Our lesson on Ezra...

We had Bible lesson the other day and the topic was Ezra. I've never really paid much attention to Ezra. Perhaps it had never come to life for me. But it did this time.
Ezra was an Israelite of the captivity from Babylon. The temple had already been rebuilt 60 years previously and 80 years had passed since their slow return to Jerusalem.The reigns of  Nebuchanezzar, Cyrus, Darius, Ahasuerus, and now Artaxerxes had come to pass. We have now read about Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, Esther, and now Ezra. He was to go to Jerusalem to teach the people. Getting permission to go, he finally gets there and there is so much joy at seeing his people and his land. The punishment for sin had brought them into slavery and now they could begin anew. But then the princes come to Ezra with distressing news. The people had married foreign men and women.

Wasn't it the foreign women who deceived Solomon's heart and drew him away? This may not seem so distressing, I mean Israel was led captive and not many were left. Most left had gone to Egypt. But it was. They disobeyed God's command. Took in what seemed harmless with a twist of deceit to the heart. What harm would a goodly woman or man be though they be foreign?

The New Testament warns us about such things.  II Corinthians 6:11-18 tells us about such separation. A separation much more than mere physical.

"....Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ....v.17..Wherefore, come out from among them, and be separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,....."

At the evening sacrifice, Ezra fell on his knees raised his hands up to the Lord. They had sinned and Ezra thought all was well. That they were off to a good start. His heart could make no excuses but only plead for mercy. All he could do was beseech the Lord for the people in humility. 

This is the heart God is looking for. The godly sorrow that it takes to reach God's heart. Our churches are full of goodly piety. Some even preach against sin.But they have or are in the process of joining themselves to foreign wives and husbands- the world. They have accepted the world and what is seen as normal. Deceived themselves into thinking they could espouse a little of what is foreign to God and that God would overlook it. That a little compromise with the world isn't so bad. Bigger churches are pleasing to God, so they think, because living out the blessings of God with no Uriah spirit is showing how good God has been instead avoiding the very appearance of evil. All a form but no heart in the matter. Or a little heart with a little form but not a complete surrender.

Oh, how Ezra must have felt! He cried ,"We are before you in our sins. We cannot stand before you because of this."  


Let us remember Ezra and reach God's heart. God is not mocked even when we allow ourselves to accept sin, harmless as it seems. He sees within us and our affections. He knows whether we are following others or following God. These are sober thoughts but we are not playing games. Heaven is not make believe and hell is real separation from a loving God. "Depart from Me, for I never knew you..." are real words that I don't want to hear said to me or my loved ones. So Ezra must be taught and will be taught from here on out. Maybe we won't forget his cries and will avoid the sin of marrying the world.

A Few Thoughts on Being Set Free

I've been thinking about the song He Set Free.  One of the stanzas goes something like this-

                 Once like a bird in prison I dwelt
                 No Freedom from my Sorrows I Felt
                 But Jesus came and listened to me
                 Glory to God, He Set Me Free....

There was a thought I heard that has been profound to me. I can't quote it word by word but it has gone through my mind over and over with its message. Since I came to Jesus and made Him Lord of my heart, I can't tell you how many times I've heard this song. And I would in my heart and mind sing the praises of being set free from the sin that had me bound. Yet in  the last decade or so I've seen a freedom that comes in Christ manifest itself overtime. It falls in line with the thought that manifested its truth to me.  Here it is:


Free to serve the Saviour because I want to.
Free to do right not because I have to.
Free to choose Jesus and all of His loves.
Free to go to Him with no fear or qualm
Free from the task master, the Law.
Who led me to the Saviour to serve Him with Love.
Free to Obey His Spirit who is writing His ways in my heart.
Free......

               

A cry....for our souls as well as our country.

A Peaceful Confirmation

The thought recently settled in my heart.
"This baby inside me pleases God. "
You may think this is a strange thought but it brings peace to my heart. I hear so many 
"Are All those your children?"
"One, Two, Three, Four,....."
"How do you do it, with all those children?"
Blah, Blah, Blah...."I even had a man laughingly tell me he would commit suicide if he had that many children!


