No Nobler Career

"There is no nobler career than that of motherhood at its best. There are no possibilities greater, and in no other sphere does failure bring more serious penalties. With what diligence then should she prepare herself for such a task. If the mechanic who is to work with "things" must study at technical school, if the doctor into whose skilled hands will be entrusted human lives, must go to medical school... how much more should the mother who is fashioning the souls of the men and women of tomorrow, learn at the highest of all schools and from the Master-Sculptor Himself, God. To attempt this task, unprepared and untrained is tragic, and its results affect generations to come. On the other hand there is no higher height to which humanity can attain than that occupied by a converted, heaven-inspired, praying mother." ~~ Anonymous, quoted from The Shaping of a Christian Family by Elisabeth Elliot, page 95

"... let in the light of heaven."

I think that I have commended Timberdoodle in the past.  Timberdoodle is a solid, family-owned, business that I adore.  When we lived in Washington, I would drive to their place to pick up my order.  I probably didn't save any money, with gas and a latte for the road, but it was a peaceful drive through the woods, and they were always so kind to me and the kids when I picked up the box, and that was priceless. 

Anyway, in their December email, the letter to customers is just what I've been pondering, and struggling with, in the last few days.  It distills some of our culture challenges on how to celebrate Christmas in the midst of a very commercial world.  It challenges me, and might inspire another post in the process.

(I was going to post just part and link the rest, but I don't think there's a link, so I'll post the entire note.  Blessings!)

Dear Friends,

This year we are taking a slight departure from our annual bashing of secular Christmas, to urge you to take inventory on the condition of your children's hearts.

What if you discovered, quite by accident, that your married daughter was flirting with the UPS man? Would you not beg her to remember the vows she made before God and man? And wouldn't you feel sick if she laughed and continued to engage in such destructive behavior?

Paul, in his second letter to the Corinthians implored "...I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ." If your children are to spend eternity with Christ, as a godly parent, don't you see a need to train your children to treasure Him above everything else?


For all the warmth and joy that the Christmas season can bring, it can also become a cesspool of impulsive passions. Or it can be a season of opportunities, uniquely designed to sanctify your family. The caroling missed because of the flu, the must-have toy not purchased because of a scaled back budget, the annual Christmas pie tossed because the cat sampled it, are all occasions to take a peek into where your child's affections are. For all the hoopla surrounding Christmas, there is disturbingly little emphasis placed on pleasing the One whose birth we are celebrating, and wholly too much importance placed on making ourselves happy.

Samuel Rutherford, a Scottish Presbyterian theologian (1600-1661), wrote "... if you see a man shut up in a closed room, idolizing a set of lamps and rejoicing in their light, and you wish to make him truly happy, you would begin by blowing out all his lamps; and then throw open the shutters to let in the light of heaven."


This Christmas, may we all remember to whom we are betrothed and set our affections fully on Him,


Enjoying Timberdoodle products in a whole new way,
Dan, Deb, Joy, Hope, Grace, Abel, and Pearl

(photo credit to tollen at Flickr)

A Beautiful Inheritance

this post, taken from Andree Seu's series on the Book of Joshua, challenges me- am I satisfied in God alone?
In the work of parenting, of wife-ing, of serving His people, am I satisfied in God alone?  His inheritance is beautiful. 
Do read the entire piece.

Or have you even gotten to the point where the choice of God is not a sacrifice? Have you gotten to the place where you have stepped into obedience enough times, and chosen the way of faith often enough, that you have learned a very cool secret—that the joy is immediate and the deepening intimacy with God is something you wouldn’t trade for all the olive oil in Asher?

“The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance” (Psalm 16:5-6).

(art credit:  Madagascar Olive Leaves, Elizabeth Thompson, 2008)

Amen

from Femina, Nancy Wilson's blog-

"Paul must have been thinking of the duties of mothers when he wrote these verses:

“….warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.”
1 Thessalonians 5:14

