by Elizabeth | Aug 9, 2011 | Learning Story
Who is the architect and builder of our lives?
Yesterday I wrote a post about leaving my daughter at college that was really about the necessity of prayer as parents. Today I received this in the mail — this is a great prayer about how and what to pray as parents:
Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Ps. 127:1–3
Heavenly Father, it is a liberating joy to address you today as the architect and builder of your own house—including the household of faith and our children’s place in your family. No one loves our children more than you. No one has a greater investment in their future than you. No one can teach us to parent them like you.
As I look back over the years of my pragmatic parenting, I’m saddened, for there have been consequences. But I’m also gladdened, for you’ve always been faithful to your covenant love, even when I was overbearing and under-believing. The move from parenting by grit to parenting by grace has been a fitful, but fruitful journey. Take me deeper; take me further.
You’ve rescued me from parental “laboring in vain”—assuming a burden you never intended parents to bear. Father, only you can reveal the glory and grace of Jesus to our children. Only you can give anyone a new heart. You’ve called us to parent as an act of worship—to parent “as unto you,” not as a way of saving face, making a name for ourselves, or proving our worthiness of your love.
Oh, the arrogant pride of thinking that by our “good parenting” we can take credit for what you alone can graciously do in the lives of our children. Oh, the arrogant unbelief of assuming that by our “bad parenting” we’ve forever limited what you’ll be able to accomplish in the future. by Scotty Smith
Read the rest
by Elizabeth | Aug 8, 2011 | Learning Story
Our daughter doesn't need a big brother watching her nor does she need room design advice!
As far as I’m concerned, every parent can get through the hardest moments in life with two essential tools:
1. Duct tape.
2. Prayer.
I became well-acquainted with the latter when my eldest arrived in the world as a very strong-willed baby. My friend Debbie had a similarly tempered daughter ten months older than he, so I regularly phoned her and asked questions like, “Debbie, did —- ever bite another child?” (That was at about 6 months). Or, “Debbie, did —- ever try to steal another kid’s tricycle – while they were riding it?” What did you do?
Her answer I’ll never forget, because it was the same almost every time, “Oh, I don’t remember what I did, but I know I prayed.”
Yesterday the day came to move our third child, second daughter, into the dorm, and though I have lots of practical experience now, the emotional part doesn’t get one bit easier. Just in case some of you are about to do this for the first time, I offer these words of wisdom:
1. Send an older sibling with them. Pay that sibling a monthly stipend to smooth the way for the younger. In our case, this didn’t require transferring the older one from another school. Our daughter is blessed to have an elder brother who has a heart to protect and care for his sister, as well as a clever mind that figures out the best parking place for unloading (in this case, the stadium plaza – okay, questionable, but he got approval from the police officer:). (This is the same older sibling I used to call my friend about when they were young). If you can’t convince any of the older siblings to return to or transfer colleges, pray (or pay) for another person on campus to take your child under their wing.
2. Take charge. Contrary to popular belief, now is not the time to let your daughter grow her independence. If you’re the mom, tell everyone what to do and when to do it. Design the floor plan and stick with it whether they like it or not. Okay, that’s a bad joke. Pray that you’ll be able to hold your tongue when your daughter and her roommate decide to put the refrigerator on top of the chest of drawers (which did not happen in our case because these girls worked brilliantly together:!). (Duct tape for your mouth might also come in handy.)
3. Do nothing. Now is the time for your daughter to grow up. Bring that chair you used to use at soccer games and a good book. Set it up in the middle of her room while she and her roommate lug all the stuff in and unpack. No again. I think you get my point — Pray that you will find the right place between being helpful and being overbearing.
4. Expect sabotage. Things will go wrong. Coffee will be spilled on the overnight bag containing the most necessary possessions to get through the next few days. You will fight over things like where to put a coffeemaker or who packed the shower curtain. When you see it coming, Pray. When you realize you’re about to get picky about something that really doesn’t matter, get out the duct tape — and pray. (See above).
5. Get in and get out. The time to say good-bye is when things are in fairly good order but there are still some things left to do. When that moment arrives, do it and go. A long walk back to the family mini-van might make them want to jump in the vehicle (a move which you may think you want, but you don’t:) If at all possible (pray), wait till you’re on the road to cry. Pray. Don’t worry, you will not be sad forever, within the first week, they will call and tell you something outlandish, like they got a parking ticket for leaving their car on the stadium plaza.
