God's Truth Convicts & Heals

I've been chafing lately under the storms of my life. Granted, I know perfectly well that my "storms" don't even begin to compare with those that are raging through others' lives. Not even close. At one time, that wasn't much help to me, but it is now. Now I realize that even though I may not be as tried as others at the moment, that doesn't diminish the hurt that I feel in the midst of the fire. But it does put things into perspective. So, while I smart over my own gashes & scars, I give thanks that they're not deeper & more lasting than they are, while praying for those whose wounds are very deep & lasting.

One trial after another has washed over me, & the cumulative effect has been for me to grow irritable, selfish, & unmerciful towards others. As only God can ordain things, He has chiseled at me with four successive writings in the last couple of days that have brought me up short. As a result, I have been humbled, made meek. I have been shown my own sin & folly & been sorely ashamed. Sorely ashamed &, yet, healed. I don't think we can really, truly take refuge in the Gospel until we've been brought face-to-face with how abominable our sin is.

The first was this post by my favorite new blog. She quotes from Spurgeon's Morning and Evening (July 11 morning entry). It so gripped my sore & hardened heart that I had to read it for myself in our copy. The most convicting part for me was:

     "But notice how this blessing of being established in the faith is gained. The apostle’s words point us to suffering as the means employed- “After you have suffered a little while.” It is of no use to hope that we shall be well rooted if no winds pass over us. Those old gnarlings on the root of the oak tree and those strange twistings of the branches all tell of the many storms that have swept over it, and they are also indicators of the depth into which the roots have forced their way. So the Christian is made strong and firmly rooted by all the trials and storms of life. Do not shrink then from the tempestuous winds of trial, but take comfort, believing that by their rough discipline God is fulfilling this benediction to you.”

On the heels of this, came this article on Girls Gone Wise. As I read through different women whom I admire who have laid down their very lives for Christ, I was stabbed through the heart again. They laid aside cherished dreams and lived their entire lives in service to God out of love for Christ. And here I am, demanding my own comfort, complaining over a few little inconveniences & aggravations?! Disgusting!

     "When I study these women’s lives, I am astounded and inspired by their level of commitment to Jesus Christ. They didn’t just say He was their first love; they lived it. Whether they gave up their right to be married in order to serve Christ, or gave up the “happily ever after” lifestyle they’d always dreamed of, nothing was more important than protecting the honor of their Lord and King.

So it must be with us."

Not to be outdone, Michael read this to me from Foundations of the Christian Faith by Boice:

     "Self-denial should not be difficult for any Christian to understand for this is what it means to become a Christian. It means to have turned your back on any attempt to please God through your own human abilities and efforts, and instead to have accepted by faith what God has done in Christ for your salvation. . . .Living the Christian life is, therefore, only a matter of continuing in the way we have started." (pg. 461)

He, perhaps unwittingly, touched upon exactly that sore spot that God wanted him to touch. Here I've been demanding my own way, expecting certain loving treatment that I'm entitled to, & refusing to deny my own comfort for the sake of someone else. Then he reads this to me. Ouch.

And then, finally, I picked up my copy of Young Lady's Guide to the Harmonious Development of Christian Character by Harvey Newcomb & opened up to Chapter 4 entitled "Charity". I was immediately convicted, & when I read it aloud to Michael I burst into tears over this:

     "Charity suffers long. It will endure ill treatment, and prefer suffering to strife. It will not resent the first encroachments, but patiently bear with injuries as long as they can be borne. If charity reigns in your heart, you will consider how many and aggravated are your own offences against God, and yet that His long-suffering bears with your perverseness, and He is daily loading you with benefits; and shall you be impatient with the slightest offences from a fellow-worm? Consider, also, how liable you are to encroach upon the rights of others, and to try their patience by your infirmities. Do not, therefore, be hasty in the indulgence of hard thoughts of others, nor impatient of their faults and infirmities. How much contention and strife might be avoided by a little forbearance! And who is there so perfect as not sometimes to need it to be extended toward himself?" (pg. 49-50)

In harboring my sin, I've been so very blind. Thank you, Lord, for giving me sight & melting this cold heart of stone. Grow my roots deep, so that I can suffer long in love, deny myself, & weather the storms of life. Amen.

Recipe of the "Week"

As I look at the picture & contemplate our recipe for this week, I'm beginning to drool.  Thankfully, I have a napkin here, so I'm able to catch it before I mess up my shirt.  This is another one that I grew up on, & also another one that Michael raves over.  The secret to this one is to let it cook long enough.  It must simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or it won't be the right consistency & flavor.  My Granny used to always make this for me; this has always been my well-known favorite, & I hope it becomes one of yours!

Creole Sauce & Rice (w/Cornbread Casserole*)

Ingredients:

-1 lb. ground beef

-1 onion

-1 small bell pepper (or 1/2 large bell pepper; I can never seem to find small bell peppers.)

-1 can tomato paste
-2 1/2 cans water (using the now-empty tomato paste can)
-1 T sugar
-salt, pepper, garlic (powder or dry minced - I use dry minced.)

Directions:

-Cook meat until it's brown & very crumbly (remember from previous posts that I am NOT a fan of big gobs of meat or veggies!).

-Mince the onion & bell pepper (again, big gobs are yucky!  My Cuisinart chopper is very handy for this).

-Add the onion & bell pepper to the meat & cook until the onions are clear.

-Add all other ingredients & combine well.  (It takes a little bit of stirring for the tomato paste to blend.)

-Reduce heat, cover, & simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until thick.  (The longer it cooks, the better it tastes.  It should NOT look like spaghetti sauce, it should have a more "spreadable" consistency.)

-Serve over cooked rice, topped with parmesan cheese (of course, being a HUGE cheese fan, I use lots of parmesan!), with a side of English peas & cornbread casserole.  A pear salad or fruit salad are nice desserts with this meal.

Ingredients for Cornbread Casserole:

-1 box of Jiffy cornbread mix
-1 can cream corn
-1 egg
-1/3 c. milk

Directions for Cornbread Casserole:

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

-Line a 9"x5" loaf pan with foil & grease with cooking spray.

-Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.  (It will be lumpy, but all ingredients should be incorporated well.)

-Pour the batter into the loaf pan & bake 15-25 minutes.  It's done when the top of the loaf has turned a golden brown in spots.

*Note:  Whereas the Creole Sauce & Rice recipe originated (for me) with Granny, I got the Cornbread Casserole recipe from Mrs. Judy from GCBC!  Thanks to you both!


P.S.  Follow this link to Heavenly Homemaker for a parade of wonderful recipes!

"Not What My Hands" By Aaron Keyes

Listen to this with your eyes closed & really focus on the words.  Revel in the fact that, as God's children, we wear Christ's righteousness.  "And now I wear Your righteousness!"  It's enough to make my hair stand up straight & to make me cry in thankfulness & praise to our gracious God!

