I'm not normal.

I'm not normal.

If you're a regular reader around here you probably know that already.
"Normal" is what conforms to our culture. Our culture does not recognize Jesus as Lord; it has warped ideas of marriage, family, and sexuality; it encourages us to spend what we want when we want regardless of our income.
By that standard, I am very abnormal.

• I am a follower of Jesus in a world that hates--and sometimes, what is often worse, ignores--him.
• I am committed to honor, respect and even submit to my husband, Biblically, as the Church submits to Christ (aka, place myself under his loving care and leadership, not become a doormat).
• I am a homemaker and proud of it. I do not seek validation from a conventional career, although I do also work outside the home.
• I and my husband plan to homeschool our children as we were also educated at home, and feel that as future parents it would be best for us to be the primary influence in our future children's lives (radical, huh?).
• I and my husband gladly and frugally live within our means and don't have any credit card debt. We rent an apartment (for now), drive a used car, and don't spend more than we make.
• I believe in Biblical femininity--in embracing my God-given role as a woman.
• I believe that sex is an amazing gift of God, designed to be enjoyed within a marriage by a husband and wife (one man and one woman).
• I strive to avoid eating and cooking with processed foods, and cleaning with natural, inexpensive products.

(See all the links in the text above? Click on those to read more in-depth posts I've written on those topics.)

Paul wrote to the Romans, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:1-2)

Jesus said to his disciples (which includes believers who follow him), "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. " (John 15:18-19)

Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:3-6)

Peter wrote, "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul." (1 Peter 2:11)

Scripture itself tells me that I'm not "normal" by the world's standards. I am not to conform to the pattern of the world; I do not belong to the word; I do not fight with the weapons of the world; I am, in fact, an alien and stranger in the world.

I am a child of God: heaven is my eternal home, and therefore I live my life with an eternal perspective--this life is not all there is.

So, no, I'm not normal. And that's just how it should be.

Offensive Grace

I don't like being told I'm helpless.  That I can't do anything to save myself.  I like feeling self-sufficient and independent.  I like feeling in control.

The thing is, I'm not.  I'm not really in control of my life.  I don't have control over my future.  And I certainly have no control over my life or how long it will last (ruling out suicide; that's an entirely different discussion).

God is in control of my life.  He gave me life, and he decides what will happen in it, and how long it will last.  And most importantly, God has guaranteed that I will not die eternally.

God has taken the responsibility for my salvation on himself.  I can do absolutely nothing about it.  No amount of good that I do has any bearing on my place in eternity.  Jesus took the punishment for MY sin on himself, and gave me his holiness and purity as a free gift.  I did not die for my sins.  I cannot claim the reward of salvation on my own because I do not deserve it.  I can only accept it because Jesus earned it for me and has given it to me freely.  He suffered an unbearable death on the cross in my place, and in the place of all other people who have ever lived.  He took the worst possible punishment--separation from God himself--on him, so that we would never have to experience it.

To many, many people, this sounds ridiculous.  "What does some Jewish teacher who lived two thousand years ago have to do with me?  How does his death guarantee my salvation?  Why do I even need salvation?  Why shouldn't I be able to earn it on my own?"

We don't like owing things to people.  We don't like to admit that we can't do everything for ourselves.

This is why the Gospel is foolishness to so many.  This is why grace is offensive.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God....Where is the scholar?  Where is the philosopher of this age?  Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.

"Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 

"For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength...God choose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.

"It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.  Therefore, as it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.'"  (1 Corinthians 1:18-31)

Grace is a gift.  Plain and simple.  It's not something we deserve, it's something God gives to us because he loves us.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast."  (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Linking with: Upward not Inward, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home,  Deep Roots at Home, We are THAT Family, Messy Marriage, Graced Simplicity

Attitude {Like that of Christ Jesus}

Welcome to visitors from the A to Z Challenge!  Please leave a comment to let me know you're here, and check out other posts that pique your interest!  Mondays are Marriage Mondays at Living in the Light.

"Don't give me that attitude, young lady!"  That's what comes to my mind when I hear the word attitude.  Of course, when my mother said that to me growing up, it was definitely always because I deserved it!  But the word seems to often have a negative connotation.

