set out to actually hate our family and our own life, rather in contrast to our deep devotion to and driving passion for Christ what we have for family and our own life should seem like hate when compared. This probably sounds like disunity! But what Jesus is specifying that He must have our whole heart. He does not want our Sunday mornings or our Wednesday nights. He doesn’t even want that half-hour time of prayer and Bible study each morning. He wants all that I am–heart, soul, mind and strength–pledged to Him.

Since Jesus was passionate for God’s glory in obedience to His will it seems silly that a believer would allow himself to get wrapped up in anything other than these things. Evan closed our time by having everyone break into small groups to answer some questions:

1) Could you say that you are passionate about the Lord?
2) What should/will you do about that today?

I sat with some girls who openly shared that they are not passionate about the Lord in their lives. Some wanted to change that, others didn’t seem to care enough to make anything different. This conversation weighed heavy on me all afternoon because I realized what a contradiction it is for us to say, “I am a follower of Christ, but my passion is all for me.” We all have things that can distract us from seeking God with our whole heart. Maybe it’s school, homework, relationships/friendships, we’re tired, none of our friends are serious about God, our job keeps us too busy–I’m sure the list could go on.

Following Christ is not some side-hobby we can have. He needs to be our all and we need to give Him all of us. I hope that today you will give some serious thought to what insights your devotion and passion and if it isn’t the Lord may you be encouraged to do something about that today!

*To read more from Evan, please follow this link (Calling All Christians) to visit his blog!



Joyful Solitude

January 14th, 2006

This weekend is our annual Snow Retreat for the high school students. The group is enjoying the hospitality of a family in our church by spending the four days at their cabin about six hours north just near the border or Oregon. They will spend the time in fellowship, worship and learning from Bobby’s teaching on the “one anothers”. I am not blogging from a cozy cabin in the snow, however, because I am here at home. My doctor advised against my going on the trip, since the cabin is so far away and I am near enough to my due date that I shouldn’t be traveling. But I am glad to have some time to do other things. Last night I got together with two girls who weren’t able to go either and today has been a profitable time working around the house, taking breaks to relax and read.

Right now I’m reading Spiritual Depression by Martin Llyod-Jones. The title of this book often scares people away, but it really is a one of the most challenging books I have read in a long time. The book is a collection of twenty-one sermons by Lloyd-Jones addressing the causes and cures of why so many Christians lose their vitality and vibrancy in following Christ. So many Christians today fall into a drudgery of obligation and duty in their walk with Christ. By succumbing to worry and apathy, they are no representation of the glorious gospel of redemption and victory.

In the chapter I read this morning, he made the profound point that being consumed with self robs us of joy. Llyod-Jones statement follows a long chapter confronting the reality of sin and the saving nature of grace. So many people think that they have sinned too badly, that God could not extend the gift of salvation to them for all the life they have led apart from Him. But though this sounds modest it is in fact a very selfish and prideful approach to the good news of Christ. In placing so much priority on our sin, we belittle the power of God to save all. When we say, “I’m too great of a sinner” we are ignoring the reality that the saving work of Christ is enough to save the whole world, if they would follow Him.

———————————————-
As long as you go on thinking about yourself and saying
‘Ah, yes, I would like to, but I am not good enough;
I am a sinner, a great sinner,” you are denying God
and you will never be happy.
———————————————-

Lloyd-Jones says later in the chapter:
———————————————-
Forget all about yourself. Of course you are not good enough,
you never will be good enough…The essence of Christian salvation
is to say that He is good enough and that I am in Him!”
———————————————-

This is a very freeing reality. We do not and cannot save ourselves. We are completely dependent on God to make us new and draw us near to Himself. Whenever we start thinking that we can do something for God, or that we have some part in the spiritual growth in our lives, we have left God out of it. We get worn out and lazy in our Christian walk because we are trying to do it on our own. We are trying to accomplish good works, manufacture spiritual fruit, keeping in step with our circumstances rather than the Spirit. If we live this way we will loose all joy and delight in the Lord because we have shifted the focus from Him to me.
Praise God that we depend solely on His salvation and His righteousness rather than our own! Forgetting me, focusing only Him…His grace is much more than enough!


Putting the breaks on worry…

January 7th, 2006

Each night or morning, Bobby and I tell each other what our “objectives” are for the next day or if it’s the morning, for that day. This has been very helpful in accomplishing tasks because we both have the accountability of having told the other person and this somehow provides a drive to actually get it done so we will make the most of our days and so that the other won’t be disappointed!

