A good storm

I love a good storm!  It makes me want to bake or get in and study my Bible.  :-)  Today I have been in my Bible.  I have been studying I Peter, just finished the first chapter.  I love getting in and learning  about my God, my relationship to him and His will for my life and service here. 

One of the things I love spending a bit of time on is defining the words.  Even those that I think I know the meaning of.  And the best part is I have my handy Websters 1828 on my computer.  It makes it so easy to look up words!

1 Peter 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

One of our first lessons as a Christian is to grow in grace to be my like Christ.  We are to be holy, as He is holy.  Simple enough.  But as I prayed over this verse the word conversation kept running through my mind.  I knew that it is more than just our speech, even more than our thoughts.  It includes our actions and our reactions to people and things around us.

From Webster's 1828

CONVERSATION, n.

1. General course of manners; behavior; deportment; especially as it respects morals.

Let your conversation be as becometh the gospel. Philippians 1.

Be ye holy in all manner of conversation. 1 Peter 1.

2. A keeping company; familiar intercourse; intimate fellowship or association; commerce in social life. Knowledge of men and manners is best acquired by conversation with the best company.

3. Intimate and familiar acquaintance; as a conversation with books, or other object.

4. Familiar discourse; general intercourse of sentiments; chat; unrestrained talk; opposed to a formal conference.

What I mentioned in conversation was not a new thought.

This is now the most general use of the word.

WOW! It's my manners (Mom was right!), my behavior (how I act), my deportment (we will get to this one), and my morals (wow is right!). It's my testimony to a dark and sinful world. It's how I behave when times are good, and how I react when the trails of life come storming at me. I really am a reflection of the gospel.

Then in number two it's my friends, who I fellowship with.  As a mom this make me very happy, I have the perfect verse for "choose your friends wisely."  :-) We must be mindful of who we are around. Some situations we can't control, work or school, but we can and should still choose our friends (even in these situations) carefully. Our testimony, and our Saviours, is depending on it.

I think the third definition got to me the most.

as a conversation with books, or other object.

Now when this was written, in 1828, television was not around.  But I do believe that it would have been listed very possibly even before books.  What we read and watch affects our thoughts and our spirits.  Be very careful what you consume, even one time.  It changes your thought process, what you find acceptable, what you laugh at, and even what you say.

And the fourth.  Thethought that keeps running through my head here is "is this why so manyunsaved and those who have left church see us as hypocritical?"  What we are familiar with shows how we spend our time.  It's a reflection of whats important enough to us that we are willing to give it our spare moments.  If the lost can't see a difference in my life, why would they want to meet a Saviour who gave His all for me?  How am I different?

Then I looked up deportment.

DEPORTMENT, n. Carriage; manner of acting in relation to the duties of life; behavior; demeanor ; conduct; management.

Do you know what popped out at me in this definition?

 manner of acting in relation to the duties of life

How I behave, in actions and attitudes, toward those things that I must accomplish every day. How am I different from the world, society, around me?

These are the questions I haven been asking myself.  This week I am asking God to show me how my conversation and deportment are reflecting on Him.  And to help me be aware of when I am allowing my "unrestrained talk" be what it shouldn't be.  I know that it will take longer than this week, more like the rest of my life.  But I am great with that. 

The storms of life will come. How I behave in them is all that I can control.


Philippians 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

My adventures in baking this week

It seems like forever since I have baked much at all. Four years ago when we found out that Rich, my husband, had diabetes everything from my kitchen changed! Especially anything baked! Now that it's under control I am starting to explore bringing a few things back in. He has a monster sweet tooth that is never satified.  :-)

Earlier this week I tried making English Muffin Bread for the first time. We have had it before, but I had never tried making it myself. It was one of those things that I just thought would be to complicated. But it's not....REALLY!  LOL  And it's so good toasted for breakfast with a cup of hot tea!

Today I am trying a brownie recipe I found. It smells really good in the oven, but I just know that Rich and Drew will let me know if it's not quite good enough. And that's ok. I want to find one that we all love.

