My Hands are Full

Recently, I was challenged by Gloria Furman {whom you can read here and a few other places} to see how full my hands really are. When someone helps me out at the grocery store because, "Whoo! You've sure got your hands full." I can smile, think of the following truth and agree with joyful enthusiasm.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places..." (Ephesians 1:3)

God the Father has blessed me with every spiritual blessing! What a glorious truth to behold, especially when it seems my hands are full of so much else.

Be challenged, Christian Mommy, to think on this truth in the midst of all the craziness that may be your life right now. Each season is a time to rejoice and be glad because your hands are full!

Blogs-To-Go (7.26.11)

Enlightenment Fundamentalist
Article about the Oslo Murder. He isn't a Christian Fundamentalist, after all.


One Big, Happy Polygamous Family
Well, I suppose if I'm okay with homosexual people getting married, I can't battle these marriages, either. Hmmmm...I may be backing myself into a hole. 


Tips for Road Trips with Kids
This is a great Top Ten list. 


Beware Romantic Pornography
I've thought about this before but haven't been able to verbalize it well. 


Titus 2 is not a woman's To-Do list.
Wow, it's amazing what is made clear when you keep reading.
"When read in its entirety, Titus 2 releases us from the treadmill of accomplishing as godly women and welcomes us into accessing the riches of Christ’s godliness to be all that a devoted female disciple is called to be."

Things I Love Thursday--Seeds Family Worship

My hubby and I both love music. He plays the guitar, sings and leads worship at our church. I make a joyful noise in the congregation.

Each night we sing together as a family, though. Joining together my noise and his talent. It's wonderful! Doesn't always sound perfect, but it's worship and togetherness, so it's beautiful.

Here are a few reasons Seeds is amazing:

• The songs are straight from Scripture. They're Bible verses set to music. My hubby and I have memorized so much Scripture since we discovered Seeds.
• The music is great! Oftentimes, Christian music is unfortunately cheesy. However, the musicians and composers of these albums are relevant and talented. 
• You get to share! If you purchase an CD album, you're given two! This way, you can share the extra album with a friend. It even has a perforated edge, so they receive a CD case, as well.
• The site is user-friendly. It's easy to navigate through and has tons of free stuff and stuff you may purchase--chords, T-shirts, activities and more! You may even listen to the songs online before purchasing anything.

Hope your family enjoys Seeds Family Worship as much as we do!

This post is linked up to The Diaper Diaries: Things I Love Thursdays. 

Psychologists Call It "Patterns." Sociologists Call It "Cycles."

The Bible calls it generational sin. Name Game aside, "doing what your parents did" is alive and active today.

I've been reading through the Bible this year, and I'm in the book 2 Kings right now. This is definitely not a book about a joyfully obedient Chosen People doing all the right things. (Aside: One reason I'm convinced the Bible is inspired by God. If the Bible was "written by man," as I hear sometimes, we would have made ourselves look better--all clean-cut and spiffy.)

So far, each chapter has been, "King So and So started reigning in Judah or Israel. He did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD. He made Judah or Israel sin greatly. Then, he died and the next King did the same thing." Yes, there are some Kings who followed King David in worshipping the LORD alone and not chasing after other gods, but they were the minority. (King David, by the way, was far from perfectly obedient.)

Today I finished reading chapter 17. After generations and generations of idolatry, here's where God's people find themselves: "So these nations feared the LORD and also served their carved images. Their children did likewise, and their children's children—as their fathers did, so they do to this day." (vs. 41)

Usually a kingdom went from Father to Son. "Daddy always did this, so it's normal. I don't know any different. May as well keep doing it." Whatever we see our daddies doing, we do. No matter how destructive.

Mommas were influential in the lives of their children, as well. (see 2 Kings 8 & 15) "Momma always said..." A mother's words and how they're said will lead her children somewhere. They'll either guide her children toward or away from the LORD. Whatever our mommas say, we trust. No matter how misleading.

There's a sort of jumbled mixture of "fearing the LORD" and "serving their carved images."

