Monday Facts~Bible Edition

It's a fact that my favorite version is the King James.

It's a fact that my husband is the only one in our home who reads from the ESV.

It's a fact I love my Cambridge Bible with the wide margins.

It's a fact that when my Dad died, I wanted his Bible.

It's a fact that when my children turn 17, they'll get their own Cambridge Bible.

It's a fact that these are my favorite pens for marking in my Bible. And yes, I use pink.

It's a fact that I no longer think I need to make one Bible last forever. Like Elisabeth Elliot and Nancy Leigh DeMoss, I can mark up several Bibles in my lifetime. (Eight would be good. Then my children won't fight over them. :))

It's a fact that I'm terrible at memorizing Scripture, though I desire so much to be able to do it. It's a fact that my children amaze me with their ability. It's a fact that I wish I had memorized chapters of the Bible when I was a child.

It's a fact that I pray my children would hunger for the Word and that they wouldn't be able to imagine going through a day without feasting on Scripture.

It's a fact that I read too much of what men have to say about God's Word and not enough of God's Word itself.

It's a fact that God's Word is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

It's a fact that reading your Bible on a Kindle or an iPad or a phone will NEVER be the same as holding and reading and studying the REAL thing. Let us not take for granted our printed Bibles.

It's a fact that randomly reading from God's Word each day is fine for awhile, but afterwards one begins to feel lost and unsettled. Reading through the Bible, all of the Bible, is the best way to see the "big picture."

It's a fact that I want to know God's Word AND do what it says.

It's a fact that I pray that God would give me a deeper love for His Word. I know I don't love it enough.

What about you? What's your favorite version? Do you mark in your Bible? What's one thing you would change about your Bible reading habits?

With love,

It's a fact you can read other fascinating facts at Seams Inspired!

Will You Divorce Me if I Get Alzheimer's?

The book caught my eye. It opened with Scripture, and I thought I was about to read a lovely story of a husband who devotedly cared for his wife through the stages of Alzheimer's.

Instead, I read the musings of a self-aborbed man who ended up keeping his wife in a home while he lived with his mistress down the road. This was good, of course, because then he and his mistress could take care of the wife. A man has needs, after all, he explained. The children understood. It was all good. What a happy family!

When I lived in South Carolina many years ago and worked at a counseling center, one of the counselors would often speak of Robertson McQuilkin, President of Columbia Bible College, who had just resigned in order to give full time care to his wife, who had Alzheimer's.

Listen to the God-honoring thoughts of this man whose focus was serving the LORD, no matter the cost.

I never think about “what if.” I don’t think “what if” is in God’s vocabulary. So I don’t even think about what I might be doing instead of changing her diaper or what I might be doing instead of spending two hours feeding her. It’s the grace of God, I’m sure.

I don’t feel like I’ve given anything up. Our life is not the way we plot it or plan it.... All along I’ve just accepted whatever assignment the Lord gave me. This was his assignment. I know I’m not supposed to have that kind of reaction, but you asked me, and I have to be honest. I never went to a support group. I had enough of my own burdens without taking on everybody else’s. Sometimes I have accepted an invitation to speak at one of these. A lot of angry people. They’re angry at God for letting this happen—“Why me?” They’re angry at the one they care for, and then they feel guilty about it because they can’t explain why they’re angry at them.... I say, in acceptance there’s peace.

(Read the wonderful article by Randy Alcorn here.)

The truth is, a spouse doesn't just wake up one day and declare he no longer wants to take care of his sick or dying spouse. This despicable behavior happens because we are sinners in desperate need of God's grace. And even when we know Christ, there's still the daily dying to self we must do.

Have we learned to do what needs to be done even though we don't like it? Are we teaching our children that our lives center not in ourselves but in glorifying God? Are we learning in the small things to surrender our will to His so when the big things come, we're not busy throwing temper tantrums instead of submitting?

Are we teaching our daughters that commitment in marriage includes washing socks that have been left on the floor inside out, putting the top on the toothpaste for the fiftieth time, and not getting upset when the toilet paper roll isn't put on like we want it? Are we teaching our boys that marriage vows include loving the woman who used to be 30 pounds thinner before she bore you five children, the woman who used to love mountain biking and rock hopping but now prefers quiet walks?

All of these quirks pale in comparison to Alzheimer's, and yet how many divorces take place, by Christians, too, simply because of "incompatibility" issues?

The pagan does what he wants to because he believes himself accountable to no one. His goal is to glorify and satisfy himself. This is just one of the reasons we read of marriage vows that saying nothing of "for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, till death do us part." Rather we read of vows that hope for nothing but happy days, vows that attempt to leave a way out if marriage isn't all we thought it would be.

