Things happen. Unexpected things happen. Hard things happen. Life is funny that way. So, how do we react when tough things happen? We should view it the way the Bible tells us to view it. This is a test. God sends His children pop quizzes and tests from time to time to see if we are learning our lessons, if we are paying attention, if we are reading our assignments.
If we view unexpected events as tests from a loving Father, we know how to proceed because we all know how to take tests. We have done our homework. We can roll up our sleeves and try to ace the test. Unless we’ve been dozing in class, not doing our homework, and spacing out during the lectures. In that case, we need to repent, and then we need to get back on task.
Life is full of trials and tests. We are told to count them all joy. If we’ve been learning our lessons, and the pop quiz comes unexpectedly (like all pop quizzes do), we are prepared. And it’s a whole lot easier to count it all joy when we meet various trials (and tests) when we are prepared.
It’s Sunday night and with the the Femina Conference, the Grace Agenda Conference, Sabbath dinner, two worship services, and a huge church picnic and psalm sing now behind us, I must thank the Lord for crowding us with so many kindnesses these past few days. Tired? Yes. Blessed? Very much!
Highlight of it all was meeting Mark and Grace Driscoll. Mark addressed us twice, and he nailed it both times. We so appreciate them making the trip over. Grace looks like a much-loved woman (i.e., lovely), which made Mark’s ministry to us all the sweeter. (And she’s fun!)
Now for a few highlights:
From Pastor Mark: Are you more disposed to sin being religious or sin being rebellious? Good questions and easy to get nailed in that talk. He used the prodigal son story for that one, and he pointed out that there is a perfect Third Son who is neither religious or rebellious. He gave a talk on masculinity, the need for men to be tough and tender. Tough to outsiders who would harm the wife, the home, the kids. Tender to the people inside the home.
Doug interviewed Mark, and I couldn’t help but feel like those two have a lot in common. Rachel summed it up when she said that Mark feels like a cousin or something. Familiar and almost family. Continue reading ‘Debrief’
Here’s an article my husband linked to a few days ago on his blog. He mentioned that it should be widely circulated, and since reading it myself, I heartily agree.
We are gearing up for our first Femina conference this coming Friday! Just in case you haven’t seen the line-up, I’ll be speaking first on defining what we mean by “dangerous” women, Bekah will be applying this definition to wives, Rachel to moms, and Heather to the single women. I’m so pleased at the numbers of women who are coming, and a special hoorah to all you Femina readers who are making a trip to Moscow for this and for the Grace Agenda Conference which follows.
Our ninety-something degree weather is supposed to give way to nice fall weather in the seventies and sixties, so bring a sweater! And bring an extra bag for all your book and Amoretti clothing purchases! Happy Travels!
Let’s be honest: courtship is fraught with perils. No two scenarios are the same. Some of the rockiest courtships end up being stable, happy marriages, while some young women who are determined to get married at the first opportunity find themselves at loose ends after the wedding. Now what? This road is full of twists and turns for some couples, while for others, it is a smooth four-lane highway. Who can understand these things?
In this little post I’m not undertaking to explore all the things that can go wrong in a courtship. I’m simply going to make a few observations here about one kind of woman, and that’s the woman who wants to be married, but doesn’t really. When a fine young man shows an interest in this kind of woman, she finds all sorts of things to be roadblocks. And so she either says no, or it ends up being one of those rocky courtships that starts and stops and starts and stops, etc.
As I said above, who can understand these things? But here are a couple of thoughts about what might be going on in her head.
1. Wanting to be married is more desirable than actually being married. In the wanting, a woman can sketch out any number of delightful scenes in her mind. But in reality, he doesn’t wear knee-high riding boots and own a large estate. So she recoils from the thought of marrying him.
2. Marriage requires a kind of death. Though this is required for both husband and wife, the wife dies in a unique way. She takes a new name, and she has a new calling. This is what scares some women off, despite their desire for marriage and children. Continue reading ‘Courtship Contradictions’
Horrible quality picture, I know. And yet. It just sums Blaire up so well. I especially like how this action shot captured her chubby little arm in the midst of a full throttle Cheerio toss that went down only this morning. I was sweeping in the kitchen at the time. It isn’t for no reason that “Busy” is the nick-name that stuck to this one. She answers to it too. If you can’t find her, just yell “Busy! Where are you?” and she will come right out of whichever bathroom she was in, and tell you cheerfully (and indecipherably) all about splashing in the potty. “Good news! The door to the bathroom was open again! ”
I have never had a child get so committed to potty splashing. The fact that we have three bathrooms now adds to it. I think also the fact that two three -year-olds are in and out of said three bathrooms all day. Add to that the fact that Blaire is apparently part mountain goat: scaling tables, laundry piles, and chairs in no time. She could be on any floor at any time, getting into any potties. She’s fast, that one.
Recent Comments