But the voice of God isn't saying this. There is a sweet restful peace within my heart. A reassurance of God's approval. A loving thought of this precious gift entrusted to us by God. 

A Word With Solomon....

  Having boys growing up on you is not easy. Being a parent in general is no easy task. Whoever stated the fact that parenting doesn't come with an instructions manual had it right. The only one I've found that comes close is the Bible. But even then, God gave us a lot of leg room. Sometimes it is easier to read word by word what to do about a certain situation then it is to seek for wisdom and guidance and then have the faith to follow through with God's direction. Solomon must have felt this way too and so I've been thinking about his life and ours.

 His life saddens me sometimes. To think that he may not have made it to heaven brings me to ponder on those things that weighed him down. He loved. He loved foreign women. He loved how they made him feel and how they looked.  He loved gold and all his cups were made of gold not silver because silver was not worth anything in his sight. He loved wisdom and had so much of it that he finally reasoned within himself about the futility and vanity of life without seeking God foremost. But his loves took his heart. They dimmed the vision and allowed him to deceive his heart!

   My older son and I had a conversation about being real a week or two ago. About serving God in earnest, without playing church. We spoke about the fruits of the spirit and works of the flesh. How hard it is to strive at being good in our own flesh! It is even harder to live in the Spirit ( I mean by this,doing the things which are pleasing to God) while feeding the flesh. We as humans learn very quickly how to feed the flesh, but sadly know little about dying to it. We feed it food, pleasure, satisfaction, material possessions. We love. We love the beautiful things. Desire wealth to make us blessed, and love those who love us best. But like Solomon our loves would separate us from His love. Rob us from our First Love and cause us to be just as idol worshipping as Solomon and Israel became. They mar our vision of Christ and fill our ears with so much sound that we can't or won't take the time to hear Him. All the while dulling us into the notion that all is well and Christ reigns, when the truth is that He can't abide because there is no room.

  Our conversation led me to this final point. We can't live by works because they fail us but we can't live without them either because that would not be faith. So we must live by Faith. Faith that God will save us. Knowing God will strengthen us. Looking to God who will lead us. Faith cannot be separate from our actions. Our works show our faith.They make us get up and seek God. Did not works show the faith in Solomon or any other man we are told about in the Bible? The righteous gave forth actions of obedience while the unrighteous brought forth works of disobedience. Both in faith. Some in a faith unwavering in a God that does not fail and cannot lie;others placing their faith in temporal things, the pride of life, and their merits.

   Solomon left us many words to ponder, and some of the instructions needed for parenting. Words of wisdom and truth that will last through the ages. What did hinder you Solomon? You did run well. And his words come back in wisdom and say, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."  Ecclesiastes 12: 13-14

Being Seen Through

Oh, God today I came before your throne...
Help my heart to have a clear and open entrance, uncluttered by the cares of life.
That I can reach your robe and touched it and be renewed by thy healing touch.

Oh, God today I saw more clearly what it was in my heart that you saw.
Help me not to willingly deceive myself into thinking you did not see my flaws.

Oh, God today please look down upon your maiden
And with mercy and grace help me.
For without your face turned toward me
I will die helplessly.

Oh, God today...forgive me
Oh, God today... redeem me
Oh, God today... sustain me
Oh, God today...today... I need thee.

It's In The Little Things That God Builds Our Character

(Someone posted this on a digest that I occassionally read.)

A Christian

Several years ago, a preacher from out-of-state accepted a call to a church in Houston , Texas . Some weeks after he arrived, he had an occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area.

When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had given him a quarter too much change. As he considered what to do, he thought to himself,
'You'd better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it.'
Then he thought, 'Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a 'gift from God' and keep quiet.'
When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, and then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, 'Here, you gave me too much change '
The driver, with a smile, replied, 'Aren't you the new preacher in town?'
'Yes' he replied.
'Well, I have been thinking a lot lately about going somewhere to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I'll see you at church on Sunday.'
When the preacher stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, 'Oh God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter.'

Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read.
This is a really scary example of how much people watch us as Christians, and will put us to the test!
Always be on guard -- and remember -- You carry the name of Christ on your shoulders when you call yourself 'Christian.'

