pamela – Page 6 – The Welcome Home

Living 99 Years

Living 99 years… determining to finish well.

Living 99 years… imagine that. This journal entry is inspired by the 99th birthday of our aunt Martha. The more time passes, the more I hear of her life, the more I see the inestimable potential value of a life. She’s lived through so many seasons, so many early tragic hardships, trials, losses, disappointments. Those seasons blended into elegance, grandeur, and luxury in her life. And as some of those things slipped away, faded or diminished, she’s carried on more alone, quiet, living in memories of days gone by. She’s one of the strongest women I’ve known. She’s a long, long way down the track of life.

A long, amazing life… beginning her 100th year today.

I didn’t realize, a couple of days ago when I blogged about beginning again that I’d be all caught up thinking about all these things today. I wasn’t necessarily thinking about living long or making plans to live long. It was just on my mind to determine to live well. To finish well. And, in order to do that, I needed to consciously determine to set my face to the Son and take those determined steps. So Unless you know me, it might seem strange that a daily devotional and a diet plan were the two driving forces of my thoughts as I wrote that journal entry determining to finish well.

But now… really, what if I live long? What if I’m to live 99 years? Truth be told, I never ever expected to live as long a I have, let alone 99 years! And, truthfully, I’ve sure not lived like I was planning to live 99 years. Do you think about longevity in your life? Do you imagine living 99 years??

Many years ago, my precious old friend, Florence, told me that whatever you want to be doing at 80, you’d better be (or begin to be) doing at 40. She’s the one who jokingly (but not joking at all) said, if you want teeth to floss at 80, you’d better be flossing them well at 40.

Mulling over these thoughts today gives me great pause to continue this sort of “self inventory” kind of introspection (I’m not planning to stay camped on this subject, btw, it’s just imperative to me to get regrounded after drifting a little off course).

What am I doing here? Is it obvious that my life is to bring God glory and ‘enjoy Him forever’? Is that my chief aim? Is that what I demonstrate as my duty? So in my determination to walk with the Lord, in the light of His Word, and finish well, I’m thinking long on how today’s decisions and actions might read in 40 years.

Interesting. Today’s question 10/27 in the Q&A a day For Moms – five year journal:
“I wish I could give my child: ______________”

I want to give them: a mama who walked with God (99 years).

I don’t want this to be a “wished I’d done.”

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Beginning. Again.

But I want to do this… I want to write this blog — I want to finish what I’ve started. Time’s slipping by and I want to finish well.

[cp_dropcaps]B[/cp_dropcaps]eginning. Just typing this word makes me want to get up from the table and fix a cup of coffee. Not as in: lemme get a cup of coffee, rub my hands together and get warmed up to type. No, beginning as in: I’ve done so many beginnings. This, in itself, often signals the unintentional, subconscious beginning of the end for me.

But I want to do this… I want to write this blog — I want to finish what I’ve started. Time’s slipping by and I want to finish well.

It’s hard to believe that all this stopping and restarting, starting and stopping has been going on for over seven years – and also that I began blogging around 2002. Not like women power-blog today, but just blogging slices of life and views of the day. Not a monetized blog or even a theme blog — again, just blogging slices of life.

Two things bring me to this point.

[cp_dropcaps]O[/cp_dropcaps]ne is a small beginning back on the road to more sensible (or conscious!) eating. See, I fell off the THM wagon a couple of years+ ago… you know, kind of keeping my eye on the THM-shore as my boat slowly floated further and further away until I could no longer pretend to have a daily eating plan — I gained weight and lost confidence.

[cp_quote style=”quote_left_dark”]It’s totally God’s great grace. And I know it.[/cp_quote]Many times I decided to get back on track only to fail by mid morning. Months would go by. By the grace of God I’ve been able to stay on track all day, every day and I’ve determined in prayer that if/when I fail, I’m going to get up and press on.

