In the Light of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Now that we have seen the fruition of the bonds of limitations loosed from our hands. The check of full Americanism cashed in the Bank of Justice, as MLK put it, Jacqueline McCullough wisely helped us realize the things that we have dropped on the way to the bank to cash the check.
We have money, we have opportunity, but do we have wisdom and love for God? Do we appreciate the reality of the price that was paid for the freedoms that we enjoy as African Americans?
I never appreciated what she was saying, until I listened to it in the light of civil rights. Jacqueline McCullough preached at Azusa and I drank deeply of the pertinent application. But they didn't come truly home to my soul, until I listened to MLK's I Have a Dream speech.
She was more right than I knew. We have been remiss. We truly have been remiss in not taking these liberties that were bought in nonviolent ways and using them to glorify the God who gave us them. We have not learned, in prosperity, to inculcate God in our knowledge, or we are all too forgetful.
1963, we stood with our parents, hoping and believing that the bank of justice was not bankrupt and that we were also given these inalienable rights that others enjoyed. Here we are, in 2010, with these inalienable rights, shown as truly inalienable. We have an African American President! We are really members of the America that brought us here. God has delivered us and answered our prayers. But, are our souls hollow? Do we know Him in our prosperity? Do we honor the memory of those who have taught us to trust God to reach into the bank of Justice on our behalfs? I love that Jacqueline McCullough "went" there.
Forgetting is not the answer, it is the enemy. Other people groups have traditions for remembering the deliverances that God has granted them in America. Perhaps Kwanza has become this, for some. We are free indeed and freedom has rung it's bell for us, in America. The limitations that have grieved us after having the memory of being people without a common ground
A huge continent unites us, the endurance of manstealing and slavery unites us, neither of these things have spiritual significance unless our souls are united by the Holy Spirit and our trust is in Christ. Christ has shown us, from our dehumanizing cultural experience in history, in America, that He can unite the most ununitable people group and make one people, out of many and deliver from oppression, if we humble ourselves and pray.

In America, Christ has shown that he can heal our land of even the most outlandish of our sinful practices, if we confess and forsake them. We should be serving Him.
Pursuing Christ in our Happiness. God Bless America.

Are You Heating your part of the world?

The cold of the car makes me think of how we heat our world. The heat is broken in the car. We spent the morning heating rocks and other things to make the car tolerable for our daddy to spend so much time driving to work in. Teamwork in heating the car for a reason makes me think.

Benjamin Banneker put on the front of his almanac, the judgements of the weather patterns. The fact that God is intimately involved in the weather patterns was more prevalent a knowledge, the fewer conveniences that people had, as in those days.

When I look at the clouds and see the swirling, it reminds me of when I am making the grits, in the morning. Is the world heated enough with the will of God for the salt to swirl and for the accomplishment of His will. He is not making grits. But, He is accomplishing a goal and it doesn't take alot of people doing God's will to have God be intimately accomplished. Daniel and the Hebrew boys heated up their world, just the 3 of them. God did so much in that generation. Healing and help and progress are tied to the obedience of God's people. The other people may enjoy the runoff, but God's heart is for His people. When God pours the salt into the environment, does it hit the bottom of the bowl, for tepidness, or does it swirl that it is time for God to do great things. Obedience is better than sacrifice. It is not about how many or who you "win". It is about what you are doing in obedience to His will and do you know it. Self examination of your soul. God has things to do in our world. Are we part of the heat, or part of the coolness? Frances Schaeffer said "it is not about what you do with the Humanities..." I love that terminology, in other words, the study of movies and music is what you do with it. It is a means that God can use or litmus test, but God is not testing us in our holiness whether we listen to worldly music or not, or watch worldly movies, but what we are doing for His glory with the time that God has given us. That is harder to talk about than don't go to the movies, or take a drink.

Dearest Daughter,

Never forget that it was Eli who bid dear Hannah not to bring her griefs and pains to God. Why will you hold onto the past dear woman? Many a man misunderstands the griefs of the woman who fears the Lord. Hophni and Phinehas alone are they who would bid those with deepest wounds to forget and let go. God has intentions of using the tears that cleanse His feet and the hair that wipes His toes to cleanse His Church. Vengeance belongs to God. Men may look unsympathetically at the eyes hollow with tears and the hair dischevelled because of the griefs that men have inflicted. God does not bid us to stuff it. He takes it all into His bosom and He will have Lazarus in His bosom at last and those who have counsel as Job's friends are usually misinformed. Cry to Jesus!