And I know that it's crazy to be baking just as it's getting to the hot part of the year. But I just love the smell of something baking in the oven.  It makes the whole house smell good.  :-)

Lighthouses

I love lighthouses!  Anyone who has been to my house in the last 15 years knows this to be true.  I have always loved the image of Christ as a lighthouse.  We can always find Him, even on our darkest days.  His light is there for our every need.  It lights our path (Ps 119:105), His light and truth will lead us (Ps 43:3), He is the light of the world (Matt 5:14, John 8:12).

Those of us who are blessed to be Christians, to have accepted by faith Christ as our Saviour, must never forget that Christ's sacrifice on the cross was for OUR personal sins.  Every day I am reminded as I look at the photograph of a lighthouse that hangs on my living room wall, that my purpose for living is to simply be a reflection of Him.  To shine His light into the dark night of sin that is all around me. 

Oh, that every true Christian would remember that they are set as a lighthouse in the midst of a dark world, and would labor so to live that every part of them may reflect light, and no side be dim.

J.C. Ryle (1816-1900)

I read this quote for the first time this week.  I have been asking the Lord to show me what side of me is dim, or worse dark.  I answers aren't always (well to be honest almost never) easy or what I want to hear.  But I know they are what I need.

How's your light?  Any dim or dark sides?

Transform or Conform

Those who would be transfigured with Jesus, must not be disfigured by conformity to the world." ~Charles Spurgeon

About a month ago a dear friend posted this quote on Facebook.  Those that know me are aware of my love for quotes.  I read this one, and it has been in the back of my mind for weeks!

Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

I have had this verse memorized for years, so many I can't remember when I first memorized it.  But even though I know each and every word in the verse, I am not sure I paid attention to every word.

 and be not entangled AGAIN with the yoke of bondage. (Caps are mine)

We are reminded that we have the choice of being transformed with Christ or conforming to the world.  This is my daily battle!

The Holy alphabet

A lthough things are not perfect
B ecause of trial or pain
C ontinue in thanksgiving
...D o not begin to blame
E ven when the times are hard
F ierce winds are bound to blow
G od is forever able
H old on to what you know
I magine life without His love
J oy would cease to be
K eep thanking Him for all the things
L ove imparts to thee
M ove out of 'Camp Complaining'
N o weapon that is known
O n earth can yield the power
P raise can do alone
Q uit looking at the future
R edeem the time at hand
S tart every day with worship
To 'thank' is a command
U ntil we see Him coming
V ictorious in the sky
W e'll run the race with gratitude
X alting God most high
Y es, there'll be good times and yes some will be bad, but...
Z ion waits in glory...where none are ever sad!

New Zealand Country Side

Beauty is everywhere.  Some places you have to look a little harder than others, but its there.  One thing about traveling even the little bit of New Zealand that we did, is you see beauty everywhere!

Our Trip to Auckland New Zealand

A week ago myself, my husband Rich and our sweet friend Sue traveled 20 hours to arrive in Chicago after being gone for 12 days.  We were blessed to represent our church, visiting missionaries Bob and Polly McLain in New Zealand.  It was the trip of a lifetime in 9 days (in the country).  Of course for Rich and I it was our third trip, but who's counting?  :-)

These sheep live just over the fence from the McLain's garden.  They were so funny!

Auckland is a wonderful city, easy to navigate -- as long as you can remember to drive on the left side of the road!  I was grateful we had Bro. McLain for our trip as a driver.

We were so blessed to spend time in several churches while we were there.  They all encouraged us so much!  It's a blessing to know that our Saviour is the same on both sides of the world!

Sue and I enjoyed singing for two of the churches.  We aren't professionals, but we do love serving! Rich enjoyed the chance to preach for both churches.  His voice did great throughout the week!

If you have never had the joy (according to both Rich and Drew) of having an L&P then you will know what an exciting stop this was for Rich!  Sue and I just loved the quilt shop we found in town!  :-)

I loved seeing the late summer flowers, even a few roses were still blooming.  It's alwasy almost shocking to go from winter to summer in one day!  But we certainly enjoyed it!

There is so much more, but now it's time for bed!  :-)