Today was my birthday! Today was also the day Tyler started cutting some new teeth so it was difficult and celebratory at the same time. Difficult because Tyler was so miserable and even when I gave him some infant Tylenol he was still fussier and grumpier than we’ve ever seen him. But amidst all that, today was celebratory because I have so much to be grateful for in this life. We had a nice dinner tonight with some friends and family over and my sister Alicia made me an amazing cake and we had a rousing few rounds of Catch Phrase. It’s been a great day! Click here for small album of pictures from tonight.

Last week I started reading Philippians. I’m going slow, taking only a few verses a day and really trying to get deep into them. I write them out in my notebook and look up words and a commentary or two about that days verses. This morning I was on chapter 1 verses 19-21. Paul is writing this letter in prison and he is explaining to them that no matter what happens it will work out for his deliverance because Christ will be exalted in his body whether it is living or dead. Then I reached the very familiar verse, 21, and stopped.

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

I read it five or six times. What in the world does that mean?! Reading it so many times made it sound not even grammatically correct because how could life be a person–? I thought it might make more sense with more words like “For me to live is to glorify Christ.” Or “For me to live is to proclaim Christ.”

But after studying it for some time I started to get it. Today we try to act like we have this busy life and Christ is an added bonus, or one of our many priorities. We try to act like being a Christian is about a religion not a relationship of following a Person. But for Paul, life was summed up in the person of Christ. The person of Christ had so changed Paul that He was his reason to live or die.

I like how Bobby always calls me out as thinking of Paul as the “Super Apostle.” He was just a man that God used and I need to be obedient in the same ways that Paul was. Is Christ why I do what I do? Is He my thoughts and my desire? So often I am working on spiritual characteristics, studying my Bible or listening to sermons, I don’t want to miss the point that this is all about Him. I definitely need to remember daily that my life needs to be all about Christ because He is my Redeemer and my Lord. He made me alive, not so I could live for myself or this world, but to know Him, to live like He did and be transformed into His image.

Sunday afternoon I sat in our living room surrounded by family watching The Next Iron Chef on the Food Network. I looked around at each face and had a moment of realization that the Lord has blessed me. One of the six people there was my younger sister Monica. She’s been my family as long as I can remember. There was also Bobby, my husband, and our son Tyler. When I married Bobby I gained two brothers, Bill (middle left in the picture) and Ben (left). Last December Bill married Cory and now I have another sister! Writing that out sounds like a math equation but it’s not just all addition and multiplication the Lord is working through these brothers for His glory!

Ben is Bobby’s youngest brother and he has recently become a part of our ministry to high school students at Compass by leading worship on the weekends. He attends The Master’s College where he is studying political science but his heart is truly about the Lord’s work. I have been so encouraged how he drives an hour and half every Saturday to be a part of what God is doing here.

Bill is in the middle and he and his wife live 45 minutes from us. He works full-time as an accountant but his heart is for ministry. We were so blessed to have him come this weekend to teach the high school students from Ezekiel 14. He taught us what idolatry looks like in the heart and that we will be easily deceived by it. God opposes idolatry and calls the idolater to repent. I really liked how he said,

“Repentance is a radical change of heart that results in
a change in direction of a person’s life.”

Then he talked about the “God exchange” that needs to take place in our hearts where we put away idols and put on a whole-hearted love for God. It was a powerful message and I was so thankful that he was willing to be used as a mouthpiece for God’s Word.

Bobby is the oldest Blakey brother. Bill came down to teach because Bobby had the opportunity to preach in our main services this weekend. He continued his series in 1 Thessalonians picking up in chapter 2 verses 17-20. This passage spoke of the need for us to see each other (fellow Christians) as brothers and sisters in Christ. Too often people cruise in and out of church with no commitment but we need to stop being detached and instead be passionate about God’s people by investing in them and making them a priority in our lives.

Acts 2:42-47 gives a great description of how the church is family by telling of the interactions in the early church. Romans 12:10 gives us a very helpful prescription for how to develop this kind of love for our brothers and sisters in Christ–

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.
Honor one another above yourselves.

I am daily encouraged by Bobby in how seriously he takes God’s Word–for personal obedience and teaching to others, his passion for discipleship and counseling, and the discipline he has of praying for others.

Tyler, the littlest Blakey boy has some great examples to follow right here in his own family! Each of the Blakey brothers has an intense love for God, His Word and His people. But they weren’t just born this way. God has been working in them through His Word planted in their hearts as young children. This is motivating to me as a mom because it showed me that I need to be faithfully praying for Tyler’s salvation and diligently teaching him God’s Word.

I want to be like Timothy’s grandmother and mother were teaching Timothy Scripture and being an example of faith(2 Timothy 1:5) so that Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:19-10

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.“

“If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!”…This is because the wife and mother in a family often “sets the tone” in the home. The “tone” God wants her to set is one of joy, optimism, and a delight in the Lord an in her family.