Ginger's Update

Okay, so here goes another update on the Booger (one of her many nicknames; maybe I should have chosen Ladybug or Baby Girl?).  She had another round of chemo on Thursday, so she's still a little down.  It typically makes her really tired for a couple of days afterwards.  This time she's also had some muscle weakness, particularly in one leg, which has manifested in a limp.  I won't go into my nursely ministrations last night, mainly because you'd think I was crazy, but suffice it to say that she was kept quite comfortable & rested all day & night.  So, the limp is better today & she's been a little more perky.  Now for what Dr. Hammond said when we picked her up. . .We're in another remission.  He ran a CBC & said the numbers were great.  He can't find a single lymph node anywhere on her.  So, now we're back to monitoring.  The last time we went into the "monitoring" phase, we stayed there for just shy of a year.  As I've said before, this was medically impossible, because according to the timelines, she should have lasted only a month & a half.  I'm praying that we get a good outcome this time as well.  Thanks again for your love & prayers.  I'm very grateful.

My Soul Finds Rest - Psalm 62 - Aaron Keyes

My soul finds rest in God alone,
My Rock and my salvation,
A fortress strong against my foes,
And I will not be shaken.
Though lips may bless and hearts may curse,
And lies like arrows pierce me,
I’ll fix my heart on righteousness,
I’ll look to Him who hears me.

O praise Him, hallelujah, My Delight and my Reward;
Everlasting, never failing, My Redeemer, my God.

Find rest, my soul, in God alone
Amid the world’s temptations;
When evil seeks to take a hold
I’ll cling to my salvation.
Though riches come and riches go,
Don’t set your heart upon them;
The fields of hope in which I sow
Are harvested in heaven.

I’ll set my gaze on God alone,
And trust in Him completely;
With every day pour out my soul,
And He will prove His mercy.
Though life is but a fleeting breath,
A sigh too brief to measure,
My King has crushed the curse of death
And I am His forever.

O praise Him, O praise Him, hallelujah, hallelujah,
O praise Him, O praise Him, hallelujah, hallelujah,
O praise Him, O praise Him, hallelujah! hallelujah!

A Humbling Sent By God

"That's not going to happen to me."

This was my thought somewhere around 2 months ago. I was listening to a sermon by John Piper, & he was talking about how important it is to be in God's Word each & every day. In the midst of this, he recounted how even though he is consistently & faithfully in God's Word, he has gone through seasons of dryness. Seasons where he felt far from God, seasons where the Word seemed lifeless to him, even though he was reading it faithfully. This seemed like such an impossibility, that I thought it would never happen to me. I've been a Christian since my teens, but I'm embarrassed to say that I have never read through the entire Bible. But this year has been different. I resolved to read the Bible this year all the way through & finally found the key for me in reaching this goal: a Bible reading plan. I've been entirely faithful to it ever since the last week of December, & have never felt closer to God. My communion with Him has never felt so unwavering. So, it was unthinkable to me that even in the midst of my Bible reading that I could feel disconnected from God & lifeless. Well, God showed me.

What happened? Life did. Michael's grandmother got sick & all of our time was spent at her hospital bedside. My Bible reading fell by the wayside. And stayed there. John Piper said in that sermon that he firmly believes that these dry times are ordained by God. That God actually leads people not just through those times, but to them. Believing in God's complete sovereignty, I also believe this. Don't misunderstand me, though.  I also believe in human responsibility; Scripture clearly teaches both doctrines.  So, yes, I do believe that God brought me to this dry season, but I also hold myself responsible for laying aside my daily communion with Him in the midst of life's trials & busyness. You know what I think? I think I got too big for my britches. I got to thinking that I was doing something great by being so faithful to my Bible reading. And there was my folly. I forgot that God is the one who gave me the desire & dedication to read His Word each day. It wasn't me. And God had to show me this. He had to humble me.

This has been a painful lesson for me. Not because my pride has been wounded. It hasn't been. No, this has been painful because of the separation that I've felt from God. My Bible has lain day after day off to the side, unused. I've not communed with God in prayer. As a matter of fact, when I tried to pray, I felt like there was a darkness surrounding me. I pictured myself reaching upwards toward God, but couldn't find Him. Until yesterday. Yesterday, the one word that best describes God & my relationship to Him washed over me, & the barrier that seems almost palpable was riddled with cracks. That word? Father. Suddenly, He wasn't some far-off, aloof Almighty Sovereign (although He is that, minus the "far-off, aloof" part). Like a shot of light piercing the darkness, I remembered that He's my compassionate, loving Father. One of my favorite pictures of Him in His Fatherhood is of me, his daughter, curling up in His lap while He strokes my hair & pours out His love on me. After all, if earthly fathers can do this in their imperfection, why can't He in His infinite perfection? This is what sprang to mind. The darkness lost its stranglehold.

Then, today the barrier was torn down by one simple song. Music has always spoken to me; God has always ministered to me through song. And He did so today in a Sojourn rendition of an Isaac Watts song. The part that finally ripped down the barrier & poured in hope contained these words:

"May Your power rest on me

You are strong, when I am weak.

I can bear all things

When temptation springs,

For You sustain me all my days.

Though the trial still goes on,

Your grace will be my song!

For I can bear all things

When temptation springs,

For You sustain me all my days!

May Your power rest on me."

It's not over yet. Another thing that Piper has said, in quoting John Owen, is that our flesh fights to keep us from anything spiritual. In the front of a Bible given to Him by His mother was written, "This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book." My flesh fights to keep me from God's Word, for in that Word it hears its death knell. My flesh cannot win, it cannot hold sway as long as God wields His Sword to slay it. So, my prayer now is not that I'll be strong enough & faithful enough to read His Word, but rather that He will give me the burning desire & strength & faithfulness to read His Word. Amen.

Ginger's Update

I'm just going to give a quick update about Ginger's cancer treatment for anyone who is wondering.  Since I last wrote, Ginger went through a week & a half on Prednisone to shrink her lymph nodes.  We were waiting to hear back from the oncologist that Dr. Hammond confers with, & in the course of that time (about a week), Ginger's nodes had grown & then - alarmingly - 2 other nodes that have never been there before suddenly sprang up & swelled up to tennis ball-size in a matter of days.  Poor Dr. Hammond's staff had to endure more than one sobbing/blubbering phone call from me.  They were so kind & caring.  Long story short, the nodes shrank with the Prednisone & we have had her in once for the administration of the drug that did wonders for her last summer: L-Spar.  She had a rough couple of days last week right after the chemo, but she's perked right up & is back to normal.  She goes in for another administration of L-Spar this week, & we'll find out at that time where we go from here.  I appreciate everyone's prayers & support more than I can say.  I know not everyone understands my feelings; a lot of people don't get as attached to their pets.  It's hard to explain, but I do appreciate your prayers & support.  Thank you.

