Contemplations of a Mommy "Monk"

I've been thinking all week about Psalm 46: 1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. 5 God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. 6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. 7 The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah 8 Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolations he has brought on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields [b] with fire. 10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalt...

"A family without a commitment to the God of the Bible has no hope of stemming the tide of cultural onslaught. If we mix a little biblical truth, a little secular psychology, a little romance novel ideology, and a little eastern mysticism, we will get a deadly mixture of lies. Unfortunately, this is what many Christian families do . . . If we are to experience multi-generational faithfulness we must come to a place where we throw off the shackles of our culture and live in the fullness that is found only in Christ. We must be people who live the Word in our homes." ~By Voddie T. Baucham, Jr~ What are our goals for our families? What spiritual goals do you have? My greatest desire is that my children would come to know Christ personally - that He would not just be Mommy's Jesus or Daddy's God, but that they would have their own unique experience with God and claim His as their own. They hear the message at church, through children's worship, through Sunday School a...

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins,worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on." ~ Mark 12:41-44 ~ The generosity of the widow is highlighted in this oft-quoted Scripture. Her relatively small gift makes the pompous giving of the rich pale in comparison. But, today I want to look at this passage of Scripture in a different light - thanks to the insight of my professor Dr. Wong Loi Sing at Moody Graduate School. Looking at the context of the passage sheds new light on the meaning of Jesus' story. Mark 12:38-40 "As he taught, Jesus said, 'Watch ou...

Psalm 119:18 “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem in Hebrew. This is my attempt at creating an acrostic praising God’s word in English (sorry, I don’t really know Hebrew!). Some of this is quoted directly from Psalm 119 and some of it is paraphrased. A – Ancient words, ever true, changing me, and changing you. Your words may be ancient, but they are timeless. B – Blessed are all those who walk according to Your Word. Blessings abound when we live within the confines of your holy expectations. C – My soul is consumed with longing for your word. Oh Lord, may it be so! May I be consumed with desire and passion for You and Your word above all else. D – I delight in your decrees . You are my delight and all Your words bring me great delight. E – Turn my eyes from worthless things and let me fix my gaze upon Your lovely words. May my eyes feast upon the beauty of Your word. F – Fulfill your promise to your servant because I f...

How do we determine what we believe? Upon what do we base our belief system and our code of ethics? If this is relative (as in popular thought), then there is no truth. Because truth is absolute by definition. Jesus said He is the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Him. Paul added that we cannot know Jesus unless we have heard the good news of the gospel. And where do we hear about Jesus? The only reliable source of truth is the 66 books which are inspired by the very breath of God. They must be taken as a whole, because each prophet or man of God was moved by the Spirit to write those words. They are not the words of man, but of the living God. This is why Marin Luther said we must live by the words of God alone; that we must let God's words dictate our doctrines and theology, not man's thinking. "The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection. And we must not select a few favorit...