Welcome July 27, 2009

I’m glad you stopped by my blog.  Make yourself at home.  Start meandering by scrolling down…and you can peek into all my cupboards and closets by clicking the side bar.  I know you’ll find some strengthening articles, encouraging resources, fabulous-but-forgotten hymn texts, and perhaps a heartening smile or two.  Most importantly, I hope you’ll be strengthened in your walk with the Lord for the time you spend here with me.  If you do not yet know Him, please click here for a beautiful invitation.  To learn about how He changed my life, click here, and by clicking here you can find out a few more fun and forgettable snippets about me.

If I can do anything to be a further blessing to you, in prayer, or by improving my site, please let me know…or just write to say “Hi”!  Please click here for an email form.

Blessings ~Diane

“Women Discipling Women” edited by Elyse Fitzpatrick to be released next year November 11, 2009

I was corresponding with Dr. Laura Hendrickson last week (I sent her an email in part to tip her off to an interesting conversation at SharperIron about nouthetic counseling, Jay Adams, and matters concerning mental illness/”brain disease”–see here for her excellent contribution) and she, in turn, tipped me off regarding the new book, “Women Discipling Women,” in which Laura will have a chapter.  The book will be authored by various individuals in connection with the Master’s College, with Martha Peace and Elyse Fitzpatrick.  Here is the scoop (shared by permission):

My understanding is that Harvest House is shooting for a release date to coincide with the annual Women Discipling Women conference, which will be held at John MacArthur’s Grace Community Church on July 16-17, 2010. … I do hope they make it..because the WDW audience is very enthusiastic, so it would be a great venue to kick off the book release.

I’ve been promised a review copy–I’m excited already to receive it!

Laura has a fine resource available entitled “Will Medicine Stop the Pain?” (which came highly recommended to me by Dr. Greg Mazak at BJU) that I have cited elsewhere on this blog, and will plug again here.    This book offers great insight regarding depression and anxiety.  This is timely information dealt with in a balanced, biblical manner.  Needful stuff, especially for Christian counselors.

When the new book is out, I’ll be sure and let you know.

Purity for Pre-Teen Girls November 10, 2009

A few years back, my daughter was given a copy of “The Princess and the Kiss” for a birthday gift.  Back then its significance was not something she was ready to consider; but now we are all too quickly approaching her 13th birthday.  Although her father and brother I am sure will serve as worthy bodyguards, and she is still covering her eyes (and simultaneously rolling them) at kissing scenes in movies  (I mean innocent “Anne of Green Gables” types), I know the time will come when she will need to have an answer for that all-important question:  “How will I know who to give my first to, and when?”

I think of the character of Amy in the most recent “Little Women” movie, who, while still very young, said, “I’ve waited all  my life to be kissed.”  Hollywood makes much of the physical aspect of relationships, so that viewers come away with the idea that that is all there is (or at least that it is to be the primary focus).  I want Erin to have a higher-than-mere-romance reverence for this precious gift of her purity, even in its “smallest” manifestations.  The very first gesture of affection which opens the door of “romance” for even the smallest peek – even this should be reserved as holy…a carefully guarded treasure.

No, I do not believe a kiss is a small gesture between a man and woman.  As testimony to this, I’ll tell you that my husband and I did not share our first kiss until our wedding day.  I am not saying that kind of restraint is easy, or that we didn’t struggle.  The discipline was good for both of us.  There was delight in the prospect of knowing we had saved it all to enjoy with consecrated abandon.  I even had someone ask me how I knew I wanted to marry Patrick, if I had never kissed him.  That is another manifestation of the Hollywood idea…the whole “fireworks” thing as proof that “he is the one.”  My response to her was that anyone can be taught to kiss.  Simply put, it is a skill.  But integrity and purity, holiness and honorable commitment – the things that are woven into the fabric of one’s character -these are what a believer brings to offer their future spouse at the marriage altar.  The foundation of a romance between believers is much more solid than base chemistry (aka hormones).  It is not about sexual prowess, and seeking socially acceptable/church-sanctioned license to exercise it. That is the stuff for Vegas drive-thru chapels. No–every fragment of the physical relationship is intended to be fresh and new; thrilling and at the same time sacred.

I have grown to love this little book, which emphasizes the importance of preserving yourself–hopes, dreams, actions and reactions, thoughts and motives–for God first, and then for your spouse, if He wills.  No regrets, no tarnished memories.  I highly recommend this beautifully illustrated treasure, written by Jennie Bishop.  Buy it for a young girl this Christmas.