On Thursday one of my objectives was to have the oil changed in my car. I wasn’t surprised to hear the mechanic urge me to have my breaks checked. In fact, this was the third time he had told me to do this. But I didn’t want to spend the time or money to take it somewhere else and have them looked at, so I had been putting it off for a few months. Having planned to go out of town this Sunday I thought it would be wise to have them looked at, so we took it in. As I’m sure you know, car trouble is never convenient, but simply happens upon us when we are least expecting it, or worse, dreading it. I felt a combination of both when the mechanic called to give me the “bad news” that not only did I need a complete break job, but he was so kind to inform me of a list of other things he found that he would be “happy to work on” for me. It only took one sentence more for me to realize why working on my Explorer could be a cause of joy–a four-digit check signed by me would certainly make his time worthwhile.

All that to say I had some but not all the work done on my car this weekend and of course, since I have not yet mastered my “do-it-yourself” manual, I had to fork over a pretty penny in exchange. When this ordeal was over Bobby looked at me and asked, “Are you worried about the money?” I felt that it was a lot to expend, especially because the labor was as much as the actual car parts themselves, but I knew that God would provide for us. So I stopped making a big deal about it and simply said, “No, I’m not.” Bobby’s response was focused, “Good, because God will provide.”

I know how easy it is for people to get swept away by the cares of life. We worry about money, safety, health, what people think of us, what’s going to happen tomorrow…the list could go on. But for a believer, this should not be. These concerns can take such a prominent role in our lives that we become bogged down and unhappy about them that I wonder what outsiders must think. Martin Lloyd-Jones says, “In a sense a depressed Christian is a contradiction in terms, and he is a very poor recommendation for the gospel.” Today people mainly wonder: does it work? If they see a Christian person who is worried, unhappy and bogged down by the cares of life they will conclude that there is no power to their faith and think poorly of the gospel. I was convicted when I read this statement because I realize that the whole time I am worrying or unhappy about some worldly care, I am ignoring the reality that my Father in heaven provides for all of my needs and is sovereignly in control over all things at all times.

Seeing this inconsistency was very sobering, because it is this: I am saved, set apart now to live victorious and free in the power of Christ and yet instead I say, “Not in this matter” and chose to live as though I were not saved all. It is as though we want to continue in our hopelessness rather than embracing the peace that has been given to us. Instead I hope each time we are tempted towards worry or unhappiness that we will not be downcast or overwhelmed, but instead will urge ourselves and each other with Psalm 42:11 “Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.”



Review: Feminine Appeal

January 6th, 2006

The rain has let up here in Northern California, at least for now. We have been enjoying a few sunny-60- degree-weather days in a row. Every evening this week has been a great time having Brad here visiting. We’ve been staying up late reading and talking a lot about blogs. Our friends come over, we have dinner or dessert and watch movies or just talk together. Basically each day is a new reason to hang out together.

Yesterday I finished a new book that my in-laws gave me for Christmas: Feminine Appeal, by Carolyn Mahaney (Her husband is well-known pastor and author C.J. Mahaney). This is an easy-to-read practical study of the seven virtues spelled out in Titus 2:3-5. This part in the foreword grabbed my attention, “If you are a ‘younger woman’, you hold in your hands a mentor, an excellent guide to spiritual maturity.” From this perspective I was excited as I continued to read because I often long to sit at the feet of an older women who I can respect and follow in life with the Lord. This book proves to be a good “mentor” as Mahaney takes an in-depth look at loving one’s husband, loving one’s children, self-control, purity, working at home, kindness and submission.

She made a particular point in an illustration toward the end of the book that really stuck with me:

———————————————————–
If we hold out a soaking wet sponge and squeeze it,
what will happen? Water will fall onto the floor. We
may look at the puddle and think it was caused by the
squeeze. However, the squeeze only revealed what was
already in the sponge. You could squeeze a dry sponge,
but no water would come out.As with the sponge, what is in our hearts will spill out of us
when the squeeze is on. In other words, difficult interactions
or trying experiences are not the cause of our reactions;
rather they serve to reveal the sin that was there all along.
Matthew 15:18 says that “what comes out of the mouth
proceeds from the heart.”
———————————————————–
This is an excellent book for wives to read, as it addresses the matters of marriage and home. However, I think that a single woman could also glean a great deal from its pages as the exhortation from Titus 2 is for all women so that in everything we may “adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.” (Titus 2:10) Mahaney makes this point of adorning the gospel with our lives several times. She says that our conduct has a direct influence on how people who know us and watch us will think about the gospel. “Make no mistake, by adorning the gospel, we are not enhancing or improving it” but cultivating these qualities will show “the transforming effect of the gospel in the lives of women–women who have turned from their sins and trusted the Savior, women whose sins have been forgiven and whose hearts have been changed.”


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