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Conversations...

My daughter sent me a link to this post by Jasmine Baucham: Joyfully At Home: Reformation Conversation.

Young ladies aren't the only ones who struggle with this and my girls and I have been discussing this somewhat, especially in light of our Sunday conversations.  At our church we typically meet for worship, then twice or three times a month have a potluck together and often stay for several hours afterward either just to fellowship or meet to discuss a specific topic.

I find that most people ... most Christians ... these days have a hard time talking about God.  It's so much easier to default to TV, music, our kids, the garden ... anything but how the Lord is working, what we're learning, how we can encourage each other- or even just quoting scripture or talking about the facts of the Bible.

And then Monday comes and we complain that we don't have enough time to study the word, to read our Bibles, to discuss theology, etc.  Yet the Lord gives us a full 24 hour period to do just that - His day. 

Naturally all of our conversations should be those that help us and others draw near to God - not just on Sunday. But you get the idea.

Anyway, I agree with Jasmine.  It's a constant work to do this and yet, it must be done.  Especially these days as we see the world around us running farther and farther away from the things of God ... many, most if not ALL of our conversations should be:

conversations that inspire hearers to draw closer to the Lord -conversations that inspire Christ-exalting action -conversations that can change the world. It's a tall order to fill, for sure -but when we are talking about the things of God: what he is doing in our lives, what we are passionate about for his glory, what we hope to accomplish for his namesake, what we are learning in His Word, from his people, or judging by His standard -we really can't go wrong.

Jun 21, 2010 9:54 AM

Think before you speak (repost)

This is a repost of something I wrote back in 2007.  Enjoy!

I had a nice lunch today with my good friend. She’s a lovely lady, about 5 years older than me and very “hip”. I enjoy her company very much…except for one thing.

Every time we’re together there is at least one comment that she makes about the fact that she’s “fat”. Now, mind you, she’s a size 8 at most and looks great in everything she wears – she’s very attractive and in great shape. Yet no matter what we’re doing, whether sipping coffee, eating out, sitting in the park watching the kids on the swings – every time the conversation somehow turns to how overweight she is or how big her hips are or how she needs to stop eating so much because she’ll not be able to fit into her clothes much longer, etc. And it frustrates me.

I don’t take it personally. I honestly don’t. Even though on a good day I’m happy to squeeze into a size 16. But in a way I do take it personally. I mean, if she thinks a size 6 or 8 is fat, then I must be a whale in her eyes. Of course, she would never say that and I honestly don’t think she means that when she’s making her comments.

But I fear what she and many other women are doing is perpetuating this “skinny is beautiful” mentality. And it’s not healthy for our daughters. Even though my friend may not believe she’s saying “wow, you’re fat” to me or any other person tipping the scales at over 150, that’s definitely what our younger daughters are hearing. “If Mrs. Jones says she’s fat and she can fit in my clothes, wow, Mrs. Smith must be super fat.”

Is it any wonder that our girls are growing up thinking skinny is the end all to life?  How can we, as moms and Titus 2 women, help stop the madness when it comes to this?  I think that it can start with each of us changing our word choices for one:

Replace “I’m so fat” with “I am fearfully and wonderfully made”

Replace “I really shouldn’t eat this burger – it’ll go straight to my thunder thighs” with “Yum, a burger sounds great!” or “Hmmm I had a burger last night – maybe I’ll get a salad instead.”

Continue reading Think before you speak (repost)
Jun 18, 2010 8:42 PM

Wordless Wednesday

Photos for the Wordless Wednesday meme - Enjoy!

Jun 16, 2010 2:17 PM

Happy Jesus Day...

Well in a couple of weeks from when I'm writing this the day known as "Father's Day" here in the US will be upon us.  I think having a day to honor our dads is a good thing over all - but I also think that fathers should be honored every day so in some ways it's kind of silly to have to have some day set by some president years ago and promoted to the hilt by greeting card and retail outlets.  But I'm weird that way.

And yes, I feel the same way about Mother's Day.  I think I always have.  I know that the idea of Mother's day took on a whole new meaning the spring I was pregnant with my firstborn - but then almost every day took on new meaning then.  But I digress...

My struggle with these two days and others like it is that they fall on Sunday.  The Lord's Day.  My husband asked me this year if I cringe when people say Happy Mother's Day to me on that one Sunday in May.  I don't cringe - I know they don't have the same thoughts about it as I do.  But I don't say it back.  I've struggled with responding, "And Happy Lord's Day to you" in response, but even that might bring a reaction that I don't want.

