Carry Me by Steve Camp

I've decided not to post anything right now regarding marriage, divorce, and remarriage. It's just not something I can think about right now. We've also had about four weeks of the flu between my daughters and I, and I was unable to post anything for awhile.

I was listening to the song Carry Me, by Steve Camp, this afteroon on You Tube. For some reason, I can't add the video to my blog. Just click on the song title and it will take you there.

The song greatly encouraged me, as did some quotes throughout the video. Here are the quotes that I found the most encouraging:

"Tough times won't break you if you trust God. They will make you more Godly.

"When trials come, God's grace enables us to seek his face more diligently and produces in us the character to overcome our trials. Don't despair, God is at work in your today."

"God's grace lets us look beyond our present problems to a fervent hope in God."

"No matter how dark the night, there always the down, No matter how strong the storm, there will always be a calm in Christ."

Win an ESV Study Bible - Calfskin Version

There is a FREE giveaway to win the Calfskin version of the ESV Study Bible at the blog, A Boomer in the Pew.

I have been wanting an ESV Study Bible ever since it came out, but the chances of me being able to get one, much less the Calfskin version, are slim to none. Because of circumstances beyond my control, I no longer have access to money.

I'd like an ESV Study Bible because of the notes, maps, and the articles in the back. I've sat down a few times in a bookstore, just looking through one.

Continual Guidance by Charles H. Spurgeon

Continual Guidance

The Lord shall guide thee continually. (Isaiah 58:11)

What aileth thee? Hast thou lost thy way? Art thou entangled in a dark wood and canst thou not find thy paths? Stand still, and see the salvation of God. He knows the way, and He will direct thee in it if thou cry unto Him.

Every day brings its own perplexity. How sweet to feel that the guidance of the Lord is continual! If we choose our own way or consult with flesh and blood we cast ok the Lord's guidance; but if we abstain from self-will, then He will direct every step of our road, every hour of the day, and every day of the year, and every year of our life. If we will but be guided, we shall be guided. If we will commit our way unto the Lord, He will direct our course so that we shall not lose ourselves.

But note to whom this promise is made. Read the previous verse: "If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry." We must feel for others and give them, not a few dry crusts, but such things as we ourselves would wish to receive. If we show a tender care for our fellow-creatures in the hour of their need, then will the Lord attend to our necessities and make Himself our continual Guide. Jesus is the Leader, not of misers, nor of those who oppress the poor, but of the kind and tenderhearted. Such persons are pilgrims who shall never miss their way.

Testing

Whew! I couldn't see any of my posts since yesterday, I thought I lost it all - breathes a sigh of relief.

PSALM 57

Let Your Glory Be over All the Earth

To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam [1] of David, when he fled from Saul, in the cave.

57:1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
till the storms of destruction pass by.
2 I cry out to God Most High,
to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
3 He will send from heaven and save me;
he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah
God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!

4 My soul is in the midst of lions;
I lie down amid fiery beasts—
the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.

5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!

6 They set a net for my steps;
my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my way,
but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah
7 My heart is steadfast, O God,
my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!
8 Awake, my glory! [2]
Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn!
9 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
10 For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.

11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!

A Not too Pleasant Subject - Divorce

After 19 years of a very difficult second marriage, I find myself soon to be in the throes of a separation, followed by another divorce. It is my husband who is pursuing this, and as I look back, I see that he has been planning this for a long, long time, only I just got a hint of it from him just before Christmas. There has been alot of lying, and sneaking around on his part, and I don't know exactly what he is planning on doing, despite what he says. He also might fight me for custody of our daughters to hurt me.

Several people have suggested that I watch the movie, Fireproof, and some day I will. But, there is nothing that will save this marriage, apart from God working in my husband's heart and changing it.

I will post next week on my struggles with the whole remarriage issue.

I have always said I would never get a divorce when children were involved. What I didn't anticipate was that my husband didn't feel the same way. My younger daughter is devastated and heartbroken. He said something to me in front of her recently, right before she went to bed. She was crying when we were in her room, and asking me where we were going to live, and what we were going to do for money. Children shouldn't have to worry about things like that.

