Not being much of a TV fan myself, I was pleased to see that Pastor John Piper of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis offers an in-depth explanation for why he doesn’t watch television and rarely goes to movies.
Read his article here.
Category: faith
13 Years of Bliss
Michael and I celebrated our 13th anniversary yesterday. Some folks dislike that particular number, but having had our firstborn on Friday the 13th, we don’t subscribe to such silliness as luck! I am so blessed to have married a man who fears the Lord and loves me and our children so deeply. Thank You, God!
I recently came across some excellent and useful prayer tools on the topic of marriage and husbands. They are from a ministry called Revive Our Hearts, and I believe they are simply too good not to share.
First is a scripture-based daily prayer guide for praying for your husband. You can download the PDF here.
Next is the 30-day Husband Encouragement Challenge. The challenge is that you can’t say anything negative about your husband — to him or anyone else — and you must say something you admire or appreciate about him — to him and to someone else. I am going to attempt this one, and I’m asking my husband and my friends to keep me accountable! The file includes daily scriptures and encouragement for wives taking on this challenge. You can download the PDF here. Anyone else up for it?
Last, and Michael’s favorite title, is 15 Ways to Please Your Husband. I was surprised to see “Keep your junk out of the garage” made the list. I never would have thought of it! You can download the complete list here .
On the same site — Revive Our Hearts — I came across theologian Jonathan Edwards’ 70 Resolutions for Godly Living. They drip with profound wisdom. Here a just two of my favorites:
#28: Resolved, to study the scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.
#69: Resolved, always to do that, which I shall wish I had done when I see others do it.
You can read through the complete list of 70 resolutions here.
Happy reading!
May God Bless America
Today is the National Day of Prayer, and as I look out the window I see a beautiful spring day. Buds have turned to growing leaves on the trees. The rustling grass has grown a vibrant green. It’s a sunny, breezy, 71 degrees in Minnesota. What a beautiful country we live in!
God has blessed us! How can we not respond with thanksgiving? How can we not praise the Maker of the beautiful creation around us? He is worthy to be praised.
Today I am saddened to hear that the White House is not participating in the National Day of Prayer. When in our nation’s history has there been a more urgent need for prayer? So many Americans are without jobs today. So many are off fighting for freedom in distant lands. So many suffer from countless diseases and heartaches.
Especially when the leader of our country choses not to humble himself before God, the rest of us must continue to pray fervently and humbly. Let’s pray that God takes hold of our president and changes his heart. Let’s pray that the veil over the president’s eyes is lifted. Let’s pray that these remarkable trials draw our president into a right relationship with the One True God. Let’s pray that God will forgive our country’s arrogance, our self-sufficient attitudes, and our idolatry. Let’s ask Him to continue to bless the United States of America.
The prayers of the righteous will avail.
Happy Easter!
Linnea, 6, and Laurel, 3 in their matching pink Easter outfits
You gotta love the hat.
Why does she remind me of Pollyanna? So glad.
“Carry Me”
Yesterday we joined some dear friends for a little field trip to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. The gardens boast no flowers in February, of course, but the fresh air and sunshine did wonders for most of us!
Sadly, my 3-year-old, Laurel, was the exception. About two minutes into the trip, she asked if I would carry her. Seriously? It simply wasn’t an option. When we are both wearing snowpants and snowboots, carrying her is impossibly awkward. So, for the whole trip Laurel was whiny and grumpy and sluggish. She walked yards behind the rest of us, and I was selfishly impatient and frustrated with her as I waited for her to catch up. What was her problem? She’s been moody lately — with those infamous 3-year-old girl hormones — but this was a little extraordinary.
Only upon removing her snowboots at home did I realize the real culprit. A blister. She’s outgrowing her hand-me-down snowboots, and they were rubbing a blister on one of her little heals! Poor thing!
Laurel never said that her foot hurt, or that her boots were tight and uncomfortable. She just trudged along with a frown. I feel so badly that I was so impatient with her. I never asked her why she was moving so slowly; I just kept telling her to hurry up!
After her bath tonight I bandaged up Laurel’s foot again, and then I read her the story about the Tower of Babel in her Jesus Storybook Bible. The story concludes saying that the world didn’t need a tower or a staircase to reach heaven, the world needed a Rescuer from heaven.
I asked Laurel who she thought that Rescuer might be. I don’t remember her first answer, but her second answer was, “Jesus!”
I replied, “Yes! Jesus. He is the Way to heaven. We can’t get there by taking the stairs, or by taking an airplane, or any other way. Only Jesus.”
Nestled snugly beneath the covers, Laurel looked particularly thoughtful. Then she asked, “Will Jesus walk us to heaven?”
Hmm. This wasn’t a question I anticipated. “Well, He walks with us on here on earth, so…”
Just as I began to see Laurel connecting this “heaven trip” to our walk at the Arboretum yesterday, she interrupted, “Will He carry me?”
Oh, precious one, yes He will! Jesus rescues us! He heals all the blisters and wounds this uncomfortable world gives us. Jesus knows about wounds. He was wounded for us to heal us from all the bad things we do. He was wounded so we can live with Him forever in heaven. And most certainly He will carry us there.
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
1 Peter 2:24 (NIV)
Love and Hearts
Happy Valentine’s Day!
What’s more heart-warming than a sweater knitted with love by your great-grandma? When we were in Washington in November, my grandma and I took the girls to pick out yarn. Then Grandma went to work knitting these beautiful sweaters for them. She mailed them shortly after Christmas. Don’t they look precious on my little sweethearts?
