EXERCISE ....

....... your 

right, 

privilege and 

responsibility as an

American citizen.

VOTE  TODAY !!

and if you are interested in reading
a good blog post about our attitude
toward voting, national leaders etc
you can go here  ... its a good read.

Adorn .... or .... Defame ....

Enjoyed reading the book of Titus this morning.

So much instruction.  So many challenges.

So much conviction.

Verse 10 in chapter 2 tells us that as women 

we are to

"adorn" the doctrine of

 God our Savior.

Adorn means to lend beauty to, to enhance, to decorate.

Verse 5 in that same chapter says we are to 

'be' and 'do' certain things

that the Word of God may not be "reviled" or "dishonored".

To not make HIM or His Word look so good.

Revile or dishonor would mean to blaspheme or defame.

Paul's point here being that it is not only the evil

 that we may say or do 

but also the good things that we fail to say and do 

that can dishonor God and His Word before the church and the world.

I think it is true that unbelievers tend to judge the 'realness'

of our faith more by our life and our living than by our theology.

The world judges the Gospel by the character of

the people who believe it and claim to be

 transformed by it.  

That's me !!  How am I doing ???

"Show me your redeemed life

and I might be inclined to believe in your Redeemer."

--Heinrich Heine

Wimpy Theology Makes Wimpy Women

OR ...

Why ladies should know their theology .....


       "Theology - the study of God and of God's relation
                         to the world; the study of religious faith,
                         practice and experience."

Several years ago I attended a True Women Conference where John Piper gave a message 
about what a true, godly woman was.


He started off with the phrase, 

"Wimpy theology makes wimpy women."

That phrase got everyone's attention. It has been on my mind since the conference.  Nobody wants to be a wimp!  

 John Piper, from the 2008 True Woman Conference

Wimpy theology m akes wimpy women. That’s my assumption that I bring to this evening. Wimpy theology simply does not give a woman a God that is big enough, strong enough, wise enough, and good enough to handle the realities of life in away that magnifies the infinite worth of Jesus Christ.

Wimpy theology is plagued by woman-centeredness and man-centeredness. Wimpy theology doesn’t have the granite foundation of God’s sovereignty or the solid steel structure of a great God-centered purpose for all things."

If we, as ladies, want to weather the storms of

temptation and discouragement;

 the storms of suffering and trials;

we need to know our theology. 


We need to know our God. 

If we have a messed up idea about who God is 

we won't be able to understand why He would allow temptations,

suffering, discouragement and trials in our lives.

We must be able

to stand ... unshakably ... on the Word of God.

We must be firmly and totally convinced 

of the character of God.  

His Sovereignty ~ 

that He is in control of all things.

That there is NEVER a moment 

when I 'inform' Him of anything.

That I was in His mind before the world's were made.

That MY NAME was written in the Lambs Book of Life

before the foundation of the world.

That He chose to set His love upon me ... 

and drew me unto Himself 

without any help from me. 

That His love for me is amazing and deep.

That I exist to bring HIM honor and glory.

The more you know and study your God,

the more you will love Him and be 

--- oh so grateful --- 

for all He has done for you.

Be sure of what you believe and why you believe it.

As one sister put it, 

"put the milk away, pull out a 

knife and fork and dive 

into the meat of our Creator God".

Be amazed over and over and over again 

of the wonder of 

His great love for you ... 

it will change your life, 

He promises!

" ... That I might know Him ..."

Philippians 3:10

First called "Christians" ....

Acts 11:26

" ... and in Antioch
the disciples
were first called Christians ..."

Reading about the amazing growth

of the early church, 

in the book of Acts,

is an encouraging read.

The more the believers were persecuted,

the more the church grew.
 The grace of God that gripped these early believer's hearts
was invisible -- but the effect it had on their lives was easy to see.


Barnabas sought out Paul to help him disciple the new believers in Antioch.
They taught them the Word of God for a year.

As these new believers grew and the church grew,
those opposing them began to recognize them as people who were
"of the party of Christ"  and began calling them


"Christians".

The term  was used in derision toward these new converts.

But how encouraging and challenging it is -- 

that those who did not follow Christ

recognized those who did.

Now THAT is a good testimony ....
and a good challenge to me!

AMAZING GRACE

On Sunday, at Meadow Ridge Bible Chapel,

 we heard a message about God's Amazing Grace!