Holy Triumph

Introduction from
The Godly Man's Picture
by Thomas Watson

CHRISTIAN READER,

The soul being so precious, and salvation so glorious, it is the highest point of prudence to make preparations for another world. It is beyond all dispute that there is an inheritance in light, and it is most strenuously asserted in Holy Scripture that there must be a fitness and suitability for it (Col. 1:12). If anyone asks, 'Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord?', the answer is, 'He that has clean hands, and a pure heart' (Psalm 24.4). To describe such a person is the work of this ensuing treatise. Here you have the godly man's portrait, and see him portrayed in his full lineaments. What a rare thing godliness is! It is not airy and puffed up, but solid, and such as will take up the heart and spirits. Godliness consists in an exact harmony between holy principles and practices. Oh, that all into whose hands this book shall providentially come, may be so enamoured with piety as to embrace it heartily. So sublime is godliness that it cannot be delineated in its perfect radiance and lustre, though an angel should take the pencil. Godliness is our wisdom. 'The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom' (Job 28.28). Policy without piety is profound madness. Godliness is a spiritual queen, and whoever marries her is sure of a large dowry with her. Godliness has the promise of the present life and of that which is to come (1 Tim. 4.8). Godliness gives assurance, yes, holy triumph in God, and how sweet that is (Isa 32.17). It was Latimer who said, 'When sometimes I sit alone, and have a settled assurance of the state of my soul, and know that God is my God, I can laugh at all troubles, and nothing can daunt me.' Godliness puts a man in heaven before his time. Christian, aspire after piety; it is a lawful ambition. Look at the saints' characteristics here, and never leave off till you have got them stamped upon your own soul. This is the grand business that should swallow up you time and thoughts. Other speculations and quaint notions are nothing to the soul. They are like wafers which have fine works printed upon them, and are curiously damasked to the eye, but are thin, and yield little nourishment. But I will not keep you longer in the porch. Should I have enlarged upon any one characteristic of the godly man, I have contracted my sails, and given you only a brief summary of things. If this piece, (however undigested) conduces to the good of souls, I shall have my desire. That the God of grace will effectually accomplish this shall be the prayer of him who is...
Yours in all Christian affection,
THOMAS WATSON

Old Ways. Ancient Paths.

From time to time since 1963, a rebel organization had tried to overthrow the Indonesian government. In 1976 this rebel movement surfaced again, attracting some of the young people- even children of church leaders. The youth went back to long, matted hair and to painting their faces and bodies for war. They started to make bows and arrows and spears. "We're going back to the old ways," they announced.

"How could you possibly want to go back to fear of spirits and the miseries of no food, of pain and cold, and of war and death?" their parents asked them.

Most who joined the rebel forces were nominal Christians, young people who had come up in the church and perhaps were even baptized but had not been born again. They thought the rebel movement offered excitment...
(from Torches of Joy, John Dekker with Lois Neely, YWAM Publishing, 1985)

We've been reading of the missionary adventures of John and Helen Dekker, and their work among the Dani tribes people in the Toli Valley of Irian Jaya (formerly Netherlands New Guinea). The Lord did amazing work through the Dekkers and other missionaries, including native converts who became missionaries, in that land. And yet, we read that indeed, there is nothing new under the sun. At some point, even the children of converts, first-hand witnesses to such obvious extremes between light and darkness, were tempted to turn back to the "old ways."

The passage caught my attention, and I lingered over it. And I continue to think about it.

Then in devotions this morning, I read a reminder of what we are to teach our children. We need to teach our kids that the Word of God is all Truth, and is infinitely more satisfying than anything the world offers. We need to help our children develop eyes to see and ears to hear and a heart to understand (Matthew 13:10-17).

And, we have to persevere in prayer, in the words of Jeremiah 6:16, for our children to "see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it...," literally from the Strong's Concordance description, "the true piety and uncorrupted morals that are ascribed to the men of old."

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death," Proverbs 16:25 tells us. I pray for the wisdom to seek out the ancient ways, not just the old ways.

(photo credit to richj_gsy at Flickr)

Draw Your Sword

"DRAW YOUR SWORD" ~ Westley, the farmboy, Princess Bride

We have the opportunity to raise up warriors for His Kingdom. We have the privilege to equip them to fight the Good Fight. The battle is real. Prayer on their behalf is a powerful weapon. We are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world...against wicked spirits in the heavenly realm (Ephesians 6:12 NLT). God's word (our sword) prayed back to HIM promises to not come back void.

So, for the sake of my children, I pray this...

"Father, I pray that (children's names) would put on the whole armor of God, that they may be able to stand in this battle. I pray that their waist would be girded with truth, having but on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod their feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which they will be able to quench all the fiery darts if the wicked one. I pray that they would take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance...(Ephesians 6:11-18)."

