"For You have been my help,
And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. "
This verse excited me greatly this morning: we can SING for JOY in ANY circumstance, provided we are in the shadow of God's wings! What comfort! In fact, who are those who would take refuge in the shadow of the wings of the Almighty? Are they the ones who have all the right circumstances, feel taken care of and secure, are self-sufficient, in need of mothing? NO, it is the hunted: those who are weary, parched, out of options; those who need safety and are being battered by life's cruelties. And it says right here that they are the ones who sing for joy. Have their circumstances changed? No, but their spiritual position has been changed! They have moved under the shadow of His wings. And now, whatever situation they are in, they can SING for joy. They know who is their help. He is the Helper who helps them to sing. And knows also their circumstances, yes, is working all things together for good. But primarily, He covers them over, and they sing! It is where all the change begins. Let me sing for joy today as I make my husband's sandwich, wipe dirty faces, sweep food off floors, try to stretch the money for the bills, and train the toddlers in the same things over and over again. I simply come under the shadow of the wings.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Why we don't shrink during pregnancy
There is a good metaphorical reason why pregnancy makes us EXPAND. Many Christians blindly follow the feminists in thinking that embracing our womb, our home, and our mothering is a reduction of our value. God sees it differently. One of the Biblical Hebrew words for child even means "fullness" (as used in eccl. 11:15) ...none of the words used for children in the Bible mean empty, limited, tied down, or reduced! If we could only see the impact we could have on generations and nations for God by the way that we love our children, sacrifice for them, and embrace the work in the home, we would wake up excited every morning about a new day with our children! I do!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
It's Not Law, It's Logic
Sometimes people can be so afraid of legalism that they embrace the opinions of unbelievers without a second thought. My aim in rejecting birth control and discussing it is not to be legalistic. It is to be a thinking person who "examines all things." And I think that the average Christian (at least the average Evangelical) does not examine the issue of birth control because it has become such a normal part of our culture. Because the society has done such a good job of making large families look unattractive, shabby, faceless, stupid, and deprived, many Christians unknowingly absorb the same attitude. It makes so much sense, doesn't it? To want to put off having children for a few years until you have more money or are more "ready" for children, until you've gotten to know each other better... Society has also done a good job of spreading the general impression that it is laughably easy to get pregnant whenever and wherever one chooses. Christians tend to fend off discussions of this type by declaring that Jesus said nothing about the issue; giving the family planning rights to God was never a command in the Bible, therefore we should also not concern ourselves whether it is right or wrong and just let the "Spirit" lead. Closer examination might reveal that many people are listening to the wrong spirit.
Today I noticed in our family reading Solomon asserting that his father David had "walked before [God] in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward [God]." (1 Kings 3:6) It is true he sought the heart of the Lord. He made a big mistake with Bathsheba and was rebuked for it and repented. But what about all the many wives he had? Would we today consider that walking in uprightness of heart toward God? Well, the truth is that it is not actually written in Levitical law or as a direct command from God's mouth to stick with only one wife. What then? Should we see the example of all the polygamist kings and faith blazers as good examples of family formation? Examples that bring about God's desire for families? Let's see... Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon... of course not!!! We have only to glance one generation down in each case to see that the multiple wives thing didn't work out so well. But not only looking down the line is it clear that one wife is best, it is also important to look at God's intent in creation--"up" the line. And up the line we see Adam--and Eve. Not Adam and Eve and Nieve and Ella and Stella and Bella. That is why it's so important to study Genesis and origins. It tells us a lot about God's intentions and desires for mankind.
So also is God's creating man and woman to receive the children that He creates in them for the duration of woman's fertility... it's not law, it's logic. it's a logical conclusion of getting into beginnings, intention, purpose. The Bible does make it very clear that God Himself is involved in every single conception, causing the womb to open or close. That topic can be further explored by studying births and barrenness in the Bible, or on the fast track by reading a number of books that put the Bible's comments on conception succinctly in one place, such as A Full Quiver, by Rick and Jan Hess. the point is: are we trying to hinder God's intention? Are we afraid of God's intention? Or are we surrendered to God's intention? Of course God has grace for those that have never given thought to the subject or are trying to be good stewards and don't know any better, or those that believe that their ministry must come first and are therefore preventing God's creation of their own blessed offspring. I have seen God work in mighty, amazing ways in people who have held a completely different viewpoint than I on the subject. As He indeed worked mightily through Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon. But that doesn't mean we should ignore it, either. If there is a way that we can walk on the high road when it comes to our attention, let us do so with submission! There is power and joy in submission. When dealing with people of the opposite opinion on this matter in the future, I won't allow myself to become legal and graceless. God has a different journey for everyone. I will remember: it's not law, it's logic.
