"Willing to Be Made Willing?"

We are bombarded daily with messages delivered in numerous ways, from numerous sources, telling us what should be important to us, all in an effort to tether us to what we see, touch, smell, taste, feel.

What filters are in place to protect our hearts? What have we chosen to believe that will help us discern what really matters? Who do we listen to most? Even passively?

If we allow ourselves to be lied to for days on end about Truth, Beauty, Virtue, Value, doesn't it begin to pollute our thoughts, cloud our vision? Can we actually be convinced that the words and images we invite into our brains are innocuous? If the source or content of the messages we ingest doesn't matter, why does God tell us just the opposite?

If you'd like to finish reading, the rest is at the new Antbed, here. 

It's All in the Choice

We emphasize it constantly around here: choices matter.


As agents of "free will," we get to pick.


All day, everyday.


And what we choose says so very much about our heart.


We are struggling with a young heart that has trouble owning choices. The effort is constantly made to try and wiggle out from underneath the responsibility and consequences. Add to that the fact that ingenuity is readily available in "applying a teflon coating to the soul" so that nothing "sticks." There's always an excuse on the tip of that little tongue for everything. It makes the routine that structures our schooldays an enormous challenge. Okay, it's not limited to school. Many days, it goes on from the moment this little cherub awakes until the moment the eyes close in sleep.


And so we continue the prayer that we have prayed for ourselves and all our children for years and years: 


May we desire Truth in the innermost places.


When we embrace Truth, it shines Light into those pesky, dusky little corners of our souls where we may be holding onto a handful of our sin nature. Any of it that we refuse to surrender enables us to continue justifying wrong choices: "I did it because _____________." 


That because is the problem.


If I give myself permission to not choose holiness "because ____________," I've missed the whole point of this journey through sanctification.


If I tell myself, because I'm too tired . . .


Because they didn't ___________, then I won't _____________.


Because I've had a hard day, I'm impatient.


Because she said that, I lost my temper.


Because . . .


Until we refuse to use "because" as a license to misbehave, there really won't be much progress made toward maturation, toward personal holiness.


The choice is ours to make.


All day.


Everyday.


If my obedience to His Standards is dependent on perfect circumstances, or the perfect setting, or the perfect conditions, or perfect responses from others, I have given myself permission to hold onto that dusky little corner that I really want to pretend doesn't exist. 


As "the mom," my complete submission to His Standards of personal holiness are constantly on display for our children. Yes, they are responsible for their choices. But, I am responsible for my influence. And my influence hasn't always been what it should be.


And so the journey continues.


Will my foot be on the accelerator or the brake? Will I choose to avail myself of His Grace that is readily available exactly when I need it, so that I am enabled to choose holiness every time? 

I'm praying so.


For my little cherub an for myself.

The Battle for the Imaginations of Our Children

This was drawn by "youngest" years ago

As those created in the Image of our Creator, creativity is at the core of our beings. Endowed with the incredible tool of imagination, man has been "creating" from the beginning. Intended for His Glory, our ability to imagine and create should be used to accomplish His Purposes through us. Is it any wonder the evil one has our imaginations in his wicked cross-hairs? Our enemy would love to hijack, for his own purposes, a Gift that is intended to be used in Holiness. 


So how do we thwart his efforts?


How do we protect the imaginations of our children?


Are we not the "guardians at the gate?"


No doubt, you remember your amazement when your young child came up with some incredibly fanciful idea or story or drawing. Watching their young minds at work is truly a humbling experience, because we recognize the potential contained in the gift of imagination. 


Is it any wonder there are so many attempts to capture the imaginations of our children? Attempts that do not have holiness at their core? Think of all the books and cartoons and movies and video games and regular games and apps for phones, and the list goes on forever, that try to capture the imagination of your children. Or even of yourself? 


Have you ever wondered why?


Have you ever wondered why millions and millions of dollars are spent creating things to sweep us up and away on flights of fancy? Have you ever considered just how many hours people in the United States spend each week allowing someone else to direct the course of their thoughts, strictly for "entertainment purposes?"


I'm going to spout off here, from my personal view of the world as I see it in black-and-white: I don't really believe anything is neutral. Either something is worth our time, or it isn't. Since time is our most valuable resource, the choice of how to spend it is of importance. Sure, there is value in relaxing. But we can't use the need to relax as an excuse to allow anything into our minds that isn't going to bless us in our walk with the Lord. 


We are choosing.