[cp_dropcaps]T[/cp_dropcaps]he other was an event that leveled me — disappointed, embarrassed, and discouraged me — an event that sent me to the net searching for articles for help, hope, encouragement, and instruction how to deal with that event. And then I thought: what would I say to a woman who found herself searching for help, hope, encouragement, and instruction how to deal with a life event? Well, I’d want to help her — I’d want to pray for her, point her to the Word, tell her it will work out and she’ll one day see it as a blessing and maybe even one day be thankful for it. I’d tell her she’d smile again, she’d carry on again, she’d find joy again.

That was well over a year ago. I’m more sure of it today. And that’s why I want to “begin again” writing this blog. It may just be a tad bit cathartic for me — but if that’s the case (and you’re encouraged somewhere along the way) that’ll be fine.

It’s a beginning. ♥

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Daily Devotionals

Daily Devotionals: potentially instructive, potentially destructive.

Isn’t it interesting what the Lord uses in our lives to speak to us? He speaks through His Word, He ministers to us through teaching, poetry, testimonies, music, His creation; He works in us through joys and sorrows, hardships, grief, loss, trials, and countless other ways. He blesses us with all of these things — though we often miss seeing His signature it at the time. He blesses us with all these things — if we’ll receive them with that recognition.

Do you have or read a daily devotional? I’ve had mixed opinions about devotionals through the years — generally bcz I read them for a few days and then encounter an entry that’s ‘off’ or is doctrinally unsound. Sometimes I keep reading to see if it was just me misinterpreting the text that particular day — but, more often than not, with more recently published devotional books, I’ve seen error. I then resort to my default: Just read the Word. Stay in the Word. And then another devotional will come along – another book will come to me highly recommended and I go through the same exercise of starting the process and ending it at some questionable entry. It usually doesn’t take long to pick out the error.

The hard part is, sometimes, that respected friends suggest something that’s been especially meaningful, instructive, or inspirational to them. When I decide not to continue with a book, in that case, I often feel like I’m disparaging their thoughtful recommendation. That’s actually not the case at all, but feelings — you know, feelings lead us down slippery slopes, foolish reasoning, or a myriad of other paths, but not the right path. Not the path the Lord calls us to walk.

Well, late last year I picked up a daily devotional that I determined I’d begin the year and read each morning and evening for this year. It was recommended to me about 20 years ago — I never stayed with it consecutively day after day. But, due to some circumstances that have become blessings to me, coupled with circumstances that have not —yet-– seemed so, I decided to commit to reading through this compendium of Streams in the Desert and Springs in the Valley by Mrs. Charles E.Cowman morning and evening readings. It’s filled with scripture, short stories, poems, “sermonettes,” and encouraging words.

So… what have I discovered in reading through Streams (each morning) and Springs (each evening)? In so many ways, on so many levels, God is at work in and through us all. I knew this. He uses so many things to speak to our hearts. I know this. And when I read a Spurgeon entry, for example, I am reminded of sermons I’ve read or heard in other places or at other times in my life and I’m reminded how God ministered then, how He’s ministering where I am now — I see more clearly what God is or has been doing, teaching, or leading me to do. I’m so inspired to press on when I read of others (in very difficult circumstances) victoriously pressing on. Does a daily devotional take the place of the Bible? No, by no means. It’s just been an added benefit during this season for me. A caveat, be very careful when you choose a devotional (or teacher, author, etc., etc.) to read. Doctrine matters.

Regarding devotionals, I’m seeing that when we’re grounded in the Word, and we read of His work in (by) various people, circumstances, or times in history, we can see God’s providential care, His wisdom, His provision. We’ll more readily spot error, too. Additionally, we’ll be more apt to discern the sound (or not sound) doctrine of whatever else we’re reading.

A daily devotional and/or daily devotions… In the end, the Word of God is what I’m sure of.

—more soon.

Nothing new never means nothing’s new

If you’ve been a reader or subscriber to this site for any length of time, you’ll very quickly see that nothing new never means nothing’s new. But, I wanted to pop in and say, everything’s okay — nothing’s new and everything’s new and I hope to begin writing again soon. I love to write this blog. I love to share what God’s doing, showing me, working in me and in us all. I love to connect with sisters around the world and love to affirm the goodness and glory of the Lord.

