Fentress,Texas

We may have found the perfect location for Gomer's House. Much like what we want to offer our community, this house needs restoration. Pray for God's provision over the details and funding for this project. This ministry will offer low or no cost biblical counseling, no cost respite for ministers, and housing for missionaries. Thank you for your prayers. To get involved click the button at the top right of the screen.

This house is a 5,500 square foot 3 story colonial revival mansion sitting on almost an acre of land.

(study to entry)

study to den

in the den

One block away

John 4:11

FIREPROOF

Wordle

I put a couple of blog posts into Wordle and made this. It's fun to do a book of the Bible or a story. It would make great art. Try it out.

http://wordle.net/

Hebrews 10:35

Therefore do not throw away your confidence,

 which has a great reward.

Ω

Four, Count 'em, Four Posts

This is my fourth post this week. I know,  I am blogging crazy. Please see the other three posts below.

We have 3 spaces left open for A Woman's Respite for anyone interested. It is three days of worship and quiet time.

A Woman's Respite

I was reading Jasmine Baucham's blog this morning and thought I would share. She is Voddie's daughter and quite wise. Today her post was about gossip. The title made me laugh. It's from the Music Man. Check her out: 

Joyfully at Home

As with all reading, use godly discernment.

"Sarcasm is just pride masquerading as humor."- Neil McClendon

Lastly, I just want to thank the Lord for sending me some godly encouragement.

Window in a Glass House

It is from a deeply vulnerable state that I write this blog. Perhaps you have read Shirley Walker's book "Window in a Glass House." Basically there is a saying as a member of a church staff you live in a glass house. People watch you like a television show and applaud or ridicule you at will. Her story is one of extreme ridicule. People who claimed to love them were just as ready to tear them limb from limb when the stones started getting thrown. 

Sometimes I feel like that. Sometimes I look at the other glass houses and I wish I could sew them curtains so they could heal in private. Maybe that's what we are trying to do with Gomer's House.

The enemy is prowling around like a roaring lion. Even if you say things "nicely" as in asking for help and you have not gone to the source, you still defame the character of leadership. Go to the source and then take the next Biblical measure. Also, if you think you are more spiritually mature than someone you hardly know, you may want to pray about who is putting those thoughts in your head.  Don't let the enemy use you to cause division where God is hard at work to glorify Himself.

Some rules about attacking the glass house: 

Stay away from their family and stay away from their relationship with Jesus. 

Pictures from Mother/Daughter Weekend.

PS. I thought that if we have to live in a glass house we should at the very least have a storm cellar. Then I realized that we would always be in it. 

Your Scars Are Beautiful To God

A Mini Review:

My Discipleship group recently finished studying Sharon Jaynes' 

Your Scars Are Beautiful To God. This is an excellent book for learning to submit your wounds to God for healing and glory. Even as a mature Christian who knows these principles, the book still ministered to me in a current wound. It left me grateful as well for what God had already done with the hurts of my past. An excellent read.

 4 out of 5 stars. 

*I also enjoyed doing the questions in the back of the book.

Here's an exerpt: "We tend to think that our scars hinder our service for God when it is often our very scars that render us able. Through our weakness, He makes us strong. Through our dying, He makes us alive. Through our wounds, He makes us whole. It is in the telling and showing that God's power is released."

Terribly Random

Here are some random thoughts for a supplemental post:

I am pregnant and want some Reeces Pieces. No store I go to in Austin has any. 

Is this a conspiracy?

I saw the trailer for Nicholas Sparks new movie Nights in Rodanthe with Anne the other night as we went to the movie. I really enjoy his literary style and decided to look up his biography. It tripped me up. He's young. He's had seven or so novels on the New York Times best sellers list. He runs nine miles a day and reads 125 books a year. I love to read...about 50 books a year. I can't afford 125 books a year. I guess I should step it up though. Can I borrow some books? :O) 

I was reading a blog post about John Piper's new book Spectacular Sins and how sin is ordained by God for His glory.

 http://justinchilders.blogspot.com/2008/09/spectacluar-sins-and-their-global.html

What are your thoughts on this? I would love to know.

Convivium

This Blog is updated every Tuesday.

Last week the Cherry family thought it would be a great idea to go to the beach with a hurricane coming.

Actually, we already had it planned and decided to go ahead and go. We had a wonderful time and didn't even get a drop of rain while we were there.

Some of our beloved friends in Houston and the Woodlands did not fare so well. Many have trees through their houses and everything inside is ruined.

I read one friend's blog that said the strength of this hurricane serves as a reminder of how terrible God is. Stay with me here.

ter·ri·ble [ter-uh-buhl] Pronunciation Key

–adjective

1.

distressing; severe: a terrible winter.

