in our heart, in our mouth

"And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What is this?' then you shall say to him, 'With a powerful hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery."

Exodus 13:14

In his commentary on this passage, Matthew Henry writes, "Also care must be taken to teach children the knowledge of God. Here is an old law for catechising. It is of great use to acquaint children betimes with the histories of the Bible. And those who have God's law in their heart should have it in their mouth, and often speak of it, to affect themselves, and to teach others."

Those who have God's law in their heart should have it in their mouth...

I thought about that last week, as I read out loud to my family in the evening.  We read The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, a suspenseful story that, every night, left my entire family wanting one more chapter.  In the book, there were several particularly menacing, even evil, characters, women the likes of Cruella deVil or Mrs. Hannigan from Annie.  But in this book, we were all especially indignant when the diabolical mistress of the orphanage read Scripture out loud to the girls, while at the same time overseeing their hard, and punitive, labor in the orphanage.  This woman had God's law in her mouth, but not in her heart.

My kids recognized right away that although she spoke the Word, this woman was not a doer of the Word.  It was so blatantly obvious in this case, but even so, it's tough to deceive these kids.  She had absolutely no credibility in my family's eyes. 

And so, my prayer is that I have both, that I have His law set deep in my heart AND that it would be quick on my tongue.  My prayer is that my children know my sincerity before Him, that they recognize my dependence on our Lord, and that my witness of Him, how the Lord indeed brought me out of bondage and out of slavery, would be true.

(art credit to kmberggren at etsy)

Dream job

So my "dream job" title is: "wife, mother, homemaker, prayer warrior, choir director, praise singer, child of the Most High God." I cannot say that I have had significant impact on the lives of a great number of people. However, I can say that God has blessed me immeasurably in my children who are all honest, hard working, resourceful, creative, intelligent and God fearing. I believe I am truly loved and appreciated by my family and friends, God's people who are my co-laborers.
from "I yuv you, dwamma," BaylyBlog, 11January2010

Do read the entire piece.
That bit quote is from a larger piece that was on the Bayly brothers blog earlier this week.  It gave me start, because it was almost as though I was reading my own story.  (well, except that part about "praise singer."  I am, but strictly in the corporate setting!)

Through the wonder of Facebook, I've recently come in contact with many old friends, many from high school and college, many that I have not seen or spoken to "in real life" for many, many years.  It is fun to "see" people, to briefly renew old relationships, to see what folks are doing, to see how their kids resemble them, and such and such. 

I wasn't especially "popular" in high school, although I was pretty well known, I suppose.  I was active in a zillion clubs and activities.  Later I realized that was mostly to escape being at home in some very tumultous years.  I had several really good friends and many acquaintances.  I did many things I regretted, both immediately and even now, things for which the statute of limitations might not ever be reached (except between me and my God and my husband).  I was foolish. (oh, and I still am, in so many ways!)  Despite all that, somehow I was voted "Most Likely to Succeed." 

So, sometimes I wonder what those folks think when they see my Facebook profile, and read about someone who describes herself as a "sojourner, grateful for grace."  I am.  And I am.  I'm not worried about what they think; I just wonder.  And just as the writer speaks, I don't want to critique the paths that others have been led down.  I have enough problems trying to walk in obedience on the path the Lord is directing me!  It is, perhaps, a different path than others expected.  Truth be known, it's a different path than I expected!  But it is a path that I'm abundantly grateful to be on.

This little piece reminds me that there are others that wonder too.  But, mostly, it reminds me of the wonder of grace.  And of the wonder of being "confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."  (Phil. 1:6)

art credit:  Jetaime, Mae and Bebe series, KatHannah at Etsy.com)

A Ministry to Christ

1. View your ministry to your family as a ministry to Christ.

When you serve your family, you are serving Christ. As you cook for your family, you cook for Jesus. As you clean up a child's mess, you do it first for Jesus. As you care for the needs of your child's father you do it for Jesus. We do it all for HIM.

2. God's inexhaustible reservoir of love is the resource for your ministry of motherhood.

It is God's love that gives you the grace that is sufficient to every challenge of mothering. You need God's love and grace to live sacrificially for your children and point them to Jesus.

3. You must rely on God's wisdom and understanding for the ministry of training your children.

Rest in Christ your teacher for the wisdom you need to guide and direct your children.

4. You must carry out your ministry in the authority of Christ.

By definition, a minister is someone who gives aid or service. The ministry of motherhood is a ministry of service you carry out for Christ as you serve your children. Your authority goes beyond giving birth and physically protecting them. You have the authority under God to raise your children to be servants of God.

5. Your ministry is to be a servant, not a slave.

There is a big difference. To serve is to render aid or help. Jesus said, "Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant" (Mark 10:43). If you want to be a great mother, render service to your children by training them in the way they should go.