Recipe of the "Week"

I'm a master procrastinator. Case in point, I'm writing this post instead of cleaning my kitchen. I figure, I'm writing about cooking, which involves working in the kitchen, so maybe that makes it okay. . .right? No? Well, it was worth a shot. Okay, I promise, right after this post, I'll go clean the kitchen. Once I check my email (again) & call my Mama. But, then I'll clean the kitchen. (Speaking of Mama, you know that these sorts of bad character traits are all her fault. Somehow. I'll bet I could get a psychologist to agree with me. Cue mischievous laugh.  Oh, wait. . .that puts me in a psychologist's office. . .hmmm.)

How in the world all of this became the intro for this week's recipe I'll never know.

Italian Baked Chicken with Smothered Potatoes

Ingredients for Italian Baked Chicken:

-2 lbs. chicken breasts
-Zesty Italian dressing (believe it or not, the Wal-Mart brand is our favorite one. And I detest W-M.)

Directions for Italian Baked Chicken:

-Spray a 9"x13" baking dish with cooking spray, all over the bottom & up the sides

-Shake the dressing bottle well (I know, I know, but somebody's not gonna do it) & squirt enough dressing to coat the bottom of the dish.

-Lay out the chicken breasts so that they're slightly overlapping (I'm able to lay out 3 side-by side & end-to-end this way).

-Stab each piece of chicken all over with a fork.

-Pour Italian dressing all over the chicken breasts until they are mostly covered.

-Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. This allows the chicken breasts to marinate while the oven is heating up.

-Bake chicken until both sides are golden brown. Be careful not to cook them too long or the dressing will turn black, which they say is carcinogenic.

-When serving chicken, spoon any remaining dressing from the bottom of the dish onto the chicken.

Ingredients for Smothered Potatoes:

-Cooking oil
- ~ 5 or 6 potatoes*
-6 or 7 onions*

*Note: The number of potatoes & onions is really a personal preference. We like our potatoes smothered in onions, so I put more onions than potatoes in this dish. The onions always shrink up considerably, & even when I think I have too many potatoes & onions at the start, it never seems to be enough once I'm done. Oh! Also, I only cook this in an electric skillet, so some modification may be necessary with a cast-iron or any other round skillet.

Directions for Smothered Potatoes:

-Pour enough oil into the skillet to just cover the bottom.

-Turn the skillet's temperature gauge up to 350 degrees.

-Chop the onions. Watch this video for a great way to chop an onion without the risk of it slipping & you cutting yourself. Follow the instructions until just a little after the 2-minute mark. At this point, you need to cut the onion straight down vertically (instead of horizontally as she does). Don't dice them. Here's a picture to show you how they should look. Visuals always help me. Oh! And one more thing - I slice my onions very thin. I get more onions this way, plus they turn more brown like I like.

-Once you've distributed the onions into the skillet, put the top on & let them cook while you cut the potatoes.

-Scrub the potatoes & cut off any bad parts.

-Cut each potato from one end to the other. Don't cut them too thick or they'll take forever to soften, but if you cut them too thin, they'll fall apart.

-Before you lay the potatoes out in the skillet, stir the onions. They've been cooking on one side up until now, so this lets them cook on the other side as well.

-Lay the potatoes out in one layer on top of the onions, as shown.

-Replace the lid & continue to cook them, stirring periodically so that everything is cooked evenly.

-When you notice the onions & potatoes beginning to stick (don't wait too long on this), you'll need to turn the temperature down to about 300 degrees. I like darker & slightly crispy onions & potatoes, but it's no fun to fight the stuck-on potatoes while you're trying to cook them!

-Once they've reached your desired consistency & coloring, turn the skillet to warm until you're ready to serve them.

Okay, now this next part is vitally important. Please make sure that you do not divert from these directions in the least.

-Once your meal is on your plate, squirt ketchup all over the smothered potatoes & then mix together. Seriously, you won't get the right flavor if you don't. I realize some of you are mavericks who like to blaze your own trail, but don't. Or, if you do, don't tell me about it. 

Serve this meal with corn, green beans (I doctor mine up with minced garlic, Italian seasoning, a little bit of salt & pepper, & just a dash of sugar), & rolls. Dessert can be whatever you wish.

Enjoy!

A Heartfelt Thank-you

You're probably going to be shocked to see such a short post from someone as notoriously long-winded as me, but this is just a short "thank-you" to everyone who has reached out to me in loving concern over my last post.  You have encouraged me, prayed for me, & pointed me to Christ.  Thank you all for your love & friendship.  Thank you for being the body of Christ to me.  I love each & every one of you.

*Update:  A dear friend of mine just sent me this article from the True Woman blog that is toad-i-ly appropriate to my situation.  Just read it; you'll see.

Pray For Me - PLEASE

The last couple of weeks have been fraught with struggle. I can't elaborate on some of the details in such a public way, although I can assure you that it's nothing to do with our marriage. We're happy as pigs in mud. So, no worries there, okay?

If you've read through our blog up to this point, you've seen mention of my "difficult relationship". Well, that particular difficulty has reared its ugly head once more. It had been relatively easy to let harsh words & frustrating behaviors roll off my back, but now. . .well. . .it's not. Now, I'm struggling to feel the love that just recently seemed to come so easily. Okay, that's not really true. I'm definitely not "feelin' the love", but I'm not fighting for it, either. Nor am I struggling to contain my anger. Nope, I'm letting it have full reign. And, if I'm honest again, I don't want to reign it in. I've been hurt & it feels good to be angry. Here's the rub, though: I know it's wrong. I know full well that I'm sinning in my anger. And I don't like that, not one bit. That's why I'm letting y'all know about this particular struggle. I don't want to feel loving & I don't want to let go of my anger. Right now, I'm not even sure that I want to want to! So, I'm having to pray for that desire, & I'm asking you to pray for me as well.

The other struggle comes in the form of my sweet baby girl, Ginger. If you remember, she was diagnosed with cancer Christmas Eve '08. She went into a remission last summer that has lasted all the way until now. But now, it's back with a vengeance. We took all the babies into the vet in the middle of May for their yearly shots & everyone marveled at how well Ginger's been doing. We even wondered if maybe God had healed her. I know that sounds crazy - like, why would He heal a dog when He doesn't heal people? - but this remission was rare. Her first remission lasted only 3 months, & the rule of thumb is that the length of a subsequent remission will only be half. So, I should have lost her last Fall at the latest. (I have to pause here & publically praise God for giving me more time with her than is supposed to be medically possible.  I'm more grateful than I can say.)  Here she is a year out, with no sign of the cancer. Could it have been that God had answered my frantic down-in-my-bones cries with a "yes"? It seemed so. Until the end of May. I felt what may be her lymph nodes popping back out in her neck. We went in to our vet again - who, if I may say so, is an absolute God-send to us - & he thought it was probably the vaccines, but he wanted to keep an eye on it. So, we made our weekly trip to his office last week (on our anniversary, no less) for the confirmation of my fear that the nodes are larger & the cancer is back. In the past week, those nodes have continued to grow while some others in front of her shoulders went from nonexistent to tennis ball-size. We've gotten her started on Prednisone, which has already begun to shrink the nodes, & we have another treatment plan set to begin Monday. But, ultimately, we're just delaying the inevitable. This cancer is terminal. It's only a matter of time before it kills her. And it breaks my heart to know that. I've broken down sobbing countless times over the last couple of weeks. Like right now. I can't stand the thought of what's coming, but it's coming nonetheless. I'm scared. This is painful now, but it's going to be exponentially more painful when God takes her. Everything in me is screaming, "I DON'T WANT TO LOSE HER!!!" And yet, I will. God will see me through it. Michael will see me through it. I do know that. I desperately need your prayers. She may not be a human, but she is my baby.

