pamela – Page 41 – The Welcome Home

Another chapter in The Emperor’s New Clothes

And so it goes.

President Barack Obama didn’t shy away from the “snub” by Arizona State University officials who said he hadn’t accomplished enough yet to earn an honorary degree. In a commencement speech Wednesday to a stadium full of young graduates, he said the officials were right.

“I come here not to dispute the suggestion that I haven’t yet achieved enough in my life,” Obama said. With a smile he added: “First of all, Michelle concurs with that assessment. She has a long list of things that I have not yet done waiting for me when I get home.”

“But more than that I come to embrace the notion that I haven’t done enough in my life. I heartily concur,” the president said. “I come to affirm that one’s title, even a title like ‘president of the United States,’ says very little about how well one’s life has been led.”

Sad.

The title (and the life) of “President of the United States” really. ought. to. say. a. lot. about. how. well. one’s. life. has. been. led. Truly.

Lost on President Obama is the fact that the Arizona State U faculty wasn’t referring to his lack of accomplishing home duties. That was just an arrogant snub to intelligent people — and a cool deflection. They weren’t inferring he hadn’t done enough tasks in his life — the honourary degree would have been conferred, I’m supposing, had what he had accomplished in his life thus far been worthy of the degree. Now if ASU offered Red Herring degrees…

But, apparently, they’ve read that book… and they just don’t see the fine gold threads either.

You know I’ve used that story as an analogy of this president’s life/policies for some time… and, I’ve just gotta say, lately, I’m coming to think that it seems he’s playing both parts: the emperor and the deceiving clothiers.

Mother’s Happy Day…

girls
our daughters… and me

I’m in awe…with more than I could ever have asked or imagined.

me mother and mother
my mother, mother-in-love and me

Thank you… Mother

Happy Mother’s Day

Thank you, Mama, for the gift of my life,
for the years of sacrifice
and love you have given on my behalf.
Thank you for you.

I celebrate *you* today, Mother… I thank the Lord for the blessing you are and have been to me. I pray He will bless you with faith, with love, with peace, with health, with hope and with joy today. Thank you for the blessing you are to me, to my husband and our children.

with love, pamela

A Mother Worthy of Remembrance (a message from 2001)

A Mother Worthy of Remembrance
by pamela spurling

No matter who you are, where you live, what your age… the very mention of the word “mother” likely conjures up many emotions. Even when we mothers look at ourselves in the mirror, we undoubtedly have mixed emotions as to who we are, what we do, what we hoped we’d be and what we are becoming. We may think back on memories of our mothers with bittersweet emotion… loving them for who they were or tried to be, cringing with regret for taking them for granted, regretting things they did that hurt us or things we did that hurt them, we may feel a sense of loss over the mother we never really knew, we may have ambivalent feelings toward them who have or had lives so different than our own… Whatever the case, Mother’s Day surely is a time when emotions run high, when remorse or guilt grips us, or when joyful memories flood our hearts and minds.

This Mother’s Day, I am especially mindful of who I am as a mother to my children, of how I am viewed by them and how they’ll remember these days of their childhood and early adulthood—thus the title of my message today: A mother worthy of remembrance.

In addition to considering how I will be remembered by them, I am now also considering another phase and that is how the LORD will use me in the lives of my grandchildren… and I am continually sobered by the thought that the grandchildren, like my own children need loving encouragement and they need a faithful mother/grandmother who will daily be remembering them at the feet of the LORD, that someone loves them and cares so much for them that they are a frequent topic of conversation before the LORD. I know that one of the saddest thoughts I had at the passing of my husband’s grandmother was the fact that we would no longer have her daily prayers of intercession on our behalf. I knew that day by day we were carried to the throne of God in her prayers. It was knowing this that taught me to daily pray for our children… it was her example of steadfast prayer that taught me to pray and to wait on the LORD for His timing and His answers, in the same way, she taught me to pray for their future spouses, for their lives and for the work the LORD had planned for them. Her dedication to prayer and of daily waiting on the LORD was a discipline she learned from her mother—of whom, as I understand it, was also widely known as a woman of prayer.

