The means of change

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Recently, as happens so often, I came face to face with an issue involving my own selfishness.

After confessing such incidents to the Lord, I tend to have a couple of responses. One is to just acknowledge it as one of my “besetting sins” and to forget about it until the next time. Yet deep down I know that’s just an excuse.

Another response is to decide I need to make a plan of action. That’s not bad in itself, but it usually fizzles out like New Year’s resolutions.

I may even decide to look up and meditate on various Scripture verses on the subject at hand. That’s a good response as far as it goes. Romans 12:2 tells us we’re transformed by the renewing of our minds, and one way we do that is by changing our thinking, lining it up with what God’s Word says, putting specific Scriptures in our minds that the Holy Spirit can then use to remind us.

But my problem isn’t just isolated individual sins. It’s a nature that is totally and completely self-focused, self-serving, self-promoting, self-loving. Though we receive a new nature when we become Christians, that old one is still there and will be til we get to heaven. How do we resist that constant pull? How can our new nature grow and become more like Christ?

II Corinthians 3:18: But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Beholding His glory….how little we do that. How often do we approach the Scripture just to fulfill our quota of Bible reading for the day, or even just to “get something” to carry us through the day?

We need to — I need to — remember to seek Him in the Scriptures, to behold His glory. Sometimes a study of His attributes would be more helpful than just studying about my particular sin, though both are necessary.

I read a quote once in a missionary biography (I haven’t been able to find it again: I thought it was Rosalind Goforth’s, but I didn’t see it in my last reading) that this particular person was having a hard time being loving. For years she constantly looked at herself and her lack of love and told herself over and over that she needed to be more loving. Yet she didn’t grow in love, only in discouragement. She began to meditate on God’s love for her…and without even realizing it, she began to slowly change to the point where others commented to her husband on the change in her.

We know what it is to gaze on an object of love. We smile indulgently at a young couple’s doe-eyed peering at each other. We understand a mother’s loving, wondering gaze of her new baby. We love to behold and contemplate the beauty of a perfect rose or a masterful painting.

How much more should we behold the One who loves us most, who is more beautiful than anything we can imagine, who is perfect holiness and righteousness.

Exodus 33:18-23; 34: 5-6:

And [Moses] said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.

And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.

And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.

And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:

And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:

And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.

And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth…

One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. Psalm 27:4.

May that be our desire as well.

Works-For-Me Wednesday: Wreath storage

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I have a few wreaths that I like to change around through the year. The autumn and Christmas ones are stored with other seasonal decorations in the attic, but I didn’t want to have to go up there every time I wanted to change just a wreath. So I began to store them on the inside of a storage closet door in the living room.

Wreath storage

The front door is just opposite and parallel to the closet door, so it’s really convenient to switch them as desired. Works for me!

As with most Wednesdays, you can find a load of great tried-and-true tips at Shannon’s.

One of the worst anniversaries

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One of the saddest days in the history of our country was when the Roe v. Wade decision 35 years ago today. Crystal at Biblical Womanhood has a post here and another post here that convey my sentiments, plus a video of a testimony of one girl’s abortion at the latter. It’s heartbreaking.

Psalm Sunday: Psalm 59

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Psalms Sundays are hosted by Erica of Butterfly Kisses. 

Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies.
For the choir director; set to Al-tashheth. A Mikhtam of David, when Saul sent men and they watched the house in order to kill him.

1 Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me.

2 Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men.

3 For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD.

4 They run and prepare themselves without my fault: awake to help me, and behold.

5 Thou therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah.

6 They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.

7 Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?

8 But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.

9 Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence.

10 The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.

11 Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield.

12 For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak.

13 Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.

14 And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.

15 Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied.

16 But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.

17 Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.

Once again David is beseeching God for protection from very real enemies sent to watch his house in order to kill him, and once again, though few of us have been in that exact situation, we can draw from David’s experience.

I don’t think it’s at all hard to understand that his first words here are cries for deliverance. They remind me of Peter’s cry: “Lord, save me.” When we’re in dire straits we get right down to business.

In many of David’s psalms he either acknowledges that his sins are causing his problems and confesses them or, as in this one, he proclaims his innocence. He was close enough in his relationship to God to know the difference between chastening or an outside attack. It’s good for us to examine our hearts with the Lord’s help and confess any sin there. But sometimes we do face an enemy’s unprovoked attack, and we can go to the Lord with a clean conscience.

