Functional Saviors vs Immanuel

Functional Saviors vs Immanuel

I love how kind and gracious God is in teaching me exactly what I need to hear.  It may take someone else pointing it out for me to come to realizations in my own life: but God’s Spirit is gracious and teaches me kindly and repeatedly. 

What are the functional saviors in your life?  I think, even if you aren’t familiar with that term, you know what I mean.  I mean the things or people you look to to be your all, your god, your rest, your peace, your foundation, your everything.  No one in this life is created to be your everything.  Only God is that.  Nothing in this life deserves the top place in your affection or time; only God gets that spot.  In case you need some help pin pointing what those are (or what I’m talking about), here are some examples:

Your Spouse

Your weight

Your children

How you raise your children

The sins you DON’T struggle with like everyone else does.

How perfect your home is

How many pinterest things you get this week

How many followers or friends you have

Your job

Your church ministries

Your popularity

How well your kids are doing in school

Your wardrobe

Your husband’s job or skill set

How good your cooking is

How do you determine what your functional god is?  What are the things that get you upset during the day or you find yourself focusing on all day long.  I know my functional saviors and have spent the last 20 hours or so repenting of those and thinking what life will look like when those aren’t my functional savior.

We are given a perfect functional Savior.  He came over 2000 years ago and was born in a dirty stall.  His entrance was not grand or what is should have been for a King, but God made it that way.  He gave us His Son.  Immanuel: God with us.  He is everything we need.  All our hopes and longings and dreams and security must be found in Him

As you celebrate this Christmas: rest in the grace and peace that is Jesus Christ, God with us, Immanuel.  Merry Christmas from the Campbell couple to you.

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” – Galatians 4:4-6a

Much and Link Love: The Week Before Christmas

Much and Link Love: The Week Before Christmas

And all through the house: we are not terribly busy and I love white space.

One of the prayer requests that I gave to my small group ladies is that E and I would not cram our schedules full this holiday season – and it is amazing.

We have had time to have people drop over (even on spur of the moment) – I love having a home to allow that to happen and time in my schedule to do that!  Just being open and hospitable – just what I want our home to be!

No more holiday parties for us – which is a BLESSING!

We talked with a missionary couple via skype and that was so neat to talk with them, sing the wife Happy Birthday, since Christmas songs with them via the computer screen, see their house in E Asia all decorated for Christmas.  What a blessing!

Anxiously awaiting the end of vegetarian year.  January 10th!

Christmas is upon us – in full swing.  This year I hurt for people who hurt.  God is showing me compassion on those people and I cry more than I ever did before.  I think of a man who just lost his wife to cancer – they have 8 children under 18.  I think of a couple who is far apart (in different countries) for the holidays because one is trying to bring their adopted children home.  I think of others who don’t know Christ or are so cynical during the holidays.

I have been applying the Gospel to my life and realizing I need it so much more than I thought I did.  And I am glad my E pours into me the truth of the Gospel – every day!

How do you teach your children about God.  here is a post about a popular breakfast cereal and the catechisms

Just Taylor with a post on how to become a better writer.  I always need skills!

This really excited me.  Thank you Lifeway!

My friend, Sharon Hodde Miller, writes on modesty.  Good post!  Thank you Sharon

I really want to make this Thai dressing salad.

Early: Questions for New Year 2012

As I was finishing up the Broken-Down House book by Paul Tripp, I loved these questions in the closing chapter.  I thought them very fitting for the end of the year, thinking about what is to come in the new year.  We love reflection, don’t we?  I was talking to a friend last night, also newly married, and talking about our expectations and if we really think that cooking dinner and cleaning the house will amount to anything.  Encouragement came even as I spoke the gospel to her. 

Here you go.  Reflect away:

“Let me urge you to take thirty seconds to examine the investments you are making now and the return they are likely to leave behind.  You can do that by considering the following questions: What have you poured your time and energy into today?

