12/20/07
This week I have found great encouragement in my husband's beautiful song, "I Will Cast My Cares" from In A Little While, as I have been tired and had a headache. I have memories of hearing him write this song in our living room and now am reminded of the truth in I Peter 5:7, "Casting all your cares on Him, because He cares for you," as I hear the finished product.
Jesus, I'm frail, I'm so very weak
My faithfulness fails, my courage will flee
But You are my rock, my shelter and shade
When I'm burdened down, You'll carry the weight
So I will cast my cares on You
Yes, I will cast my cares on You
I will rest within Your arms
Knowing I am safe from harm
I will cast my cares on You
When I'm overwhelmed and I cannot stand
You hear every cry and You lift my head
I'm desperate for grace and mercy anew
I must have Your strength, Oh I must have You
My faithfulness fails, my courage will flee
But You are my rock, my shelter and shade
When I'm burdened down, You'll carry the weight
So I will cast my cares on You
Yes, I will cast my cares on You
I will rest within Your arms
Knowing I am safe from harm
I will cast my cares on You
When I'm overwhelmed and I cannot stand
You hear every cry and You lift my head
I'm desperate for grace and mercy anew
I must have Your strength, Oh I must have You
12/17/07
Here is the front of Charis' head. You would probably guess that she was bald, right?
Wrong. Looking from the back, one can see she has the old-man-balding-head-look going on. It is either that or the start of a mullet. How cute is that?
12/13/07
12/11/07
I find great joy in purchasing that special gift at an unbelievably low price. I look forward to getting the Christmas tree on the very first weekend in December. I can sing every song, in order, on Amy Grant's "Home For Christmas." But what happens when my shopping day is altered, or when we are not able to get the Christmas tree the very first weekend in December?
The answer is, my joy fades. Why does my joy fade? My affection has, without my even noticing, shifted from Giver to gift. Sure, I am joyful as long as every holiday plan goes as I pictured. Whenever it does not, I am left feeling letdown and empty.
"If Christ is to be glorified in His people, their following must not be rooted mainly in His promised gifts or threatened punishments, but in His glorious Person...But His works are great because the Lord is great. And they will become idols of delight unless they point us to Himself as our highest delight." (When I Don't Desire God, John Piper)
After a helpful conversation with my husband, I was aware of my lack of joy. Yeah, sometimes I am a happy person, but it is when things do not go my way I am no longer "happy." For me, the holiday is chock full of opportunities to make idols of those things intended to increase my affection for my Savior. Joy is ultimately in Him! He blesses me with good things, to show me His glory.
This week, whenever I am enjoying His special gifts of Christmastime, I have been trying to remember to turn to Him. I thank Him for the gift and that He alone is my delight. The things of this earth will not satisfy me. After Christmas is over, the tree will be gone. He Himself is joy to my soul.
"In your presence there is fullness of joy." (Psalm 16:11)
12/10/07
Even though the Steelers did not come out with a victory,
Charis' adorable little outfit can turn any
disheartened fan's frown upside down.
12/9/07
For the second year in a row, Stephen and I went to Gamble Christmas Tree Farm, where you take a hayride to the top of the hill, choose a tree for the boy with the chainsaw to cut down and pay for it in the barn at the bottom of the hill. As we were traipsing through the snow, mud and puddles, our eyes were on the lookout for that "perfect tree" from a storybook. We picked one out only to find that the backside, which had been nestled against another tree, was completely dead. The front had looked nicely filled out. Smooth move. The kind workers let us choose another.
Who would have thought it was possible to over-think picking out a Christmas tree. It started to seem as though every tree was "too tall, too wide or too bare." Finally we picked it out. It is a beauty, perfect for our home. If I could use one word to describe the evergreen, it would be "wide." It is certainly tall, but its width makes it look short and stubby. Let's just say I have to think before I run down the stairs and turn the corner, because it protrudes far from the wall. I have a bad feeling about this.
After Stephen and I had our fun, we went to pick-up our baby girl, who is too little to go out in the cold (but we are excited for the day when she will join us). The fun was just starting. She was wide awake and cooing during the decorating and singing of carols with Bing Crosby. Poor Stephen was subjected to my insisting that Christmas music be playing all day long. Is not that what you do on Christmas-tree-decorating-day?
He makes life fun for me. Whenever I sing along, in all seriousness, with Amy Grant, he chimes in making up words and singing off-tune. I act as though I do not like it, but as with all his jokes, it does not take me long to cave and crack-up.
We ended the evening by watching a Christmas movie together. I am pleased to say, that this morning when I woke up, the tree was still standing.
12/7/07
Scripture instructs women to be kind (Titus 2:5). Whenever I read that statement, I had a vague understanding of its definition. I know kindness is a good thing, pleases the Lord and is a fruit of the Spirit working in believers, but what does it look like practically, to be kind?
In Feminine Appeal, Carolyn Mahaney wrote a helpful chapter on "The Rewards of Kindness." In my desire to grow in kindness to family, friends and others I come in contact with, I went straight to the wealth of knowledge she provides here. She quotes Jerry Bridges who defines kindness as, "...a sincere desire for the happiness of others, and goodness is the activity calculated to advance that happiness." Talk about bringing clarity.
As sisters, wives, mothers, friends, grandmas, co-workers and girlfriends, how can we make kindness a habit? How can we advance the happiness of those around us? What will really knock the socks off of those you love?
Stephen loves scones. I love to bake, but for some reason, I do not enjoy the process of making scones (maybe it is because the batter is not nearly as tasty as chocolate chip cookie batter:) Sometimes I do not have time, but at other times, selfishness creeps in and I desire pleasure for myself rather than serving him. Would it bless him, or advance his happiness, if I made them? Definitely. Goodness would be buying the ingredients at the store, setting aside time to make the scones and carrying out that plan. That is calculating the advancement of his happiness.
The Lord does not desire that we be condemned. He is kind to convict us and will give us the grace to change. He is the Author of each relationship we are in. He will surely help us. Let's be praying this week that the Holy Spirit would impress upon our hearts one area we have failed to be kind, whether it be at a particular time of day (i.e. when we are tired at night), towards a specific person (i.e. a roommate) or in a way we do not enjoy (i.e. babysitting a sibling). And let us ask knowing He is mighty to help.
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