Met With Perfect Pleasure

New Blog

2010-11-06T16:23:00.000-07:00

Blogging here now. First post is now up.

A New Year Dawns

2010-01-01T16:17:00.000-08:00

I know that there is little difference between yesterday and today and yet, somehow, there is a sense of newness I always feel on New Years Day. It could be that with the winter solstice now behind, a new hope naturally dawns with the lengthening of days. It could be that with a new calendar a fresh opportunity to determine the story it will tell presents itself. Whatever it may be, it's a good opportunity for me to examine the past year for changes that need to be made in the new year, receive God's grace for patterns of sin and seek to grow and change. It is a good time to examine evidences of God's grace and goodness over the past year and be renewed in hope for future graces in the coming year.

Ordinarily I don't make any New Year's resolutions and I don't take the opportunity to examine the past year as I've just described but this year I feel pressing in on me the need to take account of the past year and enter the new year with new purpose. Perhaps because January is a long, dark, cold month and February usually colder still. Perhaps because we are more housebound than usual and there are no celebrations or gatherings on the horizon to focus on. Perhaps because I find this time of year to be the time when I am most tempted to despair and discouragement. Whatever it is, the feelings I have on New Years Day rapidly wane and I have come to realize that this year will not differ from the last if I don't make an effort to examine and plan.

I have not yet taken the time to examine the past year and plan for the new but my husband is working tomorrow and so during our afternoon quiet time I plan to take the time to do this. I have come across two helpful resources that I will use as tools to focus my thoughts and planning. First I will go through Don Whitney's "Ten Questions for a New Year" plus the additional questions he offers. Second, I hope to take my answers, narrow them into three specific guiding goals and chart how I am going to act on them.

While today bears little resemblance from yesterday, by God's grace tomorrow can look

different and next year I can look back and see measurable growth and graces.

Happy New Year!

52nd Week, Not Quite 52 Books

2009-12-29T20:39:00.000-08:00

I read a lot of books this year, but not 52. With a home to care for, 2 children I'm homeschooling, 2 more preschoolers, and other outside commitments a book a week was a little ambitious. Here is the rest of what I did read this year (for a total of 35):

These were great or very helpful reads and I would recommend them:

These were informative or interesting reads, but not wholly recommended:

Driven to Distraction byEdward Hallowell

The Maker's Diet by Jordan Rubin

Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult

An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison

The Outcast by Sadie Jones

I shouldn't have bothered finishing this one:

A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews

Currently I am reading:

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Grandma's Joy

2009-12-23T09:37:00.000-08:00

This is brilliant! Oh the joys that await beloved children of God!

Benjamin and His Dad Singing Together

2009-11-16T07:50:00.000-08:00

U2 Concert, Dead Religion and A Modern Day Prophet

2009-10-28T13:55:00.000-07:00

I really should be on the road right now heading to a U2 concert but, alas, I am not. Say what you will about Bono's doctrine, I would consider Bono to be a modern day prophet and I found Bill Hybel's interview with him deeply convicting. The only point I would argue is Bono's reason for the church's hesitance to get involved in humanitarian efforts. I would say the reason the church has been "behind the curb" is that much of what we call "the church" practices what the apostle James calls dead religion. A dead unrevived life can not go and be the hands and feet of Jesus feeding the poor and hungry or caring for the orphans and widows. It's that simple and ought to make those of us quite comfortable with our small, quiet lives uncomfortable. I know I'm feeling rather uncomfortable and rather petty for being more upset about a concert than the injustices going on all over the world right now.

Lake of Fire

2009-09-10T13:18:00.000-07:00

I watched the documentary Lake of Fire last week. A week later it is still permeating my thoughts. In fact, it is the stunning ending and closing image that bothers me the most (in a good way).
It is very graphic, leaving no question in the viewer's mind that abortion kills babies. Tiny, human beings with hands, feet, faces, mouths, noses, eyes. But this film doesn't embody a pro-life view. You will be exposed to a picture of a woman who died in her hotel room after attempting to perform an abortion on herself with a coat hanger. You will hear the arguments from the pro-choice side.
Critics have hailed this documentary as being balanced and weighing in on both sides of the argument equally. I think it does that and just when I thought to myself, "Yes, but what about..," my question was addressed.
I came away still fully convinced that abortion is wrong but with the somber realization that the issue is not as black and white as those on either side of the issue like to make it out to be. The film is in black and white but if the medium is the message, the film is not "black and white" at all: it is filled with shades of gray (it'll tell you that on the back of the cover) and I think its message comes across loud and clear. Both sides would do well to listen to each other a little more intently before making a barrage of arguments in favour of their position. Both sides would do well to ask more questions of each other.
Where this documentary was deficient was that it's depiction of the pro-life movement was very American and very extreme. It would have done well to portray those who do make efforts to help women with unwanted pregnancies such as Heartbeat International. It would have done well to interview a woman years after her abortion and share her regrets. It would have done well to interview those who are pro-woman and pro-life and seek to educate about the physical and emotional toll abortion takes on a woman years later. There is one scene that is rather vulgar and out of place that it would have been best left out. Fast forward through that. Otherwise, this film may go a long ways to opening people up to more intelligent, level-headed conversations about abortion and moving us toward some real solutions that would have both sides cheering.

First Day of School

2009-09-09T17:22:00.001-07:00

Organization for the Disorganized

2009-08-20T09:39:00.000-07:00

I've written a guest post for my friend Stephanie, who has just gave birth to her third child last weekend. The topic is a departure from my usual choice of what to write about but I hope will prove helpful to those who struggle with some of the same organizational difficulties I do:

Once I arrived at work on time and my boss asked me if everything was ok. I quit borrowing books from the library years ago when I realized my money was better spent on buying books than on late fees. I own a dozen white shirts, at least as many black shirts and I have four dozen cans of tomatoes in my pantry all because I’m too distracted while shopping to remember what I already have. I like the idea of using coupons but actually remembering to put them in my purse is another thing and if they’ve made it that far I usually forget to take them out upon payment. My keys now have a visible home where I hang them but before that I would spend up to half and hour looking for where I left them: my jacket pocket – but which jacket? my purse? the counter? the table in the foyer? the diaper bag? You get the picture. I have some organizational issues. Can you relate?

Read the rest here.

God is at Work

2009-06-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

I came across a couple quotes that are very encouraging, and fit in so well with the theme I've been writing on this week, our need for God, that I thought I would share them here:

The sooner we realize that it is not about what we do but about what God does, the sooner we will stop focusing on ourselves and our shortcomings, and begin focusing on God and His power. Likewise, the sooner we quit worrying about doing our part, the sooner we can start rejoicing in the fact that God is doing His part. And the sooner we can recognize that God is at work, the sooner we can jump in and join Him.” - Jodie Berndt, Praying the Scriptures for Your Children

HT: Preschoolers and Peace

The gospel, God’s free gift of grace in Jesus, only works when we realize we don’t have it all together. The same is true for prayer. The very thing we are allergic to—our helplessness—is what makes prayer work. It works because we are helpless. We can’t do life on our own.

Prayer mirrors the gospel. In the gospel, the Father takes us as we are because of Jesus and gives us his gift of salvation. In prayer, the Father receives us as we are because of Jesus and gives us his gift of help. We look at the inadequacy of our praying and give up, thinking something is wrong with us. God looks as the adequacy of his Son and delights in our sloppy, meandering prayers.” —Paul Miller, A Praying Life

HT: Of First Importance

The Proverbs 31 Standard

2009-06-23T04:00:00.000-07:00

"Now we know that whatever the law says speaks to those who are subject to the law, so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God's judgment. For no flesh will be justified in His sight by works of the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin." Romans 3:19-20

Consider with me the Pharisees of Jesus' time. They were the most righteous of men; schooled in the law, obedient to the law, esteemed by those around them. To be considered a Pharisee was to have honour among men. Today, to be a Pharisee has negative connotations, to be called one stings; we don't like the Pharisees, we know what Jesus thought of them.
And yet, in His sermon on the mount*, Jesus does not condemn the Pharisee's attempts at fulfilling the law. In fact He says, "Don't assume that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For I assure you: Until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass from the law until all things are accomplished."
You can imagine how the Pharisees felt hearing those words. Smug. Justified. Nodding their heads in firm agreement. They were on the right track; doing as they ought. But Jesus isn't finished, he goes on,
"Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches people to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever practices and teaches these commandments will be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
Do you think some of those Pharisees paused, considering whether they have broken any of the commands? Perhaps. But I still see the teachers of the law nodding their heads, agreeing and imagining being great in the kingdom of heaven.
Then Jesus says something that ought to have caused their heads to stand still, their pulses to quicken,
"For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
Pan around the crowd and you can imagine the confused looks on the men's faces and they consider how they can surpass the law. Perhaps they look at their peers and consider ways they know another fails to measure up then stand a little prouder. But consider those who already knew they couldn't measure up to the scribes and Pharisees, their shoulders are slumped in defeat, their faces somber with the realization that even if they tried to measure up Jesus has told them they have to do better. Despair sets in.
For those who still think they've made the mark, have a place in the kingdom, Jesus zooms in on the heart,
"Anyone who is angry with his brother is subject to judgment...anyone who looks with lust has already committed adultery, ....go the second mile, ...love your enemies."
There are none in the crowd who can claim innocence. All are guilty. The standard has risen beyond any human attainment. The Pharisees have probably walked away by now. They've heard enough from Jesus, who does he think he is anyway? Who is is father? Conceived when his mother was unwed. They don't need to listen to him anymore.
But the others left standing, broken, helpless, defeated what are they to do? What can they do? The standard has been set and they can't even begin to meet it. They know they are sinners and the law cannot save them.

From this vantage point, let's consider the Proverbs 31 woman. Among Christian women, she is revered, to be called and example of a Proverbs 31 woman is an honour. We long to have our children rise up and call us blessed and to have our husbands praise us just as hers did. Our tasks seen through the lens of this scripture rise to heavenly heights and are priceless; worth more than rubies or diamonds.

The Proverbs 31 woman:

Is completely trusted by her husband and rewards him with good, not evil each and every day of her life,
Works with willing hands, brings her food from afar, rises while it is still night, and her lamp never goes out at night,
Evaluates large investments and earns a return on them,
Plants a vineyard, and is healthy and strong from all the hard work,
Spins thread, sews plenty of clothing and bed coverings with fine linen for her family,
Reaches out to the poor and offers a hand,
Operates a home based business,
Is not fearful and does not worry or get anxious,
Anticipates and plans for her family's needs, watching over all the activities of her household,
She has a good reputation among her husband's peers,
Is clothed in strength and honour,
Speaks wise words, has loving instruction and words of kindness
Is never idle,
Her sons call her blessed, her husband praises her,
And she surpases all capable women.

It is easy to approach the Proverbs 31 woman and begin checking off the list:
My husband trusts me. Check.
I do him good not harm. Check. But not every day. Fail.
I do the grocery shopping. Check. But I forgot to take the meat out of the freezer for dinner. Fail. But I never rely on McDonald's to feed my family like that a woman I know, so Check.
I rise early. Check. Ooops, I pressed the snooze button 4 times and got up after my kids. Fail. I fall into bed late. Check.
I don't sew, but I do ensure my family is clothed for all seasons. Check. Wait a minute, what about that mending basket I never get to? Fail. But the woman down the street never seems to get the laundry done, so I should get a check.
My husband plants the garden. No check for that.
I worry.
I'm idle during the day.
I lost my patience when my son asked for juice for the thirtieth time today.
My husband wondered why the house is such a mess when he came home.
I didn't even get a shower today.

Fail. Fail. Fail. Fail. Fail. Fail.

But the Proverbs 31 woman: she could do it all. And there seem to be so many women around me who eagerly embrace being a Proverbs 31 woman. What is wrong with me? I'm a failure. Hopeless. Defeated. Broken. A sinner. I cannot possibly begin to meet the standard this woman sets.

Perhaps, just as Jesus led those listening to the Sermon on the Mount to see that they could not fullfil the law, the Proverbs 31 woman is meant to lead us to the same conclusion and give us knowledge of our sin.
What if Proverbs 31 is not a standard we must attain - a way to please God and become righteous in His sight? A way to ensure our children will rise and bless us and have our husbands and others in the community praise us?
What if the whole point of Proverbs 31 is to say: You can't do it all!!!! If you think you can, this woman surpases them all! You can't surpass her. You can't surpass her.
A faint echo of this is heard in Jesus' words, "Unless you surpass the scribes and Paraisees..." Do you hear it? Unless, your righteousness surpases that of the Proverbs 31 woman you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Read the words of Jesus with fresh eyes,

"Those who are well don't need a doctor, but the sick do...For I didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Matthew 9:12, 13ff)

The Proverbs 31 woman is not a standard of righteousness for us to follow so we can meet Jesus. What she can do is lead us to Jesus, showing us just how sick we are and just how deep our need for a Saviour is. Take her hand and let her lead you to Christ who extends his hands to us and says,

"Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. All of you, take up my yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy and My burden is light."

"But now, apart from the law, God's righteousness has been revealed - attested by the law and the Prophets - that is, God's righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe, since there is no distinction. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. " Romans 3:21-24

*Matthew 5:17-20

Sarah Edwards

2009-06-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

Often Sarah Edwards is hailed as a wonderful example of a godly wife and mother. She reared eleven children, housed many overnight and long term guests, buried a grown daughter and was the wife of Jonathan Edwards who wrote many books, was an itinerant preacher and a principle figure in the First Great Awakening.
Sarah's diligence in teaching her children has overflowed into generations of faithful followers of Christ and influential figures in American History. It would be easy to look at Sarah's example and not feel overwhelmed, especially considering the era in which she lived, the relative poverty they experienced and the isolation from immediate family she experienced.
But there was a month in her life where Sarah is thought to have either had a nervous breakdown or an indwelling of the Spirit of God that left her incoherent and bedridden.
Admittedly, when I first read of this I was certain she must have had a nervous breakdown; it makes sense considering her circumstances. I would have had a nervous breakdown I'm sure. In much lesser circumstances than Sarah's I have often felt on the brink of falling apart.
In the biography of Sarah "Marriage to A Difficult Man" Elisabeth Dodds wrote of the nervous breakdown,

"Here we don't like her at all. The serene mother becomes limply needful. The patient wife comes to the end of her patience. The attractive hostess becomes grotesque - jabbering, hallucinating, and idiotically fainting. We are embarrassed for her. But isn't this what each of us does in our bad dreams? what sometimes we refrain from doing by the thinnest edge of self-control? what we finally do when we have a nervous breakdown?
Here Sarah stands exposed as a fully human woman. One with a breaking point as any woman has. Before, she had been too good to be true."

Now consider what Sarah's own husband writes of her experience that month,

"The soul dwelt on high, was lost on God, and seemed almost to leave the body. The mind dwelt in a pure delight that fed and satisfied it...Extraordinary views of divine things, and the religious affections, were frequently attended with very great affects on the body. Nature often sunk under the weight of divine discoveries, and the strength of the body was taken away. [Sarah] was deprived of all ability to stand or speak. Sometimes the hands were clenched, and the flesh cold, but the senses remaining. Animal nature was often in a great emotion and agitation, and the soul so overcome with admiration, and a kind of omnipotent joy, as to cause [Sarah], unavoidably, to leap with all the might, with joy and mighty exaltation...the flesh and heart seems often to cry out for a lying low before God, and adoring Him with greater love and humility..."

Noel Piper writes of this in her introduction to Dodds' book,

"There is no doubt that both Jonathan and Sarah recognized her experiences as being from God and for her spiritual delight and benefit...Yes, stresses over finances, distress at having upset her husband, jealousy about another's ministry - all those things were looming in Sarah's life. But God used those things to reveal weakness, to show her that she needed Him. And then, when the almost-physical sensations of the divine presence came upon her, God was all the more precious and sweet to her, because of what he had forgiven and overcome for her...
Her life was different after those weeks - different in ways that you would expect God had especially visited someone."

And Jonathan's conclusions of his wife's experience,

"Not only a great increase of religious affections, but with a wonderful alteration of outward behaviour, in many things, visible to those who are most intimately acquainted, so as lately to have become a new person...
Oh how good said [Sarah] once, is it to work for God in the day-time, and at night to lie down under his smiles!...Worldly business has been attended with great alacrity, as part of the service of God: Sarah declaring that, it being found thus, was found to be as good as prayer."

