Ch. 2 - From Him, Through Him, To Him (Part 1)

Oh, the depth of the riches & wisdom & knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments & how inscrutable His ways! "For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor?" "Or who has given a gift to Him that he might be repaid?" For from Him & through Him & to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen. ~ Romans 11:33-36

These verses - & the chapter that expounds upon them - are a mountaintop experience. As Nancy Leigh DeMoss states, this doxology connects the what of Romans 1-11 to the so what of the rest of the book. And when you stop to behold the transcendent beauty inherent in these verses, it simply takes your breath away. It did mine. In order to give you the same sense of awe as I gained in reading this chapter, I'm going to devote 2 posts to it - one for the what & one for the so what.

"This passage . . . gives us a perspective - a grid - for responding to His sovereign choices in our lives, especially those we cannot understand." (pg. 29) And aren't there a lot of those? There are a lot of circumstances in our lives that we just simply can't understand why they're happening the way that they are. If we were in charge, we would orchestrate things in a much more painless way. Why is God doing it this way? Why do I have to experience strife in family relationships or discontentment in my job? Why is it necessary to go through a spiritually dry season? To put it bluntly, as these very verses show, because He has a depth of wisdom, knowledge, & judgment that is beyond us. We can't search them out. We can't easily understand them. We have to get it through our heads that our way is wrong & God's way is right. . . & we don't have to understand it. He is wholly other & completely above us in all ways. Unlike us, He has no lack of wisdom or knowledge. Nothing escapes or surprises Him. He knows everything about the momentous events of history all the way down to the minute details of our every day lives. He not only knows them, He's in control of them. And this brings immense comfort to His children because we know that no matter how out of control we are, He never is. Nothing ever happens to us apart from His will. And because "God works all things together for good for those who love Him & are called according to His purpose", we can rest assured that when we get that dreaded diagnosis or lose our job or face infertility or any other crisis, He is taking care of us. His plans are for our good, not for our demise. Even when - especially when - it hurts, we can know that He's working His sanctification in us, so that we will be like Him. How can we know that? "For from Him & through Him & to Him are all things." All of the circumstances in history & in our personal lives happens in order to bring Him glory. When evil occurs, He receives glory in His wrath toward that evil or in bringing the evil doer to repentance & forgiving that evil in His mercy. When one of His children suffers well, such as Rachel Barkey, trusting in Him come what may, He receives immense glory! When one of His children gives up a comfortable life to spend their lives living out & preaching the Gospel, such as Katie Davis, God receives glory! When parents joyfully raise their children in the fear & admonition of the Lord, faithfully going about their daily duties out of love for God, He receives glory. What in the world makes such people trust & serve a God they cannot see or touch? Faith. Faith that God's "riches & wisdom & knowledge" are of such unfathomable depth that we can never know them fully. Faith that lets go of having to know everything God knows for one simple reason: He knows it & that's enough. Faith that knows that God is good & only gives the best gifts to His children. Faith that knows that even when it hurts, God is there, He's working out His plan - again, for our good - & in the end He will get the glory & we will receive immense blessing. This faith is not of us. It's of God alone. To Him be glory forever. Amen.

Recipe of the "Week"

Cooler weather is on the horizon! Can't you feel Fall coming?! I LOVE Fall! Love, love, love, love! I get so excited when the weather starts to get crisp & leaves start changing colors. Shoot! I get excited just thinking about it! Tawny hued leaves floating through the air, the caw of crows, camping in the Smokies, sitting on the front porch with my dearly beloved without a rerun of "Attack of the Mosquitos". And suppers of warm, comforting foods like this. . .

Red Beans & Rice

Ingredients:

-3 cans Blue Runner Creole Cream Style red beans (you can use the dry beans as well, unless they hate you, too, & refuse to cook no matter how long you cook them & regardless of the fact that you follow "bean cooking" directions to a tee &. . .oooh. Take a deep breath. . .ahhhh. Sorry about that. Beans do that to me.)

-2 onions

-2 stalks celery

-1/2 bell pepper

-2 cloves garlic (or 1/2 tsp. dry minced garlic)

-smoked sausage (the more the better; I used 3 packages of turkey sausage & it was very meaty. Which = very good!)

