Simply Live to the Glory of God!

Campbell is Here!

2011-12-11T16:54:00.000-06:00

Campbell Coker Carlson

born on

November 17, 2011

at 2:21 p.m.

weighing 8 lbs. 15 oz.

20.5 inches long

Challenge your beliefs!

2011-09-29T14:34:00.000-05:00

Boys!

2011-06-24T14:42:00.001-05:00

On Wednesday, we were able to see a healthy and already fast-growing baby boy at my sonogram! Come November, Lord willing, we will have another little boy in our home. This will make the first time in both mine and Jim's lives that we live in a house where the males outnumber the females!

Let me tell you, I started writing this blog entry this morning but barely got out "Boys!" when I heard a loud bang followed by a holler and cry from Lennox. I found him on the ground next to the couch that he presumably fell off of and he had a mouth full of blood! Ahhh! I suppose a lot more of that will be in my future if my next son is anything like Lennox! He's okay. He needed a quick hug from Mom and the he was off to the next adventure. That is the biggest difference I see between my son and daughter. Sweet, sensitive Dylan would have been huddled up next to me needing consoling for a good 20 minutes after an escapade like that, Lennox was over it in a matter of seconds, literally.

Well, I better go, I hear change clanging around and Lennox likes to "re-arrange" my wallet.

In closing, I am thankful for another child, regardless of sex. I am thankful that God remains faithful even as my faith waivers. I am thankful for a good report at the sonogram and beautiful view of the creativity, wisdom and power of God. Boys and girls are different. God made them that way.

Saying you believe something and living like you believe it...

2011-06-21T10:51:00.000-05:00

...are two totally different things. I say I believe and trust God, and know what his word says about trials, his purposes and his sovereign hand; but standing and living on those promises are different than saying you believe them. I have a sonogram tomorrow. I try to act really tough and confident- trying to be super excited about possibly finding out if it's a boy or a girl, but in reality, my reality, my sinful, unfaithful natural state, I'm pretty much in "freak out mode." I don't have the luxury or history of living in the blissful, carefree pregnant state that I so often envy. I have had way more "bad" sonograms than good ones. My eyes and my heart automatically scan the screen in a panic mode trying to see movement, a heart beat, anything that says "life" instead of "death." I know that what ever the outcome of everything God has laid out before me is good, regardless of how it makes my flesh feel, because he is good and I do believe his promises and they have been tested and proved in my own life. But I am still this fallen creature that tends to want the easy way out, the shortcut, the bed of roses that my flesh longs for on the way to glory. I have seen the glorious things God does in my life with brokenness and despair. He makes me to look to him, to cry out to the only one who can help me. It is not a bitter place to be, it is sweet. Yet my flesh still presses against it, flees from it. My prayer is that whether there is weeping or rejoicing in life or death tomorrow, that I would take joy in the God of my salvation and never let my circumstances steal my joy in HIM.

8 weeks ago...

2011-05-26T14:55:00.001-05:00

Eight weeks ago we were waiting for THE call, you know the THE ONE we could say yes to!

Eight weeks ago we were waiting for THE little person to come into our lives, to potentially enlarge our family through adoption of the Lord so chose.

Eight weeks ago I was one day late for my period and God laughed at our plans.

Eight weeks ago we found out that God indeed answers a little girl's prayers for more brothers and sisters but he doesn't need us to help him along by attending a bunch of classes we were supposed to or getting recognized by the state to be fit to care for foster children.

Eight weeks ago we found out that God still wants us to foster and adopt children, but he had a plan to give us another via the womb!

Eight weeks ago a second little line on a pregnancy test didn't quench our desire for more children because we got "one of our own."

Eight weeks ago God showed his mercy, his grace and his sovereignty to our family who knew we believed in those things but now have more evidence of these glorious truths.

Here we are, eight weeks later, 12 weeks pregnant, puking my guts up, and I am praying and hoping that when I quit being so sick, we can get on the list to get a call to take a child into our home. Call me crazy, but I just so happen to think that we weren't wrong about God's will for our family- because he has called us to care for orphans, and not just if you can't have kids of "your own!"

Sara and Josh's Wedding Flowers

2011-03-30T15:14:00.000-06:00

My job for my sweet cousin's wedding was to be the florist and decorator. I wanted to share the finished product!
If you know anyone interested in a florist, send them this way!

Taco Casa: You complete Dylan...

2011-03-09T13:41:00.000-06:00

Well, what we had already suspected of Taco Casa is true. They pretty much rock and absolutely love their patrons. Jim and I really wanted to get Dylan a Taco Casa T-shirt for her birthday this year, but surprisingly they are hard to find! So, I just thought I would email them and see if they would lend me a jpg of their logo to have one made in Dylan's size to surprise her. The sweet peeps at Taco Casa did better than that: They asked for her size and our address and sent us one free of charge! We <3 Taco Casa.

Now, if you are newish to this blog and are wondering what the big deal with Taco Casa and Dylan might be, you should go back to my archives and read the hilarity of it all here. Her party is next weekend, so I will take a cute picture in her shirt with bean burrito in hand and post it here soon!

They really are way better than the other guys! Their food is deeelish! If you have never had Taco Casa (gasp!), go try them today. If you live outside of Texas, personally I think they are worth the drive! Tell 'em Dylan sent ya!

Spicy!

2011-03-04T16:15:00.002-06:00

I love nice things. I love cute things. I adore when those things are mine. They make me happy, and as a Mom, I tend to set the tone in our home, thus they make my home happy. I was inspired by The Farm Chicks' post found here. I found the spice jars with awesome dual flip-top shaker lids at Spice Barn and the labels I used were absolutely adorable and I found them at Amazon. They were fun to make!

Cooking with pretty things makes you feel good. Presentation is not everything,but it's huge! When I cook for my family and I have a smile on my face, it shows in the meal, it shows in the service and I think it helps create beautiful, tangible memories for my children.

I had to throw in one of my other crafty projects: my stab at embroidery.

I'm not talented, but I think it's cute!

Life is Changing!

2011-03-02T14:54:00.005-06:00

Wow. We are just a few weeks from our lives changing forever. We are soon to be licensed as foster-to-adopt parents. That means as soon as we are licensed, we could receive a call to welcome a child into our home. We will be foster parents for the State of Texas first, and if the parents of the child(ren) cannot complete a service plan to be reunified with their child(ren), we will be able to adopt them. It is the most exciting, scariest place I have probably ever been in my life. We are so excited of the possibility of enlarging our family by these means and also somewhat scared to greet a child that could likely have a myriad of issues from abuse and/or neglect into our home and also anxious about the possibility of having to bid them farewell after we’ve fallen in love. But, our God is faithful and his will is perfect.

We do not have to be afraid. Every child that comes into our home will be there because of God’s will, and every child that leaves our home will not leave apart from his will. We will have each day as a gift with this child, no matter what tomorrow holds. We have the high calling of sharing the gospel of Christ with children that may not ever hear his name otherwise. We are called to be reverse missionaries. We will train them up in the way they should go however many days we are blessed with them. If God so chooses, they will be our son(s) or daughter(s) forever. God uses feeble men to save souls. We pray he would use our feeble, little family for his Kingdom’s advancement as well.

Caring for orphans is biblical and it’s the Christian’s duty. (James 1:27) Not everyone is called to be adoptive parents, but all Christians are called to care for orphans. You may not be called to adopt a child into your family, but you may be called to pray for someone who is, give financially to a couple who are willing to travel down the road or across the world to bring an unreached person into their family as an heir, and to your church to hear the Gospel.

Adoption is the Gospel. It is taking someone without a home or a name and giving them a hope and a future. It is what God did for you, if you are his. The King not only pardoned the slave, but he made him a son. He not only made a way for you to live outside the gate without fear of death, but he has brought you into the palace to sit at his table, not as a guest, but as his son. Praise God!

Maybe you have never thought of adoption before. Maybe you have but never realized it is a spiritual matter. Maybe you are called to pray for someone adopting, or maybe you are called to do the adopting. Either way, it is biblical and we are all called as Christians to care for orphans. May you glorify your Father by your service to those who cannot give back to you. It is a glorious Gospel. Ponder the wonder of your adoption today.

Pure and Undefiled Religion

2011-02-27T16:11:00.000-06:00

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this:

to visit orphans and widows in their affliction,

and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

James 1:27

The Glory of God

2011-02-23T12:49:00.001-06:00

I caught a little glimpse of the glory of God while the snow softly fell on us our last full day in Colorado just before the New Year. That snowflake was no bigger than a single stitch on my winter coat, but ponder the detail-the God that knows and created every detail of that very snowflake- and thousands upon millions just like that most assuredly knows your every need and every longing in your heart. When you trust in him and seek to know him more and delight in him fully- you can reflect his glory just like that snowflake. And people will more easily notice his glory in you because you are much bigger and more noticable that a tiny snowflake. He is worthy to be praised.

"In the same way, let your light shine before others,

so that they may see your good works

and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

Matthew 5:16

Counselor

2010-12-10T15:42:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-01T17:12:00.000-06:00

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

2010-11-15T15:05:00.000-06:00

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

2010-11-01T23:40:00.000-06:00

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

2010-11-01T23:34:00.000-06:00

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!

2010-10-19T22:18:00.000-05:00

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

2010-08-19T15:17:00.000-05:00

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

2010-08-16T09:34:00.000-05:00

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

2010-07-15T22:35:00.000-05:00

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?

2010-07-12T23:15:00.000-05:00

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?

2010-07-11T16:35:00.000-05:00

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...

2010-06-21T16:15:00.001-05:00

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

2010-06-10T22:20:00.000-05:00

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

2010-06-07T15:16:00.004-05:00

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..."

2010-06-06T17:21:00.000-05:00

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...

2010-06-02T09:36:00.002-05:00

Your King is Coming...

2010-05-26T16:57:00.001-05:00

"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

2010-05-15T17:18:00.000-05:00

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

2010-05-06T13:00:00.002-05:00

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...

2010-05-03T15:53:00.000-05:00

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...

2010-04-20T15:04:00.000-05:00

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...

2010-04-20T10:09:00.005-05:00

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...

2010-04-12T13:40:00.001-05:00

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

2010-04-12T13:25:00.009-05:00

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!

