Reflection to thanksgiving

I asked Kilby to bring me something to put on the kitchen chalkboard before our Thanksgiving company comes. She brought the following, a poem she wrote seven months ago. You can see more of her poetry at Poetry :: Truth Shining Brighter

Exodus Of The Soul

My fathers plundered Egypt's revenues and danced away,
and shall my Father not give me such riches every day?

They walked for forty weary years with unworn, untorn shoes,
and shall my wand'ring feet, shod better, ever know a bruise?

In dusty deserts they had water flowing from a stone,
and shall I thirst where living water's streams to seas have grown?

Where otherwise they would have starved, God gave them heaven's food,
and shall I hunger ever when He's shown me every good?

They saw each enemy defeated right before their face,
and shall I fear when I'm defended by God's sovereign grace?

God spoke the law to them through Moses, thundering above,
and shall I brood when He directly spoke to me His love?

My fathers had such wicked hearts, they murmured all despite.
Oh Soul, take care your greater benefits you never slight!

copyright April 2006

Advice to a busy younger woman

I'm fighting with my schedule right now... how on earth do I get everything done that needs to be done?!?! I don't know. I think I should be doing better than I am doing. The kids' schooling is a joke, their training isn't much better, and their obedience is shaky, at best. AGH. Plus I'm supposed to be cooking and cleaning and caring for others. How to balance it all is not what I'm good at.

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33. I hope that does not sound blunt. I'm not even sure how it applies. Only it is the first thing that comes to my mind as I write you an answer. It is true.

Practically: you can't get everything done that "needs" to be done. But God in His gracious and good and wise Providence will cause you to "do" what He wants you to do. Each moment, each day.The thing for you is to be as diligent as you can be, and yet as flexible as you can be for the needs that present themselves to your attention. May God give you wisdom to discern between the immediate and the urgent and the important. You're in the trenches on a training field. You will make small and large mistakes. But God works all these things together for your good, for the good of your husband and also the children, and for the good of the Church and the Demons, both of whom watch on.

Priorities (probably in this order):
-Worshiping God.
-Loving and respecting your husband.
-Keeping your children holy, this includes discipline.
-Keeping your children fed and clothed and clean when appropriate.
-Training your children to be your helpers. (Work alongside them, or have them work alongside you at all the various chores of the home until they are competent to take over.)
-Educating your children, this includes discipline. Certainly their obedience is a higher priority than their training, and their training a higher priority than their schooling. If you master the first, you will have more time for the second and third.
-Extending your home through hospitality and mercy ministries comes at the bottom of the list. I am not sure this is the time of your life that you should be thinking about caring for others. God has given you all that you can handle each day. It seems like more than you can handle. But at the end of the day, thank Him for the relative successes of the day, the health of the family, the myriad blessings of your life, and most of all for His great salvation.

More photos for Susan

With women like Mary Jett, Colette Mynatt, and Cleva Douglas still in my world, I can look forward to old age.

Earnest Photo

This is the house to which we moved when David was a toddler. This is the house to which we brought babies Susan and Kilby. This is the house in which Becky and Peter were born, and from which we moved to Tennessee when Peter was ten months old. I claimed that I would return one day and buy it and have a home for children and grannies and paint my pictures while Cal wrote his books. I didn't know so much then about serving God where ever He pleases. This photo was taken on my recent trip with Nonnie back to Pea Ridge, Arkansas where we both lived. It was a time of great beauty and spiritual pleasures. I hope to blog about the days of the journey over the next couple of weeks as the Lord grants me time and memory.

The day after

In my home, Republicanism reigns on the first floor. That is, my mother-in-law is much more atune to this world than are we. We believe that we are to work in the land of our exile for the good of all. But we do understand, up here on the second floor, that it is only our land of exile. So we can rejoice even when the Democrats win congress. We can rejoice that God is in His heaven doing what pleases Him and therefore that all is right with the world.

In God's dear and delightful Providence, my daily readings included these which I share with my reader who may be tempted to worldly horror today:

LORD, How are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my soul,There is no help for him in God. Selah.
But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.
I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about. Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah. Psalm 3

Let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 1 Thessalonians 5:8

Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest yourhope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:13

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth having upt on the breastplate of righteousness, . . . above all,taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:14, 16-17

He will swallow up death forever, and the LORD GOD will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; for the LORD has spoken. And it will be said in that day: "Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the LORD; . . . we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation. Isaiah 25:8-9

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

(I'll cut and paste these scriptures in an email to my mother-in-law in hopes of encouraging her. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.)