Before We Begin

VIA

 

It’s only Wednesday but I feel that the world is stirring about, kicking the leaves, or fidgeting; the kind of feeling like something important or exciting could lazily stretch out of its hole and come unexpectedly upon me.

Already I’ve had a few surprises this week. On Monday, I sat in a comfy dentist’s chair and listened to my poor hygienist share her prolonged desire to be a teacher and that her current job wasn’t quite to her liking. She then proceeded to ask me to open my mouth . . . 

Mom and I then laughed our heads off as I tried to eat Chinese with a numbed mouth—it really was quite hilarious.

Tuesday turned out to be quite fun when I arrived at work and discovered that the group I was serving wanted to eat an hour earlier; after gasping for air and frantically checking and re-checking the menu for the next 3 minutes, I flew into action. In the end there was a pile of dishes, a yummy dish of macaroni casserole, and a happy, energized me.

Alas, my energy did not hold out for the biology test which was to be taken later that day. I’m afraid I forgot all about crossing over genes, alleles, and heterozygous chromosomes.

So here I sit, preparing my tea, watching the trees dance in the wind, and feeling like something exciting approaches. I hope that before it does arrive, I can enjoy a hot cup o’ chai tea and . . . change out of my pajamas.

What adventures have come your way?

          ♥, Frannie

That's my King

Hello dear one! I hope this day finds you well and full of joyful peace. I just received this via email and found it so encouraging I wanted to share it with you!

I hope your Monday turns out to be lovely!

Frannie

"Do You Know Him?" by S.M. Lockridge

"The Bible says my King is a seven-way king....

•He's the King of the Jews; that's a racial king....

•He's the King of Israel; that's a national King....

•He's the King of Righteousness...

•He's the King of the Ages....

•He's the King of Heaven...

•He's the King of Glory...

•He's the King of Kings, and He's the Lord of Lords.

That's my King. Well...I wonder, do you know Him?...David said, "The Heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork. My King is a sovereign King. No means of measure can define His limitless love. No far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shoreless supply. No barrier can hinder Him from pouring out His blessings.

•He's enduringly strong...

•He's entirely sincere...

•He's eternally steadfast...

•He's immortally graceful...

•He's imperially powerful...

•He's impartially merciful...

Do you know Him?

•He's the greatest phenomenon that ever crossed the horizon of this world.

•He's God's Son...

•He's a sinner's Savior..

•He's the centerpiece of civilization...

•He stands in the solitude of Himself...

•He's awesome...

•He's unique...

•He's unparalleled...

•He's unprecedented...

•He's the loftiest idea in literature...

•He's the highest personality in philosophy...

•He's the supreme problem in higher criticism...

•He's the fundamental doctrine of true theology...

•He's the cardinal necessity of spiritual religion...

•He's the miracle of the age...

•He's the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him...

•He's the only one qualified to be an all sufficient Savior

I wonder if you know Him today?

•He supplies strength for the weak...

•He's available for the tempted and the tried...

•He sympathizes and He saves...

•He strengthens and sustains...

•He guards and He guides...

•He heals the sick...

•He cleanses lepers...

•He forgives sinners...

•He discharges debtors...

•He delivers captives...

•He defends the feeble...

•He blesses the young...

•He serves the unfortunate...

•He regards the aged...

•He rewards the diligent...

•And He beautifies the meek.

I wonder if you know Him? Well, my King...is the King...

•He's the key to knowledge...

•He's the wellspring to wisdom...

•He's the doorway of deliverance...

•He's the pathway of peace...

•He's the roadway of righteousness ...

•He's the highway of holiness...

•He's the gateway of glory

Do you know Him? Well...

•His office is manifold...

•His promise is sure...

•His light is matchless...

•His goodness is limitless...

•His mercy is everlasting...

•His love never changes...

•His Word is enough...

•His grace is sufficient...

•His reign is righteous...

•and His yoke is easy, and his burden is light.

I wish I could describe Him to you, but

•He's indescribable...

•He's incomprehensible...

•He's invincible...

•He's irresistible.

Well,

•You can't get Him out of your mind...

•You can't get Him off of your hand...

•You can't out live Him,

•and you can't live without Him...

•The Pharisees couldn't stand Him, but they found out they couldn't stop Him...

•Pilate couldn't find any fault in Him...

•The witnesses couldn't get their testimonies to agree...

•Herod couldn't kill Him...

•Death couldn't handle Him,

•And the grave couldn't hold Him.

He Gives

Hello dear friends! I hope you are all well and full of the joy of the Lord! He is good and full of mercy! The below post is actually something I had shared awhile back but it applied so well to my life today that I wanted to share it again.

With love to you!

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"The kind of religion that God requires, and will accept, does not consist in weak, dull, and lifeless "wouldings"--those weak inclinations that lack convictions--that raise us but a little above indifference. God, in his word, greatly insists that we be in good earnest, fervent in spirit, and our hearts be engaged vigorously in our religion: "'Be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord'" (Romans 12:11).

