About a year ago, I read a book by Jerry Bridges Respectable Sins: Confronting The Sins We Tolerate. Convicting? Oh yes! He addresses many of the sins that we don't even call sins: impatience, discontentment, irritability, anger, anxiety, frustration, unthankfulness, etc. Wow, I see those things evident in my life way too much. His point of the book is that we have to call those emotions what they are: sin. We can't brush them off like they are no big deal, but remember they are sins against our Holy God.
One of the sins that has came to mind the most after reading the book is the sin of discontentment. For me, it is a sin that creeps up on me and before I know it, I am not happy with life. Anyone else feel this way? I begin to think that the grass is greener other places. Thankfully, the Lord doesn't leave me in that sinful place, and the Holy Spirit begins to convict me and remind me that I have nothing to be discontented about. It is so easy to focus on worldly things instead of focusing on the gospel.
What helps me fight against discontentment? Preaching the gospel to myself. When I begin to think about all that I have in the gospel - my sins completely forgiven, a perfect life lived for me, an eternity with Christ - what do I have to discontented about? Nothing! No matter how things are in this life, all will be right in the next life. Praying for persecuted believers. I live in a free country where no one will arrest me or kill me for owning a Bible or worshiping privately and corporately. When I begin to pray for those believers who are facing unimaginable horrors just because of the name of Jesus, I weep because of my sin. Who am I to deserve what I have? Recalling all my blessings. The Lord has blessed me with a godly, wonderful husband who loves me deeply. My boys are such a huge blessing to me and they are so healthy - what an amazing gift. I also have wonderful parents, extended family, and all the comforts of the modern world.
When I look at the above list, I am reminded once again that I have nothing to be discontented about. Life is not always going to be exactly the way I want it because we live in a sinful world. However, because of the cross there can always be contentment in my heart.
One last note, if you haven't read Jerry Bridge's book, you should!
I long to honor my God by making my home a place of joy and rest for my family.
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
New Year with New Goals
It is the 5th day of January and I'm just now posting things I had hoped to do last week. Oh well, such is life!
We had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Thomas understood much more this year and it was fun seeing him so excited about Christmas. We taught him whose birthday we were celebrating and when we asked him, he would say, "Baby Jesus." Of course, we learned that children don't "perform" as you would like. Example: We were at the retirement home having breakfast with the chaplain and director and we asked Thomas, "Who is Christmas about?" Fully expecting to hear, "Baby Jesus," but instead he said, "Ho, ho, ho!" Yes, we were embarrassed! We aren't anti-Santa, but he knows Christmas is about Jesus.
Our New Year was spent low key with some close friends. If you know me, then you know that I am not a night person. I would be happy going to bed at 9pm every night (if you think that is weird, you should meet my mom. She goes to bed around 8pm and she is young - the big 5-0 this year!). Plus, the kiddos need to get their rest as well. We didn't even stay up to ring in the new year, but it was here when I woke up Friday morning!
One of the goals I had last year was to read through the bible in a year. Through God's grace, I did it! I used D.A. Carson's For The Love of God and loved it, although I didn't complete the plan. Using his plan, which is the M'Cheyne plan, you read the Psalms and New Testament twice and the rest of the bible once. After Josiah was born, it was hard to keep up. Thankfully, I had read through almost all of the NT and half of the Psalms before he came, so I decided to skip reading the NT and Psalms again. There were some weeks I had to read many chapters at one time, but I was at a point in the reading (prophesy and OT history) that it actually flowed well and helped me to see the overall picture of Israel's history and God's grace to them through the prophets warnings and promises of restoration.
My goal this year is the same as last year: read through the bible in a year, but hopefully following M'Cheyne's plan. Last year I used Volume 1 of Carson's book and this year I'm using Volume 2. The only difference is the passage of Scripture he highlights in the devotion. I have already learned and appreciated the book of Ezra more this year than last.
Another goal is to begin doing daily learning activities with Thomas. Here are a few of the resources I am using as I plan our days and activities:
We had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Thomas understood much more this year and it was fun seeing him so excited about Christmas. We taught him whose birthday we were celebrating and when we asked him, he would say, "Baby Jesus." Of course, we learned that children don't "perform" as you would like. Example: We were at the retirement home having breakfast with the chaplain and director and we asked Thomas, "Who is Christmas about?" Fully expecting to hear, "Baby Jesus," but instead he said, "Ho, ho, ho!" Yes, we were embarrassed! We aren't anti-Santa, but he knows Christmas is about Jesus.