Sunday Hymnary: “At Thy Feet, O Christ We Lay” by William Bright, 1867 November 7, 2009

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At thy feet, O Christ, we lay
thine own gift of this new day;
doubt of what it holds in store
makes us crave thine aid the more;
lest it prove a time of loss,
mark it, Savior, with thy cross.

 

If it flow on calm and bright,
be thyself our chief delight;
if it bring unknown distress,
good is all that thou canst bless;
only, while its hours begin,
pray we, keep them clear of sin.

We in part our weakness know,
and in part discern our foe;
well for us, before thine eyes
all our danger open lies;
turn not from us, while we plead
thy compassion and our need.

Delighting the Adversary November 6, 2009

I have enjoyed using the ESV for my devotions.  I have my kids using it for their Bible lessons as well.  Yesterday morning, the power of the words of the Lord Jesus to the scribes and Pharisees reverberated loudly in my mind:

13″But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. 15Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. Mt. 23:13-15)

He had no soft words for hypocritically religious people.  He never went easy on them, but exercised much more patience toward the ignorant and spiritually blind.  Wickedness and deceit in the hearts of those who ought to have known better was exceedingly repugnant to Him, while He was not surprised by sinful behavior manifested in the lives of those who still walked in darkness.

Oh, that we would learn from our Savior.  Why are we shocked when sinners behave as sinners?  Why do we try to change them on the outside before there is transformation within?  All we create through this process is a socially acceptable, perhaps politically correct – and no doubt eternally confused – rebel.

Further, why do we sugar coat and attempt to justify or excuse disobedience among ourselves?  Why are we afraid to biblically confront and exhort?  Why should we desire to encourage one another to mediocrity in our Christian walk?  By such omissions we become a delight to our adversary.

Friday Funnies: Got Chrome? November 6, 2009

My husband loves muscle cars.  He loves classic cars.  He had a Fastback Barracuda in his single days, followed by a ‘67 Dodge Polara and a ‘68 Dodge Monaco.  Big cars.  Loud cars.  Cars with chrome.  If you are yearning for the long-gone days of chrome as well, you may be heartened to see that someone else feels your pain and has tried to feed your need in a big way.  A bit too much bling for me .  Bet you can see it from outer space.

If you want to see some really over-the-top glitz, look at this gem for nearly $5 million.  Wonder what car wash they go to?  At $1,000 a touch, no doubt a “touchless” one!  People’s excesses are amazing.

Every Kid Loves a Puddle November 4, 2009

Just yesterday I was thinking what a wonderful gift it was to watch three deer basking in the sun – not 7 feet from my kitchen window – as I washed the dinner dishes.  Today this very cute footage of an elk calf was sent to me.  If you’ve never seen an elk, it’s fun to watch.  If you’ve ever been a kid, it’s fun to watch.  Enjoy.

“Screwtape” Ringtones? Wha…?? November 3, 2009

Released just last month (presumably to target the Halloween crowd), the Focus on the Family Radio Theater has come out with a dramatic production of The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis.  But the offerings, and the manner in which they are being offered disturbs my spirit.  I read this small book some years ago, and somewhere in a box we have a version on cassette.  For my part, it served to create a heightened sense of the spiritual warfare that occurs each day, in each of our lives.  Here is the description from the website:

“Featuring a top-notch cast, cinema-quality sound and more than four hours of delightfully disturbing (and often diabolically humorous) entertainment, The Screwtape Letters will open your eyes and ears to the devil’s schemes — and to the One who has overcome them.”

Was this really the author’s intent?  Delight?  And would he support the free downloads offered, such as wallpaper, ringtones (including “Screwtape’s Revenge,” and “Underworld March”), computer icons (featuring a demon with glowing eyes, flames, and flying pitchforks) and other “infernal devices”?  To look at the website, you begin to wonder who the “star” of this show really is.

Admittedly, I am an absolute Scrooge when it comes to Halloween, so my sensibilities are perhaps more offended than most.  Doesn’t this just play into the hand of the adversary’s agenda, to entice us to be entertained by (and even laugh at) Satan and his minions and devices?

Is this really all in the name of fun, or should believers be concerned?  What do you think?

