Soft Hearts

My daughter was having an especially challenging afternoon the other day. It became apparent that the constant fighting was mostly her being very difficult toward her brother. When I went to talk to her, she stared at me with a very hard look in her eyes. I asked her a few questions like, “Are you being loving and kind right now?” She said no. “Why are you acting like this?” She didn’t know. “Is your heart hard or soft?” She said it was hard.

At this point in the conversation, my 4 year old son noticed a piece of cotton stuffing lying on the floor next to him. He picked it up and rubbed it on his sister’s chest right where her heart would be saying, “To make your heart soft.”

Everybody burst out laughing and somehow it actually worked. Her heart was softer the rest of the day.

He's a Sly One

A couple of weeks ago, my husband called to say they hadn’t needed all of the pizza they’d ordered for the college students and I didn’t need to make supper! My children were happily eating pizza in the kitchen and I went to the living room to take care of something. 

Upon my return, I discovered my 4 year old son had placed 7 pieces of pizza on his plate! I said in a very calm voice, “What in the world do you think you’re doing, mister?” He looked at me very seriously and said, “I touched all of these, Mom.”

I’ve been chuckling about this for weeks. He cracks me up.

The Noblest of His Race - What does it mean to be truly brave?

Bravery.

Knights slaying dragons. Men slaying giants. Warriors lining up for battle.

In our world of affirmation and self-esteem building, we mostly talk about bravery as something we’re already capable of – not as a high goal to be achieved. I’ve often heard it said that courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. I’m not doubting the truth of this expression, I’ve just started thinking about how we spend more time talking about the fear than we do the courage.

To be considered a coward was once more fearful to any virtuous man than facing certain death in the hands of a giant.

I keep thinking about how to teach my children to be brave – and to not be cowards.

I’m not even sure we would know how to appropriately label cowardly actions in our world, but if we did, I’m pretty sure we would just comfort with assurances that “even David was afraid of Goliath.” Because after all, if having courage involves also having fear than clearly that implies if you are fearful, you can at least identify with the courageous.



I’ve just started reading Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley.  Written in 1855, I already know from the opening pages that Kingsley is primarily interested in offering pictures of heroes to be admired for their courage. It should have been written as “an epic,” he says, to preserve “the same great message which the songs of Troy… spoke to the hearts of all true Greeks of old.”

He writes of Sir Richard Grenvile, “ the noblest of his race” who has no patience for “any taint of cowardice or falsehood.” That’s a calling for which all young men should aspire – to be “the noblest of his race.”

But what does that look like? How do we become noble? 

Amyas wants to be brave. He’s speaking to Sir Richard Grenvile himself when he says, 

“I should like to be a brave adventurer, like Mr. Oxenham.” 

“God grant you become a braver man than he! For as I think, to be bold against the enemy is common to the brutes; but the prerogative of a man is to be bold against himself.” 

“How sir?” 

“To conquer our own fancies, Amyas, and our own lusts, and our ambition, in the sacred name of duty; this is to be truly brave, and truly strong; for he who cannot rule himself, how can he rule his crew or his fortunes?”

Do you feel like you were smacked in the gut?

I do. (And if you don’t, maybe you should read it again more slowly.)

To conquer my own fancies… and my own lusts… and my own ambition…  in the sacred name of duty.



Courage includes fear to be sure, but it’s so much more than that. This is a high calling. Lord, teach me to be truly brave and truly strong.

When godless, wicked men prosper...

For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts him off, when God takes away his life? Job 27:8 

My conversation over dinner last week: Mexican border issues, Violence in Central America, Hitler, Stalin, Putin, Ethiopian famine, Black Hawk Down, Rwanda, NAFTA...

All in the same week this month: nearly 2,000 people killed in Nigeria (Voice of the Martyrs); 40 innocent people killed in Sanaa, Yemen (The Gospel Coalition); 11 people shot dead in Paris (Reuters); 97 people dead in Berundi (Wall Street Journal); 4 killed and dozens injured in Bangladesh (Wall Street Journal); 4 Chinese killed in North Korea (Wall Street Journal); 10 year old girl suicide bomber kills 16 in Nigeria (Washington Post)

231 churches attacked in 1 city in China last year (Voice of the Martyrs), 480,000 people dead in the Darfur region since 2003 (Global Prayer Digest), As of 2005, nearly 2 million children in the commercial sex trade (International Justice Mission), As of 2013, an estimated 29.8 million people held in slavery (International Justice Mission)

Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power? Job 21:7

They wrong the barren, childless woman, and do no good to the widow. Yet God prolongs the life of the mighty by his power; they rise up when they despair of life. Job 24:21-22

And I ask, "Why?" I look at my beautiful children and I imagine being unable to feed them. I imagine someone kidnapping them from me. Tears fill my eyes at the thought. Why is this the reality for so many people?

