The Importance of Good Literature

    When I was a little girl, I attended a school in the woods behind our house for a few years. One day when I entered the library for our daily reading hour ( my favorite part of the day ) the teacher said that we were going to be reading a book called, The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe. Immediatly I was hesitant, I had learned from my mother that witches were bad and I assumed that anything that involved them must be bad as well. But after a short talk with the teacher my mother realised the spiritual implications of the book as well as the fact that it had a Christian author. And now that I knew it was safe, I let the world of Narnia unfold before me in that tiny old library, stretching my imagination and taking me on adventures I'd never imagined. But what I didn't know was that all the while I was learning. In this case I was learning the values of truth, loyalty, chivalry, hopefulness, love and many other things. And as a young child these things were deeply impressed on my heart, I wanted to be like the brave Pevensie children who faced all the dangers of the new and unknown world to save their young brother.
      
      Children learn from their surroundings, I have found this to be very true with my own siblings. For example, if I get up and purpose to be kind, gentlehearted, forgiving, helpful and happy they will follow right along, they may not realize it but they will. And if I choose to do the opposite, they will most likely follow along accordingly. This is in part because they look up to me. So if children are more inclined to act like those they think admirable, should we not then give them good, Godly heroes to look up to?
      
     This applys in every area of life ofcourse, but literature is a big part of it. If someone is a good writer, you will feel what they are writing as you read it, just as they have felt it as they wrote it. This brings up a concern in my eyes. We must be careful what we read, just as we must be careful what we see and hear. We don't want the wrong ideas, or even the wrong mindset or perspective setting in.
Another series I started as a girl was one called the Elsie Dinsmore series. These books told the story of a young girl who was devotedly loving and obedient to Christ, starting at the young age of eight. This challenged my faith and made me re-examine my whole walk with Christ, and grow as a result.
         
      It is very important what we put in front of our children and what we allow in their lives. Even those of us who don't have children, but siblings, we can have a big influence on ther lives. What children and young adults learn will shape and form the character they will carry into adulthood. That is why it is crucially important what we allow our children and ourselves to read, watch and listen to.


      The same applies with music, T.V., the computer, friends and many other things. Things that may seem harmless are in reality not. We must be aware of conditioning. Often we excuse little things that aren't that noticable, and then they multiply and grow, soon enough what we think are little things really are not that little anymore.
     
       So I beg of you to pay extra close attention to the enemie's tricks and lures in these areas.
My mother always reminds me of the story of the frog in the frying pan : if you heat up the water until it's boiling and then try to put the frog in it, he will jump away frantically realising the danger he is in. But if you set the frog in a pot of water and slowly heat it up, he won't realise what's happened until it's too late and he is thouroughly cooked through.
We must strive not to be like the frog. We must strive to teach our little ones to be kindhearted, brave, truthful and have a servants heart. But most imporatanly, we must teach them to have a love for Christ. So that they can form a relationship with Him, and then we must help them cultivate it.




 

      Find some good books and read, teach your children to enjoy good books also. Use them as tools to further your knowledge and your character. Reading is one of the most precious gifts God had given us, so lets strive to use that gift wisely.

Decorating

Well, as many of you know today is September 23rd the first day of fall. Normally we would postpone all of our decorating until a few weeks from now but, I have never been so anxious for the holiday season to get here. So I thought we should start as soon as possible.

Here are some before pictures of our house, not very pretty... :\

The Den: Before ( it's been a lot like this since the storm )

The Den: After

The Dining Room : Before

The Dining Room : After

The Living Room: After ( Didn't take a before pictures of this one...not sure why )

       


        I think it's important to decorate and celebrate whenever possible. I've heard it said many times that women need beauty in their lives, and I think it's true.

         

So far fall has brought a bunch of good memories. And it's only been here for a litle while.
    First I got to decorate the entire house, always fun. Then sit and talk to my little sister around the candle light about the grace of God and how she has shared it with others. Finished the first Elsie book by lamplight as the rain fell outside. Fell asleep half way through my favorite movie, woke up this morning and talked with the family about what we are greatful for, and about new holiday traditions were going to start and plans for renovating the yard. ( It's gonna be beautiful when were done c ; ) Now the only thing were missing is the cold weather. :\ But I heard it was gonna be in the fifties tonight so we probably don't have long to wait for that.

The Weather Radio... it may not look good but, we decided to keep it around. c ;

You can't have a decorated house without scented candles. Love 'em.