Recipe of the "Week"

I LOVE desserts! As many of you know, I have quite the sweet tooth. Ice cream, cheesecake, chocolate cake, doughnuts, lemon ice box pie, & today's featured recipe. . .apple crisp. I've made a peach crisp before that turned out quite nicely, so I decided to make one with apples in honor of Memorial Day. I mean, what's more American than an apple dessert?! I searched online & found this one, only I tweaked it a bit to suit the size of our baking dish & our taste (we like a LOT of topping!). We think it's simply fabulous!

Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

     Filling:

          -4 cups apples

          -1/2 c. sugar

          -1/2 T all-purpose flour

          -1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

     Topping:

          -1 c. old-fashioned rolled oats

          -1 c. all-purpose flour

          -1 c. brown sugar, firmly packed

          -1/4 tsp. baking powder

          -1/4 tsp. baking soda

          -1/2 c. butter, melted

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-Peel, core, & slice the apples. I have an apple corer that slices the apples. I cut off any hard pieces that are left, then cut each slice in half lengthwise. Then, I cut these thinner slices in half across the width so that they're more bite-sized.

-Spray the bottom & sides of an 8"x11" baking dish with cooking spray. (If you want to use a 9"x13" dish, use the original recipe, although you might have to tweak the topping portion if you still want a lot of topping.)

-Lay the apples down, side by side, on their bottoms rather than their sides. You can fit more in this way.

-In a large bowl, combine the sugar, all-purpose flour, & cinnamon. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the apples.

-Using the same mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, & baking soda. Stir in the melted butter until crumbs form.

-Pour out the topping onto the apples, completely covering them.

-Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Michael likes to eat his apple crisp with vanilla ice cream. I feel like that takes away from the flavor of the apples & topping, so I eat mine as is. We each think our way is the best. . .how about y'all?

Kate Rusby-Sir Eglamore

Another Kate Rusby song! This is so upbeat & the lyrics are hilarious! I LOVE the end of the song when all the band members are playing lively & it's so obvious how much fun they're having. This is such a FUN song! No offense, but if you don't like it, you might want to see a doctor, because I can pretty much guarantee that there's something wrong with you. ;-)

Recipe of the "Week"

I can imagine my Dad's reproving glance over serving this meal in the summer. Astonishingly, even though I know that anything cooked is hot, I have somehow adopted his belief that some things - like chili & a full range of soups - are better served in colder weather. I guess you can't successfully fight your upbringing all the time. Not on the really important things. However, for this dish, I gladly make an exception! So, for your enjoyment (now or in colder weather - I'll let you choose), I present. . .

Taco Soup

Ingredients:

-1 lb. ground beef
-2 cans pinto beans
-2 cans dark or light kidney beans (or both, if you like more beans. You'll just need to add an extra T of both the Ranch & Taco seasonings to compensate for the extra liquid.)
-2 cans corn
-2 cans Rotel
-1 packet or 3 T Ranch seasoning
-1 packet or 3 T Taco seasoning

Directions:

-Cook meat in a large skillet until brown & crumbly.
-Combine meat with all other ingredients in a Crock Pot. Stir thoroughly to fully incorporate the seasonings.
-Cook on low all day.
-Serve over Fritos with a topping of grated cheddar cheese & sour cream. For a lower calorie, more healthy version, simply omit this step!

Our Fairy Tale

Today's story is a fairy tale. Not one of those fairy tales filled with talking animals, singing godmothers with magic wands, & "happily ever after" endings - although I have to say that I do enjoy those. This is more of a modern fairy tale that includes an online dating service, emails, & cell phones. But just like the old-fashioned kind, it, too, has romance & sheer joy. It, too, leads the man & woman through difficult trials. But this fairy tale wasn't orchestrated by a sweet, though absentminded, fairy godmother. No, this fairy tale is orchestrated by God.

Every story has a beginning. Fairy tales typically begin with the famous words "once upon a time" & plop you right down in the middle of someone's life. This one, however, has no real beginning. Because God has no beginning. And before time began, before the world was created by Him, He planned this story. He planned for the man & woman to meet, fall in love, & get married. But it doesn't start with them, not really. In order for these things to come about, He had to plan for their parents, their grandparents, their great-grandparents, & so-on & so-forth - to meet, fall in love, & get married. Take just a moment & think about all of the little details that had to line up just so in order for these two people to even be born, let alone meet & fall in love! It boggles the mind! But, of course, that's why He's God & we're not.

As creatures, our lives are full of beginnings & endings, though, so this story has to start somewhere. So. . .Once upon a time, there was a young woman who wanted to be married. She had grown up loving the Disney fairy tales where some handsome young prince sweeps the beautiful princess off her feet & carries her away from all of her troubles to live happily ever after. As she got older, she graduated from these cutesy stories to more grown-up "chick flicks" where, again, some handsome fella & beautiful girl overcome some sort of difficulty & end up falling in love & living happily ever after. These stories always filled her with longing & a question of whether anyone would ever love her that way. Eventually, she realized that the answer was "no". No man would ever love her like that for one main reason - it wasn't real. She finally understood that what she was in love with was the idea of love, but she had no knowledge of what real love was like. She aimed to find out, though, & began reading books that would help her understand how to really love. (She highly recommends the Bible for this.) Even so, even though she wanted to marry & even prayed for the man whom God might bring to her, she finally came to have faith that if God allowed her to remain single, she had Him & He was enough.

Meanwhile, in a land somewhat far away, there was a young man who dreamed of falling in love & getting married as well. He, like her, watched as those around him married & began families. He wanted this for himself, but was beginning to believe that it would never happen. He loved to spend time with his sister & her family, especially his nieces & nephew. Few things - if any - made him happier than playing with & doting on them. This made him want to be a husband & father even more. So, when his sister & brother-in-law (who also wanted him happily married) suggested that he join eHarmony, he hesitantly agreed. Little did he know that God was working out His plan & his life would soon be forever changed.

