Counselor

In our memory verse for December, Isaiah 9:6 says this:

"For to us a child is born,

 to us a son is given; 

and the government shall be upon his shoulder, 

and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, 

Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

The 1828 Webster's Dictionary lists these definitions for "counselor":

1. Any person who gives advice; but properly one who is authorized by natural relationship, or by birth, office or profession, to advise another in regard to his future conduct and measures. Ahithophel was Davids counselor. His mother was his counselor to do wickedly. 2 Chronicles 22. In Great Britain, the peers of the realm are hereditary counselor of the crown.

2. The members of a counsel; one appointed to advise a king or chief magistrate, in regard to the administration of the government.

3. One who is consulted by a client in a law case; one who gives advice in relation to a question of law; one whose profession is to give advice in law, and manage causes for clients.

Privy Counselor, a member of a privy counsel.

What does it mean to you, Reader, to have Christ the very Son of God as your, not just counselor, but Wonderful Counselor?

Please leave me a comment; I would love to hear what that means to you!

A Narrow Cradle

Martin Luther wrote a poem/hymn about the Advent that I would like to share.  In it are some great thoughts to ponder as you reflect on the mystery of God condescending to man in the form of human flesh.  The King of Glory come in form of a little baby.  The Savior of the World came down to man.  Every religion apart from Christ is a striving to reach God in your own good works, sacrifices, all for naught.  But with Christ, He makes all your striving cease, he reveals your heart of sinfulness then he himself cleanses you from your iniquity.  Praise God for the work of Salvation is his alone!

Merry Christmas!

"Were earth a thousand times as fair,

Be set with gold and jewels rare.

She yet were far too poor to be,

A narrow cradle, Lord, for thee.

Praise God upon his heavenly throne,

Who gave to us his only Son,

For this his hosts on joyful wing,

A blessed New Year of mercy sing.

This is the Christ our God and Lord,

Who in all need shall aid afford,

He will himself our Savior be,

And from our sins will set us free!"

You can listen to this in song for by Sandra McCracken here.

The Pilgrims

I started teaching on the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving today with Dylan.  We went through some lessons regarding them last year, but hey, she's 5 and it's been a whole year since we talked about them,  I was impressed that she remembered anything at all, but she surprisingly remembered quite a bit.  I asked her what she remembered from our readings last year and she said, "I remember they used fish to plant corn." The Native American's taught the Pilgrims to bury fish beneath their crops to provide excellent fertlizer for their corn crops. Then she went on to tell me what she remembered about the Mayflower hardships, "They had to eat bread with worms in it and had dirty water." Beer was the main drink for all, including the children, because the water they had brought became contaminated and unsafe to drink. What food and beer that was left towards the end of the journey became inedible causing much hunger.

May we lay everything on the line and be willing to give it all up to rightly worship and serve the living God.

The Importance of Reading

The written Word of God is a priceless gift given to us from his very hand.  What a selection of choicest fruits we have available.  Just recently Dylan has taken an interest in opening the bible and reading it for herself.  Will you pray with me that God's word will not return void?  He has a mighty hand, and he is able to save to the uttermost.  Dylan has started reading John 1.  What a good place to start!


"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."


 Romans 10:17

He is Good

Our little Lennox is now 10 months old.  Ten months ago I was getting ready to give birth.  A little less than twenty months ago, I found out I was pregnant with him. I was scared to get pregnant again- but he will lovingly come along side his children and remind us of his wisdom and his goodness. His ways are higher than our ways and he is a merciful God who remembers our frame. (Psalm 55:9 & 103:14)  Why would God choose to take the lives of 7 of our babies and commission us to raise Dylan and Lennox?  Because he is God and he knows what he is doing when we do not.  

While I am so grateful that he has blessed us with Dylan and Lennox,  I want to be perfectly clear about this: even if he had not granted us a single child, and though I may have 2, 5, or even 10 more miscarriages in my lifetime;  God is infinitely good, incredibly wise, and perfectly sovereign over every single moment in my life.  Nothing is far from his hand.  Tested and proved.