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

Recall Notice

A friend send this to me by email. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Recall Notice

The Maker of all human beings (GOD) is recalling all units manufactured,regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart.
This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units.
This defect has been technically termed "Sub-sequential Internal Non-Morality, " or more commonly known as S.I.N., as it is primarily expressed.

*Some of the symptoms include:

1. Loss of direction
2. Foul vocal emissions
3. Amnesia of origin
4. Lack of peace and joy
5. Selfish or violent behavior
6. Depression or confusion in the mental component
7. Fearfulness
8. Idolatry
9. Rebellion

The Manufacturer, who is neither liable nor at fault for this defect, is providing factory-authorized repair and service free of charge to correct this defect.The Repair Technician, JESUS, has most generously offered to bear the entire burden of the staggering cost of these repairs.. There is no additional fee required. The number to call for repair in all areas is: P-R-A-Y-E-R.

Once connected, please upload your burden of SIN through the REPENTANCE procedure.. Next, download ATONEMENT from the Repair Technician, Jesus, into the heart component.

No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, Jesus will replace it with:

1. Love
2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Patience
5. Kindness
6. Goodness
7. Faithfulness
8. Gentleness
9. Self control

*Please see the operating manual, the B.I.B.L.E. (Believers' Instructions Before Leaving Earth) for further details on the use of these fixes.

*WARNING:* Continuing to operate the human being unit without correction voids any manufacturer warranties, exposing the unit to dangers and problems too numerous to list and will result in the human unit being permanently impounded.

For free emergency service, call on Jesus.

*DANGER:* The human being units not responding to this recall action will have to be scrapped in the furnace. The SIN defect will not be permitted toenter Heaven so as to prevent contamination of that facility. Thank you foryour attention!

- GOD

P.S. Please assist where possible by notifying others of this important recall notice, and you may contact the Father any time by 'Knee mail'.Because He Lives!

A Trusting Matter..

We Cry Out
Father of life, seated on Your throne of grace
It's only by Your mercy we are saved
Lord, You have said if we call upon Your Name
We and our families will be saved

So we cry out Your Name,
El Shaddai, God of grace
Lord Most High, Jesus Christ
We rely on Your grace,
Adonai, crowned in praise
Lord Most High, Jesus Christ

Father of love, never failing to forgive
Each moment is a gift from You to live
We're only here to tell the world about Your grace
Until the day You take us all away

We will cry out Your Name,
El Shaddai, God of grace
Lord Most High, Jesus Christ
We rely on Your grace,
Adonai, crowned in praise
Lord Most High, Jesus Christ

O, so we cry out Your Name,
El Shaddai, God of grace
Lord Most High, Jesus Christ
We rely on Your grace,
Adonai, crowned in praise
Lord Most High, Jesus Christ

I have added this song to the Songs I like... on the bottom sidebar. It is a gentle reminder to myself that He is my all in all and I will hold on to Him as an anchor to my soul.

Our little 1 1/2 yr. old is in the hospital. I seems a lot of people are sick lately. His white blood cell count is quite high and he has tonsilitis. The doctor thought it would be best to try antibiotics through an IV.

Spring Cleaning Challenge (Update #2)

Spring Cleaning is underway here though you can't tell too much since I'm following such a global order. It seems for me it works best here and keeps me motivated. There's nothing like the feeling that all the windows are done, not just 2 or 3. Besides, since there are so many of us, when I'm done completely with one room and move to the other, the one I finished doesn't last much to give me the same gratification. Globally works for me.

We did get all our windows done, except for the french door windows in my room. (My room is always last it seems.) I also finished up all the fans except in my room.
The curtains are getting washed and some I'm moving around.
I have 4 blinds to speak of, and 2 are goners.
I came to the realization about 2 years ago that blinds are not for me.
I don't like cleaning them and curtains or cloth shades work beautifully.
Look at those windows shine! I drove up today and noticed the glimmer.

♥ I have a handy tip for anyone wanting to clean those nice little crevices in a fan. Use a Q-tip. They work really well.