Today I noticed in our family reading Solomon asserting that his father David had "walked before [God] in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward [God]." (1 Kings 3:6) It is true he sought the heart of the Lord. He made a big mistake with Bathsheba and was rebuked for it and repented. But what about all the many wives he had? Would we today consider that walking in uprightness of heart toward God? Well, the truth is that it is not actually written in Levitical law or as a direct command from God's mouth to stick with only one wife. What then? Should we see the example of all the polygamist kings and faith blazers as good examples of family formation? Examples that bring about God's desire for families? Let's see... Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon... of course not!!! We have only to glance one generation down in each case to see that the multiple wives thing didn't work out so well. But not only looking down the line is it clear that one wife is best, it is also important to look at God's intent in creation--"up" the line. And up the line we see Adam--and Eve. Not Adam and Eve and Nieve and Ella and Stella and Bella. That is why it's so important to study Genesis and origins. It tells us a lot about God's intentions and desires for mankind.
So also is God's creating man and woman to receive the children that He creates in them for the duration of woman's fertility... it's not law, it's logic. it's a logical conclusion of getting into beginnings, intention, purpose. The Bible does make it very clear that God Himself is involved in every single conception, causing the womb to open or close. That topic can be further explored by studying births and barrenness in the Bible, or on the fast track by reading a number of books that put the Bible's comments on conception succinctly in one place, such as A Full Quiver, by Rick and Jan Hess. the point is: are we trying to hinder God's intention? Are we afraid of God's intention? Or are we surrendered to God's intention? Of course God has grace for those that have never given thought to the subject or are trying to be good stewards and don't know any better, or those that believe that their ministry must come first and are therefore preventing God's creation of their own blessed offspring. I have seen God work in mighty, amazing ways in people who have held a completely different viewpoint than I on the subject. As He indeed worked mightily through Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon. But that doesn't mean we should ignore it, either. If there is a way that we can walk on the high road when it comes to our attention, let us do so with submission! There is power and joy in submission. When dealing with people of the opposite opinion on this matter in the future, I won't allow myself to become legal and graceless. God has a different journey for everyone. I will remember: it's not law, it's logic.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
The Purpose for Homeschooling
One of my friends pointed out in a discussion about homeschooling that God was the perfect parent, and even He had rebellious children. This is true. But the purpose for home schooling is not to merely prevent rebellion, nor to keep one's children corralled so that they might never do anything wrong or be exposed to the evil in the world.
I am a homeschooling mom because I believe in the workability of God's command: He tells parents in the Bible to talk to their children all day long about His ways (Deut. 11:19). How can I talk to my children about anything all day long if I only see them at dinner time? And how can I turn them over to a humanistic and usually atheistic system for the better part of the day and then expect them to still live by the teaching they are getting in the evenings?
I am a homeschooling mom because I believe in a long training period, then LAUNCH! Even Jesus didn't start His ministry til age 30. He was taking care of family stuff, and learning, learning, learning from God the Father. Some would expect their child to begin evangelizing to his little atheistic peers at the age of five in kindergarten. The Bible favors more of a long training period in order to get intensely trained up before being released like a weapon! Note that priests were not allowed to serve as such until age 25 (Num. 8:24). And the story of St. Patrick also confirms the value of long preparation times. He spent 12 years preparing/training for his ministry after God had called him to go back to Ireland! Why should we adult Christians put our charge to evangelize the world on our little ones before they are even at the "age of accountability?" God does want us to evangelize the world in part through our children, but it is a sad and widespread deception that causes us to want to be hasty in that aim. Of course many children can be sincere and fervent in their faith from a young age. But it seems that most children from Christian homes lose their faith (around 75%) unless strongly and constantly discipled through their teen years. Isn't it better to launch a powerful, strong evangelist though it take more time to prepare, than to launch an early but unripe evangelist who will only fizzle and fade?
I am a homeschooling mom because i am a sheep mother, not a goat mother. God likens His people to--of all things--sheep! He doesn't want them to be like goats. Did you know that goat mothers will go off and forage alone all day, leaving their kids to fend for themselves? Ewes, on the other hand, never let their lambs get out of earshot. They keep their babies close! (This knowledge also makes me think twice before calling my children "kids!")
I am a homeschooling mom because God Himself put mothers in the heart of the home (ps. 128:3). I believe He did this in order to allow them to invest in the spiritual training of their children. Why would it be important for me to be in the recesses of my home if I were all by myself, with my children off at school? Naturally, if my children were gone, I would go out and work or get involved in big things outside the home. But that is not God's model. He wants the mothers in the home, to train up their children. He calls a woman the "mistress" of the home. When my children are about me, I have something to rule over. I am indeed the mistress of my home.