Some try to blame it all on Satan. And it's true, He is the "ruler of this world," but he doesn't have ultimate power.

"the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over the lowliest of men." Daniel 4:17

In Revelation 20:10, You decree to wipe Satan out. Why not do it now? Why not have done it in the first place? 

Will any teach God knowledge, seeing that he judges those who are on high? Job 21:22

I feel hatred toward wicked men who do wicked things. I hate evil. I hate that the wicked prosper. It's just just that it's unfair. It's just so horrific. And it's not new. Evil has always been with us. Men have always been slaughtering, raping, and pillaging each other. It's so hard to understand.

I read Job 27:8 and I feel pierced.

For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts him off, when God takes away his life? Job 27:8 

Hopeless. A world full of hopelessness. The wicked are left without hope. What is success in this life when there's an eternity of suffering to follow?

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Romans 8:20-21

You ordained to work through suffering. You have ultimate power over all evil (Mark 1:27) and yet you let Satan fall. 

Why? 

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18

The glory that is to be revealed

But it's so hard, Lord. The suffering is too great to bear. Our hearts say we don't deserve it.

Is not calamity for the unrighteous, and disaster for the workers of iniquity? Does not he see my ways and number all my steps? Job 31:3-4

But the Sunday School answer says we deserve far worse

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23

But what about that 10 year old girl? Why does she get that while I get this?

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing... Romans 8:18-19

 Just wait. You see all of this suffering. It's awful. It's beyond awful. There are no words. But wait until His glory is revealed. Just wait.

The deepest things I have learned in my own life have come from the deepest suffering. And out of the deepest waters and the hottest fires have come the deepest things that I know about God. Elisabeth Elliot

 And Christ suffered

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, 1 Peter 3:18

that He might bring us to God.

All this sin. 

All this love.

If you embrace the biblical truth that God ordains spectacular sins for the global glory of his Son, without God in any way becoming unholy or unrighteous or sinful in that act, then you will not shrink back from the cross of Christ as a work of God. John Piper in Spectacular Sins 

I heard somewhere about a persecuted Christian saying he felt sorry for Americans because it must be so hard to follow Christ with all of the distractions. 

He has it easy?

But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled. 1 Peter 3:14

I feel the need to acknowledge that I have in no way truly covered this discussion. We could write books on this subject. Wait. They already have.

Recommended reading: 

• Job
• Spectacular Sins by John Piper 

 

So you struggle with your prayer life too? (2015 Bible Reading Plan)

“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” Mark 1:35

This week, I was privileged to have 2 beautiful ladies over at my house on the same day - one in the morning - one in the afternoon. Ironically, both conversations ended up centered around this topic.

"No one, it seems prays as frequently or as fervently as they would like." -Matthew Westerholm

Or maybe it's not so ironic since it's what's been on my mind. I've been inspired to start a new plan in 2015. This is certainly not to say that I've found the secret for fixing your prayer life or that all my struggles have suddenly disappeared. But I do believe that having a plan is an important step.

"We do not drift into spiritual life; we do not drift into disciplined prayer. We will not grow in prayer unless we plan to pray. That means we must self-consciously set aside time to do nothing but pray. What we actually do reflects our highest priorities. That means we can proclaim our commitment to prayer until the cows come home, but unless we actually pray, our actions disown our words." -D.A. Carson

Let me start at the beginning...

Last year, I read through the Bible chronologically with my church. Having the accountability of others is priceless.

Also last year, one of my children officially ceased to take a quiet/nap time every afternoon. Of course, this was when I was accustomed to having my quiet times. It was hard to change my quiet time routine.

While I was thoroughly engaged in the Bible reading, I continued to struggle with maintaining a consistent prayer life.

"He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously." -Daniel 6:10

We have some really good friends who are currently serving as missionaries in a Muslim area. They came home last summer and shared a lot about their experiences. One of the things that stuck with me was how they have a call to prayer 5 times a day. Our missionary friends shared that they had benefited from this reminder to themselves to pray at those times as well. Wherever they are, they stop and pray.

"Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice." -Psalm 55:17

One of my struggles with taking the time to pray is in trying to read a large section of the Bible and then have a large time devoted to prayer all in one sitting. It feels like I either get one or the other.

So I was inspired to create my own Bible reading plan. I started it at the beginning of this year and so far I've been blessed immensely.

I get up in the morning before everyone else (okay, so this part hasn't always worked perfectly, but I'd say I've done pretty well overall) and read my New Testament reading.

I pick a verse from the reading to apply to my life. And then I word it as a prayer in my journal. And then I pray. This is my largest time devoted to prayer.