2010-04-05T17:01:00.001-05:00

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

2010-02-05T16:45:00.006-06:00

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

Last good glimpse of Lennox before his arrival!

2009-12-19T13:48:00.004-06:00

I will be having two quick sonograms next week: Monday and Wednesday, to check his blood flow, heart rate, movement, and placenta along with 2 more 20 minute sessions of heart rate and contraction monitoring. Those will be my last two appointments with the doctors before I go in for induction on the evening of the 27th! He actually kinda got his hands out of his face for but a moment and we were able to get some pretty good pics of him at his big measurement sonogram yesterday. He's measuring at greater than 97% of his age- which by those measurements his dating would be 40 weeks (a term baby) but my dates (which aren't wrong- 'cause it's me and I am a stickler for dates, since I have to start my meds right away!) have his gestational age at 35 weeks, 4 days yesterday. I have myself a big boy in there! Enjoy the pics and the next ones I will post will be in person! Yay!

Preparing to expand our little family...

2009-12-10T21:25:00.002-06:00

We are in the home stretch with Lennox. I am feeling well, just tired. I am battling a case of bronchitis right now that took me to the hospital last night because my doctor thought my shortness breath and elevated heart rate could be a sign of a blood clot on my lungs, which it could have been, but upon examination, it was not! Praise the Lord! We are so thankful for the Lord and how He has carried us through this pregnancy and every trial He has placed before us. God is faithful when we are not, He is good and His goodness is not dependent upon our circumstances.

I got word over the last two weeks that on the evening of December 27th, I will go into the hospital to be prepped for labor induction the following morning. I can't believe that in just over 2 weeks, Lennox will make his appearance into the world in person. This little person has been making himself known through crazy kicks and full body rolls for months now, and I think he is running out of room! His due date is January 18th, but because of the increasing risk of blood clots for both me and the placenta (which could place him in danger) He will be arriving 3 weeks early. Fine with me. He's already weighing about a pound less than Dylan at birth! According to the measurements, he is going to be a big boy!

I have so enjoyed this pregnancy, for many reasons. One namely, is that God has taught me not to hold on so tightly to people or pregnancies. Martin Luther's verse in "A Mighty Fortress is our God" really explains this biblical concept well: "Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also: the body they may kill, God's truth abideth still, His Kingdom is forever!" We can not cherish things, even people above God, His truth, and His Kingdom. Those things- and those things alone, are eternal.

Thank you for all your prayers and support, I am asking that they continue in the last few weeks. I may not post again before he's born, but I hope to get a good photo post afterward!

What's in a name?

2009-09-12T21:45:00.003-05:00

Naming a child is really a strange event. Permanent like a tattoo, but so much more powerful and weighty! The bible says that a good name is worth more than treasure! Seriously, though, it's almost crazy to think about. You have the power to name another human being. Well, we had already pretty much decided to on the middle name. I am a girl, I took Jim's last name, and I am an only child. We didn't want the Melville name to end with my dad, so Melville is to be the middle name of our little boy. It's definitely an honorable name, because when I hear Melville, I think of my Daddy, whom I love and respect very much. He is a godly man whose picture should be in the dictionary under the word: Integrity. My paternal great grandfather, Robert Melville, traveled as an immigrant from Scotland to the United States, and came through Ellis Island. We decided on a name that would continue along the Scottish legacy. Our son's name is: Lennox Melville Carlson. Lennox is the name of a Scottish Tribe. Anyway, we love the name, and before, we had come up with several that we liked but we didn't love. When we came across Lennox, we were both really crazy about it.

We thank the Lord for every minute he's given us with Lennox. We continue to pray for his health and future and we ask that you continue to do the same. Now, you have a name to pray for!

A Son...

2009-09-09T21:30:00.005-05:00

Today we learned that God has given us a son. We are thrilled and, of course, would be with another daughter. I keep thinking of how God has adopted us as sons. Not just sons and daughters, but that He actually uses the term "sons." This means much to a gentile. A son was entitled to an entirely different inheritance that merely daughters were in that time. God doesn't just let us live as his children, but as his sons, like the firstborn among many brethren, that we may receive a full inheritance. What a joy, we are not stepchildren to God, but joint heirs with Jesus.

We'll tell you our son's name, when we know it! Until then, if you have any suggestions, feel free to post them as comments. Tyler, I know "Tyler the Great" is offered up, and I thank you so much for the permission to use it. hehe.

Valuing Life created in His image...

2009-08-10T12:59:00.005-05:00

Well, we had our 17 week sonogram today. It went really well, except for the part we were all waiting for, you know, finding out if it is indeed the baby girl that Dylan is demanding or if we will put our daughter into shock by having a boy. We got two opinions from the doctor and the sonographer. Sonographer says its a boy and the doctor suspects a girl. Thanks, guys. The baby had its legs crossed in a "vise grip" position with the umbilical cord tightly tucked between. Thanks, baby. We do not care one way or the other, we are just delighted to be having another child. This is indeed a miraculous event before us. This is the phrase I have heard over and over during the last few weeks, "Well, as long is it's healthy, it doesn't matter if its a boy or a girl, right?" The answer to that is, "Right." Sort of. I don't mean to sound pesky about the way things are worded, but that question begs the implication that if my child is born unhealthy, I somehow may not want them anymore. Which, for the Christian is not true. We, as Christians are separated from the world in this: we value the lives of others above ourselves. We do not look at children with disablities and think that they are a nusance to our "perfect" little life, nor do we use the "pity" ticket as to say that it's not fair to bring a child with such birth defects or disablities into this world. Who are we to say who is worthy or unworthy to live every day that the Lord has given them? We do not look at an elderly person or a terminal cancer patient at the end of their life as someone whose life can be disposed of "humanely", so that they may die with dignity. We look at the trials the Lord has set before them as a blessing, not a curse. We see that what it says throughout the bible about trials refining the faith of a believer or drawing an unbeliever unto faith and repentance in our God. I see someone fighting through the pains and agonies of life with the grace and beauty of our Lord a way to die with dignity. I have seen it with my own eyes, old saints, drawing comfort and strength from their Lord and bringing Him much glory by their integrity in the face of death. It is glorious and it is supernatural. No strength of man can bring about this abiility, nor can we as Christians value life as precious as we do unless God has granted us a new heart and the power of His Spirit.

So, I guess my answer to the question I keep getting is: "Of course, I do pray that God would grant me a healthy child, but I will thankfully receive whatever child the Lord gives me, male or female, healthy or frail, this child will be beautiful and loved because he or she is created in the image of God." This child will be immediately given back to the Lord as an offering, just as Dylan was, so that we may raise our children, healthy or ill, in the fear and admonition of the Lord Most High.

The Incomprehensible God of Incomprehensible Grace

2009-06-24T16:23:00.012-05:00

I suppose now is a good of a time as ever to share with my reader(s) some news on our homefront. I realize there may actually be a possibility that Tyler is not the only one that reads this thing. But, if he is, well, it just confirms what I already suspected of him- he’s awesome! You should check out Tyler's blog! Anyway, I digress...

Jim and I found out 7 weeks ago that I was pregnant again. The nurse and I counted up and this makes the ninth time. Oh, and praise the Lord, I am still pregnant! 10.5 weeks to be exact! We have seen 3 amazing sonograms with an amazingly strong heartbeat each time and my 8 week and 10 week sonograms have shown a baby measuring almost a week larger than our dating. I keep up with every detail of every cycle because I have lost a couple of pregnancies before I knew I was pregnant... needless to say, I try and find out each cycle at the earliest moment, if I am pregnant or not- that way I can start taking my hormones as soon as possible. I am 1.5 weeks away from being able to stop taking my daily hormone injections! Jim has been such a trooper to give me a shot in the rump every evening for the last 7.5 weeks, with one more week to go. In April of 2008, my doctor ran some new tests for miscarriage causes that were not available before Dylan was born and found out, in addition to my hormone deficiency, that I also have a blood clotting disorder that is exacerbated by pregnancy. So, in addition to my hormone injections, I have to inject myself with a blood thinner twice a day in the stomach and will continue that through out the pregnancy and until 6 weeks postpartum. Those are tiny insulin needles, much smaller and kinder than the gianormous muscular needles Jim has to stick me with each night. For this, I am thankful.

I am mostly thankful for God’s providence. I know I would not be here apart from His sovereign hand. I am thankful for medicines, doctors, tests and discoveries, but I know that for this to be taking place, it is God’s will. I know that this could all change tomorrow. I know I am not guaranteed a child in 6 months. I know that I had all of these issues while I was pregnant with Dylan and I only took hormones, and Dylan is here today. I know that my God is too big to understand fully. I am thankful that He is incomprehensible. I taught Dylan’s Wednesday night class that word a few weeks back, and I pray as she grows and experiences God’s workings in her own life, she will not just be able to say the word and repeat the definition, but she will know for certain that our God is INCOMPREHENSIBLE. And He is. And we can thank Him for that. Could you worship a god that you had “all figured out?” Would you WANT to worship a god that you had all figured out? He would cease to be God if we could fully understand Him. Would you be bored to death in Heaven if you knew everything about Him before you got there? All of eternity will not be enough time to exhaust knowing Him. He is worthy of our seeking to know Him more, but we will not be able to know everything about Him. He is far too amazing, too beautiful, and too glorious.