Whether we recognize it or not, we are choosing what captures our imaginations. Many people will argue that they aren't affected by watching something on television that they would never "live out themselves." But we must not be deceived. What we allow into our minds does affect our minds. 


As parents, what does this say about our responsibility to train our children in the use of their imaginations?


Their imaginations are always active. 


Are we offering them wholesome, encouraging, uplifting fuel for the insatiable appetites of their minds?


Their imaginations will be captured by something?


Are we being intentional about what that something is?


Do you know what your children are reading? Listening to? Spending time on? 


What is the value system of those who have created whatever it is that your child is fascinated by?


Our value system is reflected in what we create. 


If our children are reading, watching, absorbing things created by people who do not seek to glorify the Lord, is that truly what's best for our children? Especially when they are young, and their value system is still in the process of being formed? Especially when they do not yet have the spiritual discernment to recognize the schemes of the enemy that may be disguised in a book or game?


As parents, the Holy Spirit offers us the help we need to discern what is best for our children. All we have to do is ask and then be willing to allow Him to reveal Truth to us. 


There is SO much great stuff out there to capture the imaginations of your children. Of course, books are some of our favorite resources. And with the growth of homeschooling, many materials are becoming available again that have been out of print for decades. There is a wealth of historical fiction from a Christian worldview that is filled with adventure and truth and will capture the imaginations of your children. Biographies of great men and women are treasures that will bless the whole family. There is an incredible power in watching how people walk out their faith. 


Even if we haven't realized how easily worthless or even ungodly influences can creep into our home, the Lord will help us weed out and replace things with better choices. And, our children will acquire a "taste" for truly worthwhile things. That doesn't mean that our vigilance will not always be required, but it does mean that it will get easier as our "tastes" improve.


Our imaginations are intended to bring Him Glory. May we feed them properly.

My Pet Elephant: A Link Up in "Pages in Our Heritage of Faith"

There has been an elephant in the room for a long time. I have tried and tried, over the years, to dispatch it quietly, privately. I've also tried to simply ignore it and hope it would go away. I've acted like no one else saw it. 


It's still here.


As much as I would rather not discuss it, it's time.


I received confirmation of that through a conversation I had with my brother. He had no idea that his relating of a story about the life of his friend would be used by the Lord to push me toward this post.


It's not pretty. Prepare yourselves.


I struggle with gluttony.


There. 


It's out now. 


Of course, it's not like people can't tell. I'm overweight. And have been for several years now. 


And it's not okay.


It damages His Reputation.


When people know that I am His, but I still have this glaring sin in my life, obvious to anyone who sees me, what does that say about His Power to deliver me from sin? How compelling can my testimony be, with the results of my sin jiggling like a bowl of jello? If someone doesn't know Him, I have already diluted, or polluted, what He might ask me to speak to them. 


It is an area of my life that has not been completely submitted to His Authority.


I have wrestled with it and wrestled with it, knowing that it has been a generational issue in my family, and not wanting to continue to perpetuate it forward to the generations of our family. 


It is all about obedience. Obedience versus the desires of the flesh. And my flesh has been winning.


That's NOT okay.


Not if I truly believe that He calls us to ever increasing levels of personal holiness.


And so, a few weeks ago, He called me to embrace the discipline I have LOATHED for years!! 


Before I go any further, this is what He has called ME to. I am giving testimony of His Faithfulness through His refusal to leave me here. The specifics that I may be asked to follow are between my Father and me. That does NOT mean they automatically transfer to you! Okay? Please do not receive condemnation on any level from this. If He convicts us of sin in our lives, it is for the purpose of moving us to repentance so that we may testify to the Victory.


Back to the elephant.


I would have loved to be able to wait and post a "victory" message. But that wouldn't bring Him Glory right now. And He deserves the Glory right now. The very fact that He will not let me be content being overweight testifies to His call on our lives for personal holiness. When we tell Him He is Lord, we have to mean over everything. 


His Purpose in the timing of this post is Perfect. He wants me to admit there is an elephant in room. He wants me to admit I need Him in this area. He wants me to allow Him to tell me what He requires and for my obedience to be complete, instant, and cheerful--just like the standard of obedience we have for our children.


So as I learn discipline in this area, the Spirit will quicken my hearing. 


His Grace to walk in the Victory Christ won for me on the Cross is already available for my use. I have to choose to use it. 


And so I pray that He will increase my hunger, not for food, but for Him. I need to crave spiritual holiness. I need to die to the flesh and allow Him to feed my spirit.


Remember the post about the word "resolute?" 