Our New Year was spent low key with some close friends. If you know me, then you know that I am not a night person. I would be happy going to bed at 9pm every night (if you think that is weird, you should meet my mom. She goes to bed around 8pm and she is young - the big 5-0 this year!). Plus, the kiddos need to get their rest as well. We didn't even stay up to ring in the new year, but it was here when I woke up Friday morning!
One of the goals I had last year was to read through the bible in a year. Through God's grace, I did it! I used D.A. Carson's For The Love of God and loved it, although I didn't complete the plan. Using his plan, which is the M'Cheyne plan, you read the Psalms and New Testament twice and the rest of the bible once. After Josiah was born, it was hard to keep up. Thankfully, I had read through almost all of the NT and half of the Psalms before he came, so I decided to skip reading the NT and Psalms again. There were some weeks I had to read many chapters at one time, but I was at a point in the reading (prophesy and OT history) that it actually flowed well and helped me to see the overall picture of Israel's history and God's grace to them through the prophets warnings and promises of restoration.
My goal this year is the same as last year: read through the bible in a year, but hopefully following M'Cheyne's plan. Last year I used Volume 1 of Carson's book and this year I'm using Volume 2. The only difference is the passage of Scripture he highlights in the devotion. I have already learned and appreciated the book of Ezra more this year than last.
Another goal is to begin doing daily learning activities with Thomas. Here are a few of the resources I am using as I plan our days and activities:
- Children's Learning Activities
- Our Preschool Homeschool Blog
- The Toddler's Busy Book - Trish Kuffner
- Slow & Steady Get Me Ready - June Oberlander
If you know of any more good resources, please share!
A goal that I have every year is to read more. This past year, even with having a baby, I was able to read some excellent books. I should write a short, un-academic, review of them at some point. Here are some of the best books I read last year:
1. Respectable Sins: Confronting The Sins We Tolerate - Jerry Bridges (has forever changed the way I view my sin).
2. God is The Gospel - John Piper (given me new eyes to see my Savior and the glorious news).
3. Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1859-2009 - Greg Wills (Dr. Wills led the mission trip to China in 2005 and he was beginning the research for this book. Outstanding book!).
4. Radical Womanhood - Carolyn McCulley (gave me a deep understanding of the roots of feminism and how we as Christian women can fight it).
There are a few more, but this is all that is coming to mind right now. Do you have any book suggestions for this new year?
Monday, November 16, 2009
The Winners Are....
#2 - Amy
#6 - Meredith
Congratulations! I used random.org and it said it would be the same as drawing the numbers out of a hat, so I went with it!
Thanks for all who participated. If you still want to buy the book, you can go here and purchase it for $9 or $8 if you buy 5 or more. It was a great bible study tool for those of you wanting to use it with a ladies group.
I said last week that I would post more about the book, but the week got away from me. Lord willing, I have a post coming later today!
Oh, and ladies since you both live near me, I will just save the shipping cost and give it to you sometime soon!
#6 - Meredith
Congratulations! I used random.org and it said it would be the same as drawing the numbers out of a hat, so I went with it!
Thanks for all who participated. If you still want to buy the book, you can go here and purchase it for $9 or $8 if you buy 5 or more. It was a great bible study tool for those of you wanting to use it with a ladies group.
I said last week that I would post more about the book, but the week got away from me. Lord willing, I have a post coming later today!
Oh, and ladies since you both live near me, I will just save the shipping cost and give it to you sometime soon!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Book Giveaway!!
Would you like a copy of the book Shopping For Time: How To Do It All and NOT Be Overwhelmed? If you do, then you have a chance to win it here! There were two extra books ordered for the bible study and no one used them, so I decided that I would give both away to my blog readers. Since there are probably only two of you who read this (and my father-in-law, but he won't be entering the contest!), you should have a great chance of winning it, if you want it!
Just leave a comment and let me know why you want the book. I'm going to use random.org (as long as I can figure out how, if not, I'll do the names in the hat method) to pick two winners next Monday, November 16th. Looking forward to reading your comments!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Still Waiting
Well, the next post isn't a picture of Josiah like we would have wanted. I have had some contractions, but nothing that has lasted or been consistent. On Wednesday evening/night, I really thought I was going into labor only to be disappointed with contractions stopping around midnight. When I was pregnant with Thomas I didn't have any contractions until I went into labor and I was really hoping the same would be true of Josiah.
We are trying to patiently wait, but I will admit it is difficult. Josh is having a hard time focusing on his sermon because he isn't sure if he will preach it. I'm having a hard time doing anything, because all I want to do is have a baby! I have caught up on laundry once again this week and I'm praying that I won't have to do another load until Josiah is home.