The last 7 months have been a roller coaster of change in our lives. I am so thankful that my God does not change. We’ve experienced losses of babies in utero since our family began in 2003 and 5 of them have been since 2007. We experienced a loss of a different type and magnitude in March when we had the opportunity to adopt a little 3 year old girl named “M” just seemingly fell in our laps. We got to meet her, and not that it matters, but she was adorable. She had dark, curly hair, against beautiful fair skin and gorgeous green eyes that smiled with her smile above round, freckled cheeks. We didn’t want to get our hopes up, but it seemed like a given. Her mother regretted not giving her up at birth, left her with people for weeks and months at a time without contact and one of her caregivers was introduced to us. We put together a photo album of our family and wrote her mother a letter. She responded favorably to the photo album and letter, couldn't believe that she'd come across a family like ours, and wanted us to adopt her daughter! She even wanted us to take her before we got the paper work drawn up, so she wouldn’t have to find someone to watch that weekend. Sad, I know. We kept getting these updates like: “They told “M” that she’s getting a new family and she’s trying to pack her things up!”; “Her mother is packing all of her baby pictures and hospital bracelets up for you to have.”; “She should be calling you for you to come pick her up.”; “M” is waiting by the door for you guys.” So, we told Dylan that she was getting a sister. We couldn’t very well let this little one show up with no advanced warning to Dylan. She was soooo excited! “My sister” this and “My sister” that. It was so encouraging. Then, after 2 days of painstaking waiting, we finally got word that she “needed more time.” We never heard back from her. She has found new people to watch “M” and hasn’t changed her parenting that we know of. We mourned this loss like any other, except this time was harder for us, I think. We have hope that our babies we lost in the womb are with our glorious Father in Heaven. We know “M” is still where she was before, in a bad situation. But we know God is merciful and we pray that He will reveal Himself to “M” and her mother and that they may become worshipers of the living God. We thought that this situation with losing “M” might discourage us from adopting. It gave us a greater zeal and desire to go and fulfill James 1:27 as followers of Christ. It’s about giving someone a chance to hear the Gospel that might never hear it otherwise; it’s about giving someone a family and a name by adopting them, just as our Father has adopted us into His Family! May each of us as believers fulfill our calling in James 1:27 to care for the orphans. No, not everyone is called to adopt, but everyone is called to this as believers. If you can’t adopt, maybe God is calling you to give to a young family that can’t afford to adopt; maybe He’s calling you to pray for families that are adopting children; maybe He’s calling you to make the glorious grace of adoption a mission for your church family to pursue. Whatever He’s calling you to do, you can rest assured that this is what He calls pure and undefiled religion:

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” James 1:27

You were once not a people. Now you are God’s people. God has shown us that He not only pardons us by Christ taking on the wrath that we deserved, but He makes us sons and daughters. The King not only shows His mercy by granting us freedom, but the King invites us to share His name and is immeasurable riches as heirs of God, being joint-heirs with Christ! We don't just get to live, but we get to live in His kingdom! Can we not see the Gospel in adoption? Amen!

I recommend Dr. Russell Moore's new book: Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families and Churches. Dr. Moore and his wife have adopted two sons and he is the Dean of Theology at Southern Seminary. Dr. Al Mohler explains that his book is about adoption and the Gospel. There are many great books about adoption and many great books about the Gospel, but this book covers both, to paraphrase Dr. Mohler.

God has granted so much grace to myself and Jim. He has given us grace to be content in our circumstance as we have desired more children for some time now. He showed me my sin of discontent that I was harboring and graciously granted me repentance. He granted me peace so much peace in realizing I may not have another child through my womb. He has shown us the beauty and the Gospel of adoption. It truly is a beautiful doctrine and each one of us Christians can relate to. He has shown us how great He is, that He is the giver of life and it is truly a miraculous event. I have been pregnant 9 times, He has shown me the value of life and how life is granted at conception. I have had the unique opportunity to see over and over the glorious craftmanship of God as Creator. He has shown me His great faithfulness by pruning my branches through each trial. He has given me grace upon grace to praise Him in the storms. He's given me a song in my heart to sing to him when I don't have the strength or energy on my own to praise Him. He has shown me my utter dependance upon Him for everything. Before I spoke about how He is incomprehensible, and He is, but He is so gracious in revealing Himself to us to know enough about Him to love Him and to trust Him. Grace upon grace! Thank you Lord!

"...but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done."

2009-05-11T11:27:00.006-05:00

I returned home from my first "Children Desiring God" conference last week. Wow. I received so much information, but by far, the most beneficial for me was ALL of the preaching and a particular seminar. The theme Scripture for the conference was Romans 11:36:

"For by him and through him and to him are all things, to him be the glory forever. Amen."

There were two convicting and convincing sermons on that subject in particular that truly set the stage why anyone would or should set out to minister the Gospel to anyone, most importantly in my case, to my children. The chunk of Scripture that was brought out that has stuck with me most, and I hope it doesn't leave is Psalm 78:2-11

"I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. 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; and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God. The Ephraimites, armed with the bow, turned back on the day of battle. They did not keep God's covenant, but refused to walk according to his law.They forgot his works and the wonders that he had shown them."

We are to tell our children of the glorious deeds of the Lord so that they might tell their children and the generation yet unborn may know the Lord! We are to do all this, first and foremost for God's glory. Why for His glory? Because we are to be what God is about- The glory of His Name! What are the consequences to our children? Well, we would not want them to be like the Ephraimites, 'armed with the bow, but turning back on the day of battle.' There is a real battle going on and it is our responsibility as parents and the body of Christ to arm the coming generation with the "sword of the Spirit- which is the Word of God." I will enclose links to the sermons at the end of this blog entry, I urge each one of you to listen to them and heed the call that is there in the Scripture. How do we equip our children? By teaching them the Word of the Lord. Which leads me to my favorite seminar I attended at the conference: "Scripture Memorization" They made the comment at the seminar how important it is to have a full arsenal of scripture to be equipped on the day of battle. Say you lost a loved one, you were cut off in traffic and you reach for your quiver of arrows and all you have to choose from is a "John 3:16, Genesis 1:1, and maybe "Jesus wept." What do you do then? Well, of course the Holy Spirit can work with what you have, but it is better to gird up the loins of your mind and be prepared with God's word hidden in your heart! We have started church-wide Scripture memory to equip the saints with the Sword! Why as a parent should I memorize scripture? Well, firstly, to know God more fully. Secondly, to be equipped more fully, and thirdly, because when Dylan sees Jim and I reading our bibles, memorizing Scripture, she sees that this faith thing is for real, it's serious, and it's important to us. Dylan can memorize pretty much anything with ease, and if we do small sections at a time, she can generally memorize a large chunk of verses together! Our prayer is that with memorization of Scripture, the 10 Commandments, and her catechism questions, that God's glorious grace might be imparted to her one day and that His Spirit would apply all the truths in her head to her heart. Well, I will close for now. I am sure I will come up with more to write on this subject as it has really engaged my heart. One of the other things that was mentioned by David Michael of Desiring God was the Scripture that calls children "arrows" in a father's quiver. If they are arrows, they will be aimed at something, and as believers we want them to be aimed at Christ and His glorious Truth! I am so thankful to have a godly husband that desires not to keep these stories of old a secret from our child(ren) and that they might be armed and ready for the coming battle.

Here are the links to my favorite sermons, resources, etc from the Conference:

John Piper "The God-centeredness of God" (This sermon can be summed up beautifully in the first chapter of Piper's book,"Let the Nations be Glad!"
Bruce Ware "There is none besides Me"
Paul David Tripp "His story or your story? Who Reigns supreme in your heart?"
David Michaels "A God-centered hope for the Joy of the next generation"

Dr. Bruce Ware, a professor of Theology at Southern Seminary, recently wrote a book, "Big Truths for Young Hearts" and it is basically a devotional for fathers and mothers he put together based on the bedtime Theology lessons and Hermeneutics he taught his daughters growing up.

An Update on Us

2009-04-11T12:36:00.016-05:00

Tyler is getting pushy, so here’s my latest report...

Dylan just celebrated her 4th birthday on March the 20th. She enjoyed time spent with her friends at a Cowgirl themed birthday party. We had a blast making the cake, grilling hotdogs, visiting with friends and family, having Stick Horse races and playing “Pin the Tail on the Donkey.” Dylan had lots of aspirations about turning four. For the entire month leading up to her birthday, she began most sentences with, “When I’m four...” These were thoughts on reading more, riding her big girl bike, etc, etc... Apparently, the pressure came to be too much on her, now she has been telling me she just wants to be three again. The girl is her own person, no doubt. I do see both Jim and I in her, but there are times when she does and says things and people ask, “Where does she get that?” and I just have to shrug my shoulders because, I have no idea! She is quite the comedian and has recently taken up “Knock-Knock” jokes. Some of them don’t have a punch line that makes any sense, but some of them she’s gotten down! She is still working on reading and is doing very well. She is beginning to recognize words without sounding them out and last night at church she read 1 John 4:19 to me. That is why we are teaching her to read, so that she may utilize the treasure that is God’s Word. I was so happy to see that accomplishment take place. I was publicly educated and I have nothing to say but I loved my teachers, well most of them, they taught me to read, they taught me to love to learn and for the most part, they had a positive impact on me-but none of them taught me the Gospel; but I am so glad that I was the one to teach Dylan to read and teach her a lot of other things and that her main focus on learning will be to the glory of God. I can teach her to read the bible, I can teach her about science, using creation, and most importantly, I get to be the one that is with her those eight hours a day! Besides Jim, she is my best friend and I am so glad God has blessed me with her!

Chester and Randall fighting to the finish!

Dylan and Daddy racing

Dylan and Lydia racing with tongues waggin'

Our Wild Mustang Cake

Our gift to Dylan was a swing in the tree in our back yard... needless to say, she loves it!

If her smile seems a little stressed, it is because she was just disciplined for disobedience. Training up a child in the way she should go does not stop at their own birthday parties!

My little Hambone!

Jim and I have been led by God to begin to pray about the possibility of adopting a child or children, if He so chooses to allow us to do so. He has truly opened our hearts to caring for a child as our own. He has allowed us to see the great beauty of adoption and especially the beauty of the doctrine of adoption as we see in Scripture in regards to Salvation. The fact that God would take us in, love us as His own, make us heirs with Christ, give us a name when were were “once not a people” and make us “God’s people.” How could we not want to do that for a child of our own? We would desire your prayers in this area of our life. We do not want to step out ahead of God, and we desire His will and perfect timing in these things. We have discussed this with Dylan and helped her to understand that Mommy may not have a baby in her tummy but that God may still give her a brother or a sister. She has thus requested a brother AND a sister. We shall see! We just want to honor God in what James 1:27 says, “Pure and undefiled religion is this: caring for orphans and widows and keeping oneself unstained by the world.”