According to dictionary.com, the word simply means "manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., with regard to a person or thing; tendency or orientation, especially of the mind."

I want to consider what kind of attitude we have in marriage.  How is my attitude toward my husband?  How is yours toward your spouse?  How is your "disposition, feeling, position, etc." when it comes to marriage?

My attitude can sometimes be loving, especially when my husband has been sweet and helpful, when he hasn't left dirty dishes or laundry lying around, when he's been affectionate.  But in that case, my attitude is dependent on my husband's actions toward me.  That's reasonable, I suppose, but is it right?

Let's see what Scripture has to say about it.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross!  Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Philippians 2:3-11 (NIV)

Jesus Christ, God's Son, God himself, humbled himself to the ultimate point.  We just celebrated yesterday his resurrection from the dead--but he wouldn't have had to rise if he hadn't allowed himself to be humiliated and killed on a cross.

This, Paul wrote to the Philippians, is the attitude we are to have: that of humility, considering others better than ourselves.  Paul doesn't advocate self-loathing, but he is encouraging his readers (that's us!) to put others first.

I have already found from experience that when I do this in my marriage, my husband's and my relationship greatly benefits from it.  When each of us is seeking to serve the other person, instead of paying attention to only our own needs and wants, we're both happier.  When we act in a selfless manner toward the other, we both feel loved so very much, because in doing that we're demonstrating that each of us is the most important person in the other's life.

It might seem counter-intuitive to live in such a way.  "Gotta look out for number one," after all.  But following what comes naturally doesn't always work out.  By nature we're sinful, selfish human beings.  It's because of Jesus' sacrifice in our place that we have the ability to live as he did--selflessly.  Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for us: his own life.  He loves us so much that he was willing to suffer indescribable humiliation and agony, so that we could be forgiven--and so that we could imitate him.

By God's grace, we're able to show each other Christ-like humility and selflessness--in all our relationships, but especially in marriage.

I'm going to keep working on this in my own marriage.  Try it for yourself!  See what happens when you start putting your spouse first.  The results just may be even better than you thought.

I'd like to give a shout-out to Arlee Bird, the fantastic blogger who started this A to Z Challenge three years ago!  Head over to his blog and say hello!

Linking today:  A Proverbs 31 Wife, What Joy is Mine, The Better Mom, Yes They Are All Ours, Countrified Hicks

Marriage :: Defined

Well, now I know how to get all my Facebook friends excited: ask them to share their opinions on the topic the Supreme Court is currently debating.  (If you would like some background information, you can read it here, here, and here.)

I realize that there are a lot of issues involved in this.

-How do we define marriage?
-WHO defines marriage?
-Is homosexual marriage a right?
-Should the government have a role in marriage at all?
-Who decides who can get married and who can't?

Disclaimer:  I'm going to state some of my beliefs here.  I understand many of you may disagree with me, and that's OK.  I'd love a discussion in the comments.  I just ask that we all respect each other as people created by God.

For me, the bottom line is GOD.  God supersedes the government in authority.  God's Word contains the directives for daily life.  Obedience to God is the best way to live.  So I stand by God's definition of marriage.

Genesis 2:23-24: The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man."  For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

Genesis 1:27-28: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it."

God created marriage to be between one man and one woman.  (Side note: his directive to "be fruitful and increase in number" would be impossible to fulfill if marriage had been designed to also include same-sex couples!)

Now, should the government have the right to define what marriage is?
I acknowledge that our government isn't perfect.  It may even be described as corrupt.  And I realize that governments have been used in the past for great ill.
That doesn't negate the fact that government was originally instituted by God for the order and benefit of society.  (In 1 Samuel, God chose the first king, Saul, for the people of Israel.)  In the United States, our government has outlawed such sins as murder and theft, and sexual sins such as incest, rape, and child pornography.  I believe that therefore homosexuality can be decreed by our government as illegal.