We need to be reminded, a lot!

I finished up my reading of Joshua this morning and was struck by how profound and yet so simple these exhortations were.  We need to be reminded...




Be very careful, therefore, to love the LORD your God. -Joshua 23:11


and...


And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed. -Joshua 23:14


We are a forgetful, unfaithful people.  Our God, however, never forgets and is always faithful.


These words reminded me what I needed to be reminded of:


Stay near to him and love him.  My heart is prone to wander. He is faithful and does not forget his promises- and it has been proven time and time again in my life.  He is good! Amen!

Be Intentional

This is the greatest advice I can give myself.  I have found much joy and much contentment in the last few weeks by purposing to be intentional in everything I do.  What are my intentions, you might ask?  To glorify God.  Wow, Sunday School answer, right?  Wrong!  I have a terrible habit of meandering through life half awake, blindly doing menial tasks with no purpose other than the fact that they need to be done.  I am guilty of not taking pride in my roles, and when I do take pride in them, it's the selfish, self-exaltation kind of pride- the kind the God of heaven abhors.  Not the pride a blood-bought redeemed child of God ought to take in serving others and serving her Lord- so that others will glorify my Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).  So, I have tried very hard lately to not just do what I have to do because it needs to be done, but do it all as unto the Lord. (Colossians 3:17 & 23, 1 Corinthians 10:31)  Scripture doesn't suggest this principle, it commands it!

I have awakened to a joy in doing what I was made to do.  Not just as a human: to glorify God.  But as a wife: to serve my husband, to be his helper, to submit and trust him, as he submits and trusts our Lord; and as a mother: teaching Dylan about the Lord, homeschooling her, caring for Lennox; as an employee: serving my family, my father- who is my employer; as servant of God's Church and even very important as one who keeps a home organized and resourceful. 
When I know these are my God-given roles to fulfill and I am either being a false witness of His grace in me or I am being a purposeful servant of the Lord- it matters greatly!  If I will only begin a task with the mindset, "What I do matters greatly today- it matters to the Lord where my heart is when I complete this task and when I do this I am bearing His name,"- I can find great joy and contentment in even the smallest thing!  Sounds fantastic, doesn't it?

 So, why then, is it so easy to fall back into walking my blind little circles, just milling around completing tasks (or sometimes not even completing them!!)? It's. That. One. Word. Sin. Sin. Sin.  My old nature likes to fight hardily with my new identity.  We will fight this fight until we are with the Lord in glory.  I can not wait for that day!  In the mean time, being mindful, intentional and being self-aware and brutally honest with myself- that I can easily fall into that rut- is the best way for me to fight. I have written about the same thing here. I can't kid myself- and neither can you.  We have to be on guard against the ease of sin, the ease of idleness, and the ease of letting ourselves run on auto-pilot.  I think we can soundly say that if we are meditating on God's Word, meeting with him regularly in prayer, and surrounding ourselves with brothers and sisters that would spur us on to good works (Hebrews 10:24-25), and actually listening and taking care to meet the needs of others- as in our spouses and being careful to seek out ways to serve those in our body and in our community, we can beat this thing with the strength and power of the Spirit that lives in us.  This is the God of the universe- he made me, and he deserves to be the center of everything I do.  I am purposing the make that the truth in my life.  How about you?

David Miller

You are invited to come hear solid, biblical preaching from
Bro. David Miller: "Country Preacher at Large"
of Line Upon Line Ministries.

August 26, 27, 28, and 29, 2010 at
First Baptist Church of Briar
200 W.N. Woody Road
Azle, Texas 76020

On August 26, 27, 28 at 7 p.m.
and
Sunday Morning, August 29th at 10:45 a.m.

"Evangelist David Miller from Heber Springs, AR. David suffers from a degenerative muscular disease called peroneal muscular atrophy, however, he remains one of the most powerful preachers today – from his wheel chair. It has been said about David Miller that although he is forced to sit down in his wheel chair to preach these days, he still stands head and shoulders above most preachers in our present day.