Beverly and I will be attending the “Children Desiring God 2009” conference in MN at the end of this month. I have never been, so I am greatly excited to be apart of that. I am hoping that God would use this to grow me in both my spiritual walk, but also in my teaching of Dylan and the children at church. I began last month to teach the children that are Dylan’s age on Wednesday nights at church. So far so good! I am teaching them about the attributes of God using Desiring God materials and I am also introducing catechism questions each week. We started catechizing Dylan when she was almost three and it has been a tremendous blessing to see her learn and grow as well as us learning along side her! We pray that God’s Holy Spirit would come one day to apply the truths she has learned to her little heart. We are also going through The Attributes of God by A.W. Pink as part of our family devotional time.

We started “Mentoring Men” and “Mentoring Women” classes a few months ago at church and that has been a tremendous blessing to our body already. I have seen the men grow and step up to the challenge of leading their homes and strengthening the body by growing in love and wisdom. May God be honored by strong men in the church! We ladies, as well, have learned a great deal about what it means to be woman. We certainly cannot look to society to teach us that, so we are ever thankful for God’s Word to direct our steps and light our path.

In other news, Dylan got pony! Her name is Sunny and all I can say is that Dylan has Papa wrapped around her finger! Here's a photo of Dylan and her new buddy...

Well, that is all I have to give right now, so I will close!

Love and Blessings,

Why do you do what you do?

2009-03-02T17:42:00.006-06:00

As I was sitting here thinking of which passing thought to write upon, it hit me. Why do I want to write this blog? Seriously. Why? Is it some writing itch I've been scratching at for most of my life? Yes. Is it to keep my friends and family updated on things and thoughts that run through our lives on a day to day basis? Yes. Is there a vain bone in my body that would like to think more than my husband reads this thing? Oh, I am sure. But, but, but? Do I do it for the glory of God? Oh, I certainly hope so. I have noticed, and I hope this entry will cause you to do so as well, when I do something as unto the Lord, I have the most joy and I feel closest to Him. And when I do something for my own vain glory and for my own selfish gain, I can actually FEEL my wretchedness. So here I sit, asking you, "Why do you do what you do?" We all have our "thing." We also have those mundane tasks that we all have to do on a daily basis. It doesn't matter how useless the work may seem to us or how wonderful it may seem to us; if we are not doing it for the Lord, it is nothing.

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
1 Corinthians 10:31

Do you want to know something? I think that is a command. And I think if we aren't striving to keep this command in all things, we are in sin. May God grant us repentance.

When I was thinking about what to write I had just spoken with a dear sister that had lots to do around her home to prepare it for her husband to hold a lunch there tomorrow. I reminded her first of all, to work diligently as unto the Lord; secondly, to remember who she is serving: Her Lord, the wonderful husband He has blessed her with; and God's children at this luncheon. This is key. We not only should be doing everything FOR the Lord, but this should also lead us to worhsip Him more fully, knowing that we can do NOTHING apart from the Lord, no matter how simple the task may seem, we couldn't even lift a finger apart from His abundant grace. Have you ever heard the hymn, "I need Thee every Hour?" Annie Hawks wrote that hymn and this was her response to the question of how she came to write it.

"One day as a young wife and mother of 37 years of age, I was busy with my regular house hold tasks. Suddenly, I became so filled with the sense of nearness to the Master that, wondering how one could live with out Him, either in joy or pain, these words, “I Need Thee Every Hour,” were ushered in to my mind, the thought at once taking full posession of me."

When you remember that you couldn't complete a task apart from Him, how could you leave Him out of the "why" you are doing the task?

We must be mindful of ourselves, our attentions, our intentions, and our tasks in such a way that we are always bringing our motives behind things before the throne of Grace. When we ask ourselves why we are doing something, we should be asking ourselves if it is pleasing to our Lord and honoring to His name. Jim and I have been teaching Dylan to read and in doing so, we are trying to instill in her why we are doing it. We want her to be able to read because it is an important gift from God. He has blessed us with His Word in our own language, men died so that we may be able to have it; and we should desire to read so that we may know what He requires of us, what He says about who we are, and most importantly what the true Gospel actually is. We need to be careful that in teaching her to read at a young age, we do not pride ourselves in her accomplishment. We have to remember every gift is from above and it's not of our own ability that we can do anything.

Well, God just reminded me today to check my motives on all things, to do everything for Him, and to joyfully serve in any way I can for that brings Him glory. May He grace you with the same remembrance as well.

On my Economic Soap Box...

2009-02-10T23:32:00.008-06:00

Are Americans really falling for the government's logic: "The only way to get out of debt and save this economy is to get into more debt by spending money we've (and you've) borrowed in order to jumpstart things!" How is this feasible, I ask you? It seems like little more than common sense will provide the answers we need. Do companies fail? Do people lose jobs? Is it a natural cycle and consequence for over spending, borrowing more than you afford, and lending to those who can't repay? YES! Will borrowing more money to buy things we can't afford correct the problem that we are in because of the aforementioned habits solve things, then? NO!
Are we in this mess because our country and economy is so fueled by consumerism and pride in ownership, egomanics, and finding value in what you own instead of who you are? Yes! Can we look to Scripture to see if we are handling things in the financial realm of our lives the way God would have us? Most certainly. We should look first to the Scriptures and then act in prayer and obedience to what they teach us. Can we please take a look at Proverbs 6 before we go and borrow $800 billion?

1My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor,
have given your pledge for a stranger,
2if you are snared in the words of your mouth,
caught in the words of your mouth,
3then do this, my son, and save yourself,
for you have come into the hand of your neighbor:
go, hasten,[a] and(C) plead urgently with your neighbor.
4 Give your eyes no sleep
and your eyelids no slumber;
5save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,[b]
like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

6 Go to the ant, O sluggard;
consider her ways, and be wise.
7 Without having any chief,
officer, or ruler,
8she prepares her bread in summer
and gathers her food in harvest.
9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest,
11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
and want like an armed man.

Proverbs 6:1-11 (emphasis mine)

My husband has taught on these Scriptures to individuals in debt situations. I am positive there was a time in the history of our government when they looked to these verses and held them in high esteem for they are the words of God. We should run like the gazelle to get away from the debt that will easily devour us. We must work hard and save like the ant. Our country--government and individuals--have learned their financial disciplines from a fat and lazy grasshopper. Let us be sluggards no more!

As Christians, we should become less and less like the world. Our finances and stewardship should be in direct opposition to that of the world's. We must remember that though we may tithe that "10%;" the other "90%" is truly God's too, and how we spend it, save it, use it, or waste it will directly reveal our heart's desire and inclination towards God.

Martin Luther said once,"In salvation, there should be a conversion of the heart, but also the pocketbook." That is definitely true. May God open our eyes and hearts to hear and see what God would have us to do to honor Him in our finances. May we be different than this "consume and enjoy" society we live in today.

Do you support Planned Parenthood?

2009-01-13T16:35:00.001-06:00

Do you support Planned Parenthood? Maybe you should read this before you answer…

The following excerpts are taken from a book which brings out all of the core ideas at the roots of each of the 3 waves of feminism and firmly refutes them with the Scriptures. Radical Womanhood by: Carolyn McCulley Do not think for one minute these ideas or variations of the same have not crept into the church or modern day Christianity. When a large family walks into your church, do you rejoice in the full quiver that God has so graciously blessed the parents with, or do you gasp and recoil at the burden "that poor woman" must bear?

Margaret Sanger was the founder of the modern birth control movement and a vocal proponent of eugenics-the theory of race improvement that was at the cornerstone of Nazi Germany. Sanger believed that all evils stemmed from large families, especially large families she deemed as unfit. As she wrote in her 1920 book Woman and the New Race, “The most merciful thing that a large family can do to one of its infant members is to kill.”

In 1921, Sanger organized the American Birth Control League, which later became the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Sanger founded the birth control movement on two goals: limiting the reproduction of the “unfit” and challenging Christian teaching by creating a “new morality.” She campaigned against women breeding “those numberless, undesired children who become the clogs and the destroyers of civilization.”

…Sanger was so confident about the fruits of birth control and abortion and the new race that she predicted exactly the opposite of what came to pass:

“When motherhood becomes the fruit of a deep yearning, not the result of ignorance or accident, its children will become the foundation of a new race. There will be no killing of babies in the womb by abortion, nor through neglect in foundling homes, nor will there be infanticide… When the last fetter falls the evils that have resulted from the suppression of woman’s will to freedom will pass. Child slavery, prostitution, feeblemindedness, physical deterioration, hunger, oppression and war will disappear from the earth…”

She was utterly wrong in her account of what she believed would be the “fruits” of birth control and abortion. She failed to take into account that it was not an unborn child’s fault that these things were happening, some she deemed unworthy of life did not hold the sole responsibility for these issues. The heart of these problems were sin, they still are sin, and abortion and separating sex and marriage are sin, not a way to correct these “social issues” she abhorred. Her words still ring in my ears as I type this. Especially her inaccurate account of which I will quote to you now:

“… There will come a Plato who will be understood, a Socrates who will drink no hemlock, and a Jesus who will not die upon the cross…”

I could barely type those words. We know as Christians that there is only one Redeemer of man, there is only one way to cover the sins of God’s children, and that one way alone is by the blood of the cross. Sanger’s view was that the consequences of sin would disappear if we could only allow women freedom from “religious” guilt to engage in sex without the restraint of marriage and without the fear of pregnancy and if it ended up happening anyway, it could be done away with so as to purify the human race and end the drain that “unfit and unwanted” children are on society. We know that sinful man will always produce sinful man. God is the only one who can grant life, both physically and spiritually.

May we always seek to have our worldview come from the Bible alone and may we seek to part more and more each day from the schemes and fallacies of the world.

“You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” James 4:4

I would rather spend the rest of my days on earth as an enemy of the world than to spend all eternity as an enemy of God.

10 Reasons I love the church God has placed me in...

2008-12-24T11:49:00.001-06:00

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?

"Grace that is Greater than all My Sin"

2008-12-14T00:16:00.000-06:00

Our family just learned that we have lost another child in miscarriage. I just wanted to share some of my struggles through this in hopes that it would help others learn to trust the God most High in all circumstances.

I must first say, sometimes when God is pressing down hard on you and though you know He is doing it in supreme love because His desire would be to conform you into the image of His Son, it still hurts and the weight is sometimes unbearable. I want you to know that in my experience, this is when you cry out to your Father for mercy, and this is exactly what He wants you to do. He wants you to be pushed to a point when you realize nothing or no one else can provide you with what you need, but God. Our greatest example of love and obedience to Him is TRUST. When we believe what He says and we obey, it shows our trust in Him.