-1 T Italian seasoning

Directions:

-Mince onions, celery, & bell pepper. Putting all 3 of these in the Cuisinart at once & pulsing several times works like a charm!

-Mix beans, vegetables, & seasonings in a large pot & simmer. Don't turn the heat up more than this, because the sausage takes a while to sauté, & you don't want the beans to get too soupy.

-Slice the sausage somewhat thinly (see the picture above to get an idea of the width). Of course, this is a personal preference. You may have heard me mention my aversion to big gobs of meat. Once.  Or twice.  Plus, the meat goes further when you have smaller slices.

-Sauté the sausage until both sides are the color & texture you desire. I like it to be brown bordering on black & slightly crispy. Again, it's a personal preference.

-Add the sausage to the beans & allow to simmer for 30 more minutes. Now's a good time to begin your rice.

-Serve over cooked rice with a side of cornbread or corn casserole.

Fall, here we come!!!

Sunflowers

Can you guess the name of one of my favorite flowers?  Let's see. . .what clue could I give to help?  ;-)  How gorgeous are these?!  I saw these in Publix & was compelled to give them a loving home.  Just thought I'd share!  It'd be wrong to keep all this beauty to myself.

Not Seeing Spots ~ R.C. Sproul, Jr.

I love opening up my email to read yet another "Kingdom Note" or "Ask R.C." from Highlands Ministries. Here's today's Note that is well worth our perusal:

"Saint Augustine took the view that the marital act was at best a necessary evil. Having both lived a rather licentious life as a youth and having bought into Manicheaism before his conversion puts the error in perspective. He was virtually both a recovering sex addict and a recovering gnostic. On the other hand, considering the prodigious intellect and fine character of the man, one has to wonder how he missed this. Augustine was certainly the finest theologian of the first 1000 years of the church, and may still hold that title. But he erred. He had a blind spot that is rather obvious for the rest of us to see.

Which ought not, of course, encourage us to think we’re up one on Augustine. It ought instead to cause us to consider our own blind spots. If someone with Augustine’s keen mind and warm heart could miss something, how much must I miss who is so dull and cold?

I was once engaged in friendly debate with a co-worker. She, growing frustrated with me, complained, “You always think you’re right.” She paused for a moment when I explained, “Of course I always think I’m right. So do you, think you’re always right. But I don’t think I’m right always.” All of us, when asked about this or that, always agree with us, which is another way of saying we always think we are right. All of us, however, know we are fallible, and thus we don’t think we are right always. The trouble is I believe a, and b and c, all the way down to z. But I know I must be wrong somewhere. If I knew where, then it would be easy. That’s the problem with blind spots- they are invisible to us.

Herein lies one of the blessings of friends we can trust. Too many of us, present company serving perhaps as the worst offender, pick and choose our friends precisely on the basis of their having the same blind spots we have. That is, thinking ourselves fine fellows because we believe a and b all the way to z, we naturally think that others who agree with our wisdom are the very best kinds of friends to have. Jesus told us what ends up happening here- the blind lead the blind and there’s danger up ahead. Friends we can trust, however, have far more to do with their character than their ideological test scores.

Years ago I was asked in a public setting how it was that Doug Phillips, a known non-baptizer of babies, and I, a notorious sprinkler of little ones, could be close friends. For my part the answer was easy. I respect Doug Phillips. I admire him. That, and not ideological similarities (though of course these are many, despite our obvious differences) is what makes for a good friend. Doug has, on at least one important occasion, kindly and graciously pointed out a blind spot I had been guilty of in dealing with a tricky pastoral situation. It was glorious. He spoke to me clearly but gently, and my eyes were open. Happily my bad counsel didn’t ruin the pastoral situation, and it all worked out in the end.

Do you know people that you respect, and disagree with? Make it a point to become friends. When you find yourself in disagreement with others, look first for the opportunity to have your blind spots exposed, before worrying about the blind spot, or speck, blocking your brother’s view. When you have received your sight, don’t forget to thank your friend, and He who is a friend to sinners like us."

Wonderful words of wisdom from a humble man of God.

What is the Bible Basically About?

Absolutely PHENOMENAL!!!

The Scandal of the Gospel ~ David Platt

Bear with it. The initial screen will give way to David Platt as he's preaching. This is an INCREDIBLE sermon!!!

