Missions Conference

We were able to attend our home church Mission's Conference this past week. I love my church! My husband was saved there, and this was where we started our ministry. I love being in any missions conference, but there is something really special about being in the conference at our own church, and being able to give to missions, being a part of what God is doing with our church. Check out the link on the side bar for Lighthouse Baptist Church, and see our church programs and ministries!

Faithful Love

The silver beard was wet with tears,
As cloudy eyes looked up in grateful praise,
The father who through lonely years
Had waited for this, the day of days.

The father knelt in a dusty path,
Clutched a sobbing, filthy vagabond against his breast,
The boy had come expecting wrath,
He should have known his father loved him best.

The only thing the boy had brought
When he had gone out full of wealth and pride
Was a broken heart, repentance wrought,
But this heart his father could not have deigned.

To be loved so well by One so great,
Love that waits, and grieves through long nights alone,
Love that is patient, will never abate
Waiting, ready to forgive the lost and erring son

Thank you Father for waiting for me,
Thank you for waiting though rebellion and strife,
Hating the sin, but wanting me free,
To love you again, to serve you with my life.

Father, take me and use me I plead,
The least in Your house is more than I can ask,
For I am famished, poor and in need,
Let me please come home, give me the lowest task.

What is this robe? This ring?
This celebration? Am I forgiven? Is it true?
I’ll never ever cease to sing,
I‘ll always serve, and praise, and honor You!

No, I was not corrupted!

I am being asked if I faltered over the temptation offered me, which I talked about in the previous post.

No, I did not. It broke my heart, but I was strong.

And I think Ryan did shaow with me at the end of the day.

The Crafty One

I love Jalapeño Potato Chips. The ones you get in the United States are BLAH, but here, there is this zing, and a nose-tingling spicy bite as well. I gain four ounces every time I think about them. We were surprised to find little beggars at our ankles every time we break open a pack. Never ones to withhold goodness from our children, we have kids who will sit happily with tear-filled eyes eating spicy salsa, chips, or Mexican chili candy. (On a side note, why is it "too spicy, Mommy!" when it's something they don't like???)

My husband will come in with a bag he bought and tourture us for several days not eating it, and not letting us eat it, because it's his. Then he will open it, and contend with four beggers and one wife who will not beg, but sneaks a longing look at the bag periodically. He usually leaves a little over half the bag for us-he's generous.

One day a little more than a year ago, he was not feeling generous for some reason. there was the green potato chip bag sitting at his desk, half eaten. My mouth began to water as he was getting ready to go out and work with someone, but the last thing he said to me was, "Don't touch my potato chips!" Then he left. I'm not sure what possessed him to do something so cruel, as he's not normally a mean person, but you know, we all have our bad days. So I went about my day, determined to ignore the salivating I experienced every time I looked at that open bag of chips.

I guess I was not the only one. Becca is four now, but at this time, she was only two and a half. She was already trying out ways to manipulate us. Suddenly she came running in to where I was, panting effectively, eyes wide. She said, "I scaowed Mommy!" (scared, for those not fluent in toddlerish.) She had no solid reason for being "scaowed", no unusual noises, nothing going on, and finally I asked her, after much fruitless searching for the cause of her fear, "What do you want me to do about it?"

"I want Daddy!"

"Well, Daddy's not here right now, but he'll be back tonight." Here I was thinking, Aw, that's so cute, she wants her Daddy.

"I could eat Daddy's chips!"

I was a little stunned at this, then gave a shout of laughter, which broke down her little game. She was ready to go for broke. She gave me a hug looked at me earnestly, and said, "Mommy, we could shaow!"

Smooch!

In God's Hand

When I was younger, we had a dog who lived in a kennel, which was made out of chicken wire, and covered on the top. One day it was my job to put the dog in the kennel for the night, and I noticed a drab little brown bird was in our German shepherd’s kennel. I tried to shoo her out, but she was terrified of me. While the dog was delighted with the possibility of spending the night with this delectable little tidbit, I decided I had to get her out of there or I would worry about that bird all night long. So I went about to catch her. It was not easy. She simply refused to go near the opening, and I finally caught her with my hands and took her out. By this time there was little life left in the poor thing. (More than if the dog had done the catching!) Many flight feathers were gone, and the bird was panting with its beak open. I set her down and watched for a while and she eventually recovered and flew away.

Why am I saying this? I want to talk about humility.

1Pe 5:6-7 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: (7) Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Humbling ourselves means we let God take us in His hand. If we act like a wild bird, thrashing and fighting over everything that looks frightening to us, we will only destroy our own lives. We need to stop fighting, fold the wings, and trust that God is good, and will take care of us.