Isaiah 23

1 An oracle concerning Tyre: Wail, O ships of Tarshish! For Tyre is destroyed and left without house or harbor. From the land of Cyprus word has come to them. 2 Be silent, you people of the island and you merchants of Sidon, whom the seafarers have enriched. 3 On the great waters came the grain of the Shihor; the harvest of the Nile was the revenue of Tyre, and she became the marketplace of the nations. 4 Be ashamed, O Sidon, and you, O fortress of the sea, for the sea has spoken: "I have neither been in labor nor given birth; I have neither reared sons nor brought up daughters." 5 When word comes to Egypt, they will be in anguish at the report from Tyre. 6 Cross over to Tarshish; wail, you people of the island. 7 Is this your city of revelry, the old, old city, whose feet have taken her to settle in far-off lands? 8 Who planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose merchants are princes, whose traders are renowned in the earth? 9 The LORD Almighty planned it, to bring low the pride of all glory and to humble all who are renowned on the earth. 10 Till your land as along the Nile, O Daughter of Tarshish, for you no longer have a harbor. 11 The LORD has stretched out his hand over the sea and made its kingdoms tremble. He has given an order concerning Phoenicia that her fortresses be destroyed. 12 He said, "No more of your reveling, O Virgin Daughter of Sidon, now crushed! "Up, cross over to Cyprus; even there you will find no rest." 13 Look at the land of the Babylonians, this people that is now of no account! The Assyrians have made it a place for desert creatures; they raised up their siege towers, they stripped its fortresses bare and turned it into a ruin. 14 Wail, you ships of Tarshish; your fortress is destroyed! 15 At that time Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, the span of a king's life. But at the end of these seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute: 16 "Take up a harp, walk through the city, O prostitute forgotten; play the harp well, sing many a song, so that you will be remembered." 17 At the end of seventy years, the LORD will deal with Tyre. She will return to her hire as a prostitute and will ply her trade with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. 18 Yet her profit and her earnings will be set apart for the LORD; they will not be stored up or hoarded. Her profits will go to those who live before the LORD, for abundant food and fine clothes.

Help us, Lord to look again to the merciful God who has granted us much grace and peace and safety and privileges. Fashion the sash of Your deliverance upon us and make us do those things that please You, in our families in our communities and in the country and world that You have blessed us with. Be consoled and comforted at souls, which were astray coming to faith in You. Many from Your people, Abraham's children, coming to true faith in Christ and teach us to live for You in our homes and churches. Be comforted that the heart of Your bride the Church longs to see Israel and Ishmael coming to faith in Jesus. Help us not to miss the purpose for Your Church upon the earth, for the distractions of political and personal and pet peaves. Amen.

I do remember the very first time I tried to serve overhand in volleyball.

I had, as a freshman and sophomore, made a name for myself with an underhand serve, which was quite effective. I had tennis muscles developed and they made my underhand serve very strong and deliberate. I aced the other team many times. One day, coach said lets see you try an overhand serve. okay, in practice. I used all of the motions that I had seen and the strongest fist and every single bit of strength in my body and the ball didn't even hit the net. Oh no! That is not me. I will never get on the court, if I can't serve. Keep going, you can do it. Not me. I was comfortable with my power shot. I had absolutely no muscles in my shoulder developed. Mr. T looked at me funny. He was calculating something. I am surprised that with your tough tennis serve that you are not able to serve overhand? I guess it is a different muscle. He sent me to a corner with Diane, who had a wicked overhand and had even developed a round house serve. Okay. I can be tutored. It was humbling for the powerful server to have to be tutored on serve, in front of everyone. When I got 10 balls to pop to the top of the wall, I was sent back to the court and trying it on the net. Out of 10 balls, I got maybe 2 over the net and just over. Once or twice in a game I was commanded to try overhand or invited, let me say. I missed it 2 times. No way am I going to give up my power on the court for a chic new style. "I have this underhand thing, please don't make me change." I remember using every muscle in my body and seeing the ball bloop over the net. What is the difference? Now, I can thread a needle{so to speak} and put it where I want and I have much more control and power, because of a gentle nudging hand and encouragement. We can do alot more than we think we can, with practice. Keep trying. Keep practicing. You will get it over the net.