Piper concludes that, "Sarah's changed life bore the fruits of God's Spirit who seems to have visited her in an extraordinary way." And Dodds writes,

"...Sarah seems to have discharged the pressures of fourteen taut years. From then on, she sailed through strains that would have sent another woman into bitter seclusion or into whining invalidism with migraines or sinus.
So she went back to making jams and hemming linens, but after this time her work appears to have been done without resentment. The martyred protestant wife is a familiar figure in the social history of the West. These ladies thought they were being self-effacing when actually they were boiling beneath the surface...
Sarah Edwards stopped straining to please God and began to live in assurance of a salvation she didn't have to try to deserve. She stopped pushing herself to be worthy of Edward's love and from then on had his unreserved admiration. Before, onlookers had considered her a saint but her husband knew she wasn't. Afterward, Edwards marveled at her "constant sweet peace, calm and serenity of soul." For the rest of their life together, Edwards was to marvel at his wife's good disposition."

Unfortunately in reference to Sarah as an example of a godly wife and mother, this episode in her life is often left out. I have no less than four books on my shelf that esteem Sarah's example without mention of this life transforming event. Considering Sarah's example in isolation from her experience of beholding the glory of God we miss all that her example is for us. Sarah did not merely follow the example of the Proverbs 31 woman.
We can read of Sarah and then pray, "Lord, surely if she could do all that, so can I. Please help me to be like her," just as we read of Mary and Martha and say to ourselves, "Well, the work still needs to be done - Jesus would you meet me in the kitchen," and then carry on in a way that wreaks of stoicism and self-sufficiency. Sarah can be presented as a kind of Martha persona when in fact, she served her family as she did and bore the fruit of the Spirit as she did because of her Mary experience at the very feet of Jesus.
Sarah came to the end of her abilities, all stoicism was abdicated, she admitted weakness and inability, realized her powerlessness over her flesh. It was here that God met her and she became the woman we admire from afar today. God forced her out of the kitchen, rendered her useless for service in any capacity and sat her at His feet for a whole month! Sarah Edwards is not an example for us to imitate, so much as she is an example of the effect the transforming power of God can have in our lives. She is a woman who came to the end of herself, giving up all stoic effort and self-reliance.
I no longer think Sarah Edwards had a nervous breakdown, I think the Lord took hold of her for that month thoroughly possessed her.

Oh that Jesus would grip my heart as he did Sarah's and so change me that my "changed life bears the fruit of God's Spirit." Oh that God would awaken my soul to His beauty as He did Sarah's. Lord, don't make me like Sarah - instead would you do for me, as you did for her. Possess me.

Right Here

2009-06-20T14:42:00.000-07:00

When on the phone with the grandparents, often my three year old son is asked, "Where's your Dad?" meaning give the phone to him, my son inevitably responds to the literal interpretation, "he's right here."
Well, where have I been? Right here. I didn't quit blogging, haven't stopped reading the blogs of others, have commented on a few. Posts I've started just never got finished and thus were not published. Moments to write were few and far between. Life has just been like that.
When a quiet moment or two has presented itself, I've chosen to read. Read books, read the news, read the thoughts of others.
Thoughts have abounded and like I said, attempts to write here have been made they just didn't flow out through my fingertips in a way that was coherent; in a way that conveyed what I was thinking. Topics I wanted to write about required more than a cursory paragraph or two.
But somehow, the words have begun to flow again. The desire to write has won out over the desire to read. Like when my son finally hands the phone back to his dad who is "right here" to talk, I'm right here on they keyboard ready to write again.

52 Books , 52 Weeks (Catch Up)

2009-03-18T10:29:00.000-07:00

I've been reading - just not writing. But this week is Spring Break and the time to pause and reflect on what I've read these last few weeks has presented itself. The question of course is, have I read 10 books now that the 10th week of the year is upon us? The first three I already posted about and here's the rest:

The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller
A must read! The parable of the prodigal son is not about the son at all. It's about the Father - our Father and His character. It's about the true nature of Christianity. This is a book you can give to anyone - Christian or not. I'll be ordering a bunch to give to my family at Christmas.

An Exact Replica of A Figment of My Imagination - A Memoir by Elizabeth McCracken
I'd never heard of this author before but apparently her work is pretty funny. This book is not. It's a reflection on her first pregnancy which ended in stillbirth. A year out from her son's birth, she writes with a newborn on her lap and so the story is bittersweet.
When her baby has died and subsequently born still, she and her husband leave France (where they resided for the duration of the pregnancy) and make every effort to leave those memories and any reminder of that time behind. The pain and grief is too much to bear, so they just walk away from it and it becomes a figment of her imagination. Then she has a second son a year later and the memories of the first born baby are there as she gazes upon her new baby (an exact replica) and the writing begins and the book is published.
This book is one person's story, presented plainly. It interested me because of the similar experience I've had.

Unpacking Forgiveness by Chris Brauns
In this book, Brauns works out a clear and biblical understanding of forgiveness that really rattles the false idea that we are to just "forgive and forget" even if the other person is unrepentant. He delineates between extending the offer of forgiveness and true reconciliation. This book was very helpful in so many areas of my life and brought some clarity on what forgiveness really looks like as opposed to "cheap grace".

The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling by Debra Bell
Ok, I admit I didn't read this book word for word but I skimmed through all the sections and read what was most applicable to my present situation. I heard Bell speak at a local homeschool convention last year and she is apart of the same family of churches I am. Her message is incredibly encouraging, full of the gospel, and practical. Supposedly an updated version of this book is due to be published and when it is, I plan on getting it for my bookshelf as I know I'll refer back to it again and again over the years.

Ten Years Thinner by Christine Lydon
This is a book that combines common sense nutrition with a very doable exercise routine. Lydon was trained as a medical doctor but has gone on to work in the fitness and nutrition industry because she wanted to help people prevent illness rather than treat illness.
The diet is designed to combat insulin resistance and addiction to sugar and high glycemic foods (like breads, pasta, rice, etc...) and is very doable. I've had no trouble combining what I eat with what I would cook for my family. For the most part, I just cook what I would ordinarily with some small adjustments.
The exercise regiment requires 25 minutes a day, with a 4 on, 1 off rotation and all I needed to invest in were a few dumbbells.

That's it! Not too bad; I'm only two weeks behind. I have several books on the go now so am still confident that by the end of the year I'll have read 52 books.

Address for Prime Minister

2009-02-14T11:16:00.001-08:00

Here's the address for the Prime Minister of Canada:

Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa
K1A 0A2

Pass the idea for "Red Envelope" on!

Red Envelopes

2009-02-14T11:01:00.000-08:00

Shawnda posted about "Red Envelopes" on her site, and I think this is a fabulous idea! It is one I would like to see replicated here in Canada where our current government has no intention of tabling any sort of legislation that would protect the lives of unborn Canadians. This is something we all can do to speak up for the unborn.

"Red Envelopes"

Dear Friends and Intercessors:

This afternoon I was praying about a number of things, and my mind began to wander. I was deeply distressed at the symbolic actions that President Obama took as he began his presidency. Namely, that he signed executive orders releasing funds to pay for abortions, permission to fund human stem cell research, and federal funding for contraception. I have been involved in the pro-life movement for nearly 20 years, and it pained my heart to see a man and a political party committed to the shedding of innocent blood. This man, and this party lead our country, but they do not represent me or the 54% of Americans who believe that abortion is wrong and should no longer be legal.
As I was praying, I believe that God gave me an interesting idea. Out in the garage I have a box of red envelopes. Like the powerful image of the red LIFE tape, an empty red envelope will send a message to Barack Obama that there is moral outrage in this country over this issue. It will be quiet, but clear.
Here is what I would like you to do: Get a red envelope. You can buy them at Kinkos, or at party supply stores. On the front, address it to President Barack Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington, D.C. On the back, write the following message.

This envelope represents one child who died in abortion. It is empty because that life was unable to offer anything to the world. Responsibility begins with conception.

Put it in the mail, and send it. Then forward this email to every one of your friends who you think would send one too. I wish we could send 50 million red envelopes, one for every child who has already died by abortion or other intentional pre-birth destruction, before having a chance to live. Maybe it will change the heart of the president.

Warmly in Christ,

John Otto

52 Books, 52 Weeks (Book 3)

2009-01-30T15:19:00.000-08:00

Though it is a short book (84 pages), The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God by DA Carson is a weighty and difficult read but worth the effort. It's divided into four chapters that were originally given as lectures:

On Distorting the Love of God
God is Love
God's Love and God's Sovereignty
God's Love and God's Wrath

It is difficult to reconcile the wrath of God with the love of God and the love of God with His sovereignty over a world filled with evil. On a personal level, it is challenging to believe that God loves me, when I see all that is unlovable in me clearly. This book addresses all these issues from a theological perspective but also in its practical implications.
A highlight from chapter 2,

What we have then, is a picture of God whose love, even in eternity past, even before the creation of anything, is other-oriented. This cannot be said (for instance) of Allah. Yet because the God of the Bible is one, this plurality-in-unity does not destroy his entirely appropriate self-focus as God. As we shall see in the last chapter, because He is God, He is therefore rightly jealous....The love of Allah is providential, which, as we saw in the first chapter, is one of the ways the Bible speaks of God. But here there is more: in eternity past, the Father loved the Son, and the Son loved the Father. There has always been an other-orientation to the love of God. All the manifestations of the love of God emerge out of this deeper, more fundamental reality: love is bound up in the very nature of God. God is love.
- page 39

The book sweeps from the intra-trinitarian love of God (as highlighted above) to His love for the world and His love for the elect which culminates on and is displayed most profoundly on the Cross. The book concludes with the practical implication of absorbing the kind of love described in Ephesians 3:14-21,

All this has transformed us, so that we in turn perceive the sheer rightness of the first commandment - to love God with heart and soul and mind and strength. As that is the first and greatest commandment, so the first and greatest sin is not to love God with heart and soul and mind and strength. For this there is no remedy, save what God himself has provided - in love.
- page 84

I do recommend this book to anyone who has a love for doctrine and wrestles with believing God's love but I wouldn't hand this book to just anyone. The original lectures the book is based on were given to seminary students and some areas of the book are difficult to understand (though worth wading through if you're so inclined).

52 Books, 52 Weeks (Book 2)

2009-01-19T16:27:00.000-08:00

This past week I finished reading My Fundamentalist Education by Christine Rosen. The book is largely a memoir of Rosen's experience at a fundamentalist Christian school in Florida and is a reflection on the contours of that education.
What had made me want to read the book was the fact that the book is one of many known as "Apostate Lit"; the author no longer maintains the belief system she was raised in and I wanted to know why.
It is not clear why the author's parents chose to put Rosen and her siblings in a Christian school as it becomes apparent early on in the book that they weren't Christians. Along with this, was the fact that the author's biological mother left her and her younger sister when they were just babies. She was an unstable person in their lives and yet, a professing pentecostal Christian who was quite active in a long string of churches over the years.
What struck me was that despite a Bible based, Christian Education Rosen's familial experiences and influences held the most sway. This was a reversal of what I am accustomed to hearing in homeschool circles. I have chosen to homeschool because I want to maintain the primary sphere of influence over my children. What this book showed is that parental influence does override outside influences - or at least, has a greater affect on the lives of children than we often like to acknowledge when arguing against public education.
But this isn't why Rosen is not a Christian. The most telling pages of the book are in the last chapter where she reflects on how she's benefited from her fundamentalist education and ultimately why she rejected fundamentalism (and along with it Christianity).
The main reason she gives is a desire to engage in the culture and world around her, to understand it and not avoid it. Fundamentalism encourages a disengagement from the world and culture - a sort of segregation from society. This is sadly, a gross distortion of Christianity and is the reason many have fallen away; the difficulty Rosen had in merging her interest in world history and culture with fundamentalist values is easy to understand.
Sadly, the main reason I believe Rosen never embraced Christianity and salvation in Christ alone is found on the last page of the book when she is describing the notes scribbled onto the margin of her school "textbook" the Bible,

"The questions written in an older hand grow more pointed: 'What is the Gospel?' 'Why without blood no forgiveness?'"

She received an education devoid of the Gospel. And if she didn't hear, how would she know? This is the most valuable point I took from the book: if we desire to see our children come to a saving faith in Christ, what is most important is keeping the Gospel message central so that they may never wonder, after years of Christian school or homeschool, "What is the Gospel?"
It is humbling to see that the message is far more important than the method. This book is a great case in point.

What a Mother Can't Do Without

2009-01-14T14:13:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I listened to a message for young moms by CJ Mahaney called, "What a Mother Can't Do Without." I ended up sitting down and taking notes, so that I could absorb and begin to apply all the rich truths laid out.
I would strongly encourage any mother of young children to listen to this sermon in its entirety - the scriptural truths laid out will transform the way you approach mothering.
Here are my notes:
___________________________________________________________________
Hebrews 11:6, "Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him."

*Faith will make all the difference; difference in effect, fruit and pleasing of God.

The Nature of Faith:

1. Faith Trusts in God - must believe that He exists
- faith in the God of Scripture as revealed through His Son Jesus Christ

2. Faith Comes to God - whoever would draw near
- through the sacrifice of Jesus; through our mediator Jesus

* DO NOT disqualify yourself from drawing near either through sins of omission or sin of commission OR your awareness of sin
* Draw near not only through the practice of the disciplines but throughout the day, no matter the challenges.

3. Faith expects from God - must believe that He rewards those who seek Him
- He bestows favour; nothing pleases Him more then when mothers put His promises into circulation; He LOVES to fulfill His promises.

*"God is wildly generous." That is the God we serve

Charles Bridges, "All our failures may ultimately be traced back to a defect of faith. The main difficulty therefore is not in our work but in ourselves; in the conflict with our own unbelief. The remedy to the difficulty is faith in the God of promises and faith in the promises of God. Difficulties heaped upon difficulties can never rise to the level of the promises of God. Unbelief looks at the difficulties. Faith regards the promise. It is faith that enlivens our work with perpetual cheerfulness."

* Where there is an absence of joy in mothering, there is an absence of faith.

* Faith commits every part of mothering to God in hope that even mistakes shall be over-ruled for the glory of God and thus relieves us from an oppressive anxiety often attended by a deep sense of our responsibility.

Charles Bridges, "The shortest way to these will be casting ourselves upon God for daily pardon of our deficiencies and for supplies of Grace without looking too eagerly for fruit." (The Christian Ministry)

How Do I Develop Faith:

* Where your faith is deficient, THE GOSPEL IS SUFFICIENT! (Romans 8:32)

* Faith is a fruit of the Gospel, so if you will cultivate the Gospel you will experience faith; you will know a more perpetual cheerfulness and you will ultimately please God.

* Hebrews 12:2, LOOKING TO JESUS is how you develop faith that pleases God and makes all the difference in your mothering. WHERE are you looking? Are you looking to Jesus?

A STRICT and LIMITED diet of the Gospel, the ccharacter of God and the promises of God; be careful about what you read - particularly during the season of small children.
Books: Bible Doctrine (Chapters on the Character of God) by Wayne Grudem, The Cross Centered Life by CJ Mahaney, Spurgeon (all his writing focuses on God's promises)

* God called you to be a mother and God gave you specific children that He chose for you. He chose them for your sanctification and He chose them that they might experience the influence and effect of the Gospel as a result of your care and your training and your affection and ultimately your trust in God will reveal Himself to your children. "He who began a good work in you,will bring it to completion."

* Turn away from the difficulties and look to the promises of God, look to the character of God, look to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For as we look to the promises, the character and the Gospel we realize that the difficulties never rise to the level of the promises of God. Then when we face difficulties is our perspective and attitude has been transformed and our children are affected by this transformation.

__________________________________________________________________
It was interesting that Mahaney opened up his sermon with his wife's example. She had expressed in an interview regret over not having more faith in her mothering - her regrets were not based on her practices.
All too often I focus too much time and energy evaluating what I am doing and then despairing because it's not enough, not good enough or, or, or... that I forget that what pleases God is not the "what" of what I'm doing but the "how". Is it in faith? That is, do I approach my day trusting that Christ's sacrifice on the cross will cover all my sin and that his perfect life has been imprinted on mine so that I don't have to be perfect? Do I approach my day assured of His pleasure or fearful that another day will end in shame?
I know all too well the difference right thinking makes because I've spent too many days despairing because of unbelief. Thankfully, even that is covered by the blood of Christ!