     Happy Fall Everyone. C :

Walking in the Light

Trust

         Trust is something that God begins to teach us from the beginning. He shows us how to be trustworthy by never betraying us. He is there when we need Him and when we think we don't.
     Learning trust is a difficult thing though. Perhaps not when your a child, because then you tend to trust everyone but when you find out how cruel the world can be you begin to question almost everything and everyone you meet.
But Christ says, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you." And He means it.
       A good example is waiting on "prince charming". It's hard for young people especially I think who are trying their best to wait for God's best in a future husband or wife. We think, Is it God's will for me to get married? or What if I don't like the one He chose for me? And the older we get the harder it is to wait. That preasure a long with relatives and friends growing closer and closer to the mindset that we will probably never marry at this rate, is sometimes almost too much to bare. All the while God is constantly showing us just how trustworthy He is and longing for us to put our faith in Him. We need only to be faithful to Him, and He will provide us with all that we need.

 

 Patience

   Many times in our lives, God does little things to try and bring us to Him or bring us back to Him if we are christians who have fallen. He is calling. Beckoning us to come to Him. His heart breaking for every child who turns away. He speaks to us in whispers, wists of the wind, little things that we may not see and big things that He knows we will see. And then He steps back and patiently waits as we decide which path to take. Our eyes dart back and forth, the inevitable decision of what to do with the rest of ours lives ever pending. Which path will we take? The wide, often treaded path filled with broken hearts and lost souls. Or the more narrow one, the one that leads straight into His open arms.

     It's hard for us to learn this type of patience, especially when we ourselves are trying to lead someone to Christ. We must remember that God changes the heart, we just bring the message.
    Patience is hard. You learn it as a child, you wait for your mother to feed you, you wait for your father to get home from work, you wait for someone to stop talking so you can put in your two cents worth. But when you get older it turns into waiting for God's timing, which is never easy. But this comes back down to trust, He knows our hearts better than we do, and He will provide us with what we need if we trust Him.
So we must ask Him for the kind of patience that He has, patience to wait and not take things into our own hands.

 

                              Perseverance

    Christ whispers, He knocks on our doors, begging us to come outside and join Him. And then steps back and patiently waits, rejoicing when we choose Him, and weeping when we choose the world. But He doesn't give up, He is forever persuing us, just as a young lover would his bride. He gives us numerous opportunities, so many we pass over, and so many we ignore. But He never stops, always forgiving, always persevering. Not willing that we should live and die without His love.

He teaches us perseverance through this, which is soemthing we need more than most anything else.

James 1 :2-4
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
     This verse couldn't be more true, when trials come and we turn to God, He finally has our attention. We look up, with tear stained faces and ask "Why God?" Waiting, listening for some kind of answer or hope that He can give. And then we learn, we learn that trials make us stronger and teach us to rely on God more than anything else could.

                 Comfort

       Part of  "I will never leave you, nor forsake you" is God being our ever sufficient source of everything we'll ever need. He understands more than anyone every little thing that we are going through, including the guilt and weight of sin, not because He has sinned. But because for a few moments, when He hung on that cross, He bore the weight of every sin the world has ever known. He longs for us to run to Him when in need of comfort. He longs to fill every empty space in our hearts with the love He offers. He watches as we suffer, but is always there when we need Him most.
  We must strive to mimic this trate of Christ. To be sensative to others and willing to be there for them. Sometimes all someone needs is a listening ear or a concerned heart. In this way we can show them the very nature of Christ.

 

                            Joy

   
      Joy is a big part of who Christ is. If you look at His creation, fallen as it may be, you will realise this. Think of the last time you saw a warm, crimson sunset, a huge expanse of blue ocean pulling and pushing away from the shore, or the last time you saw the smile on your childs face. God created us to be joyful because He is joyful. Why do you think God gave us the ability to laugh? He knew we would need joy in our lives.
      But even better still, we are His joy. Just as a child is the joy of his parents. Every time a child of His steps closer to Him and for the few of us who have fully given our lives to Christ, we bring Him inexplicable joy. What could be better than the people He created ultamately choosing Him over sin and death?
      He smiles down on us as a tear falls down His cheek. Filled to the brim with love and joy at this daughter or son of His who loves Him with every ounce of their being.
And He is our joy. All good things come from God. He gave them to us so that we would be joyful. And when we realize how much He loves us, we cannot help but rejoice. But the best thing He gave us was Himself, He longs to be our most intimate companion.
When we are sastified in the love of Christ, we can openly express the joy we have to others. And when people see that kind of joy they will instantly recognize it as something they want, something they need, something that they were created for. They may not know it, but they'll feel it. And it gives Christ a chance to speak to thir hearts once more. We must ask Christ to give us joyful hearts.



