Being Still When Craziness Prevails

Blogging has been sparse this past week.  We have had another birthday in our house.  We have company coming.  We will have our company for a few weeks, longer than ever before.  We are in full swing with schooling which will most likely be taking a back seat during that time.  Even with limiting our school schedule, our children are involved in many activities that will continue to keep us on the go.  We also decided to remodel our main bathroom.  The announcement of visitors always tends to put more projects on one’s plate.  The bathroom is almost completed.  The ceiling and cabinet doors still need to be painted.  The tile floor still needs to be put in.  The mirrors, new lights, and small cabinet curtains need to be hung. Then a little caulk here and there then we are finished.  The onset of winter is quickly approaching.  There is snow on the mountain tops right outside my window which means the snow gear needs to be found and readied to use soon.  We are also dealing with one vehicle that has needed to be towed three times in the last several weeks!  I have been dealing with some medical issues needing blood work done the past two weeks.  Things looked a little odd the first week and then normal the second week which most likely means nothing will be done and I will continue to “just deal with” the constant symptoms.  There has also been some disheartening news concerning hubby’s upcoming deployment that has brought some stress to my heart.

All that to say…..

Life, at times, seems to move at a pace that is a little too fast for my liking.  Understatement of the day, right?   Have you ever felt that way?  It is in times like these that God calls to mind the following verse.

Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”

When I find things overwhelming I am even more thankful for the indwelling Spirit. The Spirit calms me, reminds me, and calls me to remember. Where is my hope?  Where is my trust?  Who is my refuge?  What kind of God do I serve, love, and surrender?  When one is still; simply resting in the knowledge of WHO God is, there is a peace that surpasses all understanding even in the midst of stress, chaos, or turmoil.

Where is your hope, trust, and faith?

My Preemie is 17!

It seems only yesterday that I was sitting in the NICU with my 33 week preemie.  Now she is a godly young woman!  I have been abundantly blessed to have this young lady as a daughter!  She celebrated her birthday yesterday.  Happy birthday to my sweet girl.

When Doctrine Becomes Creedal

Having several good, solid books on one’s shelf is always a desirable thing.  I swiped one my hubby is currently reading.  He read me this quote a while back and I thought it a great one to share with you now.

Here is our Pondering quote for the week……..

When doctrine becomes creedal (e.g., the Athenasian Creed), it becomes defensible against (Arians and other) heretics.  Heresy, as well as truth, becomes identifiable.  Before it takes creedal form, however, almost any sort of heresy can claim a place.  Controversy over the Bible’s teaching on various points led to the formulation of theological statements that have helped us not only to identify falsehood and defend the truth, but also to teach and to restudy biblical teaching in a deeper and more profitable way.  Future generations can stand on the shoulders of past ones and reach even higher on the tree of truth for fruit yet unplucked.

A Theology of Christian Counseling — More than Redemption
Jay E. Adams

Wednesday Hero

This Week’s Post Is Via Gazing At The Flag
PFC Thomas Lowell Tucker
24 years old from Madras, Oregon
B Company, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division
June 16, 2006

Flag Gazer has a great post up on the dedication of the PFC Thomas Tucker memorial.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Celebrating

Hubs and I are celebrating our 19th wedding anniversary today.  We went out to dinner last night and since we are currently remodeling the bathroom we are are spending the day trying to get our new bathtub in!

Getting our Kids to Jesus Or Not……

Church-of-England-Congregation-Stand-up-to-Sing-a-Hymn-

When visiting a church this past weekend I once again saw the blindness of the people of God.  I wondered if anyone else noticed.  This particular church is pretty laid back.  The service begins with a few songs and a prayer to allow for the late comers.  I have heard this spoken by the greeters that the first 10 minutes of the service is for people to get their coffee and to dwindle in to the service.   After the first 10 minutes (the couple of songs and prayer) the congregation sings one more song and then breaks for greeting time and to send the children to their classrooms.  The children’s Sunday school hour is during the worship service.

This particular Sunday there was a guest speaker.  Just as the congregation was being told to greet one another and the children could be dismissed to their rooms the title of the sermon and the scripture reference were displayed on the power point screen.

Getting our Kids to Jesus

Matthew 19:13-14  Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

My husband and I simply laughed but it was not because it was funny!  Do people not see????  Do they not understand???  Do they just not care???  Do they seek comfort for themselves over the task and calling of raising godly offspring rather than simply passing the baton along???

Just as the message of getting our children to Jesus and the scripture speaking of letting the children come and not being hindered lights the overhead board, there was a mass exodus of parents escorting their children from the worship service and returning with coffee cup in hand and chatting with one another (even after the music to call us back to worship was being played).

Some may be saying, “Well, they were going to learn about Jesus.”   I do not have a big problem with Sunday school classes or the like, but I do, however, take issue with that comment in this context.   Why does a church plan the children’s Sunday school hour during the worship hour?  Why must the children’s lessons conflict with the worship time?  When are the parents to teach their children how to approach the Lord Jesus in corporate worship?  Why is it not important to worship the Lord as a family unit?   This seems to me to be a hindrance in permitting the children to come unto the Lord.

Most importantly, why did everyone seem oblivious to what they were doing?  While looking at the message of  “getting our children to God”, rather than embracing the opportunity to worship the Lord of Lords and King of Kings together with their children they rushed them off and out of their hair so they could have an experience all to themselves.  What does that teach?

Many questions and thoughts to ponder upon.  Anyone else feel the sadness as I do or do you just see me as over reacting?