Introducing: A New Name for My Blog!

2009-01-12T15:16:00.000-08:00

For some time now I wanted to change the name of my blog but hadn't found a new name that captured all I wanted it to. The old name, Motherhood Apologia, seemed limited in scope and too focused on defending my role and practices as a mother.
I've finally found a new name that I hope captures the scope and theme of this blog. At least what I hope is conveyed in my writing. The following quote from Martin Luther serves as my inspiration (emphasis added):

Now observe that when that clever harlot, our natural reason . . . , takes a look at married life, she turns up her nose and says, “Alas, must I rock the baby, wash its diapers, make its bed, smell its stench, stay up nights with it, take care of it when it cries, heal its rashes and sores. . . ? What then does Christian faith say to this? It opens its eyes, looks upon all these insignificant, distasteful, and despised duties in the Spirit, and is aware that they are all adorned with divine approval as with the costliest gold and jewels. It says, O God, because I am certain that thou hast created me as a [woman] and hast from my body begotten this child, I also know for a certainty that it meets with thy perfect pleasure. I confess to thee that I am not worthy to rock the little babe or wash its diapers, or to be entrusted with the care of the child [as] its mother. How is it that I, without any merit, have come to this distinction of being certain that I am serving thy creature and thy most precious will? O how gladly will I do so, though the duties should be even more insignificant and despised. Neither frost nor heat, neither drudgery nor labor, will distress or dissuade me, for I am certain that it is thus pleasing in thy sight. . . . God, with all his angels and creatures is smiling—not because the [mother] is washing diapers, but because [she] is doing so in Christian faith.
- Martin Luther
(From "Martin Luther and Marriage," in Sex and the Supremacy of Christ)

Met With Perfect Pleasure is my new blog name and the tag line emphasizes the message I hope to convey, "...not because of what I do, but because it's done in Christian faith."

Let me know what you think! Is the new name better? Does it capture what I've written here over the last year or so? Honest feedback would be appreciated!

52 Books, 52 Weeks (Book 1)

2009-01-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be fun to take up Susan Wise Bauer's challenge and read 52 books, in 52 weeks.
Last week I read Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates, which has recently been made into a movie. I have yet to see the film and am curious if it will faithfully convey some of the themes in the book. I watched the preview and it appears that the movie really captures the author's descriptions of settings and characters really well. It was like seeing the book come to life just as I had imagined it.

The book is about Frank and April Wheeler - an average suburban couple with two kids - who aren't sure how they ended up living a life that mirrors everyone's around them. They want something more. They have a sense that they're meant for bigger things and as they create a plan to move to Europe, Frank and April come alive. They spend many late evenings talking about their plans and dreaming about how things will be. They are moved from feeling trapped to feeling hopeful. I thought this part of the book to be really thought provoking - maybe because I could relate to them in a small way. I am living a life that in no way resembles the life I had hoped for.

The truth is that we are made for something big. Bigger than this life. Frank and April feel that; I think we all feel that and many spend their lives looking for that meaning; moving from one big thing to another.
But the Wheelers never find out that the same sense of purposelessness would follow them to Europe. April gets pregnant and all their plans come to a grinding halt. This is where I have conflicted feelings about the novel. April is so set on moving to Europe that she plans to abort the baby. This isn't the first time she made such plans; she wanted to abort their first child but Frank talked her out of it leading them to their present situation.
Frank finds out April's plans and vehemently opposes an abortion; he readily lets go of the dream of Europe and at the same time finds peace with his present life. The novel makes it clear that the fetus is a living human being. Yates draws attention to the fact that the first baby April wanted to abort was a person - their alive and growing daughter Jennifer. It seems that his pro-life position is clear.
I won't divulge how the novel ends, but it left me with the sick feeling that this was intended as an argument for legalizing abortion. When I step back and consider the title of the book, Revolutionary Road, it seems that the domestic life portrayed through the lives of Frank and April Wheeler was the nucleus for a revolution: the feminist movement which hinges on legalized abortion. In the end, while on the surface the story is about Frank, it's really about April.
I DO recommend the book. It would make a great book club choice as it has fodder for some great discussions about our purpose, abortion, marriage, family and the feminist movement.

Pondering the Incarnation

2008-12-25T16:00:00.000-08:00

My six year old son recently asked, "How did Jesus make Mary if He was born from her?"
Good question. It's a divine mystery that makes today's celebration all the more amazing. That God came down in the form of a newborn babe.

Have a blessed Christmas!

God is With Us!

2008-12-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

Love Came Down at Christmas

2008-12-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

Jars of Clay

Christmas Bells

2008-12-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

Book Meme Answers

2008-12-19T09:51:00.000-08:00

1. The Cross of Christ by John Stott

2. The Ancient Ship by Zhang Wei

3. Radical Womanhood by Carolyn McCulley

4. Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult

5. Confessions of a Reformission Rev by Mark Driscoll

6. No Graven Image by Elisabeth Elliot

7. Home From the Vinyl Cafe by Stuart McLean

8. The Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer and Jesse Wise

9. The Power of Play by David Elkind

10. Stuart Little by EB White

Congratulations

2008-12-17T20:30:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to ProWomanProLife for winning the Best New Blog of 2008 at the Canadian Blog Awards! This is not an insignificant win, considering that they received 596 votes out of 1009 and the Best Feminist Blog received 94 out of 277 votes.
Marginalized as the Pro-Life movement may be in this country, it seems like they represent the values of your average Canadian more clearly. At least if this award means anything. Keep up the good work ladies!

Book Meme - Updated Hints

2008-12-16T19:41:00.000-08:00

Since there have been no (!!!) guesses on which books I've quoted from in yesterday's book meme, I thought I would help out and tell which hint belongs to which quote (in brackets):

1. One of these is popular amongst homeshcoolers. (#8)
2. One of these originated on a popular Canadian radio show. (#7)
3. One of these was this author's only work of fiction. (#6)
4. One of these is taken from a chapter called, "Why did Christ die?" (#1)
5. One of these was originally written in Chinese and was a bestseller in China. (#2)

Book Meme

2008-12-13T16:47:00.000-08:00

Even though I wasn't officially "tagged" for this one, I decided to do the 5, 56 meme I saw on Leslie and Loraena's blogs since it's a fun one (if your bookish):

Here are the instructions:
- Take ten books, and transcribe the fifth sentence from page fifty six.
- Make sure that at least five books are fiction, provide five hints, and pass the meme on to six other bloggers.

1. Some have been convinced that he was a Jewish zealot, he had joined the liberation movement, and finally betrayed him either out of political disillusionment or as a ploy to force Jesus' hand and compel him to fight.

2. He said he'd been nearly killed three times, and each time he survived despite the odds.

3. But in mere print that can be hard to avoid when worldviews are so radically different between feminism and Christian faith. The quote from Manifesta sums it up well:" (4th sentence is given for context.

4. I was not just in love with him; I worshiped him.

5. Subsequently, our mighty nation of some forty-five assorted mixed nuts moved into the sanctuary of the church, which felt like we had metaphorically left the kids' table in favor of the adults' table. (page 56 is blank, so this is taken from page 58)

6. I asked him again if his wife ever came to market and he said that she would perhaps be coming the following week.

7. Dave let himself into Carl's house and found the mason jar of starter in the fridge. He pried the jar open and peered in. (4th sentence included for context)

8. Don't feel you need to complete every exercise if your child understands the concept.

9. This sets the stage for the next episode. Like Piglet, this game begins with a lot of trial and error learning.

10. And he threw a kiss toward Margalo's sleeping form.

Five hints:
1. One of these is popular amongst homeshcoolers.
2. One of these originated on a popular Canadian radio show.
3. One of these was this author's only work of fiction.
4. One of these is taken from a chapter called, "Why did Christ die?"
5. One of these was originally written in Chinese and was a bestseller in China.

Tag: Nicole, Mrs. M, Tryphaena,

Why Getting the Order of Creation Matters

2008-12-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

A few years ago I read everything I could get my hands on regarding biblical womanhood. I was passionate about the topic. (I still am but have calmed down a little bit). I seized every opportunity to discuss the idea with anyone who was willing to engage.
Then I was asked why it mattered to me so much. It seems like a peripheral issue. It was important to the Christian life, but not central. The Gospel was central. Jesus is central. But marriage, and gender roles?
Well, I argued - they are important because marriage was intended to reflect the relationship between Christ and the Church. It is a central issue because it was about glorifying Christ! Nicole, while sharing what she drew from a John Piper talk, does a wonderful job in her recent post Creation, Christ and Gender explaining why. Here's a little sample of what she wrote:

But the John Piper talk helped me see how important it is that there is something even more fundamental than Creation - deeper magic from before the dawn of time!!! Before there was creation there was God's eternal plans and purposes to sum up everything in Christ, and to glorify Christ as the redeemer and husband of his people. It wasn't that God made us male and female, then decided some time later that marriage would be a good way to order our sexuality, then some time later thought that marriage might be a good metaphor for Christ and the church. No - according to Eph 5:32, "Christ and the church" is (ultimately, eternally) what marriage is for and about.

Coming to a clear, biblical understanding of our femininity and how that works out in relationships matters - it is central. The very way Christ relates to us and how the Gospel is conveyed to others is wrapped up in whether we were made male or female. Amazing!

Beware of the Doghouse

2008-12-10T14:38:00.000-08:00

THIS is hilarious!

Advent Songs

2008-12-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

I confess, it it the rare Christmas album that I enjoy and for the sake of honesty, it is the rare Christian album that I actually enjoy. So to find both in one was exciting. Advent Songs is really good; I would actually listen to this in July!

(I would love any suggestions for some good Christian music.)

HT: Between Two Worlds

Driscoll on Birth Control

2008-12-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

It seems that for the thoughtful Christian there is very little helpful information to be found on birth control. There is a lot of information to be found, just not very helpful. Over the years what I've found is a lot has been written about using no birth control as the only truly Biblical option, with perhaps some consideration for Natural Family Planning. Otherwise there is silence.
Mark Driscoll does an excellent job of answering the question in a very realistic and balanced way. He goes through "Five Levels" of birth control and discusses whether each level is an appropriate option for Christian couples, while maintaining that children are absolutely, without a doubt, blessings from the Lord.

Pondering of Late

2008-12-07T09:46:00.000-08:00

"Ironically, I've found that the parents who talk this way [of being burdened by their children] often have made the fewest sacrifices on their kids' behalf. It's a natural principle of life that the more time, effort, and energy we put into our families, the more we hold it dear."

- Gary Thomas, Sacred Parenting

HT: "Just A Smidge"

In case you've wondered....

2008-10-13T13:29:00.000-07:00

..why Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving in October?

According to WikiAnswers:

Unlike the American Thanksgiving which is associated with the early American colonists, the Canadian Thanksgiving is based on the European harvest festival. The harvest comes earlier in Canada because of its northern locale and thus it is celebrated in October.

Thankful

2008-10-13T12:44:00.000-07:00

There are so many reasons to be thankful each and every day, but as I was prepping the turkey this Thanksgiving Day, I was reflecting on all that I am so grateful for. Here are a few things in random order:

Turkey! The smell that will be filling my home shortly, all the trimmings, homemade turkey soup, sandwiches and leftovers to enjoy all week and store in the freezer!
The immense wealth we have enjoyed. Compared to my friends and neighbours, we have an average income; we are comfortable and enjoy some perks but compared to the rest of the world and even those who lived here 100 years ago, we are extremely wealthy.
I am grateful for that perspective as we head into a recession and possibly a depression. We North Americans have enjoyed our wealth at the expense of third world nations and have no idea of the true value of all we consume. This is bound to come to an end.
That said, I am grateful for the family vacation we are taking to Florida (no, not Disney world) next month and the airmiles that make it possible.
I am grateful for a husband who loves me, has brought stability to my life, been an excellent provider, generous giver and lover of Jesus.
I'm thankful for the surprise birthday party my husband threw for me Friday and all the amazing friends who came. This is the third surprise party he has given me and every time I have been surprised. Though I figured this one out while on the "errand" he sent me on the get me out of the house.
My children. They truly are blessings and bring me so much joy.
The Gospel. I am in desperate need of a Saviour, as parenting and marriage reveals so much sin in me.
I am grateful to live in a country like Canada and enjoy all the freedoms we do.
All the prayers that have been answered and even in my unbelief, the ways the Lord has worked to grow my faith.

Random Facts Meme

2008-10-01T12:28:00.000-07:00

Quite some time ago, Nicole tagged me for a meme asking for 6 random facts about myself. Since it's been two months since I've blogged I thought this may be a good way to loosen up the fingers!

1. I LOVE homeschooling. I love teaching my own kids, I love choosing curriculum, I love the idea behind homeschooling. When I first began three years ago I was worried that I would like the idea of homeschooling more than actually doing it. Thankfully that is not the case.

2. My life verse is Proverbs 3:5-6:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He shall direct your paths.

3. I made Chicken Mole for dinner last night. This was the first time I made it and it was a hit. Everyone loved it!

4. I am surrounded by elections. We have a federal election, provincial election and a municipal election all coming up. My mind is made up for the federal election, I have no clue who I'll vote for in the provincial; definitely not the NDP, but I don't really like any of the choices. Maybe this environmentally unconcerned gal will go Green. As for our municipal election? I have no idea who's even running. I just know I'll vote. It's my duty. Then there is the US election, which is shaping up to be rather interesting. Too bad Sarah Palin isn't up for President.

5. Now you know my views on women voting and whether it is appropriate for a woman to lead a country. Church and State are two separate realms. The bible is clear on woman's roles in the church. Not so clear on their role in State. Though Deborah, Esther, the Queen of Sheba come to mind as venerated leaders in the public realm.

6. It is glorious outside! It is October 1 and the windows are wide open, the kids are in shorts and T-shirts, and I've only had to turn on the furnace once in the last month. I think I'll head out to the back deck and read Chapter 1 of Future Grace, then come back and post my thoughts for Leslie's Book Club.

Tag: anyone who wants some blogging material!

The fine print: 1. Link to the person who ‘tagged’ you! 2. Post the rules on your blog! 3. List 6 random facts about yourself! 4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post! 5. Let each person know they have been tagged by commenting on their blog! 6. Let the tagger know the entry is posted on your blog!

You Drive Us Crazy - With Happiness

2008-07-30T10:57:00.001-07:00

Germany, with a birthrate of 1.4, has come up with a new ad campaign to encourage people to have more children. It is quite striking and rings with truth and reality. I love several of the sentiments:

"There are a lot of reasons not to have children. And the best reason for it: you!"
"You can't walk. But you move us forward."
"You learn so much every day; and teach us all the more."
"You show us that there was never a wrong time to have you. Only a right one."
"We need people like you. Because without you the present isn't fun anymore. And the future is already gone."

HT: Pro Woman, Pro Life

Raising Homeschooled Daughters

2008-07-17T10:02:00.001-07:00

As I have two daughters and homeschool, I appreciate the wisdom of those who have gone before me. Karen (thatmom) has begun a series on raising homeschooled daughters that is insightful, balanced, and written with grace and gentleness. Here is teaser from her introduction to the topic:

As parents, we are in the precarious position of preparing children to live within such a culture while at the same time protecting and coaching them from making life choices based on what is popular within that same culture. Unless we live in ivory towers, even as homeschoolers, our daughters are exposed to the same pressures and temptations, even when they sometimes come from other Christians. It is a constant challenge for us.
Now, I contend that this assault on our daughters has a parallel within the culture of homeschooling and over the next few days I will be sharing some of my concerns about raising homeschooled daughters.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5

Reflecting Back on 10 Years of Marriage

2008-07-16T13:50:00.000-07:00

Looking at our wedding picture, it is amazing to think of all that has taken place since that day. We really had no idea. Sure, we live in the same house we had purchased only weeks before. Certainly, there are the children we figured we'd have. But we had no idea who those little people would be. And we had no idea of the joys and sorrows, the gains and losses that would fill our home over the years. We were filled with hope that day and I am so thankful that 10 years later, we are still filled with hope.