David Miller enjoys spending time with his son Josh and grandson Malachi “Chi” outdoors at their deer camp. David and Josh (along with Chi) are extremely competitive deer hunters. Although he has had to overcome many challenges to deer hunt from his wheel chair, it still does not stop him from getting out there each year! In fact, when he is not traveling to preach, David looks forward to time at the deer camp all throughout the year.

David takes his calling as a preacher very seriously. He has been gifted with an unusual ability to memorize the Bible, and he uses that gift to preach the Word all across the Country. With a brilliant mind, David is often invited to large conferences and even chapel services at the Seminary. Although David has enough invitations to last the rest of his life and a well known name across the Country, he still prefers the title, “Country preacher at large." -cornerstone mcminville.com

To hear sermons by David Miller:

Sermons by David Miller on Sermon Audio

To view a few video excerpts from his preaching at the Anchored in Truth's True Church Conference:

David Miller on the Gospel and Regeneration

David Miller on Sanctification

David Miller on Positional Holiness

David Miller on Hymns and Songs

David Miller on his Disability and the Scriptures

David Miller on the Spirit's aid in Holiness/Sanctification

Baby Momma

The other night I was getting Dylan out of the tub and she looks at me with her sweet doe eyes and says, "Mommy,  I love you and you are always gonna be my Mommy."  So, my heart totally melted.  I look at her and told her that no matter how old she gets, she will always be my baby girl.  And that's when she turns to me and says, "You are always going to be my baby Mommy, and Daddy is always going to be my baby Daddy."  Oh, good heavens!  She had no idea why I was laughing, but she laughed with me!

How Will They Know if No One Tells Them?

 But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?  Romans 10:14

A few months ago, Dylan and I were snuggling in bed one early morning. She said to me in a voice filled with distress, “You know, I was talking to Hannah* about God, and she don’t really remember him.”

Dylan isn’t converted, and I pray that God would truly open her eyes to himself soon, but I am thankful that she has an understanding of who God is, not because we are some great parents, but because he has helped us understand the magnitude of our high calling as parents.  

I want Dylan to see her father and mother savor Christ.  I want her to be able to close her eyes and picture his character in her mind based not only on Scriptures she has been taught by us but by the vivid picture we paint of him in our lives, by stories we tell her of his faithfulness, discipline, love, omnipresence, and holiness.  I want her to see me at my wits end- and I want her to see me turn to him.  I want her to remember when things get tough and her heart is aching that her parents went through heartache and trials and rejoiced in them because, by God’s Spirit, they were able to recognize that those afflictions were blessings from God to make them more like Christ.  I want to know that though she may not KNOW him now, she knows about Him, she can in no way doubt his existence, his presence and his faithfulness in the lives of her parents.  I don’t want to fail her in this.  I pray that I would point her to Christ when she’s being disciplined, that she may know that these commands she has been given are impossible to keep apart from a change in her very nature,  I pray that God’s mercy would be reflected at times in me when I can show her that though she deserves much punishment, I will show mercy to her as the Father has shown much mercy toward me.  I pray that I show her humility and my own need of Christ when I deal with her wrongly and must ask for her forgiveness.

"And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:6-9

I think that these verses speak of what our goals as mothers, parents should be.  We should be breathing Christ to our children.  It shouldn’t always be like this, ‘Now sit here, open this bible and study this memory verse until you know God.’  Though, there is a time and place for that most certainly.  But Christ should be on our lips, in our hearts, in the way we speak to our children, the way we play with our children, the way we discipline them, how we drive in traffic, how we love our husbands, the way we pray, and how we serve our church.  I think in “writing them on the doorposts of your house,” it’s more than an actual written word, but a declaration by the life of your home,  “We are God’s people, we speak of him, we live for him; he is our identity.” 

May our children never say to us, ‘Why did you not tell me about God?”  May it never be said of our children, “They don’t really remember him.” 

We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord , and his might, and the wonders that he has done. He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments. Psalm 78:7

It's your turn... all what, 5 of you?

Okay,  I want to write more actively,  and I do have a few more "According to Dylan" subjects, but I would like to ask you, yeah- all 5 of you, what would you like me to write about?  You can give me a subject, ask me a question, whatever, I need some subject matter, people!  Just post a comment below with your suggestion.