Coincidence? 


Not even.


This portion of the journey started in mid December. The duration depends on my willingness to obey. I hope the elephant really is evicted this time. Permanently. The choice is mine to make. The Victory over every single sin out there is already won. Really and truly! It is won! No matter what species of elephant you may own, his eviction notice is written with the blood of Christ!


I'm ready.


His Grace is Sufficient.


Oh, I almost forgot. That dreaded discipline that I have loathed all these years? 


Getting on the scales on a regular basis. 


As if avoidance changed the number on that dial.  I believe that's called DENIAL! :)


Also, I am counting calories. So that I actually have to think about choices throughout the day. He is so very Faithful to teach me to walk in obedience. In every area. 


So for me, 2012 will add a whole new level to my understanding of the word resolute!

How has He been Faithful to you in the last week? In the last year? When you were a little child? Write it down and link it up. We would be blessed by your testimony. Grab the button on the sidebar and add it to your post to invite others here to read these testimonies that are for His Glory. Each week, there is a sense of anticipation that accompanies the clicking of the "Publish Post" button, as I wonder who will link up and what He has done for them. It's wonderful. So hurry up!! We're waiting!! :)

The Ache of a Heart Longing for Home

The more deeply I fall in love with Jesus, the more I long to forever dwell in His Presence. In worship, the ache is often physical. (This one's for YOU, Kirsten! :)  It's not that I'm unhappy here. I'm so very blessed and our life is incredibly rich and fascinating. 


But this is not Home.


And that Truth is becoming more and more real in my soul and my spirit. 


There are so many songs of praise that speak to this "other worldliness" that He created into the fiber of our beings, but one that always "gets me" is this one:

 
There is nothing like standing, surrounded by my family on a Sunday morning, singing this song together. I think I want it sung when He calls me Home.


Another one that makes me weep every single time I hear it is this one:



"If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world."          C. S. Lewis

He wants us to understand the Truth of our situation. He wants us to know that there is more, that we were created for more. There is such strength to be found in recognizing our Citizenship. It frees us from things that could otherwise distract or dilute our mission and message while we walk this Earth. It causes us to discern circumstances correctly. It teaches us "to number out days aright so that we may gain a heart of Wisdom."


And, even though the ache is fierce, it is the most Loving way for Him to allow me to feel. Walking through these years with a heart that is so very tender to His Touch is the desire of my heart. I don't want there to be any hard spots in my spirit, my soul. I want to allow Him to turn my heart of stone into a heart of flesh that quickens to His smallest Whisper. 


It's the opposite of the message that so much of our culture thinks of as truth: that we should be independent, pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps, be dependent on nothing and no one. It is thought that freedom is the absence of need.


True Freedom is being completely and totally dependent, knowing that every need is met only in Him.


As I learn more about the true nature of my need, I give Him thanks. 

You're up! Join the link up and testify to His Faithfulness in your life. We can't wait to read what He has done for you! I love it when you give Him Glory for His Faithful Provision, Protection, Wisdom. Whatever it is, as long as it brings Him Glory for His Faithfulness to you or your family, it's "fair game" for this link up. 

The Altar of Incense: A Link-Up in Pages in Our Heritage of Faith

Yes, I'm still thinking about the Tabernacle Experience. I will be for some time to come. 


I was blessed during the ten days it was open to serve in each of the volunteer attendant positions at different times. There were each precious in their own way, but my very favorite was the Altar of Incense Attendant. 


Inside the actual Tabernacle, in the Holy Place, there are three articles: The Lampstand, The Table for the Bread of the Presence, and the Altar of Incense. As guests would enter, they would first visit the Lampstand, then the table of the Bread. Then they would come to the Altar. The attendant was responsible for keeping the incense burning and for assisting guests as they entered the Holy of Holies. The incense was kept burning as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. Watching the smoke rise serves as a reminder of our prayers as they are offered up to Him. And our worship. 


Additionally, the most important duty of the attendant at the Altar of Incense or any of the other stations was to pray over the guests. 


As I stood vigil, lighting incense, listening to the wind rage outside, I watched. I watched them come. I glanced into their faces, knowing the message they were hearing in their headsets, knowing that at every station they visited they were hearing how it was a picture of Jesus. It was a picture painted by a loving Father of His Plan to redeem and restore us. Even then. Even when He gave Moses the plans for the construction of the Tabernacle atop Sinai, the Way was already made for us. 


And it still makes me weep. 


It has always been about restoring us to Himself.