In the afternoon, after I put the boys down for a nap, have a tea party with my daughter and get her going on quiet activities, I do my Old Testament reading.

I pick a verse from the reading to apply to my life. And then I word it as a prayer in my journal. And then I pray. This is a shorter time of prayer. I've been using Valley of Vision for this one.

In the evening after putting the kids to bed, I read Old Testament Poetry.

I pick a verse from the reading to apply to my life. And then I word it as a prayer in my journal. And then I pray.

Now, of course there are days when I do the afternoon reading in the evening, miss the evening reading and do 2 evening readings the next night, etc. but the beauty for me is that because each reading is shorter, it's less intimidating to fall behind here and there.

And the benefit of coming back to the Word and prayer all day long is really worth it. 

I highly recommend finding a Bible reading plan that works for you. It's worth it. This one may or may not help, but I just thought I'd share it just in case. I made it in December. My husband is doing it with me, but I think he generally reads all 3 readings in the same sitting. If you do decide to use it, give me your feedback. I originally wanted to test it myself before sharing it, but my husband has already been sharing it...

One additional resource I've been using is an app called PrayerMate. Tim Challies blogged about it in September. And I've found it incredibly helpful. It's basically an organization system for your prayers. It's extremely versatile and useful.

Brief Explanation of the Bible Reading Plan:

New Testament: I alternated reading a Gospel with reading chronologically through Acts and the Epistles. Revelation is in May simply because I didn't want to read it in December again and May seemed like a good time of the year for studying it (at least for me). It's an average of 22 verses a day.

Old Testament: Average of 50 verses a day. I followed the ESV Chronological Reading Plan order with 2 exceptions

1. Job-Song of Solomon are taken out
2. 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles are read one after the other to avoid as much repetition of the same story twice in a row.

Poetry: I interspersed the books of the Psalms with the other books. I kept Job at a chapter a day because I ddin't want to break up each argument too much. After that, it averages 12 verses a day.

To hear and not to meditate is unfruitful... It is rashness to pray and not to meditate. What we take in by the word we digest by meditation and let out by prayer. - Thomas Manton

My 2015 Bible Reading Plan 

I'm Back! Books I Read Fall 2014

I’m back.

Of course immediately after I began my resolve to blog regularly, our house sold. Moving with 3 small children is a lot of work. I don’t recommend it.

But I didn't lose my resolves on quiet times and studying. I didn't read everything I wanted to, but it was all good. 

So here’s what's convicted me, struck me, amazed me, or challenged me this fall (along with some photos of life along the way)... 

The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson (so many quotes I could share)

“I don’t just want my kids to be moral… I want them to leave my home with a hunger and passion to know God personally and to be used by him to accomplish great things for his kingdom.” (pg. 80)

Knowing God by J.I. Packer (about halfway through now)

"Today, vast stress is laid on the thought that God is personal, but this truth is so stated as to leave the impression that God is a person of the same sort we are – weak, inadequate, ineffective, a little pathetic. But this is not the God of the Bible!  …He is eternal, infinite, and almighty. He has us in his hands; we never have him in ours." (pg. 83)

The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer (How do you choose just one quote? – Everyone must read this book. It’s an easy, wonderful read.)

“How completely satisfying to turn from our limitations to a God who has none.” (pg. 47)

The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs

"A little in the world will content a Christian for his passage, but all the world and ten thousand times more will not content a Christian for his portion."

"A godly heart can be filled by nothing in the world, it must only be God Himself. A godly heart will not only have the mercy, but the God of that mercy as well.”

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

I was struck by this description of what hospitality is not:

“Lady Middleton piqued herself upon the elegance of her table, and of all her domestic arrangements; and from this kind of vanity was her greatest enjoyment in any of their parties.” (pg. 30)

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald S. Whitney (about halfway through this one re-reading it after studying it at church last year - you should at least read the first 4 chapters)

“Isn't the main reason we don’t witness because we don’t discipline ourselves to do it?” (pg. 107)

The Poems of Alfred Tennyson (just over a third of the way through)

“One writes that ‘other friends remain,’

 That ‘loss is common to the race’—

And common is the commonplace, 

And vacant chaff well meant for grain. 

That loss is common would not make 

My own less bitter, rather more. 

Too common! Never morning wore 

To evening, but some heart did break.” 