Worth saying again: Ten Reasons I Love my church...

I originally posted this in December of 2008, but it is worth saying again!  Too many times is the bride of Christ slandered and spat upon, but she is beautiful because she is loved by God.  Though the Universal Church is filled with imperfect sinners, it is being led and perfected by a most glorious, most perfect Savior.  He will complete His work, and she must strive to live for Him, no matter what comes against her. 

10. Godly Examples: I have so many examples of godly wives and mothers around me; women doing what they are called to do in Titus 2. My husband has a great group of godly men to surround himself with that strive to fulfill their roles as husbands in Ephesians 5.

9. My daughter has a wonderful group of children that I know and love to play with. I don't have to wonder about their parent's beliefs, question their home-lives and hope she is surrounded by at least a mediocre example of a biblical family. I know their home lives, I know their values and I know that they don't separate Sunday morning from the rest of their lives.

8. My pastor's wife: I love her, she's a great friend and dear sister to me, and I have never known a more godly example of biblical submission and meekness (controlled strength) in a woman as young as her. The beauty of the love for her husband makes me want to be a better wife to mine.

7. Fellowship: I know that lots of churches get together to "fellowship" and never speak of their Lord. Well, I have had more rewarding conversations in the last year with my dear brothers and sisters in Christ than I have had in a long time. And though we joke around are get silly, we do glory our in Redeemer and can't help but speak of Him.

6. A Desire for Holiness: For the most part there is a large group in our church that has decidedly began to strive for holiness. Through our own personal studies and through the teaching of our pastor, we have grown to know the Lord in such a way that we long to know Him more and long to do what pleases Him; Men who desire to be holy in all their conduct, mortifying the deeds of the flesh, loving their wives as Christ loves the church, and being both prophet and priest in their homes. Women who desire to submit to their husbands as unto the Lord and children who would strive to honor their father and mother.

5. My Pastor: He loves the Lord and you can see it in his life. You could come by his home unannounced and see that what he preaches on Sundays is what he strives to live out for the glory of God the rest of the week. He is a dear friend and loves to have fun, and is out to prove that Christianity isn't boring. He desires to rightly divide the Word of God and pours over the Scripture each week to ensure that he is able to do so. He loves the church and does his best to protect her from all ungodliness and understands the weight of his calling to keep guard over our souls. (Plug: Pray for your Pastor!)

4. Teaching and Application: Not only does our Pastor do a great job of teaching and urging the body of believers to learn and apply all that is in Scripture, but we have other men who use their gifts of teaching to do the same. We have women in our church that strive to teach the younger women in all godliness. We have fathers that do what they are called to do in teaching and raising their children up in the fear and admonition of the Lord. I am thankful that teaching is held in such high regard in this body.

3. Balance: We understand that we are to be ever-reforming. We understand that God is sanctifying Himself a people. But it is our greatest challenge in holding doctrine so highly that we do not go off into idolatry of doctrine and practices. I pray that we would continue to have balance and to remember the first things first: "Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness. And all these things shall be added unto You. Matt. 6:33"

2. Truth: It is held in high regard here. We know who provides absolute truth and we understand the inerrancy of the Word and we do our best to apply these truths to our lives and pray that the Spirit would teach us all things. In a world where truth is relative, it is a wonderful solace to find a place that regards highly a word of Truth.

And the number 1 reason I love my church:

1. She's the bride of Christ and He holds her more precious to Himself than the apple of His eye, how could I not love her if I desire to be like my Lord?

Puddles, Naps, Baths and Fishing... Some of Life's Necessities

                                                        

Yet in spite of this word you did not believe the Lord your God

This morning, I run into the bathroom to share with Jim what the Lord showed me in His word over a quiet cup of coffee.  Some days He shows me great encouragement, some days grave conviction.  Today was the latter.  As I look up at Jim with bible in hand I say, "I'm a stupid Israelite." 
Now, I don't believe that Israelites are actually stupid, in a degrading sense, I just believe they are sinful humans and God uses examples of other sinful humans to humble me, convict me, and show me I'm not smart, but stupid too.

