I don't know whether it is part of my role as 'homemaker' that I often find myself dreaming of our perfect home... bigger and better! I love to read those 'house & home' magazines but recently I have been finding that it makes me want more and be discontent with what I have...which is sin afterall. Found this post on 'girltalk' (I know, surprise surprise) so if you're anything like me I know you will appreciate this...
http://girltalk.blogs.com/girltalk/2006/09/your_dream_hous_1.html
Tuesday, 19 June 2007
Wednesday, 6 June 2007
True beauty
The following is taken from 'Girl Talk' by Carolyn Mahaney and Nicole Mahaney Whitacre.
The beauty our culture esteems may turn heads, but the beauty God calls us to cultivate will make a lasting impact. When a cute girl walks by, people notice - guys especially. But that's the end of it. Her beauty makes a fleeting momentary impression. However, a girl who cultivates her inner beauty, who cultivates a steadfast trust in God - her beauty will have a lasting effect on the lives she touches.
So which beauty are you going for? Here's a ten question quiz to help you determine the truth.
The beauty our culture esteems may turn heads, but the beauty God calls us to cultivate will make a lasting impact. When a cute girl walks by, people notice - guys especially. But that's the end of it. Her beauty makes a fleeting momentary impression. However, a girl who cultivates her inner beauty, who cultivates a steadfast trust in God - her beauty will have a lasting effect on the lives she touches.
So which beauty are you going for? Here's a ten question quiz to help you determine the truth.
- Do I spend more time each day caring for my personal appearance than I do in Bible study, prayer, and worship?
- Do I spend excessive money on clothes, hair and makeup, or is it an amount that is God-honouring?
- Do I want to lose weight to 'feel better about myself,' or do I desire to be self-disciplined for the glory of God?
- Am I on a quest for thinness to impress others, or do I seek to cultivate eating habits that honour God?
- Do I exercise to try to create or maintain a good figure, or do I exercise to strengthen my body for God's service?
- Is there anything about my appearance I wish I could change, or am I grateful to God for the way He created me?
- Am I jealous of the appearance of other girls, or am I truly glad when I observe girls who are more physically attractive than I?
- Do I covet the wardrobe of others, or do I genuinely rejoice when other girls are able to afford and purchase new clothing?
- When I attend an activity, do I sinfully compare myself with others, or do I ask God to show me whom to love and how to do it?
- Do I ever dress immodestly or with the intent of drawing attention to myself, or do I always dress in a manner that pleases God?
If most of your answers were 'yes' to the first half of these questions, then it's likely you've been sinfully striving after physical beauty to get attention. Why not make a switch and spend your time and energy on beauty that will never fade? Cultivate a trust in God that will draw attention to the beauty of the gospel. God is eager and willing to help you to change.
A loving God has determined what we look like. He decided how tall we would be, the colour of our eyes, and all the unique features that make up our appearance - right down to our fingers. We can spend the rest of our lives pining about the results of God's determination, or we can receive with gratefulness His design, knowing that He does all things for His glory and our good.
David said, "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made" Ps.139v14. When was the last time you worshiped God for the way He created your body? Anything less than a heart filled with gratitude and praise to God for our physical appearance is sinful and grieves the Lord.
We must not simply reject the world's view of beauty, but we must also pursue true beauty as defined by the Bible: the inward beauty of the heart. And this beauty has some serious advantages over the world's beauty. It lasts longer, works better, and is pleasing to the one whose opinion matters the most. So instead of an extreme body makeover, maybe it's time for an extreme heart makeover. Let's pursue the feminine beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit.
BBC goings-on
Just thought I would update the rest of the world on last nights meeting. Our numbers were few but it was a really good night and discussion was focused :) We had started a chapter on being moulded by Discipline. Last month the girls had studied the necessity of discipline so we looked at different areas of discipline last night. Our mind, will, emotions, bodies. We ran out of time so will look at 'time' at our next meeting.
Our mind: Rom 12v2 tells us to let God transfom you into a new person by changing the way you think. We are also to trust in Him (Isaiah 26v3), bring thoughts into captivity and under the obedience of Christ (2 Cor 10v5) and set our minds on things above (Col 3v2). The mind is emphasised as it controls our everything. Rom 8v6-8 makes it abundantly clear that the way you think is intimately related to how you live, whether in Christ, the spirit and by faith, or alternatively in the flesh, sin and spiritual death. A sinful mind leads to separation from God and we cannot please Him.
