Martin Chuzzlewit

The longest Dickens novel I have read, and the best! The theme is selfishness, and Mr. Dickens describes it thoroughly with many very different obnoxious characters as well as its antonym through some very charming ones. Some characters change, which is all the better. Most don't, which is very realistic. If you don't have time to read a several hundred page book, at least watch the 1994 BBC version on youtube.com. I believe it's 6 hours long. Many scenes had to be cut out, but nothing was altered. They brought the story to life very well.

Mr. Pecksniff and "decrepit" Mr. Chuzzlewit

Merry Pecksniff and her mercenary fiance

Martin and Mary

Challenging Femininity #5

"She Strengtheneth Her Arms"

Deja vu, for sure. Just a year ago, we were moving from the parsonage to a nice apartment on the other side of town. And now, we are prepping a house in Richmond so we can move at the end of the month. I am so excited!!!

The first two days of this week, Mom and Jedidiah and I went to the house early in the morning, worked all day, and came back home for dinner. Mom and Jedidiah, being a little stronger than I, worked downstairs in the previously moldy basement while I busied myself upstairs. All the walls were filthy. Then a floor, all the cabinets, the bathrooms, the front of the house. Do you have any idea how tiring it is to wash walls all day long? Not to mention shampooing carpets, puttying walls, and taking ancient baby locks out of cabinets. If you want arm muscles, try washing all the walls in your house every day. :-)

Mom and Jedidiah have been there again yesterday and today while I am busy with cooking pancakes and biscuits, ironing a huge pile of laundry, publishing, and perhaps a bit of packing.

I can't wait to move into our nice little house with our nice bigger yard! Plenty of room to strengthen my arms and legs. In more natural ways than washing walls.

Strong Man or Strong Woman?

A strong man plus a weak woman

equals a chauvinist and a doormat –
a macho man and a slave girl.

A strong woman and a weak man

equals a feminist and a doormat -

a screaming shrew and a mouse.

A strong man and a strong woman

who wants to take charge

equals a constant fight for control.

A strong man and a strong woman

who gladly follows him

equals a beautiful dance – a real romance.

The Proverbs 31 woman was strong.
She was valiant.
And she gladly supported her husband so much

that his strength increased.
Should that really be surprising?

Causing and Increasing Wrath

I was thinking about the practical applications of Ephesians 6:4 the other day when another verse came to mind and made things startlingly clear.

“And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath” (Ephesians 6:4). “Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged” (Colossians 3:21). What actions are provoking? Here are a few examples:

· Infidelity (Ezekiel 20:28)
· Mockery (Job 17:2)
· Anger (Proverbs 15:18)
· Pride (Proverbs 28:25)
· Hatred (Proverbs 10:12)
· Grievous words (Proverbs 15:1)

“Provoke not . . . to wrath.” “Grievous words stir up anger.” What is the difference between provoking someone to wrath and stirring up that person to anger? There is no real difference.

If I want to avoid provoking my family to wrath, I must avoid using grievous words. If you want to avoid provoking your children to wrath, you must avoid using grievous words.

Our words are powerful. The Bible says that our words have the power to

· Cause arguments and separate close friends (Proverbs 16:28)
· Make us more ungodly (II Timothy 2:16)
· Pierce people’s hearts like physical weapons (Proverbs 12:18)
· Kill (Proverbs 18:21)
· Corrupt and poison (James 3:5-8)
· Crush people’s spirits (Proverbs 15:4)

But words also have power to

· Meet people’s needs and build them up (Ephesians 4:29)
· Heal people (Proverbs 12:18)
· Give pleasure and sweetness (Proverbs 16:24)
· Persuade (Proverbs 25:15)
· Communicate knowledge (Proverbs 20:15)
· Cheer people up (Proverbs 12:25)
· Give life (Proverbs 18:21)
· Turn away wrath (Proverbs 15:1)

Which set of “powers” do you want to use on your family? Which way of speaking gets you what you really want? Think about it for a moment. Does your family seem more eager to please you when you snap and yell, or less? The truth is that our anger will never make anyone more righteous (James 1:19-20). But kind words will help them learn (Proverbs 16:21).

What kind of words did the valiant woman of Proverbs 31 use? Verse 26 says that “she openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.” Did it work for her? Skip down to verse 28 to see just how well it worked.

One last thought: a mature person will not be easily provoked. God’s Word makes this clear in I Corinthians 13:5. IT is natural to be provoked by the grievous words or those around you, but it is not good. Learn to entrust yourself to God and forgive others for the hurtful things they say. This will free you to speak the kind words needed to rebuild relationships in your family.

Challenging Femininity #4

May you have a blessed year in the Lord Jesus!

I want to share some sweet verses I read this morning.

"God setteth the solitary in families:

he bringeth out those which are bound with chains:

but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

Thou hast ascended on high,

thou hast led captivity captive:

thou hast received gifts for men;

yea, for the rebellious also,

that the LORD God might dwell among them.

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits,

even the God of our salvation. Selah" (Psalm 68:6,18-19).

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty

wherewith Christ hath made us free,

and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty;

only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh,

but by love serve one another" (Galatians 5:1,13).

Christmas Is Coming . . .

Last weekend we finally made it up to Ohio again.

The drive took a little while, but we had some good talks

and played some fun games like Bible twenty questions

(the basket they used to lower Paul out the window,

the chair Solomon sat on when he got married, et cetera)

and counting cars of certain colors.

The land was sooo flat!

Naturally, Jedidiah couldn't help spotting the American flag.

I also pointed out the huge Confederate one on someone's roof.

"They should know better," Jedidiah says. "They're in Ohio."

"At least they're on the right side," I said.

Grandpa had installed a new fireplace. It was so warm! :)

Here's my Grandpa.

If my family keeps a holiday, we keep it well.

So we celebrate Thanksgiving for a while and then

put our Christmas tree up a couple weeks into December.

Except for this year, when we put it up the Monday before Christmas. :)

The reason for the season -

the little Baby Whose birthday we're getting ready to celebrate.