I know what He says is true, but I must act in belief. I have had my little “freak out” moments where I know what He says but I have failed to trust in His word. I have had my “what ifs” and I have forgotten that in the trials He’s placed in my life in the past, He has been always truly faithful, not only for my own sake, but mostly for His Name’s sake. He has said He will never leave me or forsake me, and through six miscarriages, He hasn’t left me or forsaken me. He has pulled me through the fire, burning off dross, cleansing my life of sins I would have never been able to see in myself had they not been exposed by tragedies. He has been faithful to love me even though it hurts my flesh, He has done what’s best for me, not want makes my flesh comfortable. I listened to a sermon on Job and Piper explained it very well, I shall paraphrase: “Job was a righteous man, but that did not mean he was without sin. God used Job’s trials to stir up a “sediment” of sin in his life. His waters of his life were clear until he started losing things and then the storm started to stir up the sediment sitting at the bottom of the glass.” When that sediment is stirred up and exposed, then it can be dealt with. On the outside we can appear to “have it all together” and fool ourselves into thinking we are doing just fine, but thanks be to God, He does not leave us in that state of self-righteousness. He sends those storms in our life to expose sin for what it is, and then does what it takes to sanctify our lives for His glory. 1 Peter 1:6 speaks of “various trials.” Each child of God will face a different trial, but each trial has the same purpose, to prove the genuineness of our faith. Glory be to God, He does exactly what needs to be done in my life and yours to conform us into the image of His beautiful Son. John Piper called the precise discipline of the Father on His children,” not the Executioner’s Whip, but the Scalpel of the Loving Surgeon.”

Something else I have learned through this latest loss is that though my heart is hurt and I may be deeply saddened by the loss of another child, what do I have to be most thankful about? The beautiful mystery of Salvation that God so lovingly worked out in my heart and in my life! Am I sad? YES! But, I’m SAVED! Glory! This lesson really led me into a glorious truth that I had not known in my life in this way until now...

We must have a longing for HOME. When God sanctifies us and sets us apart to holiness for Himself, we begin to long for the place of holiness. God places hardships on our lives in this world so that we do not get comfortable here. We ought not find comfort in the world. I have learned this week a deeper longing for Home. I have a new found longing to be with my Father that I did not have before. I praise Him for that. In God’s glorious providence, I was reading a book that spoke of this longing soon after He revealed this in my heart. The dear old saint J.C. Ryle spoke of this world being our “Inn”, we find no rest here, and we ought to be greatly concerned if we do. We ought to grow each and every day in a deeper longing to be with our Lord. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

I am sure this is just the tip of the iceberg, and God has much more to show me and teach me about my abyss of sin and his immeasurable grace to cover it. I pray that by His glorious Spirit, the depths of His written Word, and the love and tenderness of His Bride that I would continue to kiss the rod, for I know it is the ultimate display of His love for me, as His child. I cannot comprehend the vastness of God, that He would give me the ability of love Him and not curse Him, and that He would show me the difference between “Happiness” and “Joy.” Everything will fade and fail, but God and His Word will last forever. May that be our joy. Mark 13:31 Amen.

Being washed by the Word...

2008-10-27T15:38:00.000-06:00

"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish." Ephesians 5:25-27

I just had to devote an entry in this blog to my husband. I am so thankful to God for providing me with this man that takes seriously his high calling by God. When I see Jim's love for service and devotion to the Lord, it stirs my heart to love and serve my Lord more. I know I would not be where I am today apart from God's sovereign hand bringing Jim and I together. He desires righteousness and seeks humility, two things a man would never seek apart from the Spirit's miraculous work in resurrecting dead flesh.

He seeks to wash his wife with the water of the Word. I can glory in the fact that the Word of God is spoken in our home. I am thankful to the Lord for Jim's willingness to teach both myself and Dylan the precepts of God. Prayers are uttered in our home, always together as a family, and I know countless ones are petitioned for us by our leader before we even arise from slumber. For that, I am thankful.

Jim serves me when I don't ever deserve to be served. He loves me when I am unlovable and he makes me want to be a better Christian, a better wife, and a better mother, by never even speaking a word. But, when he needs to firmly, but lovingly reprove me, he does, and for that I am thankful.

He is a man of integrity; a man of his word. Psalm 1 comes to mind as I make this point.

"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day an night" Psalm 1:1-2

I have seen Jim grow so much over the years of our marriage that I could not now or ever deny the power of God. He seeks to be true and good because he loves Jesus and would never want to defame his name by bearing it. I pray that if God grants us sons, this is what they will learn from him. ("A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches..." Proverbs 22:1) He is a man of action, if you want something to get done, all you have to do is set Jim loose on it! I so value his work ethic and his servant's heart. I pray that my sanctification would continue in this area, I would desire for Proverbs 31:12 & 23 to be true of me towards my husband:

"She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life...Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land." Proverbs 31:12 * 23

Jim didn't like people so much before God redeemed him. Not at all, really. But, God saved him and now he is a deacon, which is a completely different role than he would have ever wanted to be in prior to conversion! Serving people? Jim loves his Lord's bride and seeks to honor her, protect her and build her up. His heart's desire is to serve the body of Christ. Now, I can tell you Jim was born to be a deacon. I am thankful that he takes his role in the church seriously and that he loves to do what he does.

I know wholeheartedly that God supplies our every need, and I see how true it is in the husband He ordained me to be with before the foundation of the world. I also know that by Jim teaching Dylan by Scripture and by his life what a godly man is like and by God's hand moving in her life, if it be His will, she will seek to honor her Lord by marrying a man with the same qualities as her father.

Gracious Lord, may you continue to sanctify my husband and all the men of your church to be examples of who real men are, what they do and whom they serve. May the men of the church of this age rise up and lead their wives and families and wash them with the water of the Word. And may we as women, humbly submit to the authority of our husbands, and be more precious than jewels to them, and may our submission and obedience cause our men to be known at the gates. Amen.

A Carlson Update...

2008-10-20T12:28:00.000-05:00

Well, Tyler, this one's for you, and well for anyone else thinking what Tyler was only brave enough to say! I can write and update on our family and write of spiritual things simultaniously, because that is how we ought to live. We MUST look into our lives and see God so intermingled within every aspect of them, and if we do not see this, we are not truly living a life consecrated to Him.
You asked for it Mr. Looper! Here are some pictures of us over the last month or so and an update us in general and then more specifically, our quest to enlarge our family...

God desires that we walk in His statutes and all of His promises are true. We have lived in Fort Worth since we were married in 2003 in the wonderful home that my grandfather built in 1952. My father grew up there, I did, and then my parents graciously gave us that home in which to start our own family. Without the provision of God and giving heart of my parents, I do not know where Jim and I would be today. We lived our lives as singles believing the lies the world taught us about money, and we also had begun to carry those beliefs into our marriage. We were in sinning with our money. We were in debt on stuff we didn't need, we were not tithing regularly, and we were living beyond our means, and also not saving. All of these excerises are sin based on the principles of Scripture. God really convicted Jim and myself of these sins, and our merciful Lord granted us repentance. We began studying the bible on these subjects, we started studying Christian financial principles by different teachers and most importantly we began to apply the truths of the Scriptures to our hearts and our lives. We put into action what we had learned. We became "doers of the Word" not just hearers. It has been hard work, it takes lots of prayer and discipline, and we could not have succeeded without the power of God enabling us to do so. We were once in debt to many for things we did not need. We began paying bills one by one, until they were all but gone. We put our old home on the market, and we were able to sell it and purchase a new home within a 6 week time frame. The "old" us would have had all the debt we accrued before and then also a new home payment along with it. But God taught us patience and endurance, and delayed gratification. Thank you, Lord, for that. Our desires were to be able to move into the same town in which our church buidling resides, so that we would live within the community in which we minister and to live closer to family, friends, and our family business. The Lord has graciously provided. His ways are right and true, and if we would have gone about getting our desires on our own we would have failed and we would be in opposition to God's precepts and His will.
Just look at what Psalm 37:3-6 says,"Trust in the Lord , and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord , and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord ; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday."

We have seen the truth in that lived out in our lives. I praise God for giving us strength to obey and eyes to see what is unseen. God gave us the desires of our heart BECAUSE we took delight in Him, and because we delight in Him our desires change from worldly desires into desiring God's will. When your delight is in the Lord, your desires change into godly ones.

So, in June 2008, we moved into our new home just 8 minutes from church! It has been a wonderful blessing. Our wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ were so helpful in moving and painting. They are awesome. God's bride is beautiful and growing ever more precious in our sight. We love them and do not know what we would do without them. We are a body and Christ is our head.

We began homeschooling Dylan over the course of the past year. It has been a tremendous blessing already, in that we are able to bring Dylan to the office with us. The uniqueness of my situation allows me to fulfill my wifely duties as keeper of the home, as well as being an industrious wife (both of which are described in Proverbs 31) who helps in making our family business a successful one. Dylan has a classroom area at the office and we greatly enjoy it. We have a bible time, then I am teaching her to read using a great resource called Teach your Child to Read in 100 easy Lessons by: Siegfried Engelmann, Phyllis Haddox , and Elaine Bruner. We are on lesson 23 currently and Dylan can read some simple words. We are teaching her that the most important reason to learn to read is so that we may read God's Word. We are reading some abridged classics as well. We will move onto unabridged when she's a little older, at 3 1/2 years it is a little hard. We just started Black Beauty today and we recently finished Heidi. I recently reduced my work week to 4 days and it has already proven productive. Dylan and I are able to spend some great time together and I am able to teach her to do things around the house. She helps me throughout the week as well, but this seems to be our own special time together. We are able to get things done on Friday that allow us to spend our Saturdays and Sundays with Daddy. We will surely use some upcoming Fridays for "field trips". It has been a joy to take part in educating my child. I know that God calls us to raise our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord and I pray that as parents we will always take that seriously. As for us, the best way we can do that as a family personally, is to homeschool our child. I am so thankful to the Lord for giving us the unique opportunity to do what we are doing. I am also thankful to my father for providing us ways in which to do so and also catching the same vision as he sees His Lord raising up a godly heritage within his family.

