girltalk Blog
A dear friend of mine is walking through some relational challenges at present. With a longing to encourage, I emailed the following quote—a favorite of mine—to her today. I know for me, I am quick to sinfully judge or become bitter when I feel someone has sinned against me. Yet I need to be swift to see God’s hand behind any wrong—whether it is real or only imagined. (How many times have I made uncharitable judgments of others only to find out later that I was mistaken?!) These words of Jonathan Edwards have helped me to get my eyes off others (and myself!) and to look to God. If you are facing difficulties in a relationship—whether it is with a co-worker, a friend or even a family member—I pray this 18th century quote will provide you with a Godward perspective today:
Love to God disposes men to see his hand in everything; to own him as the governor of the world, and the director of providence; and to acknowledge his disposal in everything that takes place. And the fact, that the hand of God is a great deal more concerned in all that happens to us than the treatment of men is, should lead us, in a great measure, not to think of things as from men, but to have respect to them chiefly as from God—as ordered by his love and wisdom, even when their immediate source may be the malice or heedlessness of a fellow-man. And if we indeed consider and feel that they are from the hand of God, then we shall be disposed meekly to receive and quietly to submit to them, and to own that the greatest injuries received from men are justly and even kindly ordered of God, and so be far from any ruffle or tumult of mind on account of them. (Jonathan Edwards, Charity and Its Fruits, pp. 79-80)
Prayer has always been a weak discipline in my life. I love to study, and therefore it is not uncommon for me to get so engrossed in whatever I am studying during my daily devotions that I don’t leave enough time for unhurried prayer. Whenever this happens, I simply resort to praying on the run—not a recommended prescription for a healthy prayer life!
So this past May during my planning retreat I came up with a new plan for daily prayer. I rearranged my morning routine to make sure I have ample time to pray. I also typed out numerous Bible verses and prayers that I have collected from others to further help me when I pray.
I shared one of these prayers with you last week and there is one more I want to share with you again today. It’s a prayer I pray for my 13 year old son, Chad, derived from Psalm 12:7—You will guard us from this generation forever:
Lord, may Chad rise above his age as the mountaintops above the clouds. Fulfill in Chad the faithful saying of this verse! Guard him from this generation, from being polluted by its evil influence. Thank you for those two assuring words that declare, “You will.” (Adapted from Psalms Volume I, Charles Spurgeon)
Our teenagers face a three-fold enemy (as do we all): the world, the flesh and the devil. With this prayer, I am specifically asking that God help Chad to resist the temptations of this ungodly world and instead live for the delights of following the Savior. I hope it inspires you to pray with faith for your sons and daughters.
You’ll have to pardon me. I don’t have a lot to say these days about anything except surviving morning sickness. I know there are big things going on in the world right now. But for me, life is simply about keeping breakfast down.
When I feel desperate in the face of another day of sickness, I think about the strong women I know who’ve endured much worse in order to give birth to their children—most notably, my great-great grandmother, Catherine Layman (pictured left with husband Martin). Here’s her story:
“Catherine was…born prematurely [in 1855] weighing one and a half pounds, and small enough to fit in a quart measure. Tradition tells us that her face could be covered by a half-dollar and her palm by a grain of corn. She was fed with a medicine dropper and carried around on a pillow wrapped in a blanket until age six months.” (Martin A. Lahman Family History)
At age nine, when her family fled the Civil War, she weighed a mere 37 ½ pounds. As full-grown adult, she was only 4 feet, 10 inches tall. But, this little lady went on to bear 15 children—one of whom was my great-grandfather John Calvin Layman, (gotta love those Reformed roots!).
My point? If Great-Great Grandma Kate can have 15 children, well, then I can make it through pregnancy number two.
As interesting as Catherine’s story is, I draw even more encouragement from women I know—especially my mom, but also my Aunt Janice, and other dear friends whose morning sickness was much more potent than mine is. I vividly remember both my mom and aunt faithfully caring for their families in between trips to the nearest facility. I have dear friends who have managed households and toddlers while feeling wretchedly ill.
I’m sure none of them realized they were teaching me in those moments. But they were. Their lessons of perseverance, of faithfulness, of peace and joy in difficulty and of love for their families have marked my life. I find strength in God to make it through the day because they did it first.