Truly not something to take advantage of and sin all the more

because we want to experience more of His Grace!

But to live in, experience, and grow in His Amazing Grace

is just one of the many "good things" He has for us.

Truly His Grace is

Awesome .....

Indescribable ....

Insurmountable ...

How are YOU experiencing God's Amazing Grace today??

A Growing Heart

Reading in 1 Samuel chapter 10,  it's talking about Saul being anointed King. It says,

"...then the Spirit of the LORD will rush upon you,

.... and you will be turned into another man."

and verse 9 says,

"When he (Saul) turned his back to leave Samuel,

God gave him another heart."

Most often when I think about Saul, I think of all the negative things connected with his life and his reign as King.  But here, right at the beginning of the LORD's work in his life, we see Saul as a man whom God changed.  Gave him a new heart, new desires, new goals, new ambitions.
Like the growth and maturity I talked about yesterday.  Saul strayed from those early days as the anointed King.  It's easy for us to stray too.

How do we keep our "new heart" encouraged .... growing ?

By feeding it the Word of God.

Reading the Word,

Meditating on the Word,

Talking about the Word,

and

OBEYING the Word.

For the Word is  the way that the LORD speaks to us. 

If we are faithful to read and obey His Word.

We will grow and our lives will mature and we will bring much honor and glory to our Heavenly Father!!

When I was a little girl we sang a song in Sunday School that was to the tune of  "I will make you Fishers of Men."  The words went like this....

Read your Bible, pray everyday, pray everyday, pray everyday.

Read your Bible, pray everyday and you'll grow, grow, grow.

And you'll grow, grow, grow,

And you'll grow, grow grow.

Read your Bible, pray everyday and you'll grow, grow, grow ! 

Bout Time You Grew Up

Recently someone told a friend of mine, "you have really matured in the past few years."  My friend didn't know quite how to take this bit of information.  Was this a demeaning remark .... ?   Did it mean .....

*  its about time you grew up   or

* you are finally where I am   or just what did it mean ? ?

As we talked together we decided to go with the positive!!  We rejoiced in the growth (recognized as maturity) the LORD has enabled my friend over the past few years.  It was a challenge to me . . . . 

Am I different than I was a few years ago?

A few months ago?

A few weeks ago?

A few days ago?

Hopefully, we are  all growing, maturing in our walk with our LORD.  We are all a "work in progress" but sometimes its easiest to just stay the same.

And sometimes growth is hard.  It brings change, sometimes suffering, sometimes difficult things...

But  grow  and  mature  we must ! ! !

Pondering on Mary

I have been thinking about Mary, the mother of our LORD Jesus, for the last couple of days.  What must it have been like to be a young teenager and have an angel come to you, call you by your name and tell you (not 'ask you if'  you were willing) that you would be giving birth to a child.  That the child would be the Son of God.  And the angel so graciously added......"do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God...."  WoW!  Favor....really....what about the gossip?  .... what about the shame.... what about Joseph???  Those would have been my thoughts.....but Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the LORD; let it be to me according to your word."  (The word Mary used for servant is actually "bondservant" . Indeed Mary had given herself up to her God's will.)

Mark Lowry has written a song I think about as I ponder on Mary.....I especially like the words "this child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you."  And, "did you know your baby boy is heaven's perfect lamb"

We do not worship Mary, she was simply a humble, God fearing teenager, who was willing to bow her will to the will of her Master. But what a challenge and encouragement Mary can be to each of us!

Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.

Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.

The blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dead will live again.
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb.

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding is the great I am.

A Chance in Pharaoh's Court

How do YOU make decisions?  

Like Moses:

"By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.  By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible."
  




Like Keith Fitzhugh? 


Read Keith's story.  It will challenge your heart today.

NFL SALARIES

P L I O N E X I A - - - do you have it??

This posting was a good "heart check" for me today. Read it and see what you think.  It is so easy to 'want' and think we 'need' so much this time of year.

So what is it you are coveting?  I have to admit.....I want an Ipad.  I think I have earned one (I have a little business which makes a little money). I think I deserve one (I work hard & don't buy too much for myself).  To this my husband replied ... "you don't NEED that."  I can hardly believe (it was a reminder to me of what my heart really is) what came out of my mouth.  I said "but I WANT it."  And I said it in front of other people.  I have plionexia, which doesn't sound too bad because nobody knows what it is.  But I coveted!  And that is sin!

"Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Try me and know my thoughts!

And see if there be  any grievous way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting."

Psalm 139:23 

A TRUST Lesson from "Movers"

We are giving our chapel building to some "movers". Movers who move houses and buildings and who will take our no longer needed building away...saving us the work and cost of disposing of it ourselves. These movers are an answer to prayer. These movers are a father and his two sons. On Saturday they were at the chapel. They measured, they looked under ceiling tile, they inquired where the bearing walls were, they asked what the baptismal tank was (!), and they planned together....the father and his two sons. (If you would like to see the progress on our new building you can see it here.)

Myron was talking with them about the building and the move. They talked about the very high rate of insurance for their moving company. They said there was only 1 company in the United States that insured movers. Their job is a dangerous job, indeed. I listened to one of the sons as he spoke, "its very hard for us to hire anybody outside the family. We can't really TRUST anyone else but our dad and our brothers. Our lives are in each other's hands and our lives depend on each other doing exactly the right thing. If a house falls on you - you die!"

These words, "We can't really TRUST anyone else .....", have been going through my mind. How helpless and lost I would feel without the LORD Jesus to trust. I am SO thankful that I can TRUST Him with the biggest and the smallest details of my life. Not the least of which is my ETERNAL destiny...i.e. where I will spend the ETERNITY, all the rest of the days of my life forever, and ever and ever! But I want to TRUST Him more and more and more....... TRUST comes from adversity, TRUST comes from not knowing what the future holds, and TRUSTING anyway, TRUST comes from knowing and believing with all my heart that He is the Sovereign One and there is nothing that happens....NOTHING that He is not totally in control of. And yes, TRUST comes from TRUSTING. The more I TRUST the more I want to TRUST!

Are you trusting Him today? Do you long for your trust to be more and more? I do.

"TRUST in the LORD forever,

for the LORD God is an everlasting rock."

Isaiah 26:4

Reminds me of the song Tis So Sweet To Trust in Jesus.

~~Louisa Stead

'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,

Just to take Him at His word,

Just to rest upon His promise;

Just to know, Thus saith the Lord.

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!

How I've proved Him o'er and o'er!

Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!

Oh, for grace to trust Him more!

How I love to trust in Jesus,

Just to trust His cleansing blood.

Just in simple faith to plunge me

'Neath the healing cleansing flood!

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!

How I've proved Him o'er and o'er!

Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!

Oh, for grace to trust Him more!

Yes, I've learned to trust in Jesus,

And from sin and self to cease,

Now from Jesus simply taking

Life and rest and joy and peace.

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!

How I've proved Him o'er and o'er!

Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!

Oh, for grace to trust Him more!

I'm so glad I learned to trust Him,

Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend,

And I know that He is with me,

He'll be with me to the end...

Sobering Numbers

• Population of Haiti: 10,000,000
• Hurricane Katrina death toll: 1836
• 9/11 death toll: 2974
• Hiroshima and Nagasaki death toll: 200,000
• Military death toll of U. S. Civil War: 620,000
• Military death toll of World War II: 25,000,000
• U.S. abortion death toll since Roe v. Wade was passed on this day in 1973: 52,000,000

Shocking. Evil.

I recently read a most insightful book called "Won by Love". The author of the book is Norma McCorvey, who is actually the "Roe" in the famous court case that legalized abortion, Roe v Wade. She was a pawn in the hands of powerful and evil lawyers. To my surprise, she never had an abortion, never even wanted an abortion! You can read about the book here. It is a shocking, powerful and encouraging story. I very often think of the fact that Norma's eventual salvation came, in part, from the friendship and love of a little girl. A little girls whose mother worked at Operation Rescue, which moved in next door to the abortion facility Norma was working at. This mother's trust in her God to protect her child was as encouraging to me as was the salvation of Norma, the poster child for abortion. Read it for yourself and see and pass it on for others to be encouraged! PS. I saw some copies of the book for only $ .99 on Amazon.

Has the 'Stranger' Affected your House?

I read this today about a stranger we may have in our homes ......

...... thinking about it

...... and how the 'stranger' is/could be affecting our family.

... thankful for the challenge!


ps. the first click/article is on me.....what you read after that -- you're on your own!