This brings me to the next point... is homosexuality a sin?
I believe it is.  I believe that anything outside God's design for marriage is sinful.  And the Bible does speak to this.  Genesis 19:1-11 make it clear that homosexual behavior is punishable.  Leviticus 20:10-17 condemns homosexuality, incest, adultery, and bestiality.  1 Corinthians 6:9 clearly condemns homosexuality, along with other sins.

Romans 1:24-28 states, "Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts for the degrading of their bodies with one another...Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.  In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another.  Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion."  It is helpful to read this passage in its full context: Romans 1:20-32.  Also see this article for a helpful discussion of the topic.

Now, I must make the most important point.
Do I condemn homosexuals?

NO!

I cannot condemn any sinner.  Why?  Because I, too, am a sinner.  It is up to God to condemn sin.  I saw an excellent quote on Facebook, that has been attributed to Rick Warren (although I can't verify that):

Our culture has accepted two huge lies.  The first is that if you disagree with someone's lifestyle, you must fear or hate them.  The second is that to love someone means to agree with everything they do.  Both are nonsense.  You don't have to compromise convictions to be compassionate.

Jesus said, "Love one another as I have loved you."  Jesus loves everyone equally.  That's the kind of equality I'm all about!  He does not love any person more or less for the choices they've made.  However, Jesus did tell the prostitute caught in her sin, "Neither do I condemn you.  Now go and sin no more."  (John 8:10-11)

Jesus died a horrific death on the cross so that the sins of all people, of all time, would be paid for.  He wants all people to be in heaven with him someday.  All people have been created by God, and God loves them all, so very much!  Whether your sin is drunkenness, gluttony, sloth, greed, murder, lust, theft, homosexuality, or any other sin, Jesus has died to eliminate that sin.  He has died for you (and me!) because he loves us.  And he doesn't want us to be separated from God for eternity.

So am I going to say homosexuality is wrong?  Yup.  Am I going to say it's something no one should do?  Yes.  Am I going to back the government if it makes a law that homosexuality is illegal?  Well, I'm not going to complain... but the government hasn't outlawed my sinful habits of rudeness, laziness, and meanness.  The government isn't required to make such a decision.

Will I continue to strive to love everyone around me equally, with the love of Jesus?  You bet.  Because that's how God does it.


Linking with: Upward Not Inward, Deep Roots at Home, Raising Homemakers, We are THAT Family, To Love, Honor and Vacuum, Messy Marriage

My Purpose for Writing and for Life

I was inspired today to reevaluate my purpose and goals for this blog, and for my writing in general.  Why am I writing?  About what am I writing?  For whom am I writing?

Bottom line, I'm writing to honor and glorify God.  I am writing so that you can know my Jesus--the Son of God who is Lord of all.

And within that, I'm writing to encourage, build up, and inspire you--those for whom I write.

I want to write about a lot of things: homemaking, marriage, cooking, life.  But I want the good news of Jesus Christ to be the common thread that runs through all of that.  God is all-pervading in my life; he's the reason I am alive and he gives me purpose for life.  I want my blog to reflect that.

I'm writing for you, and I'm writing for Jesus.

Maybe that sounds kind of corny.  But in this little space on the internet, I have a voice, and I can use that voice to serve him: to praise him for who he is and what he has done, and to talk about the good news of his life, death, and resurrection.

I want to share a lot of things with you.  I'm thankful for each of my readers, and yes, I hope my readership will grow.  But I want that mostly so that I can tell all of you who read these words of mine, that Jesus loves you.

I want you to know that:  Jesus loves you.  So much.  So much that he, the Son of God, came to earth as a human, lived, and died, and rose again, for you.    He did this so you can have a relationship with him, have faith in him as your Lord and Savior, and spend eternity in heaven with him.

As a sinful person, I won't always accomplish what I set out to do on this blog.  I might focus more on myself than my God.  When that happens, I ask that you graciously look past my faults to the perfect God who, by his grace, I do my best to serve.

He has done everything for me, and he has done everything for you.  Please rest in the knowledge today that the Creator and King of the universe--loves--you.


Linking with:  The Fontenot Four, black tag diaries, There's Just One Mommy, Loved and Lovely

I may be crazy...