2.

extremely bad; horrible: terrible coffee; a terrible movie.

3.

exciting terror, awe, or great fear; dreadful; awful.

4.

formidably great: a terrible responsibility.

As I was reading through the Old Testament a few years ago this is the trait of God that really stood out to me. This is the one thing people say God is not. He would never cause cancer, famine, or a hurricane. We may not be able to wrap our minds around how God uses tragedy, but it is true that He does.

God makes His name by great and terrible things. 1 Chron 17:21

Christ's return is referred to as the great and terrible day of the Lord. -Malachi 4:5

The name of my blog came from this idea of our terrible God. The terrible nature of God set a relentless war against the pride in my heart. He used the most terrible circumstances to break me. I am grateful. I love this aspect of His character. He is willing to rip comfort from my hand in order to mold me in the image of His Son.

In some way I identify with this terrible side of God. As a Biblical counselor you never get to say the warm fuzzy things that make people like you. Before it's all over, people probably will hate you at some point and you have to wait for the work of God to be done in them before they realize that their flesh was allowing them to attack you. Are you willing to do it? Are you willing to let someone hate you in order for them to hear the word and let the Spirit do the work? Every day I have to recommit to this.

Are you willing to tell people that the cannot blame their sin nature on their upbringing or their heredity, but simply on the fact that the human heart is wicked and deceptive? We are responsible for our own actions. They may hate you. People want a scapegoat. When the object of our disdain is removed we easily find another one. Right now, yours might be me. We are sinful. We are fallen. We want to blame the lady up the street that makes us feel bad about ourselves, but we may very well be the problem. Have you asked Him?

We trick ourselves into thinking we are merciful, kind, and show unconditional love. The truth is that we are selective in these things. It is easy to show these things to people in need...people we help. Are you willing to be terrible in order for someone to be free from bondage? I don't mean unkind. I am simply asking if you are willing to say the hard things. Are you willing to let your friends not like you in order for them to have chains removed from them spiritually?

Job 5:18 

  For he wounds, 

but he also binds up; 

       he injures, 

but his hands also heal.

Why is it so exciting to go and share the truth on mission trips and so hard to show kindness to the people on our block or in our pew?

-------------------------------------------------

MAKING ROOM FOR LIFE –

Trading Chaotic Lifestyles for

Connected Relationships.

By Randy Frazee, Zondervan 2004

Here is an excerpt about Family Meal time.

Discovering the Convivium – The Importance of Sharing a Meal.

The Meal: The “convivium” is the Latin word for “feast”. Discovering the convivium is at the core of trading accumulation and activity for conversation and community as a way of life. With this vision, the house becomes a place of safety, replenishment, and refuge with a cover on it. In simple terms, to miss the meal, or to rush it, can only spell failure. If we are to make room for life, we must rediscover the convivium. We must return to a time when food is placed back on the table – and it is worth eating slowly – and where conversation is not rushed.

Food Preparation: One of the keys to a good meal is that it must be wholesome and good for the body, but doesn't have to be elaborate or fancy. This food preparation can be shared. If you can’t cook, find a handful of simple recipes that are wholesome and good for you, cook in large quantities, and freeze some meals. Another option may be to share a meal with neighbours (or your small group). The workload is spread out and the conversation is expanded.

On Saying Grace: So many positive things begin while seated at the dinner table – respect, good communication skills, proper table manners, the humble thanking of God for our blessings.

The Art of Dinner Table Conversations: Here is how it works in our family. After we have said grace and the food is on each person’s plate, we simply tell about our day. Each person starts with the time they got up and then chronologically unfolds the details.

Buon Appetito!

A Deliverer Comes

This Blog is updated each Tuesday.

On Saturday, I decided to sit down and read the book of Judges. Some of you out there are probably wondering what would compel a person to spend their Saturday in such a manner, but I found it highly entertaining and convicting.

It seems that almost every chapter starts out with God having to send Israel a deliverer. The deliverer comes. He delivers. Then people fall head over heels into idolotry. They cry out. God sends a deliverer. The cycle repeats and repeats. 

I could go on and on about idolatry and God's tender desire to draw us to Himself, but I saw something else here. I am thankful.

God is always leading my family to make the most counter cultural, least popular choices. People often make condescending remarks to us about our choices. I try very hard not to get emotional about the things people say and to extend love and grace.

I feel like the question always looming over me is

 "will you love ME and be obedient over your

desire for those people's good opinion?"

God used this realization that people will be unkind when you choose to follow Christ to make me grateful for the people who are sent out to us when we are wrapped up in our idolatry. 