The Excellent Wife, p.77

Last week I started chapter 8 in Martha Peace’s The Excellent Wife, but since it was divided as part one and part two I only read one, which I blogged about last week. Part two really follows up well so I hope this will be an encouragement and motivation to you today!

This chapter is called “Home: The Wife’s Domain” and part one talked about the need for us to work heartily in order for our home to have a godly atmosphere. She focused on the need to be applying our energies, not just sitting around and then in part two she finishes her thought on what that atmosphere is we are working to develop and how we can nurture it.

The wife and mother who views life as a “cross to bear” influences the others in the home to think the same. She easily robs everyone else of joy…her ungodly attitudes spread to everyone else. If your family were called upon to describe you, what would they say? Would they report that you are a godly, Christian woman who loves like and loves the Lord? Or would they report that you are an unhappy, complaining bitter woman?

The Excellent Wife, p.77

Being hard working and having the joy of the Lord are predominant attitudes that we should have in setting the tone for our home. But how can we cultivate an attitude of joy when we are chauffeuring kids around all day or cleaning oatmeal out of the carpet, dealing with diaper rashes, running errands or working a 9-5 job and coming home exhausted?

Cultivating a joyful attitude is not a mind game where we pretend life isn’t hard work. For the Christian woman, joy comes not from circumstances but from delighting in the Lord. We can do this by meditating on Scripture, by reading it repeatedly throughout the day, and by committing it to memory. For some this can be as simple as playing a book of the Bible on CD or downloading a sermon to listen to while you fold laundry instead of watching TV. Listening to and singing worship songs while you go about daily activities.

One of the best ways I have found to delight in the Lord in my own heart is to have specific verses around my home. I used to do this in college and just used dry erase markers on my mirrors or post-it notes. Now I print them on colorful card stock and put them at my desk, in the kitchen, in the bathroom and in my car. I try to change them often so I don’t eventually stop looking at them. This is a good way to memorize and remind yourself of who God is and why you should be thankful to Him today. Psalm 118:24 is one that I have memorized so that before my feet touch the ground I can commit that in my heart to the Lord.

“This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Developing this joyful atmosphere in our home must start with us having joy in the Lord. But I like how this verse says “let us” because that helps me think past my own personal rejoicing to– how can I motivate those in my home to be rejoicing today too? Here are some suggestions (some are from The Excellent Wife, p.78, some are my own):

• Don’t worry or fret (Matthew 6:25-34). If you are prone to anxiety or pessimistic about problems that really taints a joyful attitude. You can show that circumstances and moods don’t determine your joy by not getting caught up in worry or negativity. When people see that you are entrusting each day and the outcome of situations to the Lord, that can be a powerful example and really create an atmosphere that is calm and comforting.

• Cheerfully put your husband, family and friends first even if you are busy, tired or it is your time of the month. When they see that you are consistent and selfless in your care for them this creates a very soothing and reassuring atmosphere in the home. (Philippians 2:3-4) Some ways you can do this is by having a weekly date night with your husband, making it a point to call or e-mail friends each week to ask how you can be praying for them, asking you family how they are today and looking for a specific thing you could do to encourage them or help make their day easier.

• Express intentional interest in your family. Take advantage of times to tell your husband something you appreciate about him. Take little moments to hug your children and remind them that they are a joy to you.

• Pray specifically for each family member each day. One friend of mine writes her family members names on a dry erase board over her desk and every day writes new specific things she is praying for them each day. I like this idea because as she goes about her day it is easier to remember because it is right there on the wall.

• Be patient, kind and quick to forgive. You can have a quiet confidence that God will “work all things for good to those who love God…“ (Romans 8:28) Your confidence and faith will grow daily as you meditate on and study God’s Word so you will continually “growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18).

When we set a tone in our home of joy in the Lord, our family will look forward to coming home and our friends will find comfort when they are over. We will be approachable and our family will enjoy being around us because we are positive, gentle and nurturing not harsh, fearful or full of self-pity. We can really make our home a wonderful place if we work heartily as unto the Lord and daily find our delight in Him!

You haven’t seen a book review on Blakeyblog for a few months, but not because I haven’t been reading. Since my last review I’ve read five books, but none of them were really review material. I got a CBD catalog in the mail today and I looked through it to see if there are any new ones I want to order. Jerry Bridges’ latest caught my eye, so I may order that here soon.

The truth is there just aren’t that many great books out there. Sure we have Amazon, Borders and Barnes and Noble, but I’m talking about Christian books. I was at a large local Christian bookstore a couple of weeks ago to get a specific book and noticed that under each category there are dozens of books. In the “Relationships” section there are dozens of titles all tailored to any and every view on guy-girl relationships. I saw ones about kissing dating goodbye, or kissing it hello, courtship, a couple about singleness being a more godly choice, how to date with boundaries, how to date with passion, how to breakup and how to find a man worth keeping. As I looked through the titles and some back covers I said to myself, “What does the Bible say?!”