The following we hear and see:

• Go to church but don't talk about it too much. It makes others uncomfortable, even other church people. 
• Don't worry what people think, but be sure to wear this outfit or have that car or go to this club. 
• Money isn't everything, but I want you to be successful and have more than I did.
• Marriage is a sacred union between a man and a woman, but you're probably going to have sex before marriage, anyway. Just be safe and don't get pregnant or get a disease. 
• Treat others the way you want to be treated. Well, except for homosexuals and liberals and minorities and foreigners...
• You have to believe in God if you look around at creation. However, this is your life. Live for yourself. Do what you want. Sleep with whomever you want. Buy whatever you want. Worship yourself, your body, your desires. 

“Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. Each one shall be put to death for his own sin." 

(Deuteronomy 24:16)

Parents cannot take responsibility for their children's actions. My addictions were my own, not my dad's. My lack of self-control is my sin, not my mom's.


"The LORD passed before [Moses] and proclaimed, 'The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.'" 
(Exodus 34:6; Exodus 34:7)


However, parents must not be ignorant to the effects our behaviors and words have on our children. One parent's addictions were lived out in front of me my whole life, and then I stepped right into those same shoes. One parent's lack of self control shows itself in words and actions, and then I step right into those shoes.

Parents, be wise and godly in your life. Church won't influence your children, you will. Children, be wise and godly in your life. Trust the holy God, not a sinful people.

Perhaps better questions may be...

I was thinking the other day about all this I've been learning: sanctification comes through my daily life. The ordinary places are where the Holy Spirit works supernaturally. 


After summer or winter break, all the college students and other frolickers come back to town, and Small Group starts up again. It's wonderful to have everyone together again, and of course, the questions begin...


How was your break?
What'd you do?
Where'd you go?
How was your walk with the Lord?
Were you able to get in the Word?
Were you able to go to church on the weekends?
Etc...etc...


Those are all wonderful questions to ask. I genuinely want to know how their break went, and I know how hard it can be to keep "loving like Jesus" all those family members that can drive you insane.


However, since I've been seeing how I'm really changed through the dailiness of life, I think there may be a better question to ask, alongside all the other great inquiries.


Did you love and serve your family well?
If so, how?
If not, why not?
What made these things difficult/easy?
Do you need to repent of any actions words?
Do you need to be reconciled to anyone?


These are hard questions, but they are good, heart-issue questions. They bring together the spiritual disciplines (going to church, reading the Bible, fellowship with other believers...) with our outward behaviors (what we say, how we say it, how we spend our time, how we serve others...). 


Doing Christian stuff is hypocrisy if I spend the rest of my time serving myself, dishonoring others, and tearing others down with my words. However, doing Christian stuff is sincerity if I spend the rest of my time serving others, honoring others, and building others up with my words. 


(Disclaimer: I am not perfect and will sin again God and others. Repenting and being reconciled to them is not hypocrisy. It's recognizing who I am and that I'm continually in need of Jesus' work in my heart.)


I hope to spend some time tomorrow thinking through these questions for myself. When my Small Group ladies return, I hope to talk through these questions with them, as well. 

"Rather than seeing sanctification as a linear progression from bad to better, the Christian life is more accurately described circularly; we return again and again to the cross." ~Matt Johnson

"I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
~the Apostle Paul, letter to the Ephesians 4:1-3

"You're not Santa. You're Papa."

My daddy and I have a peculiar relationship. I don't want to write anything that may dishonor my daddy, so I post this with a clear conscience.

Christmas morning my daddy gives me a gift. My dad doesn't buy stuff for people. He'll take you to dinner or to the beach or even to Disney World, but he won't buy you things. He always says, "I don't want to junk up your house, I'll let you do that," so this gift was a big, strange deal for me.

My non-gift-giving Daddy filled a multi-opening frame with pictures of Caleb from his first few days of life. It was a sweet and incredibly thoughtful gift. I hugged him, not expecting a long hug. That hasn't happened since I was little. He didn't let go. Then, he started crying. Another thing my dad hasn't done for many years, at least in front of me.

I would love to have these moments with my daddy more often, but there's a lot that would need to be sifted through before that could happen. Just the same, that gift made my Christmas morning.

Also, as an aside, he dressed up like Santa for Caleb, the other babies, and the doggies. Here's a picture to prove it.

Caleb genuinely looks interested in that big hairy man holding him. Also, the little jumpsuit that he has on was my daddy's. It says, "Toot Toot" on the back. Caleb and his Papa both live up to that name.

Oh, I love my daddy! How I pray and pray and pray that he'll love Jesus one day. So much freedom and joy and purpose he could know.