Had it not been for the Lord, I’d have perished. But God. But God who is rich in mercy… that’s my song, that’s my continuing theme.
I trust you’re well and pray for time to share more…

Mother’s Happy Day 2017

[cp_quote style=”quote_left_light”]
a child, unclear on the concept, loaded the dishwasher so carefully for me.[/cp_quote]So many “Mother’s Day” entries have filled my journals — tomorrow will be another, Mother’s Happy Day.

As I read this morning’s entry of Streams in the Desert I marveled at how many of the examples were part of the fabric of my experience as a mother and how many times the Lord gave me not what I wished, but what I needed. He gave me not what I asked for, but all that I hoped for. He has chosen the most amazing things to demonstrate His love — good things, messy things, beautiful things, hard things, exhilarating things, excruciatingly painful things, lofty accomplishments, utter failure… all of these characterize motherhood for me.

The Lord has graciously given me not always what I thought I wanted but everything I didn’t even know I desperately longed for.

Streams in the Desert ~ May 13
MORNING

We know not what we should pray for as we ought (Rom. 8.26).

Much that perplexes us in our Christian experience is but the answer to our prayers. We pray for patience, and our Father sends those who tax us to the utmost; for “tribulation worketh patience.”

We pray for submission, and God sends sufferings; for “we learn obedience by the things we suffer.”

We pray for unselfishness, and God gives us opportunities to sacrifice ourselves by thinking on the things of others, and by laying down our lives for the brethren.

We pray for strength and humility, and some messenger of Satan torments us until we lie in the dust crying for its removal.

We pray, “Lord, increase our faith,” and money takes wings; or the children are alarmingly ill; or a servant comes who is careless, extravagant, untidy or slow, or some hitherto unknown trial calls for an increase of faith along a line where we have not needed to exercise much faith before.

We pray for the Lamb-life, and are given a portion of lowly service, or we are injured and must seek no redress; for “he was led as a lamb to the slaughter and… opened not his mouth.”

We pray for gentleness, and there comes a perfect storm of temptation to harshness and irritability. We pray for quietness, and every nerve is strung to the utmost tension, so that looking to Him we may learn that when He giveth quietness, no one can make trouble.

We pray for love, and God sends peculiar suffering and puts us with apparently unlovely people, and lets them say things which rasp the nerves and lacerate the heart; for love suffereth long and is kind, love is not impolite, love is not provoked. LOVE BEARETH ALL THINGS, believeth, hopeth and endureth, love never faileth. We pray for likeness to Jesus, and the answer is, “I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.” “Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong?” “Are ye able?”

The way to peace and victory is to accept every circumstance, every trial, straight from the hand of a loving Father; and to live up in the heavenly places, above the clouds, in the very presence of the Throne, and to look down from the Glory upon our environment as lovingly and divinely appointed.

Happy Mother’s Day… every day.

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Of Roses & Wayward Children

A Welcome Home message from Mother’s Happy Day ~ 2004

[cp_dropcaps]T[/cp_dropcaps]he topic I feel led to share tonight transcends cultures, language and socio-economic boundaries or barriers. When a child wanders out of the way, it doesn’t matter what you’ve got, what you know or what you don’t. It doesn’t matter what you’ve planned or what you hoped would happen. It doesn’t matter where you live or where you’ve been, when a child wanders out of the way, it is a heaviness only a mother or dad of a wayward child knows. It’s a very very lonely road sometimes. It’s a very isolating road and some days the hill is too tough and too steep to climb. And sometimes, it seems as though the road, with all its twists and turns and deep ditches and dark valleys, will never end and yet goes nowhere. This is the road of the wayward child.

On a warm September night as I lay in our bed watching the dark and silent movie on the ceiling of our bedroom, my eyes hot with tears and my heart breaking, I listened, hoping to hear the opening of the door, the long hoped for return of our son. That scene would be repeated many times over the years and many times I would pray to God to take my son home if he was never going to turn from his ways. If he was ever going to hurt another mother’s child or if he was ever going to bring heartache to another person, I prayed the LORD would take him. Grieved over the loss of this son, the disappointment and “shattered” dreams, all the poor choices that led to more bad choices… I thought I’d never live through the heaviness of the days following our son’s leaving home.