As they came, I would pray for them that each of them would receive everything He had for them in this Experience. I prayed that they would see Him more clearly than ever before. 


As they listened to the instructions on the audio, they would choose a stick of incense and approach the Curtain that divided the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. As I drew it back for them to enter, I saw their faces. And I am weeping in remembrance. That look on their faces as they entered will stay with me for ages. And then. When they came out. After worshiping in His Presence around the Ark of the Covenant. Smiles. Tears. Wonder. Peace. 


I loved the smell of the incense and how that smell lingered on my hands and clothing even after I had left that station. Such a beautiful picture of the Aroma of Christ that is on every believer. 


The Altar of Incense. One of three Altars in the Bible that were made of wood: 

• The Altar of Burnt Offering-covered in bronze, an alloy of two metals made into a new metal, a picture of Jesus, God who became man
• The Altar of Incense-tradition says that the cloak of Elijah was stored inside after he left this earth and that was the very place where Zechariah stood when the angel foretold the birth of John the Baptist, he who would "go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Luke 1:5-17
• And the Cross--the Altar on which the ultimate Sacrifice was offered.

Our Father is so Faithful. He pursues us unswervingly. He reveals Himself to us in all He has made, all He has done. And it is all for the purpose of restoring us to Himself. 

How has He shown Himself Faithful to you? Write it down. Share it with us. Testify for His Glory. Testify so that your family will see clearly their Heritage of Faith. It can be old or new. As long as it brings Him Glory. Grab the button and add it to your post, please, so that others may join us here and hear these testimonies of Faith. 

  

An Honest View: A Link Up in Pages In Our Heritage of Faith

This is going to be short and sweet. There's no time to dance around what I need to say. 


The Lord has been showing me myself, in all my sinful hideousness. 


Don't worry! That was the most Loving thing He could do. 


And I am so very grateful. 


He has shown me in the last several days how, because of the arrogance in my heart, I have chosen too many times to be impatient or sarcastic toward my loved ones over the years. Every single thing I say with my eyes, my body or my words is to be held up to the standard of Christ. By showing me how I have fallen short of His Will for me, He has brought me to the point of conviction, repentance and restoration to His Plan. 


Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faith, Gentleness and Self Control 


No unwholesome talk, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs so that it may benefit the listeners


His Loving Correction and Instruction stirs up in us a desire for more Holiness, more Righteousness, more of Him. He is to be praised!


His Faithfulness to His Purpose will NEVER waver. Everything He speaks to us will be toward that end.


May I seek His Refining Fire, allowing Him to temper and purify every thought, word and action so that He is Glorified. 


Could the timing for this have something to do with our preparations to host the Tabernacle? 


With Him, there are no coincidences. 

Would you join us here as we testify to His Faithfulness in our lives? Tell how He has shown His Faithfulness to you, to your family. We would love to read your testimony. Old or new, doesn't matter. Grab the button at the right and add it to your post, if you like, so others may find your stories of Faith. The topic is God's Faithfulness, the details are up to you. :)

"We Must Take Refuge From God In God"

"Since God's first concern for His universe is its moral health, that is, its holiness, whatever is contrary to this is necessarily under His eternal displeasure. To preserve His creation God must destroy whatever would destroy it. When He arises to put down iniquity and save the world from irreparable moral collapse, He is said to be angry. Every wrathful judgment in the history of the world has been a holy act of preservation. The holiness of God, the wrath of God, and the health of the creation are inseparably united. God's wrath is His utter intolerance of whatever degrades and destroys. He hates iniquity as a mother hates the polio that takes the life of her child.


God is holy with an absolute holiness that knows no degrees, and this He cannot impart to His creatures. But there is a relative and contingent holiness which He shares with angels and seraphim in heaven and with redeemed men on earth as their preparation for heaven. This holiness God can and does impart to His children. He shares it with them by imputation and by impartation, and because He has made it available to them through the blood of the Lamb, He requires it of them. To Israel first and later to His Chruch God spoke, saying 'Be ye holy; for I am holy.' He did not say, 'Be ye holy as I am holy,' for that would be to demand of us absolute holiness, something that belongs to God alone. Before the uncreated fire of God's holiness angels veil their faces. Yea, the heavens are not clean, and the stars are not pure in His sight. No honest man can say 'I am holy,' but neither is any honest man willing to ignore the solemn words of the inspired writer, 'Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.'


