Sacred Claim

I just recently finished reading a book by one of my long-time favorite authors: Leslie Ludy. The book was Set-Apart Femininity, and it was anything but a disappointment. One of the points that convicted me most was the one called sacred claim.

My life belongs to God. I belong to God. I am His to do with as He pleases. He has a sacred claim on my life and wants to use me in some way in the world for His own glory.

So what right have I to waste my time and money and affections on trivial pursuits? God's kingdom needs servants. God's field needs workers. There are hurting people everywhere, and God would have me burdened to help them.

It helped that my devotions have been in Exodus lately. The children of Israel were slaves, strangers in a strange land. Then God heard their cries and delivered Him, leading them on a pilgrimage to a far-away country; so they rose and cooked their unleavened bread and got their packs ready and went out from Egypt, trusting in the God of their fathers Who had delivered them with His mighty hand.

What would have happened, I wonder, if they - like me - had so many possessions that they couldn't fit them in a room, let alone a pack; and they were dull to the Spirit of God because they were neglecting their relationships with Him for the sake of worthless "pleasures"?

God's call on us is to be pilgrims. Ready to stop and help the needy, but otherwise faithfully and steadfastly walking forward on the road to the Promised Land.

The Simple Life: Laundry

It seems like every time we turn on the radio, someone is talking about the economy, or problems with this administration, or some other negative detail about this period in His Story.

Don't get me wrong. I think it's good to alert people so we can take action and I'm very glad that they're doing that. I don't want that to stop. And I agree with them. It's bad. But it is also important to remember that this is God's Story. He is writing it. He is sovereign, and He knows what He's doing.

There are also things we can do in the meantime. Like cultivating our relationships with God. Like being politically active. And like living the simple life. As Amy Scott of humblemusings.com says, things we should already be doing.

http://humblemusings.com/archives/2008/12/06/things-we-should-be-doing/

But if you're like me and my family, you may not have already been doing some or all of them. Here's one thing we've been trying recently: air-drying laundry. I figured that would be impossible since we currently live in the city. But Mom knew better.

She hung some stiff yellow rope three different ways in our garage and we've been hanging our clothes there for a little under a week. Of course, when my brother is home this weekend we'll have to use the dryer for the sake of time, but we'll still be saving money during the week.

One thing we're still thinking about is how to deal with the bad smell a few of the pieces of laundry have been picking up . . . . More for another post. :)

Knowing You, Jesus

All I once held dear, built my life upon

All this world reveres, and wars to own

All I once thought gain I have counted loss

Spent and worthless now, compared to this -

Knowing You, Jesus

Knowing You,

There is no greater thing

You're my all, You're the best

You're my joy, my righteousness

And I love You, Lord.

Now my heart's desire is to know You more

To be found in You and known as Yours

To possess by faith what I could not earn

All-surpassing gift of righteousness

Oh, to know the power of Your risen life

And to know You in Your sufferings

To become like You in Your death, my Lord

So with You to live and never die.

Knowing You, Jesus

Knowing You,

There is no greater thing

You're my all, You're the best

You're my joy, my righteousness

And I love You, Lord.

~ Graham Kendrick

Parental Rights

A parent’s right to raise their children as they see fit is a time-honored American tradition, but today it is being threatened. The Supreme Court’s Troxel v. Granville decision in 2000 undermined a 75-year heritage of Constitutionally-protected, fundamental parental rights, which 8 of the 9 justices abandoned. At the same time, a growing body of international law fuels activist judges to legislate foreign standards from the American bench, while treaties such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child would subject parental decisions to government oversight and international review.

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (MI-2) has proposed HJR-42, the Parental Rights Amendment, to stop the erosion of parental rights in American courts while simultaneously defending our laws from international invasion. Please, visit parentalrights.org to learn more about the Amendment, and to join their email network by signing the petition to protect parental rights.

Finally!

Today marks the launch of the ministry I've had on my heart for the past few months - a magazine to train young ladies in godliness and homemaking skills - Helpmeets in Training. Friends sent articles; my parents proofread and gave suggestions; and then the printing began. Over 500 sheets of paper, sorting, stapling, addressing. Last Friday I gave out the first seven samples and got my first three subscriptions. Today I'll send out the first batch of mailed copies through the mail. And tomorrow I'll need to purchase more ink to finish off the rest.

This issue includes an article by my best friend, Miss Robinson, about writing love letters to God; a story by Bro. Jerry Ross (http://stayinthecastle.com); a Bible study idea based on Bill Gothard's Ten Unchangeables; a story about Amy Carmichael; an article by a family friend, Mrs. Combs of http://blessingsinabundance.blogspot.com, about homeschooling; thoughts on meekness; a few recipes; information on how to crochet with grocery bags; and a memory challenge: Psalm 27.

Would you like to help? I'm always interested in good articles, stories, poems, recipes, handcraft ideas, et cetera. Send something if you can!

She Wants to Be a Homemaker

To me she is a beauty queen

I love to watch her on the screen

In our home movies

And when she sings around the house

She's got a voice that knocks me out

She is my favourite singer.

But you won't see her on T.V.

Or hear her on the radio

Worldly fame is not her aim

And she's the first to let you know

She wants to be a homemaker

It's her dream to raise a family

And give her love to just one man

And I thank God it's me

I'll never underestimate her

'Cause she could take this word and turn it on

But she takes her love

And makes our house a home.

She can't afford to spend her day

In a old soap opera haze

She's much too busy

At night she puts the kids to bed

She's makin' sure their prayers get said

Before she lays down with me.

It's plain to see

That she's not seeking glory on this earth

'Cause she believes in honesty

And the joy of giving birth.

She wants to be a homemaker

It's her dream to raise a family

And give her love to just one man

And I thank God it's me

I'll never underestimate her

'Cause she could take this word and turn it on

But she takes her love

And makes our house a home.

~ Paul Overstreet

A Flower!!!

Two years ago on the last day of summer camp my unit leader at the Word of Life Ranch gave all my co-counselors and I a small flowerpot filled with an African Violet. At that time, it had a few beautiful flowers on it (in case you didn't know, violets are my favorite flowers :D).

Well, my grandma had told me that violets like sun so I put that flowerpot in the sunniest place in my room - on top of my chest of drawers in the corner but close to the window. I watered it - but not too faithfully. And I cut off the brown leaves. But that poor plant dropped its flowers one by one and never produced any more for so long that I gave up hope of its ever blooming again.

But then we moved and the sunniest place was on top of a bookshelf directly in front of the window. Now it was getting direct sunlight almost all day long and many of the leaves turned brown and died. Was it too much sun, perhaps?

After transplanting it into a much larger flowerpot, pruning all those dead leaves, and beginning to faithfully water it and turn it so that it would get the right amounts of sun all the way around, I settled into a habit of caring for it while it settled into a habit of living very deeply green although devoid of flowers. No more flowers on that plant! But at least it was something pretty and green and alive and growing to take care of.

But just the other day - a tiny purple bud appeared among the leaves! Flowers again! It made my day. :)

Have you ever thought of God's care of us as that of a Master-Gardener of His garden? It is such a bitter-sweet thought. Sweet because He takes such good, gentle care of us, His plants, preparing us to produce flowers and fruits for His glory and to bless others who may see or taste them. Bitter because we are live plants with wills of our own and I know just how willful I can be at times, resisting the kind working of my Savior in my life. And even sweeter because He is so patient and never gives up no matter how willful I am; and sweeter because He WILL produce His flowers and fruits in my life even though I don't deserve His taking notice of me at all.