Category: Potpourri

I have wondered many times over the years why “the church” has had such little impact on or in America—original impact aside. Consider the avalanche of reading and audio/visual materials. Consider the “churches” and universities and seminaries. Considerable is an understatement, to say the least. I was reading a news story this morning about a man who, visiting the Supreme Court building, was told by the tour-guide in Washington DC that the inscriptions were the “…ten amendments.”

I had a revelation of sorts… it sort of goes along with my thoughts on that news piece and another thought that often times our involvement in “church” is like a weekly bus ride or a Sunday bus ride. I know that many are offended by that comment for their experience is not like that. However, for many, it is that and more (or less, really). For many, “attendance” is very “satisfying” and they rightly edify and are edified by a weekly gathering. For others, however, the weekly “service” is just that: a service—an obligation or a routine course of action and that’s all. It’s pretty easy and for most pretty comfortable to go through the motions of life never bumping into others and never really being known — just seen.

So, my ‘revelation’ this morning? Unspoken (prayer) requests. I think we’re trained to be unspoken just like we’re trained or conditioned to say, “fine, thank you” when asked how we’re doing. You know the way it goes and it always goes something like: are their any needs? Few or no hands but many nods. Any unspoken requests? Many hands, many nods. And that’s how we pray for each other. It’s sort of like: I know you must have needs — maybe even important situations are concerning you — so I will pray for you. I don’t really know what your need is or how I might be used of the LORD to assist you, but I will pray for you and your… unspoken request. And we go on — content with our experience because we know nothing different.

You know why this practice is so menacing? Because it sort of makes us “unspoken” Christians as well. Incognito prayers make incognito pray-ers and incognito believers and, sadly, incognito to the world. As far as being the feet and hands of the LORD Jesus, we are too often incognito. Now, I don’t mean that we should boast of our doings or take glory or credit for righteous deeds, but I do think that it should be obvious that we are different —a peculiar people— in the world. It should be the desire of every believer to outwardly demonstrate the inward change that only Jesus makes. Instead, we blend, we fade, we quietly follow the ways of the world and not only is our lamp hidden, but maybe we don’t even get filled with oil and aren’t lit. Could it be that our unspoken requests become unasked or unsaid prayers and we become unspoken Christians.

Does it surprise some people when they hear that you are a believer? Or is your faith and trust in the living LORD obvious and is it obvious that He is alive and working in you? O, let us not have unspoken lives and be unspoken believers. Lets us live and demonstrate enough evidence to prove our case: Jesus is LORD. This is one of my prayers.

says that “Television, Filmaking industries are Big Polluters.”
But, then, you knew that.
O, I see, they’re talking: environmental. I was thinking something else.

We’ve had an interesting few days as we’ve watched the Snohomish River rise and then overflow its banks and flood the surrounding valley and farmlands – as have many of Western Washington’s rivers!  Floods don’t occur without a bit of excitment for our family.  And excitement we’ve had!  More later as this slice of life will no doubt linger a bit.

I got to thinking… it probably seems from time to time that I forget I have a weblog. It’s not that I don’t want to write or even that I don’t really have time to write – instead, I just don’t have the bloggiest idea what thing to take time to describe or relate. So, no blogging today. We’ve got a River to watch.

http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/river/station/flowplot/flowplot.cgi?quick=single&id=SNAW1

The sweet blessings I’ve had the privilege to enjoy through the years of maintaining A Christian Home website are the wonderful letters and testimonies that visitors send me. It’s been particularly true regarding the matter of feminine dress and the LORD’s touch and direction for many women and girls. I used to feel like I was one of few who saw or heard the biblical message of modesty and feminine dress for women and girls. It has seemed that women everywhere are coming to the same conclusion regarding “what in the world to wear.” I recall a time when I was in junior high school and I was wondering what to wear for a school “dress-up day.” My mother deadpanned: “Why don’t you wear a dress and go as a girl?” Though I did wear dresses and liked to sew, in those days much of the time my wardrobe for winter consisted of cords and Levi’s 501 jeans –and for summer: Levi’s 501 jeans: cut off. I probably was annoyed at her comment at the time, but seriously, through the years that statement has resonated with me and come to mind many, many times.

Couple that comment with a thought I had some years back: would I want Wes to reach over to my side of the closet and wear *my* clothes? Then why in the world would I be comfortable wearing (clothes like) his? If the Bible clearly speaks against men being effeminate, then clearly, women being masculine is (or should be) just as abominable. But our society doesn’t exactly go that way, does it? Our society seeks to obliterate God’s perfect design and now, men are so confused, they don’t know who they are or who the ought to be with and women are seeking to be like men ought to be and men are seeking to be like feminine women — it’s outrageous (or it ought to be!). The enemy is relentlessly attempting to thwart God’s design and beautiful order. Deuteronomy 22.5 is clear when distinguishing what is to be worn: “The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.”