At about this time, our young lady was nearing the end of her own eHarmony subscription & was debating about whether to continue after having sifted through several self-described "godly" men who were somewhat lacking. Then, one day in early February, she was matched with this new fella. His picture showed him with his two nieces, which was promising. They flew through the communication process & graduated to private emails very quickly. Then came his first phone call to her - on Valentine's Day. In only a couple of weeks, she knew that she wanted to marry him. Her mother's reaction to this news was understandably cautionary: "You need to slow down." Her young niece showed her displeasure by covering her ears with her hands, shaking her head back & forth, & repeatedly declaring, "I don't wanna talk about it!" Even so, everything was falling into place just as God had planned. They knew the first day they met in person that their feelings were mutual & he asked her parents' permission to marry her. After having met him, they heartily agreed - complete with a "bear hug" from her dad & tears from her mom. A mere three & a half months later, she walked barefoot down the aisle to meet her groom in a beautifully simple ceremony in her parents' backyard.

Three years ago today, I married the man of my dreams & prayers. God has blessed me richly with a godly man who leads our family in pursuing the Lover of our souls. We have struggles just like any other couple; no marriage is perfect because every marriage is between two sinners. Yet, we have a beautiful & joyful marriage because Christ is our foundation. We both look to Him to sanctify us. I've learned that marriage is work, but not because I'm working to change my husband. Marriage is work because I'm working to change myself. Of course, I can't speak for Michael, but for me, I constantly need God's help to hold my tongue, to be submissive, to be slow to anger, to be selfless, & to forgive. And then, when I blow it, I run to Him for forgiveness & restoration, which He freely gives. This is what makes a marriage that is refined - rather than consumed - in the fires of life. God planned this marriage. God brought this marriage into being. God is transforming this marriage day by day so that we bring Him glory through it. And that is the worthy goal of every Christian marriage!
 

Happy Anniversary, my darling! I am honored to be your wife, & I love you more than words can say!

*Our most gracious heavenly Father, thank You for our marriage. Thank You for blessing me with Michael. He is a godly example to me, & I love him dearly. Please help me to be a godly wife to him - to be loving, kind, humble, submissive, patient, & selfless - to be his helpmeet as You've created me to be. Please give him the wisdom & strength to lead our family in righteousness. Please forgive us both - & please help us to forgive each other - when we fail. Help us to love each other more every day, but protect us from making each other & our love into idols. Help us to love You supremely so that we can love each other better. Please use us & our marriage to point to Christ & the church & to glorify You. In Christ's holy name I pray, Amen.

A Lesson From James

Know this, my beloved brothers: let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak, & slow to anger, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. -- James 1:19-20

I've often heard people claim a "life verse" for themselves. I'm not so sure I like that concept, because of its implication that this is a particularly special verse, when in fact all of Scripture is God-breathed &, therefore, special. That being said, I do know that there are verses that seem to come up again & again in our lives. There are verses, chapters, & even whole books that I turn to again & again for comfort, for peace, for reassurance, for strength, for correction, etc. James 1:19-20 are two verses that I go to repeatedly because I can often be the exact opposite of what they call me to be. A fact that I need to be reminded of so that I can repent -- turn the other way & behave contrary to the way my flesh wants me to behave.

"Be quick to hear". How often am I not really listening to my husband, mother, sister-in-law? How often do I hear what they're saying (as in, "am cognizant of the words that are being spoken"), but not really listening to what they're saying (as in "giving careful thought & consideration to the words that are being spoken")? How often am I busy formulating my answer, my rebuttal, my example from my own life? I need to silence the thoughts that are whirling around in my head while others are speaking. I need to give them my undivided attention, just as I want them to do for me. After all, how can I really minister to others if I'm not doing this?

Have you ever asked someone - pointedly - to listen to you? I have, & I had a revelation this morning that when I do that, my meaning is sometimes - often? - not just "listen to me", but "do what I'm saying". When I am giving my opinion on how I think my husband should handle a particular situation, I can often become quite adamant that he "listen to me" when it becomes apparent that he's going to handle it differently than I'm suggesting. It struck me this morning that him choosing another way doesn't mean he's not listening to me. It means he doesn't agree with me. . .& that's okay! Maybe instead of focusing so strenuously on being heard, I should apply this verse & be the listener.  How much angst in life would be alleviated by simply following this one command in Scripture -- "be quick to hear"?

"Be...slow to speak". *Sigh* I am one of those people that struggles not to pop off at the mouth whenever something irritates me. In evaluating my speech, I've also noticed that, in addition to speaking rashly & angrily, I can easily revert to: 
     -conceitedly speaking of just myself (dominating a conversation)
     -pridefully boasting about some accomplishment or spiritual insight
     -talking too much
     -gossiping
Now, that's not to say that my speech always falls into one of these categories, but it often can if I'm not careful.  Sometimes, I don't give much thought to what I want to say or what effect my words will have; I just say it. And, I just have to say, that each & every time I do this, I regret it.  In being slow to speak, I'm to give careful consideration to my words. I'm not to simply say the first thing that I think of. I'm to step back, especially in an emotionally-charged situation, read Scripture, meditate on it, & pray before entering into dialogue. Then, when I do speak, my words are to be "gracious, seasoned with salt" (Col. 4:6), not rash or harsh. And, of course, my words should show that I have the Spirit living in me, so the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control, & gentleness should be ever-present when I speak. My mother (& others, I'm sure) has said that God gave us 2 ears & 1 mouth because we're supposed to listen more than we speak. Another Scripture verse that comes to mind here is Proverbs 10:19, which says that "when words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent." Lord, help me be slow to speak!

"Be...slow to anger". Now, this is a sore spot. I have quite a temper. Of course, I'd like to blame my pedigree (Scotch-Irish, German, & Comanche is not a good combination if you want to be one of those even-tempered people). However, I know that the real culprit is me; I'm sinful, bottom line. It is a fact that some people have a temperament that is more disposed toward anger; I anger much more easily than Michael. He's much more laid back that I am. I don't know how in the world he just lets things roll right off him, but he does. I'm the opposite. I'll get my hackles up faster than lightning over even the littlest thing.  I am thankful that God blessed me with a more even-tempered husband because he's a wonderful model for me.  He's used in God's sanctification of me in this area regularly.  I used to just dismiss my temper as a part of my personality that didn't really matter much & certainly wasn't sin. Typically, I believed that the fault lay with the person whose behavior angered me.  The only problem is that God's Word says differently. According to this very verse, I should be slow to anger, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. I want to be righteous, I want to reflect my Lord. So, that means that I can't get angry at the drop of a hat. As a matter of fact, I shouldn't ever allow unrighteous anger to bubble up.  The problem for me is that I can't do anything but that; I'm absolutely helpless to do anything but that! I'm so grateful to God, though, because whereas I can't overcome my temper, God can & is sanctifying me so that progressively fewer things elicit an angry response from me. There is no way that I could possibly white-knuckle it & change. So, I'm exceedingly thankful that He's doing that work in me, & I really look forward to the day when He's perfected me & I am finally cleansed from all my sin, including anger!

