because the days are evil (Eph. 5:16)

"Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them." Psalm 127:3-5a

"Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" Isaiah 5:20

(ht Stacy McDonald)

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

I checked in on Lizzie this morning and her post made me smile as I remembered a lesson I learned what seems a lifetime ago.

Way back before we were married, my husband and I were shopping for groceries to make dinner for his folks. He picked up a pack of chicken at the market that started to drip. I corrected his carrying procedure and went about mopping him off. He graciously waited until we were out of the store to firmly but lovingly tell me that he was not marrying me to be his mother and that my behavior emasculated him. While his correction embarrassed me, I so wanted to please him that I became keenly aware of how I spoke and acted. It turns out that rebuke has been one of the best things for our marriage.

For sure I slip back into my old ways at times, but over the years I've been purposefully cultivating the habit of seeing the strengths in my husband and praising him for them. Sure there are things in which he's not skilled and he makes mistakes, but it is not necessary, and surely not kind, to bring those up. The practice of using encouraging words both in and out of his presence builds confidence and security that are re-bar rods in the cement of our marriage.

The following scriptures come to mind:

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Phil. 4:8

"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." Eph. 4:29


"I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Eph. 4:1-3

Don't get me wrong, I have not arrived. Humility, gentleness, and patience are difficult because they require laying down my pride. But,as they say, practice makes perfect--and not me, my husband! He looks better and better in my eyes the more I focus on his strengths rather than his weaknesses. Every time I choose to lay down my own selfishness and high opinion of myself our relationship is strengthened and our marriage better reflects the love of Christ.

Trimming the Fat

With the continuing increase in the price of groceries and gasoline, I'm getting rather concerned that our income isn't going to sustain our current budget's outflow. I don't think that we need to increase our standard of living--we've intentionally chosen our frugal lifestyle so that I can stay home with the kids and my husband can serve the Lord full-time with a nonprofit para-church organization--but I do think we're going to have to re-evaluate our current spending.

For the past seven or eight months I've been getting two Sunday newspapers for the coupons, scouring the ads, and utilizing helpful websites like Money Saving Mom to find the best deals. While I've saved quite a bit on groceries and gotten many of our toiletries for free, I've traveled thither and yon to collect it all. Now that gas is hovering at $4 per gallon, I'm starting to wonder if I'd do better to do most of my shopping at Aldi and limit myself to the closest drugstore.

I am humbly reminded with every paycheck that God sustains us through the generosity of His people, and that He is truly good to us. Now I want to make sure that I am honoring Him with my spending in the leaner times, using what we have to do my best for my family to be generous with others, and not grumbling and complaining about it.

So how do you do it?

Police State Shopping

Yesterday I made a trip to my favorite thrift store. They've taken to putting those bulky theft prevention tags on things they deem "nice." I found one of those "nice" skirts, clumsily tried it on under the skirt I was wearing, found it fit quite "nicely," and proceeded to the check-out with it. The clerk couldn't get the tag off. As the line behind me grew, another clerk attempted to help her with it, finally removing the tag and leaving a hole in the waistband of the skirt. Now the skirt for which I was willing to pay a whopping six-dollars was ruined. Needless to say, I left it there.

What is most perplexing about this account is why the thrift store is using theft prevention tags in the first place. The entire contents of the store has been donated to charity, and I am very grateful for the part that is extended to me. You have to leave all bags at the counter upon entering the store, they have no dressing rooms, and employees roam the aisles stocking and sorting the displays. The only thing left to institute is a strip search. How much could they possibly be losing to require this kind of security? Admittedly I do not understand the mind of a thief and an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, but if people have been reduced to stealing from a thrift store maybe they need our charity as much as the AmVets.

"...Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with food that is my portion, That I not be full and deny You and say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God." ~Proverbs 30:8-9

You can't judge a book by its cover

When I was in elementary school I ordered this book from the Scholastic Book Club flier.


Being wary of any book with the word "witch" in the title, my mother confiscated it and deposited it in the round file before I even had a chance to read the first chapter.

Now 25 years later I've finally read the book. The kids and I listened to it on audio tape during our drive to visit my folks. It is a well written, thought provoking story not about witchcraft, but about how hate and distrust can make Christians act more like the devil than like Christ. It reminded me once again that Christ is seen in me not by what I profess, but by what I do.

Food, Glorious Food!

I'm rather fickle about food. Today's favorite recipe is not safe from tomorrow's tweaking or even replacement by something easier, healthier, or just plain tastier. Hence I'm always scouring other peoples' sites (maybe even yours) for their favorite recipes.

Here are a few sites exclusively dedicated to what goes on in their bloggers' kitchens:

The Nourishing Cookbook --We use the pizza dough recipe every Sunday night. This site also has a lot of recipes for make-it-yourself household products.

The Full Table --Don't miss the Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies. They're to die for!

Delicious! --The Lovely Log is the best appetizer on the planet.

"Our God is a God of salvation,
and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death." ~Psalm 68:20

In its original context this verse is talking about the physical deliverance of Israel from its enemies, but what got me when I read it this morning is how we've demoted God from a God of power to a god of niceties. We have a puny god of "Play fair," "Don't hit," and "Be happy." Do we act like we even need a God who saves? Do we have the slightest idea Who this "one Lawgiver and Judge who is able to save and to destroy" (James 4:12) even is?

(photo by Jean Guichard)

It reminded me of the photo above along with a quote from essayist Annie Dillard:

"On the whole, I do not find Christians, outside of the catacombs, sufficiently sensible of conditions. Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies' straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. For the sleeping god may wake someday and take offense, or the waking god may draw us out to where we can never return."

~excerpted from An Expedition to the Pole, in the book Teaching Stones to Talk

"Ascribe power to God,
whose majesty is over Israel,
and whose power is in the skies.

Awesome is God from his sanctuary;
the God of Israel--he is the one
who gives power and strength to his people.
Blessed Be God!" ~Psalm 68:34-35