Bath products.
Makeup.
Cleaning chemicals.
Personal care products.

What do all these things have in common?
They're generally made from things that aren't very good for your body or your health.  They're expensive.  And I think I can do better.  With some help, of course.  I have already gotten started:

-For cleaning, I already use white vinegar, mixed with water in a spray bottle for general cleaning and sanitizing.  That's about it.
-I tried making homemade liquid soap--which I haven't used up yet, and I may or may not try this technique again.
-I've just started using the baking soda and apple-cider-vinegar hair cleaning method.  (More on that in a future post, but five days in, I love it!)

I've been reading ideas and recipes for all sorts of natural, homemade products to replace conventional ones.

The reason I'm interested in making homemade versions of products that most people spend a lot of money on, is mainly the simplicity of it.  There are more frugal alternatives to commonly-used products, more all-purpose products (like vinegar and baking soda), and homemade versions that I think work just as well or better than the "store-bought" versions.

(Please understand, I don't have a problem with people who use shampoo, Lysol, Windex, etc, etc.  I'm just excited in researching alternatives for myself and my family.)

I have found several bloggers who have embraced this kind of "homemade" lifestyle, and I wanted to compile some of my favorite ideas of theirs that I have found--for my future reference and your benefit.

From Shaye at The Elliot Homestead:
Castile soap and all its amazing uses--shower soap, hand soap, shampoo, general household cleaning, and more!
A variety of what Shaye calls "cleaning products for the poor," starting with my friends vinegar and baking soda.
And a list of all Shaye's homemade products, including baby items and lip balm.

From Thank Your Body (the writer has more of a "hippie" lifestyle/mindset than I will ever have, but she has some great ideas and recipes for a lot of things):
Homemade hand soap (different recipes than I used, including one that's yet another use for Castile soap).
Natural "bleach"--hydrogen peroxide and lemon juice!
Homemade deodorant--this one sounds nice, although probably not something I'll need to make for a long time--my body doesn't need deodorant much anyway, so it takes me ages to go through a regular stick.  I have got to invest in some coconut oil, for a ton of reasons!

I also want to invest in less refined foods--like raw honey and real maple syrup, all whole wheat flour (and ground oats, and other non-white-flour grains).  I want to start using healthier fats, like high-quality butter and coconut oil.  I have all these dreams, plans, and ideas... but I keep reminding myself, I'm doing pretty darn good for a young, year-and-a-half married, college student on a little bitty budget!

Bottom line, I want to use the gifts God has given us to the best of my abilities--to honor God with our bodies, which includes the way we eat and the chemicals we use in, on and around our bodies.  I want to make the best use of the resources we have, especially food.  I want God to be glorified in all aspects of our lives, and that means not making all this stuff into a god, but focusing (there's that word again!) on THE important thing in my life: not health, not money, not food--GOD.

Men and Women: There SHOULD be a difference!

Alexandria at Vintage Muse + Modern Views recently wrote an article that I found because a friend shared it on Facebook.  I think what she has to say is extremely important, even though among most people of my generation (and even my parents') it's not popular in the least.

Bottom line?  I am a woman, and I want to be treated like one, plain and simple!

Gaining Equality or Losing Identity?

Image from Vintage Muse + Modern Views

Why I'm Voting for Romney/Ryan (and why I'm not)

My husband and I just finished watching the vice-presidential political debate.  We watched the presidential one a couple weeks ago.  Watching these debates, and all the other political discussion and ads on TV lately, has reminded me of something: I am NOT voting for either candidate because I agree with them on everything.  Neither of the candidates has a plan with which I completely agree.

That's not a bad thing.  It's also to be expected.  As my dad says, "You're not voting for a person so much as you are for a platform."  The Republican party is one I can stand with on MOST things.  And I feel that after four years of disappointment in what President Obama has done, it's time for the other party to have a go, again, at running the country.

Paul Ryan proved why I like his platform in the debate this evening.  The moderator asked the VP candidates, "You are both Catholic--something that hasn't happened in a presidential race in a long time.  Based on your religion, what are your opinions on abortion?"