It amazes me how the LORD works, in that some of her prayers were not answered until long after her death, and yet, seemingly unanswered prayer was not a discouragement to her while she lived. It is knowing this and trusting in the LORD’s timing that has inspired me to pray for our children in a whole new way. I pray for many things for them and I pray that they, too, will learn the discipline of prayer—the obedience of prayer. I pray for their daily walk, their decisions, their future work, for their future spouses, and so on. Recorded prayers and recorded answers to prayers have surely been an encouragement to me as I look back on petitions before the LORD and His directions and answers to them. More and more I hunger for the times of the day when I can go aside and pray. The LORD has demonstrated His loving and listening ear over and over as He directs through His Word and in answers to prayers. He has confirmed His listening ear time and time again and I trust Him for His past deeds and future promises—for what He has said, that will He do. The prayers of His saints are wafting up as incense about His throne. What a blessing this is to know. And so, prayer is one of the disciplines of a mother worthy of remembrance.

These Grand and great-grandmothers were models to emulate; they are mothers worthy of remembrance … and their disciplines are worthy of remembrance today, as I know that my mother in law credits her own disciplined life to the examples she saw in her mother and grandmother. Faithful women. We may not personally have living examples of faithfulness, but the LORD has given us models of women who trusted in Him, whose faith was a credit to them. We have past lives and living examples and accounts of women in the Word who stand as models for us today. Sarah is an example of a woman whom the LORD found faithful. We are told in 1 Peter that we are her daughters if we do well and are not afraid with any amazement… or as the American Standard says: “…if ye do well, and are not put in fear by any terror.” We are to trust and not fear. We see once again that fear and faith cannot be carried in the same bucket. And so, faithfulness is one of the disciplines of a mother worthy of remembrance.

It is the desire of our hearts to be found faithful… just as we read in the Word: “His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” —Matthew 25.23

I so wish that I had had the wisdom in the early years to carefully weigh the decisions I was making and the lasting impact those decisions would have. I didn’t grow up as a disciplined person, nor did I learn to carefully plan decisions. Oh, how I thank and praise the LORD today for His watchcare over me even when I did not know Him. Motherhood sort of just “happened” to me as a young married and I would apply what I was reading or what was suggested to me at the time. I must thank the LORD continually that He specifically placed me in “strategic” places where I would learn or hear ideas and try and do them. I didn’t know early on that decisions needed to be made with wisdom. I didn’t carefully weigh out all my decisions in light of the future or in light of eternity. The tyranny of the urgent and the expedient ways of doing things dictated how I made decisions. As I look back now, very seldom was wisdom employed in the making of decisions. I was easily swayed by emotion and worldly reasoning. I didn’t weigh out the consequences of my actions… though I was hemmed in by the LORD, I took much liberty to exercise what I would later come to see as poor judgment.

I continually grow in this area of decision making as I still on occasion tend to be impulsive and have to keep this in mind when buying things for our home, for our children, etc.

I see such great need for wisdom and understanding when teaching the children, when talking with others, in making lists for the day, in planning schedules or whatever other decisions might need to be made. I often pray for wisdom and understanding as I seek the LORD as the mother in our home. I sometimes think that there is nothing I need more than this with the passing of each day. The Word teaches us that wisdom is more to be desired than gold. Proverbs 31.26 says: “She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.” And so this tells me that seeking wisdom is one of the disciplines of a mother worthy of remembrance.

Psalms 49.3 “My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.”

Psalms 51.6 “Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.”

Psalms 90.12 “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

Another one of the disciplines of a mother worthy of remembrance is the discipline of virtue. We learn of this in the Word that the Proverbs 31 woman was a woman of virtue. She was a woman of excellence. What a loving and Marvelous God to give us this insight into His design for us each one. O, that it might be said of us: “Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.” (Proverbs 31.29) We learn of this quality in the New Testament as well. 2Peter 1.3 “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” This quality is both passive—and what I mean by this is that it is a quality of the mind or the way we think on things—and it is active, it is what governs what we do and how we behave, and it is given to us by the Lord Himself.

Philippians 4.8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

2Peter 1:5 “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;”

Desiring and becoming a virtuous woman means deciding to leave off with worldly thinking and worldly ideals. A virtuous woman cannot be measured by the standards of the world—she is measured by the standards of the Word. And just as I shared with you earlier as well as last week, faith and fear cannot be carried in the same bucket, so also the Word and the world cannot be carried in the same bucket—one will displace the other. In order to follow the Word, you must leave off following the world. The road of either one is going in an opposite direction. A virtuous woman does not travel both roads… she has chosen the better part, she has chosen to be a woman of the Word. And so, at any cost, seeking to be virtuous is one of the disciplines of a mother worthy of remembrance.