2006 at 3:17 pm | by Kristin Chesemore
As parents, Brian and I are eager to get our hands on any resource that will help us teach and train our children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Recently, Brian came across a book that, although small in size, is substantial in value. Originally written by the Reverend Thomas G. Kay, and updated by Shirley Windham, it is entitled, Train Up A Child.
Shirley Windham is actually a friend of a friend so to speak, as she is a member of Ligon Duncan’s First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, Mississippi. Dr. Duncan—besides being a very dear friend of my dad’s is also one of the Together for the Gospel foursome.
Train up a Child is a 32-page simple discipleship program for children ages 3-17. It is a guide for instructing your child in both Bible memorization and basic theology. For each year of your child’s life you’ll find a brief (one to two page) plan, thematically arranged. There are hymns to learn each year as well as suggested books to read with your children. And the plan is easily modified to fit your preferences or child’s comprehension level. Even though we don’t adhere to the author’s views on infant baptism, this tool will help you to be intentional and effective in teaching God’s Word to your children. We’re excited about using it with our three sons!
Check out this Friday Funny…Thanks Cara!
Used cows for sale? Makes me wonder how much new cows are and do they depriciate in value like cars? What do you use a used cow for? Who knows! Cara Croft
You’ll find us right back here on Monday. Take Care!
Janelle
for Carolyn, Nicole, and Kristin
Last week’s question, “Like Sarah, what “earthly inconvenience” are you experiencing, and how is it “mitigated by the promise of eternal blessing?” provoked a number of wonderful answers. Whether it is the waiting for children or the difficulty of moving (while pregnant!) or the daily struggle with indwelling sin or even the trial of losing something of value—so many of you are hoping in God like Sarah did. The woman we chose to answer this week’s question—Jelinas Lim—has a firm hold of the promises of God in the midst of her earthly inconvenience. May you be encouraged by her example to trust in God’s Word.
I am twenty-eight years old and unmarried, and it sure is an earthly inconvenience.
Aside from the practical inconveniences like not having a man around to fix leaky faucets or help carry in the groceries, there are also spiritual and emotional inconveniences, like not having someone to rebuke you when you are wasting time at home or not having someone to encourage you when you’re discouraged.
It’s even inconvenient to go to weddings. You have to drive yourself and then sit at the reception with a bunch of twenty-three-year-olds because they’re the only other ones who are also still single, as you watch the twenty-five-year-old newlyweds rejoice because they’ve “finally” found God’s will for them.
But, as Sarah trusted in the promise of eternal blessing, I resolve to trust in the promise of eternal blessing. It matters not what I am lacking in my life today because I know what I am not lacking. I am not lacking a single thing that I need for life and godliness. The Lord has graciously provided all I need for that, daily.
How can I complain about loneliness when I know that, even if my bed is in the depths, God is with me? How can I complain about not having enough help when the Lord has promised that the Holy Spirit will be my helper? And why would I complain about getting older when each day that passes only brings me closer to my Savior?
God gives grace. Even when He’s not dispensing husbands, He’s daily dispensing grace. He has promised that those who obey Him will see his goodness in the land of the living. And I believe it because I see it every day. Praise God for His faithfulness to this precious promise!
Amen Jelinas!
Next week’s profile offers another opportunity to praise God for His grace—the extraordinary story of Rahab. Dr. MacArthur encapsulates “the lesson of her life” in the following sentence: “The disturbing fact about what she once was simply magnifies the glory of divine grace, which is what made her the extraordinary woman she became.” From that lesson comes this week’s question: “How does ‘what you once were’ magnify the glory of divine grace?”
Given the personal nature of this question, we completely understand if you would like us to post your answer anonymously. Remember that all answers are due by midnight Thursday. May you rejoice in God’s grace as you read Chapter Four: “A Horrible Life Redeemed.”
You still have 7 hours, 24 minutes, and 10 seconds to send in your answer to this weeks question from chapter two:
Like Sarah, what “earthly inconvenience” are you experiencing, and how is it “mitigated by the promise of eternal blessing”?
2006 at 12:55 pm | by Kristin Chesemore
To wrap up our “Back to School Prep” here are some great tips for making lunch a little more exciting. Actually, you don’t need to have school-age kids to appreciate these suggestions. I’m going to try them on my little boys!