The clouds looked like my daddy had cloud duty.

He seemed to be reminding me of my penmanship when I was in the 4th grade. I had to laugh at his reminding me of that. There were lines and scribbles and letters strewn over the sky, all of which were illegible. Look where you are now? We can read your handwriting? Yes Dad, we can and I giggled at the remembrance with him. Happy that we both seemed to survive the tumultuous journey into adulthood. I won't keep crying at the labor that I have to put into my little tribe. As Ruth always said "God bless the child..." that's got his own"

Children, I might add, are an inheritance of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is His reward.

Elyse keeps finding pecan pods on her way home...

I love it. I have 8 pecans and I think I will make a pecan pie if she brings in anymore. I never knew that they grew in such lovely pods as they do. I have the first 2 bunch in my cabinet drying. They love opening up and beautifying the cabinet, after I dislodge their prize from inside. It is like getting a decoder ring in a box of cold cereal. :/

Observation of Nutmeg and Cinnamon #2340

I am exaggerating at how many observations, just a tad, but, I do love to look at Cinnamon and Nutmeg "do their thing" in boiling water. They dance and start the party, before I put a spoon to them. Then, they explode, little poofs. Starches on the top of the water has to move aside while they explode and part the waters for a hot second. Nutmegs lines remind me of the brain and when I pour, just a pinch into the water for the oatmeal, it gives me a show.

My, My Diva and Prima, are crying and fussing at me!

You should have heard her fussing about the dirt that I added to her this morning. Diva thought I had forgotten her. "I am not used to weeds being allowed to touch me!" she said. "I don't mind sharing the ground with lamb's ears and flowers, but I will not have weeds touching me!" I am so sorry, Diva, I replied. I meant no harm by it. In fact, I think a little humbling will do you good, keep your head out of the clouds, so much. "I will not stand it, she said they are messing up my groove." We love you just the same with or without your groove, I stated, right in her face.
Diva is very spoiled and I do hope she doesn't die, before she gets acclamated to the far less attention that she gets at our house, having to share her mommy with 6 children a husband a dog, 4 sisters etc. etc. etc... I love you, Diva, with 1/100th of my heart. I can only spend a little time with you. That is why I fuss at you, she said, you wouldn't notice me at all, if I didn't brown my leaves and act up. Well you better perk up, I said. I will not have these tantrums until I get my garden together, do you hear me.
My okra is the only, or onliest happy thing in the yard. They are so content to be left alone. Some of the plants simply grow straight and tall and them some of them coil around for some reason, I haven't figured out why, exactly. I added dirt to them and the little strawberry plant that they shade in the little okra patch that I am keeping. Ahhhhh! they sighed, just as happy as can be. How can you say ahhh cried the eggplants. She doesn't care diddly about us. I do too, I said as I pulled a few weeds and dropped some sweat on them for a kiss at attention to them. The birds care more about us, said the eggplants.
My dear old Father in law introduced me to okra. I had never even seen such a thing. He said the children never liked them, but I want some. Have you bought any? I said Grandpa, I called him Grandpa, in front of the children. The next time we go to the store together you will have to show me this stuff you call okra. I don't remember him showing them to me, when we went to the store.
When we went to the store I do remember realizing what a disrespectful culture that we have. People never talked to him in the stores that we went to. They talked to me, as though he was a child. I remember thinking, how sad that old people have to deal with this disrespect. Well, I tried to show him respect. And on his deathbed, like Dolcinea, from DonQuijote, he allowed me to bring him water, with all of his children doting and darting hither and yon, he didn't ignore me. He said Jayne get me some water with a straw. I took this to mean, "You shall not lose your reward." I did the best I could though not a chef or a baker, As a mommy and a daughter in law I took him in and I learned more than I gave. My okra patch is a loving reminder to me of the love that we shared and the change of my name, like Dolcinea.

Last night, I put a few okra, freshpicked in my "dirty rice".

That okra, tasted sweet and fresh, but it also seemed to clear my lungs. Whatever was or wasn't brewing in my lungs, came into a pile and I coughed and coughed and then woke up feeling better. I think that okra is a lung medicine. Well, I do use it for you. I will plant the rest of the seeds and try to keep okra on the table as frequently as I can stuff it down your throat.

