Quiet times

Hi. Remember me??
Sorry I have not posted anything recently. I had noticed I had just been copying things from Girltalk so decided to stop being such a thief. Also I read Josh Harris's post about 'cheating your blog'...he warns about how addictive this all is and you are always cheating something of your time if you are giving your attention to something else (go read his full version, im sure i dont make much sense..go into Garys blog and theres a link there). Since creation of this blog I was worried some days I would devote more time to it than feeding myself spiritually so somedays time is so short and i need to stay close to my Jesus. But on the plus, it does hold me a little accountable and I do end up reading really encouraging stuff on other blogs.
Anyway here is something from Girltalk but really they stole it from Piper...I know you will enjoy. Quiet times are often neglected but perhaps the most important. So here is a word of encouragement...

Dr. Piper says: "Many good things do not happen in our lives for the simple lack of planning.... Most Christians neglect their Bibles not out of conscious disloyalty to Jesus, but because of failure to plan a time and place and method to read it".
Regarding time:
"I earnestly recommend that it be in the early morning, unless there are some extenuating circumstances. Entering the day without a serious meeting with God, over his Word and in prayer, is like entering the battle without tending to your weapons. It’s like taking a trip without filling the tires with air or the tank with gas. The human heart does not replenish itself with sleep. The body does, but not the heart. The spiritual air leaks from our tires, and the gas is consumed in the day. We replenish our hearts not with sleep, but with the Word of God and prayer."
Regarding place:
"Pick a place of seclusion…. It needs to be secluded so that you are not distracted, and so that you can speak out loud and sing and cry. If your family situation or home does not have such a place, then create it, not by space, but by rule.... One saintly mother with a large brood of children would use her apron to make a tent for her head and her Bible at the kitchen table and the children were taught, when mother is in her tent, make no noise."
Regarding method:
"There are many ways to read the Bible. Any is better than none. Coming to the appointed place and time with no plan for how to read the Bible usually results in a hit-and-miss approach that leave you feeling weak, unreal, and discouraged. For many years I have read through the Bible once each year following 'The Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan'.... The design is to read daily from two Old Testament and two New Testament books. I find this variety helpful. Others don’t, and would rather use some other approach. That’s fine."

Wise words from the man himself. Anyway back to the revision for me (Daniel if you are reading this i know u r wondering why Im writing at all when i have so much work to do...but il just publically declare now how wonderful daniel is in his patience with me, his loving attitudes and servant heart...may i quote Winston Churchill...My dearest you are very precious to me and I rejoice indeed to have won and kept your loving heart. May it never cool towards me is my prayer and that I may deserve your love my resolve)

toodles

Thank you from Gary & Barbara

John 13:35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
Thank you from Barbara and myself to all the girls from Bottear who showed that they are disciples of Jesus Christ by loving us over the past couple of weeks by their kindness in making our dinners every other evening!It has been a blessed time and we thank you all very much!
We love you!

Piper on Submission

I will admit this post is totally stolen from girltalk, but it's so good I don't care about plaigarising...
Today we want to refer you to an oustanding article by John Piper entitled "The Beautiful Faith of Fearless Submission." Here's an excerpt that will surely make you want to read more:
"A Christian woman does not put her hope in her husband, or in getting a husband. She does not put her hope in her looks. She puts her hope in the promises of God...She looks away from the troubles and miseries and obstacles of life that seem to make the future bleak, and she focuses her attention on the sovereign power and love of God who rules in heaven and does on earth whatever he pleases. She knows her Bible, and she knows her theology of the sovereignty of God, and she knows his promise that he will be with her and help her strengthen her no matter what. This is the deep, unshakeable root of Christian womanhood."
What did I tell you? This article is worth reading, studying, and sharing with friends. Or, if you prefer, you can listen, or even watch Dr. Piper deliver this sermon.
Have a good weekend :)

Virginia Tech...