Here's my plans for this coming week-
(Please understand, I'm far from tidy and neat. I lost the persistance about 3 kids ago. Things here get cleaned as needed, and when I can get to it. Sometimes it is impressive and sometimes it's depressive.)

So here's my to do list:

1. Clean refrigerator.


2. Clean and organize the big upright freezer.


3. Children-clean baseboards throughout the house


4. Children-wipe down outside of doors, hutches, and door frames.


5. Dust top of fridge, freezer, hutches, and doorframes.


6. Dust edge of ceilings for cobwebs.

The thought of getting these things done before the baby gets here is so pleasant that it has kept me on track. There's nothing like knowing that these things are not on my plate when I'm serving everyone elses and the baby calls.

Here's a nice poem that I found in The Best of Barbara Johnson's book:

Good Housekeeping

Lord, it is not the dirt and clutter in plain sight that nag at me.
It's the hidden dirt...you know, behind the refrigerator, in the closets, under the bed.
Dirt that no one sees or knows about but me.
It's the same way with my life, God.
It's those hidden sins that I can't keep up with...those petty little grievances, the grudges, the resentments, the unspoken harsh feelings, and the superior attitutes.
Thoughts and feelings that no one else knows about but me...and You, God.
Help me, Father, to clean my heart as I would my home.
Take away all the dust and cobwebs of pride, ill feelings, and prejudice.
The dirt behind the refrigerator will never hurt anyone.
The dirt in my heart will.

-Source Unknown

Some random thoughts on modestry...

I was meaning to submit a post on modesty to the Carnival of Modesty that Mama Archer is having for March, but somehow missed the boat sort of speak because I'm not too keen on how to do the Carnivals. So I thought I'd post some thoughts on it. Here we go.....

What is modesty? Is it important?
Does it mean to cover every portion of your body so that it wouldn't make you seem attractive to the eye of the beholder?
Can an individual be modest and yet be one who shows forth beauty and something to behold?

In the world as we know it, a great deal of time is spent slowing feeding the masses style. The perception that to be beautiful you must be physically attractive or bring forth desire has permeated to all ages across the board. Perhaps this is why we can't seem to find modest clothing for the young. Oh, it is out there, but you have to look high and low and when you find it the industry will make sure to dissuade you by marking it high and pricey. It is almost as if there was an agenda out there to devastate individuals by robbing them of their innocence through the lust of the flesh.

I personally believe there is an agenda. It comes straight from the enemy of our soul. This agenda says that what God has set forth through out scripture is not so. That times change, people change, God's word and standards have changed. Unfortunately, society, much of the church, and the world have bought into this deception. We are reaping from it though through moral decay.

I could sit here and post on all the things that I think are modest. The following are a few things that I hold true to my heart. I believe a woman should dress like a woman because God has made her so and that a dress will do you more good than pants ever could.
That what is good for the goose is also good for the gander and that modesty is a hard thing to legislate because it should come from the heart. (And man looks on the outside.)
It should be done because we care about how we affect others. (Woman affecting men and vice versa.)
It should be done because if not it is as if we are laying our pearls before swine when we go forth displaying those things we have been endowed with, with the desire to bring on attention, impression, or lack of confidence in what God has made us.

Modesty is an issue of the heart. Questions like, "Shall I cover those things deemed precious in the sight of God so as to keep my heart and my brother's heart pure?" needful? They are definitely worthy of our time, prayer, and contemplation. One can do it to please others, but the beauty of holiness comes from doing it because we love God and we love the brethren.

A person adorned in modesty has great worth. They are a token of purity to their spouse and if not married a treasure given wholly to the Lord. A heart that needs no clothing to adorn.

Quick Late Review of the Week..w/ a spin on things.

It seems that I've gotten a little behind on this review of the week thing. I might not always have one. This one is going to be a little different since I need to make it quick and I really had more thoughts to share on my week's events than I did details.

Around the House: I don't feel I was very productive this week. I got my bathrooms cleaned, we got our taxes done, the laundry is progressing, and school is steadily moving along.
Sometimes, I look at my progress and it could be pretty disappointing if compared to other ladies who seem to have it so put together. But then I remind myself, that for one thing comparing oneself to another is not wise since each have their own cross to bare, and that perfect or not, I will get to it- whatever it may be someday. Oh..., I didn't get my bread done.