The Catholic church's stance on abortion is that it is wrong (because they believe that life begins at conception), with, as Ryan said, the exceptions of rape, incest, and threat to the mother's life.  That is also the stance of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, and although I don't agree with it entirely, I can accept it.  Ryan pointed this out, and stated firmly once again his belief that life begins at conception.  He did not back down on this at all.

When posed with the same question, Biden also noted the Catholic church's stance, but that he believed every woman should have the opportunity to choose whether or not she wants to have an abortion.  It's not the government's right, he said, to deny women that opportunity--that right--to do what they want with their own bodies.

(Yes, I am paraphrasing what the men said.)

What I appreciated about Ryan was that he did not back down from saying that abortion is wrong, period.  He didn't contradict what his faith believes about the life of unborn children.  And he did say that yes, in a case of clear right and wrong, it IS the government's right to dictate what people can and can't do.  It's wrong to kill an adult person in cold blood except in cases of self-defense.  The government dictates that and has laws that uphold that.  Abortion should be no different.

So I am voting for Romney and Ryan because they uphold what I believe is right.  I think their plans regarding foreign policy, the war(s) on terrorism, nuclear weapons, and taxes in the US will do a lot of good and are the wisest decisions that the government can make right now.  I have confidence in their character, as much as I can considering they're politicians, and more importantly, I have confidence that God is in control, period, no matter who is in the White House.

That, finally, is what it all comes down to for me.  God is in charge.  Not the President of the United States, technically the most powerful person in the world.  Not the people of the United States who vote that President into office.  Not terrorists who murder those people of the United States.

God is in control.  I have full confidence in that.  No matter what happens politically, in relation to other countries, or to the economy, the fact that God's in charge will not ever change.  I know he will always take care of me.  I know that nothing that happens in the world can affect my eternal salvation.  And I know that God will always give me opportunities to stand up for my faith in him.

God himself does not need defending.  What we can do, and should do, as Christians is to speak up for what is right and denounce what is wrong.  We need to make clear what is of God and his Word and what is not.  That's what matters eternally--not the person who will be in the White House for the next four years.

Rely on God, my friends...not politicians.


P.S.  I'm glad to be writing again.  I've missed it, and I hope to write a little more often starting now.  Thanks to those of you who are still sticking with me!  You are a blessing.

apparently I'm growing up...

So I discovered proof of something recently: I'm growing up.

How do I know?  Several things:

Joshua and I spent over an hour working on our budget this evening.  It was fun.

My goals for this weekend are: get the kitchen clean, and get the bathroom clean.

I'm looking forward to composing a grocery list and a detailed, two-week meal plan tomorrow.

I'd rather watch The Dick van Dyke show than any TV show made in the last 40 years.

A clean kitchen is a joy to my heart.

I would rather sleep than do a lot of other things.  (Although I realize this is also true for infants and the elderly, so maybe this isn't so much a sign of growing up as it is of simply being human.)

My bedtime is 10 pm.  Even on weekends.

On a similar note, sleeping in means sleeping till 9 am at the latest.  Bliss!

Junk food equals homemade pizza and brownies.  (Thank goodness.)

I would rather eat oatmeal with flax seed for breakfast than sugary cold cereal (yuck).


And yet, I'm still a 21-year-old college student.
But I'm also married, so maybe that's an explanation for why I feel so weirdly adult.

I realize, of course, that I still have a lot of growing up to do.  I haven't had much life experience in comparison to my grandparents, or even my parents.  There are so many things left for me to learn and experience.

But let me tell you, for someone whose peers are all still living on a college campus and whose biggest worries are test scores and what mystery food will be served in the cafeteria, it is weird to state all those truths I listed above.  I feel... unusual.  Isolated.  Often misunderstood.

That's why I'm so thankful for the few married, close-to-my-age friends that I do have.  Because they understand, and it's so good to have friends who understand.  Who get me, who can sympathize, and who know how exciting it is to have a grocery budget over $50 a week.  (Not kidding.  That's about what I feed us on, and I am so proud of myself.)