When we picked up these photos at the drugstore this morning, Laurel (age 3) looked around and said quite matter-of-factly, “Well, it looks like they are ready for Valentine’s Day.” She seemed to think they were getting ready for a party rather than capitalizing on the holiday.
Of course it’s all hearts and love every where we go lately, so how fitting that I’ve been memorizing Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (NIV). I am going to type it from memory just to test myself. Please leave a comment if you notice that I’ve left something out!
“Hear O Israel the LORD our God the LORD is One. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
The girls and I made dozens of these sugar cookies today. We wore our matching pink aprons (thanks again, Aimee!) and destroyed the kitchen with sprinkles, sugar, flour and icing.
Sugar cookies were not something my mother ever made, so I’ve never been a huge fan of them. However, they happen to be Michael’s all-time favorite cookie. It’s tradition in our nearly 20-year history of Valentine’s together for me to make and decorate the cookies so he can consume most of them.
About six years ago my friend Dani gave me what I believe is the BEST EVER sugar cookie recipe. The dough rolls out better than any other recipe or store-bought dough I’ve tried. And the cookies are pretty tasty. Coming from me, that’s saying a lot since most sweets are incomplete without chocolate! Anyway, here’s the recipe:
SUGAR COOKIES
1 cup softened butter
1.5 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 Tblsp. vanilla
3.5 cups flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Mix all together with beater and chill three to four hours. Roll out and cut into shapes. The thicker cookies are better. Bake about 11 minutes at 350 F (longer if you use airbake cookie sheets). Bake until cookies are just slightly brown on the edges.
We also made these heart-shaped lollipops. We got the candy melts and molds at Hobby Lobby a few weeks ago. So fun and super easy!
Here, Laurel is get ready to slurp up what we are calling “raspberry floats.” They are perfectly pink for Valentine’s Day or girly parties. You can mix it together in a punch bowl or in individual glasses if you are just serving a few. Here’s what you need:
RASPBERRY FLOATS
2-liter of raspberry gingerale
1/2 gallon of raspberry sherbert
a handful of fresh raspberries
Scoop sherbert into individual glasses or punch bowl. Pour in gingerale to finish filling the glass or bowl. Mix with a fork if necessary. Let stand for about 5 minutes so the sherbert melts a little. Garnish with a few fresh raspberries and enjoy!
Believing in Miracles
A friend of mine asked me today how I respond to stories about God miraculously healing someone. She asked this knowing that I am a believer and knowing that my mother died of cancer when I was 17. Do I feel like my prayers for her healing went unanswered? Do I feel jealous? Do I feel disappointed? Do I question whether God wanted to heal her?
My short answer was that I used to feel that way, but now I rarely do. I think the more I learn about who God is, the less I question why my mother had no sudden healing on this earth. My temptation to feel jealous of other’s healing miracles still surfaces sometimes, but that’s when I must focus instead on the truth in God’s word. He is sovereign. He is all-knowing. He numbers our days. And He has purposes for suffering, divine purposes.
I have more thoughts on healing and miracles that I’d like to share, so perhaps this post will have a Part 2.
Redeeming the Time
Maybe you’ve heard the saying, “Cleaning the house when children are growing is like shoveling the walk while it’s still snowing.”
So true. Productivity often feels elusive as a stay-at-home mom. Just when I get the crumbs beneath the table swept up, it’s time to serve up another meal and do it all over again. Unwelcome housework lurks around nearly every corner, and procrastination tempts me.
So, I’ve been reading about biblical productivity on a C.J. Mahaney blog series this week, and I wanted to share this quote that Mahaney keeps at his desk:
“No unwelcome tasks become any the less unwelcome by putting them off till tomorrow. It is only when they are behind us and done, that we begin to find that there is a sweetness to be tasted afterwards, and that the remembrance of unwelcome duties unhesitatingly done is welcome and pleasant. Accomplished, they are full of blessing, and there is a smile on their faces as they leave us. Undone, they stand threatening and disturbing our tranquility, and hindering our communion with God. If there be lying before you any bit of work from which you shrink, go straight up to it, and do it at once. The only way to get rid of it is to do it.”
-Alexander MacLaren (1826-1910, Scottish preacher)
Mahaney’s blog series discusses the theology of work – fulfilling one’s God-designed role in life. He distinguishes busyness from fruitfulness. He says our roles are “divine Post-It notes” that God has called us to fulfill specific goals. Biblical productivity, he says, depends on a schedule, which depends on clear goals, which depends on clearly defined roles. Of course! He directs readers to (1) define your present God-given roles, (2) determine specific, theologically informed goals, and (3) transfer these goals into your schedule.
I’m not completely finished with this assignment yet, but I’m not procrastinating, I promise! Mahaney’s biblical productivity blog series isn’t finished yet either, so I’ve gone almost as far as I can go for now. The series is somewhat lengthy, but it’s really worthwhile. Check it out at
http://sovereigngraceministries.com/Blog/post/Biblical-Productivity.aspx
In closing, here’s another great quote before I hit the pillow.
“It is sweet falling asleep knowing we have redeemed the time.”
-C.J. Mahaney
Little Miracles from God
In celebratation of the Sanctity of Human Life, above are pictures of my two little miracles from God, Linnea and Laurel, on their original birthdays. Also, here is a video link to a very moving song “I’m Holding a Miracle.” Praise God! They are miracles indeed!
Here’s an Interesting Webzine
I just discovered Cross-Eyed, a really interesting webzine and blog. There’s an excellent article entitled “Digital Penmanship in an Age of Incoherence.” Amid all the horrors of text messaging, this articles gives me a little glimmer of hope for the future of our language!
Starlight Writer 