scripture

Monday Meditation

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When Satan tempts me to despair and tells me of the guilt within, upward I look and see Him there–who made an end of all my sin. Before the Throne of God Above

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 1 Peter 5:6-9

Mondays hit hard, don’t they? I can sometimes so easily fall into feeling overwhelmed and anxious as I consider the tasks of the day[and truly–the week] at hand. That is exactly what happened this morning. My naturally melancholy personality was, once again, tempted to despair. Very quickly–even between leaving my bed and walking downstairs–I was grumpy; choosing to listen to my own negative, sinful thoughts instead of choosing to fix my gaze on Christ.

It feels like a new kind of suffering, doesn’t it?

In Peter’s day, the early Christians of Asia Minor faced what I would consider true suffering–they were harassed mercilessly; facing isolation and persecution by their pagan neighbors. Why? Because they continued to choose Christ.

And the cause of my suffering? My own sinfulness! I suffered by my own hand! I was tempted to despair, instead of remaining watchful and sober-minded.

I chose to listen to the murmurings of my own soul instead of entrusting the day[and it’s duties] to Christ!

Matthew Henry explains this well:

It is the duty of Christians, in all their distresses, to look more to the keeping of their souls than to the preserving of their bodies. The soul is of greatest value, and yet in most danger. If suffering from without raise uneasiness, vexation, and other sinful and tormenting passions within, the soul is then the greatest sufferer. If the soul be not well kept, persecution will drive people to apostasy, Ps. 125:3.The only way to keep the soul well is to commit it to God, in well-doing. Commit your souls to God by solemn dedication, prayer, and patient perseverance in well-doing, Rom. 2:7. Good people, when they are in affliction, have great encouragement to commit their souls to God, because he is their Creator, and faithful in all his promises.

I failed once again to submit my soul first to the Lord. Because of this, I spiraled into a vortex of looking only to myself. This produced within me bitterness, frustration and self-pity. But when we choose, by God’s kindness, to look first and foremost to Christ–this truly changes everything.

Our hearts are recalibrated to the rhythm of the Gospel.

It humbles me that I so quickly forget. I can worship heartily on Sunday, but when Monday rolls around I am–once again–faced with my own neediness.

Let us bless thee at all times and forget not how thou has forgiven our iniquities, healed our diseases, redeemed our lives from destruction, crowned us with lovingkindness and tender mercies, satisfied our mouths with good things, renewed our youth like the eagle’s. May thy holy Scriptures govern every part of our lives, and regulate the discharge of all our duties, so that we may adorn thy doctrine in all things. Valley of Vision

In Christ,

Sus

Featured Open Bible, closed Holy Bible, coffee mug with 'Be Still & Know' text, eyeglasses on wooden table by window

Monday Meditation

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For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Hebrews 9:24-26

Every Monday morning, I awake thinking of my duties. It is my cleaning day, so that checklist runs through my mind. But it is also the start of another week—with school days, extra-curriculars, meals to plan, etc.

Mondays sometimes[for me] feel a little daunting. There are times when I wake up physically and emotionally drained before the week has even started!

Webster’s defines duty this way: something that one is expected or required to do by moral or legal obligation.

Hebrews 9 gives us a glimpse into the regular duties of the high priest in the Old Testament context. He was responsible for everything from supervising daily morning and evening sacrifices, discerning the will of God for the people and even maintaining the Temple. He inherited this duty and held it for life.

Annually(and arguably most importantly) he was required to go on Yom Kippur(the Day of Atonement) behind the veil into the Holy of Holies, where he sprinkled the blood taken from the sacrifice(made on behalf of himself and of the people) on the Mercy Seat. In this way, he atoned for the sins of the previous year.

As I considered my own duties this morning, I couldn’t help but marvel at the kindness of Christ.

For believers, he is our foremost High Priest. Unlike the priests of the Old Testament, he assumed this role willingly, on behalf of those he foreknew and predestined to be His(Romans 8:29). He did not come due to moral or legal obligation, nor did he come because he was expected to by the Father. He came out of His kindness and love(Titus 3).

And while the high priest offered annually for the sins of the people, this better High Priest offered his own life once and for all, to put away sin that his people might be redeemed.

It was not his duty, yet He came. He lived among us, suffered horribly and humbly, and died alone. And this changes everything.

So, while my actual duties threatened to overwhelm me before the day’s beginning, this was a needed perspective shift.

I can perform my duties(however menial and insignificant they feel at times) to the glory of God, in freedom because of the One who assumed the highest duty voluntarily on my behalf.