GirlTalk posted helpful resources for times like after this shooting where people are horrified by the evil and wondering why our loving God allows it.
Here is one of the references from John Piper, I flicked through it and it seems pretty good (but what else would you expect from Piper!) It was originally written for the Columbine tragedy and amended for September 11th. I hope it is of some help. As a woman I always want to be really good at comforting others, and often feel like I have nothing to say. Piper here has loaded this with tons of verses to arm yourself with and basic truths to recall when times of trouble come.
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Articles/ByDate/2001/1516_How_Shall_We_Minister_to_People_After_the_World_Trade_Tower_Terrorism_of_September_11_2001/

Christening

Was at a christening yesterday in a church of England church. Full of ceremony and robes and candles, standing up and sitting down, reading things out together. Even though I struggle to see the whole point of the christening, it was a lovely day and hopefully got the family thinking about the point of church and everything. The priest conducted a lovely ceremony...though some of the things were borderline dodgy about what I think she was saying the water was doing. (Now I understand why our pastor goes on and on about how at a adult baptismal service the water is doing nothing, it is just a symbol).

Please pray that I will be able to point Lucy's little eyes towards Jesus as she grows up. It seems difficult with the distance and everything but all things are possible with our God. And I also believe this role is biblically the responsibility of the parents and not mine but I have been invited to have an influence on Lucy's life so I plan to use it. My own God-parents have never even spoken to me about salvation or anything remotely biblical.

Also pray for the parents we know that they will look to their heavenly Father for instruction in parenting and not on the norm around them. That they will be brave enough to do what they feel convicted to do with their children, in discipline or in any area, even if their family and friends think it is strange.

Find your passion

I don't feel I have much to say today. I had written myself a note the other day telling myself to exhort the Bottear Girlys to 'find their passion' and do it. Not a message they havent' heard before. Usually I am quoting from something on this and I'm quite worried I will lose my point and just blabber on if I am just writing myself. But girls we need to find our passion for the Lord, and what we love to do for Him. and do something about it. We are not on this earth to just make it through to the end and think our life was 'ok' ...we did it, our marriage lasted all these years and is counted as success since it didn't end in divorce, we have a few kids and they're grown up and got 'decent' jobs, we own our own home, people think we are nice. What good is that for eternity eh?

You don't need to drop everything and run halfway across the globe to live totally for Jesus, do it here...where you are now. Live a life marked with passion and desire for your King. (I'm not claiming to have this sorted, I'm speaking to myself here). Do radical things to protect your time ALONE with your Saviour, you know the people that encourage you and get you fired up for God...spend time with them. And for the people who do the opposite (like encourage gossip, materialism)...pray that God will help you through that and give you the strength to keep your eyes on Him. Do whatever it takes but don't waste your life. Houses and cars and clothes count for nothing.

I've discovered my passion is women and I want wonderful marriages for the girls I know who are married...and the single girls I know, I want to see them fired up for Jesus, their husband. Not waiting around for Mr Right. When I see a husband or wife treating the other badly I just want to scream at them to wise up (I doubt that is the approach I should take). Same goes for the girls not treating their husbands the best. I want to see the wives joyfully looking after their home and children. Stuff the world's view of success; your priorities are Jesus, husband, children, in that order...not career, house, car, clothes, makeup...

Anyway enough of my rant. Hope this was useful. Feel free to correct me on anything.

Beautiful In God's Eyes

Hello all,
Hope you enjoyed the Easter hols! I had a good few sentences written there but why would you want to know. I'm recommending this book written by Elizabeth George, a friend in work recommended her stuff to me. In this book she goes through Proverbs 31 and I've found it really interesting as most times I go to read, it is talking about something specifically applicable to me. So maybe recommending it isn't totally useful because it has just spoken a lot to me and where I am now, but it's pretty easy reading and has some practical tips at the end of each chapter.
GirlTalk are also talking this week about keeping your home clean and pretty and how it reflects God's character by creating a beautiful environment for others to delight in. It's so sad I find that interesting but I think I am supposed to.
Also please remember to pray for the three-day-club at Bottear, Wendie teaching two nights and a girl from her church teaching the third. And also for Barbara and the impending birth :)

BBC update

Hi,
I knew I should have written this the night I came home as I have an awful memory but just thought I would let the world see a little of what goes on at BBC.
And I haven't been able to blog the past two days as my life has been madness trying to finish my dissertation as I wanted it done and handed in before Easter :)
We were finishing the Chapter on how a woman of excellence is exemplified by obedience. So as always, it was very helpful.