This Thursday, and every day, I am thankful for the life God has given me: the good and the bad, because I learn more from mistakes than I do from successes, and I trust God more in hard times than in easy.  I'm so very thankful for a husband who loves me even when I'm an idiot, for friends who accept me exactly as I am, for family who are always there when I need them.

Because there's one more reason I've realized that I'm growing up:

I have come to learn that the greatest blessings in life are those that can't be assigned a monetary value.  Not things that can be purchased.  Blessings that are tangible, but absolutely priceless: family.  Friends.  Faith.  Forgiveness.

No matter how grown-up I get, I hope to always remember that.

Linking up today (for the first time in so long...so grateful!):
black tag diaries, Jenni Mullinix, lovely little whimsy, kate says stuff, First Day of My Life, Passionate and Creative Homemaking

The Privilege of Being His Witness

Joshua and I read in Matthew for our devotions this morning.  Part of the passage was the Great Commission in Matthew 28:

"Then Jesus came to [the disciples] and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'"  

Matthew 28:18-20

The account of Jesus' ascension in Acts 1 adds some more insight:

"[Jesus] said to [the disciples]: 'It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.  But you will receive power then the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'" 

Acts 1:7-8

We are called to be Christ's witnesses, making disciples "of all nations."  For some Christians, that means going to faraway countries to preach the Gospel.  For others, that means witnessing for Jesus in our neighborhoods, workplaces and towns.  Jesus told the disciples they would be witnesses in Jerusalem--the city they were in at the time--and in Judea--the country where they were.

Being Christ's witnesses doesn't necessarily mean going to Africa or China or Russia to be a missionary.
It means sharing our faith in our daily lives, everywhere we go.

No believer has an excuse for NOT being a witness.

And no believer has to despair that they don't have the time, money or resources to become a missionary to a foreign country.

We are witnesses in the places and vocations in which God has placed us.

For me, that means I am a witness at home (yes, to my husband, even though he is a believer!), at school, at work, in my little town, and to my friends, acquaintances and others who read what I put on the internet every day.

(Have you ever thought of that?  Your Facebook posts, tweets, and blog posts are all part of your Christian witness!  How are you sharing the love of Christ through your online presence?)

These passages in Matthew and Acts are always a wake-up call for me.   It's a conviction: I need to be aware of how I'm witnessing Christ, and be intentional about it!  And it's also an encouragement: I have been given the incredible privilege of representing the God of the universe, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to every person I see each day.

How incredible is that?

My encouragement, to myself and to you, today is this:
Look for ways God has given you to witness him.
Be intentional at least once today about speaking the Gospel and the name of Jesus to someone you normally wouldn't.
Remember--God will give you the words to say, because His Holy Spirit is in your heart.


Linking up with these lovely ladies:
The Houtz House Party; New Life Steward; A Wise Woman Builds Her Home; Deep Roots at Home; Women Living Well

When You Don't Feel Beautiful

Physical beauty is pleasant to have.

We all like to have good hair days, clear skin, white (or mostly white) teeth, and flawless makeup, with our clothes fitting just right and flattering our bodies.

However, if you've read 1 Peter, chapter 3, you know that physical beauty isn't everything.

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.  Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." 1 Peter 3:3-4

We all desire that kind of inner beauty.  But what about the times when you feel like you don't have even that kind of beauty?  When "a gentle and quiet spirit" is the last way you would describe your inner self?

Well...
That kind of beauty does not come from you.
It comes from within, yes... but from a source that is not you at all.

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?" 1 Corinthians 6:19

Your inner beauty comes from the Holy Spirit, because as you are a saved and forgiven child of God, the Holy Spirit lives in you.

"For the fruit of the Spirit is love, you, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.  Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.  Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." Galatians 5:22-25

Yes, we sin every day.
But by the grace of God, the Holy Spirit enables us to obey, please and honor God in our words, thoughts and actions--and God forgives us when we do fail.

It is God who makes us beautiful...inside and out.


Linking up with thanks:
Growing Home; Time-Warp Wife; Call Me Blessed; Cornerstone Confessions; Lessons from Ivy

What is Truth?

"What is truth?"

It is the question Pilate asked Jesus, just hours before Jesus' crucifixion (John 18:38).