I am a homeschooling mom because I believe I can give my children a better education than most school options out there. Not only am I most attuned to my own child's needs, aspirations, learning style, and interests, but at home they will have opportunity to develop their God-given passions at their own pace. Not to mention the principle of redeeming the time, making the most of time. At home, one can learn the same thing in three hours that takes public school all day to teach. Consider the time traveling to and from school, lunch hour, time between classes, recess, and just plain crowd control. The more people there are, the harder it is to settle everyone and get their attention.
I am a homeschooling mom because I believe it is important to protect young minds from being plagued by unwholesome thoughts as absorbed through peers, worldly magazines, TV, etc. YES, there IS a protective element to home schooling, and that is nothing to be ashamed of... anyway, with a clean mind and good conscience, our youngsters will have less baggage to deal with later on in life/ministry/marriage.
I am a homeschooling mom because I believe that society has lost a major part of God's vision for healthy nations: instilling in our youngsters a love for home and family. The family is the basic building block of the nation. When the family is under-emphasized, society begins to lose its focus, to slide into confusion and all manner of ill health. It takes a LOT of home time to really cultivate in your children a love for home. Public schools couldn't care less about this value. American society tends to emphasize individualism/independence. God emphasizes service and mutual submission. Which education to choose for my children is really no contest.
I am a homeschooling mom because I believe in the workability of God's command: He tells parents in the Bible to talk to their children all day long about His ways (Deut. 11:19). How can I talk to my children about anything all day long if I only see them at dinner time? And how can I turn them over to a humanistic and usually atheistic system for the better part of the day and then expect them to still live by the teaching they are getting in the evenings?
I am a homeschooling mom because I believe in a long training period, then LAUNCH! Even Jesus didn't start His ministry til age 30. He was taking care of family stuff, and learning, learning, learning from God the Father. Some would expect their child to begin evangelizing to his little atheistic peers at the age of five in kindergarten. The Bible favors more of a long training period in order to get intensely trained up before being released like a weapon! Note that priests were not allowed to serve as such until age 25 (Num. 8:24). And the story of St. Patrick also confirms the value of long preparation times. He spent 12 years preparing/training for his ministry after God had called him to go back to Ireland! Why should we adult Christians put our charge to evangelize the world on our little ones before they are even at the "age of accountability?" God does want us to evangelize the world in part through our children, but it is a sad and widespread deception that causes us to want to be hasty in that aim. Of course many children can be sincere and fervent in their faith from a young age. But it seems that most children from Christian homes lose their faith (around 75%) unless strongly and constantly discipled through their teen years. Isn't it better to launch a powerful, strong evangelist though it take more time to prepare, than to launch an early but unripe evangelist who will only fizzle and fade?
I am a homeschooling mom because i am a sheep mother, not a goat mother. God likens His people to--of all things--sheep! He doesn't want them to be like goats. Did you know that goat mothers will go off and forage alone all day, leaving their kids to fend for themselves? Ewes, on the other hand, never let their lambs get out of earshot. They keep their babies close! (This knowledge also makes me think twice before calling my children "kids!")
I am a homeschooling mom because God Himself put mothers in the heart of the home (ps. 128:3). I believe He did this in order to allow them to invest in the spiritual training of their children. Why would it be important for me to be in the recesses of my home if I were all by myself, with my children off at school? Naturally, if my children were gone, I would go out and work or get involved in big things outside the home. But that is not God's model. He wants the mothers in the home, to train up their children. He calls a woman the "mistress" of the home. When my children are about me, I have something to rule over. I am indeed the mistress of my home.
I am a homeschooling mom because I believe I can give my children a better education than most school options out there. Not only am I most attuned to my own child's needs, aspirations, learning style, and interests, but at home they will have opportunity to develop their God-given passions at their own pace. Not to mention the principle of redeeming the time, making the most of time. At home, one can learn the same thing in three hours that takes public school all day to teach. Consider the time traveling to and from school, lunch hour, time between classes, recess, and just plain crowd control. The more people there are, the harder it is to settle everyone and get their attention.
I am a homeschooling mom because I believe it is important to protect young minds from being plagued by unwholesome thoughts as absorbed through peers, worldly magazines, TV, etc. YES, there IS a protective element to home schooling, and that is nothing to be ashamed of... anyway, with a clean mind and good conscience, our youngsters will have less baggage to deal with later on in life/ministry/marriage.
