Scripture for the Week -- 09/26/10

Psalm 84:2
"My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God."

Being A Lady

This morning, I have been pondering over what it means to be a lady. When I think of a picture of a lady, I think of Jane Austen books and Audry Hepburn's grace. I think of the debutant's in movies who float around the house in beautiful dresses and drink tea and await their gentleman caller. I think of buggy rides, of long walks in the garden, and of glamorous balls to attend. But I also mix lady likeness with the Godly passion of women like Maeyken Wens and Amy Carmichael. I think of women such as those who gave up everything for the cause of Christ. They did not care about fancy dresses or handsome beaus. They thought of their Savior and Lord.

Nowadays, I am seeing a staggering rise in "ladies" whose actions are, well, far from ladylike. Instead of delicate, sweet ladies who are thoughtful and kind, I think of modern day Scarlet O'Hara's; arrogant, prideful, vindictive, and impure. And it's really a shame. There are many ways that girls and women are straying further away from lady likeness. For example:


DRESS:

I remember going shopping several years ago with a friend and observing her choices of clothing. Appalled, I remember seeing her don outfits like skin-tight jeans and a cleavage baring top. When I addressed the situation, her remark left me shocked. "What do you mean?" she said. "This IS modest."  Oh dear....

Clothes are just one factor in the art of being a lady and, sadly, most girls and young women can't seem to get that one nailed down. Far too many use the "modern Christian approach" and say, "God does not care about the way I dress. He only cares about my heart."

Well, first of all, how you dress REVEALS your heart, so if you are dressing provocatively or in a way that draws eyes to your body, then we know what is in your heart. Secondly, to say that the Lord is not concerned about how we dress is a lie. When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, the very first thing God did was - make them clothes! He covered their nakedness. Over and over again in the Bible, He reminds us, women, to dress modestly; pointing all those we come in contact with to HIM, not us.

1 Peter 3:3-4
"Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."

1 Timothy 2:9-10
"In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works."



SPEECH:

Another example of modern day UN-lady likeness is that of speech. I cannot tell you how many times I have had to sit through conversations that left me overwhelming burdened over the state of womanhood. Nowadays, it is seemingly normal for professed Christian girls and women to slip a cuss word every now and then, to talk crudely of bodily functions, and plaster the color of their undergarments on Facebook and Twitter. They will toss their hair as they reveal information that is meant for the privacy and sacredness of marriage. I have been amazed at how little regard women have for upright and pure speech. It is not ladylike to loudly take over conversations and make yourself heard over everyone else in the room. It is not ladylike (or Godly, for that matter) to spew out vulgarities and improper words at any time. Is there Biblical proof to this? Yes.

Colossians 4:6 -
"Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man."

Titus 2:7-8 -
"In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you."

 
ACTIONS:
We have all heard the common phrase, "Actions speak louder than words" and I have to say that there is much truth to that. Though words mean a great deal, our actions back them up. It means nothing to say you love your husband or your parents when you treat them with disdain. In our modern culture, the actions of women are become more and more burdensome. I have met many so-called Christian girls who will tell me that they love the Lord and seek to follow and worship Him. Yet, when I observe their lifestyle, their habits, their everyday schedules, I see differently. I see a girl who is not obsessed with her Creator, but obsessed with the latest Twilight or Harry Potter movie. I don't see the Christian girl who loves to worship and praise Jesus, I see a girl who is excited about the Justin Bieber concert next weekend or the latest Taylor Swift music video. Life's ambition? To be a rock star. Heroes? Brad Pitt, Carrie Underwood and Jesus.

Okay....

Such is the modern day Christian.

1 Corinthians 3:13 -
"Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is."

Ephesians 4:1 -
"I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called."

Colossians 1:10 -
"That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God."