Jesus had just said to him, "In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.  Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."

"Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."


Well, but what is truth?  Who defines it?

Is truth what we make of it?  Is it whatever we choose?  You have your truth, and I have mine, and we'll all get along.

Well, but maybe my truth is different from yours.  Maybe my truth says that nothing you say is true.
But what if your truth says that nothing I say is true?  What then?

We need something that defines truth.  Something that's not any of us, because we'll never come down to a solid answer on our own.

Jesus told his followers, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:31).

Now we're getting somewhere.  If we hold to Jesus' teaching...we will know the truth.  What did Jesus teach?

The most important thing he said was this:

"God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but will have eternal life."

-Jesus (John 3:16)

Jesus also said this:

"I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6)

There is the answer to Pilate's question.  What is truth?  Jesus is truth.  His teachings are truth.

But wait, there's one thing more.
Jesus=God.  (John 1:1-3)
God's teachings=Jesus' teachings.
God's teachings=Scripture ("God's Word").
Scripture=Jesus' teachings.
Jesus' teachings=truth.
Scripture=truth.

What is truth?
Truth is every word found in God's Word: in the Bible.

Then this, too, is truth:

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:8-10).

(Leaving you with something to perhaps make you smile.  Brad Stein is one of my favorite Christian speakers and comedians.  He has a lot of good things to say...including about truth.)

Linking with:

on my words and THE Word

I'm one of those people who struggles with speaking before I think.

When I was younger, I would sometimes get in trouble for saying something rude, out of turn, or disrespectful.  My parents' wise "punishment" was to have me copy down verses from the Proverbs about the difference between a wise person who holds his tongue and a foolish person who does not.

Now most of those verses are underlined in my Bible, because I still need the reminder!

Lately I've been struggling with complaining and arguing, mostly to/with my husband.  I stubbornly insist on my own way, even when it's a little thing that doesn't matter.

Paul wrote to the Philippians, "Do everything without complaining or arguing" (Philippians 2:14).
Well, there it is.  Don't complain, don't argue, period.

What I often forget about that verse, and what I think is often left out of it, is the context.  Here is the whole passage:

"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life."  -Philippians 2:14-16

Wow.  That adds a lot more meaning to the verse!

Of course Paul doesn't mean here that we can be completely blameless and without fault...that's not possible for us sinful humans.  But we can ask God to give us a complete and faultless devotion to doing his will.  This is something he desires for us to have, so it is a prayer he will answer!

The biggest part of this verse to me is the purpose for living a life free of complaining and arguing.  We are to shine like stars in the universe, in the darkness of this "crooked and depraved" world, holding out the Word of Life--the Gospel.  Our lives, as children of God, should so shine in the darkness that unbelievers can see God's Word being enacted in our lives.

The apostle Matthew wrote,

"You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."  -Matthew 5:14-16

I don't watch what I say to avoid having to copy down Bible verses over and over.  I do it, or try to do it, because it is obedient to God and a life that is obedient to God is a life that praises him.


As his child, my biggest goal for my life is to praise and glorify God, and to shine his light in a dark world!


Sometimes that's an overwhelming thought.  It sounds like way too much for me to do on my own.


Well, that's because it is.  I'm not supposed to do it on my own.


I may be a lamp on a stand, but the Holy Spirit is the fire inside me that shines HIS light everywhere I go.  As part of the body of Christ, I'm the light of the world, but that light doesn't come from me.  It comes from God's Word--the Word of light, and the Word of life.


John wrote concerning Jesus,

"Through him [Jesus] all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of men."  -John 1:3-4 

Guest Post at The Atypical Housewife!

I'm writing today over at Monica's blog, The Atypical Housewife!  I have the pleasure and honor of being her very first guest poster.

Guest Post by Jaimie at Living in the Light | The Atypical Housewife: "Today I am happy to share my first ever guest poster, Jaimie!  Take some time today to read her marvelous post, and visit her at her blog and on facebook!

Hello!  I’m Jaimie from Living in the Light, and I’m so happy to be guest-posting for Monica today.  She’s given me the privilege of sharing my story–mine and my husband’s–and I can’t wait to tell you how God has worked in our lives."