One thing I can say is that what he has meant for evil, God is meaning for good. These past several months have been months of growth for me as I cry out to Lord in the midst of it all. He has proven Himself to be faithful and true. I know I have said that before, but it's true, He has. My love for Him has grown deeper, and I know He is carrying me through. I am very weak, but He has been my strength, my Rock, and my stronghold. He will also be my deliverer.

A Wonderful Day

This has been the most enjoyable day I have spent in a long, long time! My daughters and I spent the afternoon together and it was wonderful. It was just us, and we listened to some music from the 70's, while they colored, and we talked and talked. It meant so much to me. The Lord worked it out, and I am so thankful.

The Lord is giving me so much joy, even in the midst of difficult circumstances, and the uncertainties. He truly is a stronghold in times of trouble. He is my Rock, my stronghold, and my deliverer.

Psalm 46

46:1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present [2] help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Struggles

This has been a long, difficult eight months, and they aren't over yet. Through it all I have to say that God has been faithful. Psalm 16 has been a lifeline for me:

Psalm 16 (ESV)

16:1 Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.

2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.”

3 As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
in whom is all my delight. [2]

4 The sorrows of those who run after [3] another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names on my lips.

5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me. [4]
8 I have set the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being [5] rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption. [6]

11 You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Because it's been such a difficult time, I have been more in survival mode than anything else, trying to work through all of this. A good friend of mine from online told me about Nouthetic Counseling. And then she, and another person online, told me about the resource, Trusting God, by Jerry Bridges. That book was helpful to me, as were some other things. What I have discovered is that truly, God is enough. There are so many Scriptures with promises to cling to. It's possible that the worst possible thing I can imagine will happen, but I know that my God is in control, and that He can be trusted. He can thwart any plans or attacks from the enemy. If He does not thwart them, He is still sovereign, and knows much better than I what is needed at this time. He knows all and sees all. My life, and my daughters lives are in His hands.

I will try to write more frequently because I do love writing. I lost that desire for many years. In fact, a few days ago I wrote a poem, and it has been at least 19 years since I have done that.

I will end tonight with this:

Psalm 73:23-28 (ESV)

23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength [2] of my heart and my portion forever.

27 For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
28 But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
that I may tell of all your works.

To God be the Glory by Fanny Crosby

To God be the glory, great things He has done;

So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.

Refrain

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He has done.

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

Refrain

Great things He has taught us, great things He has done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.

Refrain

Isaiah 51/Sobering thoughts

I have been married for 18 1/2 years to a man who was raised Roman Catholic by the couple who adopted him when he was 7 years old. Not only am I not Roman Catholic, but I am also his second wife. As a result, I have never been accepted by his family, nor apparently are our children.

Through the years, some very unkind things have been said to me, and done to me, things that have been very hurtful. Monday night I was very upset over another hurtful thing done, this time to my daughters and I. As I was crying out to the Lord, He brought me to Isaiah 51. That chapter has brought great comfort to me since then. Just a few minutes ago, as I was continuing to be hurt by this, I took it to the Lord, and as I was reading Isaiah 51:6, I had some very sobering thoughts regarding my mother in law and I was humbled.

Isaiah 51:6

Isaiah 51:6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
and look at the earth beneath;
for the heavens vanish like smoke,
the earth will wear out like a garment,
and they who dwell in it will die in like manner;
but my salvation will be forever,
and my righteousness will never be dismayed.

The Lord did not HAVE to save me, he CHOOSE to save me through election, me - a filthy sinner. My sins are covered by the blood of Jesus, but hers are not. She is nearing her 90's, and has been a Roman Catholic her entire life. She THINKS she is saved.

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

For the first time, I am truly grieved that she is lost. She is going to have to pay the penalty for her sins. This is heartbreaking - to have her think that she has been saved her whole entire life, when in reality she is lost. By the grace of God, I have a Redeemer, she doesn't.