Not Constrained by Conscience

"To have people who are well informed but not constrained by conscience is, conceivably, the most dangerous outcome of education possible. Indeed, it could be argued that ignorance is better than unguided intelligence, for the most dangerous people are those who have knowledge without a moral framework."~~Ernest Boyer from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

To prefer righteousness

"With all eternity hanging in the balance, we fight the fight of faith. Our chief enemy is the Lie that says sin will make our future happier. Our chief weapon is the Truth that says God will make our future happier. And faith is the victory that overcomes the lie, because faith is satisfied with God. The challenge before us then is not merely to do what God says because He is God, but to desire what God says because he is good. The challenge is not merely to pursue righteousness, but to prefer righteousness. The challenge is to get up in the morning and prayerfully meditate on the Scriptures until we experience joy and peace in believing "the precious and very great promises" of God (Rom. 15:13; 2 Peter 1:4). With this joy set before us the commandments of God will not be burdensome (1 John 5:3) and the compensation of sin will appear too brief and too shallow to lure us." - John Piper

Thinking out loud for a few moments...
I've been meditating lately on raising kids that grow into mature believers; kids that grow to love and serve the Lord our God with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength. It started with this article, and then this one, food for thought, but not with answers that wholly satisfy. And then of course, there are mysteries we struggle with, knowing kids that grow to young adults and struggle in their walk, that perhaps turn away from the Lord though we know their parents sincerely sought to raise them up in the nurture and admonition, "the discipline and instruction" (Eph 6:4), of the Lord. I know that the temptation of the world is strong, even for those of us with feet solidly grounded in His truth. I know that deception comes quickly, cunningly.

So knowing that there is no magic potion for growing up kids,
that there's no one foolproof formula for success,
I am thankful that, indeed, we are given these children with a manual and guide, Scripture itself.

The Piper quote reminds me, yet again, how to pray for my children-
that they would have faith that is fully satisfied with God;
that they would "abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Rom 15:13);
that they would "escape the corruption that is in the world" (2Peter 1:4);
that His commandments would not be burdensome (1John 5:3), but rather,
that they would delight themselves in the Lord and commit their way to Him (Ps 37:4-5).

And, it reminds me of my own plea, as I confess my own sin and come humbly before the Lord, which, really, is exactly the same-
that I would not provoke my children to anger (Eph. 6:4);
that I would, too, be fully satified with God,
that as a response of joy to the salvation He offers, we would all prefer righteousness.

...think about such things

One of the first and most enduring lessons on parenting I learned before I had ever birthed a child myself. As members of a bible study that met in the chaplain's home each week, we had a Friday evening front row seat to how he and his wife interacted with, disciplined, and discipled, their children. One evening we joined the conversation in progress. The issue? whether or not to buy the latest in video games. Finally, in response to his son's appeal, "but there's nothing wrong with it," the dad replied, "but what is right with it?"

What is right with it? Because, you know, there are a lot of things that aren't exactly wrong. But then, they aren't exactly right, either. That question, taken from the standard Paul sets in Philippians 4:8-9, has stuck with us ever since, and has been a benchmark as we parent our own kids, even today, nearly 19 years later. This article from Shepherd Press reinforces the same idea, and is worth the reminder.

Unconsciously to Herself

"She is the first model of character they witness; the first exhibitions of right and wrong in practice are what they see in her. They are the constant observers of the passions, graces, virtues, and faults which are shown in her words, temper, and actions. She is therefore, unconsciously to herself, educating them not only by designed teaching, but by all she does or says in their presence." ~~ Female Piety, John Angell James

Mother and Child by Pablo Picasso

Promises of the Covenant

It has been a hard parenting week. I'm sure my kids would tell you that it has also been a hard week to be a child. This post from Carolyn Mahaney at Girl Talk is balm to my soul today.

Be encouraged!

When they are too old to spank...

Sin reared its very ugly head in my kitchen this morning and two children, that shall remain unnamed, were THIS close to a fist fight.

Like a school playground monitor, I separated them and sent each to his or her respective room to calm down. Perhaps that was also to give time for ME to calm down...

I was thankful that each returned, repentent and seeking forgiveness from the other. The punitive effects?
Each had to search Proverbs and write 20 verses on the fool or the hot-tempered man.

Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me, and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them, and with their sons forever!
Deuteronomy 5:29

(photo credit to circlesandsquares at etsy.com, though I don't really recommend it as a t-shirt message...)

An Account of What is Past

In the March 28th issue of World magazine, Janie B. Cheaney has a great piece entitled Boastful Dunces: Post-literate college students reveal a 'resentful incapacity'. She brings attention to the challenge of Thomas Bertonneau, literature professor at SUNY-Oswego, to education modern college students through his Western Heritage course. His goal is to introduce the students to the importance of knowing the "foundations of their civilization."