Monica calls herself “The Atypical Housewife.”  One reason I connectedwith her so much is that I’m pretty “atypical” myself–I like to call it “counter-cultural.”  

Head on over to The Atypical Housewife to read the rest!

'via Blog this'

My Greatest Desire

If you could do anything, be anything, what would it be?
If you could have one wish granted...what would you wish for?

Would you want to be a doctor?  An actor?  An artist?  The president of a Fortune-500 company?
A missionary?  Teacher?  Pastor?
All these are worthy callings.
But none of them (well, except missionary) have ever appealed to me.

I'll let you in on a secret--which you might already know about, if you've been here with me for a while.

The two things I've always wanted to be are a wife and mother.


There.  I said it.  If I could wish for anything, it would be to spend the rest of my life as a wife and mother.
Wife, check.
Mother...someday. :)

When I tell people this, I often get funny looks.  And questions like, "So why are you in college?"  (For the answer to that, read THIS POST.)  I'm at a small Christian university that, until just about fifteen or twenty years ago, was actually called a "Teachers' College."  And I'm not in the education program.  That puts me in a minority.

When I fill out applications for jobs and there are questions like, "What are your future goals?" or "How is this job preparation for your future career?" I shake my head and smile.  Because what I write is not what most people expect.

Since the 1970's, when feminism became popular and its influence filled nearly every household in America, it has been unusual and even strange for women to want to be full-time wives, mothers and homemakers.  For many women, it is absolutely necessary for their family's financial well-being that they work outside the home.  I'm sure there are many women in the workforce who wish they could stay home with their children.

But the fact that I have a choice, and I choose to stay home, is not nearly as common now as it used to be.

I'm blessed to have a husband who plans on helping me fulfill this dream.  On his (future teacher's) salary, we'll never have a lot of money, but we will never be wanting.  He supports me completely in my desire to be a full-time mother and homemaker.

I know that the profession of "homemaker" will not make me a lot of money.  It won't earn me much recognition in society.  My promotions--from mother of an infant, to a toddler, to a child, to a teen--won't increase my salary.  Learning new skills and perfecting the ones I have won't earn me a "Homemaker of the Month" plaque.

But love and appreciation from my husband and (future) children will be worth far more than that.  When I can look back on a life spent serving my family and those around me by being a godly wife, mother and homemaker, my greatest wish will have come true.

I don't have high aspirations or career goals according to the standards of society.  But when God created Eve he made her to be a helpmeet to her husband, to take care of the home in which God had placed them, and to be a loving mother to her children.  I like to think that God has given me the same jobs he gave the very first woman.  To fulfill them to the best of my ability, with his help and forgiveness, is my "dream job."

What about you?  To what vocation has God called you?

 

A Homemaker and Proud of It

Here I am in my kitchen, in my apron, with that big sunny window behind me.  Not the greatest picture, but not terrible for using the timer on the camera propped on the top of the fridge.  :)

I really do love having a home to take care of, for me and for my husband.  Some women--probably a lot of women--would look at me strangely for saying that.  But this is my vocation right now: wife, homemaker.  Hopefully another job will be part of that very soon.  I had a phone interview for a job the other day (didn't work because of scheduling) and one of the questions was "What are your career goals?"  I almost laughed.  I've wanted to be a full-time homemaker and at-home mom since I was five years old.  I want to write, too, but that's secondary.  So then some people would say I'm crazy for going to college and getting a degree and spending so much money.  My dad told me that no learning is ever wasted (no matter how much it cost!).  So I'm proud to say that my goal in life is to be a God-honoring, servant-hearted wife, mom and homemaker.  

Does that make me unusual in this age and society?  Yep.  But then, my whole life has been counter-cultural and I go by God's standards, not the world's.  My nickname at camp was Sonshine.  "You are the light of the world," Jesus said in the verse from Matthew I picked to go with the nickname.  We as Christians are called to stand out, to conform to God and not to the world, to be a light reflecting the glory of God.  So, yes, I'm a homemaker, and I'm proud to say so!