Biblical Womanhood

Earlier this month I had the privilege of spending some time with my sister Julie - just the 2 of us (and her family later in the day) while Mike was at a magic convention. We attended a women's seminar at her church Saturday morning. It was such a blessing and encouragement to me and I wanted to post this link so that maybe other women could be blessed as well... Thanks again for the time that we could spend together, Julie...as others said that day, you are an example of a woman following these principles of biblical womanhood...and I thank God for you!

Frugal Friday: Defining Frugality - Part 1: Living on Less

This is a little different kind of Frugal Friday post. Pastor Dan's sermon was great this past weekend, and it really ties into the "Frugal Friday" theme. He stated it a lot better than I could. So, whether you are struggling financially right now or not, I would encourage all to listen to the message from last Sunday at Ashland Grace Brethren Church at this link. (Look for "A Life on Less" 1/11/09.) "If you find honey, eat just enough -- too much of it, and you will vomit." Proverbs 25:16 ___________________________________________________ A Few Good Deals: Johnson's Buddies soap, Coupons Booklets, 50 free prints from CVS Photo Center, $2 off Kashi cereal bars (these are $2.97 at our Walmart which makes them only $.97 a box - not bad for a healthy snack)

Dressing Up

With all of the other things going on, (including traveling every weekend since before Thanksgiving) we have finally managed to complete the decorating of our apartment for Christmas...

We discussed not putting up a tree this year and just not going through the hassle of getting all the decorations out of storage, but I just couldn't do it. I needed to decorate...to place some things around the apartment to keep my mind in anticipation of the coming celebration of the birth of the Christ Child.

Luke 2:17-20 "When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."

Can you imagine? A newborn baby. The Birth of the Messiah. Angels announcing His Birth. What it must have been like to experience that!

I think that the Lord is pleased when we make Christmas a big deal (in a worshipful kind of way). The devotional book that I was reading the other day entitled "Come and Behold Him" put it this way...

...if God commissioned angels to roll back the night and fill it with blazing light,

...if God provided a mighty celestial choir to serenade a few startled shepherds,

...if God graced the heavens with a miracle star,

...if God arranged such a memorable entry point as a feeding trough in a stable,

then festooning our homes with a few seasonal reminders to celebrate the event with attention and care...is entirely appropriate. And, may I go so far as to say that if I would have chosen to not put forth the effort, to be too busy, and just skip the decorations this year...would that have been displeasing to the Lord?

Preparing for Christmas

One of the Christmas traditions that we enjoyed as a family growing up was celebrating Advent. Many churches today have gone away from this celebration, but I still think that it is a wonderful way to prepare our hearts for Christmas.

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The word "Advent" is from the Latin word adventus, which means "coming" and refers to the coming of Jesus into our world. The celebration of Advent has been observed for a thousand years and includes the four Sundays preceding Christmas. The Advent wreath is symbolic with the evergreen branches, and each of the five candles.

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Whether you are following a guide which has Scripture and a devotional reading for each week in Advent or have another family tradition which emphasizes the preparation of our hearts for Christmas...I encourage you to keep reminding yourself, even in the many things that we spend our time on during the Christmas season (shopping, decorating, baking, socializing, writing Christmas cards, giving to a charity, gift wrapping, etc), to prepare your heart for the coming of the King as you are doing these things.

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It is so easy in our "drive-through" "instant" society to miss out on the joy of anticipatory waiting. Rather than waiting in anticipation we tend to make the Christmas season a month-long series of events, celebrations and duties. So, this year I am going to work on waiting in anticipation. (See more about "anticipatory waiting" on Mike's blog this "Theological Thursday.")

By the way, did you notice the background music? There were a couple additional songs that I wanted to add to my playlist but they were not available on the playlist.com website. One of those songs is "Christmas Offering." I just love that song. The words are changed from the original version of the song to be sung at Christmas-time...

Over the skies of Bethlehem appeared a star

While angels sang to lowly shepherds

Three Wiseman seeking truth they traveled from afar

Hoping to find the child from heaven

Falling on their knees they bow before the humble

Prince of Peace

We bring an offering of worship to our King

No one on earth deserves the praises that we sing

Jesus may you receive the honor that you're due

O Lord I bring an offering to you

The sun cannot compare to the glory of your love

There is no shadow in your presence

No mortal man would dare to stand before your throne

Before the Holy One of heaven

It's only by Your blood

It's only through Your mercy

Lord, I come I bring an offering of worship to my King

No one on earth deserves the praises that I sing

Jesus, may you receive the honor that you're due

O Lord, I bring an offering to you

We bring an offering to you

We are an offering to you

We are an offering to you, Jesus

We are an offering of worship to our King

No one on earth deserves the praises that we sing

Jesus, may you receive the honor that you're due

O Lord, we bring an offering to you

O Lord, we bring an offering to you

We bring an offering to you

We are an offering to you We are an offering to you

You can listen to it from the Casting Crowns "Peace on Earth" album on youtube here.