Some would argue that that is Old Testament Law… but I believe that the Old is very instructive and fleshes out the New Testament (and vice versa). We have much to glean from God’s simple order of creation and His distinction of male and female. I fully and firmly believe God’s divine plan, the marvelous distinctions He created should be recognized and revered. I think we reverence the LORD by our delight in His creation—what better way than not only accepting His design but embracing it. I so wish I had taken my mom’s advice at the time! I wore dresses a great deal of the time in my adult life, but, probably fifteen years ago I took her advice and eliminated the pants and I think of her: “Why don’t you wear a dress and go as a girl?” comment. And I smile.

Here’s a sweet letter I received this evening:

Dear A Christian Home,
Lately I have been praying on the subject for modest dress. Today I got an answer from Jesus! I was afraid to tell my mom how I felt about skirts dresses etc…… and I asked God for help. My mom went shopping for me came back and said everything looked awful! She couldn’t find me jeans of shirts or skirts! She told me this “Ashley I’m sorry I couldn’t find you anything, you will have to wear skirts until we find something, besides I like you better in skirts than in pants.”. God works in amazing ways! I’m still wearing what jeans I do have (my mom said not waste), but when they wear out I will never buy jeans again! I am so happy, so free so much at peace! It all happened because I found your web site and it convicted me ! The truth blew me away! I sew (thank you Jesus!) so I can make my own stuff! Thank again for your wonderful articles, you touched me! I am 14, and some say I’m a “typical teen”, but I am a change teen forever! Words can not express my thanks! God Bless!
Love, Ashley M. 14
ps. I was wondering if you could post this letter on your blog? Maybe it can help another teen find Gods will for her life in dress!

Month after month, year after year… and then years… prayers and tears. An empty womb, empty arms, and seemingly empty prayers. But the LORD sees and the LORD hears the prayers. According to His plan –His mercy and His will, the womb remains and the arms remain: empty. Month after month watching and waiting for the sign. A couple of weeks late and there’s the standing at the bathroom counter watching and waiting for the little pink lines. None. And another month passes and the months fade into years… waiting, waiting, waiting. For some, it’s standing by the phone… waiting for a call –either from a doctor or an adoption agency. The call comes… I’m sorry, not this time.

This is a scene that replays all over the world. Sisters aching for a baby to carry –a child to nurture –another life to love. This happens to young and old… women who’ve never conceived, women who’ve carried and lost precious little lives they never saw but intimately knew, women who have physical conditions that seem to prevent conception, women with pcos, women who’ve given up hope. It might surprise women who’ve never been able to conceive that women who’ve birthed many often deeply grieve the passing of the childbearing years –as if there would always be one more and that one more would forever be grievously missed. For all of these women, the empty womb cries out. A grief seemingly too hard to bear. The Word says that there are three things that are never satisfied –women with empty wombs know this full well.

There are three things that are never satisfied,
yea, four things say not, It is enough:
The grave; and the barren womb;
the earth that is not filled with water;
and the fire that saith not, It is enough.
Proverbs 30.15-16

We have a page of requests from women and some husbands, too –requests for prayer for conception and birth. The cries of their heart are repeated over and over. May the LORD hear the prayers and may His Word bring peace and encouragement.

And just when I thought we were getting a handle on the flies.  All day long my mind has been flooded with fly quips and witty inventions (for the demise of the flies or a fly’s demise, which ever applies).  As I was going around (yes, again!) with the wand of the shop vac (for hours!), I was getting a bit haughty with my newfound success at sucking up flies.  I’ve learned some clever new fly catching maneuvers and have captured now hundreds and hundreds of flies. But… as they are multiplying at four or five times the rate of captures, I’m not appearing to be all that successful at my attempts to eradicate the fly population in our home.

None of the stores in town have any fly paper strips.  They did, however, have this fly catching contraption that cost Wes about seven dollars… and I have discovered that he paid about 6.99 too much for the plastic bag that (after lifting the plastic housing and filling the unit with water and dispersing an extremely foul smelling solution) is hung up and then attracts flies… supposedly by the hundreds ―the bag boasts a promise that it can hold 10,000 flies. Well, that’d be a good start, here.  A dozen flies have met their demise by landing on the black cylinder and falling into the cesspool in the bag.  O… and the bag is decorated with flies.  I’m sure this is to let the other flies know that their relatives are hoping for a visit or something.

In the meantime, with the silence and finesse of a skilled burglar, I’ve learned to stalk the flies in their favourite landing spots.  It’s become a game to me as I stand almost motionless, wand in hand, waiting for a group of flies to land as I calmly move the wand near them.  I experience a tremendous rush of satisfaction if I can get five or six flies:  thwp, thwp, thwp, thwp, thwp… bonus if I get a couple of the repopulating culprits.  Extra bonus points if I get both flies and cobwebs at the same time.  See, I didn’t know I had cobwebs until I started poking that wand into some high corners.  So, I suppose there should be seen in all of this an additional benefit.  However, this benefit brings me little satisfaction as the flies multiply in ever increasing numbers throughout the day and throughout the house.

Had I been Pharaoh, I think I’d have chased the children of Israel away after the swarms of flies… no, come to think of it, it would have been even before that.  The thought of frogs gives me the creeps.  So I suppose I see another benefit in all of this… these flies.  At least it’s not frogs!