Caught in this dilemma, what are we Christians to do? We must like Moses cover ourselves with faith and humility while we steal a quick look at the God whom no man can see and live. The broken and contrite heart He will not despise. We must hide our unholiness in the wounds of Christ as Moses hid himself in the cleft of the rock while the glory of God passed by. We must take refuge from God in God. Above all we must believe that God sees us perfect in His Son while He disciplines and chastens and purges us that we may be partakers of His holiness."

A. W. Tozer,  The Knowledge of the Holy

Who Are Your Heroes?

Ed McCully, Pete Fleming & Jim Elliot, missionaries to Ecuador

As we hear about another famous person whose personal morals finally brought them to public disgrace, it should cause us to ask ourselves about the standards we set for elevating someone to the status of "hero."


As our nation slips further into a post-Christian mentality, the standard is constantly slipping. The label "hero" used to be reserved for those whose character was above reproach. Heroes were those who exemplified the very best in "human nature." Those who displayed courage, leadership, wisdom and moral purity were looked up to and emulated. 


As our culture has shifted from the worship of God to the worship of entertainment and fame, those who are looked up to often have very little in the way of commendable character. Riches and glory have taken the place of wisdom and honor. Physical talents and abilities have replaced character qualities as the traits most admired. It matters very little how these people behave or what they believe, as long as they entertain and amaze us.


How does this apply to parenting? 


Intentionality in valuing character above fame needs to be woven into the fabric of our family values. Our children need to see us honoring those whose character deserves honor. They need to see us choosing as our heroes those who are godly men and women of faith. We need to be telling them the stories that aren't told any longer about the Christian heritage of this nation. They should be reading biographies of missionaries and martyrs. Or better yet, we could be reading them out loud as a family and discussing the character each story reveals. 


We also need to help them learn to cut through the propaganda of the media that focuses on ungodly character. We should encourage them to look for those in sports who display honor and courage and faith, even if they aren't the biggest "star" on the team. Television shows, if watched, need to be carefully chosen to affirm character qualities that honor God. We cannot be deceived into believing that it doesn't "hurt" us to watch things filled with sex, crude humor, language, and violence. What we allow into our minds impacts our spirits. We have to stop being willing to compromise with personal holiness simply to be entertained. 


Intentionally choose heroes for your children to admire. And don't be mistaken. They will admire someone. Wouldn't it be better for you to help them choose heroes worthy of honor?


As always, the Lord has been reminding me of this because I need to hear it again. And again and again. I am so glad He is such a patient teacher, because I am a slow learner. :)

Samson's Call to Holiness

Picture from Wikipedia

Called to be a Nazirite before his birth, Samson was uniquely positioned and gifted by God to walk in an important calling for the nation of Israel: judge and deliverer. God's Chosen People had been polluted by the worship of the idols of surrounding nations, those they were supposed to have completely removed from the land God gave them. 

One of our family's very favorite resources is a series of books called Character Sketches. As we read about Samson this morning, so much jumped out at me about our own call to serve a Holy God by walking in personal holiness. 

There were three parts to the vow of a Nazirite: never touching a dead body, never consuming anything from the grapevine, and leaving the hair uncut. Each part of the vow was a call to holiness, to being "set apart" as unto the Lord. The sign of the hair was the public declaration of that vow so that others would understand the calling on that life. 

I had never thought about it before, but the chapter we read this morning explained how Samson's focus was on the external problem the Israelites were facing: the oppression by the Philistines. And in his zeal to fight them, he compromised his call to holiness and ignored the true root of Israel's woes: their lack of devotion to God. The nation of Israel was not walking in holiness. The Philistines were simply the symptom of the root issue. God, in His Mercy, allows us to be placed under incredible pressures at times to get our attention and move us back into the center of His Will. 

Carelessness in personal holiness pollutes our influence and diminishes His ability to use us as fully as He could if we were completely set apart for His use. Samson compromised his vow before the Lord. He touched dead bodies as he struck down the thirty men and removed their garments to pay off the wager he had lost. It isn't stated that he drank wine, but the wedding feast he hosted for his marriage to the Philistine woman, the one his parents didn't approve of, would have been floating in wine. He may have been careless with his vow, we don't know. Once Delilah, another idolatress wife, had finally convinced him to reveal the source of his strength, he didn't recognize upon waking that God's Spirit had departed from him. God had finally removed His Hand of Protection from Samson and allowed him to receive the consequences for his lack of personal holiness. "It is a sobering aspect of God's nature that he will give us the desires of our heart, but send leanness to our soul." (Character Sketches, volume 1, p. 313)

Psalm 106:

¹³ But they soon forgot what he had done
   and did not wait for his plan to unfold.
¹⁴ In the desert they gave in to their craving;
   in the wilderness they put God to the test.
¹⁵ So he gave them what they asked for,
   but sent a wasting disease among them.