School: Friday night we sat down and started talking. We do that quite a bit around here. The conversation went from talking about piano to Einstein's childhood.
Einstein lived with facination with light, the stars, space. He liked all the things that perhaps had me in knots when I took trig and physics in highschool. (By the way, I dropped trig and physics after the 1st quarter because it was beyond me, I didn't need the credit, and my teacher recommend it.) He loved the things he loved to learn and avoided the very things he didn't.
He had to go back and learn the things he avoided to get to the goals he wanted and loved.
We have continued our poem studies and the children have submitted one poem for a contest and are in the procees of submitting a second one this week. Here's an outstanding resource link for writing contests: http://homeschoolwriters.com/
They have a contest going on right now, w/ a deadline of Feb. 14th, in which the children who get a price will be awarded their poem published in a book and a trip to Washington DC. The topic for this one is nature. Most submissions are free, and many include K-12th.

There has been and on going discussion at our home between the 4th grader and the 2nd grader concerning whether Thomas Edison or Samuel Morse were more important.
In co-op we made slime as an experiment to help the children remember Thomas Edison.
He is a great example of how to try again.

I have decided to spend a little more time in the MathUSee foundations workbook and put Miquon on hold for a bit. Alternating is good, specially since we're a workbook ahead in Miquon and sometimes it gets sticky. Or should I say, icky?
Saxon 54 Math, what could I say about Saxon? I love Saxon Math 54. 4th grader knows his timetables/division impressively well, and though he gets 3-8 wrong problems in a lesson(30 problems in all), it is mostly out of lack of attention or lazyness to write out the problem. I love the way it is set up and teaching from his lesson book has never been easier for me. At least easier than Miquon.

In other news- we let the boys join a church sports program and play basketball. I have mixed feelings about sports. I really, really do. Not so much when they're young, but all things change when they get older. So it has been 2 yrs. since the last time they played sports. Except in P.E. Why my mixed feelings? I want them to have a rounded education. Not centered on one thing alone. This, I feel, we have done well at so far. Sports brings mixed feelings because of what goes on as they get older. I have provided for the children a selective socialization of friends that I felt would not damage the labor of love that has gone into homeschooling them. Sports for some reason, seem to attract attitudes as they age that I don't want to allow the boys to perceive as becoming of a Christian. So....it will be monitored and kept on low priority.

Our Bible Study this week was about avoiding the very appearance of evil. When we don't avoid the appearance of evil than perhaps we are not our brother's keeper, nor our own. For we bring distaste to the gospel. We just don't care, and God wants us to.

Well, this is all for now. I have many more thoughts to share, but like Thomas Edison said,
"...Not enough time..."

Sincerely,

Revisiting Samuel

Tonight my 8 yr. old asked me a question.
He asked, "How do you know it is God talking to you about getting saved? What if I only want to get saved because I don't want to go to hell, but it's me and not God speaking to me?"

This is a deep question. It's deep because I don't know all the answers to it. And the answers I have may not be the ones needed. It's deep because I truly want the children to go to God looking for the Saviour. I also don't want to get in the way. I could jump at the opportunity, but it would be I jumping and not him. I want it to be their moment with God. Their decision. Their act of faith and their start of a relationship with Almighty God. If God is visiting his heart, then God is dealing with him and therefore knows better than I how to deal with him as an individual.

He wanted to talk about God, salvation, and about his soul. So we talked.

This has been our prayer over the years. That their heart would be tender to hear God. That they would begin to seek the Saviour because they begin to sense the need for Him. That there would be a concern for their soul.

Samuel was a child when God visited Him. He didn't recognize the voice of God.
I have tender thoughts about this account. Perhaps because it is such a beautiful picture of the grace and love of God.
Eli, who was not in the will of God, directed Samuel to go back and lay down, but he told him that if he was called again he should answer, "Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth." God called again, and Samuel answered.