Deut. 1:29 Then I said to you, ‘Do not be in dread or afraid of them. 30 The Lord your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes, 31 and in the wilderness, where you have seen how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way that you went until you came to this place.’ 32 Yet in spite of this word you did not believe the Lord your God,33 who went before you in the way to seek you out a place to pitch your tents, in fire by night and in the cloud by day, to show you by what way you should go.

Okay, we have all been guilty of scoffing at the Israelites as well as Jesus' disciples when we read of their unbelief, their stubbornness, and their complaining. I have even caught myself doing this and questioned my own heart- "Seriously, would I be found faithful or faithLESS if I had been confronted with these things in those days? We wonder how they could struggle with unbelief when they actually SAW with their own eyes God's faithfulness shown in His miracles, element-controlling, and power. I ask you, as I ask myself, how is it that we struggle when we have seen His power and miracles displayed in our own lives? How is that I have observed Him miraclously change my heart from a cold, hard piece of stone that is at enmity with Him into a soft piece of flesh that loves Him? How is it that His words are powerful enough to call the earth and the fullness there of into exsistence; powerful enough to divide the thoughts and intents of a man' heart like a two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12), powerful enough to sanctify me and yet when trials come, afflictions rise, I go to my own strength, my own thoughts, my own devices to solve them, or fret over them? If His word isn't powerful enough, what is? Nothing! And not only that, as the Israelites and the disciples, I have seen with my own eyes His faithfulness towards me and yet I hesitate to trust Him nearly every time. My first reaction to is to have the wind knocked out of me when I am hit with some sort tempest. One of my favorite Anne Hawks hymns says,

"But, oh, when gloomy doubts prevail- I fear to call Thee mine.

When springs of comfort seem to fail and all my hopes decline...

Yet gracious God where shall I flee? Thou art my only trust

and my soul would ever cling to Thee though prostrate in the dust.

Hast Thou not bid me seek Thy face? And shall I seek in vain?

And can the Ear of Sovereign Grace be deaf when I complain?

No, still the Ear of Sovereign Grace attends the mourner's prayer.

Oh, may I ever find access to breathe my sorrows there."

 Afflictions turn my cry to God and away from myself. He delights each time our hearts and cries are turned to Him. He is turning my faith to Him instead of other things or self. Though I doubt and struggle with unbelief and faithlessness, He is faithful to bring me to His word to help me to see how much I lack and how I can look back and see how faithful He has been countless times before and how I can trust Him. He is going to deliver me. He may not deliver me from afflictions or trials, though He might, but He will certainly deliver me from my lack of faith and He will strengthen my faith and my trust and my hope in Him alone. If my Redeemer pleads my pardon with His blood, He will certainly deliver me from my lack of faith. He is trustworthy and He can not deny Himself. He will keep His covenant for His own glorious namesake. Praise Him for His faithfulness!

"... but that the works of God might be displayed in him..."

I needed these Scriptures desperately this week.  I still need them today, and I am sure that the principals in these Scriptures need to be lodged into my brain and written on my heart for the rest of my days.  We can say we believe in God's sovereignty and His word, but when trials and afflictions come,  we (I) quickly see the difference in what I say I believe and how much faith I actually have, or in my case- how much faith I actually lack.  May these Scriptures encourage your heart and spur you on to know that God is working out trials and afflictions in your life that he might be given much glory and so that you might believe in Him!  He is trustworthy!

Lord, help my unbelief!  I have seen you work in my life over and over again, and yet when my life is stricken, I see where I fail. Please give me the faith on THIS side of struggles so that I may honor you with my trust, my speech and my actions.

John 11:

1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.”43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

John 9:

1 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 Having said these things, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man's eyes with the mud 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.

Abortion Facts that may surprise you...

Your King is Coming...

"When through fiery trials, thy pathway shall lie, My Strength all sufficient, shall be thy supply; The flame shall not hurt thee, I only design, thy dross to consume, thy gold to refine..."