What are you hoping to find this Christmas???

Giving Thanks

I just love Thanksgiving. Whether my mom or Mike's grandma is doing the cooking (depending on where we are spending Thanksgiving Day), the meal is always sure to be delicious. (I think my favorite this year was the completely-from-scratch pumpkin pie my mom made using my $1 pie pumpkin that I had been using as part of my fall decorating.) But, even more than that I just enjoy the history and meaning of the Thanksgiving season. I recently ordered a book/CD resource from Family Life called "Thanksgiving: A Time to Remember" (which, by the way I would recommend). Barbara Rainey writes, ..."Thanksgiving remains the holiday of 'coming home.' It's a holiday of rest - in stark contrast to the frenzy of obligations and spending that threatens to destroy the essence of Christmas. Our national observance of Thanksgiving is unique. It is both distinctly Christian and exclusively American, a holiday for celebrating faith, family and freedom."

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If it has been awhile since you've heard the Pilgrims' story, I would encourage you to listen to it again. (You can hear the Thanksgiving story on the Family Life Today archived broadcast website here - look for 11/10 through 11/14.) Our current struggles pale in comparison to what these men and women went through. Being grateful is a choice. It's not a feeling dependant on circumstances, as we can see in the Pilgrims' lives. They believed in God's providence for all that was going on in their lives.

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For more thoughts on the Thanksgiving season...see also David's Jeremiah's audio message entitled "Growing in the Grace of Gratitude" and his "Thanksgiving" article on his website here. We have so much to be thankful for! I pray that you have "an attitude of gratitude" to the Lord as you spend time in reflection this Thanksgiving...

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name;

Make known His deeds among the peoples.

Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;

Speak of all His wonders.

Remember His wonders which He has done,

His marvels and the judgments uttered by His mouth.

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Psalm 105:1-2, 5

Uncertain Times (Part II)

I found last week's sermon at Grace very fitting for this topic. You can listen to it on the church website at the following link:

Do You See Jesus?: Part 7: Voices in Chaos

Mark 9:1-13

Sermon Notes:

1. Jesus is a unique person. (John 7:37-38; 8:12; 10:9-10, 27-30; 11:25-26; 14:6, Matthew 11:28-30, John 3:16)

2. Jesus has the ultimate perspective. (John 8:58, Mark 8:34-36; Luke 12:15, Matthew 6:19-34, Hebrews 7:24-25; 13:8)

3. Jesus has an unstoppable plan. (Revelation 21:1-5; Matthew 25:23; II Corinthians 4:16; II Peter 1:16-19)

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Psalm 33 - 1 Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. 2 Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. 3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. 4 For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. 5 The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. 6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. 7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him. 9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. 10 The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. 11 But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance. 13 From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; 14 from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth- 15 he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. 16 No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. 17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. 18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, 19 to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. 20 We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. 21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. 22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.

What do you see?

Head over Mike's blog, if you haven't already, for a video that will potentially change your perspective on how you view other people who cross your path...

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

What is written in the Law?" he replied,

"How do you read it?" He answered:

"'Love the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind';

and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

"You have answered correctly, " Jesus replied.

"Do this and you will live."....

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Jesus then told the parable of the Good Samaritan and asked...

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...."Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robber?"

The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."

Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

Luke 10:25-28, 36-37

"Pintos" by Bev Doolittle

I admit it is so easy for me to go about my daily business and look at what appears to be the obvious around me, and even make my own judgements from what I see. This video was a good reminder to keep my eyes fixed on Christ and to "put on the glasses" that will help me see the world through His eyes.

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Frugal Friday: Salon Savings

My mom is a beautician and until we moved to Ohio I had only gone to get my hair done at the salon a total of a few times in my whole life. (Thank you, mom!) But, since we moved to Ohio we don't get home as often (sometimes only once every few months) and because I had a short hairstyle for awhile after my chemo I really had little choice but to go to the salon. I soon realized that this can get really expensive! But, there are ways to make it less expensive (and still look good and feel good about yourself)...