"In spite of his repeated lecture points and cheat sheets, they confuse historical events...Their test-taking training in high school taught them to take note of dates but not to make sense of how they use them. Though saturated with movies and TV, they lack a basic notion of cause-and-effect and logical consequence basic to stories."

This is taken from the introduction in Streams of Civilizations by Mary Stanton and Albert Hyman, a history textbook published by Christian Liberty Press...

"Every student at some time has asked the question: 'Why is it important to study history? What difference can it make to me what a lot of people did thousands of years ago?'

History is important because it is the story of people, how they came into existence and what they did. People have always faced the same problems of food, shelter, social organization, political structure, and religious expression. By exploring the streams of civilization throughout time, we will have a better understanding of how the world came to be the way it is today. It will also help us to understand better the events that are happening today and the decisions being made that will change the future."

Through reading these great works in literature like Homer's Odyssey, Virgil's Aeneid, and Dicken's Tale of Two Cities, it is as though we are given windows framing respective chapters in history. Through these windows we can get a clearer picture of what we are looking at and of what we are ultimately a part of even today--HIS Story.

"To everything there is a season,

a time for every purpose

under heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die;

A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal;

A time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh;

A time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to gain, and a time to lose;

A time to keep, and a time to throw away;

A time to tear, and a time to sew;

A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate;

A time of war, and a time of peace...

What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that evey man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor--it is a gift of God.

I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him. That which is has already been; and God requires an account of what is past." Ecclesiastes 3:1-15

Like a Flint

God's Help for God's Assignment

a devotion by Elisabeth Elliot

Sometimes a task we have begun takes on seemingly crushing size, and we wonder what ever gave us the notion that we could accomplish it. There is no way out, no way around it, and yet we cannot contemplate actually carrying it through. The rearing of children or the writing of a book are illustrations that come to mind. Let us recall that the task is a divinely appointed one, and divine aid is therefore to be expected. Expect it! Ask for it, wait for it, believe that God gives it. Offer to Him the job itself, along with your fears and misgivings about it. He will not fail or be discouraged. Let his courage encourage you. The day will come when the task will be finished. Trust Him for it.

"For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded, therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed" (Is 50:7 AV).

Q & A

Friends!

I listened to this while folding a mountain of laundry this morning!

Good, practical and Godly advice from Doug and Nancy Wilson and Tim Bayly.

Advice that, encouragingly, was familiar to me. Advice that parents need to hear, and be reminded of.

So go find a pile of clean clothes that need folding and take a listen. It takes about an hour.

(art credit: The Way Home, a print of an original painting found at Tummy Mountain)

This and that today...

A few good words from around blogdom today...

From John Piper at Desiring God- An Encouragement and Precaution for Parents

From Carolyn Mahaney at Girl Talk- Pay Attention

And this, our prayer for our children, from Psalm 144:12-

Let our sons in their youth be as grown-up plants,

And our daughters as corner pillars fasioned as for a palace.

Or, as Matthew Henry comments,

"To see them as plants, not as weeds, not as thorns; to see them as plants growing, not withered and blasted; to see them likely to bring forth fruit unto God in their day; to see them in their youth growing strong in the Spirit."

(photo credit to Phool4xc at Flickr. I just couldn't find a "grown up plants" photo that I liked...)

Compassion

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,

Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness,

He will not always strive with us;

Nor will He keep His anger forever.

He has not dealt with us according to our sins,

Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.

As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Just as a father has compassion on his children,

So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.

Psalm 103:8-14

"The Scripture says a great deal of the mercy of God, and we all have experienced it.

The father pities his children that are weak in knowledge, and teaches them;

pities them when they are froward, and bears with them;

pities them when they are sick, and comforts them;

pities them when they are fallen, and helps them to rise;

pities them when they have offended, and, upon their submission, forgives them;

pities them when wronged, and rights them:

thus the Lord pities those that fear him."

Matthew Henry, Concise Commentary on the Bible

Finish Psalm 103 for more encouragement on, as Henry says, "the constancy of His mercy."

(art credit to hmiracle @Etsy, A Mother Love Magnet)

(forgive the mom art- I know that this passage clearly refers to God the Father, and Henry to a father's love for his children, but since most of the GiantFaith readers are moms... :-) )

Dark sayings of old

Listen, O my people, to my instruction;
Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings of old,
Which we have heard and known,
And our fathers have told us.
We will not conceal them from their children,
But tell to the generation to come the praises of the Lord,
And His strength and His wondrous works that He has done.

