His Beloved

I love the poetic rhythm of the King James translation of the Bible. No matter what I am reading about it just paints such a vivid picture in my mind. I find it as delightful as getting up early with my Bible and a smokin hot cup of coffee, to be enjoyed before any tiny feet pitter patter. "I have been taking note of the change in seasons around us. I am ready for the pop of color that will soon envelope the trees. There is nothing quite like a flawless blue October sky. I am certain that God sent Octobers every year to mesmerize all of His children. The scent of fall is something magical. I absolutely love to smell the seasonal candle fragrances this time of year. It's funny how a season, a smell, a song can take you to another time and another place while your feet remain planted right where they are presently. I love that seasons change and that in this season I will have a couple of months to enjoy the sights, smells, and feelings that fall brings about." I began t...

"Momentum: force or speed of movement. Momentum is an object moving forward at a fast pace because of the force or the momentum creating speed. Momentum speeds up progress and propels you forward into blessing. It is a friend to every Christ follower who is consumed with the cause of Christ and His church. A lack of momentum is a catalyst for great frustration and duress, it often produces striving or disillusionment." (RB Thieme) Question- what has life thrown at you that has either put out your flame or sparked a tiny ember that grew, and is still growing into an all consuming fire? Momentum. It's a funny thing. If I roll the ball down the hill the ball will pick up speed and roll faster and faster until it either hits something or finally loses speed and stops. In my own life I have been on the mountain tops and I have been in the valleys. I am learning to stay on my knees even on the mountain tops because I will certainly need God just the same in both locations....

Arrogance: Divorcement from Reality We have heard it said many times that pride comes before the fall. Arrogance is a form of pride all it's own. It is arrogance that allows an individual to make every situation, both good and bad, be about themselves. It is arrogance that allows an individual to feel entitlement to things of this world: anger, resentment, pride, jealousy, and the like. Arrogance is a nasty seed that is not so easily hewn down. It is a seed that goes down into the matter of the bones. Arrogance can be viewed as divorcement from reality! Sometimes a situation gets so disturbing for our carnal entities that we choose to fall apart, we choose to be unreasonable. We choose to get mad. We choose to experience such feelings as being jealous, full of rage, depressed, or simply so saddened to tears that we fear the warm salty saline might never stop flowing. Sometimes we choose to push and get our way even when no one asked for your thoughts or opinions. At this poi...

There is something amazing about pregnancy. The cravings, the indigestion, the lack of being able to breathe due to the increase in estrogen, the moodiness, the hot flashes. The way I am prone to protect my unborn child within my ever growing body. It is quite miraculous how the love spills over and God blesses in this way. Pregnancy is spent going through phases. There's the early on nausea phase that yields to me not being able to eat things I once really, really enjoyed. And then there's the phase where I just look fluffy because the growing uterus has not grown into the ball shape that protrudes just yet. Then comes the big stuff...the hot flashes and the cold hearted mood swings. It's so funny how a shift in hormones can cause us to become so irrational...so quickly. My sweet husband and I look back on my first pregnancy and laugh, at least now we are able to do that. He was so tender and amazed during the pregnancy. When I first found out I was expecting I took ...

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/j-i-packer-89-on-losing-sight-but-seeing-christ I prefaced this blog with an article from a theologian and serious follower of Christ. I say serious follower lightly, is there any other kind? JI Packer, now late in his years has no more sight due to Macular Degeneration, but in actuality he has no sight because this is the season of life that our sovereign Lord has him in. He can no longer see with his physical eyes, however he has stored up treasures in the form of Bible doctrine in his heart and mind. God's word says that if we store up these kinds of treasures they will not depart from us.  I find interest today in his ease of speech as he claims God's sovereignty over all of his life, and ours too. Packer can not preach or write anymore in this season of his life. Is he sad about this? Not in the least bit. Is he angry at God because he cannot do what he once could do in his younger years? Nope. Packer has discovered the se...

We were made in his likeness, created in His image, truly placed here to praise the Lord. John 3:16   "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever should believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life." For many this verse is so foundational. We first hear that God loves ME so much that He sent his son to die for ME. He pursued Me. We almost feel like God is saying "you are kind of a big deal sis!" This couldn't be farther from the truth. We have so many things going for us. We have so much potential. We've all heard or said that in regard to someone else. We see a young athlete and we say "he's got so much potential. That kid has so much going for him." We look at potential in the positive. Potential is defined as that which is possible, existence of possibility, or capable of developing into actuality. You and I have so much potential. Therein lies the burden. How many times do we see a wa...

To live as a Christ follower one must not simply have Christ in their life, rather Christ must be their life. This is a perfect illustration of my grandmother's mindset. Some years ago my grandmother exchanged her life for the life that God wanted for her. She understood that by exchanging her life this was not a second work of Grace but a new awareness and appreciation for the first work of God's grace. Her mind was well immersed in the fact that God does not appreciate what he does not first initiate. I think back over time and I never remember coming to visit Grandmas house and her Bible not being out and open. I don't remember any summer times that I spent with her and Papaw that I did not hear RB Thieme teaching Doctrine at least once a day. before I knew any different I thought he was family because his voice was always being heard. I don't remember a time when the phone didn't ring at least once during the day where grandma would offer truth to the person o...