As I read further, the grief became worse with the next verse.

Isaiah 51:7-8

Isaiah 51:7 “Listen to me, you who know righteousness,
the people in whose heart is my law;
fear not the reproach of man,
nor be dismayed at their revilings.

Isaiah 51:8 For the moth will eat them up like a garment,
and the worm will eat them like wool;
but my righteousness will be forever,
and my salvation to all generations.”

I am humbled that the Lord would save me, and I will continue to pray for her salvation, because there is always hope that He will save her. I will continue to pray for her until the day she dies, praying that the Lord will save her, the rest of his family, and my own family.

I can rest in the Lord, and trust Him that He is working all of this out for my good, and His glory. It's also humbling to know that the Lord cares for me, and will take care of my enemies.

Romans 8:28-39

Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.


Romans 8:29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.


Romans 8:30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Romans 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

Romans 8:33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.

Romans 8:34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

Romans 8:36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Romans 8:38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,

Romans 8:39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I cannot deny these things are still hurtful to me, but now I know that I need to look beyond my hurts, and look to this lost woman who, unless she repents and turns from her sins, and places her trust in Jesus Christ for eternal life, she will die lost, and spend an eternity in hell. And the times that I start feeling that hurt rise up again, I will pray for her, and turn to Isaiah 51 for comfort. I will also remember, as my pastor reminded me, that Jesus was rejected also.

Memorial Day - Observing it today, the TRADITIONAL day

If my parents were still alive today, they would be celebrating their 61st wedding anniversary. They purposely chose Memorial Day (the traditional day - May 30th) to get married on. Here is a good link about the History of Memorial Day. The day has since been changed to the last Monday in May to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays. That is NOT what Memorial Day is to be about. It isn't about getting a day off from work, having a three day weekend, cooking out, etc. Instead, Memorial Day was originally meant to be a day to "set aside one day out of the year for the nation to get together to remember, reflect and honor those who have given their all in service to their country". If you believe that we should get back to honoring those who have given their lives in service to our country, there is a petition you can sign here.

I'm thankful to those who were willing to serve our country, and who lost their lives as a result. I thank those who have willing served our country, and all of those who are serving now. Let's remember to pray for our troops, and to pray for their families as well.

The below videos are in honor of those who gave their lives for our country, to those who were in the military, and to those who are serving now. I post them also in honor of Jaron Holliday, the son of a lady I was on a list with, who was killed in Iraq on August 4, 2007, and the first video is a tribute to him.









Please watch all four of the videos, the last two are two different ones of Lee Greenwood's song, God Bless the USA. The last two I could not choose between because they were both equally good.

Thank you to the troops who are serving now, and to those who have served our country in the past.

Also, in honor of my dad, Charles A. Brown, Jr., who was retired from the United States Navy.

Dad, I'm still a proud Navy brat.

UPDATE: My younger daughter and I just got back from a cemetery, where we put small flags on each grave of those who served our country, at least until our flags ran out. I hope this will become a tradition for us. Those men who fought in wars caused me even more to be glad that I am an American, and dare I say a proud American. One reason I am proud is because of those who have willingly served our country, some losing their lives.

Tea time with my daughters

Today has been an enjoyable day. For quite some time now, my home hasn't been a pleasant place to be in but today it was so nice. There hasn't been arguing all day. We had a tea time together, something we haven't done in a long time. We got all dressed up, and wore hats. I got out the tea set they and my husband bought me for Christmas in 2005. My younger daughter's birthday was May 21st, and we had some left over cake. Brooke and I had peppermint tea, while Heather had iced sweet tea. I didn't eat the cake, but I had cheese cubes with mine, which surprisingly enough, was good together. The girls had the cake, and then ate some cheese cubes. I wish my camera battery had been charged because I would have taken pictures. After we had eaten, and they were still drinking tea, I read Chapter One of the book by called Beautiful Girlhood. I have the book but here is the link for it online, this is the book by Mabel Hale.

We plan to have these little tea parties (as we call them) during the week when my husband is at work.

