Taking Stock of What's Really Important

I treasure this picture because it captures two enormous changes to our family this year. Zhenya's engagement ring speaks to her upcoming wedding in September. And, if you've been following our blog, you know that the little hand belongs to our fourth grandchild. On top of those changes, Sarah, Kirsten and Matt all have new jobs. With all that's going on in our extra large family, it's easy to get caught up in the whirl of activities. As a result, the following quote really hit home. The words are written by C.T. Studd, a missionary to China, India and Africa in the late 1800s and early 1900s. In a letter written as a young man while serving in China he wrote:

"Pingyang. February 7, 1886 The Lord is so good and always gives me a large dose of spiritual champagne every morning which braces one up for the day and night. Of late, I have had such glorious times. I generally wake at about 3:30 a.m. and feel quite wide awake, so have a good read, etc., and then have an hour's sleep or so before finally getting up. I find what I read then is stamped indelibly on my mind all though the day. and it is the sweetest of quiet times, not a foot astir, nor a sound to be heard, saving that of God. If I miss this time I feel like Samson shorn of his hair and so all of his strength. I see more and more how much I have to learn of the Lord. I want to be a workman approved, not just with a 'pass' degree, as it were. Oh, how I wish I has devoted my early life, my whole life to God and His Word. How much I have lost by those years of self-pleasing and running after this world's honors and pleasures." Norman Grubb, C.T. Studd: Cricketer & Pioneer, pgs.54-55

I don't know about you, dear reader, but I don't want to move through the crazy busy that is my life like Samson with his hair cut off. I need the strength and wisdom and peace that I can only find by seeking the Lord each day, every day, early in the day. I'm heading to bed right now so that I can rise early and get some of that spiritual champagne!

May God bless and keep you,
Denise

Wrestling...

Mrs. R:

The test of salvation isn't whether I can live well...but rather, can I die. Can I give up my desires to my King...can I serve happily wherever He places me? My well being isn't the question. The question is: Am I willing to do Kingdom work even where I'd rather not? Am I willing to trust God for His enabling grace to serve in the hardest place in which He could put me? Am I willing to trust God that He is good? Am I willing to trust God that He is GOOD and does good? Am I willing to trust God when He says in the Bible that He loves me? Because, if I trust Him on these points, then I can joyfully concede that the hardest situation in which the Lord could place me is for my good. Ultimately, I will be blessed and He will be glorified.

Am I willing to trust God when He says repeatedly in His word that He will carry the load?

Pride Does WHAT???

Mrs. R:

For the past several months, I've found this quote very helpful in seeing the real me. The words were pinned by one of my all-time favorite preachers (see www.sermonaudio.com) and authors, Jim Berg:

"Pride whines and pouts;
Pride shouts and demands;
Pride argues and debates;
Pride covets and grasps;
Pride screams and retaliates;
Pride lusts and indulges;
Pride manipulates and schemes;
Pride drives and obsesses;
Pride worries and frets.

"Pride is full of self-assertion, self-protection, self-promotion, self-confidence and self-esteem. Pride cries out, "I will not! I must have! I don't have to...! I won't let that happen! I can't take any more of ...! I don't like this!"

Dr. Berg also points out, "Most of the noise in our souls is caused when we try to gain control or regain it when it has been taken away." God is More Than Enough: Foundations for a Quiet Soul, pgs. 8

I'm so guilty of trying to stay in control in my own little kingdom. I like things my way! And while you'll almost never find me actually screaming or shouting, the attitudes that can produce these messy ways of living with others are often festering in my heart.

To fight the disease of pride, I've written Dr. Berg's insight onto a 3x5 index card. I review the card as part of my Bible reading early each morning, praying to God that He will keep me from the many manifestations of pride that can so easily wound my family. I've found that over time, God is helping me to become more sensitive to "ick" the lives inside me. Now I can sometimes even catch myself before I spill "ick" on someone near me.

Every once in a while a powerful quote is enough to change your life. I'm finding that these words are changing mine for the better. I think my husband and children would echo that and tell you that the daily "pride scrubbing" of my soul is making me a more pleasant, Christ-like person to be around. I'm finding that rehearsing these words daily and letting them be used by the Holy Spirit is increasing my joy. This is a win-win for everyone!

Attending the University of Home

Mrs. Beaver:

"Our homes are the universities where our children learn about the world and how to live. What kind of basic "courses" are we offering them? As Christians we want God to be the core of our curriculum. We want our children to be leaning to know God and relate to Him."

Noel Piper, Treasuring God in Our Traditions

May our children hear us pray.

May they hear us thank God.

May they hear us praise God.

May they hear us revel in God's goodness, wisdom and sovereignty.

May they hear us take responsibility when we wrong someone.

May they hear us read the Bible to them.

May they see humility in us.

May they see brokenness when we sin.