From Nichole
—Instead of sandwiches, use pita bread, tortillas, or even Indian fry bread to make them exciting… and there are even a lot of different types of bread to work with: zucchini bread, pumpkin bread, pumpernickel bread, potato bread, etc. There is no need to stick with plain white or wheat sandwich bread.
—Make baked meat or vegetable pies (baked right before school or the night before). Or send hot soup, stew, or dip in a thermos (heat up the soup, pour boiling water in the thermos to warm it, pour the water out, then pour the hot soup in. It should still be warm at lunchtime.)
—You can jazz up fruit and veggies by cutting them up in neat shapes (you can buy special knives for slicing in zig-zags, for instance), and try new and exciting dips (why have ranch EVERY time?).
—Or you can make fish-free sushi wraps with rice and veggies with soy sauce to dip-ins (if your kids like sushi-type things. Or you can even use cut-up cooked chicken and beef in the seaweed rice wraps.) You can also provide a rice pilaf/salad with lettuce leaves or other greens for wrapping.
—And I love cold mini quiches, you can make them the night before, and it is usually easy to find mini tart shells at the stores if your kids don’t mind cold quiche.
From Kim
I must say I’m a huge fan of peanut butter lunches—for the protein and simplicity of it. Here’s one idea I’ve been using since my daughter was in Kindergarten. Make a protein packed, healthy lunch and bless the teachers and your child by not adding any candy to their lunch. Then [here comes the fun part] add a special note each day, or as often as you can, to their lunch box. We’ve come up with some very fun notes over the years - “smile - it’s picture day, with a picture of a camera”, “it’s raining outside but you make my day a rainbow, with rainbow sticky notes”, etc… As they’ve grown older, I still place notes in their lunches, but with Scripture references pointing them to their Savior and notes to encourage them to seek Him during their lunch break and for the rest of their afternoon.
From Susan
I SWEAR by my Pampered Chef “cut n seal”. This is the tool that makes your sandwiches “crustless”, and makes it like those “uncrustables” that you pay an arm and a leg for in the store!
From Zoanna
—peanut butter and honey; peanut butter and bananas; peanut butter and apple butter; peanut butter in celery sticks
—wraps—instead of bread, put their favorite fixins inside a
flour tortilla, wrap up, and go!
—cookie cutter finger sandwiches. Make the sandwich first, tear off crust, and use different cookie cutters to make cute shapes. They like their initials in food, too.
—drink boxes: variety Yoo-Hoos once in while!
—One family I know did this for a week of camp, but it would work for school days as well. Call it Sunday Evening Spread. Put all the big bags of chips, and cookies on the kitchen table and fill little ziploc bags with them. Then put those bags into a big box in the pantry. Pack enough for the week, and all Mom has to do besides making or packing the sandwich or microwaveable leftovers is “grab and pack” the treats.
From Hannah
I love to put dried cranberries on almost all my PB&J’s; they’re best with apricot, raspberry and cherry jam! My mom likes to put marshmallow fluff on hers, as does my brother when he’s allowed to:) I personally think raspberry jam is best with this.
From Lindsey
My mom used to use cookie cutters to cut out fun shapes in our sandwich bread. She would buy lots of interesting shapes and animals and surprise us with which one would be used to magically transform our food each day of the week. She also used to include a small note of love or encouragement attached to a piece of candy. Both were great ideas and made me look forward to opening my lunch (even if it was the same type of lunch meat and candy everyday, there was still an element of surprise!)
From Audrey
Putting M&M’s or potato chips in a sandwich make for a nice surprise. (You would probably only want to do this once in a while) It also adds a little variety to have leftovers from last night’s supper for your lunch. It also prevents disliked leftover nights or refrigerator meals.
From Katherine
My mom used to hide notes in different parts of my lunch like in the inside of my thermos lid. She even went so far as hiding one in the MIDDLE of my Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich. Thankfully, I noticed it after the first bite or two.
From Stephanie
This is the best sandwich ever, I haven’t met a kid, dad, mom, sister or brother that didn’t like it. It is from my friend Debi. Two pieces white bread, strawberry jam on one side of bread with fresh sliced strawberries on top of that peanut butter on the one side of bread with roasted peanuts on the top. Put together. I have made these for bridal, baby showers even sold out of them at a street fair once. Cut them into fours for a fancier look.