A wolf is among the most ravenous creatures on earth. Abrupt, aggressive, and always out to disguise themselves among the innocent. If I were a wolf I think I would acknowledge my ferocity, be more secure in who I was created to be, and not so cunning and conniving toward other species, or my own for that matter. A wolf can be beautiful at first glance. We find ourselves mystified by it's stealthily engaging demeanor, all the while never considering what lies inside the mouth and heart. The Bible speaks of a wolf in sheep's clothing. But why the change of costume? Why the intentional character swap? Why not be who he is and let the cards fall where they may? Then we see Shepherd​s watching flocks of animals. They are protecting the innocent from the immediate blood shed that will occur if a wolf gets in among the fold. The shepherd's job is no easy task. And there is no easy answer when a diligent watchmen falls prey to the cunning deceit of a wolf.  After all....it ...

Yesterday. Past. Forgotten. Forgiven? I love that yesterday is gone and today has arrived. Sometimes it's hard to let go of yesterday because there was so much left undone. So much said. So much-regret. But then this amazing thing happens and just when we get used to yesterday, along comes today. God is so good to us. He lovingly pours out undeserved grace and mercy every day. Yesterday for me seems like ages ago. So many little things I have forgotten, so many hard trials that left some marks. Many memories of love and laughter keep my yesterday very much in today. There is a time to let go of yesterday. All that hurt us, all that robbed us of what we thought the American dream looked like. But our todays and yesterdays are not measured this way in God's eyes. Yesterday was who we were. Choices we made. Lies we told. Truths we shared.  Friends made. Love we gave. Self that was slain, and as always- joy and pain. This journey is not our own if we are hidden in Christ. ...

As arrows are in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of the youth. Psalm 127:4 Children are from the Lord and they are an overflow of His blessings on us. Children are like arrows. And us mamas? We are warriors. I feel just like a warrior when my morning alarm goes off and I stumble to the coffee pot to begin the day, after I hit snooze a few times. Coffee is essential for the battle sisters. Make no mistake about it. After all, I drink enough of the blessed bean that I could be classified as a vegetarian. After the coffee is brewing it's on to our table to read and pray. I have to have time alone with God before my little arrows awaken. Jesus and java are just the beginning of the battle plan. As a warrior I have so many things to take care of in a day. So many things that only I can take care of in the day. God truly blessed mamas with responsibility in the home that enables our fingerprint to be on everything from the scent of our clean laundry to the brand of mayonn...

The Hardest Goodbye Recently, I prepared to board a plane on a mission trip out of the country. As my husband and children stood by at the hotel I prepared to board a shuttle to the airport. Through my thick dark glasses I tried to hold back the tears that were welling up in my eyes as we said goodbye. My little girl being very attached to her mama, had a very hard time letting go. And I thought to myself on that ride to the airport, that was the hardest goodbye. Fast forward, as I'm preparing to leave the mission field and return home, I caught myself looking through those same thick dark glasses once again and fighting back tears. This time it would be because I was leaving children, women, adults of a native culture and language who were learning about the love of Christ for the very first time in their lives. They were hungry for Him. They were hungry for truth! As I left those precious people and returned home to the United States, I pondered throughout the...

I have this friend who is absolutely crazy about Jesus. I would say she loves the Lord so much that the overflow of her relationship with Christ touches every other relationship she has in her life. Iron sharpens iron, so a man his friend, or in our case sisters sharpening sisters. We have a lot in common. We both love God so much that we realize how important our roles are as helpmates for our husbands. We purpose in each of our lives to remain submitted to God and as a result we are committed to serving our husbands and our children. Our lives are crazy busy with homeschooling, private schooling, taxiing, ballgames, piano, practice, house work, being chefs, and bargain shopping. The list is much longer than this, but let's not boast about the responsibility placed on us for God's glory. All jokes aside, I consider it an honor to serve my family. I get to make our home a soft place to land. It's really a passion of mine. But it hasn't always been. There have been ...

Ecclesiastes 3 I have read in the Bible in Ecclesiastes chapter 3 about there being a time and a season for everything. I also read that God is in control of those seasons. Seasons can be so comforting, confusing, and life changing. As summer turns to fall we get very excited in our house. Our roots run deep for Crimson Tide football. We never pass up an opportunity to say "Roll Tide" when we pass someone in public who is clad in our colors. This year fall was a welcome change because we began our journey homeschooling. Then there's the enjoyment we get from camping; it is pure bliss. The fact that I can wear my sweatshirt with flip flops while sitting by a popping campfire absolutely makes me smile so big! And as fall gives way to winter I am in my element. I love to be cold. I love that people clothe themselves properly in the cold, and I love that everything green fades. As spring approaches, we get ready for Atlanta Braves baseball. Disclaimer- we...