I love reading stories of great men and women in history. One of my favorite couples is Jonathan and Sarah Edwards, who lived in the 1700's at the dawn of the Revolution. Both were Godly Christians who saturated themselves in Word of God and, later, filled their children with the knowledge of Christ. At one point in their relationship, Jonathan, observing his love, wrote these words about Sarah:


They say there is a young lady in [New Haven] who is beloved of that Great Being, who made and rules the world, and that there are certain seasons in which this Great Being, in some way or other invisible, comes to her and fills her mind with exceeding sweet delight; and that she hardly cares for any thing, except to meditate on him— that she expects after a while to be received up where he is, to be raised up out of the world and caught up into heaven; being assured that he loves her too well to let her remain at a distance from him always. There she is to dwell with him, and to be ravished with his love and delight for ever. Therefore, if you present all the world before her, with the richest of its treasures, she disregards it and cares not for it, and is unmindful of any pain or affliction. She has a strange sweetness in her mind, and singular purity in her affections; is most just and conscientious in all her conduct; and you could not persuade her to do any thing wrong or sinful, if you would give her all the world, lest she should offend this Great Being. She is of a wonderful sweetness, calmness, and universal benevolence of mind; especially after this Great God has manifested himself to her mind. She will sometimes go about from place to place, singing sweetly; and seems to be always full of joy and pleasure; and no one knows for what. She loves to be alone, walking in the fields and groves, and seems to have some one invisible always conversing with her.


What a grand picture of a true lady! Godly, holy, sweet and kind; Peaceful, joyful, and always seeking to be in the presence of her Creator. One of my biggest passions is to try and awaken our generation of girls (and guys!) to a "MORE" mentality. More God, more servant hood, more nobility, more love, more passion for the Word of God..... just more of Him and less of us. More of Christ and His blood and less of pop culture and Hollywood obsession. More radiant beauty and less scantly-clad dressing. More of Godly lady-hood and less of secular feminism.

If I may give some encouragement to you girls reading - BE A LADY!! More importantly, be a Godly Lady! I can assure you, our God takes great delight in a lady who is everything He made her to be.

Titus 2:3-5
The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

Nursery Ideas!

I am 10 1/2 weeks pregnant!

Only 30 more weeks to go! WOW! I'm beginning to make lists of what I want (i.e. changing table, car seat, diaper bag, types of bottles, etc). So far, I have found a diaper pail I really like and want. Take a look:

Munchkin Diaper Pail

Along with lists of things I know I will need, I am also getting ideas for our nursery! We still have several weeks before we will be able to find out if we are having a bundle of snips, snails, and puppy dog tails or a cuddly, sweet bundle of sugar, spice and everything nice! So, until we find out, I am getting ideas for both. Once we find out, we will make the decision and get to work cleaning out the room and begin painting and decorating! I'm anxious for that! But, for now, I am fully enjoying browsing around online for cool nursery ideas.

So far, if the Lord chooses to bless us with a little boy, we want a rustic, total BOY room. No traditional blue. A generic room like this is a possibility:

With something neutral, it will make it easier as "he" grows. Just take out the baby stuff and pop in the big boy stuff, no painting required! Anyway, that's possible. The main idea Grant and I have is a camouflage theme with a warrior-touch. Maybe something like this:

 Or maybe something similiar to this:

It's a good start. We're wanting the room, if we have a boy, to have the feel of country life, of manhood, and have a warrior-style theme as well - FIT for a country-living, manly, warrior-poet-to-be!

However, IF God blesses us with a cuddly little girl, we want her to feel like a princess! I want a girly but modern look that she would be able to grow into, not out of. I have considered lavender like this:

It still looks a bit baby-ish, but it's an option. I am also heavily considering royal blue. Maybe something like this:

I love the richness of that color. But, as of now, I just can't get past the pink and chocolate brown look. Below are two ideas I have for a possible girl nursery:

SO, there are some of our ideas! Like I said, it will still be a while before we find out the gender of our baby, but it's fun to get a head-start on the planning! There is lots more to do than I thought, but what a fun job it is!

Feel free to pass along your ideas!

Monday Meanderings - 09/20/10

Monday Meanderings is a weekly "planner post" that Sarah from In Light of the Truth began! I'm new to this, but I love organizing and planning, so.... I'm going to give it a go! Feel free to zoom on over to Sarah's blog and join in on the "meanderin'!"




Bible Study... James

Memory Verse... Philippians 2:5 -
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus."