• We need to have the same attitude as Christ (Phil 2v5-8)...humble, a servant. Wendie shared how she had been studying how Christ was a servant. Not seeking glory, happy to do things without people noticing. (Wendie did a much better job of explaining it)...we all agreed how hard it is to do things without people noticing, there is a fine line between pure motives and motives for self.
• The purposes of trials are to glorify God. We should rejoice in them. Anybody want to add how we are supposed to do that?? We wondered are we to publically say we are rejoicing or is it more a matter of the heart?? Gary, John...help!!
• Promises for those who learn obedience through suffering...James1v12 - crown of life. James 5v11 - blessing compassion and mercy. 1Peter5v10 - perfect, established, strengthen and settled.
• "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees" Psalm 119v71.

"The present circumstance, which presses so hard against you, if surrendered to Christ, is the best shaped tool in the Father's hand to chisel you for eternity. Trust Him, then. Do not push away the instrument lest you lose its work."

• Is there a situation in your life with which you are struggling? How can you begin to specifically respond in a biblical way to this trial? Jesus said we are his friends if we obey him..John 15v14.

I pray that you will be blessed in some way from this and strive to be more obedient to your master.

I thought this week was one of the best BBC's yet, for me that is. But that could just be dependent on my attitudes and openness to learn.

Yesterday's post in Girltalk links to this obedience quite well....check it out 'Gifts from God'. I thought it was lovely. For any mothers out there.

Enjoy the Easter hols everyone.

The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian

Gemma recommended this book to me and altho im still reading it at the minute i find it very encouraging and I think we could all learn alot from it, especially you married women. Its about praying for our husbands and not trying to change them ourselves but leaning on god and letting him change us and then them so that we can have marriages built upon gods word, and marriages that glorify him. A few verses that stuck out so far in it, romans 15 v 5 ( may the god of patience and comfort grant us to be like-minded toward one another, according to christ jesus. Matt 7 v 7-8 ( ask and it will be given to you: seek, and you will find: knock, and it will be opened to you. for everyone who asks recieves, and who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.) proverbs 24 v 3-4 ( through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.)

Solo Femininity

I have added a new link to the list...solo femininity. For the single girls amongst us. (Sorry in advance if I end up posting lots about wives and marriage)
I had a quick flick through the blog...there is so much text on there to get stuck into and Carolyn recommends lots of books to help you in the right direction.
But I just want to mention whether you are married, single or engaged, God has you where you are for a reason. And He wants you to glorify His holy name.
That's about as close to a sermon I have ever got, hehe.
(I'll be honest I'm still highly addicted to 'girltalk'.)

BBC

BBC meets tonight to further discuss 'becoming women of excellence'. Pray that our conversations would be Christ-centred and glorifying to our Father. And that the girlys would be well encouraged and edified.

A taste of 'Captivating'

"All women are called to mother. And all women are called to give birth. Women give birth to all kind of things - to books, to churches, to movements. Women give birth to ideas, to creative expressions, to ministries. We birth life in others by inviting them into deeper realms of healing, to deeper walks with God, to deeper intimacy with Jesus. A woman is not less of a woman because she is not a wife or has not physically borne a child. The heart and life of a woman is much more vast than that. All women are made in the image of God in that we bring forth life. When we enter into our world and into the lives of those we love and offer our tender and strong feminine hearts, we cannot help but mother them."

Captivating

Hey this is a book recommendation...
Captivating (unveiling the mystery of a woman's soul) by John and Stasi Eldredge
I just finished reading it yesterday. Wasn't mad keen on the start to be honest and my memory is so bad if i read something and don't look near it for a few days i come back and start reading without remembering anything that i had previously read. But i really liked the last few chapters, they started to talk some sense.
If anyone wants to borrow my copy just say to me!
Have a splendid monday.