What have you invested in so far this week?

This month?

This year?

Where have your efforts gone, and what do you think will come of them?” (pg 206)

What are you doing that will benefit those you are with now and leave a legacy of Christ to come?

Book Review: Broken-Down House (Paul Tripp)

Paul Tripp is decidedly one of my favorite authors.  Tackling real-life issues and problems and matching them to the gospel – that is where he finds the rest and help that we need as sinners living in a fallen world.  His books are always “ouch” and “amen” to quote Voddie Baucham.

A friend, Bonnie, and I have been reading this book together this year.  It has been a little slower since I got married and she started dating, but now we are neighbors, so I’m hoping our book club continues.  We read a couple of chapters then come together and talk about it: how it applies to our lives, our relationships, and the ministries we are involved in.  Oh, Bonnie B, what will we read next?

PDT doesn’t mince words: he tells us we live in a fallen world full of sin.  But, even as believers, we need and have the remedy.  Jesus and the Gospel.

One of the perks to PDT books is you get just a hint of his poetry.  Such a winner. 

So, how do you live life in a fallen world?  How do you deal with issues in your life that are a result of sin (because sin damages the entire world, not just your life).  Death is in this world – that is a fact.  But, Jesus has overcome death and has brought us life.  We can live differently and with hope because we know this truth.

“At every point and every moment, your life is messier and more complicated than it really ought to be because everything is so much more difficult in such a terribly broken world.” (pg 17)

“Your Lord is the ultimate Restorer and He never rests.  He calls you and me to live in this broken-down house with hearts of patience and eyes of promise.  He calls us away from self-focused survival and to the hard work of restoration.  He calls us away from paralyzing discouragement and the nagging desire to quite.  He welcomes us to live in the patience and grace that only He can give.” (pg 21)

“There will be a war in your heart between what the Bible has to say about you and what you would like to think is true about you.” (pg 36). I often say to my husband, “my heart is ugly.”  He has asked me to quit saying that or at least finish the statement:  “but Jesus bought and paid for it anyway and is making it new.”

“Forgiveness, Christ’s gift to us, means that we can stand before God in all of our neediness, weakness, and moral failure and yet be utterly unafraid.  Sinful people can stand before a holy God because Jesus took the penalty for our sin on Himself and satisfied the Father’s anger.” (pg 45).  We talked about this at our breakfast table as we read in Is 53 part of the Advent story.  The mystery and wonder and astonishment that substitutionary atonement of Christ for us is.  Amazing.

“I am not to think of my life as separate from ministry, nor am I to think of ministry as separate from my life. I am to give myself to a way of living that views every dimension of human life as a forum for ministry.  I don’t live with a willingness to occasionally minister.  I am not open to ministry opportunities.  No, I commit myself to live with a ministry mentality where my actions, reactions, and responses are more shaped by a desire to be a part of what God is doing on earth than to fulfill my personal wants and needs.” (pg 94)  This should change our mindset as wives and see our home life (and taking care and loving our husbands) as ministry, and not see what we do as unimportant.  

“in calling us to wait, God is freeing us from the claustrophobic confines of our own little kingdoms of one and drawing us into a greater allegiance to His Kingdom of glory and grace.” (pg 117)

“Pursue community.  It can only happen when we are living in functional, biblical community with people who will again and again remind us of who we are.  I need people in my life who will lovingly hold the mirror of the Word of God in front of me so that I can see how deep my struggle with sin still is.  I need people who will confront my timidity and avoidance with the comforting, encouraging, embolderning realities of faith.” (pg 159).  Thankful for girl friends, pastor friends, and my husband who do this for me.

 

 

Truly Families: The Finn Family

Truly Families: The Finn Family

I had a sweet and fun photo shoot with a great family yesterday.  here is a run down: best friend, cute kids, graffiti, learning code language for words I don’t need to know anyway, sunset, camera.  Great evening!  Thanks for letting me be a part of it!