Those days, as I rocked a newborn, glancing at pictures of days gone by, the recent wedding of our firstborn replaying in the theater of my mind, tears streaming down my cheeks, I had to recognize that my son would never come home again… not to live, perhaps to visit, but never to live again, joining the children around the breakfast table, lying on the floor listening to dad read the stories each night, or running out to see what dad brought home from the store, never sliding into the row next to a brother or sister at church on a Sunday morning, never standing at the sink eating a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich and drinking a glass of milk. Regrets and what-if’s flooded my mind. Buried in an avalanche of disappointment and discouragement, I couldn’t see that none of this had escaped the gaze of the LORD. I couldn’t “fix” this one and I couldn’t rewind and make this one turn out differently. It doesn’t matter how many babies a mother has, when one is wayward, that’s where the heart is most tender. Oh, how I loved my boy… how I ached for him and how I wished I could change the course of that night—that fateful night he turned and walked away.

That was nearly six years ago and while the story is yet unfinished, and this son never did return home (to live), never did come back to “church” with us, never did fulfill some of the hopes and dreams we’d had. Something very wonderful did happen. The brothers and sisters eventually learned to love their brother in a new way. They stopped hoping he’d return home, they stopped looking for him to come for dinner or to play volleyball. We started taking pictures of the family at home even if all the members weren’t present. We stopped concerning ourselves with what people were saying about him or about us. I stopped praying he’d not do more wrong, instead, I prayed he’d do more “right” and that he’d yield his heart to the LORD. This once faithful and loyal son was searching for his way in this world and all the while the LORD obviously watching over him, giving him a very very long line.

Precious friends have experienced the agony of the loss of a child in death, a pain I do not know, and I am sure that to compare the pain of living with the reality of a wayward son or daughter would be degrading and so I refrain from such a comparison. However, I do draw an analogy of death or an ending of hope and of everything that had previously transpired. I know that in death, it’s so over when it’s over. There is no hope of ever restoring that which was lost—though we have precious comfort in a reuniting in heaven at the end of the journey. Having a wayward child is like no loss I’ve ever experienced and I know I’m not alone in the grief. Brothers and sisters the world over are grieving the decisions of children who walk away from home, walk away from the family, walk away from the faith. They grieve every day and every day the grace and mercy of God, the blessed Controller of all things, harnesses them and carries them through. Things may seem to never change. In fact, things may seem to go from bad to worse. We may often wonder how bad is bad going to get? Some days the grief seems unbearable and unmatched.

This is where my “But God!” comes in.

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were
dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised
us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages
to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through
Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2.4-7

I haven’t stopped praying for this son and I haven’t lost hope that one day he will return to the LORD and serve Him with his whole heart. I haven’t lost hope that the miraculous could happen—-I believe this because I look in the mirror and see one who was gloriously saved—one who was not too far or too independent to save. I have learned that for this son, my hope is in Jesus—-all my hopes are in Him. This is the child who taught me to pray; this is the child who taught me to wait; this is the child who is teaching me kindness and mercy. This is the child who is teaching me to rejoice evermore, and again, I say rejoice.

I was driving along in the van, mindlessly switching the channels when I came upon a song I remember hearing many years ago. I recalled that my son, who played the guitar very well, loved this song—but because we were so dogmatic and so legalistic about music and “right and wrong (!!)” I never allowed my son to buy the tape (would be CD, today). I thought it wouldn’t be “right” to have that music here. What I didn’t understand in those days (and am only barely understanding today, by the way) was that that son knew the message of that song… he understood that music and I didn’t. I didn’t know that boy’s heart and I didn’t know how to love that boy and train him up in the way *he* should go.