I am filled with hope because God has walked with us all along the way. Because of His faithfulness in the past 10 years, I know that He will continue to be faithful in future years. There were years where we thought we weren't going to make it. Our affections for one another were challenged, circumstances came between us, sorrow overwhelmed. And yet God was there. On our own we would have unraveled long ago, but "a cord of three strands is not quickly broken." God has been that third strand binding us together.

Today, our love has deepened, our friendship is flourishing, our affections multiplied, our hope anchored. I am grateful for all that God has done and anticipate with joy, all that he will do over the next 10 years in our lives.

Because She Asked...

2008-07-10T19:05:00.000-07:00

Leslie wants to know, what's in your back yard? Upon reading her post I went out and took some pictures that could easily rival hers for messiness:

But I don't think ANYONE can top what appeared over my yard a few minutes ago:

This picture was taken from the front of the house:

And this one was taken from the back of the house:

Happy Birthday Canada?

2008-07-02T20:47:00.000-07:00

I am proud to be Canadian. Last night as I prayed with my children, I gave thanks for the privilege to have been born here and for all the freedoms we enjoy because we live in this country. It was with pride that we enjoyed the fireworks celebrating 141 years of Confederation. I was even laughing along and resonating with Tim Challies's sentiment that "I am not American".
Tonight my bubble was burst. On Canada's birthday, honour was given where honour should not be given. Dr. Henry Morgentaler, the abortionist who challenged Canada's abortion laws to the point of overturning the law, leaving no protection for the unborn in this country whatsoever has been awarded the Order of Canada "for his commitment to increased health care options for women, his determined efforts to influence Canadian public policy and his leadership in humanist and civil liberties organizations.”
I am stunned and sickened. Words can't convey the disappointment I feel for my country right now. I knew there was talk of him being awarded, but I never actually thought it would come to pass. May Jesus return soon, the blood of innocent children cries out for justice.

Busy Homemaking

2008-07-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

Just when I thought I was entering a season of rest and leisure, things got a whole lot busier. Summer time is like that though; with school out for the season, the time for all those projects suddenly appears.

We have been painting the bedrooms and are getting ready to tackle the family room and prepare for new carpets. We live in an older, small house that seemed like it had more room than we could possibly use when we bought it on the eve of our wedding 10 years ago. Four children later and every nook and cranny is filled.

We have shuffled around the bedroom arrangement so that the girls can have one of the two bedrooms on the main floor and the boys in the other. My husband and I moved to what was the guest room in the basement and are moving the guest room to what was our oldest daughter's room.

We are in the midst of our regular July heat wave; today it's 42 C (106 F) and we have no A/C. Needless to say, in the heat everything moves a little slower. I keep feeling like my "regular program" is being interrupted but this post at Girl Talk helped put the chaos that is my home into perspective:

In the midst of all this packing and unpacking I’ve found myself thinking, “When I get through this move, then I can get back to more important things.”
This is not the first time I’ve succumbed to such faulty thinking. Throughout my career as a homemaker I’ve been tempted to look past the duties of the day to the more “important,” “significant,” or “exciting” work of tomorrow.

“When the baby sleeps through the night, then I can begin to…”
“When the children are a little older I’ll have more time to….”
“When this sports season is over than I can turn my attention to….”
“If they ever graduate from high school, then I can finally….”

But there are no holding patterns in God’s kingdom. As homemakers, we are not simply circling the skies of life, waiting for God from His control tower to call us to real kingdom work. No, we’re doing that important work today. As Dorothy Patterson observes: “preparation and care of the family shelter are important enough for God himself to assign that responsibility” (e.g. Titus 2:3-5, Pr. 31).

So I may not be able to blog as much as I hoped I would this summer, read all those books I have piling up or lounge at the beach with the kids, but I am busy building our family shelter and this is God's assignment for me.

Two For Friday

2008-06-20T21:23:00.000-07:00

Boy, I sure don't miss working in an office:

Moments like these are so much more enjoyable:

Who's Your Celebrity Chef Match?

2008-06-18T14:02:00.000-07:00

Who's Your Celebrity Chef Match?

My Result: Iron Chef

So maybe you've never had a face-off in Kitchen Stadium, but we'd guess that it's your knack for cooking improvisation that could top any competition. In cooking, as in life, you're probably very resourceful and able to make quick fixes with creative solutions. Whether it's taking an afternoon to search for hard-to-find ingredients or coming up with your own substitutions for an ingredient you don't have, you like exploring and discovering new things. To you, cooking is as much about the fun and challenge of spending time in the kitchen as it is about the finished product.

Sure, you like to eat, but you also enjoy everything that goes into getting that meal to the table. You may never end up in a cooking competition — it might not even be your style — but we'd guess you get a kick out of topping your own last meal — especially if you had to improvise along the way.

What are you?
http://web.tickle.com/jumpto?test=celebchefogt&c=50652

No Excuse For Neglect

2008-06-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

No duty, no work, however important it may be, can excuse us from discharging the obligations of nature, from caring for those who have fleshly claims upon us. They who go forth as missionaries to labor in heathen lands, and who leave their children behind, or who send them back to the homeland, to be cared for by strangers, are not following the steps of the Saviour. Those women who spend most of their time at public meeting, even though they be religious meetings, or who go down into the slums to minister to the poor and needy, to the neglect of their own family at home, do but bring reproach upon the name and cause of Christ. Those men, even though they stand at the forefront of Christian work, who are so busy preaching and teaching that they have no time to discharge the obligations that they owe to their own wives and children, need to study and practice the principle exemplified here ["When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home."] by Christ on the Cross.

- The Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross by A.W. Pink

(HT: Light Came)

Friday Five

2008-06-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

"Choosing Entertainment to The Glory of God - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4" - from Spirit of Adoption

Bring Birds and Butterflies to Your Garden

The Tuiningas have brought Adam & Jean home from Africa! I've linked to the whole blog because the last 6 or 7 weeks of blogging has been devoted to their trip to Africa and the adoption of two adorable little babies. Janet has been honest about the difficulties they faced emotionally, physically and politically. This is a great insiders look at international adoption.

Is ending an Ectopic Pregnancy ethical? thatmom responds to Kim at Life in a Shoe and Doug Phillips of Vision Forum here and here.

Leslie has a new blog! Yes, I Homeschool My Kids

How Do I Do It?

2008-06-11T14:54:00.000-07:00

As a mother of four young children who homeschools, I am often asked, "How do you do it?" Or, someone may say, "I couldn't do it - it's just not in me." Meaning they couldn't homeschool or they couldn't have more than two children. I am always at a loss for how to answer. There is the self-righteousness that springs up and wants to be superwoman in the eyes of others. There is the self-sufficiency that wants to take the credit for whatever it is in me that can do it. There is the pride, this is so awful to admit, that wants to claim that God has been more gracious to me than others. But really, I have been pondering how it is that I do it, a lot lately and I believe there are several key factors that I will explain over a series of posts.
The first is that I have received an abundant amount of grace from God. More than others? No. I believe that the grace I have received is available for anyone. In fact, I have just come through a season of becoming more aware of my dependence upon His grace and the abundance of His grace. My self-sufficiency and self-righteousness was stripped away last fall when my fourth child was welcomed home and I had begun homeschooling my second child.
I was homeschooling two children, caring for a newborn and beginning an intense season of training a toddler who no longer napped in the morning and was getting into everything. Everything. And distracting the other two. The baby was colicky and slept for no more than three hours in a row at night until she was 6 months old. My household was full of messes and unpredictability; both things I hate.
How I did I do it? I didn't. I was angry, tired, frustrated, mean, impatient, harsh, selfish. I despaired of my children's future living with me. Seriously. There were days where I didn't find time for a shower. There were days where I wasn't dressed until 3 in the afternoon. It wasn't like that with any of the other children - I was always able to shower and dress before breakfast with the other three.
Yet God was abundantly gracious to me during this time! In His kindness, he let me come undone. He let me see the extent of my dependence on Him. Sleep? Is all His grace. How do I know? He withheld it from me for a season. Food? All His grace. He let me see how dependent I am on it; I get very grouchy when I don't eat and He gave me four children who all needed to be fed first while my stomach rumbled. Coffee? His grace. I know because of the headaches I had at noon when I hadn't had the first of three daily cups. I grew in my awareness of all his graces to me and I grew in my awareness that I don't deserve it.
My sin sprayed out of me with a stench much like manure being spread over large crops. Except my sin had no value as fertilizer. That was the point. There was nothing of value I could offer to the Lord. He let me see that. My good work of homeschooling? A filthy rag - there was sin all over it. My good work of staying home with my children? Covered with sin. My good work of having the children in the first place? Stained with sin. Sources of pride were stripped away as I saw the extent of my sin in all that I did.
And yet, I have a dear friend who would say to me on the few occasions I saw her, "The Lord is pleased with you." I didn't believe her. I would think to myself, "He can't be pleased - He sees how my days truly play out and there is nothing to take pleasure in." But she was right. The Lord was pleased with me. He still is. He is pleased with me because of the Gospel.
I simply have to gaze at the cross and see that my sin and shame was borne by Christ. The just judgment and wrath of God was poured out upon Him. The problem of my sin has been taken care of. The pleasure He takes in me is because Christ's righteousness has been credited to me. The righteous life He lived, has been transferred to me just as if I had lived a perfect, righteous life myself.
Aware of my abundant sins, I could throw myself before the throne of God without fear of His judgment but as a dearly loved child before her Father. I could declare my helplessness and seek His help knowing that my sins have been removed from me as far as the east is from the west and with confidence that He hears my prayers.
How do I do it? First, I preach the Gospel to myself when my heart condemns me and then I rest in the grace shown me upon the cross and run to my Father for help.

The Truth of The Matter

2008-06-09T09:43:00.000-07:00

Do not think me gentle because I speak in praise of gentleness, or elegant because I honour the grace that keeps this world. I am a [wo]man crude as any, gross of speech, intolerant, stubborn, angry, full of fits and furies. That I may have spoken well at times, is not natural. A wonder is what it is.
-Wendell Berry
(HT: In All Honesty)

New Look, Same Theme

2008-06-07T16:45:00.000-07:00

This past Monday we had our final home school support meeting and one of the moms from our group shared about her experiences over the years; her youngest of four children has just graduated. She shared the same quote by G.K. Chesterton that I have as the main theme for my blog and I was freshly reminded of the gigantic responsibility and opportunity we have as mothers. Since I have changed the design of my blog, I thought I would re-post my Job Description here:

“To be Queen Elizabeth within a definite area, deciding sales, banquets, labours, and holidays; to be Whitely within a certain area, providing toys, boots, cakes and books; to be Aristotle within a certain area, teaching morals, manners, theology, and hygiene; I can imagine how this can exhaust the mind, but I cannot imagine how it could narrow it. How can it be a large career to tell other people about the Rule of Three, and a small career to tell one's own children about the universe? How can it be broad to be the same thing to everyone and narrow to be everything to someone? No, a woman’s function is laborious, but because it is gigantic, not because it is minute.”

Four on Friday

2008-06-06T09:59:00.000-07:00

Birth of A Hummingbird - Truly Amazing Pictures

"My Views on Sunscreen - Part 1 & Part 2" from Keeper of the Home

"How I Became Pro-Life" - from Et Tu.

"Richer Than Rockefeller: Putting Wealth in Perspective"

Protecting the Unborn

2008-06-05T19:12:00.000-07:00

Currently there are no laws in Canada protecting the unborn but if Bill C-484 is passed in Parliament that is about to change. While the Bill would not affect the lack of legislation surrounding abortion, it will open the door for justice to be served on the behalf of the unborn. This is encouraging.

Advocacy and Pride

2008-05-12T14:51:00.000-07:00

He only splashed her. The rock didn't hit her, in fact the little boy wasn't aiming to hit her, he was just tossing the stones toward where she stood at the edge of the lake. That was enough for me to run and defend my two year old daughter. "She is just a little girl!" I yelled at him. "Don't throw those at her." The boy sulked away, clearly a taken aback by my response to his actions.
I was taken aback too. Perhaps I had overreacted to the situation, but what surprised me was the sheer force with which I leaped to defend my daughter. Until then I didn't realize I had it in me. But as a mother, that is what I have to do. Defend my weak, young, and defenseless children; be their advocate. And I hate doing it.
It is not the rock throwing situation that bothers me so much. It was an instinctual response actually. The advocacy that I hate having to do is speaking up my 5 year old son who has life threatening allergies and my two year old whose allergic responses have been mild but could get worse. My instinct is to avoid any or all situations where there will be food. But that is not always possible, nor what God is asking of me.
Take church for instance, we can't avoid attending, we are warned not to forsake the gathering of believers. But by going it puts me in the awkward situation of having to ask whether snacks are served. If they are, what are they? I may have to request that they not be served or that my son be removed from the class. In the nursery, I have to ask child care workers to make sure there are no baby bottles laying around. Yes, I've even had to ask that a baby have his bottle taken away. (My sons are allergic to dairy.) I risked a picnic in the park with some other moms a while back and one of them brought pizza. I had to pass out wet wipes and request that she clean up each of her four children's hands and faces before they went off to play with my son.
When we are invited out to dinner, I hate requesting that certain things not be served - like pizza and lasagna and ice cream cones. That the shredded cheese for tacos be left off the menu. That perhaps it would be best if milk was not served to drink. These foods are the most likely for cross contamination and all it takes is a little bit of the oils to cause an anaphylactic reaction in my son. (It has happened.) Once we had to rush my son to the hospital after sharing a bath with his cousin who'd been eating ice cream. So saying nothing is not an option. But I hate asking favours and asking others to make special accommodations.
It is not that the response of others is negative. Everyone has been positive and willing to help in any way. Most have been quite concerned. Some like the challenge of planning and preparing a dairy free meal - they have even found some great desert recipes which is hard to do. I have a couple friends who throw dairy free birthday parties.
But I hate asking. Why? PRIDE. Pride. I don't like needing the help of others and by having to act as my sons' advocate I am asking for help. And my proud heart fights it, my stomach ties in knots and I avoid the situations where I have to ask for help. I am stretched beyond my comfort zone and pushed into areas that are beyond my own control. I have to depend on and trust others. God in His kindness has given me this job of advocating for my sons so that my pride may be revealed and killed. It is a slow death.
"But God gives greater grace. Therefore He says, 'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'" (James 4:6) I am in need of His grace, I need to learn humility and so He has put me in the recurring situation of having to humble myself and ask for help. And He gives grace. I just have to look at the cross and see that Christ drank the bitter cup I deserve for my pride and now I can taste the sweetness of His loving kindness.

Fodder for Thought

2008-05-05T11:51:00.000-07:00

Inspired by a Boundless Line post, entitled "Reading to Break Writer's Block" I thought I would share what books I've stacked up as fuel for thinking and writing:

He's Not a Burden, He's a Bundle of Joy!

2008-04-29T16:00:00.000-07:00

There is a whole generation of people who were adopted that have grown up and are now pondering the reality that their mothers could have legally chosen to have an abortion. They are speaking out. Some of them are household names - who has not heard of DMC or Sarah McLachlan? Both were adopted and have collaborated on this song speaking of the potential that existed when their mothers gave them the chance to live. It's a powerful message.

"Is there a chance for the baby to live? That is a chance that you've got to give. That is a chance that you've got to give."

From The Archives

2008-04-23T21:46:00.001-07:00

It has been two months since I've blogged. That was unintentional - days simply turned into weeks and weeks became months. Yesterday, Nicole tagged me for an "Archive Meme". What a great way to (hopefully) get back into blogging again. The idea is simple, I just have to post a link from my archives that has to do with family, friends, me, something I love and anything I like. Here goes:

Family: At the bottom of this post is our family photo from Christmas '07.
Friends: Mrs. M from A Mother's Musings is a friend from real life too! Last summer, she and her family came to spend a few days with us, here is a picture of us together (I am about 7 months pregnant in it).
Me: I love reading. Here are a few lists: Vacation Reading, Favourite Fiction, some of Last Years School books.
Something I Love: Make that somebody: Jesus!
Anything I like: I have blogged a fair bit about Infant Salvation and my own experience of loss. These posts are very personal to me, but I'm drawing attention to them because I know the loss of a child is an unfamiliar experience for many and because I want anyone who has walked that dark valley to have the assurance that their little one is resting with the Lord.

In turn I tag Mrs. M, Tracy, and Stephanie!