Jonathan Edwards, A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections (1746)

It all began with an outflowing of tears; I sat, Bible open, sun shining, pen in hand . . . feeling empty. You see, I am human and beyond this blessed fact comes an even greater certainty: I am a girl. With with these two concrete factors I face a world, a foe, which wants my destruction. He's a vicious enemy; he fights against me using my emotions, my feelings (or lack thereof), and my faults. And I fall for it. The moment I don't feel loved, I don't feel God, I don't feel . . . I falter. And just like the foolish man who built his foundation upon the sand--great is the ruin thereof.

So I live. Frustrated. Irate. In a numb and angry stupor. Oh, I know that the Christian life isn't about me but the more I fight for my feelings the more wounded I become. Life happens; people fail; expectations are not met. And the more I insist upon feeling like acting Christianly the more I don't. Patience ceases, quiet times end, love becomes mechanical, and fear doubles.

Then the phone rings and after exchanging various bits of news a question is asked: "So, how is your quiet time going?" Gulp . . . how do I explain (without sounding apathetic) that my quiet time is faltering at best; that I feel God is disappointed; that I don't feel?

Honestly, there is no way for I am, for-better-or-worse, transparent. My attempt at sounding spiritual falls flat and even I--my biggest supporter--knows it.

So I sit, Bible open, tears flowing. "God, I know I'm failing. I know my reactions toward people are wrong. I know I've been relying on an experience. But why would you not give me training, why would you not give me accountability, why would you make me stand alone?" I pathetically sniff, looking about my room when my eye catches a title. Sermons of Jonathan Edwards, a sweet Christmas present from my momma, catches my eye and then my Lord spoke.

"You say you have no teacher, no leader and yet I have given you exactly that. Do you see that book?--it has the spiritual wisdom you seek. Do you see your open Bible? It's My Word. It's far more leading than any person. Do you see the godly heritage I've given you? It has lead you thus far and will continue."

"Do you see, Frannie?"

"But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; . . . That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."

"Your lacking wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption are made even--no, made overflowing--in Me. And if you will follow Me regardless of feelings, nay, in spite of feelings I will lead you. For I am the Author and Finisher of your faith. I have placed you here and I want you to know me."

So here I sit; my tears are dried and my Bible closed but my path clear. And I am so glad I follow the One who is the way, the truth, and the life.

Bits of Love

VIA

“But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.” Isaiah 43:1

 

I see a few bits of love in this verse.

·         “the Lord that created thee,”

You were created.

Not thrown together; not an accident, not a happenstance of nature. Your skin tone, toes, hair strands, and mitochondria were all created.

 

·         “O, Jacob,”

I use to wonder why on earth God would insist on addressing Himself as, “the God of Jacob.” Couldn’t He have chosen someone more worthy; someone like Enoch? Instead, He chooses Jacob: liar, thief, despiser of Leah, father who plays favorites . . .

And then it hit me. He chooses people like Jacob—liars, thieves, and all other sinners to be known as His people.

 

·         “O Israel,”

The Bible is overflowing with charming, delightful descriptions of the Israelites . . . right?

Actually, most of the time, the stories are full of a hard-hearted, faithless people and yet God insists on being associated with them. He insists on being what they need.

 

·         “Fear not:”

I’m reminded of the verse in I John (I believe) which says that perfect love casts out fear and also of I Timothy which says that we are not given a spirit of fear.

 

·         “for I have redeemed thee,

Why not be afraid? Because if you are a follower of Jesus you have been redeemed.

 Bought.

Forgiven.

And being redeemed is the greatest key to defeating fear; fear of death, guilt, and shame.

 

·         “I have called thee by thy name;”

Yes, He calls us by our names. The God of the constellations, of Niagara Falls, of the Amazon jungle, of the Milky Way calls you by your name.

 

·         “thou art mine.”

And He owns you, holds you, in the very hands which fashioned our universe and the plan to redeem it.

 

“But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.” Isaiah 43:1

 

What an amazing and merciful God we serve! Let’s make Him known with the same love His given us!

♥,

Frannie

In Everything Give Thanks

Via

It’s the beauty of a single moment, a noticed creation.

 

The falling of autumn leaves.

The wonderful, humid scent of coffee.

A stranger who smiles while idling at the intersection.

 Folded laundry and washed dishes.

A letter.

A compliment from your daddy.

Scripture enclosed within your brain.

Laughing . . . so hard that sound ceases to escape.

 

These things are just things: there is no eternal value in folded laundry or in the notice of fiery-orange leaves, no holiness in smelling coffee.

But there is a beauty and a joy.

 

“And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” Genesis 1:31

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” I Thessalonians 5:18

A Daily Dose of Truth

"Don't instill, or allow anybody else to instill into the hearts of your children the idea that marriage is the chief end of life. If you do, don't be surprised if they get engaged to the first empty, useless fool they come across. Women and men should marry when it is plainly the will of God for their lives, not because they 'can't minister' otherwise, or because of social pressure."