Most of you either know by knowing us or by reading this blog that we have a desire to have more children, but the Lord has not yet granted our petition. We went through 2 miscarriages before we had Dylan and then 2 more after Dylan in late 2007 and early 2008. But most of you do not know we just had another loss that we did not even know about until it was too late. I had an appointment with a new doctor and we have some new treatment options. I have a blood clotting disorder that did not know about until May 2008 and I also have an issue with egg development and hormones. So there are many new medications that are out there to treat these disorders that will hopefully prevent further losses. I would not trade my miscarriages and heartache for anything. I believe my Lord knows best and I believe what 1 Peter chapter 1 says is true. I know that God addresses each one of His children's sanctifcation personally. He gives us various trials so that our faith can be purified. I love my God for that. He does not react to situations, He brings them about. When you are a child of God, there are no accidents and no tragedies. He is Truth and His Words are truth and as a believer, we ought to quietly rest in His sovereignty. I know that without His Spirit it would be utterly impossible to make those statements, so I am thankful He's given Him to us. We still hurt when these things come about, but we also rejoice! We give a testimony about our Lord, we can't help but speak of Him, we can not help but tell others of how He is working in our lives. Well it is most easy to thank the Lord when things go our way, but it is a much more beautiful testimony to sing praises to Him when they don't. Your words seem to have more weight and more richness, and more belief about them when you speak sweetly of Him when things are not all right. Trials are an opportunity to know Him more, praise Him more, and love Him more. Children are always closer and more dependent on their father when they are humbled into KNOWING they need him. Let us not forget in times of plenty that we need Him just as much as in times of want. Do not cry out to God to take this cup from you for your comfort, for He may be giving you this cup so that you may ask for more of Him.

Prayer Requests for us: That no matter what, our focus would not be turned from Christ; that I would not desire more children above my Lord and my desire and petition would be that of Hannah's in 1 Samuel 1 & 2 and that I would not just give sacrifices of praise back to God for granting my desire, but that I would give my children to the Lord fully and wholly. And if the Lord chooses not to grant us more children, that I would praise Him all the more.

I pray that our testimony and update will be a blessing to you, reader, and that you would continue to grow in your love of your Lord and that you will follow Him with all you have. But most importantly, I pray that each of us knows that nothing is more important than to give God the glory that He is due.

Part 1: By Faith: Moses an excerpt from J.C. Ryle's book: Holiness

2008-09-08T10:15:00.000-05:00

"Faith was a telescope to Moses. It made him seet he goodly land afar off-rest, peace, and victory, when dim-sighted reason could only see trial, barreness, storm andt empst, weariness and pain.
Faith was an interpreter to Moses. It made him pick out a comfortable meaning in the dark commands of God's handwriting, while ignorant sense could see nothing in it but mystery and foolishness.
Faith told Moses that all this rank and greatness was of the earth, earthy, a poor, vain, emty thign, frail, fleeting, and passing away; and that there was no true greatness like that of serving God. He was the king, he the true nobleman who belonged to the family of God. It was better to be last in heaven, than first in hell.
Faith told Moses that worldly pleasures were "pleasures of sin". They were mingled with sin, they led to sin, they were ruinous to the soul, and displeasing to God. It would be small comfort to have pleasure while God was against him. Better suffer and obey God, than be at ease and sin.
Faith told Moses that affliction and suffering were not real evils. They were the school of God, in which He trains the children of grace for the glory; the medicines which are needful to purify our corrupt wills; the furnace which must burn away our dross; the knife which must cut the ties that bind us to the world.

Marvel not that he refused greatness, riches, and pleasure. He looked far forward. he saw with the eye of faith kingdoms crumbling into dust, riches making to themselves wings and fleeing away... and only Christ and his little flock enduring forever.
Wonder not that he chose affliction, a despised people and reproach. He beheld thigns below the surface. he saw with the eye of faith affliction lasting but for a moment, reproach rolled away, and ending in everlasting honor, and the despised people of God reigning as kings with Christ in glory.
Was he not right? Does he not speak to us though dead, this very day? the name of Pharaoh's daughter has perished, or at any rate it extremely doubtful. The city where Pharaoh reigned is not known. The treasures of Egypt are gone. But the name of Moses is known wherever the Bible is read, and is still standing a witness that "whoso liveth by faith, happy is he." " - J.C. Ryle's chapter: "Moses" in Holiness

So what is Ryle trying to tell us by looking to Moses' example? He goes on to say...
"For one thing, if you would ever be saved, you must make the choice that Moses made- you must choose God before the world."

Noooo, he's not saying that in the anti-electionary statement! The theme of this book is holiness. God has not called us to impurity but holiness, says Paul in the 1st letter to the Thessalonians: "For this is the will of God, your sanctifcation...For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore, whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you." (1Thess. 4:3,7-8)

What then?
So, where does this leave me as a woman, a wife, and a mother? It leaves me to meditate on God's Word and examine my own life, my own heart, to see the parts of the world in which remain in my grasp. I have to seek out where society has warped my worldview, and bend it back towards the Scriptures. I must look at my heart and see if it is inclined to any evil, any worldiness, any thing that would set my affections away from Christ, and strip them away to be able to fully follow Him. I must examine my thoughts and goals and let them go if they are not honoring to my Lord, honoring to my husband, and beneficial to my family, and food for my soul. I must look to the unseen by faith as Moses did to behold the true prize and the true beauty and the true King of my life.

May you read this excerpt from Ryle today and strive to live by faith in obedience as Moses did. Amen.

My next post will be another excerpt from Ryle's book and it is a look at Lot and the fact that "he lingered".

12 Things you should NOT do to your husband By: Camilia Brown

2008-08-27T14:46:00.000-05:00

For all of us ladies, it is an every day struggle against the body of death we were born into and society's feminine movement does nothing to help us wage the war. Our ever present help is our loving and patient God and we must look to him to help us fight this war.

"A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones." (Proverbs 12:4)

Read at your own Risk!

"Things You Should Not Do To Your Husband.” By: Camilia Brown

1. DO NOT treat your husband as one of your children. You are not running the household, he is. So no matter how busy you think you are or how many tasks you might have to perform at once you should not address your husband in this way: “Honey come here! Do this! Hold that! Grab this! Deal with this or that!” Now I am all for asking our husbands for help when he is available to give it, but bossing him around is not becoming of a wife. We must conduct ourselves as his help meet and not treat him as if the reverse were true.

2. DO NOT act as if you are more spiritual than he is. I honestly have a hard time with women who act as if they are the spiritual leaders of their family; as if they are doing all the spiritual reformation in the family while their husbands are busy with other pursuits and just tag along with regard to spiritual matters. We’ve all heard women say things like: “Well God told me this is the best for our family so I had to take the decision, because my husband is not there yet... I am praying for him though!” Even if it were true that a woman might be more spiritual than her husband, this attitude is a usurpation of the authority that God has given the family. There is never room for this kind of behavior in a Christian home. Honestly, my thoughts are that women who set themselves up as spiritual gurus in the family and brag of being more spiritual or knowledgeable than anyone else have proved themselves to be the contrary.

3. DO NOT talk over him and in a gathering DO NOT talk more than he does. If he doesn’t talk much than talk even less. It is just not becoming to women to do all the talking as if they speak for the family.

4. DO NOT complain about him to others. Don’t make him look foolish in front of anyone and don’t talk about his weaknesses to anyone.

5. DO NOT compare him with other men. You married an individual with different qualities, different style and vision. He is not like anyone else. He is the man that God has given you the task of loving and serving, and you should consider it an honor to be able to carry out that duty. Note to unmarried ladies: Make a list with the qualities a future husband MUST have to avoid your being totally dissatisfied. If it was not that important before you got married don’t nag him or be dissatisfied about it after you get married.

6. DO NOT nag him continuously about a matter. Did you hear the expression? DRIP! DRIP! DRIP!? I don’t like it when the children come even close to being drips, so I am sure no husband would appreciate it either.

7. DO NOT make him feel he doesn’t measure up to your expectations. Encourage, don’t criticize and most important...be content!

8. DO NOT be afraid to bring to his attention sins that he should deal with or concerns that you might have in regard to his conduct. It is a wife’s duty to encourage her husband in his spiritual growth. While it is not the wife’s duty to assume the role of her husband’s conscience, she is the closest to him and can encourage him grow in ways that others cannot. Our husbands must trust that we are help meets to them and that we are honest and sober minded in our reproof.

9. DO NOT always speak your mind. This doesn’t mean we should not have an opinion, but most of the time it is better to hold our tongues rather than “state the facts.” Choose your words carefully in soberness, patience, and love. This does not mean that it is wrong to be open with your husband about your concerns or being honest when he asks our opinion. There is a greater respect and trust that your husband will show toward your opinion when you find this balance.

10. DO NOT seek out parallel lives with him. Become acquainted with whatever job he does and get involved if possible, even if by just listening to him talk about it. Don’t think about your husband’s pursuits in terms of: HIS career, HIS hobbies, HIS this, or HIS that. I hear women say: “Well he is busy with his pursuits and I with the children.” Yes we have different roles but we work together towards the same goal: to Glorify God in every area of our lives. You can’t be a proper help meet for your husband if you are not involved in everything he is doing whether you are interested or not.

11. DO NOT become too busy to listen to him or do things for him. When you start to have lots of children it can become really easy to do this, but remember you are made to be a help meet for him.

12. DO NOT let your appearance go because you have married him now. Make yourself pretty for him. Yes he loves you no matter what, but you made sure that you showed him that you care enough to look nice for him before you were married, you should care more, not less, after he actually becomes your husband. It is not a matter of keeping his affections, but rather continuing to give him all that we have to offer. 5 minutes a day is all it takes.

"I have made my share of mistakes and still do. Many of them are listed above. I am still a work in progress, so please don’t take this to mean that I think I have arrived. I thought listing a few resolutions and observations, may be helpful to someone else." -Camilia Brown

The Television

2008-08-13T11:20:00.000-05:00

I am sure that most of you know by now: Over two years ago Jim and I made the decision to cancel our Dish Network. Up until a year ago, we didn't even have rabbit ears until we realized that most of our friends felt it neccessary to call us every time there were tornadoes in the area because they thought we might be swept away because we were unaware of the dangers.