For He established a testimony in Jacob,
And appointed a law in Israel,
Which He commanded our fathers,
That they should teach them to their children,
That the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born,
That they many arise and tell them to their children,
That they should put their confidence in God'
And not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments,
And not be like their fathers,
A stubborn and rebellious generation,
A generation that did not prepare its heart,
And whose spirit was not faithful to God.
Psalm 78:1-8

Look at those imperaties:
tell
teach
arise
not forget
keep

Those are our marching orders.

Tell of His Greatness

I will extol Thee, my God, O King;

And I will bless Thy name forever and ever.

Every day I will bless Thee,

And I will praise Thy name forever and ever.

Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised;

And His greatness is unsearchable.

One generation shall praise Thy works to another,

And shall declare Thy mighty acts.

On the glorious splendor of Thy majesty,

And on Thy wonderful works, I will meditate.

And men shall speak of the power of Thine awesome acts;

And I will tell of Thy greatness.

They shall eagerly utter the memory of Thine abundant goodness,

And shall shout joyfully of Thy righteousness.

The Lord is gracious and merciful;

Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.

The Lord is good to all,

And His mercies are over all His works.

All Thy works shall give thanks to Thee, O Lord,

And Thy godly ones shall bless Thee.

They shall speak of the glory of Thy kingdom,

And talk of Thy power;

To make known to the sons of men Thy mighty acts,

And the glory of the majesty of Thy kingdom.

Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

And Thy dominion endures throughout all generations.

Psalm 145:1-13

(photo credit to JamesWatkins)

& oh the stories!

Many people have said to me, "What a pity you had such a big family to raise. Think of the novels and the short stories and the poems you never had time to write because of that." And I looked at my children and I said, "These are my poems. These are my short stories."

-Olga Masters

(quote credit to caron & whocares)

(art credit to Dorothy Tennant, At Play)

Compassion and Comfort

“Children are meant to understand compassion and comfort because they have received compassion and comfort - and this should be in the family setting. A family should be a place where comfort is experienced and understood, so that the people are prepared to give comfort to others.” ~~ Edith Schaeffer

The 5:00 Club

Set my alarm for the same time everyday.
Get up. Turn off alarm, which is strategically placed on the other side of the room. (I’ve learned this is my most critical moment in getting up early. It is crucial that I never, never, never, hit the snooze button or lie back down to catch a few more winks.)
Head straight to bathroom and then proceed directly to the coffee pot.
Be prepared to feel absolutely miserable for about 10 to 15 minutes. (But the feeling of misery turns into pure gladness as I soon experience the delight of having that alone time and as I reap the benefits all day long. It is totally worth feeling miserable for about 15 minutes.)
Your body responds to a regular wake up time. In other words, it gets easier.

- Nicole Whitacre from GirlTalk on The 5:00 Club

Number one- this post is about waking up early.

Number two- this post is NOT about guilt.

Last year on January 1, my husband and I made a commitment to getting up together early in the morning to spend time in prayer and in the Word.

Wait. Let me clarify. We get up in the same house, at the same time, but we don't pray or study together. In fact, we rarely speak to each other. But we are both awake!

We kept doing it through the year, not perfectly, but consistently. And we're still doing it.

God is faithful. That time has grown to be precious to us.

The ladies at GirlTalk talk about this practice today. Well, not ME, of course, but what they write could be me, except we are the 5:30 Club. It's familiar and it's true, and like they are doing, I commend it to you all too.

It's dang tough in the winter, when it's dark and cold and snuggled under the comforter is such a good place to be. It's easier in the summer, when the birds are awake and the sun wakes up with you and you can even go outside on the porch.

It's not really about the hour. As the GirlTalk ladies say, "The question isn’t, “How early do you get up in the morning?” but rather, “Does your daily schedule reflect your priorities: specifically, seeking God at the outset of the day, romancing your husband, and serving your family?” The purpose of getting up early is to make the most important priorities most important."

Notice- it might not be for everyone.

The GirlTalk girls note, and I do too, that 5 am is not for those with young children that still wake up at midnight and at 3 am.

That's ok.

Youngun's grow, and they learn to sleep.

I promise.

For more on The 5:00 Club, read on at GirlTalk.

(photo credit to a Flickr search for "sunrise omaha" and Flatland Moutaineer.)

Texts to Pray for Our Children

I have printed out this list, and placed it in the little notebook I use to keep track of how I pray for my kids...

Texts to Pray for Our Children

(art credit: Mother Praying, by Neil Iverson)