May they see us grow in our likeness to Christ.

May they see us make church a priority.

May they see us die to self.

May they see us ever endeavoring to make our marriage beautiful.

May they see us forgive no matter how deep the wrong.

May they see us honor God.

May they see us lavishly love people.

May they see us trust God.

May they see us seek God. Today. Tomorrow. Always.

O, Lord, help us. The need for our home to be the university in which our children learn to love, trust, and know You is a calling beyond our ability. We are weak. We are selfish. We prefer our comfort and convenience to the necessity to die to self to model walking with You. Please grant grace sufficient to the life-long privilege. May we steward Your children well.

Wow.

I stumbled upon an amazing post on a blog I follow. Much meat to chew on...

Here's the link: so let it be.

Quite a way to look towards Monday, isn't it?

Suffering: Bearing Up Under the Prick of Thorns

Mrs. Beaver:

I'm going to interrupt my posts about our travel for something far weightier. I read the following quote by Thomas Case this morning in Voices from the Past: Puritan Devotional Readings:

"God teaches His people in afflictions. He teaches us to feel compassion toward others who are suffering. We are prone to be insensitive toward others who are suffering when we are at ease. He also teaches us to prize our outward mercies and comforts more, and yet dote on them less. We are to be more thankful for them but less ensnared by them. Next God teaches us self-denial and obedient submission to His will. In our prosperity we are full of our own wills, and usually give God counsel as if we could tell God how it might be better. We dispute our cross, when we should take it up. By bearing a little we learn to bear more. The bullock unaccustomed to the yoke is impatient. After he is accustomed to labour, he willingly puts his neck under the yoke. God works out by degrees the delicate spirit we learned in our prosperity. One way or another, God works His children into a sweet, obedient frame. At length, God brings His children to subscribe: 'What God wills, when God wills, how God wills; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.' Finally, we can learn humility and meekness of spirit. Pride naturally runs in our veins, and it is nourished by ease and prosperity. By trouble we come to know our own heart. God seeks to develop meekness in His people by affliction, then save them from affliction." (pg.145)

This past year has held some hard things for our family: the decline of my health followed by major surgery, Russia's decision to close adoption to Americans just as we were on the verge of adding four older siblings to our number, and the sudden and traumatic death of our beloved Aunt Jean which necessitated re-situating Mr. Beaver's 82-year-old mother due to her Alzheimer's. And then about two weeks ago, Mr. Beaver underwent surgery for a large growth in his palate. We thank God daily that the tumor was benign! Still, he is looking at a prolonged and painful healing process after having about 1/4 of the roof of his mouth removed.

The quote was a sweet reminder that while it is so easy to focus on the thorns, God also gives the rose. Suffering has value! For now we'll take comfort in that as we continue to put one foot in front of the next following our Savior through the trials.

Could It be Any Clearer?

Mrs. Beaver:

I don't normally post first thing on the Sabbath. However, as I've come around again to the book of John in my reading of God's Word, something struck me powerfully. It's just a phrase. But what if the words became the story of my life?

Jesus and His diciples have gone to a wedding. You know the story. The wine has run out and Mary, in a very motherly way, insists that her son do something to help. The two of them go back and forth for a short time.

Then in John 2:5 Jesus' mother says to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."

That's it. Seven words. Just seven words. But what if I lived these seven words? Of course, there's the big things...like go adopt those four siblings in Russia. In other words, be My hands and feet to the vulnerable. (James 1:27, etc., etc., etc...)

But there's also what I'm going to call the whispers of His word. He commands us to deny self...forgive...be gentle...be kind...look out for the interests of others...love our enemies...be the Good Samaritan, not the religious person who crosses to the other side of the road. I could go on and on, couldn't I?

"Whatever He says to you, do it." Oh my, I'm overwhelmed by the implication of these seven words. We're told more than once that Mary pondered what she saw of her dear son's unusual life. Now I need to ponder. Oh, may her words sink deep this Sabbath. Then, Lord, through the power of your grace, may I live Mary's admonition.

You may wonder why I've placed a photo of my granddaughter at the top of this post. What do Brielle and Mary's words have to do with each other? My circle of influence is primarily my husband, my children and over time will also be my grandchildren. I need to take Mary's word's seriously as I interact with them so that they SEE Christ in me. They in turn will interact with so many others. Kind of like a stone being thrown in a pond.

Who are the primary people in your circle of influence? Mary says to you regarding them--and anyone else with whom you come in contact, "Whatever my son tells you, do it."

Pure Ambition

Mrs. Beaver:

"[Here are] Words that describe the disposition of the Christ we see in the Scripture: humble, thankful, righteous, a servant--His only ambition to submit to His Father's will. He was consumed with loving God and others."

(Anonymous, Embracing Obscurity, pg. 47)
 

Let's us prepare our hearts for the coming of this King!