Ch. 1 - The Ultimate Meaning of True Womanhood

If you have spent any time with me at all, you know who my favorite pastor is. All together now . . . John Piper! You've no doubt heard me expound upon all of his worthy attributes in glowing terms, so I won't go into that today (maybe). Suffice it to say, though, that I'm thrilled that the very first chapter in Voices of the True Woman Movement is authored by him. I remember hearing this message on the CDs from the True Woman '08 conference. Michael & I listened to it repeatedly, it was so fantastic. The chapter is no less electric. I'll attempt not to constantly quote him word-for-word, but - I'll warn you - that will be hard, because he's got such quotable thoughts!

Three points stand out for me in this chapter entitled "The Ultimate Meaning of True Womanhood".

1) "Wimpy theology makes wimpy women."  I know I said I would try to refrain from quoting Piper word-for-word. I'm going back on my word here, but I guarantee you'll thank me. There's no way I could put this like he does! "Wimpy theology simply does not give a woman a God that is big enough, strong enough, wise enough, & good enough to handle the realities of life in a way that magnifies the infinite worth of Jesus Christ. Wimpy theology is plagued by woman-centeredness & man-centeredness. Wimpy theology doesn't have the granite foundation of God's sovereignty or the solid steel structure of a great God-centered purpose for all things." And don't you find this true in real life? Don't you know women that use human-centered explanations for God rather than God-centered exultations in God? When trials meet this woman, she will whine, complain, get angry, blame Satan, or walk away from God altogether. And, in all truthfulness, she will be more than happy to have her influence come from the culture around her & her own fleshly desires than from God's Word. But, we do have to be careful to define the opposite of wimpy. This sentence made me laugh out loud: "The opposite of a wimpy woman is not a brash, pushy, loud, controlling, sassy, uppity, arrogant Amazon." HA! All of us have known or have been the wimpy woman, & all of us have known or have been the Amazon woman. Some of us have been both. But neither are strong, God-centered women. So, how do we become her?

2) Robust, God-centered theology makes strong, God-centered women.  I can attest from personal experience how life-changing God-centered theology is. Thinking about God correctly - & yes, there is a correct way to think about God - comes from a correct interpretation & application of Scripture. God has given us a way to know Him in His Word. And in that Word, we find a treasure trove that ultimately leads us to the way to know God - Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Savior. Only this robust, God-centered theology can make a young girl choose imprisonment for 38 years until her death rather than reject her faith. Or make a wife choose love & forgiveness for the people whom she & her family had spent 3 decades ministering to, only to have them burn her husband & two young sons alive. Or make her young daughter exclaim praise to God that He had found her father worthy to die for Him. Or make women with physical handicaps trust in God unwaveringly & even rejoice in their infirmities because they've been driven to Him. Or a woman who has lost both her husband & her mother & discovered cancer in her own body realize that what she needs most is not relief from her trials but forgiveness & cleansing from her sin of self-pity & self-centeredness (pg. 18-19 contains all of these examples). This very robust theology is the only thing that was able to free me from years of devastation & anger over my molestation. It was only when I realized how vile & wretched my sin is against our infinitely holy God, & yet He forgave me, that I was able to be cleansed from the sin committed against me. Only robust, God-centered theology leads to cleansing, freeing faith in Christ.

As incredible as all of this is, this only leads up to Piper's main point, which is that:

3) Women are distinctly created by God to bring Him glory in their femininity. Okay, here's the bottom line. Women & men are different. Not just anatomically, but we're created to be different. And our differences are created to complement each other, to bring out the best in each other. I glorify God in my femininity in a way wholly different from how Michael glorifies God in his masculinity. God designed it this way. How? In our roles. Ephesians 5:22-24 says, "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, His body, & is Himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands." This is the complementarian view of marriage, & it's thoroughly biblical. Remember, this is how we bring out the best in each other & glorify God distinctly. A husband is the loving, protecting, providing, sacrificing head of his wife - just as Christ is for the church. And a wife fulfills her calling in lovingly honoring, affirming, & supporting her husband's leadership in humble submission - just as the church submits to Christ. These are not interchangeable any more than you can interchange Christ & the church in these verses. After all, you can't have the church being the head of Christ & Christ submitting to the church, now can you? The extent to which we faithfully demonstrate these truths in our marriages is the extent to which we reflect Christ & the church to the world.