What does a Freshman like to wear?

No more flip flops, Do you hear me!!

Camp was a gas! I hear.

Our family story should be called...

Meetings with Father!
The CEO calls a meeting and the design team discusses the possibilities and then...They're off! Off to...their labors, their mess, their cleanup.
It is fun, these last days of everybody gathering around papa for their instructions. They are each a piece of his mind and my mind. The fireworks and the sparks are contagious and then they come out of the meeting repleat with abilities and determinations.
Now, if I can just get them to work on a business application to all of this industriousness. The cows would be milked and the grass would be straight. Money and Lord willing, that is the next step to this process...
This week they ended in prayer led by Ezra.

When Dad was working and Deaconing and busy and we didn't see him much...

We made appointments on Sundays for you children to spend an hour each with him alone. Your father led you to Christ and instructed you in the word. Read and listened to all of the little stories that you brought to him. We determinedly carved out time for you children, in your father's busy schedule. He loves and cares for you and you can see and feel that. I am grateful that you have him.

If I had my baby girl again. Laments of motherhood.

She's officially a High Schooler. My baby girl is grown. We never played paper dolls, blocks. We didn't read all of the American Girl books. We didn't play enough with the dolls or soccer as oft as I would have liked.
I said none of my girls will go into adulthood, without an American Twist Serve and a silent set. My two skills, greatly cherished. I don't want an American Twist Serve, Mommy. That is what they all say. What has a good serve and volley and a silent set ever gotten you? Good question. The discipline of imitating and accomplishing something that gets you to a goal. They don't understand the big hullabaloo. Life goes by so quickly.
If I had a baby girl again and I have no intention of having one. Blocks everyday and all of the American Girl's books would be the first thing that I would do. I missed it, but she did okay without those injected maternal intentions.

Art Linkletter, an example of the power of the elders to breathe hope into a generation

It’s a world of laughter a world of tears, it’s a world of hopes and a world of fears, There’s so much that we share that its time we’re aware, it’s a small, small world. The elders that diminished the size of the earth for us, Art Linkletter did.
I can see in his eyes that he had a view of giving the earth to the next generation better than it was given to him. He had the eyes of a good conscience.
Pointing to hope, when there was war and hopelessness all around. He pointed to the possibility of growth and participation in the cleaning up of the earth. Thank God that he pointed to kids saying the 'Darnedest'.
He will be missed. But don't let us miss the message of building hope into our instructions.

Life with Father1947 Life with Father

Roles of Male and Female, personified by characters of beauty and grace. Why do people choose to start and grow a family upon the earth? Do we give them a reason? Do we preserve the growth of such or have we paved the earth so much that there is no need for family and roles in relationships?
The reality that relationships have positives and negatives and that the stocks and bonds of the present and future seem to rise and fall on the commitments that are made in the homes of our nation. There are present day movies, but, I love the old movie and the picture of the balance of joy and struggle of the everyday life and love. Somebody must care for the garden and somebody must care for the souls. Do we remember that?
Is 2010 arguing with 1947 for the preeminence of the family in our earth? Will the earth find a way to preserve love and life? I think so. The Church has the key. Study and build your life on honoring your histories, under God.Life with Father

Never, never, YELL at your husband!

I did yell and it took me 27 years to get to the point where I have loved my husband enough to trust him with my yelling. I don't condone it. But there is something precious about trusting eachother with the parts of your heart that no one else sees. There is forgiveness with God that He may be feared. God gives you one husband to love and let your yelling go other places and only when you can't take it anymore, if you have served and loved him for at least 27 years, if all else fails, even then. DON'T YELL AT YOUR HUSBAND!

Time to work on my floors.

Of course, my vaccuum is on the fritz, when I am ready to do my floors. I did a massive clean up of the vaccuum and still...
I am in a dilemma. One fine day, I am ready to work on my floors and my equipment, won't cooperate. I will perservere!