1. Longer hairstyles allow you to go for quite awhile without a haircut. Even with shorter styles, stretch the length in between cuts. Stretching your haircuts from every 6 weeks to every 8 weeks saves you two visits every year.
2. Check out the local beauty school. Even if you only go there every other cut, or just for services like manicures, it could save you a good deal of money in the long run. It's worth a try.
3. If you use salon products, buy them somewhere else. Super Walmart, CVS and other drug stores carry many of the salon products at lower prices. Or, look on eBay...I bought 4 jars of Bed Head Mastermind hair product for the same price I would have paid for 1 in the salon!
4. Ask for gift certficates to your favorite salon as a Christmas gift.
5. Invest in hair clippers and cut your husband's hair yourself. I was a little bit scared at first, but it's really not that hard.
6. Learn to do your own manicures or pedicures.
7. Learn to cut your own bangs and your children's hair.
8. Donate your hair to Locks of Love.

Going to the salon is more important to some women than others (and that is not necessarily wrong), so my challenge to you is this...

• Add up how much you spent last year on haircuts and all the other salon services, including hair care products for the whole family...multiply that times 20...Is 20 years of going to the salon worth that amount of money?? My point is that (just like cable TV and other things) a small amount each month adds up over a number of years. Conversely, pinching pennies to save a couple hundred dollars in a few different areas in the budget also adds up over the years as well!
• And secondly, examine your heart...is this area one that you have given control over to God? The Bible tells us that we should be more concerned about inner beauty than outer beauty...

I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

I Timothy 2:6

Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Proverbs 31:30

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean.

Matthew 23:27

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful.

I Peter 3:3-5

I am not saying that going to the beauty salon or even having a day of pampering is sinful...we should be good stewards and take care of our bodies which also includes eating healthy & exercising...but, even each of these can become sinful (ie: an idol) if our hearts are not right...just as being rich is not in itself sinful, the love of money is sinful...

So, besides being costly monetarily, we may have fallen into believing the lie (which permeates our culture) that physical beauty matters more than inner beauty...

The fact is, if we devote our time and energy to staying fit, trim, glamorous and youthful looking, we may achieve those objectives--for awhile. But the day will come when we will regret having neglected to cultivate that inner beauty, character, and radiance that are pleasing to God and last forever.

(quoted from "Lies Women Believe" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, p. 82)

Now on to other Frugal Friday news...Here are some valuable printable coupons...

Oikos organic greek yogurt (free)

Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers

(Walmart $1.27 - $1 coupon here = $.27)

$1 off 2 Old El Paso products

(this works well with the refried beans or the taco seasonings)

$1 off Bertolli Premium Sauce

($1.78 at Walmart - $1 coupon = $.78)

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What Are You Waiting For?

This week the Pastor and his wife from the Grace Brethren Church will be coming to Ashland to visit with us. This is just one of the steps in the interviewing process that began in late winter for the Pastor of Connections position. This is our first experience interviewing for a position as a pastor in a church so the process is new to us and much different than any of the other jobs either of us have applied for in the past (which typically only takes about a month or so to know whether or not you have the job). Although we are in a time of waiting (especially when it comes to making any specific plans after July) I can say that we have not been confused, frustrated, or impatient in the process. We are excited and hopeful yet totally trusting the Lord for the job that He wants Mike to have.

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I can not say that I have faced every "waiting" period with the same heart. We all have many dreams and desires for our life beginning as a child saying "when I get big enough I will be able to _____ (fill in the blank)". We could make a whole long list of things that we look forward to in life (or in other words "wait for")...getting a driver's license, graduating, getting married, having children, buying a house, retiring, getting a job, having the baby old enough to sleep through the night, having the children old enough to take care of themselves, getting a promotion, getting a bigger house, moving to another state, etc., etc. Many people spend their entire lives waiting for the next stage in their life (or maybe even waiting to die) without really living their life. By doing this we miss out on all of the joy in the many blessings that we already have.

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Mike and I are looking forward to buying a house and having children someday, Lord willing. But see those are the key words "Lord willing." Even though we pray and ask God daily that He would bless us with those things someday, we also realize that He may have other plans. If we end up living in a small apartment for the rest of our lives, can we have contentment and joy? We realize that our small apartment would look like a palace compared to the homes of many other people in the world. If we never are blessed with children, can we have contentment and joy? We realize that God has given us nieces and nephews whom we love dearly and also that not having children right now has given us freedom and opportunities that would not have been possible if we did have children.