It was a decision that we were both pondering for long before that. We finally braved the waters and pulled the plug. The first challenge was actually stepping out in faith and realizing our time was very valuable and we were pretty much committing idolatry: sacrificing our time, money and worship to an object of the world. We set our affections on shows and ideals (even though they weren't really BAD shows) rather than the God of the universe that made us and saved us. We were replacing time doing God-honoring things for time spent in just being a spectator of other people's lives. Most people we spoke to didn't think we really watched that much TV, I suppose we didn't as much as some people. But still God opened our eyes and convicted us of our sins of omission. It was always easier to NOT do things and watch TV instead.

I will never forget telling a friend that we were getting rid of "TV" and she said she could never do that, that "TV was her hobby, and she couldn't live without it." I was a little worried that I was in the same boat. Not so much that I considered it my hobby, but there was a little angst that I possibly might die without connection with the outside world. Yet still, here I sit living and breathing!
When we finally decided to cancel the Dish, it took forever to get to the person on the phone that would actually be the one to cancel our service, then they tried and tried to get us to keep it, and the first mention I made of our family needing to spend our time in God's Word and together as a family, they wanted to deal no more with me," OKAY," they said, "we'll take care of it Ms. Carlson." Wow, that is so true of the world, if you would like to get rid of a telemarketer; all you need to do is try and share the Gospel with them. DONE! Anyway, that was a challenge. It did take a leap of faith, knowing that if we weren't watching TV, we were to be doing other things with our time. I couldn't just check out if I wanted to. I needed to be involved in my life. But, you know what? It has been a tremendous blessing. We are a reading family. We read the bible together, we read books, we shop for books, we talk about books, we fellowship with friends and family, and the best of all, God. You listen to God more, you think about God more and you learn about God more. The soundtrack of our lives now consists of conversations, hymns, laughter, silly old songs we boogie and dance to instead of the constant hummmmmm and murmur of some strangers on TV as background noise to a hectic life of trying to get a bunch of stuff done so I can FINALLY sit down and watch TV.
We have slowly introduced TV back into our home. We have rabbit ears. We watch the news a couple of times a week, we might watch "Headlines" on Jay Leno, and we watch NFL football, and I am sure I will be enjoying some basketball and track over the next few weeks as the Olympics start, but it doesn't own us. We don't schedule things around shows, we don't feel enslaved to the TV, it works to our advantage when we want to enjoy a show, but now we don't turn it on for the sake of FINDING something to watch, we turn it on with purpose. The catharsis was a metamorphosis of our family: I want Dylan to bring her family up to love to read because she loves to read and because that is what she saw her family doing: reading, having bible study, and always having an open door to friends and family.
I am so thankful that God revealed to us the need to seek after Him and to really invest in our lives. I just wanted to share that with others that sometimes we don't always truly SEE what we are doing until someone points it out to us. I don't think the TV is evil (just some of the shows) I just think it is just like the Scriptures say about money, money isn't evil, it is the LOVE of money that's the root of all sorts of evil. The TV isn't evil; it is the LOVE of the TV that is the root of all kinds of evil. When you love something more than God it causes a multitude of other sins that are all rooted from the first one, which is the breaking of the first and second commandment.
I have enclosed a blog post I recently read that led me to write this and share this with you: Not only does it address the spiritual but the intellectual, moral, and financial side:

Why We Don't Have Cable (and Maybe You Shouldn't Either)
June 2, 2008 A BLOG post by:
The Available Light
Reflections on Culture and Christian Life
For most of our married life, we've lived without cable television, one of those ubiquitous amenities that, for many people, has taken on the character of necessity. Some people don't know how we make it. We get asked from time to time how we go on living.
For us, the cost has been the main obstacle. For much of that time, we simply have not been able to afford the bill. Recently though, we've considered getting it installed. If we stretched our budget, we might be able to swing it. Struggling with this option has left me inclined to continue to do without. Here's why:
The Cost
Cable service rates continue to climb. Where we live the basic package is somewhere near 50 dollars a month. At minimum, we'd be paying $600 a year. And what would we be paying for exactly? The chance to watch more television.
I remain unconvinced we ought to pay several hundred dollars a year to do more of something that would likely make us less productive. Right now, a big TV night for us is two hours. Some days, the television never comes on. If we paid for cable, I'd feel compelled to watch as much as possible. If the television weren't on much more than it is now, I'd have the nagging sense of wasting money.
At the same time, the money could go for better things. We could save that $600 for something more valuable than the opportunity to see new episodes of "What Not To Wear." We could put it toward a trip to ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />..:NAMESPACE PREFIX = ST1 />Europe. We could put it toward student loans. We could give it away.
The Time
Since having cable would cause me to feel compelled to watch it, a lot more of my time would evaporate in front of the set.
I would end up exchanging my time for value on my money. The end effect of this arrangement would be a double loss for our family. It would almost be like paying someone to take up our time.
We'd inevitably do less of something important. Maybe we wouldn't neglect our child right away, but maybe those dirty dishes would sit there a little longer than they ought. Maybe we'd just let the garden go. Maybe we wouldn't issue as many invitations to dinner.
Whatever it was, we'd soon find ourselves exchanging something important in order to watch television. We'd find ourselves becoming passive, not the active, involved people we want to be. We'd run the risk of becoming cable zombies.
The Content
We have a baby in the house. There is a lot in the world from which we plan to shield her. Having cable would mean running a line from Bad Idea Central into our living room.
I know there are some fine programs available. But I don't want to have to police them.
And it's not just the content of the individual programs. There's also the total effect of the content of the cable package itself. Watching cable tends to be simultaneously an experience in gluttony and starvation. A million programs on the air, only a handful worth watching. It makes me nervous just to see it all.
I'm not opposed to having cable in principle. Nor am I saying anyone who subscribes is doing something wrong. But for many people, paying for cable is the default mode of living and there are, no doubt, many more good reasons to consider pulling the plug.

As Silver Refined

2008-03-24T15:08:00.001-06:00

On March 14, 2008 Jim and I went in for another sonogram at almost 8 weeks pregnant and the results confirmed what I had already suspected… The baby did not grow as it should. There was no heartbeat, only a very underdeveloped baby. I had not experienced the extent of morning sickness that I usually do with pregnancy, so I had already had a hunch that things were not going well.

The good news is that upon this loss, I was able to find out that with my only term pregnancy (Dylan), I was actually taking double the hormonal dosage that I have been with these last two pregnancies that ended in miscarriage.
I won’t pretend that I have this all figured out or that I don’t struggle with sorrow or grief, but I have learned through trials and the Word of God that everything that I am told by this world to think and to feel is the complete opposite of the eternal mind-set that God calls us to have.
I feel pressed down hard by God. But the comforting thing is that it is HIS hand that is on me. I can go to the scriptures and see that He is doing this to purify me and conform me to the image of His Son; to make me more like Christ. At this point in my life I feel incredibly loved by God. He loves me enough to do what is best for me, even if it means that I hurt. That is what a true parent does for His child. His hand is moving in my life to give me the greatest good, which is becoming more like Him. Hebrews 12 speaks of the discipline from an earthly father and our heavenly Father: "For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:10-11
I have assurance from His word that in His grand plan, His glory and my good never supersede one another. My good is never at stake for His glory, nor does He sacrifice His glory for my good. They are in a harmonious balance. Everything He does is both for His glory and my good. What a wonderful comfort I can find in that! God’s wonderful plan to truly display His glory to all people includes doing me good all the days of my life.

"…I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me." Jeremiah 32:40b

Have you heard the stories of how they purify gold and silver? They heat the metals up to a heat in which the precious metals are not burnt, but liquefy, at this melting point, the "dross" floats to the top. Dross is all the scum and impurities that are within. They then can scrape the dross off of the top and the outcome is a more pure silver or gold. They do this over and over to create a more pure form. God does the same with His people and the bible testifies to this. The important thing to take note of in the purification process is that the gold or silver is not consumed by the heat, not burnt up. The same thing happens with us, we are heated up so hot to cleanse us of impurities, but not so hot to destroy us. What a beautiful picture of the care God takes in refining us. He cleanses us for our good and for His glory. The old hymn "How firm a foundation" beautifully proclaims this truth:
"When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;The flame shall not hurt thee; I only designThy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine."

"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." Romans 8:28-29

Our good that is worked out in His purpose is to conform us to Christ!

"Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of His praise be heard, who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip. For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried." Psalm 66:8-10

"… and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, "They are my people’; and they will say,"The Lord is my God." Zechariah 13:9b

"In this you rejoice, thou 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." 1 Peter 1:6-7

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." James 1:2-4

Before all of this happened, I decided to purchase 2 new cds. One I knew the songs on, another I didn’t. I couldn’t decide which cd to purchase that I was not familiar with, but I did see one that was a collection of songs based off of an old book of Puritan prayers. I thought that has to be good. Well, I must praise God for inclining me to that purchase. The first song on the CD says it all and exactly what I needed to hear. Here are the words based on a prayer written by an old Puritan hundreds of years ago…
When You lead me to the valley of vision
I can see You in the heights
And though my humbling wouldn’t be my decision
It’s here Your glory shines so bright
So let me learn that the cross precedes the crown
To be low is to be high
That the valley’s where you make me more like Christ
Chorus:
Let me find Your grace in the valley
Let me find Your life in my death
Let me find Your joy in my sorrow
Your wealth in my need
That You’re near with every breath
In the valley
In the day time, there are stars in the heavens
But they only shine at night
And the deeper that I go into darkness
The more I see Your radiant light
So let me learn that my losses are my gain
To be broken is to heal
That the valley’s where Your power is revealed

Every circumstance you are in is for a purpose. It may be to draw you to God for the first time, or draw you back to Him if you have strayed; it may to make you realize you have a desperate need to be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. Whatever your circumstance, whatever your trial, my prayer for you is that you would seek after God and feel your desperate need of Him.
It is a glorious thing to rest in God’s sovereignty and power in your life. God grants me the faith to believe upon His word and promises because they are truth and He is truth. That was Jesus’ prayer for you as well. "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth." John 17:17

When God leads you into the valley, may it be a valley of vision for you, to clearly see His glories. Rightly honor Him by knowing that it is His sovereign hand that leads you to both mountains and valleys and His purpose for those valleys were written before one of your days every began. "… in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them." Psalm 139:16b

So based on this Scripture, along with hundreds of others; God not only knows the future; the whole story, the God of that created the universe, wrote the story!
May the magnitude of His glory, knowledge and power cause you to fear Him, revere Him, and long to know Him.