The Liger

gently paced back and forth. His massive body, seeming barely to touch the floor. A leap could have happened in a second's notice. Something had is attention. I am not sure what. I know that look, I said to myself. That is the leap when the serve hasn't been served yet. When I am pacing making sure that I am covering the court, in case the serve is forehand or backhand. Covering ground, looking over the spots to make sure that the court would be covered and that my oponent knows that I am there, wherever, she chooses to serve it. I had a comradery about the panning and the leaping. I have limited myself, because of weight and those considerations. Those lions are 1000 pounds, I am exagerating. They don't look hindered or limited from running or leaping or jumping, if the need arises. I was motivated to move, by looking them in the eye. I know that look. I only get that look, when the ball is a floater. Everybody knows, move out of the way, mom is in the zone... BOOM!
Tape, net, or line, I will feel better, once I have attacked it. Is that a sickness?

Is there a right use of anger?

We know that there is. God is the perfect example and He uses anger in righteous ways all of the time.
There is a thin line between animosity and motivation. The emotional boost that I get when someone hits that perfect lofty lob and I can taste the overhead. The feeling that nothing is going to stand between me and the full accomplishment of that overhead. My children have studied that moment in their mother. They have nothing to compare it to. They know when they see that look to duck or do or look around at what I am aiming at. If they happen to be the poor "Les'mis" who hit the lob, they know from very young to duck. I won't hit them, but I make it close enough for them to know that that is a dangerous position to be in. Some things, I simply cannot get accomplished until I get to that point of adrenaline. I don't know why. I wouldn't exactly call it anger, although it feels like anger, sometimes, lets just call it "the urgent". Get this finished or else. Or else what? Or else the consequences will be ominous! Kapow!
I am not angry with the ball, I am directing it with power and force and my whole body is involved, Maybe I am angry with the ball. Anyway, I have intention of whomping that ball, several times this season, God giving me strength...LOL

There is something of savagery that is addressed in Tennis ettiquette!

Of course, we consider ourselves of a higher breed, who place, carefully and skillfully a ball, within and very precise boundary. Not just a boundary, but there are rules of care and consideration. We have animosity for another person or concept and address it, without touching or addressing the person. We can hit at them as hard as we can and dream about whomping them, without having hurt them physically. What an amazing use of the anger of man! I find it cathartic. After you beat them, you saunter to the net, or jump over the net, as the case may be and shake their hand. Still, addressing the animosity factor of human nature. Good sports and bad, are expected to follow tennis ettiquette.
We considered them barbarians, who took down the nets at Baisley Park. What kind of a primitive person would not care for the keeping of the nets? We wondered. We, who couldn't know how to keep and do our chores were judging the cultural development of a people group, who couldn't know how treasured these items were in our tennis ettiquette culture. We judged the mental and emotional stability of those who could live so close to the treasured courts and dare come down from their apartments, in anything but a tennis outfit. What is wrong with them? It is a culture all its own. Unwritten, understood rules of life and character and how harshly we judged the ignorant barbarians, who were sorry enough to be born outside of the tennis culture. I do speak in jest, somewhat, but, only slightly, you know.
I am glad that I married apart from my tennis culture to see that there are others who think differently about a net when they see it. Those to whom, perhaps, other rules exist. Life outside the court and without the sense of electric shock, if you touch the net. I look at my children in the eye, when they walk up to a tennis net and immediately put their hands upon it. Is there a reason, in that? Do you have any tennis sense at all?

To do it all over again, I wouldn't have raised them anywhere else, but, on the courts.

As a tennis ball in the hand of a mighty serve...

That is my paraphrase of my direction to my children. God has given me 3 and 3, like 2 cans of balls. Kapow! I imagine Martina Navratilova. I see the powerful strength of a well placed and powerful serve and see the importance of parenting with diligence. I am no longer a young woman. I am no longer a powerful serve. But, I still have the responsibility of the toss and the serve. Sometimes the finesse of age and spin can do more than the powerful serve. Getting them directed toward heaven is more important than the power of their direction. I will use power and I will use spin. Training and finesse blessed with the amazing grace of the most powerful Savior, will lead us safely through. Bless us to see Your hand in our efforts and the work of our hands, establish Thou it!

The Blessing and the Comfort of a Considerate Daughter.

I came home and found much of our Easter Dinner prepared and ready. Devilled Eggs, never looked so good as they did. The comfort of having another woman, being responsible in the home is a tremendous comfort.
Thought of what we will eat and what we will drink were carried, on Easter, by my responsible assistant. Halleluia.
God is merciful and kind to bless with such a gracious and considerate set of daughters head by the daughter who helps and cooks. Bless the Lord!