I am only beginning to understand the great depth of that verse! Well, so I called my children on the cell and asked them to turn on that station—they immediately knew the song and in the weeks to follow, they helped me find the CD and to shorten a long story, I did purchase it and as I gave Mother’s Day presents to my children, I gave this son his gift and a card in which I shared my heart and the new understanding about this song… and when he opened the gift, he saw the CD and immediately he got up from his chair to hug me and to thank me, saying we’ve both received a great gift today. I understood as I sat there with his gift to me sitting on the table… the fragrance filling the room. I realized that roses are sort of like life… sometimes sweet, sometimes budding, sometimes the thorns grab your attention and bring you some pain, sometimes there are bugs and pests that threaten the blooms, sometimes deep pruning needs to be done in order to produce strong canes full of fragrant flowers. It’s sometimes hard to see where we are in the process. It’s hard for the wayward child to see where he is in the process and will remain that way until he stops running from the very One he longs to see.

The Song?

Well, part of it is this: “…And I know that you don’t understand the fullness of my love How I died upon the cross for your sins And I know that you don’t realize how much that I give you And I promise I would do it all again Just to be with you I’ve done everything There’s no price I did not pay Just to be with you I gave everything Yes I gave my life away I gave my life away Just to be with you” (Third Day) And I’m learning that the sweetest roses are on the bushes with the most thorns.

—-pamela spurling

The Welcome Home © 2004

Tending Your Marriage Garden

If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you’ll remember I often make references to my gardens. Not so much to share gardening techniques or skills, but what’s growing in the gardens. I think more than in any other place, I find instruction in the garden. It seems the Lord meets me out there in ways I can never anticipate — but one thing I can or do anticipate is that He will be out there with me and He’ll have something to show me.

So I was walking around today to see the work ahead in the garden. I shouldn’t wonder, but I do this every year. And sure enough, the Lord met me in the garden as I was singing and admiring the new growth, the blossoms, the tulips… And then beside our house there’s that incredibly fast spreading Bishop’s Weed (Aegopodium ‘Variegatum’). It’s beautiful, soft and such pretty shades of green. And it spreads everywhere. Kinda like mint. 🙂

I’d been reflecting on last night mom’s meeting at church where the topic of discussion was: marriage. And I’d also been thinking of a couple of devotionals I’d read this morning. So, it’s not surprising that when I was looking at that pretty Bishop’s Weed, I noticed something else — something that wasn’t visible to me last year but seems to have crept in over the winter and into this springtime.

As I have noticed through the years, weeds in the garden tend to look very similar to the plants they grow beside. In fact, it’s often so difficult to see the difference that it’s easy to miss them entirely.

I stopped to reflect on last night’s talk… on my thoughts that lingered long after the meeting. I thought on a scripture that wasn’t brought up last night: “Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies.” –SongofSolomon 2.15-16.

The leaves of that “Bishop’s Weed” are beautiful, very soft and tender — and if I don’t get out there and remove that invasive dark green weed, it will choke out and overtake the tender plant. Same with those little foxes–those weeds: poor or wrong attitudes, habits, actions, words in marriage. Weeds in marriage are pesky, invasive destroyers. Have you thought about those things lately?

Have you reread some of those earlier embraced books on your shelf? Have you listened again to recorded messages that were once inspiring to you? Have you revisited notes, decisions, plans you once had regarding your marriage? Have you looked back on memories of the sweet words, dates, walks, talks, future-plans?

Is there some cultivating you need to do? You know, every seed grows; and in the seeds of today there are tomorrow’s plants, shrubs, trees, flowers. Not every seed brings desirable fruit — some are weed seeds — weed seeds that grow into plants and vines that are set to destroy all the beautiful plants. And many a beautiful plant (read: marriage) was destroyed by an invasive weed.

I thought on all this this morning as I took a closer look around the gardens. And I asked the Lord again, as I did last night, what do You want me to do? Will you show me the little foxes that are spoiling the vines? And I ask the Lord… will you fill me and equip me to do Your will, and will You help me to be ever more the wife my husband needs?

He’s Writing My Story

Every day, year after year, God’s writing my story. Every day, whether or not I can understand the circumstances I face, He has a very good plan for whatever I face. And regardless of my comprehension, His plan is for my good and His glory.