I think I have mentioned that I recently read the book Respectable Sins: Confronting The Sins We Tolerate by Jerry Bridges. One of the sins he brings to light is the sin of discontentment - we are never satisfied with where the Lord has us. The Holy Spirit continually convicts me of this sin as I groan and complain about waiting on Josiah. Isn't it so true that we have such a hard time being content? I wanted to get pregnant 9 months ago and was discontent until I was pregnant. Then I wanted to be over morning sickness and was discontent until relief came. Now I am discontent because I am pregnant, over morning sickness, and just want to hold my baby! The Lord truly is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love to care for a wretched sinner like me! I think the Lord is using the waiting to sanctify me and oh, how I need it!
If Josiah doesn't make his appearance by my next doctor's appointment on Tuesday, I'll give another update - hopefully with more contentment!
We are trying to patiently wait, but I will admit it is difficult. Josh is having a hard time focusing on his sermon because he isn't sure if he will preach it. I'm having a hard time doing anything, because all I want to do is have a baby! I have caught up on laundry once again this week and I'm praying that I won't have to do another load until Josiah is home.
I think I have mentioned that I recently read the book Respectable Sins: Confronting The Sins We Tolerate by Jerry Bridges. One of the sins he brings to light is the sin of discontentment - we are never satisfied with where the Lord has us. The Holy Spirit continually convicts me of this sin as I groan and complain about waiting on Josiah. Isn't it so true that we have such a hard time being content? I wanted to get pregnant 9 months ago and was discontent until I was pregnant. Then I wanted to be over morning sickness and was discontent until relief came. Now I am discontent because I am pregnant, over morning sickness, and just want to hold my baby! The Lord truly is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love to care for a wretched sinner like me! I think the Lord is using the waiting to sanctify me and oh, how I need it!
If Josiah doesn't make his appearance by my next doctor's appointment on Tuesday, I'll give another update - hopefully with more contentment!
Friday, February 13, 2009
A Little Bit of History
On my sidebar I have a list of books that I'm currently reading. One of those is Truman by David McCullough. Yes, the book is 993 pages of reading (not including end notes and the index). I thought it was going to take me a very long time to finish reading it, but I actually finished it yesterday afternoon! To be perfectly honest, last year I checked it out from the local library, but only got through the first 350 pages in about 6 weeks (I wasn't as committed then) and decided to return it and just buy it at some point.
Since one of my new year's resolutions was to read more and watch t.v. less, I picked up the copy I bought and started around where I left off - page 350. Until last week, I was reading around 100 pages a week, but something happened this past week and I had this incredible desire to read! Not only that, but if you have read anything by David McCullough you know that he makes history come alive. He is the author who wrote the biography on John Adams that HBO made into a 7 part mini-series.
Josh teases me that I'm a scholar on all things Harry Truman now, but while I'm no scholar, I certainly know much more about the former president and history in general from 1945 to 1952 (time period of Truman's presidency). In school, students learn history from reading a history textbook and memorizing a bunch of events and dates, but they don't understand history and 99.9% of the time fail to remember what they regurgitated on a test an hour later. When you read an intriguing biography on a great president then you understand why Truman was an incredible president and all those events make sense and you even remember when they happened - amazing!
We hope to home school our children and I'm determined that they learn history by reading it and engaging with it. There is merit to memorizing important events in history, but I think our methods should be fun, because history isn't boring! Okay, I'm getting off my soap box now!
Oh, just as an aside: since reading this book, I've been able to answer a couple of questions on Jeopardy that I wouldn't have known before - that has to count for something!
Since one of my new year's resolutions was to read more and watch t.v. less, I picked up the copy I bought and started around where I left off - page 350. Until last week, I was reading around 100 pages a week, but something happened this past week and I had this incredible desire to read! Not only that, but if you have read anything by David McCullough you know that he makes history come alive. He is the author who wrote the biography on John Adams that HBO made into a 7 part mini-series.
Josh teases me that I'm a scholar on all things Harry Truman now, but while I'm no scholar, I certainly know much more about the former president and history in general from 1945 to 1952 (time period of Truman's presidency). In school, students learn history from reading a history textbook and memorizing a bunch of events and dates, but they don't understand history and 99.9% of the time fail to remember what they regurgitated on a test an hour later. When you read an intriguing biography on a great president then you understand why Truman was an incredible president and all those events make sense and you even remember when they happened - amazing!
We hope to home school our children and I'm determined that they learn history by reading it and engaging with it. There is merit to memorizing important events in history, but I think our methods should be fun, because history isn't boring! Okay, I'm getting off my soap box now!
Oh, just as an aside: since reading this book, I've been able to answer a couple of questions on Jeopardy that I wouldn't have known before - that has to count for something!
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