-William Booth.

Amen.

“For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

 

 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

 

 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

 

 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

 

 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

 

 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

 

 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

 

 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

 

 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

 

 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

 

 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

 

 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

 

 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”            I Corinthians 1:19-31

 

I ♥ this passage.

It puts my life, my problems, my God back into perspective.

And reminds me of who I am and who He is.

The Glories of Being Awkward

It seems I am a winner in only one thing in life.

            Multiplication Races: FAIL

            Knitting anything: FAIL

            Piano playing: FAIL

            Acting: FAIL

            Gardening: FAIL

            Running: EPIC FAIL

Awkwardly enough, I think the only award I could ever fairly win in this life is the Awkward Award (they make those, right?). I know it’s hard for you to accept, loyal readers, but I really am terribly awkward. YES, I do get sweaty palms when nervous. YES, I do swallow loudly. YES, I do fold my arms up and act like an prude when meeting a new guy. YES, I do struggle starting conversations.  YES, the conversations I enjoy tend to be awkward embracing the subjects of either spiritual matters or bodily refluxes. (It’s the strangest thing, but it seems most people have an aversion to either of those choices).

            I’ve spent years of my life bemoaning the fact that my awkward behavior was even more apparent due to the fact that I had such an awkward nose,  my hair shot out awkwardly as if I was related Einstein, and that I was “physically matured” by the time I entered 5^th grade (which really can be awkward).

            Thankfully, I’ve learned a few things since 5^th grade which have made my life a little less . . . stressful.

1)     Embrace the awkwardness. That’s right, embrace the fact that you were made different. Cherish those differences. For example, I’ve attended Christian school, public school, and the prestigious Halbert Academy (a.k.a. homeschool). Consequently, I don’t really fit in anywhere . . . and yet I fit in with anyone. It used to bother me; now, I see it as a blessing.

 

2)   Embrace your Creator. "This is what the LORD says--your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself,” Isaiah 44:24.  Embrace the God Who wants to embrace you. Who claims you.

 

3)   Embrace others and their awkwardness. We love when others accept us (and all our weirdness). Let’s love our neighbor as ourselves and choose to be accepting. Now, I’m not talking about accepting sin but rather accepting the person you happen upon and all their glorious peculiarities.

 

4)   Look beyond yourself. Ultimately, we need to look past ourselves. I’ve found that whenever I freak out over pimples, mistakes, or perceived awkward moments I’m not really looking to God—I’m practicing self-love. Idolatry. And it wounds me every time.

 

Learning to see the beauty of being different,

      Frannie

 

 

P.S. I think God is worshipped when we chose to accept what He has done; what thinkest thou?

My Marmee

I am so thankful for my mom.

I’m thankful for the time she gave us. 

            For the times we went on fall walks early in the morning.

            For the times she took us shopping with her, never minding the ever-grabbing childish hands upon store merchandise.

            For the times she spent making cookies with us every Christmas and for the hours she would spend in the preparation of, the assisting of, and the hiding of dyed Easter eggs.

            For the time she gave us while homeschooling: so many hours given to teaching, explaining math facts, reading aloud, instructing. So many patient memories made in taking the time to go on field trips, on driving us to music lessons, on doing science experiments.

            For all the time she put into wrapping Christmas gifts. In cleaning and decorating the house. In helping me sew dresses.

            For all the late night talks over concerned consciences and burdened souls.

            For taking the time to love her husband which gave the home such a safe and lovely atmosphere

            For all the times she called to warn, “Get in the basement!” for fear of tornadoes.

            For the time she gave when she took me shopping, for that was an excruciating experience long ago.

            For the time she tool in preparing our delicious thanksgiving, Easter, birthday, and Christmas meals. Also, for every meatloaf, sausage gravy, mushroom pizza, and French toast she made for regular meals.

            For the time she took in dressing us well and handsomely; for the time she took in shopping for us

            For the time she used to place notes in lunch boxes, to pick up presents from far-away lands, and for the yummy lattes she would get for birthdays

            For the time she spent in spring and fall cleaning always including us (even when we didn’t want to be included) and always making it cheerful

            For the times of quiet rest, drinking coffee, and reading our Bibles quietly in the living room together

            For the time she spent working as an Awana leader, in the Alaska Air Guard, as a 1^st grade Christian school teacher, as a best friend to her husband, as a babysitter, and counselor of other ladies.

For her patience.

            When I lied

            Confessed

            Ate too much dough . . . and got sick

            Threw fits

            Yelled

            Disobeyed (for the thousandth time)

            Cried in repentance

            Talked of silly things and nonsense

            Discussed things I didn’t really have any idea about

            Thought I was fat (and bemoaned without mercy!)

For her grace

            In correcting my faults and in overlooking when I just needed her love.

For her mercy

Oh, for some good reason my Lord decided to place me in a home where I was loved. Momma was a part of that and I am so thankful for her and all the wonderful memories she has helped implant within my heart.

I Love You, Marm!