by Kimberly | May 29, 2013 | marriage, mothering
We have a Tudor style home – one with large peaks on its corner As we were trying to see about getting the siding replaced this past weekend, I realized how I would never want my husband up on that roof. How dangerous would that be.
That brings new light to this Proverb: “Better to live on the corner of a roof, then to share a house with a nagging wife.”
How would you say you are in the nagging area? Nagging can be so much more than just pestering your husband to take out the trash or pick up his socks.
I’ve learned something about this this past weekend as well. My husband can sense when I am upset ( I don’t have a very good poker face), and more times than not he knows why I am down or struggling. We’ve only been married for less than two years, but he knows me well (and sometimes, that’s very scary).
But, I could have either chosen to say something about what it was that was bothering me, and therefore make him feel even worse about said subject, which we’ve had many conversations about – or I could choose to praise him and give thanks to him and shower him with blessings for everything he does for me and how godly of a husband and worship pastor and father he is.
Which do you think is better?
Nagging or praising?
I remember watching the movie classic, If a Man Answers, one in which the MIL wants her daughter to begin treating her husband like a dog to see if his behavior changes any. Most dog owners will tell you that dogs can be trained with rewards, love, scratching behind the ears, etc.
I’m not saying that is the way to go – more than likely – when you start praising your husband, you will find the things you are unhappy about will change or disappear altogether.
The Bible also tells us to speak words or encouragement to those around us, respect our husbands (nagging doesn’t fall in the respect category), and speak well of them to others. If we are constantly nagging or thinking poorly of our husbands, won’t that come out in our speech to others? However, if we are constantly loving our husbands well with our speech, then others will follow suit.
Don’t we want to encourage others to walk in love and good deeds?
And how important are the socks on the floor anyway?
by Kimberly | May 28, 2013 | mothering, parenting, writing
I’m in the middle of a prayer-writing project in Ephesians. Will hopfeully get it off to my editor by the time I find out if the next baby we have will be a boy or a girl. Exciting times.
But, also, this has proved to be a very sobering time for me. Much of Ephesians is about the dichotomy between life and death, between darkness and light, the difference between believers and unbelievers, adopted son and daughters or forever separated.
As I’ve been praying these for E – I know he is a believer so they are easier to pray with assurance that these verses of new life apply to him. As I pray for little e, I do not have that same assurance.
Mister and I can pray for our little e. We can train him up. We can desire that he be saved. But, that is all we can do. The saving comes to God. I don’t know for sure that God called and adopted our little boy before the foundations of the world. All I can do is wait and see – and live with the knowledge that all God does is good and for His own glory and live my life in such a way that it would point our son to Christ.
The proverbs are sayings of wisdom not necessarily to be taken as divine promises. And how many people do you know have sons and daughters they have raised in The Lord but they reject Christ. And how many spouses pray for their entire lives for their husbands or wives to come to know Christ, but they never do.
God is our eternal Father and sent Jesus to save some. There will be some in hell. I can pray with all my might that our little boy will be one of the elect, chosen in Christ – but God is the knower of all things.
I will pray and live to that end.
by Kimberly | May 27, 2013 | ethics, history, Quotes, Uncategorized
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” – Ben Franklin
I love living in America. Despite the problems with government that I may or may not agree with, this is still the best country to live in. There are many who have paid the price for it to be this way and I am grateful.
My two thoughts on this Memorial Day 2013:
1. Now that I’m a mom, I think one of the scariest things for me would be if little e came up to us one day and sad he wanted to be in the service. Scary because I never would know if he was going to be called into war or die somehow where I would only receive a flag and a salute in honor of him. Where I wouldn’t know if he was ever going to be at the next Christmas dinner or family gathering. Then the best because it would be such an honorable thing for him to do – to fight in serving this country, sustaining the freedom that we enjoy for generations to come – his children, their children.
2. Since we live in a democracy and not a theocracy – that freedom, as an American, has to apply to all peoples. Of all religions. Of all nationalities. If people from any country are here legally – then they should be offered the same rights and status and freedoms as we enjoy as natural born citizens. And if anyone else wants to practice their religion, worshipping their gods, then that must be allowed too. So, if we are in favor of bringing prayers back in our classrooms, than others will need to have the liberty to pray to their gods – or not pray at all. Freedom in America is not only for Christians, but also for everyone.
Are we willing to live out our faith in the One True God and let others practice their beliefs – all the while praying for them and telling them the truth that will save?
by Kimberly | May 15, 2013 | Uncategorized
Do we pray often (or ever) we this phrase in mind? Is our faith and our prayer life lacking?