But, what if you're not married? Piper has a section devoted to how women can glorify God in their femininity through singleness, too. And he gives 3 beautiful examples of this:

     1) It demonstrates to the world that only faith in Christ grows God's family,

     2) It demonstrates to the world that your family in Christ is more permanent & precious than your family by blood,

     3) It demonstrates that marriage is temporary by pointing to Christ & the church, for whom marriage is simply a mirror.

"God's ultimate purpose in creating the world & choosing to let it become the sin-wracked world that it is, is so that the greatness of the glory of Christ could be put on display at Calvary where He bought His rebellious bride at the cost of His life." (pg. 19-20).

No wimpy theology there.

Voices of the True Woman Movement - Introduction

Voices swirl around us every day. Voices speaking to us, calling to us, exhorting us to listen to & believe them. The siren call comes from out of the movies & TV programs we watch, the music we listen to, the books & magazines we read. It even comes to us in the voices of our friends, family, &, yes, our own thoughts. And these voices may carry life or death into our lives, depending on their message.

     "So much is determined by which voices we hear & heed: our sense of who we are & why we are here; the way we relate to others; the choices we make; the way we spend our moments & years; our personal, emotional, & spiritual well-being; & yes, the ultimate outcome of our lives." (pg. 11, Voices of the True Woman Movement)

That's the voice of Nancy Leigh DeMoss, author of Lies Women Believe & the Truth That Sets Them Free & host of Revive Our Hearts. Hers is a voice worth listening to & trusting, because she is influenced - nay, molded & defined - by God. When she speaks, she speaks not from her own opinions & prejudices, but from the authority of God's Word. She studies His Word & she applies it to our lives with amazing wisdom, insight, & love.

Hers is just one voice in the True Woman Movement. This is a movement dedicated to "calling women to be 'true women' of God, to anchor their lives in His Word, to live out what it means to be redeemed women, & to embrace His calling for their lives" (pg. 13). The book Voices of the True Woman Movement is a result of the first True Woman conference that took place in 2008. This book is going to be the focus of my next several posts. As this was one of the top books on my wish list, I eagerly signed up to get this book for free in exchange for blogging about each chapter. I have listened to Nancy for more than 3 years now, including going through her "True Woman Makeover" twice, & have never failed to walk away with an enriched faith in God. She constantly encourages me that I can be a godly woman in all of my roles through the strength of Christ. Hers is a message of life - everlasting life as only found in the life, death, & resurrection of Jesus Christ. Please join me as she & so many others speak these life-giving words into our lives.

Memories of Granny

Mama just started a blog about my Granny. You've heard me mention both of them before, particularly in my Recipe of the "Week" posts. Mama was also featured in a post about the Proverbs 31 woman, but I realized today that a post dedicated to my sweet Granny is way overdue.

My Granny is 89. She has dementia & lives with Mama & Dad. She forgets a lot of things, like where she left her purse (although I have that problem myself from time to time!) & that she's not allowed to go into the kitchen (although, sometimes I think she feigns forgetfulness just out of sheer stubbornness!). She makes a PB&J sandwich & then puts the knife back in the drawer. She can't remember whether she's washed her hair or not. She sometimes eats lunch twice because she doesn't remember having eaten it the first time.  She cries out of complete frustration because she knows something's wrong & she can't stop it. All of this is true of her, but this isn't what defines her. Let me tell you about my Granny.

Granny taught 2nd grade for over 20 years. She used to take Chris & me up to the school when we stayed with her. We got to play on the playground & in their blue-carpeted gym. (Uh-huh, you read that right.) She would take us to Claiborne's gas station for a BBQ sandwich & down to the snow cone stand on hot summer days. She lived in a little town where everyone knew everyone, & where I am related to probably half of the population. Her house was sort of in the country, or at least it felt like that because of the woods that were directly across the street on two sides. She & I would go for walks, me totally slathered in OFF & any other insect repellant you could think of, while she went completely unprotected. And who had mosquitoes & every other bug imaginable literally dive-bombing their head?! That's right - ME! True story!!