Do you have Assurance?

2008-03-10T15:06:00.000-06:00

In Romans 3:23, it says that "ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"; and look at what Ephesians 2:8-9 says about salvation: "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one can boast.
Of all the important parts of the gospel I claim these two as essential:
1) God gives us the gift of faith, we can not muster it up on our own... and the faith he gives us in turn allows us to receive his message of grace and repentance.
2) We have to realize that we have sinned against God, and he is Holy and we deserve Hell as punishment, but by His own blood he paid our fine, and by His power he gives us a new heart: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has passed away; behold the new has come." 2 Corinthians 5:17 Christ's regenerating power ALONE can cause us to bear good fruit for Him.
It is not that works (good deeds) can save us, we know that is not the case by looking at the scripture in Ephesians I noted above, BUT we know that as a RESULT of salvation and because of our love for Him because of what He did and does for us, we will most certainly bear fruit: Look at what Jesus himself says in Matthew 7:15-20,"So, every tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits."
Here is the part that ought to make each of us fearful and wrestle with our faith to see if we are in the faith, the next thing Jesus says after the above passage in Matt 7 is verse 21: "Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." and then in verse 23: And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness."
Why do you think practically 80% of our population in the US says they are Christian, more loosely that they "believe in God" but something less than 20% of Americans regularly attend church. And of those 20% can you name a precentege that actually bear fruit? I could almost easily say it's about half of that 20%. You can come to the conclusion of the Scripture I wrote out above and see that the Bible testifies to what you see in America and American churches presently.
It is not about judging others in condemnation or some how thinking you are better than them. It is about believing the truth of the Gospel that people will die and go to Hell if they are not a new creation in Christ. It's about loving someone enough to show them the Scriptures that are diametrically opposed to the life they live and the profession of belief they make.
Let me give you this scenerio: Imagine that I drive up to the White House and get to the security gate and say, Hi, I'm Mendi and I know President Bush and I would like to see him. They would look at me and laugh, and if I am lucky they'd call and ask around, and President Bush would say,"I don't know that person and I have never heard of them in my life." Now, think of that same scenerio and President Bush calls the security gate and says, "Hey,that is my best friend Mendi, Let her in and throw a party!"
See the difference? Millions of people claim to know Christ, but does He know them?
I will leave you with some other scriptures in Matthew 7:13-14: "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."
I meant to only write a few lines on this subject, but it is something I am truly passionate about. I have many around me that have been led falsely by false teachings that they can just SAY they are Christians and get baptized and go on living in sin without every being changed and still go to Heaven. Scripture teaches on the contrary... and I want people to know this. I would rather someone wrestle in prayer and over the word of God about their salvation than have a false sense of hope and go to hell.
I beg you to examine yourself, what you claim as your assurance, and test it with the Bible. Is your assurance in man-made methodology like "walking an aisle at church, repeating the "sinner's prayer", or even some type of church sacraments like baptism or communion?" If you hope is not found in Christ alone and His redemptive work upon the cross and you can not look to the Scriptures and examine your life and say, "I am a new creation, God has changed my heart. I hate the things I once loved (my sin) and I love the things I once hated (the things of God and God himself).
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 2 Corinthians 13:5
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, Philemon 2:12
I leave you with these two passage of Scriptures: The Works of the Flesh and the Fruits of the Spirit…
WORKS of the FLESH
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,
idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21
FRUITS of the SPIRIT
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk (a manner of lifestyle) by the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-25
Which one of these passages describes your life? If you can not say after reading the following Scriptures that you are of a new nature, you must cry out to God for Salvation.
I love you all and I plead with you to examine yourselves.

What do you hope in?

2007-11-27T16:04:00.001-06:00

If you didn't already know, Jim and I were expecting a baby in mid June 2008. We had a sonogram at 7 weeks and saw a great little heartbeat and began spreading the news. I have had 2 previous miscarriages before Dylan so we waited until we saw a heartbeat to share. I went in on Tuesday, November 20th for my 10/11 week sonogram and saw no heartbeat this time and the growth chart showed that the baby died about a week prior to the sonogram. We are so sad, but it is here that the glory of God comes in. You see, apart from Christ, I would be a mad and bitter person cursing God for what has happened. I mean, I have lost 3 babies! Is that fair? Let me tell you something, you don't want fair. Fair is that we have all sinned against a holy and righteous God and deserve death and hell. (Romans 3:23-26) He is given me, and you, if you are living and breathing right now, grace to live another day. If you have not given your whole life over time him, it is only a matter of time until you get "fair." I know that I may sound harsh but I am going to use everything that God has given me to urge you to come to Him. I plead with you for your life. It doesn't matter whether you believe in God or Hell, this is real. If you stood in the middle of the interstate and said I don't believe in Mack trucks and an 18 wheeler came barreling at you, it would still hit you and you would still die. Jim and I love all of you and we urge you to seek the LORD. You see, because I have Christ and hope for eternal life, I don't hope in the things of this earth, I know that this isn't all there is. I don't have to hold on to relationships and possessions to give me a sense of security. Those things will pass away; men and women in your life will fail you. But Christ will not...:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

I can look to God in prayer and in His Word for my hope and for things sure.

"We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain," Hebrews 6:19. So often when we say "I hope" it means something other than what God and Scripture says hope means. My hope is SURE and an ANCHOR. It's is not something fleeting and unattainable. My hope is built on Christ who created the heavens and the earth. I have nothing to fear when my hope is built on Him.

I can then turn to:

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

I can look at the above verse and I know that God is bigger than me and he is using my trials or more specifically, my miscarriages for my good, and probably yours—He is given me an urgency to share with you about Him and His greatness. I know that He works all things for my good, but do you have this assurance? Do you realize that everything happens for a reason? You do understand that before the dawn of time, God would ordain that you read this blog by me? That you would sit down and read from my experiences and more importantly God's word, so that you may know Him who created you? That you could possibly come to Christ? I know that He is using this loss in my life to draw me closer to Him, but also so that you may see in my life what it means to be a child of God. That you would be amazed that someone who has been through what I have been through and what I am going through and see me point to Christ and His glories? I know that without Him I could not respond in rejoicing in Him, but I would be self-centered and angry. But because of Him I have set my eyes on what's above. So that you may see how truly life changing He is.

Yes, I am so sad, I miss my baby and I would have liked this to never happen, but I can rejoice in the fact that God is refining me into His image with this and I can know that greater things are in store for me because of His love and purpose. If just one of you stops to consider your life and eternity because of my situation, it was all worth it. I am still hurting, but I can also rejoice in the fact that God is in control and He never once lost control in my life, He knows what He's doing and will do a much better job than myself (that is an understatement!)

I am so thankful to God for enabling me to say with Job:

"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." Job 1:21

He is God, He knows what's best and whether He gives or He takes, I will bless His name, by the grace of God.

So I urge you, to examine yourself, seek after God and His Word and ask yourself the important questions. What/Who am I living for? If it isn't Christ, you must do something about it. Plead with the Lord to change your heart and its desires. Only He can. Don't put your hope in earthly things, place your hope in that sure anchor that is Christ.
"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.
And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever." 1John 2:15-17

Molding and Shaping: A time to be Opportunistic

2006-09-21T15:55:00.000-05:00

Originally Posted: September 21, 2006

Things in this world look so much more mysterious, interesting, and well,they look brighter, more sparkily, more brilliant, when you have a child's eyes to look at them through.
Seriously! Sounds cliche'I know, but with Dylan around, I see how much there is to soak in, how much we take for granted and don't even notice daily, but everything is new to a child.
I just love to sit and watch her soak things in. I can just see new little crevasses in her brain filling up. That is where I come in as a parent, how will I aid her in the soaking? Will I fill any crevasses with negativity and nonsense? I do have a great opportunity to help fill her mind with wonder, excitement, knowledge of great things, things that really matter, like art, creativity, fun, and most importantly faith. I must show her a real life lived out in faith. Not something I "do" on Sundays but it must be my life. Isn't that what the Lord has required of us? Yes! Faith is something real, something worth fighting for, something that is a gift from God, no one can have "enough" faith to get them through without God. A life lived out in faith is something that the Lord has required but also He has given me a heart to want to do that for Him, to live in obedience, oh but how quickly I fail in that manner when tried on my own, but when I lean fully on the Spirit of God, all things are possible!
The Lord gives us children to teach and I think, mostly to learn from. There are priceless gifts that you learn from a child: patience, unconditional love, understanding, and well, I am still learning, just for instance, I don't believe that you can have "too much" of any of the forementioned qualities.
It is a great thing to know that God hasn't promised us the things of this world, but we are still promised a life abundant, a rich life in Him.

Gratitude and Thanksgiving: Easter 2006

2006-04-12T15:52:00.000-05:00

Original Date Written: April 12, 2008 Easter Week

As I write this, I my heart is full of love. What blessings I have all around me. As I look into my daughter's eyes and see her spririt sparkle, what a blessing I have to see her grow up here with me at work, not having to sacrifice our time together for a few extra bucks. To my employers(my parents) I am eternally grateful. As I lean back in my chair I get a view of my handsome and loving husband, busily grinding away to make a living, no- a life, for his family and at the same time help our family business be a sucessful one. Now that is a blessing too. But as I bow my head in a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord Almightly and I look forward to Sunday morning--Easter, I STAND in awe of Him, His sacrifice, His obiedience to His father, His selflessness, His amazing love He defines, and the life He laid down for me, My King shead his precious blood so that I may have hope, that blessed assurance that the Hymn echoes in my mind, no greater love. Thank you Lord for what you have done for me, for those you have chosen, not because of who I am or what I have done, but actually in spite of it! Praise Him for He is worthy to be praised!