Monday Medittions

Rebellion to Grace ~ Hosea 11-14

Eyes turned
Toward distractions, fixed upon idols
Away from love unrecognized.

Healer, Provider, Protector
Affection, compassion - long suffering.

'For I am God and not man'

Eyes turned
Toward pride of self, contemptuous
Blind, the cry of guilt unheard.

Return, Strive, Speak
Hear the voices sent - for blessing.

'Judah is unruly against God'

Walk rightly
Return, acknowledge no other God
Discern, fashioned gods are unanswered.

Healing, Providing, Protecting
Grace, blessing and forgiveness - freely giving

'I will answer him and care for him'

Monday Meditations ~ a purposeful gale

The chiefest values in life and character are not blown across our way by vagrant winds.

"Great truths are greatly won, not found by chance,

Nor wafted on the breath of summer dream;

But grasped in the great struggle of the soul,

Hard buffeting with adverse wind and stream."

~ streams in the desert, Cowan (318)

Monday Meditations - Philippians 4:6

Oh, for grace to be quiet... to be still and know...  can we gain anything by fretting & worrying?  Do we not unfit ourselves for action, unhinge our minds for wise decision?

Overheard in an Orchard

Said the Robin to a Sparrow:

"I should really like to know

Why these anxious human beings

Rush about and worry so?"

Said the Sparrow to the Robin:

"Friend, I think it must be

That they have no Heavenly Father

Such as cares for you and me."

~ E. Cheney

from Streams in the Desert by Cowman, Oct. 8 & 10

Whole Persons-Filled & Overflowing

Remember that if a vessel that ought to be one whole, is cracked in many pieces, it cannot be filled.  You can take a potsherd, one part of a vessel, and dip out a little water into that, but if you want the vessel full, the vessel must be whole.   ~ Andrew Murray, "The Fruit of the Spirit is Love"

Paths to Follow: Together Intentionally

A Chapter in which we all go on an Expedition

“As soon as he saw the Big Boots, Pooh knew that an Adventure was about to happen…” (Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh, Ch. 8)

I look at new things as an adventure.  Places to go, people to see, things to learn!  Now adventure brings uncertainty and risk at times.  I often wonder why we are so risk adverse.  We forget to look closer and assess the risks and the implications. We assume change is bad and terribly unpleasant-‘unsettling’ says Eeyore).  So many times I find that it is more my uneasiness and less the reality of what might happen that impedes my path.  I set up my own roadblocks when my fears take over. On making friends: What if we have nothing in common?  On taking a stance: What if I step out there and no one joins me?  On new ideas: What if I look stupid?  What if… you fill in your worries…What if I am just plain wrong about this or that? (I know, it happens occasionally)! Sometimes those things do happen, but the results are generally less of a big deal than my fear says it will be.  So what if I am wrong and look stupid on occasion; usually, I am the only one that cares or remembers since it really is an okay thing to be wrong sometimes; it helps me learn. And that is a positive change!

 I wonder why we view change so uneasily.  Things are always changing-even the mundane days are part of moving forward, continuing on… doing the next thing.  The next thing may look just the same as today’s thing or something entirely new.  Adventure, risk, change-sometimes that takes courage. Maybe even strength we don’t think we have.  But we can’t get to step two without step one.  I love this year’s theme for Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS), “Be You, Bravely”.  Stepping out might just be stepping on to the next stone & reaching back to hold a hand as someone follows, or it might be looking ahead to grab the hand in front of us.  People are important, friends are important, relationships are important, Christian community is important (Colossians is a good place to read more on this)! Being brave in friendships can also mean being intentional. Maybe right now you are the one reaching back, another time, you may be reaching ahead-in either place, we are reaching deliberately! We need that friend to balance us when we are unsettled. So we walk bravely together. Sometimes we just don’t see the way clearly and that sister ahead is all we can see. We don’t always know what’s further ahead and the next step uncertain.  But what we do know is the faithfulness of our God; what we do know is grace.  As we do the next thing or meet changes, both smooth going mundane days and challenging and uneven hikes, let us come along side each other and remember that we make our plans-we walk our paths, but the Lord directs our steps (Proverbs 16:9).  As we follow the path ahead toward new adventures, Let’s Live Life Together Intentionally.