May the Holy Scriptures govern every part of our lives, and regulate the discharge of all our duties so that we may adorn thy doctrine in all things Valley of Vision

Monday Meditation

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Colorful building blocks on wooden church pew inside historic church interior

Every Sunday morning, I watch the legos. They’re always right at my feet during corporate worship. The bright colors gleam at me as I follow along with the rest of our church body. Quiet, but captivating; these legos sometimes leave me entranced. And they’re never ever organized in the same way.

Truly, my focus isn’t those legos, but rather the very active, curious 6 year-old tinkering with them.

He began worshiping alongside our family when he turned five. He’s our only boy and a more tenacious yet tender soul never lived. I kind of love how savage he can be at times. It is both exhilarating and challenging all at once!

But here, in corporate worship… I honestly couldn’t have predicted what would happen. Well, honestly…I expected noise. Maybe even some commentary or a little clamor. But, as he always does, this boy surprised me.

We can thank the legos for that.

Every Sunday, my precious boy excitedly opens that same lego box with anticipation. He looks forward to this special building time weekly. This could be because the box doesn’t come home with us. It stays there, tucked under our church seats, waiting for him. And every time we go, he beholds the box as if for the first. He is enrapured.

Here’s the kicker: the legos haven’t changed(mostly because I don’t think to bring a new bag from home)! It’s the same assortment as the week before.

And as I admired my little boy’s ingenuity yesterday, I was struck that those legos point to something greater: God’s eternal Word.

I love what the Westminster Larger catechism shares concerning this:

Q. 4. How doth it appear that the Scriptures are the Word of God?
A. The Scriptures manifest themselves to be the Word of God, by their majesty and purity; by the consent of all the parts, and the scope of the whole, which is to give all glory to God; by their light and power to convince and convert sinners, to comfort and build up believers unto salvation: but the Spirit of God bearing witness by and with the Scriptures in the heart of man, is alone able fully to persuade it that they are the very Word of God.

Hos. 8:12; 1 Cor. 2:6-7, 13; Ps. 119:18, 129; Ps. 12:6; Ps. 119:140; Acts 10:43; Acts 26:22; Rom. 3:19, 27; Acts 18:28; Heb. 4:12; Jas. 1:18; Ps. 19:7-9; Rom. 15:4; Acts 20:32; John 16:13-14; 1 John 2:20, 27; John 20:31.

Q. 5. What do the Scriptures principally teach?
A. The Scriptures principally teach, what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.

2 Tim. 1:13.

What do we know? God’s word is:

  • Pure(Proverbs 30:5)
  • Perfect(Psalm 19:7)
  • Wholly true(Psalm 119:60)
  • Our source for salvation, exhortation and equipping(2 Tim. 3:15)
  • Conclusive and active(Hebrews 4:12)
  • brings glory to God(Psalm 119:105)

There is so much more to it, but what the legos highlighted for me is the abounding illumination of the word.

Though this book never changes, there is always treasure to mine from these precious pages. May we, by God’s grace, ever have eyes to see and ears to hear.

Like the Psalmist, may we pray: Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of your Law – Psalm 119:18

Sus

Monday Meditation

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There’s a sacredness in it, motherhood. I confess that I lose sight of this almost daily, but God–in his faithfulness–continues to gently impress upon me that loving them–tenderly nurturing their hearts and minds–is most needful.

There have been days lately when I’ve felt the heaviness in it; constant care, juggling schedules, the endless feeling that the house may never truly be tidy…it gets to me sometimes.

But the thing is—I’m not really alone in that. So many other women throughout history felt this same pressure:

Susanna Wesley–mother to 10(who had lost 9 of her 19 in total) spent around 2 hours daily under her “tent of meeting”(which was an apron she pulled over her head)!

Early in her life, she vowed that she would never spend more time in leisure entertainment than she did in prayer and Bible study. Even amid the most complex and busy years of her life as a mother, she still scheduled two hours each day for fellowship with God and time in His Word, and she adhered to that schedule faithfully. The challenge was finding a place of privacy in a house filled to overflowing with children.

Mother Wesley’s solution to this was to bring her Bible to her favorite chair and throw her long apron up over her head, forming a sort of tent. This became something akin to the “tent of meeting,” the tabernacle in the days of Moses in the Old Testament. Every person in the household, from the smallest toddler to the oldest domestic helpers, knew well to respect this signal. When Susanna was under the apron, she was with God and was not to be disturbed except in the case of the direst emergency. There in the privacy of her little tent, she interceded for her husband and children and plumbed the deep mysteries of God in the Scriptures. This holy discipline equipped her with a thorough and profound knowledge of the Bible.