But as Christians, we are called to a different standard. We've been bought with a price, and we are not our own. We're to be obeying the Word of God, not embracing man's logic based on his desire to please himself. 

Pat Robertson's shameful declaration that a man is justified to leave his wife if she has Alzheimer's should not just remind us of the permanency and the sacredness of our marriage vows, it should also remind us that wisdom comes not from our degrees or our fame or our riches, but wisdom comes from the Word of God. Let us know His Word so well that we don't find ourselves wavering when a well known "Christian" proclaims something contrary to Scripture. Rather, let us stand firmly and say, "Thus says the Lord."

With love,

Bread and Butter

We only took over 80 pictures today. I've discovered the attraction of the "no flash" setting. It's finicky, though, and if I move just a bit, the picture blurs. (Tell me your secrets, Rebecca?) I guess I don't have that much of a steady hand after all. At least I'll have fun sharing all of those pictures with you.

Today's bonus was actually getting everything done I had set out to do, in spite of waking up with a sore throat. I'm known as Mrs.Carry Over....always carrying over tasks to the next day. I'm sure that's simply a product of procrastination  over ambition.

It was great to have the guys come home tonight to freshly baked loaves of bread. I love those days when I have a bit more time to linger in the kitchen. And after an early evening tea party, bread and butter for dinner was just fine.

Another great thing about homemade bread? It tastes good even when your loaf pans are too small for the dough.

Did you know that the hot buttered bread made for my family was once considered dangerous?

“Among those kinds of food which the good housekeeper should scrupulously banish from her table, is that of hot leavened bread....I believe it more often lays the foundation of diseases of the stomach, than any other kind of nourishment, used among us.”
Sarah Josepha Hale, 'The Good Housekeeper' (1839)

I like these thoughts better.....

“Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts.”
James Beard (1903-1985)

With love,

They're Off

It's that time of year. The men have loaded up and headed out to shoot black powder guns and throw hawks and knives.

Reaches Up has been getting ready.

They had the loveliest send-off, pretty ladies waving good-bye.

Cap'n is counting the days until it's his turn.

For now, he'll enjoy being the center of attention. 

While the men are doing all those manly things, we'll be tackling projects around the house, enjoying a book study, making play dough, and savoring some scones and tea.

With love,

Unbiased, Of Course

Thankful Thursday~Our First Year With Our Pastor

This month we celebrate our first year of having a pastor for our small church. In the midst of many self-serving pastors who want big numbers and lots of glory for themselves, we're blessed to have a humble shepherd who teaches us the Word without compromise and cares for us most tenderly. We don't deserve him, and yet, God has graciously given him to us.

Why do we love our Pastor? Let us count just a few of the ways!

~He's a gift from God.

~He never rushes through prayer or a sermon.

~He provides pre-printed note-taking pages on cardstock, complete with pre-punched holes.

~He walks the extra mile for us. And drives it, too.

~He's passionate about shepherding God's people.

~He took on our tiny church when he could have easily gone elsewhere.

~He's supportive of homeschooling.

~He's real. Not virtual. Not indifferent to the members of the church. You can talk to him. Visit with him. Hug him. Call him. And he actually knows who you are.

~He greets us in his e-mails with “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

~He practices in his own home what he preaches.

~He loves his wife as Christ loves the church.

~He's diligent in preparing his sermons.

~He never tires of our questions.

~He's generous with his time and his talents.

~He's thoughtful and slow to speak, quick to listen, and slow to anger.

~He's faithful to the Word of God.

~He's available whenever we need him.

~He loves the Lord with his heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Wouldn't it be nice to let your pastor know how much you appreciate him?


With love,

You Remembered!

I know it will be there. So, each month, on the 14th, I look for it.

That "it" is an e-mail from a friend, reminding me that she's praying for me, that she hasn't forgotten this is the date my Dad died.

It's three months today. It feels like just yesterday. It feels like so long ago.

My friend remembers the anniversary and gives me good words.

It's virtual hand holding. It's the gift of prayer. It's loving one another as Christ loves us.

Those first days of any kind of loss or grief or pain move us to pledge amazing things.

We're going to nurture our relationships.
We're going to lift others up and encourage.
We're going to be there when needed or just when wanted.

But time passes. New commitments or problems emerge, and our resolve is spent putting out fires instead of nurturing the flame of our relationships. We slip into the old patterns of self-centeredness. What seemed so important in the midst of our grief has lost its power and influence.

When I talked to my Mom the other day, she shared her heart, her pain. "Everyone says they'll be there for you. But after the first month, they live as though nothing ever happened."