Proverbs 31.10 “Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.”

And finally, though this subject is far from being covered, a mother worthy of remembrance is a mother who is loving. O, how I desire to be a mother who, through love, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. I feel quite certain that this aspect of love is the desire of your heart as well. No matter how much I pray, no matter how disciplined I am, no matter how I seek wisdom and virtue, if I don’t have or demonstrate love, I am nothing… and that’s not how I want to be remembered.

A truly loving mother… that’s a mother worthy of remembrance.

pamela spurling ~ TheWelcomeHome ~ 2001 ~

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A famine in the land…

“Living in Union with Christ…” This is the title of a series of messages by a Romanian born pastor, Josef Tson. He makes so many, many vital comments — it’s difficult to determine which to relate to you — it’s difficult to choose which are the gems of the gems. I’d like to share more on this in the days to come.

I feel like I’ve been at an ongoing banquet for the last few weeks as I’ve had the huge privilege of listening to some of the greatest teachings I’ve ever heard — I’m not inferring these are sensational teachings — or that these are exciting teachings or that these have been so thrilling and entertaining — no. The different talks I’ve been able to listen to, either in person, audio or video, have been profound — not the sort of ~~entertainment~~ ‘teaching’ so common in ‘churches’ today. No tickling of ears or exaltation of ‘self’ in these teachings.

The Word says (2Timothy 3.1-7) this of the last days:

1 ¶ This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away, 6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

I’m sharing this here as I do many times bcz I think sisters all over the world are being mesmerized and seduced by attractive, smooth talking ‘preachers’ and ‘spiritual leaders’ and ‘christian’ writers. They are promoting, by the things they teach, “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.”

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” 2 Corinthians 10.5

And I want to boldly say, as is said in 2Timothy, from such turn away. Turn away from teachings of prominent ‘leaders’ who are denying the gospel and preach a different Jesus. Beware of prominent ‘leaders’ who teach another Jesus — teachers who have immersed themselves in feel good, big tent, ‘have it your way’ theology and have fallen into deception by teaching the ‘many ways’ to heaven. Turn away from prominent ‘leaders’ who lie about who God is — who lie about hell, about eternal damnation, the centrality of the Cross, the only means by which one can be saved.

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:” Amos 8.11

But they’re so interesting, so believable, and they sound so right. How will you know the Truth? How will you discern?

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Romans 10.17

For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.” Hebrews 4.2

There is a reason so many are being deceived. There is a reason so many have left off sound reasoning…they do not know the Word of God — they do not know Jesus – the Only Living Lord — the Lord God — they are deceiving and being deceived. Starved for the truth, even silly things seem good — even lies seem fine… Super Sugar Crisp. Starved for the truth, many are dying in their sin. There is a famine in this land. There is a famine of the hearing of the Word of God.

Galatians 1.3-10
3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,
4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
5 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
6 ¶ I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
10 ¶ For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

Dr. Obama.

[edited May 9, 09]
The University of Notre Dame is set to crown Barack Obama with an honorary degree — in addition to the invitation to deliver the 2009 commencement address. So, don’t you wonder how this anti pro-life president will handle the commentary generated from accepting the invitation to address the graduating class of Notre Dame? You know, what I find so disturbing is that he has the temerity to accept an honourary Doctor of Laws degree — from. a. Catholic. University — no, on second thought, it’s disturbing that the University would confer it on him.

This is unbelievable — on so many levels.

In a perversely paradoxical sense, it is the pro-life community at Notre Dame which is responsible for the abomination which this invitation represents. By steadfastly opposing the display of abortion photos on their campus, they have allowed abortion supporters to create the misleading impression that abortion is a nominal evil. Dr. Martin Luther King didn’t trivialize lynchings by handing out white carnations or empty red envelopes. He won passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by forcing the American people to look at shocking images of African Americans being savagely beaten for trying to register to vote.”

The Center For Bio-Ethical Reform (CBR) has begun displaying large abortion photos on the sides and backs of a fleet of billboard trucks which will operate in the South Bend area between now and the conclusion of graduation ceremonies.”