I commented to a friend recently that alone time seems scarce and rarely uninterrupted. There is always a mess to manage, laundry to be done, schoolwork to complete, reconciliation to facilitate among siblings…

Even if you don’t find yourself in a season of motherhood, seeking quiet is a challenge. There are continual distractions–whether at home or in our vocations; always something tugging at our attention, desiring to divide our minds and take our gaze from Christ. And these distractions aren’t always bad, but the truth is that our souls need quiet now and then. Not just to put our minds at rest, but to remember our source of true rest, found in Christ.

It can be tricky, but even if we’re only taking 5-10 minutes, couldn’t it be worth it? God, in His faithfulness, never wastes these efforts, sisters. Though they be meager, no obedient moment is in vain. Wherever you are, know that the Father graciously loves you just as you are–exactly where you are–and He desires that you come.

Grace and Peace,

Sus

For further reflection: Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16, Matthew 14:23, 1 Corinthians15:58, Isaiah 30:15

What They Really Need

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There’s a popular reel floating around on the internet with the caption , To you it’s just another ordinary day, but to them it’s their whole childhood.

At first glance, I agreed. After all, shouldn’t we seek to fill these moments with vibrant, creative splashes in an attempt to transform the everyday ordinary into extraordinary? The particular video I watched featured a perfectly polished mama making muffins with her tiny daughter(who somehow emerged from the kitchen unscathed!). I saw another one boasting the same sentiment featuring a little boy enamored by a new sensory bin carefully curated by his parents. The scenarios were enchanting, and [if I’m honest] a bit intimidating[read: guilt-inducing].I mentally I mentally inventoried all of our educational items and started planning my own sensory experiences for the kids and our magical days. This wasn’t a bad thing. I’m not degrading the heart behind the message. Or those mamas. It seems–at least to me– that the message rings true:stop and consider the brevity of each day. And truthfully, what seems like a day full of chores and neverending parenting to us is their childhood. I do want my children to reflect on these formative years and remember the good. BUT a familiar call echoed quietly in my mind: In the midst of my pressing urgency to create a counterfeit magic for the kids, I remembered what was most impactful in my own foundational years. It wasn’t a Norman Rockwell day. It was all of the moments in between–hearing my mama’s voice permeate the house during her very ordinary task of washing dishes. Stumbling upon the aroma of my dad’s food steaming from the kitchen after a draining rehearsal. Reluctantly accepting my mama’s embrace in the confusion of my teenage years because , “physical touch is important”. Watching through the window as my dad–weary from a long day’s work–whistled to the tune of the lawn mower. Drifting drowsily asleep to the sound of my parents sharing another silly story–laughing together in the living room after what must have been another full ministry day. And a thousand other moments. I can vividly remember that these were the ones filling our days. I know the magic existed, too. But my most treasured times were the ones when life was just happening. It wasn’t always picturesque, but it was honest. and [sometimes] uncomfortable. There were probably days when the call to shepherd my little soul seemed insurmountably challenging. I probably did help my mama in the kitchen, and I guarantee I caused more chaos than calm! And while I’m sure that both of my parents strived to curate beautiful, wonder-filled experiences, the most meaningful moments existed when I got to observe their obedience.

They weren’t living to give me the perfect childhood. Instead, they were seeking to live for the glory of God. Loving me was a part of that, certainly. But it was only part of the whole.

redeemingmundane

I was not the center of their world then just as my children do not consume mine. At the heartbeat of everything they did was glorifying Christ. This steadfast mindset pervaded our home and punctuated every thought. It ensured that even our most discouraging days were not without hope. If we bickered, there was reconciliation. If we faced hardship, there was a call to endure. If we failed(each other or in life) there was still peace.Even in our messiest moments, my parents clung tightly to Gospel promises. It was imperfect (and no one can boast otherwise), but to me it was a stunning testament of God’s mercy and grace.