In His Mercy, the Lord received the reconfirmation of Samson's renewed vow. As he labored for his enemies, doing the work of a woman, his hair grew back. His physical blindness may have even helped him recognize his spiritual blindness. And in his last act on earth, he prayed to the Lord for strength, acknowledging his own helplessness before a Holy God, acknowledging that all his mighty strength was given to him for the purpose of accomplishing God's Will. 

How many ways each day do I compromise personal holiness? How many unkind thoughts do I entertain? How many unkind words do I speak? What unholy things do I allow to enter my mind? Is my attitude reflective of Christ? All day? Every day? Am I about my Father's business? Or is it my own "business" that consumes my resources? I cannot make myself become more holy. But I can yield to Him Who can. 

In order for Him to be Glorified in a way that beats back the darkness of the evil one in this world, His People need to be holy. We need to ask Him to purify our souls (mind, will, emotions) so that His Spirit, which indwells us, is what people see. We can't compromise with evil. And sometimes the most effective evil used against us is the ease of slipping into mediocrity. None of His People are called to be mediocre. I need to stop compromising. Nothing this world, or the ruler of it, has to offer is worth compromising our true identity as those clothed in Righteousness and the Holiness of Christ. 

Samson is listed in Hebrews 11 with others in the Hall of Fame for Faith. As Character Sketches says, ". . . Samson did recognize that his power came from God. His error was not a lack of faith in God's power but rather his thinking that God's power would never leave him regardless of his conduct." 

Pages in "Your Family's Heritage of Faith": A Link-Up

My people, hear my teaching;
   listen to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth with a parable;
   I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
things we have heard and known,
   things our ancestors have told us.
 
We will not hide them from their descendants;
   we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD,
   his power, and the wonders he has done.
 
He decreed statutes for Jacob
   and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
   to teach their children, 

so the next generation would know them,
   even the children yet to be born,
   and they in turn would tell their children.
 

Then they would put their trust in God

   and would not forget his deeds

   but would keep his commands. 

They would not be like their ancestors—
   a stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
   whose spirits were not faithful to him.

Psalm 78:1-8

I have never hosted a Link-Up before. But yesterday morning I was thinking about the heritage of Faith that the Lord writes into the hearts of families. I have long encouraged people to write it down. We need to be collecting the testimonies of how the Mighty God of the universe has shown Himself mighty for us. 

Specifically for us! 

We are told in Psalm 78 to pass these faith stories on to our children. We need to be writing them down "so the next generation would know them." We need to be "taking notes" so we will never forget. So that our hearts will remain loyal to God. So that our children are firmly established in their Godly Heritage. So that we build into them a foundation of Faith. 

What do you think?

I would LOVE to hear how He has shown Himself Faithful to you. To your children. Even to your parents or grandparents. Those are pages that belong in the record of Your family's Heritage in Him. Imagine the treasure that will be created! Imagine how the volume you begin will be added to through the generations of your family. 

so the next generation would know them,
   even the children yet to be born,
   and they in turn would tell their children.
Then they would put their trust in God 

The plan is to invite you, once a week, to share your faith stories here. What an incredible way to glorify Him through the words of our testimonies!! I am SO excited to see what He has done in your life! Let's start the "Pages in Our Heritage of Faith."

Add the link to your specific post about a "Page in Our Heritage of Faith."

Beyond Us

"To admit that there is One who lies beyond us, who exists outside of all our categories, who will not be dismissed with a name, who will not appear before the bar of our reason, nor submit to our curious inquiries:  this requires a great deal of humility, more than most of us possess, so we save face by thinking God down to our level, or at least down to where we can manage Him. Yet how He eludes us! For He is everywhere while He is nowhere, for "where" has to do with matter and space, God is independent of both. He is unaffected by time or motion, is wholly self-dependent and owes nothing to the worlds His hands have made."          

A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy

The Mighty Intercessor

            

Make us intercessors, Lord! Please help me to be become a rescuer! Show us how to spend our lives for Your Glory.

Whisper "Mystery"

Secularism, materialism, and the intrusive presence of things have put out the light in our souls and turned us into a generation of zombies. We cover our deep ignorance with words, but we are ashamed to wonder, we are afraid to whisper "mystery."

 A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy