Marriage Truths

"Most foundationally, marriage is the doing of God.  And ultimately, marriage is the display of God.  It displays the covenant-keeping love between Christ and His people to the world in a way that no other event or institution does.  Marriage, therefore, is not mainly about being in love.  It's mainly about telling the truth with our lives.  And staying married is not about staying in love.  It is about keeping covenant and putting the glory of Christ's covenant-keeping love on display." 
                                         ~ John Piper~

What Guys Think About Modesty

This is an awesome video about the importance of modesty.  And what better time to be reminded of the need for modesty than spring and summer-when suddenly everyone's clothes seem to disappear because "it's so hot?"  I trust this will be an encouragement to us ladies to choose our wardrobe carefully!

One Thousand Gifts

I'm so excited about the new book release "One Thousand Gifts" by my favorite blogger, Ann Voskamp, at A Holy Experience. Her words have encouraged and challenged me for the last couple of years.
It's been quite a while since I've bought a book at the bookstore, but for this book I'm making the exception.  I've read rave reviews about it and can't wait to delve into it myself.  
If you haven't heard of the book, or Ann, or her counting the gifts, watch the video below and dare to begin counting!

**Edited to Add:  For a limited time you can purchase the book at InCourage  for only $10!  And if you order two or more.....free shipping!  That's amazing! 

Scripture Memory

One of my New Year's resolutions was to memorize more Scripture this year. I find myself lacking in Scripture memorization and want to make huge strides in that area of my spiritual life. Perhaps I'll share with you this years goal soon. I'm really excited about it!
This clip by John Piper is so moving and motivational. I get goose bumps every time I watch it. You're sure to be blessed and inspired by the truth he speaks.

Just when I thought it couldn't get worse.....

In my e-mail this morning from Parents Television Council:


Today, New York's Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in the Fox v. FCC case, approving the airing of unedited profanity at any time of day on broadcast television.  

In this ruling, three New York City judges have made a decision that will affect every child and every family in the United States, and authorized the broadcast networks to use the "f-word" at any time of day, no matter how many children are in the audience. These three judges substituted their own personal opinions for those of the Supreme Court, the Congress of the United States, and the overwhelming majority of the American people. For parents and families around the country, this ruling is a slap in their face.

The judges claim the FCC's rules aren't clear enough about exactly which profanities, under exactly which conditions, are illegal. If this kind of illogical analysis would be applied to other areas, virtually every law on our nation's books would be overturned for "lack of clarity."  

The broadcast decency law, which the Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld, is clear: broadcasters must refrain from violating community standards of decency during hours when children are likely to be in the audience.  

"...the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things." - Prov. 15:28

A Letter to DirecTV

Dear DirecTV,

It's been four months now without you and we are doing just fine.  We didn't even have withdrawals from you like we thought we would!  The only thing we've missed a little bit is Fox News, and that's usually depressing anyway, so we're still okay.  And the extra fifty bucks in our bank account is super sweet.

So please tell your customer service people to stop calling us.  Tell them to believe us when we say we haven't switched to another provider.  That we discontinued our service with you because we simply don't want television service in our home.  I'm pretty sure that one lady swallowed her gum when I told her that.  Oops.  She sort of choked up and started laughing rather hysterically if you ask me. Apparently she doesn't hear that often.

To be honest, we are just plain tired of your cursing, your vulgar language, immodesty and nudity, your dysfunctional families, your homosexuality promoting, God-hating programs.

Please believe us when we say we want more time for our family, for our marriage, and for God.  Please don't try to entice us with free service or premium channels like HBO and Showtime.  They have more filthiness than the other stuff, so why would we want that?

I know it sounds crazy to not have television service, but we're crazy like that. Rebels, living life on the edge.  The edge without TV. 

Again, I repeat, please stop calling us.  You've called three times now and each time you've received the same answer.  We are satisfied without you.  You are wasting your time.  Kindof like we were wasting ours.