I wonder how many times I’ve frustrated God by my worry and fret, or by resistance and anger when He only wants to help me? I wonder how much pain I’ve brought into my own life by thrashing around for my survival instead of putting it in His hand and letting Him have His way in my life?

Cooking questions from Susan at ByGrace

So what kind of cook are you? Meat-and-potatoes? Gourmet? Or somewhere in between?

Meat-and rice! And tortillas, or pasta and sauce. And salad. During winter-lots of soups and stews.

What's your favorite cookbook/cooking magazine?

Right now I'm really enjoying the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book, but I usually have to adapt a recipe a little so my hubby likes it better.

What is usually in your pantry, your staple ingredients that you can't do without?

Rice, pasta, beans, canned cubed tomatoes and tomato paste, potatoes, onions and garlic, and the baking supplies that I make waffles with.

What is your favorite type of dish to cook: main dish, sides, breads, desserts?

Spaghetti-I love making it.

Do you have a signature recipe, one that everyone knows you for?

Oh no I don't think so, not yet.

What's your favorite appliance or gadget that you couldn't get along without?

Well I could get along without it if I had to, but I love my rice cooker! I use it nearly every day.

And finally, what is your husband's favorite recipe that you fix? You know, the one that says "I love you - this is especially for you!"

That would be pizole right now. I gave up making it for a while because I had flopped so badly the last few times I made it. Then I got step by step instructions on how to make it good by someone who knows how. I made it last week, and my husband was very, very happy with it. I have to admit, it was pretty good! The thing that Ryan is so excited about is that now all I have to do to make his favorite meal of all time is to make it with beef tripe. Then you have menudo. I only tried making menudo one time. After all the work, cleaning (YUK) and cutting the fat off, and cleaning again and cutting it up, I was told the canned menudo was better. (Internet recipe-something of a gamble anyway.) Now I can do it right, and Ryan loves that stuff. He will have all kinds of warm fuzzys when I do it. I think I'll make it a holiday thing.

Ruth hugs Grandma

More pictures!

I was walking through Walmart with Rebecca and David, and thinking that it was time for another contentment lecture. I had the nerve to walk through the toy section, which had toys of all kinds, particularly the kinds that Rebecca likes so well. Her eyes glazed over a little at the wonder of so many things that she wanted. Then she started asking for them. I dutifully repeated "No." for a few isles, then we passed the bikes. There was a beautiful little pink bike with flowers and ribbons on the handles. "Can I have a bike?! Please! Please? PLEEEEEEASE?!!!"

It was time. I drew out my contentment lecture and started in. I pontificated on the perils of discontentment, the wonderful things she had that she needed to be thankful for, and how it's not bad to want things, but it is bad when wanting something makes us unthankful for our blessings. I went on for quite a while, and my daughter became quiet. I'm not sure if it was the deep wisdom of my words, or the fact that she was now bored out of her mind, but I was satisfied that the begging had come to and end, and pleased with myself, we proceeded to the check out. Where I found my husband. In his cart was that cute little pink bike with flowers and ribbons on the handles!

Way to back me up, Babe!

The fear of man is a snare

I have become increasingly convinced of a social, spiritual change taking place among those in America who call themselves political conservatives, and Christians

Here it is; compromise with the enemies of our most basic beliefs and convictions for the sake of securing our country reveals that we have completely lost our fear of God, and furthermore, that He is not the One we depend upon to guard and protect us. I say this because there is a candidate courting the conservatives and Christians who is openly pro-abortion. He gave some lame attempt at a mealy mouth appeasement of our beliefs, but there is no doubt as to where his beliefs and convictions lie, and where his vote will be, or his court appointments. I know there are other candidates, but this man seems to be the “front runner”.

I have heard, on the internet, on the radio, and among my friends hither and yon that the time has come to lay aside our differences to take care of the need at hand, which is national security. These are Christians, people of faith.

Yes! I know the radical Jihadists want to convert or kill all Americans! Yes! I know that the country is in danger, but may I ask, just those who claim the name of Christ: Who do you really fear in the long run? God or man? Do you fear that God is removing, bit by bit, the protections that our nation has enjoyed since the beginning? He has been unbelievably merciful to us over the years, in providing protection and victory over and over again. We can not succeed in our current struggle if we suddenly try to do it without Him, by electing people who “can beat the other side”.

I would rather the “other side” got elected than for America’s Christians to elect a man to protect them who would send the nation deeper under the shadow of the wrath of God. That man is not going to save us from Islamofacists. God can. I will not vote for someone who has denied his conscience so far that he believes completely innocent human life is trumped by someone’s personal choice.

It grieves me to see God’s people capitulate on these things. We should not be saying, “He’s the lesser of two evils, and he’s right on national security!” We should be saying, “How can I secure the blessing of God on my country?”