He and I took a little, private time to pray tonight. I prayed out loud for God to keep his heart tender to his dealings. And that if He was drawing him to get saved, that God would give him assurance and faith to believe in Him and trust Him.
He prayed that God would help him and he prayed that God would let him know whether it was His calling to Him he was sensing through out his day. My heart wanted to pour buckets of tears out to think of God's faithfulness to deal with my children, but I saved them.

Maybe God will keep calling, and my son will answer. This is what I'm going to pray about tonight. Those tears a better spent alone with God.

A Thrist...

I've been thinking about water lately. I've noticed some of the children are not drinking most of their water at meal times and then I noticed that they weren't drinking much water at other times. We don't usually buy soft drinks or Kool-aid around here so they always seem to be served water with their meal. Occasionally, after they eat, I'll serve them fruit juice, and of course with something sweet or breakfast they sometimes have milk, but water is our main source of drink around here. With all that said, I've been a little concerned about their intake and kept thinking about it.

Water is an important part of our diet. It cleanses, lubricates, and moisturises our body. But do we get enough to quench our thirst? Your thirst is not quenched by milk or juice, or soda/sugar drinks. They are digested for what they are. But water is a different story. It satisfies the feeling of being a thirst. If you do not provide your body with the water necessary,( half of your body weight in ounces) you eventually drown out that a thirst and you lose the desire for water because you are offering it a substitute but not a remedy.

Our time with God is like that. There is no where else we can replenish our peace and strength but going to the source of living water. I often think of the woman at the well who Christ spoke to. She knew not of the living water He spoke to her of and hadn't tasted of it because she kept looking to be made complete. She was looking in the wrong place for satisfaction.

We do that sometimes even in Christ. Instead of seeking living water from the Master, we fill our time with amusements of all sorts. We feed the flesh and substitute His presence instead of getting from God what we really needed. Instead of taking the time to take our cares to Him. Instead of crying out to Him when our inner being is saying, " I'm A Thirst!" We ignore it or do something else that fills the quietness in the room and busies the mind from hearing His small, still, voice.

Our Spirit notices though. It sends warning signs through our unrest and our moodiness. It notices. It seeks and cannot be calmed so it feels discontent and we try to appease it.

For a Christian and an unbeliever, this is a great gift of God, to be able to feel our Spirit A Thirsting. For if you are thirsty then He can quench your soul. If you can feel it, your heart is not so hard that it cannot be touched. If you're thirsty, and take a drink from His living water, He can satisfy your thirst.

These are good things to ponder on.

My Brother's Keeper

I remember church services where this song was sung as a new Christian. My heart would cry out to God for strength to follow Him.

Somebody Prayed For Me

I have no affiliation with the church in this video, but it did bring tears to my eyes to hear it once again.

Here's another poem straight from my heart.

My Brother's Keeper

I remember the day Jesus found me
And how that He cleansed me from sin.
I remember that somebody prayed for me,
They sacrificed their time,
They got down on their knees and prayed for me.......

And so God was faithful and brought me out,
Out of the deep miry clay.
Put a love in my heart for the things that He loves,
And I was made my brother's keeper.

For when I cry, He feels my pain.
When I hurt, He knows how it feels.
He bore so much upon the tree,
to see me be my brother's keeper.

Shall I be a stumbling block or two?
Should I not have the character of Uriah*?
Shall I sin the sin of Balaam**
And cause someone to fall,
For something that will only last a lifetime?

Epistles read of men,
That's what we are today.
Good or bad, Cain knew that
He was his brother's keeper.

I wrote this poem, and cannot express my heart completely. Hope it will somehow bless your heart, and remind you of the love we are to have for those within the body of Christ.

* You can read about Uriah in 2 Samuel 11
** You can find references and read about the sin of Balaam in 2 Peter2:15; Num. 31:15-16; 22:5; 23:8; Jude v. 11; James 4:4

And finally, I Cor. 8:11-13. The whole chapter, though small, is worthy of your attention. So if you get a chance take a look at Paul's concern for the brethren.

