Legalism: Yours, Mine, and Ours

There is a great article over at Your Sacred Calling.  It is worth the read and make sure to devote some time to prayer and personal reflection.  May our lives be glorifying to God in all things.

John doesn’t believe in celebrating Christmas, but he enjoys a glass of wine with dinner. His friend, Carl, believes alcohol consumption, even in moderation is wrong, but he has the most beautiful Christmas tree you’ve ever seen.

Jennifer believes in adhering to Old Testament dietary restrictions, but feels the freedom to wear modest pants. Her sister-in-law would never put on a pair or pants, but she thinks Jennifer is being legalistic about not eating pork.

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Typically, those who falsely accuse others of legalism have unresolved guilt or sin issues of their own. Some, because of a legalistic or idolatrous past, assume others are walking in the same sin in which they themselves have struggled.

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Recently, I received a comment from a reader on another post that hit the nail right on the head. I’ve modified it here to fit the broader problem:

Calling others legalistic based on outward appearance is itself legalistic and hypocritical. Some of those who say that they have left legalism have really just exchanged one form for another and are still judging the spirituality of others based on how they are perceived by the ex-legalist.

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE…

via Your Sacred Calling » Legalism: Yours, Mine, and Ours.

PLEASE COME BACK AND SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH ME!

Songs For Saplings

About a year or so ago a dear friend shared a CD with me.  She said that a friend of hers put these CDs together and thought that we would enjoy them.  The children LOVED it so we decided to purchase the rest of the catechism cds and have been enjoying them ever since.

The other day a very well known blogger posted about these very cds.  Challies posted about Songs for Saplings along with other music for children.  Challies wrote:

Songs for Saplings is James and Dana Dirksen from Porland, Oregon. They have recorded four albums, one of which follows an A,B,C format while the other three are questions and answers, much like a catechism. I suppose these albums will largely appeal to younger children. They are quiet and acoustic.

He is correct in his assessment of the cds. They are geared toward younger children. But they are beneficial for the entire family.  The catechism cds do appeal to older children more and more in the second and third cds.  There is a great variety in the style of music on each cd. You can even listen to excerpts on their website.

What I love about them is that the children (and us parents) learn the great truths presented in the Westminster Catechism which is derived directly from scripture. Each question and answer also contains the scripture that teaches the truth. This way your children are not only learning the doctrinal truth but the scriptures that proclaim that truth.

Songs for Saplings is a ministry of the Dirksen family and this is what they state on their website.

We create lively, fun songs that attempt to deliver the deepest of Biblical truth in a format that your children will love to listen to. We want them to understand who God is and what He has done, as well as what He wants your children to do and to be. We hope that you will benefit from these CDs and use them to help teach your children about our God and his great love for us.

With Christmas time approaching, what better gift could you give than the gift of music which teaches and proclaims the greatness of our Lord Jesus Christ?!

I am pleased to announce that I can offer you a 20% discount off of your order when you buy CDs from their website. This includes the “12-pack bulk pack” which a lot of people order for gift-giving. This does however exclude the 24 and 48 CD bulk packs, which are already heavily discounted.

All you need to do is enter the following code as you go through the checkout: mamaarcher
It’s really simple.

Hopefully you will find this really helpful as you order CDs this Christmas!

As you seek to grow your little saplings……

into strong oaks of righteousness…

Songs for Saplings can be a musical and fun tool for you and your family to use and enjoy!

that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.
(Isaiah 61:3b)

Visit SONGS FOR SAPLINGS and order your CDs today! Order some for your friends and family too! Don’t forget to enter the discount code for your 20% off!

Please leave a comment and let me know if you plan on making a purchase and what you think of their music and ministry!

Regardless of whether you order, please tweet, email, and share on Facebook so that others can take advantage of the discount offer!

A New Baby & Another Birthday

It has been a busy few days around here.  I had my 38 week appointment on Wednesday and our son was born on Thursday afternoon.  All went well and both baby and I are doing great.  I am glad that he was NOT born this past Saturday.  Our last baby turned two years old on Saturday and I wanted so much for each of the children to have their very own birthday.  Thank the Lord for granting that request.

So, the baby was born on Thursday the 11th at 3:14 pm.  He weighed in at a tiny little 7 pounds and 8 ounces and was 19 inches long.  He is beautiful and just perfect.  He is so laid back and is just as sweet as can be.

We came home from the hospital on the 13th ( my 2 year olds birthday) at about 4:30pm.  She is sick and was running a fever and had been waiting so patiently for her birthday party.  It was just a short family birthday and she felt pretty miserable.  A few hours later my hubby ended up taking her to the ER.  She has pneumonia AGAIN and an ear infection.  What a way to celebrate your birthday, huh?  She is starting to feel better.  A lady at church this morning gave her a big batch of helium balloons for her birthday.  I think that was wonderful.  It extended her birthday a bit and she was feeling better and able to enjoy it more.

