Friday’s Fave Five

Posted on May 29, 2009 by Barbara Harper

Susanne at Living to Tell the Story hosts a “Friday Fave Five” in which we share our five favorite things from the past week. Click on the button to read more of the details, and you can visit Susanne to see the list of others’ favorites.

1. Some of the friends my middle son, Jason, had worked with at camp last summer were in town for a wedding. One stayed with us and the others were over one day playing the Wii Fit. I enjoyed meeting them!

2. Lunch at the Golden Corral. Sometimes for lunch we get take-out boxes, which they let you fill up from the buffet and then charge you by weight. We had plenty for lunch Thursday and Friday. I love their meat loaf, pot roast, and chocolate chess pie. I am so looking forward to having the leftovers for lunch!!

(My list seems to always include food items!)

3. The last day of school today!!!! I am going to miss my quiet hours at home, but I am going to love not having to set the alarm clock ad having a more laid-back pace.

4. My semi-annual closet changeover. I had gotten a few springy clothes down from the attic a few weeks ago, but it wasn’t until this week that I transferred the winter clothes up to the attic and the summer clothes down to the closet. It was almost like getting together with old friends. 🙂 I love the lighter look in my closet!

5. This quote I scribbled across a church bulletin and rediscovered when cleaning out my Bible. I neglected to put down who said it: I don’t remember if it was my pastor or a guest speaker:

Doubt puts circumstances between us and God. Faith puts God between us and circumstances.

Bonus: I saw this cute routine on TV some years back and just rediscovered it on You Tube:

Sin

Posted on May 28, 2009 by Barbara Harper

On my way home from taking Jesse to school, I caught the very end of a radio broadcast in which the speaker read a letter to the editor in which the author said he was sick of hearing about sin and wanted only a religion that taught things like gentleness and tolerance.

That’s understandable: no one really likes hearing about sin, especially their own. But that attitude is a bit like going to a doctor and saying, “I just want you to teach me about wellness and health: I don’t want to hear anything about this mass that you’re going to tell me needs to be removed.” What kind of doctor would be doing his patient any favors by telling him only the positive and neglecting to deal with the unpleasant negative of the ailment that will destroy him?

What exactly is sin? Besides detailing specific sins, the Bible speaks of these broader characterictics:

1. Falling short of God’s glory

Romans 3:23: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

2. Failure to believe God

Hebrews 11:6: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

3. Failure to do good

James 4:17: Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

4. Unrighteousness

I John 5:17a: All unrighteousness is sin

5. Acting against conscience, acting apart from faith

Romans 14:23: And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin

6. Transgressing the law

I John 3:4: Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

We might think, well, sure, defined like that, yes, we’re all sinners, but my sin isn’t as bad as other people’s. Going back to our patient analogy, that’s like saying my illness isn’t as bad as the other guy’s, so I don’t have to worry about mine. According to Romans 3:23 mention above, the standard is not how we compare to others: it’s how we compare to God. I heard it once described like this: if we all needed to leap over a 500 foot chasm, some would make it farther than others, but we’d all fall short.

The sin Adam and Eve engaged in which plunged the rest of the human race into sin was not what we would call gross sin: they simply did what God told them not to do. Jesus said the greatest commandment is “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” It follows, then, that the greatest sin is to fail to love God with all our hearts, souls, and minds.

So, a sinful nature is there within all of us. We can’t ignore it. It’s too destructive. We know it’s destructiveness and painfulness when others sin against us. It separates us from God: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. Isaiah 59:2. Psalm 38 details the physical and mental anguish resulting from sin, not to mention the eternal punishment.

Thankfully there is a remedy: I Corinthians 15:3-4: For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

Isaiah 53:5-6: But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Because the Lord Jesus, who was inherently sinless and who is God Himself, took on our sin and the punishment for it, when we believe on Him, all our sin can be forgiven. Even after becoming believers, on the basis of Christ’s death and resurrection, when we sin we can come to Him and have the slate wiped clean. I John 1:9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

When He has cleansed our sin away, dwells within us, and given us a new nature, then we are enabled to show forth love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (Galatians 5:22-23)– all the good and positive qualities that are a blessing to other people.