Sincerely,

A now satisfied use-to-be customer

Breaking Ground

When I was thinking about starting a blog, one of my biggest concerns was the title. I racked my brain trying to think of something that spoke to me. I wanted something that jumped out at you; something that made you think, "Why did she pick that title?" And I also wanted something that was biblically related.

There is a local Christian group (which I love) and their name is "Breaking Ground." And, yes, they have Hosea 10:12 as their title verse. I didn't really copy their name intentionally. It just kind of happened that way.

One night, as I was reading through Hosea, I came across verse 12:

Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

It just spoke to me. I thought it was the perfect title because God has broken a lot of ground in my heart and life in the past couple of years.

For me, the title speaks of personal experience and longing. Longing for the fallow ground of my heart to be broken up so God can rain His righteousness down on me.

Strong's Concordance defines fallow as "freshly plowed land." Land is allowed to lie fallow so it will become more fruitful. When it is in this condition, it quickly becomes overgrown with thorns and weeds. The cultivator of the land must be careful to clear the field of weeds before sowing seed in it.

Charles Finney answers the question of what it means to break up our fallow ground. He says:

To break up the fallow ground, is to break up your hearts, to prepare your minds to bring forth fruit unto God. The mind of man is often compared to the ground in the bible. The word of God is the seed sown there, the fruit representing the actions and emotions of those who receive it. To break up the fallow ground therefore, is to bring the mind into such a state that it is fitted to receive the Word of God. Sometimes your hearts get matted down, hard and dry, until there is no such thing as getting fruit from them until they are broken up, and mellowed down, and fitted to the Word. It is this softening of the heart, so as to make it feel the truth, which the prophet calls break up your fallow ground.

God has exposed so many opinions, views, and beliefs I held that were not in line with what the Bible says. We often form opinions or beliefs about things and never search God's word to see what He might have to say. Culture, society, and even religion shape and mold so much of what we believe and we don't even realize it. Our hearts do get hard and dry to what Scripture actually says about many issues because we aren't willing to examine them in light of Scripture.

How do we break up this fallow ground? Again, Finney says:

If you mean to break up the fallow ground of your hearts, you must begin by looking at your hearts: examine and note the state of your minds, and see where you are. Many never seem to think about this. They pay no attention to their own hearts, and never know whether they are doing well in religion or not; whether they are gaining ground or going back; whether they are fruitful, or lying waste.

To do all this, you must set yourself to work to consider your sins. You must examine yourselves.

Self-examination consists in looking at your lives, in considering your actions, in calling up the past, and learning its true character. Look back over your past history. Take up your individual sins one by one, and look at them.

It's never easy to examine ourselves; our actions, attitudes, and intentions but that's what we must do to prepare our hearts for His word and His work. The breaking process wasn't and isn't easy. I stumble and fall and resort back to old thoughts and patterns daily, but His mercies are new every morning. I'm slowly learning to lean on Him through it all. Learning to recognize areas that I'm trying to go it alone, instead of letting His grace and love lead me.

You see, I want to have a teachable spirit. I want to be conformed to the image of Jesus. I want people to see Jesus in me. For others to see the fruit of the Spirit. If things in my life don't line up with the Bible, I want to change those things. Phooey on the popular trends, latest psychology, or cultural and religious norm. I don't care if every one else is doing things another way. If it means persecution or ridicule, so be it. It's temporal. I need to focus on the eternal, for that's what really matters.

My prayer is that God would reveal areas of my heart that need breaking and that I would allow Him full reign over every area of my life.

Ever been eaten by a bean bag?

I have.  Many times, in fact.  Watch the video to see if you've been eaten.  

My apologies to those who have already seen this over at Kelly's blog.  I'm such an *original girl.* 

Idol Worship?

"The only reason we fail to pray is because we've made an idol out of self."

Ann Voskamp has written a very convicting post entitled Prayer: Why We Struggle (and how not to) . I encourage you to take a few minutes of your time and read it. Then take a few more minutes and pray.