LitLovers at Lux Venit

2008-02-28T16:24:00.000-08:00

I have always wanted to join a reading group and now Leslie from Lux Venit is giving us the chance! There is a wonderful community of Christian women in the blogger-sphere and it will be fun to read a book together, grab a cup of coffee and blog about it. If you want to participate head over to Lux Venit for more details.

They Chose Life!

2008-02-18T20:39:00.000-08:00

Because we don't have cable, sattelite or even proper reception for the local channels, I am probably the LAST person on the planet to have heard about the amazing family of Jon and Kate Gosselin! I am encouraged by their testimony and the strong prolife message they represent.
After receiving some assistance to conceive, they discovered they were having six (SIX!) babies. They already had two twin daughters. While offered a pregnancy "reduction", they staunchly refused. Many facing a high order multiple pregnancy such as theirs have opted to abort several of thier babies. Not the Gosselin's.
Now on a regular basis the spotlight is shone on them and we get to see on international television each of these little children's faces that conventional medical "wisdom" said should be aborted . It begs the question, "If they opted to abort 1, 2, 3, or 4 of these babies, who would be missing?" Praise God that Jon and Kate chose the wisdom of God and walk the challenging road He laid before them when He blessed them with 8 children!

Our Humanness, Abortion and the Crimson Blood of Christ

2008-02-16T15:09:00.000-08:00

An old lady walking down the street, children in the backyard laughing and shouting, a young man driving along the freeway on his way to work, a woman pushing her grocery cart up down the aisles of the store, a nursing baby reaching for his mother’s face, a tiny little baby no bigger than a dime dancing in her mother’s womb – all bear the image of God like a coin bears the image of a nation’s queen or king or president. This is what it means to be human, and what sets us apart from all other creatures; we are stamped with the image of our creator.
It is this very truth that makes the murder of another human being such an affront to God. It is an attack on God himself. And when that murder is of an innocent child, nestled deeply in the safest place he could be – his mother’s womb – that affront is all the more devastating because he cannot fight back and that little, tiny child is innocent. A man may murder another man in defence of his family; a convicted criminal may be executed by the state as a means of upholding justice. There is a guilt that rests upon the victim but with the victims of abortion there is no sin to condemn them with, no guilt we can lay upon their heads to justify their murder. And so, we must speak for them or we will find ourselves guilty of the sin of silence.
I have been burdened to speak up but this comes at a cost. I know women who have had abortions. I know them, not just of them. I know a man who at the age of 16 got his 14 year old girlfriend pregnant and together they sought an abortion. He knows he would have had a grown son or daughter by now. When we speak of abortion and the horrors of it – these people hear. And their guilt weighs heavily upon them.
My temptation is to avoid acknowledging or discussing abortion, excuse the action, shift the blame, plead ignorance but it is a weak attempt to save face and maintain dignity. I don’t want to humiliate someone by pointing out their sins and the guilt of silence resides within me.
But as John Stott wrote, “a full acknowledgement of human responsibility and therefore guilt, far from diminishing the dignity of human beings, actually enhances it. It presupposes that men and women, unlike the animals, are morally responsible beings, who know what they are, could be and should be, and do not make excuses for their poor performance....Sin is not only the attempt to be God; it is also refusal to be man, by shuffling off responsibility for our actions.”
Along with bearing the image of God, intrinsic to our humanity is our moral conscience that cries out to be cleared. Stott goes on to say that, “to say someone 'is not responsible for his actions' is to demean him or her as a human being. It is part of the glory of being human that we are held responsible for our actions. Then, when we also acknowledge sin and guilt, we receive God's forgiveness, enter into the joy of salvation, and so become yet more completely human and healthy. What is unhealthy is every wallowing in guilt which does not lead to confession, repentance, faith in Jesus Christ and so forgiveness."
Just as murder is an attack on the image of God, so too is our failure to accept moral responsability. And so, in defending the unborn I risk ofending another, I risk showing them thier sins, I risk exposing their shame. In an attempt to break the silence and open my mouth to speak up for those who can't speak for themselves, my words will be tinged with condemnation. But if Stott is right (and I think he is) it through this provocation of conscience that we can lead our friends to the Cross of Jesus Christ.
It is not my intention to condemn anyone for their past sin of abortion or thier present sin of silence. In conclusion, I want to echo the words of John Piper from his recent sermon on abortion, that accross anything I write is "the banner of the cross of Christ. Its color is crimson. Because the blood of Christ takes away the sin of abortion and the sin of not caring about it.”

Let This Not Be!

2008-02-13T10:37:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I posted a breif history of how abortion came to be leagalized in Canada. It was throught the obstinate persistance of one man who repeatedly challenged and broke the law by performing thousands of abortions. After several appeals, his trial was before the supreme court where it was determined he could not be convicted because the law itself was unconstitutional. But if one were to think that Henry Morgentaler shrunk back into his Montreal abortion clinic they would be wrong. But that is a story for another day.

There are those think Morgentaler deserves to be awarded the Order of Canada:

"The Order of Canada is the centrepiece of Canada’s honours system and recognizes a lifetime of outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation. The Order recognizes people in all sectors of Canadian society. Their contributions are varied, yet they have all enriched the lives of others and made a difference to this country. The Order of Canada’s motto is DESIDERANTES MELIOREM PATRIAM (They desire a better country)."

The Globe and Mail is hosting an opinion poll asking if Morgentaler should receive this award. Please take two seconds of your time and vote!

'All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men (read: people) do nothing' ...... Edmund Burke

A Questiony Meme

2008-02-05T15:49:00.000-08:00

Nicole tagged me for this questiony meme:

1. Were you named after anyone? My middle name is Anne which is my mom's and my oldest daughter's, my desceased daughter is Anna and my mother-in-law is Annie.
2. When was the last time you cried? not sure, I'm not a real crier
3. Do you like your handwriting? it could be worse, but no I don't admire it
4. What is your favourite lunch meat? corned beef
5. Do you have kids? yes! 4 living and one with the Lord
6. If you were another person would you be friends with you? Of course! We'd agree about everything...then again that might get annoying!
7. Do you use sarcasm a lot? less and less...evidence of God's grace in my life!
8. Do you still have your tonsils? yes.
9. Would you bungee jump? an emphatic NO!
10. What is your favourite cereal? Cheerios or Shreddies
11. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? My winter boots require it which is what I wear out these days...but in general I buy shoes that slip on or off
12. Do you think you are strong? yes
13. What is your favourite icecream? pralenes and cream
14. What is the first thing you notice about people? their eyes and overall composure (open and friendly or closed and stanoffish)
15. Red or pink? Red
16. What is the thing that you like least about yourself? my tendency to procrastinate
17. Who do you miss the most? I wish my maternal grandfather were still alive and I could have known him as an adult. I have two very dear friends from childhood who live in different towns that I miss and wish we could be closer so we could enjoy one another's families.
19. What colour pants and shoes are you wearing? Blue jeans and white Croc's - the ugliest shoes going, but being in my stocking feet all day (Canadians don't wear shoes indoors) was killing my back.
20. Have you ever re-gifted? yes
21. What are you listening to right now? Geography Songs (blaring out of my daughter's CD player). I have The Wonderful Cross in mine (just not playing).
22. If you were a crayon what colour would you be? yellow (though Red is my favourite!)
23. Favourite smells? coffee and vanilla
24. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? my husband
25. Do you like the person who sent this to you? yes - she has a great blog, though I don't know her in person
26. Favourite sports to watch? I haven't an ounce of appreciation for any kind of sport (thankfully my husband doesn't either)
30. Favourite food? Food? I LOVE food - all kinds
31. Scary movies or happy endings? happy endings
32. Last movie you watched? The Bourne Supremacy
33. What colour shirt are you wearing? Brown
34. Summer or winter? Spring and Fall.
35. Hugs or kisses? hugs
36. Favourite dessert? cheesecake or tiramisu
39. What book are you reading now? A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, Home Education By Design by Cynthia F. Lavoie, plus I have a bunch of others on the go
40. What is on your mousepad? I use a laptop
41. What did you watch on tv last night? we don't get any TV programs - not even a single channel
42. Favourite sound? ocean waves crashing on shore, the wind blowing through the trees - I try to imagine these as how the voice of God may sound
43. Rolling stones or Beatles? The Stones
44. What is the furthest you have been from home? Phoenix, Arizona
45. Do you have a special talent? no
46. Where were you born? Vancouver, BC

In turn I'll tag Leslie, Loreana and Mrs. M

Talking About Abortion

2008-01-29T11:48:00.000-08:00

Every so often we need a reality check. Because abortion is not talked about much in Canadian media or politics, it is easy to become complacent. It can be tempting to deny that it happens and tempting to deny the reality that every day little, tiny, babies are riped, cut and dismembered then sucked from their mother's wombs. Because an early pregnancy can't be visually discerned from the outside and the baby's flutterings not readily felt, it is hard to imagine that there is in fact a real baby growing inside.
The video below is one to watch with the kids. It portrays the growth of a baby from conception; even a small child will notice the hands, feet and eyes. There is a little heart beating - amazing and beautiful. After the kids have gone to bed, watch this. Be prepared to cry - abortion is ugly. It is real and we need to begin talking about it.

HT: Desiring God Blog

Abortion in Canada

2008-01-28T10:00:00.000-08:00

Today marks the 20th Anniversary of fully-legalized abortion in Canada. Until the umbilical cord is cut, there are no laws in this country to protect or recognize the life of an unborn child. And as a “surgical procedure” abortions are funded by the federal government, making them free of cost to Canadian residents and citizens.
Unlike Americans, Canadians tend to skirt around hot issues like abortions. Your typical Canadian tends to avoid conflict and discussing matters where we may disagree. We are hesitant to suggest that just because I think something is wrong, that it is wrong for you as well, and so many Canadians who have a personal objection to abortion, would not act to see it become illegal. There is very little media coverage regarding the state of abortion in our country and is a marginal issue during elections at best.
Because we are inundated with American media, Roe vs. Wade is commonly known about here. However, with the anniversary of that case last week it made me question how abortion came to be legalized in Canada. I discovered just how different the process of seeing abortion legalized was from the situation in the US.
It began with the view of the very popular and charismatic former Prime Minister who thought that, “the state has no place in the bedrooms of the nation.” In 1967 Pierre Trudeau introduced a bill to the House of Commons that was passed in 1969. The bill amended the section of the Criminal Code which prohibited the procurement of abortion and made it punishable by life in prison by creating a provision for abortions to be permitted when a woman’s health was found to be in jeopardy and approved by a three-doctor hospital committee.
Fast forward to January 28, 1988: in R. v. Morgentaler, the Supreme Court of Canada found that the section of the Criminal Code used to charge Dr. Henry Morgentaler for performing abortions was in violation of section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The court ruled that, “The right to liberty…guarantees a degree of personal autonomy over important decisions intimately affecting his or her private life. …The decision whether or not to terminate a pregnancy is essentially a moral decision and in a free and democratic society, the conscience of the individual must be paramount to that of the state.”
The same year Trudeau’s amendment to the Criminal Code was passed, an Auschwitz survivor and Polish immigrant named Henry Morgentaler began performing abortions in his Montreal medical practice. In June 1970 he was arrested and charged with conspiracy to perform an abortion. Between 1970 and 1973, Morgentaler was charged 10 more times and in 1973 he publicly stated that he had performed more than 5000 abortions without the permission of the three-doctor committees, and allowed one to be video taped for the CTV news program W-Five.
Despite his admission of being in violation of the law, Morgentaler was acquitted by a jury but in 1974, the Quebec Court of Appeal overturned the verdict and found him guilty. Morgentaler appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada where his conviction was upheld and he was sentenced to 18 months in prison. During this time he was tried on a second charge and acquitted by another jury. This time his acquittal could not be overturned due to “the Morgentaler Amendment” which prevents a jury verdict from being overturned by a higher court and the province of Quebec declared they could no longer enforce abortion laws. Further to this, The Federal Minister of Justice set aside Morgentaler’s conviction on the first charge, ordered a new trial and in 1976 he was acquitted by a jury for the third time.
Fuelled by his victories, Henry Morgentaler opened abortion clinics in Quebec, Toronto and Winnipeg where he continued to challenge the law by performing abortions without the permission of a three-doctor hospital board. Along with other doctors at his clinics, Morgentaler was charged with conspiracy to procure a miscarriage, but at the 1984 trial a jury once again acquitted him. This time the Ontario Attorney General set aside the acquittal and ordered a new trial. Again, Morgentaler appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada, where in 1988 it was determined that Canada’s abortion law was unconstitutional and was nullified. Dr. Morgentaler called the verdict, “a vindication of everything I believed in. For the first time it gave women full status of human beings able to make decisions about their own lives.”
The verdict however was not about women’s rights and liberties, it was about the fact that the regulations outlined in the criminal code created a situation where there was unequal access for women depending on their location in the country. This situation is what was deemed unconstitutional. Morgentaler was acquitted because he attempted to fill that void, and create equal access to abortion for women in Canada.
It was the recommendation of the Supreme Court that the government introduce a new abortion law and in 1989 a new law was introduced and approved by the House of Commons. Under the new law doctors would face a two-year prison term if they approved an abortion when the woman’s health was not in danger. However, the law was condemned by several doctors and was overturned by the Senate. No government has attempted to introduce an abortion law since, and 20 years later I find myself living in a country where there is no abortion law whatsoever.

Instructing A Child's Heart

2008-01-18T14:30:00.000-08:00

If I could name one book that we have benefited the most from as parents it is Shepherding A Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp. He and his wife Margy have written a follow-up to that book called Instructing A Child's Heart and it looks like it will become an invaluable resource as well. Have a look at this and see why:

Blogging With A Purpose!

2008-01-15T15:55:00.000-08:00

Blogging is such a great opportunity to share about the impact the gospel has made in our individual lives. Many of the blogs I enjoy read like journals of sorts, but they testify to the goodness of God and the working out of their salvation in the everyday circumstances they find themselves in. This is why I was so thrilled and extremely honoured when Loraena of Life in Oregon awarded me with a Blogging With A Purpose Award, undeserved though it is. Especially since blogging has been on the back burner lately as life with a new baby and homeschooling my two older children has taken up much of my time.

In turn, I get to award other bloggers who I think Blog With A Purpose (be sure to click on the icon for the background of the award).

168 hours - Nicole's tag line says it all, "learning to glorify God in everyday life." All 168 hours of the week. Her posts are thoughtful and she is purposeful in her blogging.

A Mother's Musings - Mrs. M definitely blogs with a purpose as she tries to apply to the gospel to all areas of her life and share about it.

thatmom - "real encouragement for real homeschooling moms" Even if you aren't a homeschooler or a mom, you will appreciate Karen's voice of wisdom. She has been in the trenches, having raised five of her own children and seeks to have a Beroean spirit as she addresses some relevant and at times contentious issues for our time.

The Blazing Center - this is a joint blog between father and son, Mark and Stephen Altrogge (also talented musicians from Sovereign Grace) where they are "connecting God's truth with real life". I enjoy this blog because it is both practical and insightful as they write about the many ways the gospel can be applied to our lives.

The guidelines that accompany this award:

1. Awarded parties must nominate five people who have not received the award.

2. The blogs that receive the award must serve some purpose.

3. In their post about the award they need to link back to the original entry.

4. Awarded parties must post the award banner on their site. The banner must remain linked to Eric Novak's site.

Pay It Forward!

2008-01-15T15:20:00.000-08:00

Last week I received a gift in the mail from Janet of Tuininga Treasures. She held a "Pay It Forward" contest after receiving a gift from someone she did not know. I think the idea is great (especially because I was a lucky recipient) and a fun way to connect as fellow bloggers. So, I am now hosting the next leg of the "Pay It Forward Contest"**. Leave your name in the comments, and I'll randomly select a name out of a hat or by getting one of my kids to pick a number and next Saturday I will draw one name and then send the winner some sort of gift!

Here's a peek at what I got:

Some Bing Crosby for next Christmas, Lindt chocolate (had to hide those from my husband - there is no better chocolate around!), bath gels and lotion, some more candies, a Pampered Chef cake decorating set and a Memo Book with Post-It Notes inside (very handy). Thank you Janet!

Hurry up and enter your name - I have some great things to send along (like some more Lindt chocolates) to "Pay It Forward".