My children don’t need a tidy home, a perfect day adventuring or even a special shared experience with me as much as they need to be pointed to the Faithful God who created them. Of course, there is nothing wrong with enjoying fun-filled days or basking in the flow of a peaceful, engaging day. But let us not forget that in our hard, ugly moments(when your family’s rhythm is just off and the days feel long)–our Father remains the same.The beauty is there, too. He is just as pleased with us in the mundane moments as He is in our ambition to enliven other days. It is not because of us, but rather because of who He is(2 Tim. 2:13, Numbers 23:19,etc)

I’m so thankful for parents who modeled that in my beginnings(and still do now). It is good and right that we live every day to the glory of God(and sometimes that may mean your sensory boxes are ON POINT)! But on the other days, when you wrestle with feeling insufficient, rest in the freedom of living to this chief end:

We do not segment our lives, giving some time to God, some to our business or schooling, while keeping parts to ourselves. The idea is to live all of our lives in the presence of God, under the authority of God, and for the honor and glory of God. That is what the Christian life is all about.” – RC Sproul

“I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am”
― John Newton

8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. - 1 Corinthians 1:8-9
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Have You Heard This One?

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The closing of the day can be a needed respite; necessary time to restore your body in preparation for a new day. However, it can also mean fresh fear for many of us. Nighttime–for some–means facing deep sorrow, or anxious, intrusive thoughts. It means fitful sleep and restless mental wandering. Ultimately, it means exhaustion–in every way possible.

As believers, we know this isn’t of the Lord.

My Help Comes from the Lord (Psalm 121)

A Song of Ascents.

121 I lift up my eyes to the hills.
    From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot be moved;
    he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is your keeper;
    the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all evil;
    he will keep your life.
8 The Lord will keep
    your going out and your coming in
    from this time forth and forevermore.

We know–even though the terrors of night threaten to erase it–that we are kept. Our Father does not sleep, neither will harm come upon us. He holds us. He comes alongside us. He has given us precious promises by which we are sustained and upheld. Dear beloved saint of the Lord, rest.

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When I Am Afraid: Lessons from my Daughter [Psalm 56]

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“Mama, I had another bad dream. But I didn’t want to wake you because I know how hard you work and how badly you need sleep”

This was a recent comment from one of my daughters after another hard night. I have always encouraged all of my children to come—whenever—to my bedside. But this daughter–often the one who doesn’t want to inconvenience or burden others–did not come. At first, I felt sad. I wanted her to know that no time was an inconvenience. But when she mentioned that she had prayed and fallen asleep[probably nestled underneath one of her favorite books]I knew she was OK. Two things occurred to me in that moment:

  1. I’m thankful she didn’t come to me first.
  2. Trust is a discipline.

In our world today, fear is on trend. Especially in the midst of an election season and an ever-shifting culture, one has reason to feel unsteady. There are wars and rumors of wars, floods, riots, death…Not to mention the regularly unwholesome discourse I’ve seen on social media. The world is fragile, broken and deteriorating right before our eyes. Of course there is cause for fear!

In Psalm 56:1 David cries out, Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me; my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly.

At first glance, this sounds hopeless. David, the anointed king of Israel is on the run from a man who desires his death. He has fled to a Philistine king in hopes of finding refuge, but quickly realizes that this king knows his true identity. His only defense at this point is to fake madness, “making marks on the door and letting saliva run down his beard” 1 Samuel 21:15)

And the Philistines–usually described as an aggressive, war-mongering people–were evil. So when David speaks of being attacked and trampled by many enemies, he wasn’t exaggerating!

But the text doesn’t stop there. God, in his kindness, has given us more:

When I am afraid,I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?

Psalm 56:2

Immediately, there is a transition. It is as if David knows he could spiral[to use popular verbiage] so he must discipline his mind[and therefore, speech].

John MacArthur says it this way,

This psalm expresses the kind of confidence in the Lord that believers should exude when they find themselves in terrifying circumstances. David’s natural reaction was to panic(vv. 3, 4, 11). But he demonstrates in this psalm that the believer can replace potential terror with the composure of trust.

MacArthur Bible Commentary

But in verses 5-7, it’s as if David returns to the panic.

All day long they injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil. They stir up strife, they lurk; they watch my steps as they have waited for my life. For their crime, will they escape? In wrath, cast down the peoples O God!

What is he saying here? He has gone from reciting truth to reflecting on his terrors; on his enemies! And what fruit has this reflection produced? Anxiety. Worry. A desire for vengeance.

In short: nothing good.

Are you tired yet? Just reading David’s struggle[quite literally] for sanity leaves me feeling weary.

Haven’t we all been here before? Haven’t we wrestled with our thoughts, circumstances and feelings until we’re absolutely listless. Until we are weary and ragged and not even sleep restores?

David doesn’t stay here, though. He recounts God’s specific goodness– that He has kept count of his tossings and tears. He remembers he isn’t isolated.

