Become an Elisabeth

The Elliots are two of my favorite people. Definitely modern heroes. They were missionaries to Ecuador many, many years ago - long before I was born. While they were there, some of the natives killed Jim and four other missionary men.

Of course, Elisabeth is now Elisabeth Gren. Here she is with her husband Lars.

Elisabeth has written so many good books! Just the ones I've read include These Strange Ashes, The Shaping of a Christian Family, Let Me Be a Woman, Secure in the Everlasting Arms, Quest for Love, and my favorite - Shadow of the Almighty - some of the letters and journals of her first husband.

I've been thinking lately. . . . Jim Elliot was such a strong Christian. He was so passionate about God, His Word, the Church, reaching the lost, and making a difference in the world. He was such a dedicated missionary. He was strong in the Lord even before that, as a student, in his relationships with family and friends and Elisabeth, in his exercise and Bible study.

I want to marry a man like Jim Elliot, and I know other girls who have the same desire. The other day as I was thinking about this, a thought struck me. If you want to marry a Jim Elliot, you have to become an Elisabeth. Interesting . . .

Foolish Lonely Heart

The Cry of the Faithful Heart:

"Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth;

for the faithful fail from among the children of men"

(Psalm 12:1).

The Answer of the Sovereign God:

"Yet I have left Me seven thousand in Israel,

all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal,

and every mouth which hath not kissed him" (1 Kings 19:18).

"Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant

according to the election of grace" (Romans 11:5).

Faith Like Potatoes

My family doesn't watch TV much, but we love a good movie. Thankfully, in the last few years Christians have been producing more and more of them. So when we saw a review for Faith Like Potatoes at the end of as great a movie as Fireproof, our expectations were high.

After waiting several months, we finally rented it from Blockbuster and watched it. Unfortunately, it didn't meet our expectations and I want to encourage you to save your money for something better. Or else just save it for the sake of saving it.

There was nothing particularly exciting about the begining of the movie, and it stayed relatively boring throughout. By itself, this doesn't make it a bad movie, but I'd much rather watch an interesting good movie than a boring one!

It wasn't just boring, however. The main character cusses throughout, as do other people. Not the worst of American cuss words, but "bloody" and euphemisms for the "d" and "h" words.

The main character's wife dresses immodestly, with tight tops and cleavage showing. My dad used the word "Barbie." Other women occasionally wear similar clothing. And the main character himself takes a phone call wearing nothing but his boxers.

There are also several theological problems throughout, such as viewing personal devotions as church, a confusing "conversion experience," and a charismatic doctrine of physical healing and even raising people from the dead.

All in all, it didn't really meet our standards of a Christian movie. Here are some better ideas:

Fireproof

Facing the Giants

Timechanger

Sheffey

A Groundhog

Why did I always think that groundhogs looked like chipmunks or hamsters or something? Because they definitely don't!!! But how was I to know without having ever seen one? Well, now I know. A groundhog lives down the hill behind our house, and yesterday he came out and promenaded along the weeds in our backyard just long enough to teach me what groundhogs really look like - rabbit-sized beavers.

His eating habits are quite amusing, kind of like those of young children who are made to eat when they aren't really hungry. Mr. Groundhog nibbles, stands up, looks around, walks forward a few steps, nibbles, stands up, looks around, walks forward a few steps, nibbles, stands up, looks around, and continues like this until he spots something scary like humans and scurries back down the hill.

Don't you just love watching all the interesting creatures of our God and King?

The Cheapest Way to Read a Book

Has there ever been a time when you wanted very much to read a book, but the price tag was just a little too high to go out and buy it? That happens to me, well, practically all the time. So what's the solution? Go to the library. :D

I absolutely love public libraries. They usually have a shelf of books for sale at cheap prices, a wide variety of classics, a decent selection of Christian books, and sometimes even free stuff.

But what if they don't have the book you want? That also happens to me a lot. A conservative Christian homeschooler writes a book - a really good book - but somehow it doesn't rate so high on the general public's list of great books, so our library doesn't get it. No problem. Interlibrary loan it! Your local public library will more than likely be happy to interlibrary loan books for you from any other library in the country, even if that means college and seminary libraries. Very rarely have they actually been unable to find a book.

So now I get to read all the good books I want, without spending a dime. And of course, if I REALLY like a book I can go ahead and buy it. At that point Amazon comes in handy.

A Sweet Poem

I found this yesterday in a book I am reading by Margaret Sangster. The book is entitled Fairest Girlhood and was first published in 1906.

There's but the meager crust, Love,

There's but the measured cup;

On scanty fare we breakfast,

On scanty fare we sup.

Yet be not thou discouraged,

Nor falter on the way,

Since Wealth is for a life, Love,

And Want is for a day.

Our robes are hodden gray, Love,

Ah! would that thine were white,

And shot with gleams of silver,

And rich with golden light.

Yet care not thou for raiment,

But climb, as pilgrims may,

Since Ease is for a life, Love,

And Toil is for a day.

Our shelter oft is rude, Love;

We feel the chilling dew,

And shiver in the darkness

Which silent stars shine through.

Yet shall we seek our palace,

And there in gladness stay,

Since Home is for a life, Love,

And Travel for a day.

The heart may sometimes ache, Love,

The eyes grow dim with tears;

Slow glide the hours of sorrow,

Slow beats the pulse of fears.

Yet patience with the evil,

For, though the good delay,

Still Joy is for a life, Love,

And Pain is for a day.

~ Author Unknown

I Love Horse Food

Oats, I mean. They're good raw, with a little honey or peanut butter to sweeten them. Or you can cook them - oatmeal. If you want, you can eat them with bananas or on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Or my favorite -granola! :)

Pour one 42-oz. container of old-fashioned oats into a large mixing bowl, and cover that with 1 7-oz. package of coconut. Sprinkle enough flax seed over these to cover them. Add 1 cup brown sugar. Mix these together, then add 1 cup cooking oil and 2 cups syrup.

Mix and pour onto 2 greased cookie sheets. Bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes. Stir. Bake 10 more minutes or until golden brown. Turn out onto your kitchen table and let dry.

You can store half of this in the original oats container and store the rest in something else. If you want, feel free to add dried fruit, chocolate chips, or anything else to the dry granola.