One aspect of the Psalms I have a hard time reconciling is the imprecatory nature of some of David’s prayers, calling for God’s judgment against his enemies. One thing to remember is that this era was a different dispensation: the New Testament teachings about loving your enemy weren’t written yet (although one or two proverbs foreshadow them). Another aspect is that every person has an opportunity to respond to God’s grace, but if they continue in their own ways, they will face His judgment. We think of that judgment coming most often at the end of life when we stand before God, but certainly many times in the Bible people faced His judgment during the course of their own lives. Sometimes it brings them to repentance; sometimes it serves as a warning to others. I have prayed that certain national enemies would be saved and brought to repentance, but asked the Lord, if He knows they won’t come to that point, to take them out so they won’t cause any more trouble. I’d be interested to hear whether others interpret or apply this differently.

Of course, since I don’t have personal enemies in the same sense as David did, I tend to apply these verses to mankind’s greatest enemy, Satan.

My two favorite parts of the Psalm and the parts that minister to and remain with me are verses 9, 16, and 17:

Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence.

But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.

Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.

Satan is stronger than we are, but he that is in us is stronger than him. We can praise God for His deliverance, defense. power, strength, mercy, and refuge.

Update on prayer request

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Second update Monday afternoon: Katie Ruth declined this morning with an oxygen rate of 90 plummeting rapidly to 60 (anything above 85 is acceptable). They thought the Lord was going to take her home even today, but He allowed the doctors to find a way to help her. Please continue to pray for this little one and her family.

First update Sunday night: Good news! Katie Ruth was able to come off the ECMO machine! She’s still on a ventilator but may be able to be moved closer to home soon.

The little baby girl I asked you to pray for in an earlier post, Katie Ruth, will be undergoing a trial Sunday morning beginning around 8 a.m. to see if she can be taken off the ECMO machine. If she does well, they will begin to take her off the machine over the next day or two. If not, there’s not much else that can be done for her.

Please pray that her lungs will be healed and able to handle increased ventilator settings, that the rest of her body would continue to do well, that the Lord’s perfect will be done, and for grace and strength for her parents and family.

Thank you.

Book Review: SAHM I Am

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sahm-i-am.jpgI had seen SAHM I Am by Meredith Efken mentioned on several blogs and wanted to check it out, so when I saw it on our local Christian bookstore’s inventory sell-out table, I grabbed it right up (along with enough other books to keep me occupied for a long time!)

I think most people know this, but just in case, SAHM is an Internet acronym for “Stay at Home Mom.”  This book is about a number of SAHMs who are are on an e-mail chat loop to encourage each other. Anyone who has been on such a subscriber list or forum or chat group will chuckle at some of the changes typical of those groups, such as a warning from a moderator about not posting short two-word responses that clutter up the exchange, followed by one message saying “I’m sorry” and another saying, “Me, too!”

The book is written in the style of these e-mail exchanges between members. When I started, I wasn’t sure the style would work without narration or chapter divisions, but once I got into it, it wasn’t a problem.

There are many women on the loop but the book concentrates on a handful: Rosalyn, the “perfect” over-achieving moderator; Dulcie, whose husband’s work takes him out of town the majority of the time; free-spirited artsy-mom Zelia; farmer’s wife who had been a teen mom Brenna, who is having trouble conceiving another child; pastor’s wife Phyllis whose past comes back to haunt her; and soccer mom Jocelyn who is concerned that her son’s aches and pains may be something serious.

The characters are well-drawn and the exchanges believable. I did think Rosalyn was a bit over-the-top, but it’s interesting to discern what drives her. There’s a sub group of some of these moms who I thought were a bit on the gossipy side when talking about Rosalyn. When asked why they stayed with the group if her attitude bothered them, Dulcie says, “Because when her perfect world comes crashing down she will need us to help her pick up the pieces.” That was a rebuke to me: often I tend to just stay away from people I don’t readily mesh with, but it’s better to realize they have their own problems and need support and encouragement, too.

The book is frank about the struggles and temptations and SAHMs with humor sprinkled throughout. I think it would be an encouragement to other SAHMs.

Another book I picked up from that clearance table was a sequel to this one, @ Home For the Holidays. I can’t decide if I want to read it now while the charcters are still fresh in my mind or save it for next December.

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt: Important

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Theme: Important | Become a Photo Hunter

There are many things that are important in life, but at the top of the list for me are faith

Psalm 51

 

and family.

 

My guys

Note to politicians

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I do not base my decision about who to vote for on the phone calls I receive, either the number of quality of them.

In fact, I am tempted to decide not to vote for the next campaign that calls me. But that would be shallow.

I will be so glad when our primary is over tomorrow. I have never in my life been inundated with so many political calls. I guess it’s because there are still so many candidates. Most annoying are the recorded calls which say, “We’re so sorry to disturb you, but this call was meant for your answering machine.”

I think I am going to write to Congress this year pleading that political calls be included in the  “Do Not Call” exclusions.

Show and Tell Friday: New hearts

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Show and Tell Kelli at There’s No Place Like Home hosts “Show and Tell Friday” asking “Do you have a something special to share with us? It could be a trinket from grade school, a piece of jewelry, an antique find. Your show and tell can be old or new. Use your imagination and dig through those old boxes in your closet if you have to! Feel free to share pictures and if there’s a story behind your special something, that’s even better! If you would like to join in, all you have to do is post your “Show and Tell” on your blog, copy the post link, come over here and add it to Mr. Linky. Guidelines are here.“

I’m running late today! Jesse’s school had a two-hour delay, and I feel I just lost those two hours and started my day late…except I did sleep in for an extra hour, so that helps, and hopefully I won’t need one later in the day.

I added to my heart collection over the last few weeks.

This first one I found at Tuesday Morning, a new store in our area that my friend Carol introduced me to. I had never heart of them before. I’ve been a couple of times now and love it!

Heart pillow

The following two I purchased from Becky at Sweet Cottage Dreams during an online craft fair several weeks ago. She’s the one who added in as a free extra those sweet button magnets I showed last week. She does beautiful work.

Heart pillow

Heart pillow

Here are the backs of the last two:

Backs of two heart pillows

They all have loops, but they are larger than the other hearts I have hanging on shelves with pegs — and there’s no room there, anyway. I haven’t decided whether to get another pegged shelf or put them all in a basket with some other small pillows or hang them on knobs around the house. But I know I’ll enjoy them wherever I put them: I already do.

Know and Tell Friday

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To Know Him hosts Know and Tell Friday and asks this week:

Question 1
Which is worse? Being gossipped about or being lied to?

I honestly don’t know. Both would hurt.

Question 2
I see that a lot of ladies out there in blogville are “Starbucks” gals… What is your favorite “Starbucks” drink?

That’s one craze I’ve missed out on. 🙂 I have to drink decaf for health reasons, and I don’t like flavored coffees or cold coffee drinks, so I have never even had Starbucks coffee. I figure I’ve saved a lot of money that way. 🙂

Question 3
Name an embarrassing moment (Make it good).

Honestly, this isn’t just a cop-out, but I can’t think of one, though I know I’ve had them. Maybe my mind just quickly puts them away. 🙂 If I think of any I’ll come back to this one later.

Question 4
I figure that most of us ladies out there are bargain shoppers and that we find ways to save money, but what is one thing that you don’t mind spending your bucks on?

We buy name brands of a lot of paper products because the generics just haven’t held up as well. With other groceries it just depends — we buy a mix of generics and name brands. I struggle with this when it comes to home furnishings. I would love to buy heirloom-quality items, but they’re just so expensive.

Bonus Questions
Question 5
Is it hard for you to ask some to forgive you when you have wronged them?

It’s not easy, but it helps to clear the air and restore the relationship (usually), so it’s good to just go ahead and do it.

Question 6
Give one of your best parenting tips…something that you have learned through experience.

I have a whole list of these here. Besides the obvious and basic principles of keeping the Lord first in your own relationship and studying what the Bible has to say about training children, one of the best tips I have ever heard is to ask questions rather than making accusations or telling them what they did wrong at first. The latter tends to make children (as well as adults) defensive, but when you ask them exactly what they did and why, it leads to self-examination. One speaker (Will Galkin) put it that “Questions stir the conscience, but accusation hardens the will.” That must be one reason God asks people questions in Scripture (“Adam, where art thou?”) when He already knows the answer. This also helps keep the parent (or teacher or whomever) from acting on assumption (which can often be wrong) and helps them get to the root of the problem.