**It should be noted that should you win, there is no obligation to host another pay it forward contest yourself!

A Fresh New Year

2008-01-01T10:50:00.000-08:00

No New Year's resolutions for this girl. I don't usually make them, though each year I ponder resolving to exercise more and eat less. But those ponderings never form into full blown resolutions. It seems to me that by resolving to do more of something or less of another, that I am reflecting back on areas of regret. Things I didn't do well enough. Things I indulged in a shouldn't have. And so the New Year is entered with a sense of condemnation because I am resolving to do what I have failed to do each year before.
But New Year's Day carries with it a fresh start, a new beginning. God in His goodness and mercy has granted me another day to live and bring Him glory. With that are His promises that He will continue to do His work in me. I can reflect back on the past year and see that He has done great things my life and my family. He has shown His faithfulness.
When I look back on the thoughts I had for what 2007 would bring, I really had no idea how the year would unfold. I anticipated that our family would relocate to another city in our province but God has kept that door firmly shut. I anticipated closing the year with a new pregnancy; the year began with that gift instead.
This New Year begins with no resolutions because I have no idea what the plans God has for us are; the circumstances that we will find ourselves walking through. Past experience tells me that I don't have the power of prediction. But I am grateful for the hope that this New Years Day carries due to the past faithfulness of the Lord and the assurance that He continue to do the work He has begun because I can see how He has worked in the past. So from my family to yours,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

All This Was for Our Salvation

2007-12-25T12:17:00.000-08:00

I used to think that Jesus would have been the easiest baby ever. And certainly he would have been like none of the other children Mary gave birth to in the years following, but I have to wonder if Jesus was more ordinary in his babyhood than I originally thought. We know he would have needed bum changes - at inconvenient times no less, and Mary would have had to burp him. So it is possible that if she ate something a little out of the ordinary that Jesus' little baby tummy got upset, and being an infant, he may have cried and fussed on end. Perhaps every night. He would have woken Mary in the night to feed like any other newborn. Surely His sleep patterns needed sorting out too. Did he get colds, and the stomach flu? We know he would have hungered like us and needed rest like us. Anyways...just some thoughts that perhaps Mary's initiation into motherhood was more normal than I had imagined, and Jesus' inability to sin wouldn't have been easily discernible to his mother in those first few months of infancy.
But while Jesus needed all the tender care that babies need - he was no ordinary baby. His days were numbered for him and he had a mission to fulfill. He was "born to die" as J.I. Packer writes:

"The supreme mystery with which the gospel confronts us does not lie...in the Good Friday message of atonement, nor in the Easter message of resurrection, but in the Christmas message of incarnation. The really staggering Christian claim is that Jesus of Nazareth was God made man - that the second person of the Godhead became the 'second man' (I Cor 15:47), determining human destiny , the second representative head of the human race, and that he took humanity without loss of deity, so that Jesus of Nazareth was as truly and fully divine as he was human.
...It is here, in the thing that happened at the first Christmas, that the profoundest and most unfathomable depths of the Christian revelation lie. 'The Word became flesh' (John 1:14); God became man; the divine Son became a Jew; the Almighty appeared on earth as a helpless human baby, unable to do more that lie and stare and wriggle and make noises, needing to be fed and changed and taught to talk like any other child. And there was no illusion or deception in this: the babyhood of the Son of God was a reality. The more you think about it, the more staggering it gets. Nothing in fiction is more fantastic as is the truth of the incarnation.
...He had not ceased to be God; he was no less God than before; but he had begun to be man. He was not now God minus some elements of his deity, but God plus all that he had made his own by taking manhood to himself.
...How are we to think of the incarnation? The New Testament does not encourage us to puzzle our heads over the physical and psychological problems that it raises, but to worship God for the love that was shown in it. For it was a great act of condescension and self-humbling. 'He, Who had always been God by nature,' writes Paul, 'did not cling to His prerogatives as God's equal, but stripped Himself of all privilege by consenting to be a slave by nature and being born as a mortal man. And, having become man, He humbled Himself by living a life of utter obedience, even to the extent of dying, and the death he died was the death of a common criminal' (Phil. 2:6ff., Phillips). And all this was for our salvation." - J.I. Packer, Knowing God, pages 58, 63, 64.

Like no other time of year have reason to celebrate as we ponder the reason Christ was born: so that He could die the death we deserve and reconcile us to Him. Merry Christmas!

More Fun

2007-12-23T21:21:00.000-08:00

Seeing as I'm Canadian with no American roots I thought I'd give this little quiz a whirl for fun...I got a good chuckle when it suggested I probably get mistaken for a Canadian a lot!

What American accent do you have? Your Result: North Central "North Central" is what professional linguists call the Minnesota accent. If you saw "Fargo" you probably didn't think the characters sounded very out of the ordinary. Outsiders probably mistake you for a Canadian a lot.
The West
The Midland
Boston
The Inland North
Philadelphia
The South
The Northeast
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

(HT: Rebecca Writes)

I May Not Know Much....

2007-12-23T15:50:00.000-08:00

But I know WHAT and WHOM we celebrate at Christmas!

You Don't Know Much About Christmas

You only got 4/10 correct
So you don't know all of the history and trivia of the holidays...As long as you remember to put out some cookies for Santa, you're still ahead of the game.
Random Christmas fact: Only 21% of US households has a real Christmas tree each year.

How'>http://www.blogthings.com/howmuchdoyouknowaboutchristmasquiz/">How Much Do You Know About Christmas?

(HT: Lux Venit)

Christmas Meme

2007-12-04T20:59:00.000-08:00

Loraena tagged me for this Christmas meme with some fun questions on what we do for Christmas. In turn, I'll tag Mrs. M, Leslie, Janet, and Nicole. Here goes:

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? wrapping paper, ribbons, bows - I love this part
2. Real tree or artificial? Real. Every year we go and cut one down. This is year is my husbands turn so he'll head out to the woods and tromp through waist deep snow to pick out what I call a "Charlie Brown Tree" for free. Next year we'll head over to the tree farm, have a hay ride, pick out the "perfect" cultured tree, pay $40 or so dollars for it and admire it for the rest of the season.
3. When do you put up your tree? Usually around the 15th. Because we get a live one, it needs to last for the following reason:
4. When do you take the tree down? New Years Day. And not a day earlier. Though one New Years I came home from the neighbours (hubby was working that night) to find our tree had fallen over! Needles were everywhere but no decorations were broken. It was 1 am so the tradition remained unbroken.
5. Do you like eggnog? NO!
6. Favourite gift received as a child? A Cabbage Patch doll. It was 1984 and my parents must have waited in a looooong line up to get one for my sister and I. No little girl was without one at that point in time. I named mine Lisa.
7. Do you have a Nativity scene? Yes, a couple. They are a vital reminder of why we are celebrating.
8. Hardest person to buy for? My husband. Everything he wants is waaaay to expensive.
9. Easiest person to buy for? the kidlets.
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Nothing comes to mind.
11. Mail or email Christmas cards? mail.
12. Favorite Christmas movie? No favourites, however I've been waiting for the Christmas season to arrive before we watch The Nativity Story.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? The week before. Sad but true. I am a terrible procrastinator.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Don't think so.
15. Favorite things to eat at Christmas? Turkey, stuffing, cranberries, sweet potatoes - plus the week's worth of leftovers. THE BEST!
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Not sure. Sadly, Christmas music in general is not my favourite.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home. No exceptions - though all are welcome to join us.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Rudolph, Dasher, Dancer, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Prancer...how many are there all together?
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? That Santa has stolen to spotlight.
23. What is the "corniest" family tradition you do, or miss doing? Christmas Pie. It is a big dish filled with little, goofy gifts and wrapped up. We take turns reaching into the pie and opening our little gift. My Aunt would do this each year when we were kids.
24. Ugliest Christmas Decoration ever invented? Tinsel. Though I loved the tinsel as a kid.
25. Which looks the best, theme trees or homey trees? Homey trees, with memories behind each decoration.
26. What does Christmas mean to you? God lowered Himself, became flesh, dwelt among us and died in my place so that I may live. I am awed at the magnitude of this gift and the impact it has on my life 2000 years later. And what I can fathom is only a dim reflection of the reality. Astounding.

Dirty Cups

2007-11-22T10:33:00.000-08:00

A while back I pulled out our thermos to take some coffee along on a trip. It looked clean and I just about poured some fresh coffee in it when I decided to give it a rinse first. Boy was I glad I did that! I guess it hadn't been used in a while because all these gross little brown bits came floating out, along with a sludge that was growing mold.

This blog is like that. It gives an account of one mother's life that presents well. I like to talk about all my righteous works. I am truthful in my thoughts and convictions but that is only the outside of the cup. The inside is covered in a sludge of sin.
I was amazed at the response my Happy Moms post got. It seemed to have resonated with many but in my list of ways to cultivate joy in our task as mothers I failed to center on the gospel. I fear that because the gospel was missing, any practical suggestions I have made will only serve to condemn rather than lighten the load. If we are to be joyful, we must be centered on the gospel.

Having a new baby in the house and being sleep deprived has revealed my sin in an undeniable way. And I am filled with guilt. The sludgy sin that resides within is spilling over and condemning me. Nothing can rob us of joy faster than a guilty conscience. This is why the gospel is vital to our joy. Sin abounds. It overwhelms. It kills. And I if I cannot stand before my family and deny my guilt, how can I then stand before the throne of God?

We can cling to joy and stand before God by "learning the secret of gutsy guilt" described by John Piper:

In the battle for joy, the difference between Micah’s gutsy guilt and “cheap grace” is that Micah takes sin so seriously. There was a reprehensible fall. There is real and terrible indignation from God. There is a time in awful darkness. There is brokenness, contrition, and remorse as we bear patiently the chastisement of our God. But in the ashes of our regret, the flame of boldness never goes out. It may flicker. But when self or Satan taunts us that we are finished, we lay hold on Micah’s faith—indeed we lay hold on Christ and his righteousness—and say, “Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me. . . . He pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light."
Hearing the word of the cross, and preaching it to ourselves, is the central strategy for sinners in the fight for joy. Nothing works without this. Here is where we start. And here is where we stay. We never outgrow the gospel. Here we see the glory of Christ more clearly than anywhere else...And here in the cross is where every enemy of joy is overcome: divine wrath, as he becomes a curse for us; real guilt, as he becomes forgiveness for us; lawbreaking, as he becomes righteousness for us; estrangement from God, as he becomes reconciliation for us; slavery to Satan, as he becomes redemption for us; bondage to sin, as he becomes liberation for us; pangs of conscience, as he becomes cleansing for us; death, as he becomes the resurrection for us; hell, as he becomes eternal life for us.

Amen. I have found the book "When I Don't Desire God, How to Fight for Joy" by John Piper invaluable in learning to live by the gospel. Chapter 6, "Fighting for Joy as a Justified Sinner, Learning the Secret of Gutsy Guilt" has been especially helpful to me.

High School Confidential

2007-11-09T08:58:00.000-08:00

OK. Not quite. But this blog's reading level is appearantly at a High School level (whatever the determing criteria may be). Just right in my mind, not too difficult, but not for the youngsters either.

HT: 168 Hours, Rebecca Writes

Does Education Kill Creativity?

2007-11-06T09:22:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that although I LOVED art and creative pursuits in school, my tendency as a homeschooler is to focus on Language Arts and Mathematics with my children. If we do nothing else, I reason with myself, we are doing "what is important". In the 20 minute talk Sir Ken Robinson gives, he challenges all that and has caused me to re-evaluate my educational priorities for my children. After all, as Robinson points out, we are not all raising university professors, who essentially "live inside their heads".

HT: thatmom

Incomplete Thoughts....

2007-11-02T17:41:00.000-07:00

There are echoes of thoughts in my head, however they are drowned out by the demands of motherhood. This is the fourth baby I have had the privilege of loving, and nursing and loosing a lot of sleep for, so I know these incomplete thoughts do find an end somewhere, at some point in time. Until then, well, I am alive!

Thank you Mrs. M for letting me know I'm missed by you in the bloggersphere!

Stott Sunday

2007-10-21T10:35:00.000-07:00

This will be the final installation of "Stott Sunday" for a while. I have reached the point in the book where I left off and have no further quotes to share from The Cross of Christ. I highly recommend the book, it is challenging, insightful and plainly written, though not light reading. It has been over a year since I began reading it and am only half way through! Reviewing and posting here some highlights from what I have read thus far has been edifying for me, and has helped keep what I have read fresh in my mind as I continue to plow through the book.

"It would be entirely mistaken to make the equation 'salvation equals justification'. 'Salvation' is the comprehensive word, but it has many facets which are illustrated by different pictures, of which justification is only one. Redemption, as we have seen, is another, and bears witness to our radical deliverance from sin and guilt. Another is recreation, so that 'if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation' (1 Cor 5:17). Yet another is regeneration or new birth, which is the inward work of the Holy Spirit, who then remains as a gracious indwelling presence, transforming the believer into the image of Christ, which is the process of sanctification. All these belong together. Regeneration is not an aspect of justification, but both are aspects of salvation, and neither can take place without the other. Indeed, the great affirmation 'He saved us' is broken down in its component parts, which are 'the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit' on the one hand and being 'justified by His grace' on the other (Tit 3:5-7). The justifying work of the Son and the regenerating work of the Spirit cannot be separated. It is for this reason that good works of love follow justification and new birth as their necessary evidence. For salvation, which is never 'by works', is always 'unto works'."

- John Stott, The Cross of Christ, page 188

Recipe Round Up!

2007-10-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

I am really looking forward to seeing the variety of things people make ahead for the freezer. My recipe is not spectacular, nor very original, but it is what hits the freezer for another day more often than any other thing I make.

Spaghetti Sauce

ground beef
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1 c celery, diced
3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 c fresh mushrooms, sliced (or 1 can)
1 red pepper, diced
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can plain tomato sauce
1 jar specialty tomato sauce (we like Classico)
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1-2 tsp basil
1 tsp salt
dash of pepper and thyme

1. Fry up the ground beef with the onion, garlic, celery, mushrooms (if using fresh) & red pepper until beef is cooked through
2. Add rest of ingredients and simmer 20 - 30 min or so
3. Serve on spaghetti or other favourite noodle

A couple of notes:

Often I brown up a lot of ground beef at once, then set aside half of it and freeze it for another meal requiring ground beef. This saves a step later on, and requires no extra time to do.

Also, I often use the frozen portion of spaghetti sauce as a base for chili. After thawing it, I add it to the crock pot along with:

1 can mixed beans
1 can kidney bean
1 can brown beans in sauce
1 c frozen corn (or can)
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp or so of chili powder
cayenne pepper to taste

Cook on low for 6 - 8 hours or on high for 4 - 6 hours. This makes a very hearty chili.

Your turn! Simply, add your name to Mr. Linkey below or if you don't have a blog, but do have a recipe you want to share, simply leave it in the comments section and I will post it up front on my blog later in the day.

Mothers, Pay Attention!!!

2007-10-11T15:43:00.000-07:00

Most of us have seen the Dove Evolution video by now, but check out these new ones from Dove: Dove Onslaught and 'Daughters'. The messages our daughters absorb daily are frightening.

October Announcements!

2007-10-09T14:44:00.000-07:00

Lot's of news for October and so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season.

First I would like to announce the birth of my daughter! She was born last Wednesday morning, weighing 7lbs 14 oz. She is healthy and strong and beautiful. I would think so though, wouldn't I? The others are delighted with her, even my 19 month old son. I am so thankful for the blessing of a new daughter!

Secondly, I am grateful for a freezer full of food. Once my mother-in-law heads home this weekend I will be on my own, so I am glad to not have to be on cooking duty for a couple weeks! This leads another announcement:

Recipe Round-Up!

Yes, I crazily signed up to host this month's roundup, knowing full well I'd be giving birth at the top of the month. But I thought it would be fitting as this month's theme is:

Freezer Recipes

Please share any recipe that freezes well. It can be something that easily doubles so you can freeze the leftovers for a busy day or something that provides a base for the quick assembly of a meal. The options are wide open here, so please share what you make to store up in the freezer for another time.

The roundup will take place here next Thursday, October 18. Simply post your recipe on your blog then come over and provide a link with Mr. Linkey. If you have a recipe you want to share but no blog, leave a message in the comments box and I gladly post your recipe on the front page of my blog.