Sincerely,
Linda

The Hiding Place

Tonight we had dinner while we listened to Focus on the Family's Radio Theater The Hiding Place. This audio was based on the true story of Corrie TenBoom. I read the book when I was about 19 yrs. old. As I listened to the plot unfold and Gemany take over Holland, Corrie's words rang through my mind.
"I lied Papa. It was intentional, not just a mistake, and what bothers me so much is that it was so easy for me to do."
The story makes it obvious that she was not a liar. My mind went back to when I was 19 and thought about her predicaments. Would I have lied to the Nazis?

How easy is it to be dishonest with others if one is dishonest at all? A person might find fault with Corrie TenBoom, but to read the book and see if you're not touched by her testimony, her character and tenderness of heart would be a better option. Perhaps she was being put through the fire and made to burn off all the impurities.
I have a poem (it could be a song) I copied on the inside cover of my Bible, it seems now a long time ago, written by Amie Johnson Flint.
It goes like this:

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater.
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase.
To added affliction, He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.
When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
And our strength hath failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
The Father's full giving is only begun.
His love has no limit, His grace has no measure.
His power has no boundary known unto men.
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth and giveth and giveth again.

God alone knows our heart. I guess Corrie's words stuck with me because I'm drawn by her innocense and her concern that she so easily out of fear lied. When we can easily deceive or flat out lie or sin, and not be bothered-the question to ask is why? Why is it not bothering me? Is my heart in such a state that it will not cry out to God? Will it not cry out to the Saviour, to heal me, to cleanse me, to help me? To rescue me from me?

Maybe it is time for me to check from the library Corrie TenBoom's book The Hiding Place. It's been so long since I read it that I need to be reminded again.

Somes notes on Sunday's message about the Wheat and the Tares.

Today, I think I heard one of the best messages I've ever heard addressed to the church. It's a shame I can't replay it but I wanted to write down a few of the things that stuck in my mind. The text was found in Matthew 13:24-30.

• The Wheat and the Tares are both planted. They both had an experience. They both supposedly got saved. But God sees the Tares among the Wheat. One holds on to the experience and church, while the other holds on to faith and Jesus.


• Wheat and Tares both grow. Plants grow and so do weeds. They both look alike because Tares are counterfeit, but one has the grain and the other does not. One develops fruit while the other conforms.

Three things hinder the Tares:

1. Their experience. They got just enough of it to be immune and be lost without realizing it.


2. Their Believe. They believe in the Word. They participate in church and perhaps are quite active but that does not make them any more real than sticking an artificial flower inside a page of the Bible.


3. So called helping people. These are the same people who prayed with them, perhaps prayed for them while they repeated along. The people who perhaps out of concern pressured them to get saved. The same people who remind them of a commitment made at their church. The same people who try to help God by getting in the way.

I've watched all these things happen! It's all over the churches nationwide, bar none!

The Tares are there perhaps because of comfortable preaching, but even in uncomfortable preaching, they are produced in six months or less! One only need to open their eyes and be truthful to one's self to see that there are not as many Christians that claim Christ as their Lord, that truly have the goods. Lots of good people. Lots of religious people. Lots of self righteous people. Lots of lost people.

The service ended with an altar call that brought me to tears. This was not an emotional altar call. The music did not bring on feelings of contriteness and pressure to pray. It was a flat out call from 2 Corinthians 13:5

"Examine yourselves,whether you are in the faith; prove yourselves...."

The question was asked, "Are you a Tare?"

The question was not,"Do you need to rededicate your life to Christ, or do you need to get saved again?" The question was flat out, "Are you a Tare?"

I cried as I stood there. I cried because that was the sweetest question that preacher could have asked anyone who was there.

Who was that pesky thief?

It seems someone has stolen my 9yr. old's bike! The children have been leaving their bikes out in the front lawn lately and yesterday when he went to go ride it before we went out, it was gone.
I know how shocked he felt. When we lived in a big city many years ago, before we had children, someone stole our van, not once-but twice! When I was a little older than my son, I had what I thought was a good friend, steal something of value from me. Turns out I found it among her things a couple weeks later.