I have some books lined up that I'd like to go through them. One of the bible studies I want to go through with them is by Susan Hunt. It is for both teens and pre-teens and is based on two books, both by Susan Hunt. The two books needed to do the study (for the leader only) are The True Woman, and Spiritual Mothering. Both books are cheaper at Amazon but you can read excerpts of the books if you click on the links on each title. I am almost finished reading The True Woman and highly recommend it. I will start on Spiritual Mothering after I finish The True Woman.

The other books I plan to go through with them, and not necessarily in this order, are:

Beautiful Girlhood by Mable Hale, and the updated version by Karen Andreola

Raising Maidens of Virtue by Stacy McDonald

Girltalk by Carolyn Mahaney and her daughter, Nicole Whitacre

The Look: Does God Really Care What I Wear? by Nancy Leigh Demoss

We have started things like this in the past, but never followed through because at the time I don't think they were interested. They are now 15 yrs. old and 10 yrs. old and I'm praying that this time we will be consistent, faithful, and successful.

A Tribute to Maria Sue Chapman video

I saw this video at Kim's blog, Lifesong. I wanted to post it here as well so that it will always be here for me to go back to. My heart breaks for the Chapman's, and I won't forget the date since my daughter turned 10 years old on that day. The video left me in tears, it's a wonderful tribute to a beautiful little girl.

Heart issues

As you guys know, I haven't written a post since February 17th. The reasons are many, one of which is that I was too heavy hearted to post much about anything. During this break, I've been studying biblical womanhood, as well as sins of the tongue. I'm not through studying either of these issues, but I have learned some things.

I'm reading the book, War of Words, Getting to the Heart of Your Communication Struggles, by Paul David Tripp. On page 54, he posted the following verses:

Luke 6:43 For there is not a good tree that produces bad fruit, nor a bad tree that produces good fruit.

Luke 6:44 For each tree is known from its own fruit. For they do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.

Luke 6:45 The good man brings forth good out of the good treasure of his heart. And the evil man brings forth evil out of the evil treasure of his heart, for his mouth speaks out of the abundance of his heart.

Luke 6:46 And why do you call Me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?

On page 55 he says "If we are going to understand our trouble with words, we must begin with the heart. Our tongues are a restless evil because the 'heart is deceitful above all things and who can cure it?' (Jeremiah 17:9). Word problems reveal heart problems. The people and situations around us do not make us say what we say; they are only the occasion for our hearts to reveal themselves in words."

There are those who in my household who do all they can to provoke me to anger, and when I do get angry, they gloat with their little smile. It's so easy to blame them for causing me to become angry, when in reality, they can't make me angry. I get angry because of the ugliness in my own heart. That isn't a very pretty picture of what's in my heart. Yet, it gives me a reason to rejoice. I don't want to be in the situation I am in, and have fought against it for nearly twenty years, until last week when I finally gave it all up, and surrendered it all to the Lord. The battle became more fierce within me for the past year or so.

And, then today I read that piece I quoted above. I have reason to rejoice because:

Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.


Romans 8:30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Romans 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

Romans 8:33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.

Romans 8:34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that, who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

Romans 8:36 As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."

Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Romans 8:38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,

Romans 8:39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

It surely isn't by choice that I am going through the things that I am in my home life, but rather God's, and He has a plan and a purpose. It is all for His glory, and my good. And if this is what it takes for Him to conform me into the image of Christ, I will say with Jesus, through tears, with many more I'm sure to be shed:

Luke 22:41 And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed,

Luke 22:42 saying, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done."

I also cling to these words, and find hope and encouragement through them:

2 Corinthians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia:

2 Corinthians 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,

2 Corinthians 1:4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

2 Corinthians 1:5 For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

2 Corinthians 1:6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.

Psalm 84 is an encouragement to me also, especially verse 10:

Psalm 84:10 For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

I close with this hymn by Karolina Sandell-Berg called Day by Day. I had never heard it before last week when we sang it in church. It has become my lifeline.