Our will: Our will is something within us behind our emotions and desires, that after all decides and controls us. Our response to God should never be contingent upon how we feel. In Psalm 101v1-4 the psalmist pushed evil things away, and Psalm 119v107,173 the psalmist kept his feet from evil, God's hand helps us.
Our emotions: one of the best ways of handling our emotions is to fully acknowledge our feelings to God. Psalm 109 (read it, its nuts) shows David being really angry, hurt and rejected. But he expressed his emotions to God absolutely honestly, did not dress them up in any way. v30-31 shows how he ends up praising God, as God saves you from those who condemn you. Similarly in Lamentations 3v1-26 Jeremiah felt pretty wick but then in v21 his thinking is transformed...God's compassions fail not. they are new every morning. great is thy faithfulness. we all know the verse/song. but we were freshly amazed at how God's mercies/love is NEW EVERY MORNING. Like NEW. EVERY MORNING. Anyway maybe you had to be there but I hope these words touch your heart anew as you read this. God loves you, every day.
Here is a quote from Hannah Whitall Smith (iv never heard of her before this) but i think she puts it well ...
cease to consider your emotions, for they are only the servants; and regard simply your will, which is the real king in your being. Is that given up to God? Does your will decide to believe? Does your will choose to obey?
Our bodies: Our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit (1Cor6v19) We are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice (Rom12v1) and beat them into submission (1Cor9v24-27). We kind of wondered how are we practically to do beat ourselves into submission...comments please! It is important to honour and discipline our bodies because we our body is a temple and we are not our own. Proverbs 31 woman is our example (v17) she girds herself with strength (spiritual, mental and physical fitness for her God-given task) and makes her arms strong and firm.
I hope you have enjoyed your visit to the BBC. Join us with help of our master as we strive to become more disciplined in becoming His women of excellence.
Our mind: Rom 12v2 tells us to let God transfom you into a new person by changing the way you think. We are also to trust in Him (Isaiah 26v3), bring thoughts into captivity and under the obedience of Christ (2 Cor 10v5) and set our minds on things above (Col 3v2). The mind is emphasised as it controls our everything. Rom 8v6-8 makes it abundantly clear that the way you think is intimately related to how you live, whether in Christ, the spirit and by faith, or alternatively in the flesh, sin and spiritual death. A sinful mind leads to separation from God and we cannot please Him.
Our will: Our will is something within us behind our emotions and desires, that after all decides and controls us. Our response to God should never be contingent upon how we feel. In Psalm 101v1-4 the psalmist pushed evil things away, and Psalm 119v107,173 the psalmist kept his feet from evil, God's hand helps us.
Our emotions: one of the best ways of handling our emotions is to fully acknowledge our feelings to God. Psalm 109 (read it, its nuts) shows David being really angry, hurt and rejected. But he expressed his emotions to God absolutely honestly, did not dress them up in any way. v30-31 shows how he ends up praising God, as God saves you from those who condemn you. Similarly in Lamentations 3v1-26 Jeremiah felt pretty wick but then in v21 his thinking is transformed...God's compassions fail not. they are new every morning. great is thy faithfulness. we all know the verse/song. but we were freshly amazed at how God's mercies/love is NEW EVERY MORNING. Like NEW. EVERY MORNING. Anyway maybe you had to be there but I hope these words touch your heart anew as you read this. God loves you, every day.
Here is a quote from Hannah Whitall Smith (iv never heard of her before this) but i think she puts it well ...
cease to consider your emotions, for they are only the servants; and regard simply your will, which is the real king in your being. Is that given up to God? Does your will decide to believe? Does your will choose to obey?
Our bodies: Our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit (1Cor6v19) We are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice (Rom12v1) and beat them into submission (1Cor9v24-27). We kind of wondered how are we practically to do beat ourselves into submission...comments please! It is important to honour and discipline our bodies because we our body is a temple and we are not our own. Proverbs 31 woman is our example (v17) she girds herself with strength (spiritual, mental and physical fitness for her God-given task) and makes her arms strong and firm.
I hope you have enjoyed your visit to the BBC. Join us with help of our master as we strive to become more disciplined in becoming His women of excellence.
Tuesday, 5 June 2007
BBC
BBC is on tonight, so pray for FOCUSED discussion, and movement in our hearts as we study more about becoming women of excellence!
The 7:47 Principle
Did the title get you thinking? Try Luke...7v47.