“It’s an Expedition.  That’s what an Expedition means.  A long line of everybody.” (Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh, Ch. 8)

Looking forward to getting to know more of you and encouraging you along the paths,

Grace for the day,

Kelli

"Faith in Future Grace...

satisfies us with the joy set before us" (338).  John Piper discusses throughout his book, Future Grace, the idea of what it means to actually LIVE daily life as Christians with the foundational understanding that "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him". 

The challenge is not merely to pursue righteousness, but to prefer righteousness.  The challenge is to get up in the morning and prayerfully meditate on the Scriptures as the main place where we see the gospel of the glory of Christ. 

An internal preference manifests in external pursuit which comes from the gospel of the glory of Christ.  My source of power to meet that challenge and my motivation is found in the Living Word and being saturated in the Word of Scripture about him! 

The air we breathe

I was thinking about the Atmosphere of our homes and the Discipline of Habits and I began wondering about how the atmosphere around us brings us ideas to consider in the natural way of things - just in living life.  I think Charlotte Mason calls it something like thought life and that we breathe it in just like we breathe air.  I began to pair this with how our ideas affect our behavior, the conduct of life.

I saw this example in Future Grace (Piper) today that reminded me of habits, atmosphere and the conduct of life...

There is the whole area of family conditioning.  If parents reward a child for whining, and give in to the manipulation of a child's moodiness, then that child will be trained that a good pout will get pity.  And thirty years later, the mastery of his moods will be twice as hard.

The habits that are formed 'thoughtfully and deliberately' are not tossed about by the waves of outside influence that come if they are based in the Atmosphere of Ideas, many worthy ideas found in many worthy books.  Ideas lined up against the Truth of Scripture that must surround us like the air we breathe and be more constant than the waves that roll.

Interesting, those of us with an understanding of a Charlotte Mason Education Philosophy recognize some foundational principles in educating our children, yet, I think it just applies to persons.  All of us...  What am I doing today to cultivate an Atmosphere, a Discipline and a Life of Truth and Grace?

A long time ago...

All that wander are not lost. ~ Gandalf

in a land far away, there lived a family who took an adventure.  It was fraught with struggles and challenges to overcome.  This is the part of the story where new things were discovered.  It begins in foreign place, in a beautiful spot, right across from the forest - in the east portion of la forêt Soignes, Kapucinnebos.

These are the memories of those times and travels...

I have begun posting on our old blog, Legacy of Learning.  The one we set up as part of a school project, but that's about all.  I figured it was time to go back and remember some of those adventures now that all the kids are older and off to college.  I'll just be sharing stories and pictures of our time overseas and some lessons learned and wisdom gained along the way.  Join me!

the goodness of God's guidance

"The opposite of impatience is...a deepening, ripening, peaceful willingness to wait for God at...

the unplanned pace of obedience…"

~ John Piper, Future Grace (167)

Faithfulness & Righteousness

Not enough time yesterday in Monday Meditations to say all I am pondering about righteousness and future grace:

the righteousness of Christ, man's imperfect righteousness, righteous acts, sanctification, justification, law and grace, dull mirrors, virtue, love, reflecting the beauty of God and how all shall know us by  our love, Sunday's sermon on love in the local church; 

and, of course, pondering this is a continuing reflection I invited you to join me in this week.  Many thoughts to think over...

Interesting,  a quick search on BibleGateway.com for 'righteous acts' and 'righteousness' brought up mostly references directly to the LORD.  The ones that referred to saints/believers often had the word faithfulness included and many "for His Name's sake".  In Romans, Paul expounds on the gospel in relation to the law and grace and our daily lives.

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:1-2).

… but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness (Romans 6:13).

Standing in grace,
Kelli

Monday Meds - Delighting

in the law of the Lord...

