May 2007
Monthly Archive
Thu 17 May 2007
We are living in a time when worldly behavior has spread into the Church, and is growing. One way to fight against it is by not becoming a part of a fellowship that embraces the Truth so loosely, although it still seems to sneak in while we are not looking.
Divorce is something that affects all or us. We may either know someone who is in the process of separation and divorce, or you may have experienced it yourself, either as a Christian or when you were an unbeliever. The unfortunate thing is that even if you are a firm believer that marriage is “‘til death do us part,†divorce can happen to the best of us; because while divorce slipped into the Church, so did all the perverted sins of the world that often causes it.
In an attempt to hold a high view of marriage, Christians often react negatively to those who divorce, regardless of the reason for the divorce. Some classify all divorce as great sin and all who are divorced as great sinners. The divorced are often denied church membership, encouraged to leave the church, gossiped about, or they are quietly ignored until they leave on their own. This topic is the seed that has grown in me to a point of wanting to write about it. I hate divorce and I hold God’s standards for marriage, but have found myself as having great compassion for the families who have gone through it or are considering it.
Sometimes Christians react to the word divorce as they would if someone yelled, “Snake!” They either leap away in fear, or attack the source of the threat. But if someone tells you she is planning to divorce, please be sure you really understand all that is happening in her life before you respond. The roots of marital conflict go very deep, and can be very destructive, and it is wrong to make quick judgments about who is “guilty” and who is “innocent” in a divorce when we cannot see the complete picture. Some situations may seem very clear, such as when one spouse has had an affair. Certainly, there is a distinction to be made between those who wrongfully initiate a divorce and those who are forced into it by a faithless mate. But in nearly all cases a deeper, more careful look will reveal years of complex, negative interaction leading up to the present trouble. Judging another person’s life and problems can be very shortsighted and is in no way helpful to them. I believe in the proverb that says, “Don’t judge a man until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes.â€
Rather than immediately reacting negatively to the word divorce, you would be wise to listen to her carefully. Follow the directive in James 1:19 to “Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
Besides knowing what the scriptures teach, even when there has been physical, emotional or sexual abuse involved, don’t merely base your understanding on a few isolated verses. Pray that God will draw very close to them as they sort through their dilemma. If she has sincerely sought to honor the Lord in making her decision, respect her, even though you might personally disagree with her choice of action. However, if she is willfully disobeying the Lord, hold firmly to God’s standard and tell her that she has made a wrong choice. Even then, balance your opposition to her decision with compassion and love.
We are called to “overcome evil with good.” Continue to be a friend. You can be God’s servant in your friend’s life. It’s what I believe God would have you do. “…teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.” Titus 2:4,5
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Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. ~Psalms 19:14
Sun 13 May 2007
A poignant post on how it is sometimes excrutiatingly hard for single mothers on special holidays, or for mothers in homes where things are not “perfect”. No pity needed. Just read so you can understand.
Mother’s Day
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. ~Psalms 19:14
Sun 13 May 2007
Anna at Pleasant View Schoolhouse has written some of her thoughts about her experiences in homeschooling. I think they are the best I’ve ever read and they have encouraged me so much! Anna, a very part time lawyer, has homeschooled her children for many, many years, and has a 15 year old son just accepted into a university with a full scholarship.
Homeschool Heresies
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. ~Psalms 19:14
Sun 13 May 2007
Mother’s Love
“My mother’s habit was, every day, immediately after breakfast, to withdraw for an hour to her own room, and to spend that hour in reading the Bible, in meditation, and in prayer. From that hour, as from a pure fountain, she drew the strength and the sweetness which enabled her to fulfil all her duties, and to remain unruffled by all the worries and pettinesses which are so often the intolerable trial of narrow neighborhoods. As I think of her life, and of all it had to bear, I see the absolute triumph of Christian grace in the lovely ideal of a Christian lady. I never saw her temper disturbed; I never heard her speak one word of anger, or of calumny, or of idle gossip. I never observed in her any sign of a single sentiment unbecoming to a soul which had drunk of the river of the water of life, and which had fed upon manna in the barren wilderness. The world is the better for the passage of such souls across its surface. They may seem to be as much forgotten as the drops of rain which fall into the barren sea, but each rain-drop adds to the volume of refreshful and purifying waters. ‘The healing of the world is in its nameless saints. A single star seems nothing, but a thousand scattered stars break up the night and make it beautiful.’”
–Archdeacon Farrar
Quoted on page 17 of Dora’s Diary: Millstream Orchards Family by Carrie Bender
Quoted in Making the Most of Life by J. R. Miller
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. ~Psalms 19:14
Mon 7 May 2007
I love to hang clothes on the line and do so as often as I can, but not always. It thrills me to see them dancing in the breeze. I love many old-fashioned ways of doing things, but thought when I first got married that only poor people hung clothes on the line these days. It is a joy to know that many women today still enjoy this task!Stiffness is a problem when I line dry, and I’ve found that NOTHING softens laundry- not Downy, not vinegar- so I put my things in the dryer for 5-10 minutes and then put them on the line. They are greatly softened by this, I’m saving money, am not heating up the house in the warm months, and am getting fresh air and exercise!
From Home Comforts:
“To my mind, whether laundry on the line is unattractive depends on what kind of laundry it is and how it is hung. When I was a girl, hanging out the clothes was an art widely understood in the countryside. Family style was given some leeway, but there were nonetheless ways you did this and ways you didn’t; the rules were so clear that I remember one elderly lady stifling unseemly giggles when she saw the work of a novice….”“Many clothes will feel stiff after drying on the line, particularly if there is little wind to blow them soft as they dry. Towels, especially, tend to get boardlike and stiff on the line and need some tumbling to make them soft…”
“If you hang things carefully, they will often look smooth when they are dry, and you can minimize or avoid ironing. The best weather for line drying, if you have a choice, is warm, dry, and sunny with a moderate breeze. You need some wind to billow wrinkles out of the fabric and hasten drying…”
“Hanging clothes properly reduces wrinkles and makes ironing more easy. The wind smooths wrinkles (and softens and dries clothes quickly), so try to hang garments so that sleeves, skirts, and legs billow out in the breeze…”
“To prevent fading, dry colored clothes in the shade or turn them inside out, or both. White linens usually benefit from drying in direct sunlight, which gives them a gentle, natural bleaching…”
“Avoid putting laundry in a basket unfolded, and especially never leave it that way for a period of time, for this will cause much wrinkling and ruin the good effects of your careful hanging…”
“If you are line drying indoors, be sure to shake out the clothes vigorously before hanging them. This is necessary to reduce wrinkles and help them to dry less stiffly since you have no breezes to soften them.”
I rarely iron at my house! We try to fold or hang things just as soon as they come out of the dryer or off the line. If we can’t get to them right away, I lay the clothes in neat piles, not carelessly wadded up. My girls enjoy hanging out laundry and even have their own little line in their play area outside.:)
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. ~Psalms 19:14
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