And the furthest left-leaning president in US history, President Obama, will accept an honourary doctorate from a university that, according to its foundational platform:

From its earliest days, Notre Dame’s distinctive mission has set it apart from other institutions of higher education. The difference lies not so much in terms of subject matter and academic disciplines as in the perception of how those disciplines ought to serve God and humanity. At the very heart of Notre Dame’s mission is its profound faith heritage and aspiration to be at the center of Catholic intellectual life—to be a bellwether institution in the pursuit of truth and knowledge, while remaining guided and elevated by the moral imperatives of the Catholic faith.” (Faith and Service at Notre Dame)

I guess, in reality, I ought not think it strange that Obama would take this doctorate — I really ought to be questioning the University’s decision to give it out. But then… it’s not really strange… I guess — for people are giving the Obama a pass just about everywhere he goes regardless what he says he will do and doesn’t or what he says he won’t do and does. It doesn’t seem to matter.

Update: (5/9)
Protests = arrests at Notre Dame.
Apparently, by which, Mr. Obama is not swayed. I mean, ‘ Doctor ‘ is ever so much more persuasive and sounds so much more official than: Community Organizer or president.

“Anywhere, anytime.”

Someone could be listening in on your cell phone conversations. Or your personal conversations — even if you’re not using your cell phone. Anywhere, anytime… someone can be tracking you… receiving text messages you receive on your cell phone.

Anywhere, anytime. It’s amazing where technology has brought us. Go here for more info; or watch a YouTube video report.

Random thoughts on intolerance

I’m doing housekeeping today… many things needed sorting and filing, washing and ironing. Teatime brought to mind some thoughts from the past weekend.

It’s getting fiercer and fiercer, the slick and sick double standard of those who scream to be tolerated — not just tolerated, but venerated — endorsed — lauded. I’m not a proponent of beauty pageants per se, but it’s sure detestable that a ‘qualified contestant’ is being dragged through the mud for articulating her answer to a question regarding her thoughts on marriage — the answer was contrary to one or more of the “judges'” personal beliefs and, therefore, she’s unqualified. So much for tolerance.
The new Free Speech: You’re free to say what you like and hold the beliefs you choose to hold so long as you make sure you agree with homosexual behaviour and the propaganda machine that is ravaging the world. And if you don’t believe there’s an agenda, read: The Marketing of Evil by David Kupelian — you’ll be introduced in that book to another book, After the Ball, and if you dare to read it (and I don’t say this lightly, it is not light reading and may not be suitable for anyone) it is sobering, you’ll see the agenda is well underway and very, very successful in a dark way. (I wrote about Mr. Kupelian’s book a few years ago…. I can’t recall the blog date on that).
Voddie Baucham

Family Driven Faith

A man who is not afraid to speak the Truth.

David Kupelian’s

The Marketing of Evil

it’ll change the way you see everything in society!

As long as you don’t mess with the agenda, you’ll be accepted — if not, you’ll be castigated, mocked and scorned to death. You can read a bit more of what happens when you dare to teach the truth which is not believed by a percentage of the population. We attended the Worldview Apologetics Conference held at the Crossroads Bible Church in Bellevue last weekend — obviously a predetermined target — at the start of the conference, the church building was vandalized by a group determined to “bash back” with pink paint, foul words and phrases and broken locks and other damages.

Two of the speakers at the seminar were Voddie Baucham and Doug Geivett. Both were excellent at articulating the Truth of the Word, the climate of society today and the bold attempt to destroy the Truth and Believers. Voddie Baucham is probably one of the most articulate and inspiring speakers I’ve ever had the privilege of listening to. I first heard him and thought this two years ago at the Heritage Homeschool conference — he will be the keynote speaker again this year. If you haven’t heard him or read any of his books, I would highly recommend that you hear his talks and read his books. For info on the Christian Heritage Conference being held this coming weekend go here. I would recommend this conference for *every* believer… *every* parent.

One of the weapons against the church or “conservatives” is the word: hate. If you disagree, you hate. If you disagree, you’re a hater. If your view is Biblical, you’re intolerant. If you, on biblical grounds, disagree with a lifestyle choice, you are an intolerant, judgmental person. But those who disagree with Christians… are not judgmental?Christians must judge situations — Christians must prove all things — must hold to that which is good.