DAY BY DAY

Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find, to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowement,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He Whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deems best—
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.

Every day, the Lord Himself is near me
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear, and cheer me,
He Whose Name is Counselor and Power;
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
“As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,”
This the pledge to me He made.

Help me then in every tribulation
So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation
Offered me within Thy holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
Ever to take, as from a father’s hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till I reach the promised land.

HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?

In every condition, in sickness, in health;
In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth;
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,
As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

Even down to old age all My people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.

This was taken from the site, Cyber Hymnal.

Thoughts on Psalm 20:4

Since being sick with the flu I was behind with my reading the Bible through plan that our church is doing. I was able to catch up with my reading this morning, and this Psalm was last. This is my prayer for you.

Psalm 20:1 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!

Psalm 20:2 May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion!

Psalm 20:3 May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah.

Psalm 20:4 May he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans!

Psalm 20:5 May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May the LORD fulfill all your petitions!

Psalm 20:6 Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand.

Psalm 20:7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

Psalm 20:8 They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright.

Psalm 20:9 O LORD, save the king! May he answer us when we call.

As I was reading over this Psalm again just now, I thought I would share something about verse 4 that I learned within the past year. Here is verse 4 again:

Psalm 20:4 May he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans!

Back in 1995 I was going through a difficult time, which continues today. I have my old Bible from that time, and it was one that I frequently wrote notes in, as well as highlighted many verses in. Our family was going to an Assemblies of God church at the time, and I was heavily steeped in their theology. When I read verses like verse 4 above, I thought it meant what "my" heart's desires were, and that He would fulfill all of "my" plans. The key word there being "my." I had no idea my life was to be lived to the glory of God, nor that when I became a believer it wasn't about "me" and what "I" wanted, but that it was all about God, and what HE wanted. I need to insert here that during that time I believed myself to be a believer when in reality I was not. I came to realize after I was saved that God DOES grant us our heart's desires and fulfill our plans because as Christians our lives are no longer our own, and it is no longer our wills we want, and our ways, but HIS. That was simple, yet profound for me when I grasped that.

A Christmas Story - A Triple Dog Dare You

I came across this on Fox News a few minutes ago. If any of you have watched the movie, A Christmas Story, with Peter Billingsley as Ralphie, you will get a good laugh at this article. I have a 9 year old daughter, and can't imagine her doing something like this. Here is the link, but I don't know how long it will be on there.

Indiana Boys Left With Bleeding Tongues After Licking Flagpole

Saturday, January 26, 2008

CHESTERTON, Ind. — Two fourth-grade boys mimicking a scene from the movie "A Christmas Story" wound up with their tongues stuck to a frozen flagpole.

Gavin Dempsey and James Alexander were serving on flag duty at Jackson Elementary School Friday morning, with the job of raising and lowering the school's flags. They decided to see if their tongues really would stick to the cold metal.

"I decided to try it because I thought all of the TV shows were lies, but turns out I was wrong," Gavin said.

Karen Alexander, James' mother , said her son told her he got the idea from the movie, which is based on stories about a boy growing up in the northwest Indiana community of Hammond in the 1940s.

"I can't believe he did it, but they learned their lesson," she said.

James said he plans to eat a lot of ice cream to help nurse his wound.

"When you're young, you're just messing around," he said.

Billie Dempsey, Gavin's mom, said a nurse called them to tell them the boys' tongues were bleeding.

"The nurse asked them, 'OK, who double-dog dared who?"' Billie Dempsey said, a reference to a phrase that a character in the movie used to dare another child to stick his tongue to the pole.

Hailey Pictures/Evangelism.

Here is a picture of our daughter in law, and granddaughter that was taken at Christmas.



Our son and daughter in law will be married ten years in February, and we are very blessed to have her in our family. They've been together since they were in high school. Our son came over with the baby today, and I laughed and told him this is a big year for both of us. He'll turn 30 in March, while I will turn 50 in May.

