Why I blog

I have to admit, I don't know. I love reading others' blogs. So many talented people! Frugal living, home management, parenting, Christian living, you name it. Now, I do all those things, but I am not an expert at any of it. I've been on the mission field since I was 11, but I'm not an expert at that either. In fact, when I read Jungle Mom, I feel totally inadequate as a missionary! We have no big bugs, snakes, piranhas, dugout canoes or huts.

I guess I blog because I need all of you, those I know, those I don't know. Those blogs I visit everyday and those I visit once in a while. You challenge me, encourage me, sometimes you outrage me! But at least I know that there are others like me, imperfect, who need to connect. You encourage me in the Lord. Thank you

Waiting on the Lord

I have heard about "waiting on the Lord" for all my life. I've even told people to wait on the Lord. But you know what? Its not quite the same when you yourself are in a position where you must wait upon the Lord.
Wait..........upon..........the Lord

I have been bombarded lately by God telling me to wait quietly. Listen in the silence, in the darkness. Wait. Truthfully? I'm not doing to good. I want to TALK! I want to ask counsel, but I feel that God is leading me to be quiet and let Him do the talking and the counseling.

I am in a position to have to believe God. Believe that He can do what I cannot. Oh, Ok, so this is what it means to live by faith. Ouch.
God will do what I cannot as long as I do not interfere.
Lord, I believe,......help thou my unbelief!

"Then darkness fled" by Stephen Mansfield

Mom got me this book for Christmas. She knows that Booker T Washington is a hero of mine. I read his book "Up from slavery" in school.
Three years ago, she gave me a book about BT Washington and George Washington Carver. I didn't like that one very much, because it seemed to paint Washington in quite a negative light.

This one I like very much. It seems honest about faults without being entirely negative. It also explained why some at the time didn't like Washington and considered him a traitor to their cause.

What I appreciate about Washington was his Christian character that he displayed in the face of unfairness, and irrational prejudice. I also greatly appreciate that fact that he encouraged those around him to better themselves through hard work and diligence, something I lack at times. Here's a quote: "The cleaning of rooms had a great deal to do with forming one's character"

Here's another about the real and the artificial: "We shall prosper in proportion as we learn to draw the line between the superficial and the substancial, the ornamental gewgaws of life and the useful"
How's that for our materialistic age?

I weep for those who endured slavery and for those who endure bigotry today. I also know that even in the darkest places, and the most unfair circumstances, God is there. And He can make things right and His grace can be sufficient.

I truly enjoyed this book and will continue to do so for a long time.

Submission

This is a topic that comes up too often in my life because I realize that I am not submissive by nature.
Here are a few things that I have learned, and am still trying to practice.
Submission sometimes means that I don't give my opinion, not even with a sigh or a face. If DH wanted my opinion, he would have asked. I say this because I am so opinionated.

Submission is true submission only when I disagree. Otherwise, I'm not submitting, I'm agreeing. Its true submission when he's wrong. Ahh, there it is! the hardest thing in the world to do! This hit me like a ton of bricks!

Now, you can say that a woman has the right to make her opinions known.
Well, yes and no. I say, follow the Spirit's leading when and if you want to make your opinion known. If you have been prudent in the past, I'm sure your Dh will appreciate your imput. If you have been like me, once he learns that you can shut up, he likes it!

Of course this has been a hard lesson and a long process which I am still in.
Once I win this battle with self, I'll let you know how it went!

Another book

I bought "Family Driven Faith" by Voddie Baucham. Wonderful, of course. Even though I don't like the idea of family integrated worship, I agreed wholeheartedly about most of the book.

Several other well-known bloggers have reviewed this book, which talks about the importance of family, namely the father, in the evangelization and discipleship of children. Naturally, I agreed, but what I felt was missing is what to do if the husband doesn't take the spiritual leadership. If a woman reads about how important her husband is in the spiritual growth of her children, it would be discouraging to see him not fulfill that role, and out of place for her to take that leadership role. So, to me, its a book meant for men to read.

I rarley see a man take full charge of his family's spirituality, so what's a woman to do? Taking the leadership herself will backfire. When her kids see her in a spiritual leadership position apart from her husband, they will not be seeing the submission they need to see. Here's where I take a Sovereign God at his word. I believe that if I what is right, my God will make up for the deficiencies of others around me. God promises to reward faithfulness. I know that God will protect the children of faithful women. I have to believe that! If not, women would be desperately trying to make their husbands "spiritual", for the sake of the children. And we all know that you cannot "make" someone spiritual.

The book is great, I'd give it to young men for a wedding gift!

Things are getting back to "normal"

If there is such a thing! After our furlough, the Church seemed a little "limp" Things have begun to pick up and we are grateful for that. We're still trying to get our attendance back up to where it was, but being the middle of Summer isn't helping much!



We had a bit of a dissapointment. During our furlough, big money was raised to buy a building for our mission church in Mafil. We were so happy! We made a verbal agreement with the owners of a large house, right on the Plaza in Mafil. Then, a few days later, we received a call saying that others had come and made an offer of 22,000 more than we had offered and that they were going to take the other offer! Now, we know that all things work together for good and that God is sovereign. And we don't that if God doesn't want us to have that house, we for sure don't want it. Still, we had our hopes up and are a little dissapointed. Its back to square One, but at least this time, we've got the money!

I covet your prayers. Pray for me and for other missionaries you know.

family integrated worship

I am curious about FIW. At our church, we take the little ones out so that people can listen up and pay attention. Those who advocate FIW say that you must train your children to sit through a service. That's all good and well, but what about immature Christians in your church who have no idea about child training? What about visitors? It takes one fussy child to take people's attention off the preaching and onto the baby.
I am curious to see FIW in practice rather than read about it in theory. Anybody see it work?

Wifely advice

Last year I shared with you about a young woman in our Church who was going through a time of temptation to date an unsaved man. We prayed, pleaded, advised, and waited on the Lord. This young woman who is a dear friend to my family, came through the trial shaken, but unblemished. She was a little uneasy, seeing no man in our Church her age that she liked.
Well, wouldn't you know that while we were in the US, God brought back an old beau of hers, "all growed up" and mighty keen on getting her back.
Long story short, he has asked for her hand and she and her parents have accepted.
So now, I have been gleefully dishing up all my wifely advice, thank you Debi Pearl! Thank you, Mama!

I was talking with DH about marriage advice a few months ago and told him that my basic philosophy now was that a wife need to provide "good ministry (wink, wink) and good food" He looked at me, cocked his head while he thought about it and said, " you need to teach that at the ladies meetings!" Could it be that simple? No, not really, but its a good start!