Granny is a wonderful grandmother. Chris & I used to love staying at her house. As a matter of fact, my fondest childhood memories come from those times. They're nothing fancy; just simple fun. Chris & me making "forts" out of pine straw in the backyard. Playing "Go Fish" on the living room floor. Coloring in the Christmas coloring books that she always had on hand for me. Running through the sprinklers while rainbow-water splashed down on us. Drinking her sweet iced tea. Taking a nap in her room & watching the curtains gently blowing in the wind. Remembering those times conjures up feelings of safety & contented coziness. They were the best.

Granny is a petite little lady, sweet as candy, with a laugh that is infectious. But don't let that fool you! Scotch-Irish blood is coursing through those veins, & she can be intimidating. I've only ever seen her angry once in my life, & I don't ever want to see that again! It's the short, sweet, quiet ones you have to watch out for, you know. Granny is the kind of person that everyone loves immediately. She just has that way about her. She's completely endearing & lovely.

She's come to stay with us a couple of times, & each time we made memories that I will always cherish. Again, simple things, like washing the dishes, reading Stepping Heavenward aloud, & playing in the snow. I always think of her when I hear Autumn in New England & when I lay in a quiet room listening to the hum of a ceiling fan & watching the curtains blow.

We never know how much time we have with those we love. I hope that I get to make many, many more memories with Granny. I would love nothing more than for her to be here to see our children. What I do know is that I am blessed with a wonderful grandmother who is affected - but not defined - by dementia. And she is loved.

Butterfly Waltz by Brian Crain

This is so achingly beautiful that it makes me want to cry.

Our Background. . .

will hopefully return soon.  The Cutest Blog on the Block is moving, & in the meantime, our background is unavailable.  I'll continue to attempt to log in to their site & get it back up, but in the meantime, we'll just have to deal with the white.  White means pure, the absence of darkness, not boring!  ;-)

Ahhhh!  That's better!  I LOVE this background!

Laying a Foundation

For the first time in our marriage so far, we have a big indicator that I might be pregnant. Turns out, I'm just sick. I've wondered for days now if God might finally (well, "finally" in my mind, although that's probably wrong thinking) be granting my heart's desire by giving us children. I couldn't bear to take the test, though, in case it was negative. But my hand was lovingly forced at the doctor's office today. He knows how much we want to have children, & he's a wonderful doctor, so he was genuinely sorry to pronounce the results. At least I know now. But, realizing the possibility has set my mind whirling on how I want things to go if the time ever does come that I am with child. Thinking that I might have a child within me, several things occurred to me:

     -I was more conscious of the attitudes & feelings that I allowed to hold sway. I don't want any sinfully negative feelings to affect our baby. I realize I can't always prevent this - something I've just proven over here; I am human, after all - but that doesn't mean I shouldn't fight against it.

     -I was more conscious of what food I put into my body. I want our child/children to have the healthiest environment possible as they're developing. I do not want their little bodies to be invaded with the harmful chemicals found in so much of our food today, thanks to processing. And then, I want this healthy habit to continue throughout their lives.

     -I was more conscious of the words I allowed to come out of my mouth. Even though a baby at this stage wouldn't be able to hear me, I would want to start a pattern of speech where I'm more in control of my tongue.

     -I began to think of all of the ways that we want to raise our children. How we want them to love God first & foremost & for this to show in their conduct towards others. I thought of all of the things that I need to do - that I need to know - to be the best mother possible.

These are just some of the thoughts that paraded through my mind in the past few days. Even though I'm not pregnant, that doesn't mean that all of this thinking was in vain. I can - no, I must - lay the groundwork for each of these things now. I must have control over my own feelings & over my tongue. I've had a practically life-long battle with attitudes & behaviors towards food, but I must begin that fight again & win this time. In thinking of our baby's health, it occurred to me that I don't want anything unnatural going into my body &, thus, into his/hers. I can start now preparing a healthy environment for any little one that God gives us in the future. I have a strong desire to be a good mother, & that means many things for me. It is difficult for me not to want to be perfect. I want to be firm, but not too strict; disciplined, but not overbearing; methodical, but able to be spontaneous. I want to be loving & fun. I want to be godly. I won't be perfect. I won't be able to do any of this without fail, nor will I be able to do even the smallest part without the help of God. So, with His aid & in His power, I will lay the foundation for physical, mental, & spiritual health & well-being for our future children. And if He doesn't grant us children? Well, I'll still benefit from the sanctification this endeavor will bring. Nothing is ever in vain when done in Christ!

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.