As you can see it has been a bit crazy around here.

So here are a couple of photos to share with you………………….

First, here is our new son, Nathan Asher.  He’s a handsome one if I do say so myself!!!

Here is one of the birthday girl!

And a shot of them together………

I am abundantly blessed!!

Pregnancy Stats

Here I sit at 38 weeks and no baby yet.  I am still pregnant.  A few contractions here and there but nothing signifigant. I began taking black & blue cohosh and evening primrose oil a few days ago.  I have a doctor’s appointment in the morning, hopefully that will yield some good information for me!

Here at our house everyone is choosing a date.  We decided if someone guessed the correct birth date they would win something.  Not exactly sure what yet.  I thought that I would let you all in on our little game.  I have listed my stats below.  Take a guess.  What do you think the baby will weigh?  When do you think he will be born?  There is no “real” prize only the bragging rights for being correct!

child#1  Boy: 9 pounds 3 ounces 5 days late

child #2 Girl: 4 pounds 8 ounces 7 weeks early

child #3 Girl: 8 pounds 4 ounces 2 weeks early

Child #4 Boy: 8 pounds 7 ounces 2 weeks early

Child #5 Girl: 8 pounds 1 ounce 2-3 weeks early

child #6 Girl: 8 pounds 3 ounces 2 weeks early

child #7 Girl 8 pounds 1 ounce 1 weeks early

child # 8 Girl 7 pounds 6 ounces 2 weeks early

child # 9 Girl 8 pounds even 1 week early

child #10 Boy    WHAT IS YOUR GUESS????

Support or Condescension

One thing that tends to ruffle my feathers is when other Christians under the guise of offering support blast you with condescension.

Has this ever happened to you?

If you are going to offer support and encouragement to someone. Simply do that. Don’t first proceed to lay out all that you have endured expecting the same situation for that other individual. Don’t proceed to lay out all of the things you have struggled through like it is a list of your qualifications and authority on the issues. THEN say you simply want to be available when all of these horrible things happen to the other. ESPECIALLY, when the other person has not even eluded to the fact that they NEED or want your intervention.

That is not supportive or encouraging; it is condescending!

Simply say, “Hey, if you ever need to talk, I’m here.”

That would be like me talking to a mom of a few who just had another child and saying something like the following.

“Oh, I know what it is like. You will struggle with this, this, this, that, this other thing, and that. Don’t be surprised if this, this, and this happen too. I don’t want to discourage you at all. But I am a mom of ten so, let me know if you ever need a shoulder to cry on.”

Would this not only be discouraging but also condescending? Doesn’t a statement like that negate the fact that this person is already a mother and experienced the trials of motherhood. Not to mention that just because one struggles with some things doesn’t mean that the other individual will!

Wouldn’t it be better to say, “Congratulations, let me know if you ever need anything. I would love to come by and hold that sweet baby for you or anything else you might need.”?

Let us be careful. When offering support make sure that is what we are actually doing. It should be about helping the other person not about propping up what we believe our expertise it! That is just selfish and arrogant and it will backfire.

You Know It’s Time When

I am soooo ready to have this little bundle!  I am used to delivering early by a week or two and I am hoping that will be the case this time.  I am more than ready to pop!  I wonder if after reading the list below you will agree with me.

You know it is time to have your baby when:

• You notice that people no longer look at you but at your belly.
• You have practically outgrown every maternity outfit you own.
• It takes either help or five full minutes to roll over in bed.
• You notice 80 year olds walking better and at a faster pace than yourself.
• People have been asking for two months if the baby is due any day.
• People comment about HOW big you are and that you definitely LOOK ready.
• Walking up the stairs makes you as winded as running a marathon normally would.
• After only being home  for 12 days (from a seven month deployment) your hubby says it is time for you have that baby because it seems like you have been pregnant forever!
• You use your belly not only as a table but it is a very stable table.
• You begin to believe that getting out of the bathtub should be considered an Olympic event!
• When you step on the scale you wonder why your husband’s weight is registering!
• You have at least one moment a day when you cry because you just don’t think you can carry this heavy weight even two steps longer.
• You start having the recurrent pregnancy nightmare of delivering in the car and ruining the interior of the nice vehicle.
• You begin to think you could breath fire because the heartburn is winning out over that bottle of Tums you carry everywhere with you.

MOST OF ALL:

• Because it would be so much better to hold that sweet baby in your arms, see what he looks like, caress the soft baby skin, and be able to breath once again!