                                                                                 Peace

       Another thing Christ offers is peace, which is so needed in our world. People take medications, go to therapy, look for others to fill ther void and some even end their own lives because of the torment going on inside them.
All the while Christ says " I have a peace that surpasses all understanding."
And in Him, though the troubling world lay just outside, we find refuge, a stronghold, peace and rest. A sancturay if you will, in the cleft of the rock.
      This is something we need desperately, because the enemy doesn't just attack us with outward temptations and distractions. He tempts us with wrong mindsets, fear and hurt. Which in turn leads to things like hatred. The world is a troubling place at times, especially for those trying to follow Christ. And He knows that we need peace not only in our minds and hearts but in our world.  He also knows that we need to help Him bring peace to the world. That's why He gives it to us and teaches us how to be peacemakers.  He says, "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall inherit the kingdom of God." The world will never be entirely at peace until Christ returns and the battle is won. But He stills offers peace to all who will accept Him. And He expects that we strive to be peacemakers, which derives from love, love for God and love for humanity.

          Love

And now we are down to the last but certainly not the least. Love. Love is the foundation for everything else we have learned so far. Christ offers us unconditional love no matter what the cost and asks for nothing in return.
And He teaches it to us as we grow more like Him every day of our lives. Longing for us to be satisfied in Him so that we can share this love with others.
And as we grow to be more like Him, He will change our hearts until we are one with Him.
Love is simple and complicated, but this is how Christ puts it...

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
     This is the love that Christ gives, the love that we recieve and the love that He offers to everyone. We need to share it with our brothers and sisters on this earth, so that they know who Christ is, and they know what their missing. It is our duty, our responsibility to courageously run headlong into the battle feild, past all the snares and traps that the enemy brings, and rescue our brothers and sisters. I cannot say it more simply than this.

A Heart for Humanity

                         Kindness, like compassion is simple yet so lacking. It seems that we are so keen on falling back into our selfish ways that these trates which we know we should have just fade away into the backs of our minds. Only coming about when we see someone else not using them the way we know they should be. The hardest part about kindness is remembering that we owe it to everyone, not just the ones its easy to give to.
We are called to do the hard things, and sometimes that means doing things we don't want to do. Like being kind to someone we don't like, or feeling compassiona for someone we think we hate.
And I know what your thinking, that's easy right? Well what about being compassionatte toward people like President Obama or Saddam Hussein or even Bin Laden when he was alive. Not so easy now is it? It's not easy because we know of the bad things they've done to us and still are doing, things we know to be wrong. But we have to remember that they are not the enemy. They are just mislead people, and no sin is greater than another, so we are no better than them.
But this kind of kindness, love and compassion cannot come from us without Christ first being in us.
I'm sure you've heard people say, "You may be the only bible some people ever see." Well, it's true. On the day of judgement would you want to be standing in line waiting for your turn to see Jesus, and watch as He helplessly condemns someone you had the chance to witness to through your actions, but didn't?
It gets easier though, to be kind to everyone, to show the love of Christ. Because once He's lived in you for so long and you give Him control of your life, He starts to change you. Your wants and desires, your thoughts and feelings. And before long you'll find yourself caring for people you've never met and sharing the love of God wth everyone you meet. And you'll be happy doing it. Because He gives you His heart for humanity, which is what this is all about.
But at the same time it gets harder, because as soon as you put God first and dedicate your heart to learning His ways, Satin puts you at the top of his list, and starts shooting those fiery arrows. Becasue he knows how much potential we have when we are in Christ. But if you run to Jesus every time your afraid or tempted you won't have to fight him.
 

Friendliness is much the same, same principals just a different characteristic. When Jesus has our heart, we tend to lean toward the right thing. And when we don't we know it.
It's important I think to remember that everyone is going through something. And the way they treat you has a lot to do with what their going through. But the same applys for us, so we have to show them that even though were going through things too, we have someone who sustains us through it all. And they can have Him too.
The only way to keep a character which has all of these attributes is to constantly go to the Father and ask Him to give us a desire for the right thing. And ask Him to take the blinders off of our eyes so that we can see where our flaws are.
Each and every person on this earth is either a brother or sister in the fact that we were all created by the same God. And because we have found the truth it's our duty to show it to them and lead them to it the best way we can. This is our calling, and everything we learn from the Father is teaching us how to do this.

Compassion

 The last six things we've gone over are mostly characteristics that we should try to have in order for our relationship with Christ to grow. The rest of the characteristics we'll go over are things we will learn from Christ when we do that. Things that we should strive to have. The first is compassion.

    Compassion is simple, yet so lacking in our world. And as I remind you in just about every post, our job as christians is to live out our lives resembling Jesus as best we can. Well, jesus was all about love, in fact the bible says "God is love."

    


Love is the foundation for compassion.


  Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.    1 Corinthians 13:4-8

     
      In older versions of the bible you will find that they use the word charity in place of the word love, this is because the Hebrew word for love means what the verse above describes which in our language is better described with the word charity. It is the act of dieing to ones self, and living for others. So you see, compassion and love go hand in hand.  
    It seems ironic to me that the worlds idea of love is a good feeling you get when someone treats you right, when in reality love is an action that we are to show. While compassion is seen as the act of doing something for others, when in reality it is the act of feeling with and for them.
    Many times when we think of compassion we're reminded of those commercials we see with young orphaned children in some third world country, and the people who give up their lives to go there and help them. That is definitely compassion. But does that mean we can't be compassionate here at home? Surely not.
     In fact compassion can and should reach a much broader range of actions then just feeding the hungry. There are people here among you and me who are hurting and need the hope we keep tucked away in our hearts.They need Christ's love. The best way that we can show them that is by filling ourselves so full of it that it overflows onto others. This goes back to having a quiet time with Christ, for how can we be like Him if we aren't spending time with Him? How can we poor out His love on others if we don't soak enough up ourselves?
   Compassion, simply put, is having the heart of Christ. He came down to a sinful people who had already turned from Him once, knowing that He would be battered and beaten, frowned upon, hated and killed by them. Simply because He was not willing to let us die, and live eternally in a place created specifically for satin and his demons, at the hands of a merciless devil. If that is not a heart for humanity, then I don't know what is.
    We live in a world full of unloved people who would do anything to find love. So many people are hurting because they feel like no one cares about them. This is because we were designed to be cared about deelpy. And when we lack that, we feel like we're missing something. Simply because we are. But Christ is here to fill that void, we just have to let Him in.
   Our goal is to help them see that. So we must ask God to break our hearts for what breaks His. And give us such a burden for the lost that were not willing to let another perish without knowing about the salvation that they can receive. And most importantly, we must ask God to work in their lives and open their hearts to Him.

Dear Mom...

  Dear Mom,

     Well, it's the night before we leave for Grandma Doris's. And wouldn't you know, the house is in a mess and only the minority of the family is packed. As I sit in the living room with pillows all over the floor and dishes on the coffee table, I think : How in the world are we going to make it out of here early tomorrow?
   Furthermore I know that the fault is mostly mine, if I hadn't begged you to take me to that last minute fundraiser today everything would have been done already. The kitchen would be clean, the carpets vacuumed, the bags packed, the laundry done, and that bottomless pit that I call a closet wouldn't be full of dirty cloths. On top of all that, it's looking like dad's three day weekend is going to be shortened to two and a half days, or maybe even two and one fourth.

    So what can I do to make up for all of this? There is only one thing.

   It's going on midnight and I'm still up. I can feel my limbs slowly loosing their strength and my eyelids beginning to droop. But even when I catch a glimpse of that couch and think how good it would feel to just lay down and forget everything, I'll remind myself how many sleepless nights I've caused you and press on.          First I'll jump in the shower, hoping it'll wake me up a little. Then I'll sneak into the kitchen after your asleep, put on a pot of coffee and turn on some of my favorite ( and most energizing ) music and get to work. I'll wipe down all the tables, fold all the clothes, clean up my room, wash all the dishes, pack my own bags and recheck Charlene's already packed bags. All without making the noise of even a mouse. And when I'm standing over the sink and hear the rooster crow outside the window, I'll ignore his wake up call and finish my job. So that when six 'clock rolls around and the sun is rising over the horizon, I can go out on the front porch and watch the day begin while I drink my sixth cup of coffee.
     Then I'll come back inside, make the breakfast and clean the kitchen once more before helping load the car. This way, maybe we'll get out of here before noon. c ;
     And a few hours after that when I can hardly keep my eyes open, I'll try my best to be as civil as possible for the sake of the rest of the family.
    I don't think I'll get much sleep tonight, if I get any at all. And I know you told me to go to bed, I hope your not upset. But as I sit here thinking of all the things you've ever done for me, I can't help but feel that you deserve at least this.
   I know that the only reason the house will stay clean for three whole days is because we won't be here, and that as soon as we get back I'll be cleaning carpets and washing dishes again. But I guess that's okay, just so long as I have you to do it with.

  Thank you for all the time, care, love and sleepless nights you have put into raising me and the rest of us. And thank you most of all, for showing us who God is, and guiding us into loving relationships with the true, living Father who you know so well.When I have children, I hope I'm at least half the mother to them that you are to us.
 I love you.


~ Chelsey



P.S. ~ There's fresh coffee for you and dad in the kitchen. c ;

P.S.S. ~ When we get to Grandma's, I can take a nap right?