As always, I want to be very clear here, that in no way, shape, or form does adhering to this verse - or any verse - earn my favor with God. There is nothing that I could ever do apart from Christ that would please God & save me from His wrath toward my sin. Even if I never failed to listen & was always slow to speak & anger, God would not be pleased with me if I strove to do this apart from Christ. The only way that I am saved is through the perfect life, propitiating death, & bodily resurrection of my Lord Jesus Christ. He earned my salvation & granted me faith. . .& He will keep me in that faith. "For those whom He predestined He also called, & those whom He called He also justified, & those whom He justified He also glorified"! (Romans 8:30)

*Our most gracious heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word. Thank You that You've given us a way to know You -- to know who You are, to know what You're like, to know how You relate to us, to know Your Son whom You sent to redeem us from our sin so we could be Your children. Thank You for the gift of Your Word, the gift of Your Son, the gift of You. Conform us into Your image. Help us to cherish & wield the Sword of the Spirit to kill sin in our lives. We love You, Lord. Help us to love You more. In Christ's holy name we pray, Amen.

Recipe of the "Week"

Okay, so, this recipe's name is misleading. In my family, we call it "BBQ Hamburger", even though there's no BBQ sauce involved. It's really more like a Sloppy Joe, but I guess we had to get all cutesy & original. Blame it on Granny; it's her recipe.

BBQ Hamburger

Ingredients:

-1 lb. ground meat
-1 small chopped onion
-1/2 c. ketchup
-2 T Worcestershire
-2 T prepared mustard
-1 tsp. sugar
-1 c. boiling water

Directions:

- In a large skillet, cook meat thoroughly until it turns a nice brown & is very crumbly. (I don't like big gobs of meat, so I chop mine up finely while it's cooking. It's a personal preference, but it does make the meat go further, as well.)
-Add the chopped onions & cook until they are clear. (I chop these up finely in my little hand-held Cuisinart chopper; I don't like big gobs of vegetables any more than meat!)
-Add all other ingredients to the meat & onions & combine thoroughly.
-Simmer with lid on until done to a spooning consistency. It will darken & firm up while it's cooking. (As a side note, if you don't have a lid - like me - a splatter guard works beautifully.) Remember to stir occasionally as it's "drying out" to prevent sticking.
-Toast your bread or buns & serve open-faced or like a hamburger.
-Don't forget your fries!

This is a wonderful summer-time meal, especially if you make home-made ice cream for dessert. Just remember to invite us, too! ;-)

Kate Rusby - Who Will Sing Me Lullabies

This was my very first exposure to Kate Rusby, & I fell instantly in love.  Her songs either make me sigh with contentment, cry from the sad story, laugh at the silliness, or gush over how adorable she is.  She has such a pure, sweet voice, & I love her vibrato & the way she trills her notes.  And have I mentioned her accent?!  I positively love her!

Now that you've heard this song, check out a few of my other favorites from Kate:  Fare Thee Well (live), Blooming Heather (the 7-minute-long version), Falling, Canaan's Land, The Yorkshire Couple (live), & Let Me Be (below). 

Kate Rusby - Let Me Be

I go around the house "la-la-la"ing constantly when I've listened to this song.  Careful, or you will, too!  (It's okay, though, it's a good thing!)

A Proverbs 31 Woman

I love my mama. Seriously. She's one of my favorite people in all the world. Which, if you know her, you find completely understandable. My mama is:

     -funny (she makes me laugh all the time)
     -beautiful (I mean, just look at the picture!)
     -loving (she loves fiercely, not only emotionally, but in action as well)
     -smart (this speaks for itself)
     -wise (she knows how to handle situations & people in the most amazing way!)
     -sacrificial (she'll give anything she has to in order to meet the needs of others)
     -fun (she's just fun to be around, even when we're doing nothing in particular)
     -godly (she loves God & raised me to love Him as well, something for which I am deeply grateful)
     -hardworking (she always has something going on)
     -protective (mama bears have nothing on her!)

When I first moved to GA, people would say to her, "But you & Chrissy are so close!" - implying that I should therefore be unable to move so far away. Her response: "We're still close." It hasn't always been that way. I was very difficult from 11-14. Very. VERY. She says the day I turned 14, I did a total reversal & was her Chrissy again. I actually remember that day. Suddenly the anger was gone. Simply gone. And I could enjoy my family once more. I also remember the day that it dawned on me that Mama knew more than I did about life, & perhaps I should listen to her. It was around the same time I came out of my "difficult" (again, that's putting it mildly) stage. From then on, our relationship just simply blossomed. I loved to be with her so much that I would follow her from room to room like a puppy dog - something I still will do when we visit.

Now, I'm living closer to home than I did when I lived in GA, but it's still a 6 hour trip. I don't get to see Mama as much as I'd like, but we talk - sometimes for hours - every day. We share our struggles with each other, laugh over some funny tale, reminisce about the past & loved ones who are gone, & talk about God's endlessly beautiful character. I got to spend Mother's Day weekend with her this year. We met halfway in Pearl, MS. We didn't do much of anything other than talk, but we had a great time. We ate out together. We worshipped God together. We cried together. We hunted for a Wal-Mart together, which you wouldn't think would be so difficult to find. Of course, we laughed together.

I prayed over our lunch on Mother's Day & cried as I thanked God for making me her daughter. As I was talking with a friend one day, I mourned over the fact that I don't have as close a relationship with one of my family members as she has with her corresponding family member. She gently reminded me that she doesn't have the relationship with her mother like I have with mine. It's rare, I think, for mothers & daughters to be as close as Mama & I are. I'm not sure why that is. Mothers are God's gift to us. I'm grateful beyond measure that God gifted me with my Mama. She's my best friend.  She's the best Mama ever. And I love her more than words can say.

Note the 2 fingers that she's holding up behind my head while sporting a completely innocent look on her face.  Bad Mama!  ;-)

Recipe of the "Week"

Have I confessed my inexperience with cooking before? That's probably not the best confession to make prior to sharing a recipe, but they say that honesty is the best policy. The unvarnished truth is that before I became a wife, I knew how to make only 2 things really well: cheese enchiladas & lemon ice box pie. Since then, I've expanded my repertoire, while keeping these 2 favorites, of course. I'll have to remember to fix them soon so they can be featured here. That day is not today, though. Today is another of both Michael's & my favorites. And today, you get 3 for 1! Drum roll, please, for. . .
 