2006 at 5:39 pm | by Janelle Bradshaw
It’ll be here before you know it, so how can you make your child’s first day of school extra special? Here are some super ideas…
From Melanie
I was homeschooled, so there really was no need for a backpack, school supplies in tow, etc. But being the industrious and excited 5 year old, I wanted all of that. So my mom got me a special backpack, supplies and lunchbox and we packed it all up the night before I started school. And then in the morning after breakfast, I took my backpack, kissed my mom goodbye and walked out the back door. About two minutes later, the front doorbell rang and there I was, saying hello to my “teacher” and siblings and ready for my first day! Silly, but fun and treasured.
From Irma
I am a first grade teacher at a public school. As I was reading your post today, I thought about what would make my students happy. I find that for the little ones and big ones too, a little note of encouragement would do wonders. I am often faced with children who are missing their moms and siblings. Just reminding them that you will see them again and that they WILL go home would do wonders for them and the teachers!
From Adrielle
I am the second oldest of six children, all of whom have been homeschooled since “the beginning.” Ever since I can remember, my parents made the first day of school special by taking all of us out to breakfast. During breakfast, they would present each of us with a small, school-related gift such as a watch or pencil set. We also did our devotions at breakfast and prayed about and discussed the plan for the school year. When we couldn’t afford to go out to breakfast, my mom would get up extra early and make a special breakfast. This is a great memory that I will always treasure!
From Julie
A very fun tradition that we always looked forward to as kids was…On the first day of school, mom would make a “schoolhouse cake” which was very similar to a gingerbread house you might make at Christmas time only looked like a one room schoolhouse with bell up top and all. Eventually it evolved to being just a regular 2 dimensional cake cut out in the shape of a one-room school building. She’d use icing and graham crackers and other things to make it creative. We always looked forward to coming home and having this for dessert after dinner on that first day of school!
From Kim
Each year we take a “1st day of school photo” of the girls with their dad in the exact same place—on our front steps next to a potted flower arrangement. We save the photo on our bulletin board for the school year to watch and see how much they grow and change over the year. On the last day of school, I attach their photo with an award or end-of-the-year encouragement note. We love to look back on the photos and see how much they have changed—but dad hasn’t changed much at all!)
From Jen
The very first day, of our very first year of homeschool I had a “great ” idea. We would do a scavenger hunt! I made little rhyming signs with the clues on them to put at various locations. Around the house were hidden little treasures to fill their school boxes. Pencils, crayons, markers, stickers, play-doh. etc. Even a sweet or two. I had scheduled for this special morning event to take about 20 minutes; then we would start our day. Well, it took a little longer than 20 minutes, maybe 40. We finally sat down at the table to put all of these great things in the big prize, the school box!
From Hayley
I am not a mom yet, but here is what I remember my mom doing: The first day of school would start with what we affectionately called “the unveiling.” Every year, my mom would purchase our school supplies for us (books for the year, pencils, pens, folders, fun treats, etc). She would then put it all on the dinning room table in nice little stacks and cover it with a huge bed sheet. We would wait until everyone was dressed and ready for the day. Then we gathered around the table to remove the “veil” and discover what cool stuff we had for that year. We got a huge kick out of it.
From Karen
My suggestion is that parents remember to do fun things with kids even during the school year—it wouldn’t be the worst thing for a dad to take a vacation day and for the kids to miss school for one day—so that everyone could drive to the beach. You might be in jeans and a sweatshirt instead of bathing suits, but it will be fun all the same! That way the kid’s don’t associate Summer with Fun and School year with No-Fun. One missed day of school is not going to dramatically impact your child in a negative way, but one unexpected trip with the family will be a cherished memory for years to come. And I bet dad wouldn’t mind the time off work too!
From Corinne
Super fun thing to do—get everyone up early & go to breakfast at Dennys, or your local coffee shop. You’re there with all the people getting ready to go to work/start their day. So why not start off the new school year with a new tradition!
I love pictures. They are little frozen moments in time. Memories preserved. I returned from vacation with 991 little memories that were just begging to be made into a slideshow. So Mike and I went to work and compiled some of the best shots for the fam to enjoy. If you would like to take a peek, click here.
This slideshow requires QuickTime. Download it free here for Macintosh or here for Windows.
For broadband/high speed internet users, this may take several minutes.
For dial-up users this may take much longer.
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