I hadn’t planned to write about this today: I had two other posts in mind and was trying to decide which one to go with when I heard that bit of a radio broadcast, and as I thought meditated on what I had heard, some of these other truths came to mind, so I felt that perhaps this was what I should write about today.

Proverbs 28:13: He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

(Un)expected company

Posted on May 27, 2009 by Barbara Harper

Several weeks ago my middle son, Jason, told us some of his friends from Castlepoint were getting married in a nearby town, and another friend, Paul, was driving down from Indiana for the wedding, and then had to go to NC to the camp where he’s be working this summer, and Jason wanted to know if Paul could stay here during those days. We said sure, that would be fine.

So late Friday evening we get a call from a lady at church, whose daughter had also worked at Castlepoint for several summers and who was also hosting one of her Castlepoint friends who was coming for the wedding. She had been trying to reach Jason but couldn’t because he was working, so she was trying to ask in in a roundabout way about accommodations for Paul, who had traveled down with this other girl, who was her guest. My husband had taken the call, and as soon as I heard the word Paul, I thought….”Oh no! We forgot!”

I even knew Jason had the wedding to attend the next day, but somehow it just hadn’t clicked that that meant Paul was coming in. If I don’t write things on my calendar, I can’t be sure of remembering them, and I guess the conversation about Paul coming must have taken place while we were eating or I was cooking or putting away groceries or something. Even Jason had forgotten.

But we assured Paul that it was fine for him to come over, and I dashed around changing sheets, picking up, and running the vacuum over a few key areas. Thankfully things were still pretty well clean from when we had company a couple of weeks ago for graduation.

Paul was very gracious about our forgetfulness, and I really enjoyed meeting him and some of the other friends from camp who came over Sunday.

Thankfully I had just recently skimmed a post on Hospitalilty vs. Entertaining at Making Home — skimmed because I had read similar things before and had read the book she referred to, so it was more of a reminder than a new revelation to me that hospitality isn’t “showing off” a picture-picture home: rather, it’s about making people feel welcome and ministering to their needs. But I am thankful the Lord put that “heads up” in my path just before I needed it, so I didn’t stew about not getting everything done I would normally get done before company. And it was wonderfully restful and freeing not to have gone into a get-ready-for-company frenzy! I used to feel I had to practically spring clean the entire house before company came, and I tell ya, there is no greater deterrent to having people over than that!

My mom

Posted on May 26, 2009 by Barbara Harper

Today would have been my mom’s 72nd birthday if she were still alive. I wrote the following a couple of years ago for Mother’s Day and wanted to repost it today in memory of my mom.

My mom and me:

From my earliest memory, my mom was my best friend — not in a way that was too chummy and hindered discipline. But we could talk about most anything, and I always knew that she was for me. I was the oldest of six, and we always enjoyed each other’s company.

She was not the most domestic person on the planet. I remember days cleaning the house together, snack breaks, and jokes about how no one ever came over when the house was clean.

My father was an alcoholic and very jealous and easily angry. She thought that once they got married and he was assured of her love and commitment that much of that would change. A word of warning: don’t ever marry expecting change. I love my dad, too — I’ve written more about him earlier. I wish they both could have come to know the Lord earlier. But there were rough times over the years, and Mom and I were kind of allies during those times. I think she did the best she could to be the best wife she could be, but with continued problems and without the strength God could give, the marriage ended. I struggled with my relationships with both parents during that time, but the Lord helped — it was actually as a result of all this that I was saved — and eventually my relationship with both was restored, as I mentioned a bit in an earlier post.

I always appreciated that, though my Mom didn’t share my beliefs and convictions for many years, she cared about me and tried not to offend and tried to support me in my new way of life.