The balancing act between the caps of wife and mother are certainly difficult.

Mommy is authority. Mommy is commanding. Wife is caretaker and considerate and giving. What do I get out of it? That is certainly the question, in this season. How do I act like a Christian mother and a Christian wife and what lessons am I learning through the passion of Christ on my behalf.
I am redeemed
First, my sins and limitations have been laid upon my Savior. I am His child and the Heavenly Father watches over me. When I realize that I am enveloped in the infinite love of a good and gracious God, it gives me liberty and freedom to love the people, whom I am charged with, out of the excess.
"Without a vision of that the people perish!" When I look in the mirror, I see a limited and simple person, who has not enough hands and not enough strength to do any of the responsibilities that are mine. I lament that I am limited and all of my responsibilities seem to be sapping the life out of me. Where is the light? The light is in the Love of Christ. Christ loved me enough to die for me. Christ has comforts for me that life cannot tell. He doesn't require that I be perfect, only loving and trying.
Where is my strength, Lord? Where is my recovery from this season in life? Is it built into our culture? Not anymore. Women live for themselves. The single women and the worldy, materialistic women say to you, bail out. Do for you. Leave them to themselves and go get a job. Its alot easier. You have excuses then. No body can blame you if you are not there? They still blame you, though. Ha, they laugh, we got you. You are a materialistic and a selfish person like the rest of us. We all are. Whatever we need to do to survive this life and sacrifice, God has an answer for us. You cannot blame God for your selfishness, though. Jesus took upon Himself the sins of the world. We cannot imitate that in total, that is for sure.
All we can do is render to God our service to our family and bear one another's burdens. Hold one another up in prayer and be there for one another in the deterioration of our culture away from the family way.

I try to retrain my mouth by looking at pictures of the past life and motherhood and wifing that worked. That is what Life with Father means to me. What do I say, when my husband comes in with arguments as he is sure to do? How do I control my tongue not to retort with injudicious speech. I can think of alot of bad stuff to say, in English and in everyother language, that I know.

Get off my back man! Do you know what I have been through? That is what I feel like saying. I must say to myself, You have the right to remain silent!



Beulah Bondi, Loretta Young, Myrna Loy, Elizabeth Taylor, Doris Day, Irene Dunn, So many women character actresses of femininity from bygone eras. How do I clean my tongue not to say the first thing that comes to mind. We don't have examples of pleasantries, as they had years ago. My mommy had many older women that took her by the hand and led her through the land mine of motherhood. In my neighborhood there were only those who were the same age as me. There were no women who discipled younger women and loved them into and through the life of self-sacrifice.

My dad told stories of the day that Aunt Dorothy came over to ask my father if my mother could go shopping with her. He said he felt so respected and trusted by that question. He was loved into staying a father and husband by neighbors, whose Christianity was contagious. Materialism, was not the priority. Raising the children and maintaining the relationship was. When the mothers are outside the homes, there are fewer comforts for the husbands for the children and for the world. I am too tired to love my family, after work. Everybody has to work and everyman for himself is the recipe for the death of our culture. Help us Lord to recoup.

Am I my brother's keeper?

So many angry passions are born in a big family. "She took my and she did that to me..." Without the practice of forgiveness the children of the serpent would eat oneanother into extinction. This primate behavior, seems to be instigated with teenagers in Spring. Conflicts amount daily. Who is counting? Encourage one another? Build eachother up? How about starting with, not hitting? Not counting the conflicts? Bring the conflict to the table so that we can learn to govern and create a healthy and wholesome environment for everyone and not just the threateners. Love means saying, it is not always going to go my way. Love means deferring to oneanother. Love means, Be angry and do not sin. Love means we need a study in how to love oneanother in this most difficult period of life. Love is God's business. That is the reason why we hang onto Jesus and let Him direct us in this tumultuous business called family.

The Ides is coming...

What to do to celebrate the Ides of March? Shall we celebrate with fried chicken and cornbread? Shall we celebrate with balloons and streamers? So many celebrations come in March. I am inquiring of my children what should we do on the 15th of the month. With any contributions from them, our celebration should be memorable.

Be Ye Kind to One Another!

Tenderhearted? Forgiving one another?

What a difficult thing that can be in family life. She took my... He didn't let me...Conflicts occur daily and hourly. What do we do to labor to maintain natural affections in the house?