Those in disagreement are duping Christians into believing they must be tolerant… they say Christians are not to judge — au contraire — Christians must identify that which is Truth and follow it — and those things that are contrary to the Truth are to be condemned – it takes wise judgment to discern good and evil. I marvel that Christians are willing to allow ideas contrary to the Word of God to determine their world view. For lack of knowledge, believers are being destroyed. When Bible teachers do not teach what the Word says and believers do not read what the Word says — and when, instead, “pastors” teach from stories of paraphrases of the Bible, people, who do not study for themselves what the Scriptures say, will be ignorant of the Truth.

Fear of being judged by those who hate God’s Word
is keeping those who would love God from obeying His Word.

The Love Dare Journal — Day 6

love dare

Love is not Irritable.
This chapter begins with a verse from Proverbs 16.32
And then continues, “Love is hard to offend and quick to forgive.”

To be irritable means ‘to be near the point of a knife.’ Not far from being poked. People who are irritable are locked, loaded, and ready to overreact.”

I know I get irritable when there’s a deadline and I’ve not adequately prepared for it… when I don’t feel well and don’t have a quick solution… when I don’t have a meal prepared on time or when I’ve not planned well enough for an event or when I think things will never change in this or that person’s life — in all this — even knowing that there’s nothing whatsoever I can do about the situation, I still fret and become irritable sometimes — but I determine not to be irritable with my husband. I have continually striven to stop and recount the ways of the LORD and His dealings and have sought to live in accordance with His Word — bcz it is there that I know I will find hope and peace for certian.

A little further on in the chapter we read,

A loving husband will remain calm and patient showing mercy and restraining his temper. Rage and violence are out of the question. A loving wife is not overly sensitive or cranky but exercises emotional control. She chooses to be a flower among the thorns and respond pleasantly during prickly situations.”

The book suggests that there are at least two key reasons for irritability — stress and selfishness. Of selfishness we read:

When you are irritable, the heart of the problem is primarily a problem of the heart.” (Matthew 12.34)

I smiled as I read differences between people and the characteristics of fruits — peaches and lemons. So, when things get stressful and the squeeze is on… remember lemons and peaches — be a peach, the result is sweet.

Being easily angered is an indicator that a hidden area of selfishness or insecurity is present where love is supposed to rule. But selfishness also wears many other masks: Lust… Bitterness… Greed… Pride… These motivations can never be satisfied. But when love enters…”

I liked the analogies and comparisons. I like ‘two things’ type lists — catchy phrases, and the exhortation in this chapter to “respond… with patience and encouragement rather than anger and exasperation.”

Today’s Dare

Choose today to react to tough circumstances in your marriage in loving ways instead of with irritation. Begin by making a list below of areas where you need to add margin to your schedule. The list any wrong motivations that you need to release from your life [I would write: list any wrong motivations you need to repent of, confess as sin and seek forgiveness for].
_____ Check here when you’ve completed today’s dare.”

To the questions, I am mulling over my responses — I know I need to work on priorities and to stay ahead of my work — for I am learning more and more that I will neglect important things or drop important things — schedule-wise — instead of saying or volunteering in advance that I cannot do something by a specific date/time. I recognize that these failures lead to irritability — the very last thing I want to be / respond.

Where do you need to add margin to your life? When have you recently overreacted? What was your real motivation behind it? What decisions have you made today?

I’m mulling this over — especially in light of some recent health problems in which I have had to realize I am not handling things as well as I had thought and that I need to not fret about things — I need to just rest in what I can do today and not get caught up in what others are doing or what I think they might be thinking if I don’t have this or that thing done. My husband’s been very, very helpful to me in seeing these things. O, for grace to trust the LORD with things I grieve over — things I cannot do anything about.

Heard at our house today:

Today was an outside most all day long. The first mowing of the year, the first trimming of the year (besides the pruning of the fruit trees and roses done last month), and first real sunny-warm-play in the water sort of day.

Mama, I’m so glad you had more children. I’m so happy I can play with my brothers and sisters — I would be so sad if you didn’t have any more children and I was all alone. [Hug, hug, hug…] I’m so happy…”

I smiled and said, “me, too.”

And I’ve been smiling about that over and over again… and I’m thinking, I’m sure thankful the last baby is glad I had more children. 🙂