Trials come.  Not they might, not they could;  trials do come.  Trials hurt.  But without a breaking, there will be no mending.  We are weak and wretched, and like the gold the goldsmith works with, without the fire, there will be no purging, no cleansing, no strengthening, no shining. We would be kidding ourselves if we said we were not in need of sanctification.  Many of us have prayed and asked God to reveal our sins to us and to set our hearts ablaze for Him alone, and the most likely way for Him to do this is to put us through the fire.  My sinful heart leans on too many other things and people to help me "make it" in this world and I need Him to strip me of them so that I may clearly see that all my strength and supply is in Him alone.  He does what is best for His children; He does what is neccesary to turn our hearts back to Him. 

If you, like myself, have prayed for more faith, more trust in Him, and to be purged of your sins,  I do believe He is answering our prayers.  It would be easy on the flesh if we could just ask for those things, click our heels together and be perfected, sinless people, but that is not the way it works with God. I have seen that in my life over and over.  Like my sweet friend told me once, "If God would have told me just how things were going to turn out, I suppose I would be happy, but I'd be no closer to Him."  I think she hit the nail on the head.  He's giving us a longing for home.  Our true home- because He is there.  If I were comfortable here, would I actually long for heaven as I do when I experience sinfulness and heartache in myself, my friends and family, and this world?  He gives us trials for many reasons, and He clearly gives us the reasons in scripture. 


1 Peter 1:6-9 states:


In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith--more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (emphasis mine)


Well,  it is necessary to be sanctified or we'll never be fit for heaven.  So we can understand, these trials must come.  

So, how then saints, can we rejoice in these afflictions?  Well, they are making us more like Christ:

Romans 8:28-29 says, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." (emphasis mine)

How else can we rejoice in these afflictions? Well, they are helping us to grasp the fact that God is all we have and all we need:

Habakkuk 3:17-18 says, "Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord ; I will take joy in the God of my salvation." (emphasis mine)

We are afflicted,  I am sure of it, but there are those who have lost even their very lives for the sake of Christ's name and His Kingdom.  We do endure momentary afflictions and pains, but have we given our very breath, yet?  We can call on God to execute justice on the unjust, but can we cry with the martyrs about the Lord avenging our blood?

Revelation 6:9-10 states, "When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" (emphasis mine)

No,  I have not suffered to the point of shedding my blood.  I mustn't forget that Christ promised afflictions, persecutions, trials, death to self...

Hebrews 12:3-8 says, "Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons." (emphasis mine)

But He also gives me hope in my discipline,  I am a "son" and I am being treated as such!  Praise the Lord,  Thy Rod and Thy Staff-- they DO comfort me! (Psalm 23:4)

How else can we rejoice in discipline? I will close with the most glorious... Christ! 
He is coming, He will return, He will avenge His children, He will scoop us up and take us home.  Striving will cease, emnity will end, sin will be defeated along with death and our eyes will remain forever on Him and not on ourselves.  Our hearts will rejoice in doing what they were made to do!  Worship will be sweet and unending.  Hold on Church, your King is Coming!

Sin vs. My Garden

And to Adam he said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, 'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;"thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return."  
Genesis 3:17-19


If you go through life day by day and ever doubt that the Bible is truth and it is the living, breathing Word of God, you should plant a garden.  I love to garden, therefore I enjoy fresh vegetables and fresh salsa and I hate weeds and bugs.  Not 3 days ago I had some broccoli growing beautifully in the midst of my garden and yesterday I had the remnants of broccoli plants that were teaming with these nasty green worms who looked rather satisfied and plump.  I, did however, enjoy practicing my dominion over those rude little pests as I flicked them to oblivion!


A garden has been a friendly reminder that sin is real, its effects are real, and not only on my vegetable garden, but in the garden of my own heart; sin's weeds fight everyday to choke out the lushness that God has planted within me.  May I always be diligent to keep that garden pruned and be on guard of parasites desiring to wage war against my soul. 


Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
1 Peter 2:11

The Ninth Commandment... According to Dylan

I am pretty sure that my dad is going to kill me for putting this out here on the Internet, so if you don't hear from me in a few days, come looking for me!  Seriously, though, my Dad exemplifies the qualities of a godly man as communicated in Psalm 1, but, as fallen man is, he is not perfect.  He does not make a practice of sinning and strives each day to walk in the Spirit and put to death the deeds of the flesh. With that said, this is a funny story that just goes to show you, your kids are listening, even when you think they are not. Each moment of each day is a teaching opportunity and is a gift from God of which we should take full advantage. Especially if we are to raise them up in the fear and admonition of the Lord.  This was also a very good opportunity to point Dylan to Christ, not to man. Daddy, Mommy, Nana, Papa, every person- even our pastor is a sinner in need of a Savior.  Let us always point our children to the only perfect One.

Several months ago, after Dylan had memorized all of the Ten Commandments, we began to go through the commandments and give further explanation of what it meant to break each one.  We tried really hard to give an example that Dylan could understand, and I think it went really well. Heeey, you try giving an example of the 7th commandment that your 4 year old can understand!

Anyway,  after over a week of this, it's needless to say that Dylan had the Law on the brain- complete with examples of breaking them!  She was spending time with my mom one day, when out of the blue she exclaimed, "Nana, let me give you an example of lying..."

First, you must know that one of Dylan's favorite things to eat is bean burritos, and not just any bean burritos, Taco Casa bean burritos.  There isn't a close Taco Casa to my parents home, so over a year ago, (yes, that long ago!) Dad went to get Dylan a burrito, but thought, "Hey, I will just get one from Taco Bell (ewww!) and say it's from Taco Casa... she'll never know the difference."  First off, Dylan noticed the different packaging, and pondered, "Hmmm, I guess they got new paper."  Then, she noticed the taste, and that was all it took, Dad was found out! 

Back to our story... Dylan said, "Nana, let me give you an example of lying.  One time Papa got me a bean burrito from Taco Bell and said it was from Taco Casa, he was lying!"

Well, Dad has since repented and it just goes to show you, God will use anybody as a source of conviction!

Love you Daddy!

A fitly read hymn...

I came across this hymn today, at a time I really needed to read about the beauty of the Cross.  God is gracious and I am thankful to Him for allowing this hymn to cross my path.  He uses any means he chooses to get our focus back to Him.  He most certainly uses trials to reveal sin in our heart, and I have been granted this vision of my own sin in trials that I have faced in the recent past,  I have regarded the Cross too little.  I am thankful that He would love me enough to steady my course and line my eyes back to my "true North."- Him.  I am also reminded that I ought to meditate on the Cross more often.  I need to keep my eyes upon Him, the One who is able to save to the uttermost.  I need'nt get all jumbled up in the world, man-centered concerns, self-centered concerns and mope.  I need to look to Christ and His Cross, and marvel at His beauty.  It is no small thing that the King of Glory would come to earth to save wretches like me.  I have had to repent for taking that fact too lightly.  I pray through this hymn and by His Spirit, you would be caused to consider Christ today.

In the Cross of Christ I Glory

By: John Bowring

 In the cross of Christ I glory,

Towering o’er the wrecks of time;

All the light of sacred story

Gathers round its head sublime.

When the woes of life o’er take me,

Hopes deceive, and fears annoy,

Never shall the cross forsake me,

Lo! It glows with peace and joy.

When the sun of bliss is beaming

Light and love upon my way,

From the cross the radiance streaming

Adds more luster to the day.

 Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure,

By the cross are sanctified;

Peace is there that knows no measure,

Joys that through all time abide.

Crying According to Dylan...

When we first brought Lennox home from the hospital, Dylan asked me why babies cry so much. I proceeded to tell her the reason was because they can not talk and it is the only way they can tell you what they need or what is wrong- it's their way of talking. This is true. But apparently Dylan translated this to mean I am some sort of baby whisperer. Seriously, as plain as day, with a stone-cold serious face, she turns to me almost every time Lennox starts to cry and asks me, "What is he saying?" This girl is detail oriented too, she doesn't want a general overview of his need, she wants an exact wording of what he is trying to communicate to me. When I tell her, "He's hungry," or "He wants out of his carseat," she says,"Nooooo, what is he saying?" So, I have to come up with the right response as to specifically exemplify the emotions that are pouring out from each cry. Like I said, she thinks I am The Baby Whisperer.