Husband Encouragement...
* Iron his dress shirts
* Organize his closet
* Spend time in his presence

Train Them Up...
* Begin getting ideas for nursery
* Read another chapter of "To Train Up a Child" by Michael & Debi Pearl

Personal Goals...
* Exercise every day this week
* Write in journals
* Work on honeymoon scrapbook
* Work on book

New Habit of the Month...
* Vacuum couches twice a week

MUST Do...
* Get plastic storage boxes
* Get all laundry washed, dried, folded/ironed, and put away
* Catch up on e-mail
* Go through boxes in the garage
* Buy gift wrap from neighbor's little girl

Zone...  the study closet. I MUST clean it out!

Menu - This is tricky because my morning sickness is still hanging on a little and Grant has put himself on a very strict diet. Each night, he wants either eggs, a salad, or salmon for dinner. With me needing several small meals a day, I have figured out a basic idea for what I will have each evening and, if Grant so chooses, for him as well:

M - Leftover lasagna
T - Chicken Parmesan, mashed potatoes, green beans
W - Chili and cornbread
Th - Chicken fettuchini, broccoli, bread sticks
F - TBD (to be decided). Possible breakfast for supper!
S - Concert in Farmerville, LA so, Church food of some kind.
Su - Revival in Bearden - Church food again!

FUN THINGS!
* Call up some friends
* Play with Gracie and maybe give her a bath

3 things I'm thankful for today...
1. Cooler mornings and evenings
2. Family
3. Friendship and fellowship
 

Scripture for the Week -- 09/20/10

Isaiah 40:26a
"Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things..."

Scripture for the Week -- 09/12/10

Exodus 33:18
"And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory."

A Baby's Heart

Well, it is official!! I am most DEFINITELY pregnant! Today, I went in for my first doctor's appointment. I was anxious, excited, scared, nervous, and giddy all at once. After a long wait, a million questions, and various exams, I saw our baby for the first time! I cannot tell you how small I felt when I saw what God Himself planted in my womb! When we glimpsed a little life squirming and wiggling around and when we heard a strong heartbeat, I was in sheer awe. My grandfather had a frequent saying. He would always say:  "God is big!....and He's GOOD."  How often do we forget just how BIG God is...and how very, very small we are? If you are like me, you forget a LOT!

I am currently 8 weeks and 6 days pregnant. I have been nauseous, I have been tired, I have grown to hate foods I used to love and crave foods (and combinations of foods) that were never on my list of "favorite yummies." Some days, it is easy to groan and say, "WHY ME?" But I haven't been able to complain. I am housing a LIFE, a SOUL. God Himself has entrusted me and Grant with a baby....a child with a destiny, a calling...and an eternal home. It is our job to "train up" our child in the ways of God, binding them on the doorposts of our home and our lives. It is an incredible responsibility! And it is an awesome and humbling honor.

Many people have asked me if I am going to journal my pregnancy the way I did with my engagement and wedding. My answer? YES, Lord willing. During my engagement and wedding preparation, I learned a great deal about salvation and how every aspect of wedding planning somehow, someway, pointed to the saving grace of our Savior! Is it possible to see the same things in a pregnancy? ABSOLUTELY!!

One of the very first things that happens after conception is the heart. What does it do? It starts beating! Today, when I watched a little "spot" appear on a screen, one of the first things our doctor asked was:

 "Do you see the heart beating?"

"What?" I said.

"There. Do you see?"

As I looked closer, I saw a movement and, sure enough, it was a HEART. We SAW it beating. After a few moments of complete awe, we HEARD the heart beating. Strong and fast, it was thumping along.

Likewise, salvation begins with the heart. It's a HEART change, first and foremost. When you, as a sinner, get a good look at what you are (which is a dirty, rotten, sinner) you want to change! And then you ask Jesus to come into your life...and your heart. And He does!! He inhabits your life, your soul, your mind...and your heart. And He gives you a new heart; one that begins to beat for HIM, for HIS glory, for HIS applause.

I was speechless today. I was moved. If I were to sit and really dwell on all the happenings of today, rest assured, I would burst into a fit of happy tears! I saw and heard my baby's heartbeat. My goodness, HOW MUCH MORE do you think our Father is moved and stirred with compassion and love when He sees OUR heart, new and full of spiritual life, beating strong?  I'm sure my human feelings hold no comparison.