A servant makes sacrifices, offering something precious to God. We make sacrifices, suffer personal losses, and give up things that are valuable to us on behalf of the children we serve. Our sacrifice is patterned after the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, who served our deepest needs by giving His life. As mothers we learn to lay down our lives for our kids on a daily basis, not because our children are in charge, but because we have a vision and a goal of helping them understand the importance of serving Christ.
~Donna Otto, The Stay-at Home Mom

The Bath...Inside and Out

As I was admiring this familiar painting by Mary Cassatt, it brought me tender thoughts of getting to bathe my own children when they were little. Now, I have only one of four who needs assistance in the batheing process and I have come to realize that this is such a intentional exercise of care for my child. My efforts are focused on the outward cleansing of my child's appearance. I am even careful to scrub behind the ears...places not so noticeable by casual interaction. All this is important for her well-being, to be sure, but it brings to mind an even more important cleansing my child needs, that I need--the cleansing of the heart, an inward cleansing!



As I have matured as a follower of Christ, I have come to understand, by His grace, that I am not able to cleanse my own heart, let alone, my children's. Only through the work of His Spirit in our lives are we able to experience true cleansing.



I want to share this encouraging excerpt from Tedd and Margy Tripp's book, Instructing a Child's Heart...



"Our children's needs are the same as our own needs. We need cleansing, forgiveness, deep internal transformation and the power to change. These transforming changes are described in Ezekiel 36:25-27. This is an Old Testament seed text for the gospel. When it is compared to Christ's dialogue with Nicodemus (Jn.3:1-21), one might even conclude this was Jesus' outline when he spoke with this secret follower.



'I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean' (Ezek. 36:25). Ezekiel begins with our impurity and need for cleansing. We are all sinners; even our best deeds are filthy rags before God.

Ezekiel elaborates on this need for cleansing by identifying two broad areas of life that scream out for cleansing. 'I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols' (Ezek. 36:25).

Our children's thoughts, motives, and actions are impure and show how profoundly they, like us, need cleansing. Impure thoughts are not limited to sexual sin. Any thoughts that are not consumed with loving God with heart, soul, mind and strength are impure thoughts. The only hope for our children and us is the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus Christ.

Our children, like you and me, have enthroned idols in the place of God. We have made the great exchange Romans 1:25 describes. We have worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator. Every particular sin, every point at which I choose to disobey the law of God is due to this great exchange. I am worshipping and serving created things rather than the Creator. All sin problems are worship problems. They have their roots in idolatry.

The worship of idols in our children's hearts cries out with the need for cleansing.

We and our children also need forgiveness. We cannot change our history. Even if we would never sin again, we still need forgiveness. Our sins are great enough to consign us to eternal damnation. We cannot work our sins off. Though we cannot earn forgiveness, we can receive it as God's free gift of grace. The promise of the new covenant in Jeremiah 31 promises the forgiveness sinners so desperately need. 'For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more (Jer. 31:34).

In order to underscore the importance of Christ's perfect life and death on the cross, I used to emphasize for my children that love is not the basis of forgiveness. Instead, forgiveness is based on payment. God's love moved him to send his Son. The Son loved us and gave his life as a ransom. Christ paid the penalty for sins and forgiveness is offered on the basis of payment.

Since the problem with us is greater than just the things we do, we have a profound need for deep internal change. Ezekiel speaks too this need. 'I will give you a new heart' (Ezek. 36:26.) The promise of this passage is that grace brings radical internal change. I will remove for you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

We and our children need change that is that radical and thorough. When a child has gained renewed interest in a toy simply because a sibling would like it, that child is exhibiting a stony heart. That hardness of heart will not be melted through anything other than grace. Manipulation of behavior through rewards and punishments will never touch the stony heart. In fact, if you think about it, most behavioristic manipulation makes its appeal to the stoniness of your child's heart. Behaviorism appeals to his compulsive self-love, his pride and his love of pleasure to produce externally appropriate behaviors.

Only grace can change the heart. What an encouragement! The very thing that we need is the very focal point of God's work. God gives us a new heart--a heart of flesh!"

What a joy! HE provides real cleansing, on the inside...even behind the ears, so-to-speak--places which cannot be seen by casual interaction.

With hope in the faithful work of the Spirit in the hearts of myself and my children, I press on in His grace and pray...

Mighty Father, in Your great mercy and grace, on behalf of my children, take their hearts of stone and give them hearts of flesh. I pray that You will put Your law on their minds, and write it on their hearts; I pray that You will be their God and they will be Your people. I pray that You will forgive their iniquity, and their sin, may You remember no more (Ezekiel 36:26; Jeremiah 31: 33-34). In Jesus' name, Amen.