Long Overdue!

I talked to my Aunt Trish today, after entirely too long! She encouraged me that people do still visit my blog and do enjoy updates now and then. So I'll do my best with what little time I have to spare until it's time for our Friday night dinner. All of us are doing good. We're all recovering from an unwelcome sinus infectioni that has had havoc on everyone in the house. But we are grateful that we are recovering and no one was kept down too long. Tomorrow, we travel to Belleville, MI for Kennedi's 2nd ARBA show (Amer. Rabbit Breeder's Assoc.). It's a 3 1/2 drive up to Belleville, and the van will be rolling down the driveway by 3:30 a.m. to get there in plenty of time to register Kennedi's rabbits before the 8:30 a.m. deadline. Pray that we don't get lost and we make it in plenty of time! Then we have friends coming over tomorrow night after we get back home, friends we haven't seen in a couple of years (the Strongs). We look forward to warm fellowship...it's always great to be reunited with good friends. May God bless you and keep you until my next post....dinner is on!

TRAINING CHILDREN TO SPEAK (Part 1)

Psalm 127:4-5, “As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that has his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.”Many times we forget the purpose of our parenting, don’t we? We plod along from day to day with what has to be done and we don’t see the future picture. It is good to come back to the Word of God and be reminded of what we are supposed to be doing. God talks of our children in the context of war. This life is a battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. We are raising our children to be warriors for God’s kingdom, to know how to face the battle and to stand strong for God. Recently, I noticed something important in our above Scripture. We are training our children to speak! Did you notice that? We are to raise children who will speak with the enemies in the gates. In Bible times, the gates of the city were more than an entrance way. They were the busiest place in the city. It was here that the elders sat to rule and direct the affairs of the city. It was here the judges and officers judged the daily matters of the people. It was at the gates the soldiers stood sentinel to guard and protect the city.And this is where God wants our children to speak--in the important places of the city, the state and the nation. He wants us to raise children who will be able to proclaim His truth in the gates—in the high places where decisions and laws are made. We are living in an era where “Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth is fallen in the street and equity cannot enter.” (Isaiah 59:14-15) In this hour of history, we need to raise children who know more than a few Sunday school stories, but children who understand God’s truth, who have discernment and know how to execute justice. We need to raise children who are not afraid to speak God’s truth, even in the face of opposition and persecution. The psalmist said, “I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed.” (Psalm 119:46) I love the Knox translation which says, “Fearlessly will I talk of thy decrees in the presence of kings, and be never abashed.”Truth is not always easy to make known. People often compromise the truth because they are scared of the repercussions. But we are not raising wimps--we are raising warriors. We are raising children who are not afraid to face the enemy. We need soldiers like C.T. Studd prayed for: Lord, send us lion-hearted menWith good courageous habits,Who ne’er will run from the devil’s gunLike hares and bunny rabbits!Some translations of Psalm 127:5 say, “Contend with the enemies in the gate.” Our “arrows” must know how to contend for their faith and the truth. “How do we train our children to speak?” you may ask. Perhaps Apologetics should be part of every homeschooling curriculum. Our children must learn how to give an answer for the faith that is in them (1 Peter 3:15). Of course, it will be difficult to prepare children to be truth-bearers if we are not heralding the truth ourselves. We must not be afraid to speak God’s eternal truths, even when they are counter-culture. The ideologies of our society regarding family are not working. There is so much heartache in marriages and family life. Marriages are continually falling apart. God’s way, although different to man’s ways are the way to success if we are prepared to be obedient to them. We must not ever be ashamed of the truth. We do not have to be intimidated by our adversaries. We can speak with confidence for we know the way that works! We should be like the apostle Paul who spoke boldly in the synagogue and in the market place, testifying, reasoning, disputing and persuading people in the truth. The psalmist and Paul both confessed, “I believed, therefore have I spoken.” (Psalm 116:10 and 2 Corinthians 4:13) What do you believe? That’s what you’ll speak about. What are you teaching your children to believe? What is the passion of their heart? That’s what they’ll speak about. Not clichés, but convictions!Never forget—silence is surrender, but speaking the truth can change the culture of the nation. Raise your children to be warriors for the Lord. Raise them to know the truth. Prepare them to speak the truth—anointed, not-giving-in, not-backing-down words—in the market place and in high places. Love from NANCY CAMPBELL, ABOVE RUBIESPRAYER:“Lord, please lift my vision for parenting my children. Help me to train them to know and understand the truth and be filled with zeal and boldness to speak your truth to all they meet. Help me to also be a truth-bearer wherever I go and to never be ashamed of your timeless truths. Amen.”AFFIRMATION:I am raising children to be Truth Bearers.Further Reference:Speaking boldly, disputing and persuading:Read Acts 4:13; 29-31; 9:27, 29; 13:43, 46; 14:3; 17:17; 18:4, 13, 26; 19:8, 26; 28:23; Ephesians 6:18-19; Philippians 1:20; 2 Corinthians 5:11; Proverbs 28:1.Speaking before kings and rulers:Psalm 119:46; Proverbs 22:29; Acts 4:8; 24:10-21; 24-27; 26:1-32.Always ready to speak, even to those who oppose:Ezekiel 33:8-9; Matthew 10:18-20; 32-33; Colossians 4:6; 2 Timothy 2:25; 4:1-2; 1 Peter 3:15. Devotion is from www.aboverubies.org

