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The Enemy Within
I’m in a note-reviewing kind of mode. Can you tell? 🙂 Here are some quotes from Kris Lundgaard’s (excellent!) book, The Enemy Within: ‘That raises the question, ‘In what sense has Christ defeated sin in the believer?’ The answer is that he has overthrown its rule, weakened its power, and even killed its root so that it cannot bear the fruit of eternal death in a believer. Still—and this is amazing but true—sin is sin; its nature and purpose remain unchanged; its force and success still grab us by the throat.’ ‘Believers are the only people who ever find the law of sin at work in them. Unbelievers can’t feel…
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Some relationships are just HARD!!
Earlier this week I was struggling to maintain gracious and loving feelings toward a certain person. We’re not that close of friends anyway; but we do see each other on a regular basis and because of the nature of our relationship, I truly am called to love and support her. BUT … there is a constant thread of sorrow and rejection associated with this relationship for me. In fact, years ago, this person just came out and told me that she would never give me another opportunity to serve with her again. That, based on my behavior in the past, her mind was completely made up and there was no…
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Currer Bell (Miss. C. Bronte) on Conventionality …
I picked up an old copy of Jane Eyre last night as I was waiting for Fred to get home. (He’s been out until 10:30 or 11:00 every night this week preparing materials for my women’s event next week. Boy does he work hard to serve!) In the Preface, M. Currer (AKA Charlotte Bronte) makes this astute observation: “Conventionality is not morality. Self-righteousness is not religion. To attack the first is not to assail the last. The pluck the mask from the face of the Pharisee, is not to lift an impious hand to the Crown of Thorns.” Ahhhhhhh … there’s a reason they call ’em the classics, eh? …
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God is FOR His Children …
I’m going through my day and striving to remember this: God is FOR His children! And He is mighty to save. Amen & Amen
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PCA WIC International Conference (next week!!)
Next week I’ll be heading to Atlanta to teach at the PCA International Women in the Church (WIC) Conference. (Will any of you be there? If so, I hope that you will stop by and say hello!) One of my freebie giveaways is an article I wrote based on the surveys I’ve been taking this year on the relationships among women in the Church. If you’re interested, you can read it here. Joy to you all! Yours, Tara B.
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Homeschooling & Public Schooling & Christian Schooling …
Our church has home schoolers, public schoolers, Christian schoolers, Classical-education schoolers (sorry, I’m not sure what the right term is for that), and probably anything and everything that might fall somewhere in between. It’s great because Fred and I have a wealth of wisdom just waiting to be tapped as we seek to discern how best to educate our daughter. It’s also great because–honestly, truly!–the parents experience true friendship and God-honoring unity even though they disagree about this important issue. Let me give you an example from last week … I was at a party visiting with some friends who just started homeschooling for the first time. (Boy! Did they…
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Vulnerability & True Fellowship
The other day I heard a compliment about a young man in our church. My friends were in a Bible study with him and they described him like this: “Dave (not his real name) is so willing to be vulnerable during our small group. He shares openly and honestly about his struggles with sin, temptation, unbelief … and we are all always left even more encouraged to believe on the goodness of God as a result of Dave’s genuineness and openness.” Isn’t that the kind of compliment that you would want to receive one day? And isn’t “Dave’s” openness and vulnerability a beautiful and God-honoring example of the only way…
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On contrition …
More from Jill Carattini (at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries); this time on Willful Heartache: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). The heart most open toward God is a heart that is broken before Him. Contrition is a word we now use infrequently, though it remains a powerful call to one of the deepest places of worship. As David discovered, it is not an easy call to answer; it runs counter to our instinct to run, calling us instead to come near with a broken heart. The word “contrite” derives from the Latin word contritus, meaning…
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A tormented conscience …
Yet again, I have been incredibly helped (and challenged!) by the wise writings of Jill Carattini at Ravi Zacharias Ministries. Last month she wrote an essay on “vital signs” — and I URGE you to read it on this very Sabbath day. I could tempt you with line after line, but I’ll just share with you her closing paragraph: “There is life to be found even in gauges we’d rather ignore. He who made us has given us vital signs of his presence, gauges that point us to life. Empty tank or tormented conscience, might it drive us into the arms of God.” As a woman who has been struggling…
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DON’T YOU DARE MAKE MY FRIEND CRY!!!!
One of my dearest friends in the whole world is suffering terribly right now. – Someone is treating her CRUELLY. – The same person is treating someone she LOVES cruelly. – It’s breaking her heart; bringing out righteous anger (and probably some sinful anger too); and mostly just burdening her from the moment she wakes up until she (fitfully) sleeps again at night. My reaction is incredibly mixed-up. (Just like me.) Of course I want to MAKE THIS PERSON STOP HURTING MY FRIEND!!!!!!!! (But I can’t.) Of course I want to protect her and shield her and throw my body in front of the bullet of meanness that is ripping…
