7/31/2008
Baptism
I just finished reading this: http://www.biblebb.com/files/MAC/INFBAP.HTM sermon from John MacArthur on Infant Baptism and True Christian Baptism. It confirmed our convictions to wait for Everett and Oscar to choose to believe in Christ and follow up with a Baptism. Wow, I can't wait for those days! It will be the best day of my life. That God would take this wretch, lift the veil and give me his sweet Spirit, to count me righteous, to give me 2 beautiful gifts, and to instruct them in the way of the Lord. I am confident that they will know him and the day they confess Christ will be my hearts delight and we will celebrate with Baptism and Feasting in His Great NAME! Oh what a day it will be! Thanks Be to God the Father of all Heaven's Lights! What a glorious Lord we serve!
6/10/2008
Fitting Verse Today
Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
I feel like I have a million things to get done almost all the time, and very little time to do them. And yet this verse smacked me in the face today. DO IT WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT! I am a mommy and it means I have little ones to run after and paper work for medical stuff to fill out, and tummy's to fill and books to read, and God to worship. So Do it with all your might!
But really it should be the other way around. God to worship and stuff to do. I realized that last night, as I read about Mary and Martha in "Twelve Extraordinary Women" by John MacArthur. He makes the point that Jesus rebukes Martha when she complains about Mary not helping because what we need first is to worship the Lord, sit at his feet and listen to his Words. Yet as Christians I think we get caught in the snare of thinking that service outweighs sitting and waiting and listening and worshiping. I fought this very idea through most of the chapter. And maybe you're fighting it too. But isn't doing all those things worshipping God? I've thought the very thing for a long time. But sitting and listening is better Jesus said. "Mary has chosen the better way." So maybe doing can be worship but it is not more important than reading his Word, and listening for his Spirit.
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
I feel like I have a million things to get done almost all the time, and very little time to do them. And yet this verse smacked me in the face today. DO IT WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT! I am a mommy and it means I have little ones to run after and paper work for medical stuff to fill out, and tummy's to fill and books to read, and God to worship. So Do it with all your might!
But really it should be the other way around. God to worship and stuff to do. I realized that last night, as I read about Mary and Martha in "Twelve Extraordinary Women" by John MacArthur. He makes the point that Jesus rebukes Martha when she complains about Mary not helping because what we need first is to worship the Lord, sit at his feet and listen to his Words. Yet as Christians I think we get caught in the snare of thinking that service outweighs sitting and waiting and listening and worshiping. I fought this very idea through most of the chapter. And maybe you're fighting it too. But isn't doing all those things worshipping God? I've thought the very thing for a long time. But sitting and listening is better Jesus said. "Mary has chosen the better way." So maybe doing can be worship but it is not more important than reading his Word, and listening for his Spirit.
5/22/2008
Eve
Eve was a woman without a mother and without a friend. She had no midwife, woman confidant, no one. Can you imagine? Today I am imagining...She gave birth to her boys without a single reference of how it will happen, what she would feel, how would she heal, what will he eat, where does this cord go? Will I ever stop bleeding? She had no one but Adam who shared all the same questions and yet she doesn't complain, she praises the Lord.
"With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man."
This touched me today because of how alone I feel. I've often said, that fellowship is what we were made for. We are not meant to raise our children in isolation, right? Yet many of us do on a daily basis. Our husbands are at work and we are home, alone. But Eve did not have these things that I cherish and crave. She had none but the Lord who walked with her in the garden. She had none but the One whom we are to cherish above no one, to worship only Him. Can you imagine?
Today I am feeling the deprivation of the Spirit. He is the One whom I should seek, should find refuge, should fellowship with, and crave.. Yet I sit in my poverty, running down my contact list on my cell phone. Who loves me? Who is my friend? Who will come to ease this ache and loneliness. There is not a one. Not because they do not love me, but because they cannot refresh, and fulfill because this deprivation is spirit, not human.
It reminds me of the song that goes "I'll praise you in this storm, I will lift my head, You are who You are, no matter where I am.." or something like that.
Do I cry out? Yes, come and heal me and fill me Lord. But I will praise you as well! You have given me the ability to bring forth children. To raise them and love them. Lord I praise you in the depths of the Valley as I praise you on the Mountain tops, because you are Lord, because of your Son Jesus' sacrifice, I can praise you.
So If I wallow in my despair rather than praise him, and scroll down my contact list hoping someone will love me, rather than worship Him, I will find myself here again tomorrow and the next day and the next year and always. It must change with today, right now. I must choose to Praise the Lord.
Lord lift my head!
But even if you don't, I will praise you today!
4/10/2008
Baby # 2
Boy oh Boy, I'm due with another boy.
The first few months were frightening. I knew I had been saying all along that little Everett needed a buddy, but did I really think God would just go ahead and take care of that now? No, not really. Now I find it somewhat comical, but also refreshing. God cares about the fact that he made Everett to be a loving, social little guy and he will have plenty of love to give and receive now that he has a brother due in the next 4 weeks. So after the worry and shock wore off, it was just maintaining family life, dealing with sleep issues, learning to be a mom and be pregnant all over again-just 8 short months after giving birth. By 8 months I felt like I finally had time to dive into creative projects again, or read a book and recently was able to start and complete a wonderful bible study! Everett is 15 months and wonderful. He is finally sleeping his little heart out! So now, I have to figure out how to be both playful with him and nurturing with an infant. I know the instincts will come flooding back, but I also know I need to be asking for wisdom and understanding along the way.
But before baby is labor and delivery! And this is becoming very exciting to me. We made a plan with my Doula to hopefully labor at home for as long as possible. I don't know what it is about giving birth but it is truly amazing. I've got my verses ready to be reminded of the power of the Holy Spirit and how Christ has authority over EVERYTHING and one of my favorites-that I will endure this labor with JOY! Colossians 1:11 "We pray that you will be strengthened from God's glorious power so that you may be able to pass through any experience and endure it with joy."
The first few months were frightening. I knew I had been saying all along that little Everett needed a buddy, but did I really think God would just go ahead and take care of that now? No, not really. Now I find it somewhat comical, but also refreshing. God cares about the fact that he made Everett to be a loving, social little guy and he will have plenty of love to give and receive now that he has a brother due in the next 4 weeks. So after the worry and shock wore off, it was just maintaining family life, dealing with sleep issues, learning to be a mom and be pregnant all over again-just 8 short months after giving birth. By 8 months I felt like I finally had time to dive into creative projects again, or read a book and recently was able to start and complete a wonderful bible study! Everett is 15 months and wonderful. He is finally sleeping his little heart out! So now, I have to figure out how to be both playful with him and nurturing with an infant. I know the instincts will come flooding back, but I also know I need to be asking for wisdom and understanding along the way.
But before baby is labor and delivery! And this is becoming very exciting to me. We made a plan with my Doula to hopefully labor at home for as long as possible. I don't know what it is about giving birth but it is truly amazing. I've got my verses ready to be reminded of the power of the Holy Spirit and how Christ has authority over EVERYTHING and one of my favorites-that I will endure this labor with JOY! Colossians 1:11 "We pray that you will be strengthened from God's glorious power so that you may be able to pass through any experience and endure it with joy."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