I encourage you....BEAT for Jesus. If you have never surrendered your heart and life to Him. DO IT. NOW. And if you have? Beat strong for Him. Beat fast and firm...and do it for His glory alone.


2 Corinthians 5:17
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."


Psalm 51:10
"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me."

Colossians 3:15
"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful."


 

The Willow Tree Collection

I am now completely in love with the Willow Tree Collection! I have seen them around here and there for years, but I had never really taken a look at them. Last month, however, I did! And I fell in love with the collection! My plans are to buy at least one per year. This year, I may get two. I want to purchase a Christmas tree ornament and the figurine pictured below:

Maybe I will get the nativity set as well:

Next year, close to baby time, I will probably get these two:

So what do you think? What beautiful figurine collections are you in love with?

Created To Be His...Help Meet | pt 6

We now have the next installment of Debi Pearl's, Created To Be His Help Meet. Read and be blessed!!

Genesis 2:18

And the LORD God said,
It is not good that the man should be alone;

I will make him an help meet for him.

Finding Your Life In His
From the beginning, God meant for us to be a comfort, a blessing, a reward, a friend, an encouragement, and a right-hand wo-man..


God didn't create Adam and Eve at the same time and then tell them to work out some compromise on how they would each achieve their personal goals in a cooperative endeavor. He created Adam, gave him an occupation, appointed him as a ruler of the planet, endowed him with a spiritual outlook, gave him commands, and specified his occupational duties. Adam commenced his rule of the planet before God created Eve to help him in his life's goals. Adam didn't need to get Eve's consent. God gave her to Adam to be HIS helper...She was designed to serve, to assist.

God made us women to be help meets and it is in our physical nature to be so. It is our spiritual calling and God's perfect will for us. It is the role in which we will succeed in life, and it is where we will find our very greatest fulfillment as a woman and as a saint of God. God said in Genesis, "I will make him an help meet for him." Paul said, "For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man" (1 Corinthians 11:8-9). "Unto the woman he said...and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee" (Genesis 3:16).

When we fight God's will and our husband's dreams, we are frustrated and disappointed. If our husbands are kind, Steady Men, they will eventually become discouraged and give up trying to please us. If our husbands are Command Men, they may leave us behind. If our husbands are Visionaries, they wil yell and make our life miserable until we run back to mama.

Life is full of choices. How you choose to respond will help decide your fat in life. Life is now. Learn how to really enjoy taking out the trash or milking a cow. You will be amazed at how God will fill you full of Himself. You will look back in your "happy" old age and rejoice at your lot in life and wonder how you could have ever been a long-faced sad sack. Someday people will say to you, "Your personality is just a happy type, and that is why you enjoy life. Isn't that right?" You can laugh and know that being in God's will is the only thing that makes you full of joy. God is not looking for happy women to make them into help meets for good men. He is looking for women willing to be true help meets to the men whom they married, so He can fill them full of joy.

His Express Image

We have studied three different types of men and how each one relates to the lady in his life. We have learned that God gives wisdom to those who ask. By now you know that it will take supernatural wisdom for you to come to know, accept, and appreciate your man as God made him. He may be all three different expressions at different times in his life, or he may be some of one and a lot of another. The important thing is for you to understand that he is what God made him, and that you are to be his suitable helper. Know what "expression" God made him to be will help you become a better helper to the man of your life. God says so clearly and emphatically that, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him of God, that giveth to all men (and women) liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him" (James 1:5). Ask God to help you know and appreciate your man. Pray that God will give you the wisdom and grace to share your man's dreams so it will always be you that he dreams about.


Make a New Habit
 
Is it God's will for your husband to adapt to you, or is it God's will for you to adapt to him? What habits in your life should you change to adapt to your husband's needs? Start today.


Getting Serious With God
 
The Bible teaches that the sister of wisdom is God's commandments, and the kinswoman to wisdom is understanding (Proverbs 7:4). Add to your diary your favorite wisdom verses. Establish one time each day that you will be reminded to ask God for wisdom.

    Running With You,