She loved to give. Her “love language” was definitely giving. She loved to find things that would be “just right” for her kids. She would collect things all through the year to give at Christmas. She always gave generously yet always wanted to give more. She was also a delight to give to. I enjoyed just as much looking through the year for things to give to her.

She loved to call rather than write, and our conversations were easily an hour or more. She would call for special occasions or just to catch up. Since we always lived 1,000 miles away and were rarely together over holidays, phone calls became an unplanned but welcome tradition. Usually we’d talk in the evening after the rest of the holiday’s festivities were over and everyone had gone home. That’s one of the things I miss most during days like today.

When my husband and I first got married and moved away, we traveled there to visit: it would have been hard and expensive for her and my step-father to travel with five kids. But in later years they did come here, and it was a joy to visit with her on my turf. One of the times I enjoyed most was one day when they were visiting and my husband rented a boat to take everyone on the lake. I don’t know when she developed a phobia about the water, but she didn’t want to go, so she and I stayed at the house and I took her out to lunch. That lunch out together with just the two of us is one of my best memories.

She passed away in December of 2005. If I didn’t have faith that God’s timing is perfect, I would have felt it was much too soon for her to go. I don’t know why the Lord chose to take her so soon — I trust He will work all things together for good as He promised. One hope was that some of the rest of the family would be saved as a result, but as far as I know that hasn’t happened yet (if anyone feels led to pray to that end, I would be much obliged. )

I imagine her birthday and Mother’s Day will always carry a bit of a pang for me, but it also carries pleasant memories of my precious Mom.

Before my wedding:

My mom and step-dad:

I wrote about some amazing answers to prayer in regard to her funeral here.

Mom, I miss our phone calls and your love and thoughtfulness. I’m looking forward to seeing you again.

What’s On Your Nightstand: May

Posted on May 26, 2009 by Barbara Harper

The folks at 5 Minutes For Books host What’s On Your Nightstand? the last Tuesday of each month in which we can share about the books we have been reading and plan to read. You can learn more about it by clicking the link or the button.

Is it the last week of May already?!

I am still working on classic missionary biography To the Golden Shore by Courtney Anderson about Americas’ first missionary, Adoniram Judson. I finished In Trouble and In Joy: Four Women Who Lived for God by Sharon James, a collection of short biographies and writing excerpts of four women: Margaret Baxter, wife of Puritan preacher Richard Baxter; Sarah Edwards, wife of Jonathan Edwards; Anne Steele and Frances Ridley Havergal, both hymn writers, but have not yet reviewed it — hopefully will within the next week or so. I still haven’t reviewed Passionate Housewives Desperate For God by Jennie Chauncey and Stacy McDonald: I decided to go back over parts of it before reviewing it.

My excuse for not getting to these: we had a college graduation, out-of-town company twice, a piano recital, a spring concert, and an annual ladies’ luncheon all within the last several weeks.

I did review The Centurion’s Wife by Janette Oke and Davis Bunn here, and I finished When Love Blooms by Robin Lee Hatcher and reviewed it here.

I’ve just begun Every Now and Then by Karen Kingsbury, third in her series dealing with the lives of a group of people affected by 9/11.

After that I’ll probably read The Secret, new out from Beverly Lewis, and then something from my Spring Reading Thing list.

Book Review: When Love Blooms

Posted on May 25, 2009 by Barbara Harper

Love Blooms_dp Some weeks ago I saw Robin Lee Hatcher offering advance copies of her book When Love Blooms in exchange for reviews. Sounded like a good deal to me!

When Love Blooms is set in Idaho in the latter 1800s. Emily Harris has been caring for her sister and nephew and their household during a serious illness, but everything is back to normal now, and she is at a restless crossroads in her life, wondering what to do next. She sees an ad in a newspaper for a governess for two young children at a mountain ranch.

The ad has been placed by Drucilla Blake, who is dying of cancer. Emily sees that she is not well, but the full extent of her illness is not yet made known. Also unknown to anyone else is Dru’s ulterior motive: to find someone to take her place when she is gone, someone that her husband and children could love.