Work it out. Sometimes the rod has to be implored upon, to bring about an even footing in the conflict; but most times the answer is just as simple as the Golden Rule. (If you can call the Golden Rule simple) Maybe simple is not the word obvious is the word. The Golden Rule is simple, meaning obvious, but, by no means easy. Stop arguing! Stop messing up one anothers' stuff! Forgive and go on about your business! That is not easy. You guys get alot of practice at it though. Love means say you are sorry, make ammends, get right with eachother and go on. Family cannot maintain without the Golden Rule!

Laboring to preserve natural affections.

"...Seeing of the travail of His soul"

Especially since the middle ages, we have been aware as humans that, even with the light of the risen Christ upon the earth, natural affections can be lost or deteriorate to nearly nothing.
Church and the scriptures are no antidote to base behavior and indulging in bad human relationships, if not used by those transformed, by His grace and doers of the Word.
God has given to the Church, the tools to grow healthy and wholesome relationships, but we sometimes relegate the instruction of these natural affections to the by and by. We make children think that they will not be accountable for anything that they do, bc(Before they are in Christ) so to speak.

Even a child, is known by his doings.

It is certainly easier to live unto God, than to try to find Him from out in the wilderness.
Yes, Christ's grace and mercy reaches even me, but the goal is to improve the culture that we have inherited, not to debase it.


Christ will build His Church and the gates of Hell will not prevail over it!

Phyllis Wheatley. Woman of Ability, Woman of God!

Phyllis Wheatley


How shall we sing? We sing because God has met us here. We sing because God has made it clear that He had salvation and blessings for us in a land that was hostile. There were mental sojourners, whose bravery to improve their minds contributed to the culture of America. Improved the ability of everyone in America. Encouragement and blessing and thoughtfulness, she showed, to people of every station in life. She was ahead of her time.

Casting our honor and crowns at the feet of Jesus!

It is fearful to look at the glory and the death of Herod. Worms ate him, in the sight of all. We glorify men and send them to their eternal torment. We, who have known the highest glories, whether, the love and honor of devoted children, or the trophies and crowns of the earth's acclaim, must be careful to be servants and givers to the kingdom of God. I really think that God used that judgement to motivate the 5 to prayer and fasting and ultimately to the sending of Paul and Barnabas out in ministry.
God may have mercy on our personal exaltation in His gracious gifts, for a while. As it were, He may wink, at our pride for a moment; but, ultimately He will leave us to ourselves. Bask in your glory, eternally, if you would. That is Hell! As we eat the tarnish of our trophies over time. Satan chose himself, Herod chose himself. God bids us to choose Him. God bids us to humble ourselves under the mighty hand.
Help me, Lord, not to use my trophies as my light, but Your own Word and Your own glory, which shows my glory to be but worms.

You are bought with a price. the identity of the Church, in Christ

God draws His bride in love. His banner is love, over His beloved. Yet, like the runaway bride, we chase our lusts and would have our own ways. God help us to embrace obedience and the love of Christ and exemplify Your will upon the earth in being the called ones, the loved ones, the hopeful ones, the ones with identity and purpose.
Identity? His! Purpose? His! Being what He has made us, means communion with Him and fellowship with Him.
I always like to include, doing battle for Him, but that is not our job. He defends Himself, through us. He is powerful and doesn't need us. He gives us the job of representing. ...Until we all come to the unity of the faith.

How did Jesus preach the gospel? What did Jesus use to draw men to Himself?

Examples of Jesus using fear to draw men to Himself. Vipers, who has warned you of the wrath to come. Religious, teachers, those who would wield the sword of the Lord for selfish means, is who Jesus had the harshest words for. Concern for the souls of people will draw them. Love will draw them. Living holy will draw them, but terror has driven many a soul from His presence and God will hold their souls in our account who used the Word of the God who is love to stab people and to castigate people into heaven. It is the devil who holds the pitchfork and it is the devil who accuses the brethren. Lift up the name and the works of Jesus, who would not come to a Christ who has sacrificed His life to pay for my sins. I am a wretch and I do not deserve His grace, but God has delivered me. See the love that God extends. Who would not run from the pitchfork gospel. Help us, Jesus. We are the Pharisees.

The Goodness of God, leads to obedience.