David then moves into a posture of remembering truth, and cultivating praise and thanksgiving. Herein lies this discipline of trust(vv. 10-13)–

In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you. For you have delivered my soul from death, yes my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of my life.

I’m encouraged that David faced terror, too. He knew danger. He wrestled often with the threat of hunger, attacks, betrayal, mutilation, abuse, etc…sometimes to the point of death. In some seasons, David could have been tempted to live in fear. David was human, too. And there were times when he doubted the very nature of the God to whom his heart was knit.

But the Lord gave David three mercies in the midst of this suffering:

  1. His presence
  2. courage to carry on
  3. A malleable, yet disciplined heart

Number 1 is obvious, isn’t it? David is groaning before the Lord. Right at the beginning, David approaches God with questions and complaints. He has raw honesty. He is crippled with anxiety.

And David does not wallow. He recalls truth:

  • The Lord knows my suffering(v. 8)
  • The Lord will have vengeance(v. 9)
  • The Lord is for me(v. 9b)
  • I have been delivered from eternal death(v. 13)

What’s the common thread? THE LORD.

David shifts his focus. And this shift produces heart change:

  • praise(v.10)
  • trust(v.11)
  • courage (v.11)
  • thankfulness(v. 12)

Yes, I have felt fear so intense that it threatens to consume my being. But the glorious truth about scripture is it’s sufficiency. We can always go to God and to His word knowing that we will find truth and hope. And scripture so rightly informs our minds that we are not left disparaging.

So even though I was initially saddened by my daughter’s hesitance, I’m thankful she went to the Father. I’m grateful she certainly has come to me on other occasions. But the sobering truth is I won’t always be around. My prayer is that the Eternal God would be the refuge(Deut. 33:27) to which she does run.

And I pray that she trusts God and his word so desperately that she knows how to respond when the harder days come.

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The End of All Things

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Recently, I was asked if we plan to homeschool long-term. A dear friend was wondering if I had considered the future and what home education might look like in the middle-teenage years.

My honest answer was that I don’t know. I prayerfully reassess every year, based on each individual child, the needs of our family, time, schedules, my emotional capacity, etc. And so every year I move remembering the Lord’s “precious and very great promises”(2 Peter 1:3) to me in His word, and soldier on—whatever the choice may be. And every year, we laugh, cry, and grow—in every way.

My personality makes no allowances(in my flesh) for risks. I do not like them; I would rather know the outcome. So choosing to educate my children has always been in faith. And God, in His mercy, brings fruit(1 Corinthians 3:6-8).

I am certainly no homeschool only advocate. I have learned[through my own errors] that projecting your convictions on others can be detrimental relationally. But I am an advocate for living out biblical conviction, and I recognize that it manifests differently based on circumstances/seasons/family ideals/location/etc. I could count the ways I’ve been enriched through our journey, but I think that says less about our personal choice and speaks more to the faithfulness of a Sovereign God(Col. 1)

Over the last year, in our journey with one of the children, I had become discouraged regarding progress. I wondered(as I often do) if this child was excelling or “on track”. This stems from my toxic trait of falling into a comparison “trap” with others.

But this morning, over family devotions at the breakfast table, I was reminded of the end of all things. We had just read aloud the words of David in Psalm 37, and my instructions were to pick a verse that stood out. I laughed internally thinking no one heard or understood a word I said. But then that same child for whom I have labored in prayer and concern to the Lord, jolted out of her seat and began pacing around the room, clearly mid-hunt. I waited and watched, then inquired gently,

How can I help?

Paper. Was all I heard. I need paper.

I gathered the materials she needed[pens, and scissors, too] and observed.

Of course her paper was shielded as she tuned out the chaos of morning breakfast and wrote with fierce concentration.

When she finished moments later, I gazed upon her work.

It was a slip of paper, cut out with the words:


I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken

It wasn’t textbook “perfect”. But in the midst of a very loud, distracting moment, these words enlightened her heart. She wanted to hang them up so we could memorize them over the week and look at them every day.

I couldn’t help but consider Peter’s words:

“The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the multifaceted grace of God. Whoever speaks is to do so as one who is speaking actual words of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬-‭11‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

My prayer for all of my children is that they might grow in the love and knowledge of the Lord. That they might serve wholeheartedly, living in light of the Gospel of grace.

Because the end of all things is not academic excellence[though I know that is important in its context and should not be ignored].

The end of all things is knowing Christ.