Our church is taking the School of Biblical Evangelism class from The Way of the Master. We just finished up the third week, and it's been an exciting class so far. Years ago I took Evangelism Explosion in an Assemblies of God church believe it or not. I learned alot from EE, and it was a good program, but for me it was hard to implement. I'm finding The Way of the Master easier. I've even been successful with memorizing bible verses so for, and for that I thank the Lord.

Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron teach the law and the gospel. Until someone understands the bad news, they will never understand the good news. I look forward to implementing more of what I'm learning.

In the first lesson, they had three questions they wanted us to ask at least two others. I'm going to throw the questions out there, and would be interested in your responses. I'll list the questions, along with my answers.

1. Do you share your faith regularly? No

Do you go out of your way to verbally share the gospel with strangers? No

2. If not, is there any reason why you don't? Yes

3. What is the main reason you don't share your faith more often? The main reason is fear - the fear of saying the wrong thing, and the fear of not being able to answer their questions. Another thing is that I seem to run into JW's and Mormons.

I also used the excuse that because I am a housewife, I don't encounter people often. It's an excuse because I DO get out. It's not like I'm locked up in my house day after day, I do go to the grocery store, and places like that.

So, what are your thoughts, and answers?

To God Be the Glory

To God be the glory, great things he hath done!
So loved he the world that he gave us his Son,
Who yielded his life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that we may go in.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear his voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father through Jesus the Son,
And give him the glory, great things he hath done!

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood!
To ev'ry believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus forgiveness receives.

Great things he hath taught us, great things he hath done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.

Raising Teens

My daughters and I did surprise my husband the night before his birthday. It didn't go exactly like we had planned, but it went well enough. He was very surprised and when the girls jumped out of the car and yelled SURPRISE, he was looking for whoever it was visiting us, lol. We're enjoying this car very much.

Now on to what's been on my mind lately. Raising children is not easy, and so many times I feel like I'm just floundering, especially now that we're raising a teen, with a younger daughter watching, and following, her example. And I just happen to be seen as Mrs. Mean Mom, and that's not an easy thing to be seen as. I guess you could say I've been in the Woe is Me state of mind lately, and having quite a pity party. I'm not quite sure that I actually was, but I do know the Lord gave me much encouragement this morning in that whatever it is I'm doing, I'm on the right track. I still feel like I'm failing in so many areas, but I did find myself encouraged this morning.

I searched online to see if I could find something that might help me in raising my daughters, and I came across a very good article on parenting teens on the NANC site with excellent articles. It was a most convicting article for me to read. Here is a link to the article, and just a portion of the article itself:

The Bible tells us how frequently God displayed His awesome power and majesty in the Old Testament. How He showed His love and concern for His people in His one-sided covenants, knowing that we would fall, but He would be true to His Word. He knew that we would frequently reject His counsel and then need to come back to Him and repent. We know,
understand and appreciate all this as long as it is about others, or even us -- just not
our children. Please, God, not our children. We have raised them better and they don’t
appreciate “how much we have done for them.”Beloved mom and dad, (I hate to tell
you this, but...) one sinner marries another sinner and they produce little sinners. I could go on. I could probably make you thoroughly depressed and anxious if I discussed all the counseling cases I have had with rebellious teens and their parents. The forces we are fighting against are
incredible. The evil that our teens are exposed to can literally overwhelm them. So much so that, by the time most parents come in to see me about their children, they are hopeless and reflect the countenance of the Proverb that says, “Hope deferred maketh a heart sick”
(Proverbs 13:12).

The highlighted part seemed to hit me the hardest, although the entire article was helpful, but convicting. Lately I've been dealing with a lot of disrespect from them, and even outright telling me no on some things. This morning I had a talk with them, (and they were bored to tears) and the talk was more like the highlighted part, a woe is Mom kind of talk.

I've been thinking about getting a couple of books by Paul Tripp, one is Age of Opportunity, and the other one is War of Words. Have any of you read those two books, and would you recommend them?

I tried to correct the paragraph that isn't lined right, but I couldn't fix it, but I'm leaving it that way.