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches with Home-made Fries & Grilled Corn on the Cob

Ingredients for BBQ Chicken Sandwich:

-2 lb. chicken breasts
-18 oz. favorite BBQ sauce (I used Cattlemen's Golden Honey, which was basically divine)
-hamburger buns

Directions for BBQ Chicken Sandwich:

-Spray the bottom & sides of a 9" x 13" casserole dish with cooking spray.
-Pour just enough BBQ sauce to cover the bottom of the dish.
-Lay out the chicken breasts side by side & slightly overlapping, using a fork to poke holes all over the breasts.
-Pour the entire bottle of BBQ sauce over the chicken breasts & spread it out with the fork so that they are covered.
-Preheat the oven to 400 degrees; while the oven is preheating, the chicken has time to marinate in the BBQ sauce.
-Bake at 400 degrees until the chicken is a reddish brown, turning the chicken every now & then so both sides are browned.
-Once chicken is done, cut the undesirable parts off of each piece & discard.
-Using 2 forks (1 to hold the chicken in place & one to tear with) shred the chicken & then mix it with the BBQ sauce that is in the bottom of the dish.
-Serve over hamburger buns (which are great toasted slightly on the grill).

Ingredients for Home-made Fries:

-6-8 golden potatoes
-cooking oil
-salt

Directions for Home-made Fries:

-Under lukewarm water, scrub the potatoes thoroughly.
-Cut off any bad spots on the potatoes.
-Slice each potato in half lengthwise. Place the potato on its flat side & cut lengthwise again. You should now have 4 quarters of a potato.
-Now place the potato on one of its flat sides & cut it into wedges.
-Turn the potato as one onto its other flat side & slice the wedges in half. (optional - this gives you fries instead of wedges, but it's a personal preference)
-Pour enough oil into your skillet to almost cover the fries, then lay the fries out in the skillet (I like to put them in when the oil is not hot so that I don't get splashed with hot oil.)
-Cook the fries between medium high & medium until they are a golden brown.
-Lay them out, batch by batch, on a plate covered in paper towels & sprinkle with salt. (A slotted serving spoon works very well for scooping them out of the hot oil & for putting your next batch into the hot oil.)

Ingredients for Grilled Corn on the Cob:

-fresh sweet corn on the cob
-stick of butter
-pepper
-salt

Directions for Grilled Corn on the Cob:

-Shuck the corn cobs (including breaking off the bottom end of the cob) & use a scrubber under lukewarm water to get off as many of the remaining strings as possible.
-Tear off square pieces of aluminum foil large enough to wrap each corn cob in & place each cob on its own foil square.
-Unwrap the stick of butter about half way & rub butter all over each corn cob. (It will get softer with each cob & the wrapper will protect your hand from getting all buttery along with the corn.)
-Sprinkle each cob with a little bit of pepper & salt.
-Wrap up the corn in the foil & then grill it in the top of the grill for about 7 minutes on each side.

This meal is so good (in our opinion), "it'll make ya wanna slap yo' Mama"!  Although I wouldn't recommend doing it.  Maybe you shouldn't invite her to dinner. . .

Recipe of the "Week"

Mama used to make this when I was growing up. The easiest way is to cook it in the crock-pot on low for the day. I cooked it this time in the crock-pot for ~2 1/2 hours on high, which worked beautifully. The best part? Michael raving about it while we ate. . .& then getting seconds! I hope you enjoy it just as much!

Chicken Spaghetti
 

Ingredients:

-spaghetti

-4-5 chicken breasts (you can use more or less depending on how "chickeny" you want it. We buy frozen chicken breasts in 2 lb. bags, which comes out to about 8 breasts, & I put all of them in)

-dry minced garlic

-2 cans pasta sauce (I used two 32-oz. jars of Classico Tomato & Basil because Michael likes a lot of sauce. One jar definitely would have sufficed to make it more "chickeny".)

-Italian seasoning

-1 T sugar

Directions:

-If you're not cooking this in a crock-pot, you need to bake or sauté the chicken. This step isn't necessary if you are cooking it in the crock-pot. I'm going to write the directions as if the crock-pot is being used, & you can tweak them for yourself if you're not using this method.

-Empty the sauce into the crock-pot. A trick to opening the jars is to slide the blade of a dinner knife under the edge of the top & slightly twist the knife. Sometimes it takes a couple of twists, but you will hear it pop, letting you know the vacuum seal has been broken. It's super easy to twist the top off now! (Michael taught me this trick; isn't he great?!)

-Sprinkle the garlic & Italian seasoning over the top of the sauce & add the sugar, then stir it all together.

-Turn the crock-pot on low if you're going to cook it all day or high if you're going to be ready to eat in 2-3 hours.

-Trim the fat off of the chicken breasts & then cut them into pieces & drop them into the sauce.

-Stir the sauce so that the chicken is completely covered & let the crock-pot do the rest. Every now & then, stir the sauce, particularly if you're cooking it on high. It's ready when the chicken is done. The longer you cook it, the more tender the chicken becomes, even to the point of just falling apart.

-Serve over the pasta of your choice. Spaghetti works well; last night we used rotini, & it was wonderful! Of course, parmesan cheese & a side of garlic bread are a must!

ENJOY!

From a Ransomed Sinner, With Love - Part 2

In this post, I would like to address some of the responses that I received from my first letter.  I have addressed them privately already, but know that some others may have the same views, so I am addressing them here, too.  The responses are in bold italics, & my answers to them follow.

"I am on my spirtiual journey, & no two are alike, so I cannot & don't want to travel anyone else's but mine."  It is absolutely correct that no one's journey is exactly the same as anyone else's.  That's very true. God leads all of His children through different circumstances because we all have different areas in need of sanctification. A very important question to ask ourselves here is who's leading my journey? All journeys have an ending, a destination. So, another question to ask ourselves is where's my journey leading? There are only 2 options -- heaven or hell. Only 1 way leads to heaven, & all other ways lead to hell. Think of it like this: God's Word says that the way to salvation is a narrow path that few people find. Each of God's children journey down that same path, but there are different obstacles that each person will overcome by God's grace & in His strength. Only God's children travel this path, though.  Those who don't belong to God travel the other path, & the fact that it's wide is an indication that more people travel this path leading to hell than the narrow one leading to God.  All paths don't lead to God; rather, each person on that one narrow path is going to God but will experience different things along that path. (Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan perfectly illustrates this, & it is such an enjoyable book!) Even with our different experiences, there are marks of true believers, characteristics that all true followers of Christ have in their lives that show them to be true followers. I spoke of these in my first letter. In our culture, in our world, it is commonly believed that there are many ways to God. My road may lead through riches & indulging in the things of this world, my neighbor's road may lead through numerous sexual relationships, & that stranger standing in front of me in the grocery store may have a road that leads to God through Buddha (or any other false religion or god), but they all eventually lead to God. It sounds lovely, that everyone can be right & no one is wrong, but that's just not true. Jesus explicitly says that no one can come to God the Father apart from Him, apart from His sacrificial death. To be perfectly straightforward here - & please know I say this in love - if your journey is not based on an accurate interpretation & application of Scripture, then it does not include, nor is it leading to, God. He says so in His Word, & we must believe what He says. If we don't, it's at our own peril.