It’s over. I needed to go in my daughter’s room last night to look for something, and yes, a tear or two dropped. But I’m thrilled as I pray for the exciting day she has ahead of her. I really just have one big problem. We had one last Mother-Daughter bonding session on Saturday. I needed some new exercise gear, and Dick’s Sporting Goods had a big sale. She convinced me not to buy anything too matchy-matchy. So this morning I got up and pulled out a pair of shorts and a shirt that I would never wear together. Unfortunately, the combination has not been pre-approved by my fashion adviser. Does this match?:)
Does this match?:)!!!
the
by Elizabeth | Aug 6, 2011 | Learning Story
In these days, full of excitement, anticipation, and joy, I need my heart stilled and focused. How about you? This song never fails to still my heart when it’s headed toward chaos.
by Elizabeth | Aug 2, 2011 | Learning Story
“Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”
3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”
“The journey is a long one,” say some timid ones. “It is so,” said Abraham, “but God will help me on the way.” “The end of your journey may be doleful,” they say. “No,” saith Abraham, “it cannot be doleful; it may be disappointing to my worldly ambition, but not to my faith. I believe that God will be with me, and that take me where he may, I shall lack no good thing.” So Abraham went on his way along alone and weary journey, and God did not desert him, but graciously provided for him.
Sermon by Charles Spurgeon
by Elizabeth | Aug 1, 2011 | Learning Story
Can you believe, the first Bible study in the Living Story series just came out, and it’s already time for me to write the next one?! Cool! Writing studies doesn’t leave a lot of time for writing blogs, so I’m doubling up today. I know it sounds like a dry topic, but I challenge you to read this one before you decide — this is REALLY GOOD NEWS!!
Theological Theme: Justification by Faith
“Abram believed and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
In the first chapter of the study, we asked the question, “What does faith do?” One of the most important byproducts of faith is “justification.” To understand the word justification, consider this story:
I had spoken impulsively, reeling off some sarcastic remark sure to draw peals of laughter from my daughter’s friends. Immediately I felt chagrin. My joke came at the expense of my daughter’s dignity. I wanted to justify my action, saying I was only trying to be funny, but it was clear there was no excuse – I had traded my daughter’s reputation for a moment of fame among a group of 13-year-olds. In a court of law, I would have been declared guilty.
As sinners, which we all are (Romans 3:23), there is no justification for our sin. In a court of law, we are declared guilty. That is why Genesis 15:4 is such a radical statement. Abraham is declared “righteous,” that is, “not guilty,” just because of his faith. Abraham’s righteousness does not come from his moral rectitude or good actions – it comes from his faith, which comes from God.
Faith in Christ brings an even more astounding reality to our stories. We receive the credited righteousness (see imputed righteousness in Learning God’s Story) by transferring trust from our own efforts at being good to Christ’s finished work on the cross (Romans 3:23-26). When a person confesses, “I believe Christ has fully paid the price I owe for my sin,” we are credited with Christ’s righteousness (Romans 4:23-24).
The radical concept of justification by faith should humble and astonish us. One of the great old hymns asks, “How can we keep from singing?” Indeed, when we understand that the holy God sent his holy Son as the only adequate substitute for our sins, how can we keep from living a life of loving God and loving others?
by Elizabeth | Jul 28, 2011 | Learning Story
this is totally cool -- using legos to illustrate Bible stories: www.thebricktestament.com
Genesis 12: 10-13
10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. 11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”
20 Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar, 2 and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” Then Abimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.
If you’re not familiar with these two stories in Genesis, I encourage you to click to biblegateway right this minute and read them. I was reading a commentary on Genesis 20, and the writer explains that many scholars believe this is a duplicate of Chapter 12, on the “ground that a man does not repeat a lapse of this kind.”
WHAT??? Do these scholars not understand the nature of sin?!!! Of course men — and women — all of humankind repeat mistakes of this kind. Have they read Romans 7? Yes, we should be smarter than to get into the same argument with our husband, drive at the same speed that got us the last ticket, or, certainly, visit that same site that took us down the road of destruction before. But sadly, the nature of our sinful flesh is insanity. It’s not logical.
The only thing that makes sense and makes us make sense is the gospel. So not only do I vehemently (i just love to say and write that word:) disagree with critical scholars, suggesting perhaps that they leave the library for a bit and try life for a while (sorry, now I’m getting harsh), but I am so grateful for the craft and skill of the Holy Spirit’s editing of the Bible — this story needed to be in the text twice to show us how desperately moronic we can act when we try to do things our own way.