I am a homeschooling mom because I believe that society has lost a major part of God's vision for healthy nations: instilling in our youngsters a love for home and family. The family is the basic building block of the nation. When the family is under-emphasized, society begins to lose its focus, to slide into confusion and all manner of ill health. It takes a LOT of home time to really cultivate in your children a love for home. Public schools couldn't care less about this value. American society tends to emphasize individualism/independence. God emphasizes service and mutual submission. Which education to choose for my children is really no contest.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
embracing motherhood
to embrace motherhood is to acknowledge that we cannot have it all. it is to make a willing choice for family, consciously and and joyfully sacrificing the other promises of a free adult life in our modern age, to fully invest in what we know to be most important before the Lord. it is to stop inventing new compromises between home, work, and entertainment, and give ourselves fully to the labor of building people--generations--one small child at a time. In the business of child rearing, the modern age has set up an impossible ideal of balancing everything with a perfect image maintained. to embrace motherhood is to realize that truth and worth comes from God and not from "experts." We know the truth: that at least one thing will suffer; either our family, our work, or our pleasures. I choose to cut off work and entertainment, to be the sufferer. for the vision of a family that rises up to love God and build His kingdom: i am a suffragette!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Goodness, Righteousness, and Truth
"But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints;
and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.
For this reason it says,
"Awake, sleeper,
And arise from the dead,
And Christ will shine on you."
Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;
always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father" (Eph. 5:3-20)
Wow, I know this passage is long, but I couldn't leave any of it out, it's so good! I was thinking how much differently I have come to understand many passages of the Bible since becoming a mother, how much more relevant they sometimes seem than before.
As mothers and wives, isn't it easy to let our talk just... run away? In my German Bible that first verse says that we must not even make these things (immorality, impurity, greed) the topic of our conversations. How that spoke to me! It means, among other things, that I will not, when with my fellow moms, center conversation on things I might wish I had (greed). When we see other moms, isn't it easy to start doing this?" ("I wish the grocery store had a day care!" "I wish my children would not whine," "I wish I had a bigger car"...) Why don't we go into mom-group settings ready to speak gratitude, ready to be the light. Silly talk, now there's an interesting topic for moms! LOL! But I think I understand what that means: We fight the temptation to speak of a lot of worthless things by verbally giving thanks! How hard is that?!
I also love that the scripture exhorts us to "let no one deceive you with empty words"--I would recommend to this end throwing out all "professional" non-Biblical parenting advice, including all popular parenting magazines, websites, and things which are derived from this humanistic, man-made system, and replace our thinking with truths derived from the perfect word of God. (I can personally testify that I was a lot more confused in my parenting (and UNHAPPY in my womanhood) when I was reading worldly magazines. Now things are becoming so much clearer and smoother in my house. And I am a joyful mother of children!)
Another thing that is interesting here is that the Lord calls the deeds of darkness "unfruitful," the opposite of what God wants us to be: fruitful! We have been so blessed to be physically fruitful. It is an invigorating thing to accept one's God-given fruitfulness, and even revel in it, love it, enjoy it! I try never to speak anything negative about my womb or fertility or any of the things that go with it! Even though it can be difficult to remember this in later pregnancy or during certain hormonal cycles, it has brought such joy and peace to me to deliberately do this.
I love that the Word of God doesn't just give us "don'ts," but always gives us the antidote (the way to combat the enemy!) as well. don't get drunk, DO be filled with the Holy Spirit. How? "Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;
always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father." Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not something that comes to just a few special people. We are commanded to be filled with Him in specific ways, which always includes giving thanks! It is such a good thing to realize that the Holy Spirit waits for our invitation before coming in. He will not simply come upon a select few, uncontrollably. He comes when we welcome Him with a thankful, joyous, song-filled attitude! Now wouldn't it be sad if all the "experts" were right that we--and our children--cannot control our emotions, but that we must give free reign to all of our feelings in order to be whole and happy?
What does this passage speak to YOU as a mother?
and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.
For this reason it says,
"Awake, sleeper,
And arise from the dead,
And Christ will shine on you."
Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;
always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father" (Eph. 5:3-20)
Wow, I know this passage is long, but I couldn't leave any of it out, it's so good! I was thinking how much differently I have come to understand many passages of the Bible since becoming a mother, how much more relevant they sometimes seem than before.
As mothers and wives, isn't it easy to let our talk just... run away? In my German Bible that first verse says that we must not even make these things (immorality, impurity, greed) the topic of our conversations. How that spoke to me! It means, among other things, that I will not, when with my fellow moms, center conversation on things I might wish I had (greed). When we see other moms, isn't it easy to start doing this?" ("I wish the grocery store had a day care!" "I wish my children would not whine," "I wish I had a bigger car"...) Why don't we go into mom-group settings ready to speak gratitude, ready to be the light. Silly talk, now there's an interesting topic for moms! LOL! But I think I understand what that means: We fight the temptation to speak of a lot of worthless things by verbally giving thanks! How hard is that?!
I also love that the scripture exhorts us to "let no one deceive you with empty words"--I would recommend to this end throwing out all "professional" non-Biblical parenting advice, including all popular parenting magazines, websites, and things which are derived from this humanistic, man-made system, and replace our thinking with truths derived from the perfect word of God. (I can personally testify that I was a lot more confused in my parenting (and UNHAPPY in my womanhood) when I was reading worldly magazines. Now things are becoming so much clearer and smoother in my house. And I am a joyful mother of children!)
Another thing that is interesting here is that the Lord calls the deeds of darkness "unfruitful," the opposite of what God wants us to be: fruitful! We have been so blessed to be physically fruitful. It is an invigorating thing to accept one's God-given fruitfulness, and even revel in it, love it, enjoy it! I try never to speak anything negative about my womb or fertility or any of the things that go with it! Even though it can be difficult to remember this in later pregnancy or during certain hormonal cycles, it has brought such joy and peace to me to deliberately do this.
I love that the Word of God doesn't just give us "don'ts," but always gives us the antidote (the way to combat the enemy!) as well. don't get drunk, DO be filled with the Holy Spirit. How? "Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;
always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father." Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not something that comes to just a few special people. We are commanded to be filled with Him in specific ways, which always includes giving thanks! It is such a good thing to realize that the Holy Spirit waits for our invitation before coming in. He will not simply come upon a select few, uncontrollably. He comes when we welcome Him with a thankful, joyous, song-filled attitude! Now wouldn't it be sad if all the "experts" were right that we--and our children--cannot control our emotions, but that we must give free reign to all of our feelings in order to be whole and happy?
What does this passage speak to YOU as a mother?
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
extracting precious words
"Why has my pain been perpetual
And my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?
Will You indeed be to me like a deceptive stream
With water that is unreliable?
Therefore, thus says the LORD,
'If you return, then I will restore you--
Before Me you will stand;
And if you extract the precious from the worthless,
You will become My spokesman.
They for their part may turn to you,
But as for you, you must not turn to them.
Then I will make you to this people
A fortified wall of bronze;
And though they fight against you,
They will not prevail over you;
For I am with you to save you
And deliver you,' declares the LORD."(Jeremiah 15: 18-19)
My Lord came to me in a flutter of realization: the beautiful, powerful truth about Jeremiah and his heart-to-heart with God. Is that what I had been missing in my prayer life, oozing to my everyday life, all these years? My melancholy, my cynicism, my oft-repeated sorrows...was this the life I had built because I had refused to notice the heart of God saying, "extract the precious from the worthless, then you will become my spokesman?" Suddenly it all became clear: I, the complainer, had got it all wrong. God does listen, He does want to hear my heart, my troubles. But He is blessed--sing-out-loud, dance-for-joy blessed--when I choose to cling to the good words, even to speak the good words in His Book back to Him, for lack of nothing else sometimes. He doesn't require it, but He whispers it: "extract the precious from the worthless." So many words are worthless. So many, many of mine, worthless. And for me to speak them was self-administered poison; they hung in the air and clung to the pages, dripping self-pity, spinning a habit. Now extract the precious, "speak good words rather than worthless ones," and you will be His spokesman. To make leaders for the Kingdom of our children, we must teach them to speak the good words, declaring God's eternal virtues rather than their individual sorrows. The high road of words applies even to prayers. God is good. God loves to hear goodness!
And my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?
Will You indeed be to me like a deceptive stream
With water that is unreliable?
Therefore, thus says the LORD,
'If you return, then I will restore you--
Before Me you will stand;
And if you extract the precious from the worthless,
You will become My spokesman.
They for their part may turn to you,
But as for you, you must not turn to them.
Then I will make you to this people
A fortified wall of bronze;
And though they fight against you,
They will not prevail over you;
For I am with you to save you
And deliver you,' declares the LORD."(Jeremiah 15: 18-19)
My Lord came to me in a flutter of realization: the beautiful, powerful truth about Jeremiah and his heart-to-heart with God. Is that what I had been missing in my prayer life, oozing to my everyday life, all these years? My melancholy, my cynicism, my oft-repeated sorrows...was this the life I had built because I had refused to notice the heart of God saying, "extract the precious from the worthless, then you will become my spokesman?" Suddenly it all became clear: I, the complainer, had got it all wrong. God does listen, He does want to hear my heart, my troubles. But He is blessed--sing-out-loud, dance-for-joy blessed--when I choose to cling to the good words, even to speak the good words in His Book back to Him, for lack of nothing else sometimes. He doesn't require it, but He whispers it: "extract the precious from the worthless." So many words are worthless. So many, many of mine, worthless. And for me to speak them was self-administered poison; they hung in the air and clung to the pages, dripping self-pity, spinning a habit. Now extract the precious, "speak good words rather than worthless ones," and you will be His spokesman. To make leaders for the Kingdom of our children, we must teach them to speak the good words, declaring God's eternal virtues rather than their individual sorrows. The high road of words applies even to prayers. God is good. God loves to hear goodness!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
breastfeeding "rights" activism
Recently, in one of my Facebook forums, there was a discussion about the "censorship" of breastfeeding pictures. Apparently there is a group on Facebook called "The Leaky B@@b," for "breastfeeding support."There was some discussion as to whether they should be allowed to continue posting pictures that in other circumstances would be censored due to inappropriate content. Here is my take:
To me, "the leaky boob" seems like a name that exists merely for shock value and... not very complementary to mothers or the lovely, intimate, nurturing miracle that is breastfeeding. as for breastfeeding photos in general, i don't see a reason that they should be on FB. Wouldn't it be nice if mothers stopped lobbying so hard to have the "right" to put up pictures of their breastfeeding babies and instead focused on changing the culture from the onside out--from the HOME? each of us have at least one, and many of us have more, little malleable minds in our home, and whether we have boys or girls, we can train them up into a better standard of modesty and respect than what the current culture has going. our children WILL be the next generation's leaders, ESPECIALLY if we pray for them, and train them NOT TO SIMPLY FOLLOW what is society's current norm. by that, i mean not to lash out disrespectfully, but to have the courage to live by God's standard. yes, it is unfair that people can have nappy mini skirt and see-through-shirt pictures up and nobody complains, BUT i think more than react to what is going on in the culture, we should seek God's eternal principles on how to behave, and take it from there with a joyful attitude.
If people are ostracizing breastfeeding women in society, that is something to perhaps attack with a bit more vigor, i.e. if women are getting kicked out of restaurants when they were modestly breastfeeding, but i don't see it worth it to fight for pictures on the internet so that we can have the same rights as people whose lifestyle we don't desire anyway... having a picture up that would cause some lude person to drool over your parts is really not something to be desired. consider this quote from joseph sobran in 'national review:' "the real problem is that sexual freedom has meant, for millions of people, a cluster of debasing addictions. we are offering human beings the kind of freedom appropriate to dogs." The fact is that we live in a fallen world, and we cannot eliminate the perversity in people's minds by feeding ourselves to them.
Secondly, i don't think that most men even feel turned on by looking at breastfeeding women. in my observation, it seems to make most men uncomfortable. they feel fine when a scantily clad woman walks into the restaurant and may be "all over" her, but will stammer and not make eye contact around a woman who is nursing a baby under full cover. this shows the perversity of what human nature has made breasts into. they are now seen primarily as men's "fun bags;" and breastfeeding has become secondary, even weird, when just by looking at the apparatus it is obvious that God made them primarily to feed babies. If we can start the revolution at home, educating our offspring to have a healthy perspective on the original purpose for sex, breasts, etc., we will do a lot better than to spend time arguing and elbowing for a spot in the display case with the rest of the world.
That being said, if you are in a country where women have always breast fed in public with no covering, i say go for it. that society probably will not do to you what this society will, because it still retains more of the perspective of original purpose. also, i think it necessary to have some websites up that show breastfeeding pics/ videos simply for the sake of tutoring other mothers, but they could probably be animated or at least show as little as possible of the rest of the breast!
To me, "the leaky boob" seems like a name that exists merely for shock value and... not very complementary to mothers or the lovely, intimate, nurturing miracle that is breastfeeding. as for breastfeeding photos in general, i don't see a reason that they should be on FB. Wouldn't it be nice if mothers stopped lobbying so hard to have the "right" to put up pictures of their breastfeeding babies and instead focused on changing the culture from the onside out--from the HOME? each of us have at least one, and many of us have more, little malleable minds in our home, and whether we have boys or girls, we can train them up into a better standard of modesty and respect than what the current culture has going. our children WILL be the next generation's leaders, ESPECIALLY if we pray for them, and train them NOT TO SIMPLY FOLLOW what is society's current norm. by that, i mean not to lash out disrespectfully, but to have the courage to live by God's standard. yes, it is unfair that people can have nappy mini skirt and see-through-shirt pictures up and nobody complains, BUT i think more than react to what is going on in the culture, we should seek God's eternal principles on how to behave, and take it from there with a joyful attitude.
If people are ostracizing breastfeeding women in society, that is something to perhaps attack with a bit more vigor, i.e. if women are getting kicked out of restaurants when they were modestly breastfeeding, but i don't see it worth it to fight for pictures on the internet so that we can have the same rights as people whose lifestyle we don't desire anyway... having a picture up that would cause some lude person to drool over your parts is really not something to be desired. consider this quote from joseph sobran in 'national review:' "the real problem is that sexual freedom has meant, for millions of people, a cluster of debasing addictions. we are offering human beings the kind of freedom appropriate to dogs." The fact is that we live in a fallen world, and we cannot eliminate the perversity in people's minds by feeding ourselves to them.
Secondly, i don't think that most men even feel turned on by looking at breastfeeding women. in my observation, it seems to make most men uncomfortable. they feel fine when a scantily clad woman walks into the restaurant and may be "all over" her, but will stammer and not make eye contact around a woman who is nursing a baby under full cover. this shows the perversity of what human nature has made breasts into. they are now seen primarily as men's "fun bags;" and breastfeeding has become secondary, even weird, when just by looking at the apparatus it is obvious that God made them primarily to feed babies. If we can start the revolution at home, educating our offspring to have a healthy perspective on the original purpose for sex, breasts, etc., we will do a lot better than to spend time arguing and elbowing for a spot in the display case with the rest of the world.
That being said, if you are in a country where women have always breast fed in public with no covering, i say go for it. that society probably will not do to you what this society will, because it still retains more of the perspective of original purpose. also, i think it necessary to have some websites up that show breastfeeding pics/ videos simply for the sake of tutoring other mothers, but they could probably be animated or at least show as little as possible of the rest of the breast!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
the purpose for families
My friend had a cousin who got pregnant out of wedlock while she was still living at home with her parents. Instead of telling her parents, she decided to hide the pregnancy, which she managed to do, living under her parents' roof, eventually privately giving birth to a baby in her own room, and cutting the cord with craft scissors. Her dad was none the wiser until he heard a baby crying. Is something wrong with this picture? perhaps the reason this girl got so few HUGS at home was one of the factors that led her to seek physical fulfillment elsewhere in the first place. Families can be so discombobulated nowadays! I believe that the main reason is that people have simply lost the vision for what a family is supposed to be.
When God created the world, He decided to perpetuate the race through FAMILIES. He could have made children grow on trees and a special kind of animal that herded them around until they were able to take care of themselves. He could have made each person to "hatch" from a pod, as a complete, ready-made adult. But what he chose to do was to create units called families, where the young would be nurtured and taught by the older. Where the older would have that supreme opportunity for that kind of sacrifice which gives wisdom. Where there would be incentive to learn to get along with those of other ages and stages in life. Families were also the primary avenue that God would use to pass on His ways to subsequent peoples: "from generation to generation." (Not churches, Sunday schools, foreign missions, Christian concerts, Christian books, or youth groups.)
And He chose to create these families, as C.S. Lewis put it, through a "curious process, involving pleasure, pain, and danger. a process you would never have guessed." (Mere Christianity) There is something sacred in the way that sex works because it is God's way of allowing us to 1) mirror Christ's intimate relationship with the church, and 2) step into the miracle of creation. No other physical activity is so rich in its eternal potential. the modern world, having lost all sense of Christ, has of course, lost all sense of sex as a picture of God's intimacy with us. But even the majority of the Christian world has lost the idea of the second point, being allowed to and called to participate with God in creation. For some reason, whether you are Christian or not, sex has become "just for fun," and is separated most of the time from the idea of babies. God did not create it like this. He did not intend for the act to be done for its own sake, but rather to have a very deep purpose, a mystery, and to involve a giving up of self: giving up your body to one's spouse, and giving up control to God for the decision to open the womb or close it, to create another person or not. In my view, this is one of the primary reasons the purpose for families has been lost: because first the purpose for sex was lost.
Here are the elements about a family that make it distinct from other groups of people: one father, one mother, and one womb with a limited time for potentially bringing forth children. God's desire for families is that they should perpetuate a godly seed (Malachi 2:15), reflect who He is (Christ/church: husband/wife; God/Christians: parents/children), and be a powerful cell group that ministers to each created person in an individual way, and also blesses the rest of the world through its activities. God created the family structure the way He did because it was the best way for human relationships to bring Him glory. People may believe that this has changed, or that the role of family is now replaced by the church. But there is no such indication in the New Testament. In fact, one of the main functions of John the Baptist was to "turn the hearts of the Fathers back to the children." He did this in order to prepare people for receiving the Lord (Luke 1:17); I think that is very telling.
It seems to me that many evangelical circles are missing this major element of emphasis on family; there seem to be a lot of organizations and groups formed around purposes, sometimes effectively replacing that core group: the family. there is nothing wrong with forming evangelistic groups around noble Christian purposes, but it is absolutely essential that the family does not get shoved to the background. Even in the assemblies where they used to read the law to the people, God made a point of it that ALL the people should attend the assembly: men, women, infants, toddlers, guests, and foreigners who were living among them. (Deut. 29:10-12, 31:12, Josh. 8:35, etc.) I wonder how we got the idea that sending the children off to "age-appropriate"sunday school programs would be a better way? This segregation of age groups in spiritual matters follows the world's pattern of doing things (especially when parents "need a break") and assumes that parents are not fit to teach their children, nor children able or fit to stay in the large assembly. Both of these attitudes contribute to family separation and the further disjunction of the family in general. The idea that young children can't be trained to sit quietly is more and more prevalent because of the lack of opportunity or need to do so. In reality, the Bible has God giving the command to pass on His ways directly to parents several times; they are to speak of His ways to their children all day long (Deut. 6:7, 11:19) . Not send them off somewhere else to hopefully learn a bit of his ways from someone else whom the parents don't even know.
Let us honor God by accepting our important role as families! Let us lead our children in the Way uncompromisingly, talking of God with them all day long. God has amazing fruit for the family that is willing to function in the way He created! We must be willing to step out of the cultural "norms" and believe there is a better, more enduring way. May His wisdom and power be with you as you lead your family!
When God created the world, He decided to perpetuate the race through FAMILIES. He could have made children grow on trees and a special kind of animal that herded them around until they were able to take care of themselves. He could have made each person to "hatch" from a pod, as a complete, ready-made adult. But what he chose to do was to create units called families, where the young would be nurtured and taught by the older. Where the older would have that supreme opportunity for that kind of sacrifice which gives wisdom. Where there would be incentive to learn to get along with those of other ages and stages in life. Families were also the primary avenue that God would use to pass on His ways to subsequent peoples: "from generation to generation." (Not churches, Sunday schools, foreign missions, Christian concerts, Christian books, or youth groups.)
And He chose to create these families, as C.S. Lewis put it, through a "curious process, involving pleasure, pain, and danger. a process you would never have guessed." (Mere Christianity) There is something sacred in the way that sex works because it is God's way of allowing us to 1) mirror Christ's intimate relationship with the church, and 2) step into the miracle of creation. No other physical activity is so rich in its eternal potential. the modern world, having lost all sense of Christ, has of course, lost all sense of sex as a picture of God's intimacy with us. But even the majority of the Christian world has lost the idea of the second point, being allowed to and called to participate with God in creation. For some reason, whether you are Christian or not, sex has become "just for fun," and is separated most of the time from the idea of babies. God did not create it like this. He did not intend for the act to be done for its own sake, but rather to have a very deep purpose, a mystery, and to involve a giving up of self: giving up your body to one's spouse, and giving up control to God for the decision to open the womb or close it, to create another person or not. In my view, this is one of the primary reasons the purpose for families has been lost: because first the purpose for sex was lost.
Here are the elements about a family that make it distinct from other groups of people: one father, one mother, and one womb with a limited time for potentially bringing forth children. God's desire for families is that they should perpetuate a godly seed (Malachi 2:15), reflect who He is (Christ/church: husband/wife; God/Christians: parents/children), and be a powerful cell group that ministers to each created person in an individual way, and also blesses the rest of the world through its activities. God created the family structure the way He did because it was the best way for human relationships to bring Him glory. People may believe that this has changed, or that the role of family is now replaced by the church. But there is no such indication in the New Testament. In fact, one of the main functions of John the Baptist was to "turn the hearts of the Fathers back to the children." He did this in order to prepare people for receiving the Lord (Luke 1:17); I think that is very telling.
It seems to me that many evangelical circles are missing this major element of emphasis on family; there seem to be a lot of organizations and groups formed around purposes, sometimes effectively replacing that core group: the family. there is nothing wrong with forming evangelistic groups around noble Christian purposes, but it is absolutely essential that the family does not get shoved to the background. Even in the assemblies where they used to read the law to the people, God made a point of it that ALL the people should attend the assembly: men, women, infants, toddlers, guests, and foreigners who were living among them. (Deut. 29:10-12, 31:12, Josh. 8:35, etc.) I wonder how we got the idea that sending the children off to "age-appropriate"sunday school programs would be a better way? This segregation of age groups in spiritual matters follows the world's pattern of doing things (especially when parents "need a break") and assumes that parents are not fit to teach their children, nor children able or fit to stay in the large assembly. Both of these attitudes contribute to family separation and the further disjunction of the family in general. The idea that young children can't be trained to sit quietly is more and more prevalent because of the lack of opportunity or need to do so. In reality, the Bible has God giving the command to pass on His ways directly to parents several times; they are to speak of His ways to their children all day long (Deut. 6:7, 11:19) . Not send them off somewhere else to hopefully learn a bit of his ways from someone else whom the parents don't even know.
Let us honor God by accepting our important role as families! Let us lead our children in the Way uncompromisingly, talking of God with them all day long. God has amazing fruit for the family that is willing to function in the way He created! We must be willing to step out of the cultural "norms" and believe there is a better, more enduring way. May His wisdom and power be with you as you lead your family!
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