Satan is like that. He tries to steal our joy, and he tries to steal our peace. He tries to take something that doesn't rightfully belong to him for all the wrong reasons.
Our son went looking for his bike yesterday but didn't see it anywhere. Sometimes we look for our joy but it seems no where to be found. I've always felt that if someone stole from me, perhaps they needed it more than I did. Though, that doesn't replace the wheels of a bike, van, or something of value. It does bring you to see that God knows who the pesky thief was. He knows their heart and motives. He knows the enemy of our soul, too. He knows when he is out on the prowl.

Should we hold on tight to our earthly possessions so the thief won't take any more? I think you should be a good steward of what God has given you and take care of them.(That's why the rest of the kids put their bikes in the backyard after that.) Should we fret that the enemy is getting under our skin trying to steal our joy? Scripture tells us to take our cares to Jesus who cares for us. He tells us to be still and wait on God. He reminds us that it is He who will make us strong. We are no match for the enemy, and who does he think is in charge around here anyway? Does he not know that there is not one hair on your head that falls that God doesn't know about? Scripture tells us that we know all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) So he is just a tool in the Master's hand. A tool he plans to use to sharpen our focus, strengthen our heart, and brings us closer to His care.

So next time you feel like a thief is lurking around. Take guard -and tell the Master.

By the way, after I read this to my sons, the 9yr.old reminded me that their Daddy told them it is every sparrow that falls that God knows about, and that He knows every hair on your head.
So I stand to be corrected, I think. ♥♥

My moment...

This picture is called Simeon's Moment by Ron DiCianni. It's a beautiful portrait to me of what Christmas is all about and yet so much more.

If you look at it for a while, you'll see how tenderly he holds the baby. He was holding more than just a mere baby, and Simeon knew it. He had met the Redeemer, his only Salvation, held Him, and looked into His Eyes.

This is the way I want to hold Christ in my heart.


"Thanks be to God for His indescribable Gift!" 2 Cor. 9:15

A little something about the Christmas spirit.

Christmas will soon be here and the retail stores make sure to have a jolly Christmas spirit. The thought of how to approach Christmas was never something I really dwelled on very much until I had children.

How does one present Christmas to them? Should we continue the tradition of Santa Claus the fairytale, the theme that Christmas is a happy one if one gets several presents, and perhaps that one should have good will to all during this festive season? I'm not being sarcastic. I'm serious.
These are questions I started to seriously consider. How was I to raise them to honor God during this holiday and yet build wonderful thoughts and memories about what Christmas really meant?

I started out with the easiest one for me. I ditched Santa right from the start. As a matter of fact, my kids call him Jingle Bells because the little ones forget his well-known name to this day. (Though we have respect for the original man called Nicholas.) I decided he was not going to get one ounce of glory from us, since he had nothing to do with salvation.

The others have not been so easy to deal with though. The hardest would have to be the great emphasis on presents. God the Father gave His utmost gift to us by letting His Son become man for us that He would save us. Jesus gave His life willingly. He forgave willingly. He gave up His home on high willingly. I've often thought that when they get older, I would like to begin taking them to places like orphanages/children's homes or soup kitchens to help on or during the Christmas season. I want them to see that Jesus came to serve, not to be served. That Christmas if celebrated correctly should be a time to demostrate His love through us. All this said, we've kept the gifts to a minimum of 1-3 presents per child, some years slightly more and some years less. We try to get them something they like and something they need. This is hard to do sometimes because I think of the nice things that I could give them. But it grieves my heart to think that they'll grow up and leave Jesus on the side as a religious afterthought compared to Santa, presents, etc.

Christmas music plays in our home any time of the year. It really does. It could be April or September and you might just hear it were you to call me or visit. During this time, the children love to take the manger out and position the pieces just as if they were setting up the stage for that great day long ago. We listen to Adventures in Odyssey's episodes about Christmas. We go and visit churches that have excellent Christmas plays about the birth of Christ. One year the children participated in the Best Christmas Pageant Ever production in our town. I want them to remember us remembering Jesus. I want them to desire Him like the faithful did long ago in that little town of Bethlehem. I want them to look for and find the Messiah . To seek Him out. I want them to see what I see and hear what I hear, and many others like me. To look into the eyes of the Saviour, and forever be changed.

Jesus is the Reason for the Season. Let this be your guide in making Christmas a wonderful season to remember.