I listened to part of another sermon today about Jesus being the Lord of the Sabbath.  This little snippet came at about 40 minutes into the sermon (this snippet is less than 60 seconds):


He says it so much better and bolder than I ever could (I am "quiet-mom" after all!)

Here's the whole sermon if you're so inclined.  And it's part 2 of a 2 part series so if you have time you might want to catch the whole thing.  It's very good.


So, this year, like last, we'll probably give gifts to hubs on Saturday evening instead ... and enjoy Sunday as "holy unto the Lord" - His day.  Happy Jesus Day.


Jun 9, 2010 10:08 AM

13 reasons why I don't watch TV

This is a repost of a post I did on my old blog that got some good comments.  Enjoy!


Here are 13 reasons why I don’t watch television:

13. Really….what is there good to watch anyway? Think about it. Most of the time when I watch the chatter on twitter or forums about watching tv it’s a lot of how bad the shows are. I’m sure there’s some good programming on but honestly I don’t have the energy to wade through the muck to find a leeeeetle bitty bit of fresh water.

12. It’s another screen! I spend about 70-80% of my waking hours in front of the computer screen. Why in the world would I want to put my eyes through another hour or two of screen torture?

11. My hips. Need I say more??? That time could be spent taking a walk or using one of my exercise machines. (Could be – didn’t say it IS).

10. It’s expensive. I don’t know about you but not having to pay a cable bill every month helps us to go out for a nice dinner together as a family once a month. Now I know that these days you can roll your internet, long distance and cable into one bill but for us it still saves us a good chunk of change not to have cable. (plus who needs 563 channels).

9. I see very little of my husband anyway. Why would I want to spend time that I could be chatting and snuggling with him watching some goofy sitcom. That’s not to say we don’t watch movies on our “big screen” occasionally. Actually we have our family Pizza Movie night every Friday night.

8. Think of all the things that one can get done with the hour of time that one usually spends watching a TV program. Even if you have one of those Tivo things – you’re still just sitting there.

7. I can’t stand the commercials. Except for the occasional giggle generator (I do like the beer commercial where the men go to the opera the first time – but hey, I found that one on youtube so I didn’t even need TV to get the giggle) commercials stink.

6. The television news is biased – that could be a Thursday Thirteen in itself. And if you think they’re not, you’ve been watching too much TV!

Continue reading 13 reasons why I don't watch TV
Jun 8, 2010 8:44 PM

Going Green - conserving our most precious resource

I just finished reading this article by Steve Maxwell... titled "Go Green".

A snipped from that page:

With all the "Green Craze," I'm very surprised no one has sought to promote conservation of our most precious resource. How could it have been overlooked? As a matter of fact, if anything, there seems to be a promotion to squander this most valuable resource, and it is the one resource that is one hundred percent non-renewable! Once you use it, it is gone forever. On top of that, it is the most priceless, precious resource we have. Have you guessed what the resource might be?

CLICK HERE to read the entire article

I liked this paragraph too:

However there is a gluttony of things to do that waste time – there is no eternal benefit to them. "But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken" (Matthew 24:48-49). Fun seems to be the idol of today, and our great treasure – time – is sacrificed on the altar to this idol. May we treasure our time because there is a point when it is gone. Tick, tick . . . . . . . . . 

Well the entire article, of course, is very good but I do definitely agree with him that FUN seems to be our idol today.  Anyway, read the article ... now! ;)

Jun 8, 2010 10:16 AM

Sabbath Sermon

If you've hung around me or my blog for very long you know that our family has been working through how to properly obey and honor the 4th commandment which reads:

Exodus 20:8-11

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. 

This hasn't been an easy journey for some reason.  Because there are so many "opinions" on what "to keep it holy" means, or even if this commandment really still applies to us in our day, confusion reigns, it seems, on what this one day in seven should mean, look like... be to us.

The simplest way for me is to just consider the day God's.  He gives us 6 days to do whatever we want, to work like crazy, to play like crazy - practically no limits on what we can do.  And all he asks of us is for ONE day to spend totally and completely focused on Him.  Now if you consider the fact that HEAVEN will be entirely totally and completely focused on Him - we should rejoice in knowing that He's giving us a taste of that each week.  

Anyway, I started listening to this sermon by Joe Morecraft this week. It's very good and thought I'd share it here.  More later:


Dr. Morecraft's sermons are always hard hitting and unashamedly focused on total obedience to the word of God. I think that's why I like him so much.

Jun 8, 2010 7:22 AM
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