(In Memoriam, Part VI)

William Tyndale: A Biography by David Daniell (I definitely skimmed sections of this large scholarly volume, but I gained so much from what I read)

“And when the gospel is preached unto us we believe the mercy of God, and in believing we believe the spirit of God, which is the earnest of eternal life, and we are in eternal life already, and feel already in our hearts the sweetness thereof, and are overcome with the kindness of God and Christ and therefore love the will of God, and of love are ready to work freely, and not to obtain that which is given us freely and whereof we are heirs already” – William Tyndale in The Parable of the Wicked Mammon (quoted on page 164-165)

The Radical Disciple by John Stott

“We are all designed to be a burden to others. You are designed to be a burden to me and I am designed to be a burden to you. And the life of the family, including the life of the local church family, should be one of “mutual burdensomeness.” ‘Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ’ Gal 6:2” (page 110)

Portrait of Calvin by T.H.L. Parker (available for free here: )

“In an interesting passage in the Institutes, Calvin summarized the gospel that he himself preached. When we preach, we must tell a man ‘that he was alienated from God by sin, an heir of wrath, liable to the punishment of eternal death, excluded from all hope of salvation, a total stranger to the blessing of God, a slave to Satan, a captive under the yoke of sin, and, in a word, condemned to and already involved in, a horrible destruction; that, in this situation, Christ interposed as an intercessor; that He has taken upon Himself and suffered the punishment which by the righteous judgment of God impended over all sinners; that by His blood He has expiated those crimes which make them odious to God; that by this expiation God the Father has been duly satisfied and atoned; that by this intercessor His wrath has been appeased; that this is the foundation of peace between God and men; and that this is the bone of His benevolence towards them.’” (page 70)

Habits of a Child’s Heart by Valerie E. Hess and Marti Watson Garlett (about halfway through)

“Prayer is not a free-will offering to God; it is an obligatory service, something God requires… God requires that we take time for this service.” –Dietrich Bonhoeffer (quoted on page 36)

Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers by Patrick Kavanaugh (I'm just about done with this one)

“Having begun the habit in childhood, Anton Bruckner always stopped to pray whenever he heard a church bell. Often, when he was teaching, a distant bell would ring, and his students remembered that “in the middle of a lesson they suddenly became aware that his mind and spirit were no longer with them: the church bells had rung, and Bruckner was praying.” (page 135)

The Doctrine of Repentance by Thomas Watson (perhaps it’s not even right to include this on the list since I read probably less than half of it and skimmed the rest – the reading is a bit dense – however I did appreciate the part I read)

“Let it not be said that repentance is difficult. Things that are excellent deserve labour.” (Preface)

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

No quotes. I liked this book quite a lot until the ending. And not even because the ending was weird (it's weird), but because she wraps everything up so suddenly and abruptly!

Spectacular Sins by John Piper

“It seems to me that Christians in the West are being coddled. We suffer little in the name of Christ. Therefore, we read the Bible not with a desperate hunger for evidences of God’s triumph in pain, but with a view to improving our private pleasures” (page 12)

“If you embrace the biblical truth that God ordains spectacular sins for the global glory of his Son, without God in any way becoming unholy or unrighteous or sinful in that act, then you will not shrink back from the cross of Christ as a work of God (page 105)

Autopsy of a Deceased Church by Thom S. Rainier

“’And…’ Tears welled in his eyes. He started again. ‘And we stopped praying with the passion we once had. That’s it. That was the beginning of the decline that led to our death. We stopped taking prayer seriously. And the church started dying.’ No prayer. No hope. And the church started dying.” (page 68)

Oh, and yes, in case you were wondering, the kids and I also read millions of picture books. They also loved listening to Little House in the Big Woods in the car. 

Stay tuned for my January reading. :)

Lynette

The LORD Is There

And the name of the city from that time on shall be, "The LORD IS There." Ezekiel 48:35


How are you doing?

I'm all right. I'm kind of depressed.

What's wrong?

I don't know. 
Nothing. 
Maybe it's the rain.
It's been raining all day.

Seriously. I don't feel like doing anything. Maybe I'll just sit on Facebook... or find another novel to read... or watch a movie...

Wait.

Why do I default to wallowing in my own self-pity?

I have every blessing in the world around me. Why do I feel down?

Does it matter?

Therefore my spirit faints with me;

my heart within me is appalled.

I remember the days of old;

I meditate on all that you have done;

I ponder the work of your hands.

I stretch out my hands to you;

my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.

Psalm 143:4-6

Maybe I'm just thirsty. 

Maybe in the midst of all this rain, I'm just thirsty.

“And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory.” Ezekiel 43:2

And the Lord said to me, “This gate shall remain shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it, for the LORD, the God of Israel has entered by it. Therefore it shall remain shut. Ezekiel 44:2

“And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The LORD Is There.” Ezekiel 48:35

The LORD Is There

"And then, though their troubles were many and threatening, they were like the bush which burned but was not consumed, because the Lord was there."  

-Matthew Henry's Commentary on Ezekiel

"And behold I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28:20

I must take care above all that I cultivate communion with Christ, for though that can never be the basis of my peace - mark that - yet it will be the channel of it." 

-Charles Spurgeon