Even Dru’s husband, Gavin Blake, is unaware of the real reason Dru wants to hire someone to help with the children, but he knows, with her illness, she could use the assistance. However, he is unimpressed with her choice of Emily: he doesn’t believe the wealthy, high-society young woman will last until spring in the harsher conditions of mountain ranch life.

A city woman proving herself in the country, a dying wife and mother seeking for someone to care for her family…it may seem like these story lines have been explored before, and they have — yet Robin weaves them together with unexpected backgrounds and underlying feelings and motives of the characters to make it all seem new.

Though I would describe the book as an easy read, it deals with weightier themes: Gavin’s lack of faith in God and his bitterness over his own mother’s actions; Dru’s illness and her daughters’ adjustments; Emily’s fortitude in dealing with difficultulties she encounters; each character’s seeking God for direction, help, and comfort.

Overall I enjoyed the book, though I did wince a little at the line, “[Emily] wanted to do something before she got married. She wanted to make some sort of difference in the world.” Having been married for nearly 30 years, I do understand that being a wife and mother takes priority and can often preclude other endevaors, so I can understand wanting to accomplish certain things befiore marriage, but this line almost makes it sound like getting married is a lesser goal, a lack of “doing something” worthwhile in the world. And Emily’s and Gavin’s feelings for each other are awkward and uncomfortable to read about at first, though their actions are honorable and they fight against those feelings until it is proper. But I think the rest of the story overrides these two uncomfortable areas, and everything is brought to rights at the end. I am happy to recommend it.

Memorial Day

Posted on May 25, 2009 by Barbara Harper

I receive e-mails from the Good Clean Fun list by Tom Ellsworth, and on some holidays, particularly patriotic ones, he includes a serious note. This past week he included the history of Memorial Day, which I thought was interesting and would like to share with you:

I want to be serious for a moment and talk about the holiday which will be celebrated here in the United States on Monday.

Memorial Day is on the last Monday in May and honors those men and women who lost their lives serving their country. What we celebrate as Memorial Day today, began at the end of the Civil War. Family members of the many soldiers slain in battle would visit the grave sites of their fallen relatives or friends and decorate the graves with flowers.

On May 5, 1868, General John Logan proclaimed this day a holiday through his General Order No. 11. The day was entitled Decoration Day and was first observed on May 30, 1868. The northern states celebrated this day every year, but the southern states celebrated a day similar to this on a different day until sometime after World War I.

In 1882, the name Decoration day was changed to Memorial Day, and in 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday to be held on the last Monday of May every year. Over the years it has come to serve as a day to remember all U.S. men and women killed or missing in action in all wars.

I am truly grateful for the freedoms which we enjoy today. Too often, we take these gifts for granted, little realizing the sacrifice which was involved in ensuring that these freedoms continue to be a part of all of our lives. Be honest, how many of us think of Memorial Day as just another chance for a three-day weekend? A chance to go the lakes or beaches or mountains? A trip to Disneyland or Six Flags or some other amusement park?

If you are here in the United States, please remember to display the flag, not just for the day but for the whole weekend. Let’s not forget the real reason for having this holiday. The quote below says it all. Please take the time to read it.

Take care everyone.

Tom
(HM2, USN 65-69)

He also has a really neat story after this history, which you can read here.

“It is, in a way, an odd thing to honor those who died in defense of our country in wars far away. The imagination plays a trick. We see these soldiers in our mind as old and wise. We see them as something like the Founding Fathers, grave and gray-haired. But most of them were boys when they died, they gave up two lives — the one they were living and the one they would have lived. When they died, they gave up their chance to be husbands and fathers and grandfathers. They gave up their chance to be revered old men. They gave up everything for their county, for us.
All we can do is remember.”