Also, Kim of Hiraeth, is kindly keeping a file of all the previous round-ups which she will email to you. She calls it the Blogger's Cookbook. If you'd like to host a Round-Up, go here for more details regarding the Recipe Round-Up.

Looking forward to adding a few more recipes to my file box! See you next Thursday and Happy Thanksgiving (even if it's not until next month for you)!

PS If posts are few and far between this month, re-read the first announcement for the reason why!

Stott Sunday...(make that Monday)

2007-10-08T13:20:00.000-07:00

"Our body has not only been created by God and will one day be resurrected by Him, but it has been bought by Christ's blood and is indwelt by His Spirit. Thus it belongs to God three times over, by creation, redemption and indwelling. How then, since it does not belong to us, can we misuse it? Instead, we are to honour God with it, by obedience and self-control. Bought by Christ, we have no business to become slaves of anybody or anything else. Once we were slaves of sin; now we are slaves of Christ, and His service is the true freedom."

- John Stott, The Cross of Christ, page 181 -182

Stott Sunday

2007-09-30T10:51:00.000-07:00

"It cannot be emphasised too strongly that that God's love is the source, not the consequence, of the atonement. As P.T. Forsyth expressed it, 'the atonement did not procure grace, it flowed from grace'. God does not love us because Christ died for us; Christ died for us because God loved us. If it is God's wrath which needed to be propitiated, it is God's love that did the propitiating. If it may be said that the propitiation 'changed' God, or that by it He changed Himself, let us be clear He did not change from wrath to love, or from enmity to grace, since His character is unchanging. What the propitiation changed was His dealings with us. 'The distinction I ask you to observe', wrote P.T. Forsyth, 'is between a change of feeling and a change of treatment...God's feeling toward us never needed to be changed. But God's treatment of us, God's practical relation to us - that had to change.' He forgave us and welcomed us home."

- John Stott, The Cross of Christ, page 174

IMAGE BEARERS: WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO BE A BIBLICAL WOMAN TODAY?

2007-09-29T11:59:00.000-07:00

Part Three: Happy Moms

While in the waiting room for a recent appointment, I was talking with an older lady who was also waiting. She wondered when my baby was due and how many other children I had. She was surprised to hear that I had three more at home and then commented, "You must be a good mom because you look happy."

I am happy. That was such a nice compliment to receive, especially as one whose facial expressions can be read like a book, but it got me to thinking. I think that lady was onto something. Children are given to us as rewards not burdens. Sure, there is a tremendous responsibility that comes with parenting but I think we are meant to enjoy them. These little people can be our little buddies too. They have delightful imaginations, insatiable curiosity and contagious laughter. I truly believe that they ought to be a source of happiness in our lives.

Sadly, motherhood is all too often associated with stress, exhaustion, and burden. Women feel weighed down by their children and it shows on their faces. I don't think that they are bad moms, I think they love their children dearly and are doing their best. In no way am I suggesting that happiness is the mark of good parenting, and I am all too aware of my own shortcomings but I have to wonder what is wrong with the picture when women are running around looking frazzled and unhappy.

Recently I was listening to CBC Radio and they were discussing the rising popularity of "Mommy Lit". The women depicted in these stories are stay-at-home mom's and the story lines are meant to be a bit of comic relief for the silly things we do, like wearing our slippers to the store but also provide a defense for the legitimacy of staying at home. They depict motherhood as hard, harder than it is to work full time with the kids in day care. They attempt to answer the question "What do you do all day?"

One feminist critic described Mommy Lit as "exalt[ing] everything dumpy, dumbed-down and domesticated. And in so doing, subtly endorses a woman's decision to stay home ." That is an offensive statement, but I do agree that some of the books don't do women any favours, especially the stay at home mom. The methods for "endorsing a woman's decision to stay at home" actually reveal that many stay-at-home moms believe what our critics are saying, contributing to the lack of joy many experience.

In essence, many women believe that motherhood requires little intelligence, so in defence of their choice they try and make the mundane seem intelligent by talking about poop, for example, like they're conducting research analysis. They believe that unless something is difficult, it is not work. So motherhood is made out to be hard work. Difficult. Exhausting. Children are described like they are leaches, sucking all that we have to give, leaving us drained. Moms are made out to be martyrs, sacrificing all for little in return. So when the working mom looks at the stay at home mom with disdain and says "I could never do that, I'd be miserable" they really mean it. It doesn't mean they don't love their children, it just means that they want to be happy. And I can't hold that against anyone, I want to be happy too.

While more and more women are choosing to stay home with their children knowing that it is what is best for their children, they are unhappy. In 2002 Oprah aired two shows with stay at home moms confessing their disappointment, bitterness and disillusionment with motherhood. It was an honest look at the realities of how hard motherhood is, especially in those early years of adjusting caring for a baby and toddler who is utterly dependant. I completely identified with these women. At that point I had a two year old and a newborn, and I was unhappy and overwhelmed. While I felt I was doing the best thing for my children by staying home, I had bought into the the lies I've described above and believed that I had to sacrifice myself for my children.

But God does not require sacrifice from us, He desires obedience (I Sam 15:22). Jesus calls all the weary and heavy laden to come to Him and find rest. He tells us that His burden is light and His yoke easy(Mat 11:28-30). Something was seriously amis if I was buckling under the burden of my task and laying myself on the proverbial altar. Biblical truth was not lining up with my reality. What I lacked was the Biblical lens through which to view my children and my role as a mother.

The turning point was a suggestion from a bible study I participated in: that we read the obituaries, consider the legacies of the women listed there and then consider our own legacy. At the end of my life would my children rise up and called me blessed? I considered Deut 5:10 where God promises "to show faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments." I was struck by the idea of creating a lasting legacy of faithfulness to the Lord not only in the lives of my children, but the lives of my grandchildren, great grandchildren and generations after me that would never know me. I began to get a vision of what motherhood consisted of and the eternal impact it could have. My home was a mission field, that could transform our family for a thousand generations!

Next, I had to repent of viewing my children as a burden and begin to live out Jesus' summon to deny myself, take up my cross and follow Him (Mark 9:34). I began to view my children as blessings, and accept that the daily tasks of diaper changing, cleaning poop off the floor, nursing colds and disciplining my children was a cross I needed to bear for the sake of the gospel. The tasks in and of themselves were not joyous but what I began to grasp was that they were not insignificant either. Loving my children in this way, was a means of living out the gospel in their lives and a way I could demonstrate Christ's love for them.

I cannot begin to describe the transformation that took place in my life when I began to view my home as a mission field and grasped the significance of rearing my children up to be sent out "like arrows in the hand of a warrior" (Psalm 127:4). I understood that this was God's will for my life, His calling and that He was pleased with my obedience. The promise attached to Mark 8:34 in verse 35 became a reality, "For whoever wants to save His life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me and the gospel will save it." I had found true life and for the first time, felt a deep sense of joy.

Even with a biblical vision of homemaking and children, I have noticed and experienced two sources of joy-sappers in my own life and those of my friends that I briefly want to touch on. The first is a lack of discipline. While understanding the overall vision for homemaking and rearing one's own children, if the specifics of how to train and discipline our children that are laid out in the Bible are not known or applied, motherhood can become a terrible burden. I have met many delightful children, but I have met many that are difficult to like and welcome into my home. I feel for these little ones because it is not their fault, they have not been trained and disciplined. I feel for their parents too, because they look worn out, frazzled and unhappy as they attempt one worldly method after another with little success. I am no expert on child discipline but the following resources have gone a long ways in helping me to enjoy my children and like being with them:

The second, joy-sapper I have observed is constant busyness. We as women can withdraw ourselves from the rat-race only to throw our children into it. There's pre-school, gymnastics, dance, swimming, and music classes; along with these are all the play dates and birthday parties for the myriad of friends our children have made. If we allow it, we can be out the door every day with one commitment after another. Two children with busy schedules can be overwhelming, it is no wonder so many can't imagine having three or four or more! Constant busyness is exhausting. I find on our grocery day that I am completely worn out from being on the go all day. The other effect of this is that it makes consistent discipline very difficult and leaves little time to talk through heart issues. Amidst all the business, I would venture to ask if one could readily discern their child's heart issues enough to begin to address them? The instruction in Titus 2 for young women to be "keepers at home" needs to be taken to heart, and we need to slow down and be at home far more than we are out.

Motherhood is God's good gift to us; children rewards! It needn't be a heavy burden leaving us worn out and unhappy. With a biblical perspective, and the application of biblical principles the burden is light, the cross easy to bear and the joy should radiate from our faces. We get to live out the gospel in the lives of our children and impact generations to come!

Cna Yuo Raed Tihs?

2007-09-27T10:05:00.000-07:00

This is interesting. I've come accross this in a few places but thought it would be fun to post here (and no, I am not about to drop our Phonics program with the kids):

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can. i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

IMAGE BEARERS: WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO BE A BIBLICAL WOMAN TODAY?

2007-09-24T15:03:00.000-07:00

Part Two: Created to Be a Woman

When I first became a stay at home mom, after having worked for several years as a bookkeeper and administrative assistant, I found myself to be lonely, bored and confused. My husband worked long hours. I was the first among my circle of friends to marry and have children, so I had no-one to relate to, nor anyone to visit with during the day. The day to day duties of cooking and cleaning were not particularly time consuming, nor very stimulating for the mind. In addition to that, I was still grappling with the heart-shattering events surrounding the birth of my twin daughters.
Much that this life had to offer seemed insignificant in light of eternity but I had no answers for what I was supposed to do with myself between now and then. Should I stay home or go back to work? Volunteer somewhere? The options were wide open, but I had no idea what God wanted me to do and was unsure how to find out.
It is amazing to me that as one who has grown up in the church that I had not been taught to think of myself in relation to God. So when I heard the first question of the Westminster Catechism presented and answered, a paradigm shift took place in my life. What was my chief end? To glorify God and enjoy Him forever! I began to move from the center of my life, and God moved to His rightful place.
This set me on a course to discovering how I could glorify God. Somewhere along the way I came across a book by Elisabeth Elliot called Let Me Be a Woman and these words impacted me in a way that moved me closer to understanding how I might glorify God:

“Yet, the jellyfish and the tiger ‘know’ what they are made for. They, with all the sea monsters and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and frost, mountains and hills, beasts and all cattle, praise the Lord. By being a jellyfish the jellyfish fulfills its creator’s command. All creatures, with two exceptions that we know of [angles and man], have willingly taken the places appointed them.”

I was struck by the fact that I was a creature; and that as created beings we can bring God glory simply by being what God created us to be. This may seem humorous, but it dawned on me that I was created to be a woman. Not simply a human being who happened to be female, not a man, but a woman; distinct, different and created to bear the image of God in a unique way. My femaleness carried significance, and if I were to begin to glorify God, I would have to embrace the fact that He created me to be a woman.

Stott Sunday (on a Monday!)

2007-09-24T14:51:00.000-07:00

"...sin arouses the wrath of God. This does not mean (as animists fear) that He is likely to fly off the handle at the most trivial provocation, still less that He loses His temper for no apparent reason at all. For there is nothing capricious or arbitrary about the holy God. Nor is He ever irascible, malicious, spiteful or vindictive. His anger is neither mysterious nor irrational. It is never unpredictable, but always predictable, because it is provoked by evil and evil alone. The wrath of God...is His steady, unrelenting, unremitting, uncompromising antagonism to evil in all its forms and manifestations. In short, God's anger is poles apart from ours. What provokes ours (injured vanity) never provokes His; what provokes His anger (evil) seldom provokes ours."
John Stott, The Cross of Christ, page 173

He's Still Smiling!

2007-09-18T22:14:00.000-07:00

Two more weeks to go and Lord willing, we will be meeting our fifth child face to face. As I am finishing this last stretch of pregnancy I am uncomfortable, irritable and feeling like an overstuffed turkey. It is easy to focus on the negative aspects of pregnancy and forget to be grateful for the amazing blessing God has poured out onto our family in the form of a child. As I have drifted between self-centeredness and gratitude, I am pondering anew the thoughts I expressed in my first post last January:

When I was pregnant with my fourth child, my oldest would often ask why. Not why would we want another child - it seemed obvious to her that we'd want more children - the question was why would God give us another child? Good question. Why would God give us another child? Why should He? The potential to cause these little people grief and discouragement is great. My own lack of wisdom and my ever present self-centeredness is enough to eliminate me from any chances of deserving children. The truth is that He shouldn't give any of us children if it were based on our own merit; based on my merit He wouldn't give me any children.

So then why does God give us children? The answer I would give my daughter is simple; because He smiled on us. He smiled on our family and decided out of His own goodness and grace to give us a child. Another child! This brings me to tears at times to think He would give me these totally undeserved good gifts to steward. And if he didn't, or doesn't give any more? Or if he chooses to give and then take another from us again? He is still the good giver of good gifts who has given me His only Son.

He gave up His Son so that I may live. Not based on my own merit but out of His grace and mercy, He chose to give me the ultimate gift. He smiled on me and has given me the blessing and heritage of children, but what an amazing grin the Father must have had when He chose to give me the blessing of His son and a heritage in Jesus Christ!

Stott Sunday

2007-09-16T12:22:00.000-07:00

"Therefore, as we stand before the cross, we begin to gain a clear view of both God and of ourselves, especially in relation to each other. Instead of inflicting upon us the judgement we deserved, God in Christ endured it in our place. Hell is the only alternative. This is the 'scandal', the stumbling-block, of the cross. For our proud hearts rebel against it. We cannot bear to acknowledge either the seriousness of our own sin and guilt or our utter indebtedness to the cross. Surely, we say, there must be something we can do, or at least contribute, in order to make amends? If not, we often give the impression that we would rather suffer our own punishment than the humiliation of seeing God through Christ bear it in our place.
...But we cannot escape the embarrassment of standing stark naked before God. It is no use our trying to cover up like Adam and Eve in the garden. Our attempts at self-justification are as ineffectual as their fig-leaves. We have to acknowledge our nakedness, see the divine substitute wearing our filthy rags instead of us, and allow Him to clothe us with His own righteousness. Nobody has put it better than Augustus Toplady in his immortal hymn 'Rock of Ages':

Nothing in my hand I bring,

Simply to your Cross I cling;

Naked, come to you for dress;

Helpless, look to you for grace;

Foul, I to the fountain fly;

Wash me, Saviour, or I die."

-John Stott, The Cross of Christ, page 161 - 163

Stott Sunday

2007-09-09T21:44:00.000-07:00

"The concept of substitution may be said, then, to lie at the heart of both sin and salvation. For the essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for man. Man asserts himself against God and puts himself where only God deserves to be; God sacrifices Himself for man and puts himself where only man deserves to be. Man claims prerogatives that belong to God alone; God accepts penalties which belong to man alone."

-John Stott, The Cross of Christ, page. 160

IMAGE BEARERS: WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO BE A BIBLICAL WOMAN TODAY?

2007-09-08T16:53:00.000-07:00

Part One: A Brief Look at the Failure of the 1950's Model for the Family

“These boots are made for walking, and that’s just what they’ll do. One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you!”

Nancy Sinatra’s song is catchy, and a fun one to sing. It used to be one of my favourites, and I meant every word I sang along to. After all, men had been walking all over women for eons, and I liked a message that warned a man that if he cheated, lied, or acted like a fool to look out. This girl was not going to put up with “typical” male behaviour.

I cringe now to think of how my husband must have felt as I cranked up the tune and belted out the song while stomping around the living room. At worst, it was reflective of a sinful heart that wanted to dominate my husband and men in general. At best it was naïveté on my part; what I was doing was reflective of the feminist culture I grew up in.

The song typifies the gut reaction many women had in the early 60’s to being marginalized and caricatured. The 1950’s model of the sub-servant housewife greeting her king of the castle husband as he came home from work was not working for them. Here is an example of advice women received, taken from Good Housekeeping:

My favourite is “Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes.” Or how about this one, “Make the evening his. Never complain if he comes home late, or goes out to dinner or other places of entertainment without you.” Then further down the point is reiterated, “Don’t complain if he’s home late for dinner or even if he stays out all night.”