"The rules of God are pretty basic." They are, but not in the way people mean. They are basic in that they are laid out in His Word. We keep coming back to this point, because without an acknowledgment that His Word is the basis for our understanding of Him & for how we live our lives, then both are skewed. Without this basis, we have no true understanding of Him, no true relationship with Him, & we're simply living our lives by our own rules, even if we claim to follow God. Some people do it with man-made rules in the name of Christianity, while others do it by discarding all rules in the name of tolerance. Without sounding too "hell-fire & damnation" here, this leads to nowhere but. . .well. . .hell. Here's an example of how not acknowledging God's Word in our lives plays out & hurts us in the end: "I have learned if I live by the positive things I have been taught & not so into what is expected of me & do what feels natural & right then I am living what God wants me to."  But living your life this way means that you're basing your relationship with God - & therefore your standing before Him - on how you feel & what your experiences are, rather than what Scripture says. And what does Scripture say?  That Jesus Christ is the only way to have a right relationship with God, that only trusting in His sacrifice for us redeems us from our sin & exhausts God's wrath toward that sin.  It may seem like an acceptable way of approaching God, to just do what feels right & comes naturally, except that Scripture bears out that "what feels natural & right" to us is sin. It feels natural to have anger when someone wrongs us, but the Bible says that God sees anger as tantamount to murder. It feels good for us to look at a man's body with appreciation (lust), but the Bible says that looking at someone in lust is the same as adultery. It feels right to tell someone what they want to hear so that we don't upset them with the truth, but the Bible says that's lying. The Bible also says that it is innate (natural) in man to sin. Not here & there, but all the time. Even the things we do right are tainted with sin. The Bible says that even our "righteousness" is as filthy rags (used tampons is a modern-day comparison) before God. Bottom line here is that we can't trust what feels right to us, because it will lead us to sin.

"The world just seems to put more into [religion] & makes it seem so rigid & unfun when it's really not that way.  I am having too much fun & feeling too much joy & happiness on my own journey.  I am adventuresome, positive, free, & living life to the fullest."  There are those who believe the focus of life is to be on having fun.  Their life is supposed to be joyful, positive, & devoid of anything serious or difficult.  It sounds like a wonderful way to live; the only problem is that these happy feelings aren't based on truth. Is this you?  If so, in believing the lie that you are free, you have been blinded to your bondage. Again, I don't say this with malice, but in love & with an almost overwhelming sadness. A lot of people, maybe even you, believe what this world says about God, about who He is & how we can relate to Him. And this world lies about God with each & every breath. The world is not a friend of God. I understand that so many people have been scarred by those who claim Christ & behave as anything but. I know that. I've been there, too. I had to finally realize that I can't judge God by - nor can I base my understanding of Him on - the words, actions, & lives of those who misrepresent & distort Him. So, I had to learn to ignore what the world is saying about God & ignore what those who misrepresent Him in the church say. I have to take Him at His own Word. He's told us everything about Him that we need to know. Who He is, who we are, what He's done for us, what He'll do at the end of time to His enemies, how we can be set free from our sin & be His children - even how to recognize true believers.  God doesn't try to squeeze you into an "unfun" & "rigid" mold. He created you with your personality. He doesn't want to change your personality, He wants to change your heart. Christianity is not about following some list of rigid rules where you can't dance or have a daiquiri or wear makeup. Some try to make it about that, but they're wrong. Christianity is about God showing mercy & undeserved love to rebellious enemies by sending His Son to die on a cross to rescue us from our sin & His wrath. In response, we love Him & joyfully serve Him. Did you catch that? Joyfully! Christianity - truly & faithfully serving God - is wonderfully freeing & infinitely joyful! Does God have expectations of His children? Doesn't every parent? He's our Father, & He lays down guidelines for how our lives work best just like any human parent does for their children. The bottom line for our lives is not about us & our fun, it's about Him & His glory. Incredibly, in loving Him & living for His glory, we are so blessed! He's glorified & we're blessed! It's amazing to think of! The thing is, God will be glorified in each person's life, whether by their salvation or by their damnation. That may sound harsh, but that's the truth. And I love you enough to tell you the truth, because I'd much rather that He be glorified in your salvation.

I want to pose a few questions to you. Give them some thought & answer them for yourself. These are questions that come from one of my favorite books, Stepping Heavenward. It's fictional, but accurate & very edifying. Every time I read it, God uses it to convict me, encourage me, & strengthen my faith. 1) Do you love God? Not the god of your own making (as is prevalent in the world, even among those who claim Christ), but the God who has revealed Himself to us in the Bible. I laid out a thorough description of the true God in my last letter. Do you love Him? 2) Do you love to be with God? To commune with Him in prayer & Bible reading? To fondly think of Him during the day? 3) Do you love to hear others speak about Him in an honoring, praising way? Do you love to talk about Him yourself in this same way? 4) Do you love to try to please Him with your thoughts, words, & deeds? Do you love to live your life in a way that pleases & reflects well on Him? Remember, as I said in my first letter, none of us will ever do this perfectly, nor will we earn His favor in living this way. His favor was earned for us at the cross. Saying yes to these questions does not earn us our salvation. If we love God, if we pray & read our Bibles, if we adore Him with our speech, & if we live holy lives -- these are the fruits of salvation, these are the evidences of our salvation, not the way to earn our salvation.

Why have I written this?  Model after model is given in Scripture of the saints earnestly defending the faith & correcting error. I want God to be glorified in the salvation of sinners; & I say that humbly, as a sinner who sees my need for Him every single day. I want you to know the truth about Him, & not just to know it, but to rejoice in it, to revel in it, to trust in it! There is such joy, freedom, & blessing to be found in Him! For years, I've seen people searching for joy & meaning. They've moved from one place to the next, from one job to the next, & from one relationship to the next in this quest. And each place, job, & relationship has left them empty & still searching. This positive-thinking, "let's just have fun" ideology that seems to be so rampant will do the same. You will not have true joy or true meaning - nor will you have a true relationship with God or true salvation - by following this path. I know it may make people angry for me to say this, but while y'all fume at me, please seriously consider what I'm saying. And think about what it takes for me to say it. I love you enough to tell you the hard truth, & I'm praying you will heed my words. I've been on the receiving end of truth that I didn't want to hear, & it can be hard to take. It's incredibly difficult to humble yourself & admit that you're wrong or misguided. It's very uncomfortable. But know this:  Know that I love you. Know that I don't want to hurt or anger you. Know that I want what is best for you, what will lead to your ultimate good. That's why I had to write this. I do love you, & I've tried to be as gentle & humble as possible without watering down God's truth. As before, I pray you receive it in the spirit in which it's written, & that God may somehow use this letter to reveal Himself to you. You're in my prayers, & I'm here for you if you want to talk.