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So, allow me to encourage you...If you are feeling disappointed, discouraged, struggling with unfulfilled desires, or feeling like life is passing you by while you sit and "wait," - seek Him, the Lord alone is the source of true joy and contentment...

• Pray and tell God how you are feeling/your desires
• Read scripture (I recommend the book of Job, the story of Hannah in I Samuel, and the writings of Paul in the New Testament)
• Find a Christian you can talk to for encouragement

Two of my favorite songs are: "Blessed Be Your Name" and "Everlasting God". Both express the sovereignty of God and how awesome He is despite whether we are going through a time of abundance or suffering, and how, if we trust in Him, our time of "waiting" will strengthen us...

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Paul learned to be content because he could see life from God's point of view:

Philippians 4:12 "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."

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Lord, Give Us Clean Hands, Give Us Pure Hearts

Give Us Clean Hands Lyrics Artist: Chris Tomlin We bow our hearts We bend our knees Oh Spirit come make us humble We turn our eyes From evil things Oh Lord we cast down our idols So give us clean hands and give us pure hearts Let us not lift our souls to another Oh give us clean hands and give us pure hearts Let us not lift our souls to another Oh God let this be a generation that seeks Who seeks Your face, Oh God of Jacob Oh God let us be a generation that seeks Who seeks Your face, Oh God of Jacob Video: (listen to the song) http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=72db8f68a1bf8b46afd8 or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_snhroF1Cw pure (from http://www.dictionary.reference.com/) –adjective, pur·er, pur·est. 1. free from anything of a different, inferior, or contaminating kind; free from extraneous matter: pure gold; pure water. 2. unmodified by an admixture; simple or homogeneous. 3. of unmixed descent or ancestry: a pure breed of dog. 4. free from foreign or inappropriate elements: pure Attic Greek. 5. clear; free from blemishes: pure skin. 6. (of literary style) straightforward; unaffected. 8. without any discordant quality; clear and true: pure tones in music. 9. absolute; utter; sheer: to sing for pure joy. 10. being that and nothing else; mere: a pure accident. 11. clean, spotless, or unsullied: pure hands. 12. untainted with evil; innocent: pure in heart. 13. physically chaste; virgin. 14. ceremonially or ritually clean. 15. free of or without guilt; guiltless.

Life-giving blood

Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing pow’r? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

As my thoughts have been on Dick a lot the last few days, I began meditating on “blood” and how vital it is to our bodies. Incorporating my understanding of anatomy and physiology with scripture I have been meditating on the following: -Blood functions to transport oxygen from the lungs to the cells of the body and carbon dioxide from the cells to the lungs. It also carries nutrients, heat and waste products as well as hormones. The blood also regulates pH and water content of the cells. Lastly, specialized cells (ie: white blood cells, antibodies) in the blood protect the body against foreign microbes and toxins. -A blood test is often the first type of testing a doctor will order to screen or make a diagnosis on a patient. It is amazing how many different things can now be measured in a blood sample as an indication of what is going on in the body as a whole. -The Red Cross slogan is “Give Blood. Give life.” -The Bible stresses the intimate relationship between blood and life:

Gen 9:4 “But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it.”

Ex 12: 7, 13 “Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs…The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.”

Lev. 17:11 “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.”

Matt. 26: 27-28 “Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

John 6:56-57 “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.”

Heb 9:22 “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

I Peter 1:18-19 “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”

I John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”

Mike writes:

In our culture today when we think of death and dying we think of the brain and the heart...one of them stopped working. In the days of Moses they had a different perspective. Life was based on blood and breathing. When God created Adam, he "breathed" life into him (Gen.2:7) and Jesus on the cross "breathed" His last breath (Mark 15:37). Leviticus 19:17 tells us that we are not to do anything which endangers our neighbor's life (NIV). A more direct translation from Hebrew would be to not do anything which endangers our neighbor's blood...showing how much Moses connected blood with life. John in his Gospel tells us at the crucifixion and death of Jesus was a loss of blood (19:34). So, in the Bible blood was often equated with life as seen in Creation, Levitical Laws, all the way through Jesus and Paul. Remember this the next time you take communion...when Jesus says, "This is my blood" (Mark 14:24) it is so much more than that. It is a representation of what sustained Him, now sustains us!