Retro Spirituality November 2, 2009

Why do we lapse into retro-spirituality, thinking that our best days are behind us? I think the world’s model of Run > Reward > Retire > Rest has a lot to do with it.–Dr. David Jeremiah

We all hold dear a place in time (however brief) when things were, in our estimation, ideal.  It has not been improved upon since.  Whether it included real chrome on cars, “Leave It To Beaver” (on the first go-round) or a better economy; nothing can top that period in our lives.  Not so in the spiritual world.  We should not be living in the past (“glory days”) when it comes to spiritual things.  Paul wrote,

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 3:13,14

We tend to think the things we ought to forget about are only those things which are negative–failures, disappointments, frustrations.  But part of what is also to be left “behind” are old accomplishments, accolades, and acquisitions.  If there was anyone who had accumulated an impressive resume’ of all of those, it was Paul!  What he is saying here in other words is, don’t “rest upon your laurels.”  Your spiritual self today should be state of the art…it should be “new and improved” every moment!  When we refer to growth and spiritual activity in our lives, we should not be referring much to what took place in the last year…or decade.  We should have current and fresh fruit and victories worth mentioning.

In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul addressed with disapproval those who ought to have matured in Christ, but were not manifesting healthy growth.  We naturally expect our little ones to outgrow the baby talk, diapers, pacifiers and booster seats.  If we see someone in their teens who still takes nourishment from a bottle, we consider this abnormal.  The same is true of us spiritually. Growth is normal…the absence of it is abnormal.

How about you?  If you were asked about a significant thing you learned from the scriptures, how far back would you have to remember?  If someone inquired about the last time you offered a gospel witness to a lost person, how recent would that have been?

Here is an excellent devotional on the topic by Dr. David Jeremiah’s Turning Points magazine.  Call 1-800-947-1993 for a free complimentary copy.

Strength Email Archives: Infectious November 1, 2009

Are you infectious?  Hopefully not with one of the latest viruses or flu bugs!  This is an installment from the “Strength for Today” emails (Feb. 2002) I sent out until I began blogging.  Hope it helps to keep you healthy!

Dear Ladies:

This is what is known in most parts as “cold and flu season”–that coughing, sneezing, sniffling, wheezing time of year when we all share germs, viruses, flu bugs etc. with one another.

Some of these maladies are transmitted by direct contact. My little boy gave me one of his trademark bit, fat, slurpy smooches before bedtime a week or so ago, and voila’–I had a cold. The Bible tells us in Romans 12:10 to be “kindly affectioned one toward another”. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could fulfill this directive as easily as we share our kindly infections? I believe this is possible, if we set our minds to it. By “direct contact” we can give a hug, which can truly change someone’s day.

Continuing with this infectious train of thought, some germs are caught just by being in someone’s presence; or at least, by the lingering effect (infect?)of their presence. Here is a typical scenario from my archives: I carefully guard my kids from the latest nasty flu that is going around. Then, I make one teensy trip to the grocery store. There, lurking on the handle of the shopping cart are lots of tiny greeblies eagerly waiting for me to literally lay a hand on them. The next three weeks is history. [I make good use of those free alcohol wipes now!]

I became a helper to that flu bug when I neglected to wash my hands (as I routinely do) upon returning from the grocery store. I “helped” to spread it to my kids, perhaps when I hurriedly prepared their lunch without remembering that ritual trip to the sink.

I find myself thinking, “When was the last time I left a lingering positive spiritual effect that influenced others for good?” Paul talks about individuals being “helpers of joy” in II Cor. 1:24. How can we be helpers of the joy of others by our presence or the lingering effects of being with other believers? Here are some ideas:

Infectious praise: Ps. 34:3

Infectious laughter: Prov. 17:22

Infectious concern: Gal. 6:2

Infectious speech: Eph. 4:29

Infectious love Jn. 13:35

Infectious kindness Eph. 4:32

Infectious exhortation Heb. 10:24

Infectious hospitality I Pet. 4:9

My plan of attack for being more of a “Contagious Christian” is this: (1)Wash my heart routinely, so I am usable to spread kindly affection. Then, (2) Be sure I have washed my hands to keep from spreading nasty infection! Wouldn’t it be a blessing if we could all have a germ-free but affection-laden week, month, or even year??? Think of the money saved on doctor bills and medications! Better still, think of the heavenly and lasting reward that will be ours as we are a blessing to our spouse, children, friends and others! May this vision from the Word infect us all!

Free Holiday E-Book November 1, 2009

From the folks at Old Schoolhouse, this 175-page Digital Holiday Magazine is not your typical E-Book. Created with the same high-quality format that’s used in the digital version of the print magazine, you can even “turn” the lavishly illustrated, full-color pages. Includes ideas for planning, crafts, recipes, gifts and more!  Learn how to plan your own 1621 Thanksgiving Feast, and read “Eight Steps for a Peaceful Christmas” (don’t we all need that?)

Click here for details!