It's not that we're to be stagnant in our grief. We have victory in Jesus. He is our hope, and by His grace, we press forward and run this race.

But our God also encourages us to remember, and when we remember one another's losses, one another's griefs, those days that mark how our lives forever changed, we also remember God's deliverance and His provision.

We honor the one we're loving while they're living, and most of all, we honor Him.

It's only from walking through this dark path myself that I've learned the significance of remembering. I've been terribly guilty of forgetting. Terribly.

As a young child, I would watch my Mama grieve on the anniversary of her Mom's death. I didn't quite get it. But now I do. I wish I had gotten it then so I could have offered her even a sliver of comfort.

What's to be remembered? It's different for all of us.

The loss of a child.
The death of a spouse.
The date of a divorce.
The start of an empty nest.
The diagnosis of cancer or another disease.

How long do we remember? That depends on the person and the circumstances. God gives us wisdom in this, too. Often the first year is the hardest, so that's a good time to remember at least monthly. And in between.

I have another friend who checks on me often, making sure I'm ok, asking how she can pray for me. She's sensitive to my silence and tenderhearted towards my crazy moods.

After the first year? At least on the anniversary date.

How do we remember? A card. An e-mail. A gift. A lunch date. An act of service. Flowers. A hug, extra tight and ready for tears. And always, with prayer.

What do we remember? We remember the beauty of a person's life. We remember the precious moments of fellowship. We remember how life has changed for the one who is grieving. We share memories. Most of all, we point to God's provision.


"Look, my dear one, how God has sustained us in this trial. Look how we've grown as time has passed. Look how He's not failed us. Look how He's provided in ways we couldn't have imagined."

If you have those in your life who remember with you, let them know how grateful you are. If you need to do some remembering with a loved one, get to it. If you've been forgotten, guard against bitterness and resentment and look to the One who knows your suffering more than anyone.

Look to Jesus.

With love,

Advice from the Young: How to Contain a Baby

Me: Emma, is Jedediah ok?

Emma: Oh, yes, Mom. He's fine.

Monday Facts~It's A Mama's Life

I'm joining with Larri at Seams Inspired for this fun and informative meme! Join us!

Today I'm sharing facts about this grace-filled Mama-Life I live......

1) It's a fact I own the best sweet shoppe in town. And have the cutest customers. They're just drawn to me when this hunk of plastic is full. Candy is never used for bribery, but I often pay for back scratches with goods from my candy store.

It's also a fact that I was once told by a dear young girl that I am the only Mama she knows who likes candy. Guilty as charged.

It's a fact you can get your own candy shoppe containers at your nearest World Market. :)  Be sure to get the darling scoop, too!


2) It's a fact that I wake up to the loveliest faces each morning.

3) It's a fact that nothing has humbled me more than motherhood. Motherhood reminds me how desperately I need Jesus. It's shown me how little I am and how big God is.

4) It's a fact that I can never praise God enough for this blessing of motherhood, and it's a fact that every day He astonishes me with His grace and mercy.

5) It's a fact that my children like my cooking, and I make wonderful food for them even though I'm the world's pickiest eater.

6) It's a fact that, after just having my first baby, body pulsing with too many hormones, I followed a driver home who had been tailgating me. This was before road rage, or I'm sure I'd be dead.

7) It's also a fact that I once got into a fist fight when trying to protect my children from a dangerous situation.


(I know. I know. God has sanctified me much since those days. :))


8) It's a fact that my children have said they're going to write a biography about me and title it, Where's My Tea? Because every morning, I misplace my cup of tea, and every morning, I ask them if they've seen it.


9)It's a fact that I didn't always want to be a Mama. I wanted to move to New York with my cousin (Michele's sister) and live the single life. It's a fact that when I got married, I told my husband I didn't want ANY children. That foolishness is nothing to boast of. Rather, it's a testimony of God's mercy and the fact that He didn't give me what I deserved. It's a fact that He changes us in ways we never could have imagined.

10) It's a fact that this Mama's body has been through one natural delivery and seven c-sections. I've ended up with my bladder torn twice, having to wear a catheter each time for two weeks, and I've suffered through two spinal headaches. It's a fact that pregnancy isn't a cake walk for me, but I love every minute, and God has displayed His power and glory in amazing ways each time.

11) It's a fact that one thing I long most for as a Mom is a quiet and gentle spirit.

12) It's a fact that what I love most about being a Mom is declaring the greatness and love of God to our children and watching them live for Jesus, making the ordinary extraordinary, and creating a home full of forgiveness and gratitude and the love of Christ.

Now you know more than you ever wanted to know. And that's a fact. 

With love,