I am grateful that God allowed our family to hear Voddie Baucham. His prophetic call to our generation has caused me to question and hold up to the light everything I have done and choose to do in my life. Do I agree with everything he says? No. I am completely thankful that he has chosen to do the unpopular thing and challenge every convention the church holds dear. He cries out for us to call attention to what we are truly worshipping.

Voddie Baucham gets a lot of angry response. I am sure he has a hate mail bin. I am thankful for him and everyone of our generation who is willing to endure ridicule in order to share the truth with the many who have veiled eyes. Thank you. Thank you for choosing to love God in the midst of startling adversity. . . even when said adversity is brought on by the Saints. Thank you for for allowing yourself to be an eye opening and heart convicting tool. I can say that your modern day crucifixion ministers to me. Thank you for loving the Lord. Thank you for taking a stand. Thank you for being willing to be hated so that someone else can know. 

Blessing be upon you.

Thank you for helping encourage many of us who thought we were not able or capable to do the thing Christ had called us to. 

We truly are fully able in Christ.

If you are standing up for Christ in the face of overwhelming adversity, ridicule, or hatred from your family, your friends, or your church, I pray for your encouragement, your faith, and your strength at this very moment. Know that your reward is great in Heaven. God is your portion now and forever. Christ, our deliverer, is desperate for you to know how much you are worth to Him. Press on.

Match Up

Match each word in the left column with its synonym on the right. When finished, click Answer to see the results. Good luck!

Match Up
provided by The Free Dictionary

I am Woman. Who am I?

This Blog is updated each Tuesday.

A Woman VP. Who is raising her family? I don't know. I do know it isn't her. That makes me ache for her and her children. That has raised a lot of questions. I have read so many blogs and articles about people who say women should not work outside the home. On the flip side many people are applauding this choice and the female agenda. Where do you find the right biblical ground? I have to admit I get irritated by the left wing and the right wing. I get irritated by the Christian commentators and bloggers who share judgment without kindness. Yet again, I worry about what this woman will actually contribute to us when she chooses to contribute so little to her own family.

 Who are we as women?

Titus two says we are meant to be disciplers. What if you make your living as a Bible teacher? There are people who say you shouldn't be more well known than your husband. There are people who say you shouldn't work. There were women in the Bible who worked. Let's take the Proverbs 31

woman.

P31 was making land deals and planting vineyards. What I do notice is that most of what she did was in support of her family. I think in our culture we have the flipped the numbers. Instead of giving a percentage of our time to work and discipleship of others, we are giving a percentage of our time to our family. 

I have a hard time imagining someone else raising my children or discipling them. I have a hard time making it through nap time without wanting to see my daughter again. How could you work 12 hour days and get home to your kids already being in bed?

It's no easy task to stay home and support your husband and children. It's hard. Many people choose not to do it because it is hard. People are ugly about it. I can't tell you how many times people say to me that they don't have "that kind" of personality to stay home with their children. "That kind." The kind who chooses to educate and nurture her own children in the discipline, instruction, and character of the Lord while giving up her own agenda and comfort? The kind who desires for her children to see the love of God modeled for her children instead of hoping they learn it in a class? 

I am not making any kind of debate here. I simply want to applaud those who do what they feel convicted to do amidst the growing criticism and complete lack of respect for our job. For those of you who are judging women who are choosing to stay home, I ask you to consider the fact that you may be deriving more worth from your work than God. Otherwise, you would not feel the need to criticize your sisters in order to defend yourself. 

I cannot say it enough: kindness. 

I often find myself in situations where the Saints are relentlessly unkind to one another. I pray repentance over each of us. Remember, it's our mark. Our love for one another is what reveals that we are disciples. If we relentlessly attack from the pulpit, the back seat, our blog, or any other platform, we run the risk of no one knowing who we are. "Love on." Let them all know.

Are you trying to be someone's Holy Spirit? Are you loving others in truth and allowing room for God to do the work in their hearts? Are you judging or trying to convict others by your own convictions? Do you leave room for the idea that God is doing something completely different in other people? 

---------------------------------------------------

I took Denbigh on a trip to Dublin Dr Pepper in Dublin, Texas. You would have thought I took him to the moon he was so excited. (Disclaimer: I do not advocate gluttonous consumption of soda. Moderation.) It was interesting. It is the oldest Dr Pepper bottling company in the world. The draw is that they use pure cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. (Random side note: I read in a medical journal that high fructose corn syrup alters our DNA). 

Here are some photos.

Christianity is not a religion, it's a relationship." Really?

Check out Voddie's article.