— Ronald Wilson Reagan

Remarks at Veteran’s Day ceremony, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia,
November 11, 1985

salute

**************************************************************

We don’t really have big plans for the day. It’s a rainy, drizzly day, and Jim grilled outside the two previous weekends. We had company over the weekend who left this morning. I think we’re just laying low, enjoying the day off, eating leftovers, and being thankful for those who made it possible to do so in peace.

The visible teaches of the Invisible

Posted on May 23, 2009 by Barbara Harper

“For the invisible things of him…

…from the creation of the world…

…are clearly seen…

…being understood by the things that are made…

…even his eternal power and Godhead…Romans 1:20a.

(All photos except the last two are from the morguefile.)

This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world: I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
His hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father’s world, the birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white, declare their Maker’s praise.
This is my Father’s world: He shines in all that’s fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass;
He speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world: the battle is not done:
Jesus Who died shall be satisfied,
And earth and Heav’n be one.

~ Maltbie D. Babcock, 1901

Laudable Linkage

Posted on May 23, 2009 by Barbara Harper

Before I share with you some interesting stuff I’ve seen around this week, I have a question. I view most of the blogs I read through Google Reader, and many blog posts have ads there that are not on the blog – but not all of them. Is there some kind of agreement between blog owner and Google about ads or does Google place them at their discretion?

Semicolon is compiling a survey of top 100 hymns and asks for input: more info. here.

If you like Facebook for keeping up with friends but don’t like the “clutter” of seeing who took what quiz and who is a fan of what, Jeremy has found an add-on to streamline it.

Nancy Wilson had an excellent post about being a good wedding guest.

Susanne at Living to Tell the Story shared this awesome web site called The Infinire Photograph that coule keep a person occupied for hours. Very creative, beautiful photography — a photo made up of hundreds of smaller photos from around the world.

I discovered a neat new blog called Quoth She. Each post is just a beauitful photograph and a quote. It’s a pleasant spot in the blogosphere.

Normally I am not a fan of mushrooms, but this one is just too cute.

It’s that time of year — there are some great inexpensive gift ideas for grads (in the comments) and teachers (more links at the end of the page.)

Jess at Making Home had a very edifying post titles Wise-Worded Women.

David Hosaflook has a thoughtful, balanced post about Alcohol on the Mission Field — things to think about if your conviction is not to drink but the culture you’re in allows for it.

The Common Room has a post about Strong-Willed Children with some good thoughts that are probably counter to what you may have heard before on the subject.

Ivman has another list of Tom Swifties, such as “‘I forgot what to pick up at the store,’ said Tom listlessly” and “”That’s the last time I’ll pet a lion,’ said Tom offhandedly.”

Finally, Lizzie at A Dusty Frame linked to this cute video of a couple married 62 years playing a piano duet.

Friday’s Fave Five

Posted on May 22, 2009 by Barbara Harper

1. Our belated Mother’s Day celebration, with the loving gifts from my family and another great grilled meal from my husband.

2. A Wii Fit, one of the things I had wanted that my family got for me for Mother’s Day. The family had fun with it, and, though I still really need to get on track with actively trying to lose weight, it’s funny how doing a bit of exercise will make you think a little more about snacking: “Do I really want to sabotage all that work?”

3. Except for one unexpectedly busy day, it’s been a relatively quiet week. I don’t know what happened to all the things I was going to get done this week, though…

4. Nice temperatures. I like it just a little on the cool side, but not cold enough to need a sweater, and it’s been just like that much of this week.

5. Barnes and Noble’s triple chocolate chunk cookies. My older two boys like to go to B&N occasionally, and often I’ll ask them to bring me back one of these. It’s pretty big, so usually I break off a piece of it at a time over the course of a couple of days. (What was I saying about thinking more about snacking….?)

Bonus: Our church got a COLOR copier! I had a training session on it this week. The last copier had me nearly in tears the last couple of times I copied the ladies’ ministry booklet, so just a new one is wonderful. I’d been printing the covers from my home computer in order to have the color, but it will be nice to do it all there plus have color sprinkled throughout in the clip art, which I’d just been copying in black and white before. I am excited!