My continuing study from John Piper's Future Grace encouraged me to delight in the law of the Lord just as the saints of old loved His precepts and commands (Psalm 119).  We sometimes forget that 'Jesus did not come to abolish the law but fulfill it' (Matthew 5:17).  I am blessed to be a part of a local church that is not only strong doctrinally, but also emphasizes life-style discipleship as we come alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ to support and spur one another toward love and good deeds.  However, many churches today do not seem to place much focus on righteous acts.  Our righteous obedience matters now as much as the Old Testament prophets who walked blamelessly before the Lord their God.  Piper reminds us that Hebrews 11 lists those, who by faith, BELIEVED God and it was counted as righteousness.  These imperfect people, through faith in God's promises of grace, delighted in the law and their obedience and acts were pleasing to the Lord. 

This should be a great encouragement that our Father in heaven is not impossible to please.  In fact, like every person with a very big heart and very high standards, he is easy to please and hard to satisfy.  We would  would not want it otherwise.  We want the smile of his happy affection and the fierce sparkle in his eye that we can-and one day will-do, O, so much better.  With this understanding of how we are accepted by God through faith in our Redeemer whose perfect obedience counts as ours, and with a grasp of how genuinely worth obedience of our own is possible by faith in God's promises, the saints were able to say, "Oh how I love your law!  It is my meditation all the day." (152)

Back to Matthew 5, verse 16 admonishes us to shine so clearly that our good works are visible to men that they in turn give glory to our Father in heaven.  Come with me today, as I...
 

delight in

 the beauty of enduring grace.

A Culture of Noise

I read a sad but insightful commentary this morning.  Janie Cheaney with World Magazine in the Campus edition writes thoughts about families in Broken Music.  I find that when I am surrounded by the noise of our culture, the vibrations can be overwhelming, and it is so easy to be absorbed and become immune to what our societies call 'normal'.

As I read through my new study in Future Grace (John Piper), I am reminded that our power to live godly lives is bound up in the grace that the Holy Spirit gives for today.  If we are too distracted by worldly noise that comes with daily life in this fallen world, we forget that our strength comes from a relationship with Christ and his Word.  Knowing God takes work and discipline just like any other relationship.  Without that time and effort our joy dissipates and we are no longer holding out to others the future hope we have as Christians; it isn't even recognizable in our own lives.  Let us instead therefore choose to live joyfully today!

As we strive to become more like Christ and cultivate beauty and love in our homes and families, we CAN act, live, and be different-we are different! Because of a personal relationship with Christ.  Friends, it is vitally important to our families, our culture, our relationship with our gracious God that we spend time learning to know him more though his word every day; he provides the power we need to hear the music over the noise!

Here are the words to one of my favorite hymns: Jesus! I am Resting, Resting by Jean Sophia Pigott...

Jesus! I am resting, resting In the joy of what You are;
I am finding out the greatness Of Your loving heart.
Thou hast bid me gaze upon You, Your beauty fills my soul,
For, by Your transforming power, You have made me whole.

REFRAIN:

Jesus! I am resting, resting
In the joy of what You are;
I am finding out the greatness
Of Your loving heart.

Oh, how great Your loving kindness, Vaster, broader than the sea:
Oh, how marvelous Your goodness, Lavished all on me!
Now I rest in my Beloved, Oh, what wealth of grace is mine,
Standing safe within the promise, that in You I find. (Refrain)

Simply trusting You Lord Jesus, I behold You as You are,
And Your love, so pure, so changeless, Satisfies my heart,
Satisfies my deepest longings, Meets, supplies my every need,
Love that showers me with blessing, Love that carries me. (Refrain)

Ever lift Your face upon me, As I work and wait for Thee;
Resting ’neath Your smile, Lord Jesus, Earth’s dark shadows flee.
Brightness of my Father’s glory, Sunshine of my Father’s face,
Keep me ever trusting, resting, Fill me with Your grace. (Refrain)

The Comparison Trap, a talk for MOPS: Follow up Q's

I am a child of God,
I ought to do His will.
I can do what He tells me,
And by His GRACE, I will.

• Do you know for certain that you are a Child of God? (I am)  
• When do you most often find yourself in the ‘comparison trap’? (by His GRACE) 
• What is a useful distraction for you (and/or your child) to use when you find yourself in those situations?(I will) 
• In what ways you can obey God more as you pursue holiness? (I ought) 
• What is a practical way you can incorporate the Word of God into your everyday life? (I can) 

Read The Comparison Trap posts...