I wanna make this post biblically accurate and not venture into the land of name it and claim it – poor theology that leads us to believe that God is a bank lender or santa clause or the easter bunny or even the tooth fairy. God is the Sovereign Giver of all things to us for our good and His glory. We need to take from his hand both blessing and trial (look at Job and Joseph). But, how can we incorporate this type of praying into our prayer life?
Far More Abundantly…this phrase comes from Ephesians 3:20-21 – let me start a few verses earlier and walk us through it – since proof texting is not a fundamental way to understand Scripture.
Eph 3:14-21
The main point of this passage is that Paul is asking on behalf of the saints of the church at Ephesus that they would be filled with the power, love, and fullness of God through faith in the One (Christ) who worked for them and the power of the one who lives in them (the Spirit). He wants us to dwell every day in ALL the fullness of God. Do you or I live that way every day? I’ll speak for myself – I don’t. Sin. Yup – that’s the answer to all that ails us. Sin: pride, weak faith, laziness, unrepentant heart, those are some sins that keep me from knowing the fullness of God dwelling in me.
Then Paul goes on to confirm with the church at Ephesus that God is so big He can do (according to His plans – See other parts of Scripture) far more abundantly than anything we ask for – FOR HIS GLORY. We may think we are asking big prayers – but are we really?
1. Do we ask God for a ministry but really doubt in the back of our minds that He can grant us that?
2. Do we ask God to save loved ones and bring them to Himself – but then give up when we don’t see that happen in the first week of our praying.
3. Do we ask God for healing for ourselves or others and then faint at the weariness of the burden of praying endless prayers when the illness continues, the baby dies, the womb stays empty.
4. Do we fail at continued prayer when there are financial troubles and we see no way out but blame shifting and going deeper in debt.
5. Do we pray for husbands or wives that we don’t have yet and grumble to the God when our ring finger remains empty for one more holiday, New Years, or someone else’s wedding shower.
Last year during the month of May, I started praying this passage of Scripture for my husband in a situation we were facing. During that same month He began answering that prayer. And even when times are hard because of that answer to prayer – I must remember that our God can do FAR MORE ABUNDANTLY than we can ever ask or imagine – ALL FOR HIS GLORY.
And when we pray like this we must be ready TO ACCEPT HIS ANSWER – not our answer. His answer may look completely different than ours – but are we willing to lay aside what we thought would be the way God would work and live fully in His answer.
Another study I’m working through is going through Psalm 119 verse by verse, many of them have to do with the Word of God and its truth in our lives. But, what is the basic idea of the Psalms in general – the writer’s crying out to God. Do you cry out to God with a hope and a knowledge that He will answer. Do you wait in unhindered anticipation that He will answer – and He will answer in such a way that will be FAR MORE ABUNDANTLY than we could ever ask or imagine?
All (his answer is always for this reason) for His glory for now and forever.
Pray on. Live in Faith. Dwell in Fullness.
by Kimberly | May 14, 2013 | Books
I’ve learned over the years that there are many people out there who think they have a handle on Family Ministry, but really just know what not to do or think they have ideas. I don’t know much about this relatively new (to the modern church world) arena, but I have found one author I like and respect in this area: Rob Rienow. He is the founder for Visionary Family and Visionary Marriage. I’ve read several of his other books or writings. This one is no different: true to what it says.
Let me explain. In the first few chapters, Rob compels his readers to make sure they know what to do with Scripture. To let Scripture speak for itself, know it, apply it, and know that the Word of God is true and sufficient – even for determining how to run ministries in your church. And Rob doesn’t stop with just the first few chapters. He then proceeds to complete the rest of the book using this method. He lets Scripture be the driving force behind the remainder of his new book, Limited Church Unlimited Kingdom.
He goes through the Old Testament through the New Testament, Early Church, Reformation to present day in how the family has acted (and in specifics what the Word commands for families). Rienow gives some great advice on the children in worship services discussion, shouldn’t parents have the main discipleship in their children’s lives, and what role does youth ministry have. These are all important topics in this family ministry discussion these days.
What I appreciated most about Rienow’s book is that he stated at the beginning of the book that the Word demands that it have full authority (it is sufficient and perfect) and should also tell us how to do our local church ministries. Then, he actually does it. He doesn’t then go on to make up his own thoughts – he sticks with what Scripture says and bases his book on that.
Good man. Good book.
