You are currently browsing the category archive for the 'Encouragement' category.
For those watchmen on the wall who are crying out for the Lord,
(Ps. 130) I offer some encouragment. May you have peace in your soul today.
from J.R. Miller’s Our New Edens–
Parents are the custodians of their children’s lives. If they would meet their responsibility and be able to
look God and their children in the face at the judgment, they must make their homes as nearly ‘gardens of Eden’ as possible.
The way to save your children from the temptations of the streets–is to make your home so bright, so sweet, so beautiful, so happy, so full of love, joy and prayer–that the streets will have no attractiveness for them–no power to win them away. “Do not be overcome by evil–but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21
The place of the home-life among the influences which mold and shape character, is supreme in its importance. Our children are given to us in tender infancy–to teach them and train them for holy, worthy, beautiful living.
It is not enough to have an opulent house to live in! It is not enough to have fine foods, and luxurious furniture, and expensive entertainments! Most of the world’s worthiest men and women, those who have blessed the world the most–were brought up in plain homes, without any luxury!
It is the tone of the home-life, that is important. We should make it pure, elevating, refining, inspiring. The books we bring in, the papers and magazines, the guests we have at our tables and admit to our firesides, the home conversation, the pictures we hang on our walls–all these are educational. As in everything, LOVE is the great master-secret of home happiness.
The religious influences are also vitally important. In that first ‘garden home’, the Lord came and went as a familiar friend. Christ must be our guest–if our home is to be a fit place either for our children or for ourselves. If there is no sincere prayer in it, it is not a true home at all–it is only a heathen lodging-place!
How can we make ‘new Edens’ of our homes? What are some of the secrets of home happiness? I might gather them all into one word and say–CHRIST! If we have Christ as our guest–our home will be happy! He must be welcomed into all our life. He must be in each heart. He must sit at our tables and mingle with us in all our family interaction. Christ can bless our home, only through the lives of those who make the home 
circle.
Make your home so sweet, so heavenly, with love and prayer and song and holy living–that all through it, there shall be the fragrance of the heart of Christ!
**********************************************
HT: Grace Gems
May you be blessed by this glorious hymn!
“Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side. After leaving them, He went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray. He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves. About three o’clock in the morning He came to them, walking on the water.”
Mark 6:45, 46, 48
Jesus did not come immediately; indeed, it was almost morning when He came, and the disciples had been struggling all night in the storm. Yet He had not been indifferent to them meanwhile. From the mountainside where He was praying–He kept His eye upon them. “He saw that they were in serious trouble.” All that dark night, He kept a watch upon that little boat that bore His disciples in the midst of the waves.
There is something very suggestive in the narrative. This ‘boat in the storm’, is a picture of ‘Christ’s friends in this world, in the storms of life’. Sometimes we think we are forgotten–but from His place in glory, Christ’s eye is always on us! He sees us struggling, battling with the waves, beaten, and distressed. He has full sympathy with us in all our struggles. It ought to be a great strength and comfort to us in trial, to know this. Jesus intercedes for us in our distresses!
It may not be best always to deliver us immediately–but His prayer continually ascends, that our faith may not fail in the struggle. This also should encourage us.
Then, He always comes in time. He may delay long–but it is never too long. If we call upon Him in trouble–we may be sure that He hears and sees us, and knows just how hard it is for us to endure; that He prays for us that we may not fail, and that He will come at the right time for our deliverance
~J. R. Miller, “Miller’s Year Book–a Year’s Daily Readings”
HT: Grace Gems
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
I have recently finished reading a lovely story called That Printer of Udell’s: A Story of the Middle West by Harold Bell Wright. Originally printed in 1903, Lamplighter Publishing reprinted it in 2005 as part of their Rare Collector’s Series.
The publisher’s note says,
Among Harold Bell Wright’s many novels, That Printer of Udell’s is his first and most famous. A notable seller in its day, the book attained to an even higher level of notoriety during the presidency of Ronald Reagan. Of this very story that had a great impact of the life of the former President, he wrote:
“That book, That Printer of Udell’s, had an impact I shall always remember…The term ‘role model’ was not a familiar term in that time and place. But I realize I found a role model in that traveling printer whom Harold Bell Wright had brought to life. He set me on a course I’ve tried to follow even unto this day. I shall always be grateful.” –Ronald Reagan
There are a number of reason’s that I enjoyed this story; however, the most important aspect to me was the issue of ‘cultural Christianity’. Wright tells of the same problems that we experience today in the postmodern church: Christian business men who attend church for business reasons; women who use Sunday services to make fashion statements; young adults who go to youth programs to socialize.
The main character, Dick Faulkner, comes to a mid-western town looking for work. He is poor, hungry and in need of help. Having no family or friends and looking like a vagrant, he is turned away by churches and Christian businessmen in his effort to find employment. Not until he meet’s a kind printer named Udell does his situation change.
From that point on, Dick’s life is described in wonderful detail. We learn a bit of his past and watch as he growns in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. His struggles are physical and spiritual and yet his resolve is stong. It is fascinating to see how God uses this man to reflect humility, honesty and hard work. Truly a delightful read!
****************************************************
As home makers we play a vital role in the environment we create. Our primary goal should be to glorify God; secondary to that is to please our husbands, children and friends. So it is with this in mind that I embark on a new category: Home & Garden.
In my effort to encourage other Christian women, I would like to begin this new category with the notion to share some of our favorite recipes, gardening tips and decorating ideas.
My first task is a visit to the garden. This is the first year I have had a
successful garden largely due to the fact that my loving hubby put an electric fence around it to keep the critters out. Now that it is fall, however, I am not using all the beds and am interested in how to prepare the unused beds for the winter. I have mixed in a bit of manure to them, but…
Should I plant a winter wheat or rye?
Should I mulch? If so, what kind?
Do I have to do anything at all?
Any suggestions, Friends?
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
Happy Thanksgiving!
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Both my father and my father-in-law served our country in the military. In their honor and in honor of all men and women who have served to protect and defend our country, I say, “Thank you and may God richly bless you!”
~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~
Non-Christians cannot understand the Bible.
A natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them.
1 Corinthians 2:14
The reason we have any understanding at all of God’s word is because the Holy Spirit, living in us, discloses His truth to us (John 16:13). The natural man, or unsaved man/woman, does not have the Spirit of God living inside and therefore has no spiritual discernment or understanding.
“…whenever Moses (scripture) is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.”
2 Corinthians 3:15,16
“…the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things.”
John 14:26
So, when you see a non-Christian trying to figure out the Bible, or eternal things, realize they CAN’T understand what you know.
”And the Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”
2 Timothy 2:24-26
From Good Morning, LORD!
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
See a related story Witnessing to a Unitarian Universalist.
Psalm 148
1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
2 Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his hosts!
3 Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars!
4 Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord!
For he commanded and they were created.
6 And he established them forever and ever;
he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all deeps,
8 fire and hail, snow and mist,
stormy wind fulfilling his word!
9 Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
10 Beasts and all livestock,
creeping things and flying birds!
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
12 Young men and maidens together,
old men and children!
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his majesty is above earth and heaven.
14 He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for all his saints,
for the people of Israel who are near to him.
Praise the Lord!
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