I believe this not only because His word says so, but also because I have seen His work and His glory has been continually revealed in His work in my life and in the lives around me. This isn’t one of those God’s Word says it, I believe it, and that settles it! sorts of statements. Truly, it doesn’t matter if I believe it or not: if God’s Word says it, it’s settled.

But by God’s grace and mercy, my seeing or experiencing God’s work affirms His work to me—it affirms His purpose in me. That’s one of the precious angles of the Lord I appreciate so much. He loves me so much that He affirms His work and reveals it to me. In some of the darkest days I wrote in the margin of my Bible next to different texts that spoke to my heart — things I could neither articulate nor utter. But the Word was so real to me — so living. And now, looking back at those notes in the margins and the accompanying dates they were written, I can clearly trace the Hand of the Lord in what’s been accomplished or experienced in and through those events.

Dark days or heavy trials are interesting things… I feel so isolated and helpless in them sometimes — even though they are the very things God uses to broaden my understanding and deepen my message — or to add to the story He’s writing. So many times I look back now and see that I was going along making a mess of my life—though I didn’t know it or think it at the time—and God has miraculously taken the messes I’ve made and is working them into a beautiful testimony of His faithfulness. Not a testimony of my cleverness to make it through this or that trial. No. Simply, His work to redeem what was hopeless and make it into something He could use for His glory.

I see more and more that’s why we go through trials——–trials prove the Lord strong on our behalf. Trials demonstrate to us our great weakness, our great need — and His great love.

I used to fear “the next trial” so much because I used to think that trials were given in some sort of level of intensity to prepare us for harder or more difficult future trials. And that sure put God in a peculiar position, didn’t it? As if in good times He’s a good God, and in bad times He’s an austere God — as if He’s got a tally sheet, or a punch card, keeping score on everyone. That’s not an accurate understanding of the merciful Lord. While the “next thing” might indeed seem a harder thing to face than the one previously faced, God’s not locked into the box of dealing in varying levels of hardships or trials for His children.

But I do know this—-He surely is a Master Pruner, a Master Gardener, cultivating in our lives the very things we need in order that we will be either more useful to Him or that we will be strengthened in faith to bring Him glory. And He uses trials to develop whatever angle of Spiritual fruit lacking or needing to be revealed in our lives. We would likely never choose those often painful tools the Lord’s chosen for our sanctification, would we? But think back on hard trials… they’re exactly what we needed to bring us to where we are today. And those foolish choices we made along the way? Even those are working together for good. Hard to see it sometimes, isn’t it?

The story He’s writing is a beautiful story — because He is good, He is loving and He is merciful — even when the story seems to have deep, dark valleys and rocky places. Do you see His hand in your story?

Today You Have Today

On the wall in my kitchen hangs a plate that has imprinted the saying: Today you have today. It hangs there every day… every day I walk through the doorway below it and rarely look up to see that plate — or any other specific thing that hangs on the wall, for that matter. Except one of the clocks.

Isn’t it interesting? Many things in our lives we see — but don’t really see — every day. And every day these things are before us and could remind us that we have opportunity to do things today — each day — to recognize, to act upon, to remember things that are important — you know, the people and things that our walls sort of memorialize or showcase… photographs, quotes, awards, treasures of days gone by.

Things on our walls should be more than a memory… more than a decoration adorning a space in our home — though they are or do these things. They should be daily reminders of what God’s done, how He’s worked and what He wants us to remember — not just for the past, but for the future. And the only day of the future I have to live is today, for today is yesterday’s future. In a moment I could be gone… in a moment everything around me could be gone and the only thing left would be what I did with all the today’s the Lord has given me.

He’s only given me my today’s — but I live them in light of yesterday and in light of tomorrow. Does that make sense? Things done in my yesterdays affect or have consequences today. This is so important for me to remember as I live out each day because, as this is true, whatever I’m doing or deciding not to do today will have an effect on, or have consequences for, tomorrow. It’s easy to forget this truth if we just keep walking through doorways and never look up.

Today you have today.