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

Love is patient, Love is kind Love is learning to be blind. To others faults, it keeps no score, Love is learning much much more. Love protects and always trusts, Perseverance is a must. Love is facing stormy weather, Hand in hand we walk together. Love is honest, not deceiving, In God and others we keep believing. Love is learning to forgive As Jesus taught us how to live. True love we find will not forsake But always gives more than it takes. Love is learning to rejoice In all we face, it is our choice. We are learning the meaning of love As give to us by God above. By Marcell Billinghurst

Love Mary Winslow! A prayer

"Lord, teach me more and more of Yourself, and of my own poverty, misery, and weakness. And oh, unfold to my longing eyes and heart what there is in Yourself to supply all my need, and in Your loving, willing heart, to do all for me, and all in me, to fit me for Your service here, and for your presence hereafter! Sanctify abundantly all Your varying dispensations to the welfare and prosperity of my soul, and increase in me every gift and grace of Your Spirit, that I may show forth Your praise, and walk humbly and closely with You. You know what a poor, worthless worm I am, and how utterly unworthy of the least mercy from Your merciful hands; but You love to bestow Your favors upon the poor and needy, such as me, most precious Lord. You have been a good and gracious, sin pardoning God to my soul, and a very present help in every time of trouble. Leave me not, nor forsake me, now that old age is overtaking me, and grey hairs thicken upon me. I know You will not. You, who have been with me all my journey, will not leave me now; for You are faithful who has promised. I feel my dependence on You more than ever. Without You I can do nothing. Helpless as an infant I hang upon You, to do all for me and all in me."

Just a Thought

This is a paragraph by Mary Winslow from her book "Walking with Jesus." Just something worthy for my remembering. I wonder what business a man, declaring himself sent of God to lead poor sinners to Christ, has to do with the sights and shows of this perishing world! How can he exhort his flock to live above the world and all its vanities, while he himself is going after them? I cannot understand some Christians, and they do not understand me. I may be wrong; but when I read, "Come out from among them, and be separate." "Do not love the world, nor the things that are in the world;" and many other such solemn exhortations, I realize the way a believer in Christ should live, and have only to regret I so often wander from it myself. Oh, how the world, with all its cares, crowds upon the poor pilgrim, even in his most solemn moments! "Dear Savior, keep me near, very near Your blessed heart. Shelter me under Your almighty, protecting wing, until the storm of life is past."

My Blog Has Turned into My Journal

The Lord has answered my prayer this week to remove distractions from my thoughts as I open His Word. He is so faithful to answer our prayers when we simply ask (Matt. 21:22, John 16:24). I have struggled much with my critical spirit and have not been faithful myself to ask the Lord to give me some level of victory over it. As I have been asking Him recently to remove this spirit from me He has given me much to ponder. My journal entry before this was the beginning. I had to post it as a reminder to myself, not others. I am clinging to verses that He is showing me, such as Prov. 29:11 A fool uttereth his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards; Prov. 17:28 Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shuteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding; Ecc. 5:3 A fool's voice is known by multitude of words. Great verses to take heed to! God seems to be on quite a roll with this subject where I am concerned. I am reading through the "The Victory Bible Reading Plan" to read the Bible in a year, though I will NOT accomplish that in such a time...I am a meditator. But today's reading was Psalm 15:

1Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? 2He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. 3He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. 4In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. 5He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

How faithful is the God we serve? I remain in awe of His faithfulness and I am grateful that He has called me according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28).

"By the Grace of God I am What I am!"

If You Are Not As Wicked As Others .fullpost{display:inline;} "By the grace of God I am what I am!" 1 Corin. 15:10Whatever evil you behold in other men's practices, realizethat you have the same evil in your own nature.There is the seed of all sins, of the vilest and worst ofsins--in the best of men. When you see a drunkard--youmay see the seed of that sin in your own nature. Whenyou see an immoral man--you may see the seeds ofimmorality in your own nature. If you are not aswicked as others--it is not because of the goodnessof your nature--but from the riches of God's grace!Remember this--there is not a worse nature in hellthan that which is in you, and it would manifest itselfaccordingly--if the Lord did not restrain it!There was one who was a long time tempted to threehorrid sins: to be drunk, to lie with his mother, and tomurder his father. Being a long time followed withthese horrid temptations, at last he thought to getrid of them, by yielding to what he judged the least,and that was to be drunk; but when he was drunk, hedid both lie with his mother and murdered his father.Why, such a hellish nature is in every soul that breathes!And did God leave men to act according to their natures,all men would be incarnate devils, and this world a totalhell. In your nature you have that that would lead you . . .with the Pharisees--to oppose Christ;and with Judas--to betray Christ;and with Pilate--to condemn Christ;and with the soldiers--to crucify Christ.Oh, what a monster, what a devil you would be--shouldGod but leave you to act suitable to that sinful and woefulnature of yours!"By the grace of God I am what I am!" 1 Corin. 15:10- By Thomas Brooks, 1608-1680