I moved on to the “Parenting” section and the selection was just as broad. Some say it’s all about discipline, or family meal times each day, some say you should spank your children, others said that was the worst thing you could do, only use time-outs. There were lots of books about how to survive the teen years and even a few about parenting adult children. Obviously people have a lot to say and I know that using discernment some books in both sections could be very helpful.

I can see how someone could get caught up in reading all the books offered from the Christian community about how to live their life. These authors are for the most part claiming to be Christians and their books have some Scripture or references in them. From the surface, Christian books could seem like an easier route than studying the Bible. These authors have found the best graphic design for the catchy cover photo and have thought up gripping titles and luring chapter headings. But when we open the Bible we feel confused, unsure of where to look for the answers we need for that specific question of what to do in a specific situation so many people just end up feeling frustrated or bored. Maybe we would rather pick up a little 10 step how-to with Dr. So-and-So instead of the Bible. We might feel apathetic about the Bible sometimes but the psalmist who wrote chapter 119 didn’t, and we need to take notes from his example!

97 Oh, how I love your law!
I meditate on it all day long.

98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies,
for they are ever with me.

99 I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your statutes.

100 I have more understanding than the elders,
for I obey your precepts.

101 I have kept my feet from every evil path
so that I might obey your word.

His constancy in God’s Word has given him a wisdom that surpasses the craftiness of enemies, the knowledge of teachers and even the experience of elders. That should be so stunning to us because usually we place a big importance on what the author’s credentials are and life experience tends to be seen as a main “authority” in a lot of these Christian books. This is a powerful reminder to me that God’s wisdom always exceeds man’s wisdom.

His response to God’s Word is two-fold: meditation and obedience. It doesn’t sound like doing this is confusing or a drag. It sounds like this reading and responding to God’s Word is the joy of his heart and what he loves to do! I realize this doesn’t mean the psalmist didn’t have any extracurricular reading, but I was convicted by the intense adoration and enthusiasm he had for God’s law. I need to have this passion for meditating on and obeying the Bible. God’s Word isn’t just another title on the shelf after all. It is the Book.

Everyone, it seems, is celebrating the time change. Gaining an hour of sleep, what a gift! But if you have a 20-month old son named Tyler who has been waking up before 6am, daylight savings has the opposite effect. The last two nights I’ve lost an hour or two! It’s not that he wakes up crying so I get him. He wakes up calling out, “Mommy!” “Love you!” “Oatmeal, please, Mommy!” and his newest statement, “Obey God!” over and over again. He wakes up and just will not go back to sleep which makes it hard for me to. This morning I made his breakfast while it was just getting light outside and I thought about how so many people tell me that this season will fly by and that really helped me be truly thankful for it and take it to heart as a personal ministry.

All day I have thought about this morning and how tired I was when I woke up. I wanted to just roll over and sleep another hour, but I didn’t. I had several things on my to-do list that I would have much rather just put off to an undetermined later date, but I didn’t. It can especially be difficult if the rest of the world or family is sleeping while you are awake working, but just as I said all that to myself I had a sting of conviction in my heart. Why do I host such a pity party about being tired or busy or having to do work? People say, “You’re a mom now, your time is not your own anymore.” What a silly thing to say. It was never ours to begin with!

LORD, make me to know my end,
And what is the measure of my days,
That I may know how frail I am.

Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths,
And my age is as nothing before You;
Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah

Psalm 39:4-5

Time was never my own but at times I foolishly live like it is. Having a child and working from home helped me become more aware of this temptation. Don’t get me wrong though…becoming a mother is not an insta-cure for selfishness and bad priorities. But being forced to loose sleep and always care for this little person continues to show me how truly selfish I am. Especially on days like today.

Because of sin we act like our lives are up to us to do whatever we want. Like we are independent creatures, not accountable to our Creator. But if we are Christians, we’ve been set apart to live for the Lord not our own agendas. I don’t know how many times I hear people complain about having to be out another week night to be with their church family or of having people over or freeing up an hour for prayer. We act like we are just so busy and maybe are “keeping busy.” I’m not trying to say we need to get signed up for more programs in our churches necessarily. But in every 24 block God gives us we should not be giving Him a half hour in the morning and then living the other 23 and half for ourselves . We need to give him all 24.

A Christian is full-time for Jesus. You never clock out of serving. You never get a vacation from ministering as a way of life. And that shouldn’t make us sigh with exhaustion. It should make us plunge ourselves into God’s Word for sustenance.

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm.
Let nothing move you.
Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord,
because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:58

Always giving fully is pretty intense. I wonder if we aren’t more dynamic in personal ministry because we are too casual about our daily quiet times. If we treat time with the Lord as an afterthought or something we squeeze in at the end of the day how are our hearts to be focused on or even able to give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord? We need to safeguard our time with Him and be much more intentional at laboring for Him all hours of the day. For we know our labor in the Lord is not in vain.