The Increeping Vulgarity

This post is sort of a signs of the times observation and a mulling over the consequences of one of the dramatic changes our society is undergoing. The increeping vulgarity of society hasn’t happened all at once — it’s happened slowly, incrementally, over time. Increeping vulgarity, along with its visible companions, lewd behaviour and crude speech have slowly encroached on society, and are slowly being normalized in our culture. Vulgarity has begun to be so acceptable, so commonplace — even expected on many levels. Vulgarity thrives on a one way street ardently demanding its voice as an entitlement.

On any level, I’m stunned by the commonplace presence, acceptance, or promotion of vulgar speech, vulgar dress, vulgar behaviour, vulgar attitudes permeating every area of life. Though it shouldn’t be surprising, it is. It so is.

The other day I heard someone’s reply to a rebuttal of some current activities and I thought, wow, vulgar’s become a right. Nasty’s become a boast, an acceptable manner of behaviour — overlooked even by women who would have, in earlier years, stood against or disavowed such behaviour. And now? Well, now it’s normal. Get over it.

The reply? It was this: Is it hurting you? Were I to have been there, in that dialogue, I’d have emphatically answered, Yes! Yes it’s hurting me—it’s hurting women—it’s hurting little girls—it’s hurting society! And, it’s hurting men. Nasty always hurts society.

When women behave, speak, dress, act, or converse in vulgar ways, it hurts everyone. When women behave in ways contrary to their design, everyone’s hurt in the end. Stepping where I fear to tread, I’ll keep going. I’d say very similar things to men if that was my “platform” or the focus of the long conversation of this blog. It’s not.

When women deviate from design, it’s no wonder the creeps creep in. And the creeps of vulgarity, lewdness, and crudeness have not only crept in, but have swept in like a tidal wave washing over society in what is, I would guess, on many levels unlike any time in history. Immeasurably (intentionally or unintentionally) aided by technology, media–news, communication, videos, print; social media– medical technology, drugs, abortion, birth-control, manipulation of science and design, and a society that generally eschews God’s design–has mishandled, doesn’t know, never heard, or disregards His Word, the increeping has permeated the whole world to one degree or another to the inestimable detriment of society across the whole world.

Society is paying the painful, awful price of neglecting God’s Word, His design, His eternal purpose. And the pain has but just begun. The unintended consequences have begun to unfold. Sadly, unseen by untold billions — yes, billions.

I watched some clips of recent “women’s marches” and interviews of women who expressed views, reasons, arguments for participating. Sick and sad is what I felt at the time — and do still. Women marching off a cliff. I’ve wondered to myself, maybe if I didn’t know that Christian women were among the ‘marchers’ I’d not feel quite as disheartened. Nope, I’d still feel it. For sure. But knowing that among the protesters were Christian women and, sadder still, the daughters they’d brought with them to experience these historical events. Women’s power, women’s rights, women’s equality, women’s confusion, women’s displays of vulgar, crude, lewd & loud speech, lewd dress, and vaunting vulgar behaviour. And the permeation of a new level of vulgar escalated all around the world… little girls and women are being loudly instructed all around the world. At the bottom of the cliff, in the abyss, so many lies, so much confusion, jamming information — the fallout is, or soon will be, staggering.

In some of the recent loud flaunts, was it one man’s fault they behaved the way they did? Was it just one man’s behaviour that triggered their vulgar printed messages, addressing themselves by names they’d never have allowed another to call them, donning hats in reference to what offended them, the flaunting of once sacred, private anatomy of women and displaying what were once discreet feminine products? Or has the moral decline been festering so long that it was just a matter time before moral discretion would be abandoned and an avalanche of unparalleled lewdness be ushered in? Does one man’s behaviour validate an equal or greater vulgar response? And what did all this teach the daughters?

It’s past time to respond to this… it’s time to stand for the Truth. *These are the perilous days we’ve been told would come. *2Timothy 3.1-17
These are the consequences of a nation forgetting God. May the Lord be merciful to direct our steps and guard our hearts and minds. In other historical eras, dark days preceded great revivals. I pray this will be God’s great grace and a glorious unintended consequence of the increeping vulgarity.

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