Colors According to Dylan...

Back when I was pregnant with Lennox, Dylan was able to come to several of my sonograms at my specialist's office. Well, the sonogram machine was connected to a huge flat screen TV mounted on the wall. While we would wait for the doctor to arrive to perform the exam, a screen saver would pop up. One of the many pictures that would scroll across the screen was that of a set of babies lined up in only diapers. They were cute little chunky babies, of all shapes and shades. Well, one in particular caught Dylan's eye. She was a little African American baby girl with big, curly hair. Well, that is when Dylan asked me one of the sweetest questions, "Mommy, can we get one of those brown babies next time?" I grinned a big grin and answered her, "I sure hope so."

Dylan most certainly is not color-blind. She sees every color people come in plain as day and in her own words, upon viewing an Asian woman, "She's beautiful."

Prayer Requests according to Dylan...

Here is the first entry in the series, According to Dylan.

Dylan is more consistant than me in her prayer life. I do so much better when I keep a prayer journal, this entry is actually spurring me on to start keeping one again. Prayer journals help keep me on task, keep me consistant in praying for specific things and people, and I can look back to see answered prayers.

A long time ago, Dylan asked for a sister. I told her that she was asking the wrong person; she needed to ask God for a sister. I reminded her that the Lord is the only one that can grant her request. She hasn't forgotten and nearly every time she prays; she asks him. I love that.

Nearly every phrase in her prayers start with "Thank You." So, the petition for a sister is no different. She says, "Thank you for I want a sister." Love it.

The beginning of a series: According to Dylan

I have decided that you guys should start hearing some of what Dylan has to say. I really need to start writing down some of her phrases, because she is either unintentionally adorable or intentionally hilarious. I must share!

It's Easter everyday!

Sorry so delayed, I've been a little busy, you know!

Well, December 28th seemly went off without a hitch. I delivered in about 12 hours from induction, I only pushed a few times, then I had to stop because my doctor was stuck in traffic! I had to wait 25 minutes for her to get to the hospital, then I just pushed a couple of more times and Lennox was here! All 8 lbs. 15 oz. of him! What a big boy for being considered a "preemie!" Well, the question had loomed for a while about his size versus his age. I had failed my 1 hour glucose tolerance test, but was retested on a 3 hour scale and passed. Apparently, I had developed Gestational Diabetes after those tests were done (at 28 weeks) because Lennox was born with low blood sugar and it continued to plummet and was rushed to the NICU after we got to spend some time with him. After 4 days of being slowly weaned off of a glucose IV, we were able to take him home! Praise the Lord! Needless to say, his doctor told me I was probably a "Closet Diabetic" and I needed to be eating like one. So I have made some changes, and more are to come. I don't want to do that to another child, or myself again! I was released from the hospital on Wednesday and Lennox had to stay until Friday. This left me with no place to stay but home. I am breastfeeding him and I needed to strictly every 2 hours to get him off of the glucose drip. The nurses and doctor from the NICU made one of the empty NICU pods a room for me with a fold out bed. I cried! They were so awesome and definitely a gift from the Lord. I didn't ever miss one feeding with Lennox and I got to stay right down the hall from him in the same ward. It was definitely a wonderful thing!

With all that said, he is here! Finally! In the fullness of time, God saw fit to bless us with a son and Dylan is no longer an only child. She has been praying diligently for a sister now. It is so sweet, and we pray that God would grant her petition. She has asked for one with color for a long time and since seeing all the children in Haiti on the news, she's begun praying for a little sister.

God is good, not because he gave us another child, but he is good because that is his very nature. He is good, because he is God! Happiness is dependent upon circumstances. Joy is dependent upon God. May all of our joy be found in him. He alone can grant us that lasting, eternal joy! Amen