When Betty Friedan wrote The Feminine Mystique, it is no wonder that it resonated with so many women. Women had minds they wanted to use, ideas they wanted to share. They wanted a voice and to be heard. Many of their concerns and expressions of dissatisfaction with the status quo were legitimate, and many issues that needed to be addressed were raised.

The pendulum swung hard and fast to the other extreme and women rejected homemaking and child rearing and embraced traditionally male roles. Though the problems were legitimate, the diagnosis and solutions were way off the mark and highly reactionary. They threw the baby out with the bathwater, labelling the whole model of marriage, family and homemaking as the problem.

Thirty-five years later, women are reclaiming the baby and are becoming more and more home-orientated. Many women are choosing to stay home over a career and the truth is out: we can’t do it all. A career will suffer from the demands of marriage and family. Marriage and family suffer from the demands of a career. Striking a balance between the two is difficult. Women have weighed in, found that something had to give and are not willing to compromise their families. As a stay-at-home mom with young children, this is the point in history where I find myself.

Nice Matters

2007-09-05T14:37:00.000-07:00

Tracy from "Bizzy" House with Peaceful Hearts gave me a "Nice Matters Award". I was pleasantly surprised to have received this award which I could easily reciprocate back. I enjoy Tracy's blog and the fresh perspective and wise reminder she brings to having a peaceful home: hers is "Peaceful, NOT Quiet".

In turn I need to award some others who fit into one of these descriptions:

"This award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends & those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world."

So here are my choices:

Mrs. M from "A Mother's Musings"

I know Mrs. M in real life and what she writes on her blog lines up with how she lives; plus she is a good friend!

Leslie from Lux Venit

Hers is one of the first blogs I began reading and I love the variety in her posts. I would consider her one of my first blogger "friends".

Mrs. Pear

She is a fellow Canadian and well, we Canadians are known for our niceness. Really though, Mrs. Pear has been doing a great series on Freezer Meals which has been very helpful and easy to implement.

Elise from A Path Made Straight

The way Elise writes is very poetic and beautiful. She is a gifted writer and her posts reflect her love for Christ and her family.

Dawn from BECAUSE I SAID SO

This lady is absolutely hilarious. I find myself laughing out loud often when reading accounts of her life with six children. She has gained a lot of notoriety lately because of her ad on e-bay.

Sallie's Stack

This is a new blog begun by Sallie from A Gracious Home. Sallie's Stack is a series of links to interesting sites she has come across from a wide variety of sources. I enjoy her original site too where she polls her readers on various subjects.

Stott Sunday

2007-09-02T07:46:00.000-07:00

"Divine love triumphed over divine wrath by divine self-sacrifice. The cross was an act simultaneously of punishment and amnesty, severity and grace, justice and mercy."

John Stott, The Cross of Christ, page 159

Quiz on the Doctrine of the Trinity

2007-08-27T11:11:00.000-07:00

Rebecca Writes has posted another quiz; this time on the Doctrine of the Trinity. She plans to post the correct answers on Wednesday. Here are mine, in bold. We'll see how well I do....some of the statements are a bit tricky.
I am especially interested in No. 30, my understanding of the Trinity is one God made up of three distinct personalities or persons each with a unique role. Statement 30 seems to describe God as one person distinguished by the role He happens to encompass at the moment. However, the example of Jesus, who was empowered by the Holy Spirit during His life here on earth and prayed to the Father continually seems to contradict that, as all three persons of God were at work at once. This is good brain exercise.

Indicate which of the following statements are not true according to the
Biblical and historical doctrine of the Trinity.

1. There is one God.
2. God is one person.
3. God is one being.
4. There are three persons in the Godhead.
5. The three persons in the Godhead are related eternally as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
6. Each of the three persons of the Godhead is one-third of God.
7. The Father is fully God.
8. The Father has the whole fullness of God’s being in himself.
9. The Father is eternal.
10. The Father is not the Son.
11. The Father is not the Holy Spirit.
12. The Son is fully God.
13. The Son has the whole fullness if God’s being in himself.
14. The Son came into being at the time of the incarnation.
15. The Son was brought into being in eternity past.
16. The Son is eternal.
17. The Son is not the Father.
18. The Son is not the Holy Spirit.
19. The Holy Spirit is fully God.
20. The Holy Spirit has the whole fullness of God’s being in himself.
21. The Holy Spirit is eternal.
22. The Holy Spirit is not the Father.
23. The Holy Spirit is not the Son.
24. The persons of the Trinity are distinct.
25. In their nature, the Son and the Holy Spirit are co-equal and co-eternal with the Father.
26. The Son and the Spirit are subordinate to the Father in their essence or nature.
27. The Trinity is unique.
28. There is both the unity and the diversity in the being of God.
29. The persons of the Trinity have distinct primary roles.
30. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are simply different names for the one person of God showing himself to us in three distinct roles.
31. A right understanding of the Trinity is vital to right worship of God.
32. A right understanding of the Trinity is vital to a right understanding of redemption.
33. Any analogy used to explain the Trinity will not represent it completely accurately.
34. The doctrine of the Trinity cannot be derived from the Biblical text.
Answers to the quiz.

Stott Sunday

2007-08-26T10:02:00.000-07:00

"Jesus is said to be the 'propitiation' for our sins and our 'advocate' with the Father (I John 2:2, AV), which at first sight suggests that He died to placate God's anger and is now pleading with Him in order to persuade Him to forgive us. But other parts of Scripture forbid us to interpret the language of propitiation and advocacy that way...The whole notion of a compassionate Christ inducing a reluctant God to take action on our behalf founders on the fact of God's love. There was no Umstimmung in God, no change of mind or heart secured by Christ. On the contrary, the saving initiative originated in Him. It was 'because of the tender mercy of our God' (Lk. 1:78) that Christ came, 'because of His great love for us', because of 'the grace of God that brings salvation' (Tit. 2:11).
As for the other formulation (that God punished Jesus for our sins), it is true that the sins of Israel were transferred to the scapegoat, that 'the Lord laid on Him', His suffering servant, all our iniquity (Is. 53:6), that 'it was the Lord's will to crush Him' (Is. 53:10), and that Jesus applied to Himself Zechariah's prophecy that God would 'strike the Shepherd'. It is also true that in the New Testament God is said to have 'sent' His Son to atone for our sins (I Jn. 4:9-10), 'delivered Him up' for us, 'presented Him as a sacrifice for atonement' (Rom. 3:25), 'condemned sin' in His flesh (Rom. 8:3), and 'made Him...to be sin for us' (2 Cor. 5:21). These are
striking statements. But we have no liberty to interpret them in such a way as to imply either that God compelled Jesus to do what He was unwilling to do Himself, or that Jesus was an unwilling victim of God's harsh justice. Jesus Christ did indeed bear the penalty for our sins, but God was active in and through Christ doing it, and Christ was freely playing His part (e.g. Heb 10:5-10).
We must not, then, speak of God punishing Jesus or of Jesus persuading God, for to do so is to set them over against each other as if they acted independently of each other or were even in conflict with each other. We must never make Christ the object of God's punishment or God the object of Christ's persuasion, for both God and Christ were subjects not objects, taking the initiative together to save sinners. Whatever happened on the cross in terms of 'God-forsakeness' was voluntarily accepted by both in the same holy love which made the atonement necessary. It was 'God in our nature forsaken of God'. If the Father 'gave the Son', the Son 'came'
Himself. The Father did not lay on the Son an ordeal He was reluctant to bear, nor did the Son extract from the Father a salvation He was reluctant to bestow. There is no suspicion anywhere in the New Testament of discord between the Father and the Son, 'whether by the Son wresting forgiveness from and unwilling Father or by the Father demanding a sacrifice from an unwilling Son'. There was no unwillingness in either. On the contrary, their wills coincided in the perfect self-sacrifice of love."

- John Stott, The Cross of Christ, pages 150-152

Making the Gospel Central

2007-08-25T13:29:00.001-07:00

It is so easy to become consumed by various issues and convictions we hold dear to our hearts. As the new school season is upon us, I am once again going over in my mind some of the reasons why I am homeschooling and why we have opted not to send our children to the public school or the local Christian school. As I lay out my arguments in my mind, I tend to think that I am right and all others are wrong and just in need of some helpful persuasion.

In a short clip from a sermon by Josh Harris titled "Rights Box: Removing Obstacles", I was reminded not to make my "issues" the main thing I are identified by and he uses homeschooling as a specific example of one of these issues that can become an obstacle to the gospel. If my friends and neighbours identify me more by the fact that I homeschool rather than as a one who has been saved by Christ, I have made homeschooling a hindrance to the gospel.

I appreciated the fresh reminder to let some issues go when communicating with friends and neighbours and focus on the main message which is Christ, who lived and died to save sinners like me.

HT: Josh Harris

School is in Session!

2007-08-21T21:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday marked the first day of school for my two older children. So far, so good. I am hoping to get a good six weeks in before the new baby arrives; this way I can take things easy in October while recovering from the c-section and adjusting to life with four children. I have a sneaking suspicion though, that managing school and my 18 month old will be more challenging than adjusting to the baby, as he is likely to grow out of one of his two daily naps sometime soon.

Here is a little peek at some of the materials we will be using for this year:

Stott Sunday

2007-08-19T18:05:00.000-07:00

"True, we find it difficult to hold in our minds simultaneously the images of God as the divine Judge who must punish evil-doers and of the Lover who must find a way to forgive them. Yet He is both, and at the same time. In the words of G.C. Berkouwer, 'in the cross of Christ God's justice and love are simultaneously revealed', while Calvin, echoing Augustine, was even bolder. He wrote that 'in a marvelous and divine way He loved us even when He hated us'. Indeed, the two are more than simultaneous, they are identical, or at least alternative expressions of the same reality.
...We must picture Him neither as an indulgent God who compromises His holiness in order to spare and spoil us, nor as a harsh vindictive God who suppresses His love in order to crush and destroy us. How then can God express His holiness without consuming us, and His love without condoning our sins? How can God satisfy His holy love? How can He save us and satisfy Himself simultaneously? We reply at this point that, in order to satisfy Himself, He sacrificed - indeed substituted - Himself for us.

Beneath the cross of Jesus
I fain would take my stand -
The shadow of a mighty rock
Within a weary land...

O safe and happy shelter!
O refuge tried and sweet!
O trysting-place, where heaven's love
And heaven's justice meet!"

- John Stott, The Cross of Christ, pages 131 - 132

Wow!

2007-08-16T19:51:00.001-07:00

This deserves a post all its own, rather than a spot on the sidebar. A Calgary woman just gave birth to identical quadruplet girls. Identical! They were naturally conceived and the chances of a fertilized egg splitting four times is 1 in 13 million. The girls were born at 31 weeks gestation and weighed between 1 and 1.3 kilograms (2lbs3oz - 2lbs13oz). The Lord has been gracious and merciful to this family. May He get the glory for this! Read the whole story here.

Beware of Making Methods Gospel

2007-08-14T00:34:00.000-07:00

I have been reading through The Fruit of Her Hands by Nancy Wilson and today I was struck anew by her wise words and warnings to young mothers in particular when it comes to discerning our principles from our methods of applying those principles:

"When we adopt a method, it would be preferable to call it a biblical approach rather than the biblical approach. These rules supposedly tell us how to approach courtship, birth control, child feeding, and child rearing; we are given rules about how to wear our hair, how much jewelery and make-up we can wear, what clothes we must wear, what foods we may eat, what we can do on the Lord's Day, what kind of music is permissible, whether we may have a television in our home, how and where we must educate our children, whether our sons or daughters may play sports, and on and on.
We must also remember that what we decide to do in the paragraph above is not 'up for grabs'. God's laws and principles do apply to our lives in these areas. But our methods of obeying the law do not have the same authority as the law itself."

Mrs. Wilson goes on to discuss how we treat our friends in regards to differing principles and exhorts us to treat them with courtesy,

"Do we criticize them behind their backs? The Bible calls this backbiting. Do we openly criticize them? Do we call their method inferior to our own? That can be arrogant or just plain rude. Do we make officially 'polite' but loaded comments which express our displeasure or disapproval of their application of God's principles? Do we try to embarrass them to make ourselves look better? This is not courtesy.
...Can Christian women ever discuss their methods? Certainly! But the hedge of courtesy and good manners should be firmly in place. If not, defensiveness and hurt feelings will be the common result."

Even more sobering than the warning to treat our friends with courtesy when their methods differ from ours, and discerning the underlying principles that motivate us to do what we do, we need to beware of falling into a pattern of works-righteousness that can be derived from our methods,

"The 'system' can become a source of security. 'I am doing fine with God because today I cut the sugar out of the kids' diet, I'm breastfeeding on a schedule, and I'm having my next baby with a midwife at home.' Approached this way, this is false comfort and it is dangerous. Not only is it self-righteousness and works-righteousness, but if this really is God's way, then everyone else who isn't doing it this way is not pleasing God. In fact, they are in sin. This then leads to a feeling of superiority over those saints who do not adopt the 'method'.
Works righteousness, a sense of spiritual security based upon my lifestyle, undercuts justification by faith. Jesus Christ is the only One who ultimately works. His work is perfect; His work is finished. Our salvation is based totally upon His work, and not upon any work of mine, no matter how righteous I may believe my work to be. My work may make my life more pleasant (or painful), but it will not save me, or make me more secure before God. Christ's work alone is our only true security.
Every form of works-righteousness is rebellious at the bottom. It does not matter if it is tithing spices, or praying on street corners, or home educating or home birthing - if you are feeling good about your standing before God because of anything you are doing, you are not looking to Christ or trusting in Him.
Christian women must learn that their justification is not found in long dresses, long hair, gardening, vitamins, or herbal medicine. These are all 'things indifferent'. But if you are looking to these things instead of to Christ, seeing your acceptance before God because of these externals, or feeling superior to your Christian sisters who have different methods, than these 'things' are no longer indifferent - they have become wicked."
- excerpts from Chapter Four "Principles and Methods", pages 60 - 64

May I beware of making my choices in methods a form of righteousness and resting in my own works rather than looking to the finished, perfect and complete work of Christ. May I focus on the truth of the Gospel when discussing my methods with my sisters in Christ, especially those whose application of our underlying principles differ from my own, and guard against airs of superiority when with sisters whose methods mirror my own.

Good Friends, Fun Times

2007-08-13T10:44:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Mrs. M and her family came to spend the weekend with us and we had a great time enjoying each other's families. The boys went fishing Saturday, and we girls went for pizza and then perused the used book store where I managed to unearth a few treasures. Sunday afternoon we headed up to a nearby lake and enjoyed watching the kids play in the sand and water. God has been good to us in blessing us with friends.

Stott Sunday

2007-08-12T12:05:00.000-07:00

"We saunter up to God to claim His patronage and friendship; it does not occur to us that He might send us away. We need to hear again the apostle Peter's sobering words: 'Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives....in reverent fear' (1 Pet 1:7). In other words, if we dare to call our Judge our Father, we must beware of presuming on Him. It must even be said that our evangelical emphasis on the atonement is dangerous if we come to it too quickly. We learn to appreciate the access of God which Christ won for us only after we have first seen God's inaccessibility to sinners. We can cry 'Hallelujah' with authenticity only after we have cried 'Woe is me, for I am lost.' In Dale's words, 'it is partly because sin does not provoke our own wrath, that we do not believe that sin provokes the wrath of God'.
We must, therefore, hold fast to the biblical revelation of the living God who hates evil, is disgusted and angered by it, and refuses ever to come to terms with it. In consequence, we may be sure that, when he searched in His mercy for some way to forgive, cleanse and accept evil-doers, it was not along the road of moral compromise. It has to be a way which was expressive equally of His love and of His wrath. As Brunner put it, 'where the idea of the wrath of God is ignored, there will also be no understanding of the central conception of the Gospel: the uniqueness of the revelation of the Mediator'. Similarly, 'only he who knows the greatness of wrath will be mastered by the greatness of mercy'.
...If we bring God down to our level and raise ourselves to His, then of course we see no need for a radical salvation, let alone for a radical atonement to secure it. When, on the other hand, we have glimpsed the blinding glory of the holiness of God, and have been so convicted of our sin by the Holy Spirit that we tremble before God and acknowledge what we are, namely 'hell-deserving sinners', then and only then does the necessity of the cross appear so obvious that we are astonished we never saw it before."

- John Stott, The Cross of Christ, page 109