The Comparison Trap - a talk for MOPS, Part 3

Dear MOPS moms and other fellow Beautiful Messes,Part 3-Enduring GRACE

I have shared this poem with you before.  It's taken from our educational philosophy (Charlotte Mason) but applies anywhere and actually to any age.  Alongside my children through the years, I have learned how very true this is for my life. And I want to start with this and weave it into our discussion on 'Comparing Ourselves to Others'.

I am a child of God, 
I ought to do His will.
I can do what He tells me,
And by His GRACE, I will.  

We are all so different!  Yet, we make comparisons all the time… Is the grass really greener on the other side?

To answer rightly I should clarify our context for today  - Comparisons vs. assessments. I want to move us from a ‘comparison point’ to a ‘grace point'. Part 1: PERSPECTIVE, Part 2: FOCUS, Part 3: Enduring GRACE.

Quote for the Day

- from Future Grace by John Piper

There is a sense in which gratitude and faith are interwoven joys that strengthen each other.

Giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:20

As gratitude joyfully revels in the  benefits of past grace, so faith joyfully relies on the benefits of future grace.  Therefore when gratitude for God's past grace is strong, the message is sent that God is supremely trustworthy in the future because of what he has done in the past. In this way faith is strengthened by a lively gratitude for God's past trustworthiness.  On the other hand, when faith in God's future grace is strong, the message is sent that this kind of God makes no mistakes, so that everything he has done in the past is part of a good plan and can be remembered with gratitude.  In this way gratitude is strengthened by a lively faith in God's 

future grace.

The Comparison Trap - a talk for MOPS, Part 2

Dear MOPS moms and other fellow Beautiful Messes,Part 2- Focus

I have shared this poem with you before.  It's taken from our educational philosophy (Charlotte Mason) but applies anywhere and actually to any age.  Alongside my children through the years, I have learned how very true this is for my life. And I want to start with this and weave it into our discussion on 'Comparing Ourselves to Others'.

I am a child of God, 
I ought to do His will.
I can do what He tells me,
And by His GRACE, I will.  

We are all so different!  Yet, we make comparisons all the time… Is the grass really greener on the other side?

To answer rightly I should clarify our context for today  - Comparisons vs. assessments. I want to move us from a ‘comparison point’ to a ‘grace point'. Part 1 was all about PERSPECTIVE...In Part 2, Let's FOCUS...

Get Out of that Trap!

'Comparison Trap' Resources from a talk for Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) meeting on...

"Is the Grass Really Greener?

Keeping the proper perspective will keep us out of the ‘comparison trap’ and give us a right focus. What our focus is as moms will be a huge part of our children's as well. That is back to that whole person and real life thing. Where you spend your time and energy is what becomes your focus. Habits of the heart are cultivated.

Monday Meditations...

on Tuesday...

I am beginning a new study from John Piper's Future Grace.  Come with me as I ponder
 

the beauty of enduring grace.

...there is something about the faith through which pardoning grace justifies, that makes it a suitable and efficient means through which empowering grace always sanctifies.

The faith that justifies gives rise to lives of obedience-not perfection, but growing holiness.

Thoughts on Oughts

Dear Friends and Fellow Beautiful Messes,

The real question:

We thought about the 'Comparison Trap' yesterday and the question of, "Is the grass greener?".  A wise comment was made during a discussion time about the positives a comparison can bring as it inspires us to do better.  True, comparisons can give us a goal and be that impetus to get us moving toward change.  If we look deeper at that, the motivation is in response to the question we decided was the better-"Am I reflecting Christ?".  A comparison of that sort is really a legitimate assessment and, though it is about 'me' in the sense of what I need to do better, it is ultimately a focus on God, who he is, and whether or not am I showing that in my life.  That is the good sort of comparison.

I Ought to?:

We need to be careful, as we try to stay out of the negative 'Comparison Trap', that we don't go back to that 'me' focus by confusing our 'Oughts' with preferences or just the reality of who we are.  Here's what I mean...  Ought I to like the color purple?,  Ought I to want pink marshmallow fluff? Ought I to be as organized as my friend? Not necessarily.