Daniel and I, the rascals that we are, didn't go out to the meeting we had planned to go to on sunday night...but we recieved much more blessing by staying in. (Well, I suppose I can't really know what might have happened had we gone out, but stay with me on this one.) We started reading Max Lucado's "A love worth giving" together.
The first chapter talks about the time where the 'woman' washes Jesus' feet with her tears and hair, and a vial of perfume, from Luke 7. Simon is harsh and distant. He wasn't too thrilled about this 'sinner' touching his Jesus. She came thirsty for God's love, whereas Simon doesn't even know he is thirsty. Instead of being aware of his need for grace, he was analysing it. A person who is forgiven little shows only little love. But how we try to love as though we can do it by force of will...
Could it be that the first step of love is not toward them but toward Him? Is the secret to loving receiving? You give love first by receiving it "We love, because he first loved us" 1 John 4v19.
Long to be more loving? Begin by accepting your place as a dearly loved child. (Eph 5v1-2)
Want to learn to forgive? Then consider how you have been forgiven. (Eph 4v32)
Finding it hard to put others first? Think of the way Christ put you first. (Phil 2v6)
Need more patience? Drink from the patience of God ("Pet 3v9)
Generosity? Consider God's generosity (Rom 5v8)
Everyone annoying you/ungrateful/cranky? God puts up with you (me) when you (I) act the same (Luke 6v35)
Can't we love like this? Not without God's help we can't. We may suceed for a time but our relationships need more than a social gesture. Some of our spouses need a foot washing. A few of our friends need a flood of tears. Our (your) children need to be covered in the oil of love. But we can't give these things to others if we have not received them ourselves. We need a transfusion from God. Start by receiving His love.
He loves you so much. A friend reminded me of that last night, and I was freshly amazed by it. I think we are so quick to forget or trivialise the fact that God loves us. May he give us a deeper understanding of his passionate, extravagant, demonstrated love for us, and may we allow that to overflow into our interactions with others, on a daily basis. Guys this has to be real, much more than head knowledge. How else can we make a difference?
(P.S) Lots of the above is paraphrased from the 1st ch of A Love Worth Giving (Max Lucado)...so credit to him for his wonderful use of words, but more importantly to our heavenly father for the principles we live under. We love him because he first loved us...WOW!
Daniel and I, the rascals that we are, didn't go out to the meeting we had planned to go to on sunday night...but we recieved much more blessing by staying in. (Well, I suppose I can't really know what might have happened had we gone out, but stay with me on this one.) We started reading Max Lucado's "A love worth giving" together.
The first chapter talks about the time where the 'woman' washes Jesus' feet with her tears and hair, and a vial of perfume, from Luke 7. Simon is harsh and distant. He wasn't too thrilled about this 'sinner' touching his Jesus. She came thirsty for God's love, whereas Simon doesn't even know he is thirsty. Instead of being aware of his need for grace, he was analysing it. A person who is forgiven little shows only little love. But how we try to love as though we can do it by force of will...
Could it be that the first step of love is not toward them but toward Him? Is the secret to loving receiving? You give love first by receiving it "We love, because he first loved us" 1 John 4v19.
Long to be more loving? Begin by accepting your place as a dearly loved child. (Eph 5v1-2)
Want to learn to forgive? Then consider how you have been forgiven. (Eph 4v32)
Finding it hard to put others first? Think of the way Christ put you first. (Phil 2v6)
Need more patience? Drink from the patience of God ("Pet 3v9)
Generosity? Consider God's generosity (Rom 5v8)
Everyone annoying you/ungrateful/cranky? God puts up with you (me) when you (I) act the same (Luke 6v35)
Can't we love like this? Not without God's help we can't. We may suceed for a time but our relationships need more than a social gesture. Some of our spouses need a foot washing. A few of our friends need a flood of tears. Our (your) children need to be covered in the oil of love. But we can't give these things to others if we have not received them ourselves. We need a transfusion from God. Start by receiving His love.
He loves you so much. A friend reminded me of that last night, and I was freshly amazed by it. I think we are so quick to forget or trivialise the fact that God loves us. May he give us a deeper understanding of his passionate, extravagant, demonstrated love for us, and may we allow that to overflow into our interactions with others, on a daily basis. Guys this has to be real, much more than head knowledge. How else can we make a difference?
(P.S) Lots of the above is paraphrased from the 1st ch of A Love Worth Giving (Max Lucado)...so credit to him for his wonderful use of words, but more importantly to our heavenly father for the principles we live under. We love him because he first loved us...WOW!
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