Peter wrote these words at the end of a life marked by steadfast[though imperfect] service to the Father. He had known betrayal(of his own accord and by the disloyalty of others), physical and emotional suffering, and imprisonment. He knew his end was near. And appropriately, some of his final words to the dear believers in exile included a charge to endure to the end. A

And admittedly—beneath all of my anxieties and fearful wonderings—that is my prayer. I desperately desire that my girl—and all of my little ones—will endure faithfully in the end and to the end[when God-willing, they will run into the arms of the One for whom they’ve struggled tearfully and faithfully all along].

I routinely doubt myself-as a wife, mama, educator, counselor, etc. This is particularly felt in the realm of home education. Most days I feel very ill-equipped. And I do wonder if what we’ve chosen in faith is right or best.

But that’s just it, isn’t it?

Whatever we choose, we do it in faith. We do it trusting the perfect provision of our Lord(Phil. 4:19), remembering those precious treasures in scripture we’ve clung tightly to for so long. We do it because the Unchanging, mighty God holds us fast. We do it because we know that at the end of all things to live faithfully for the glory of God and by His grace is our best expression of worship. He has given us His very son, and so at the very least, we must surrender every mundane moment. We can choose to see Him in it in gratitude and in worship.

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Safety

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I am the one who very rarely finishes a thought in one breath. I am chronically late, disorganized, and directionally challenged(you could ask my eldest). I can be impatient, stubborn and sometimes terribly grumpy when my expectations aren’t met. For these reasons and many more, I would tell you that I am a most imperfect mother.

But our tiny ones don’t see those things, do they? Or—if they do— they’re easily forgotten in an instant. These precious treasures we’ve been given are[more often than not] typically the biggest grace-givers of us all.

The latest [and greatest, in their regard] game to our littles is Tag. I’m sure you know it; someone is named the Tag-ger who runs around wildly trying to capture the other players(who then, in turn, must somehow find their way to base—usually someone or some place named by the group). Our girls have taken to plowing passionately into one[or both] of my legs yelling, “Mama is the safe place”! Admittedly, I laughed when I heard it.

I must have been relieved to know that–in spite of my many failings–they trust me. They’re secure in my embrace. Yes, I’m their “Mama”. And yes, I do pray that they always feel such safety; that they know my unconditional love.

But what do I want more than anything else? What do I pray they believe down to their bones? The unwavering, unending, sacrificial love of Christ. It is this love that calls(Ephesians 1:4-5, Jer. 31:3), calms(Psalm 131:2), sets apart(Psalm 89:31-34) and sends out(Eph. 5:1-2)–peaceably and purposefully that we might magnify His goodness. I want them to be compelled by this love on dreary days(2 Corinthians 5:14) and to be captivated by it in seasons seasons lacking fervor. I want them to remember that–because of the very faithfulness of God in Christ–they are always[no matter what] held and pursued(Isaiah 54:10).

As I thoughtfully considered their words on the playground, I was reminded of my own need to recall my safety in this love. I may not be the ideal mama in my own mind, but I pray that even in that my precious ones see the grace and goodness of God.

Marvelous it is, that One so infinitely above us, so inconceivably glorious, so ineffably holy, should not only notice such worms of the earth, but also set His heart upon them, give His Son for them, send His Spirit to indwell them, and so bear with all their imperfections and waywardness as never to remove His loving-kindness from them

Arthur Pink

Life Update! Part I

/ Walden World / Leave a comment
Littlest is PUMPED!

🦞| MAINE | 🦞

It’s our favorite vacation spot.
It’s the place we fell in love with after our first summer in New England. And now, by God’s grace, we get to live there!

A few months ago the Lord provided a sweet surprise—a job interview from a precious church located in a lovely little coastal town—-Bar Harbor. We never dreamed this could be our future, but the Lord has done it(more on this later) and Tyler starts work as the lead pastor of First Baptist Church Bar Harbor -1st Baptist Church Bar Harbor- FBC starting May 1st!

We are grieving the transition out of Vermont(as we’ve seen the Lord provide treasured friendships,opportunities and community there through East Randolph Baptist Church and Cornerstone Church Vermont. But we rejoice in what God is going to do and we move forward in hope!

I’ve been processing what it means to be transient(and hope to write more on this later) but since social media eludes me lately, I wanted to record this update before I forgot!

We’re so grateful to God for how he has provided, and we joyfully look to what will be.

He has ordained this and we are humbled to participate in what God is doing!

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭9:8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭126:3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, and I will declare Your greatness. They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, and shall sing of Your righteousness.
Psalm 145:5-7