So very many times, in a big family, we try to legislate obedience through might. We say, "you may not do this or that" and we preserve and separate the "because I said so" and "because I am bigger than you". This personal tyranny rules the day most of the time in the large family. We are essentially expressing darwinism in practice (survival of the fittest), when we perpetrate those offenses against our brethren. God is the only one, who is most mighty and most strong and yet, in gentleness; He wins us to see His way and to learn from Him and to listen to Him. With a word, He could conform us to His will and I think that He gave us the example of the angel's disobedience to show us His eternal love for His redeemed. He always had intention to bring us to Himself in communion and fellowship and yet He waits and cajoles and gives and draws and convicts and blesses and if we see Him in His goodness, there is no other response, but to obey Him. If we take His good blessings and fill our many lusts with them and they draw us away from Him, we are worse than the devils who at one disobedience were banished from His presence. Still He bids us to come to Him. There is a line that God draws. We don't know where it is. To obey is better than sacrifice. We would rather cling to our lusts and have our own way.
The devil told that partial truth, in that way to Eve. You will be like God, knowing good and evil. You will be able to see the wickedness of your ways and choose from good and evil and cling to that which you want, as God does. That is the personal sovereignty that we won in the fall.
God clings to His Holiness and to His love; if we can say that about Him, whose essence is love and Holiness. Yet, even in His intention, God is intentionally Holy as well as holy in His essence. God is intentionally Good as well as good in His essence and it should make us want to cling to Him. But we are lustful of His Sovereignty, so we let go of goodness and holiness and cling to the word "mine". When we are thus, we really cannot have confidence that we belong to Him. We must seek His face to repent and confess and have our brethren pray that we would be saved from our selfishness. That is the bessetting sin of the large family child. I am sovereign over everybody. I talk and the whole family moves. Dinnertime! See how powerful I am. We think and say.
Let us imitate God's humility and goodness and speak peacefully and lovingly to one another. Let us not be as Satan who clings to his sovereignty over his imps and demons. Let us be dilligent and intentional in obedience to God, which is the sign of imitation of the only true God.

We need God, but He bids us to want Him!

God is love!
God loves His church like nothing else on the earth. He is such a devoted creator and devoted defender of His people and devoted tender of all of creation, but He reserves His special love for those who are in the beloved.
It is hard to imagine. Jesus tried to explain that to us in that He said that he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John the Baptist. If you can cast your weak soul upon the mercies of Christ and throw your lot in with the redeemed: if you can give up your self reliance for the grace which the Lord provides and participate in the "love of the brethren" You are partaking in the greatest treasure on the earth. There is nothing greater. Love that is touched deeply by the hand of God.
We cannot imagine such a thing.
God has called the church His bride upon the earth and has promised provision protection and fellowship with her on this earth, as long as earth shall last. We are raptured in His presence, whenever we gather to worship and praise the creator and redeemer of our souls.
Let Him lead us with the Word of God that is the only earthly revelation that He has given. Let Him direct us and come in His presence in the praises of His people. He is glorious to devise such a humble way to commune, on earth with his fallen creation.

Holy Ghost dispel our sadness, pierce the dawn of sinful night...Great distributor of grace, grant us thine illumination. Hear, o hear our supplications

It can only come when we embrace our identity as His bride, the church and gather expectantly.
SOS 1

His Right hand is under my head!

My Lord is supporting and assisting my limp efforts at doing His will. How can I raise these children, Dear Lord? Where will I find strength to face a new day? This is bigger than me. He reminds me that His hand is supporting my efforts. His direction is the road and His hand is upon my feeble self. I am utterly inconsistent. I am impotent in power to direct another soul, much less 6 others. Yet they come like the puppies for milk and request, what about this and where is that and socks and clothes and friends and foes. What should I do? What should I think about this or that? Seek God, is all I can say. Follow where He leads you.
He loves me, even when I am without strength to love Him back. He gives us the assistance of brethren and His Church. I come, week by week, at the end of myself and seek power and assistance to face the next days.

SOS 1, again

I find it interesting that God draws us out in interaction with Himself. He is complete in Himself. He is triune and needs not interact with anyone or anything, but there is a love interaction, that is imaged in the marriage; which is true between Christ and His worshipping Church. How can we be said to be a part of the redeemed, if we do not worship God with our lips? If we cannot pour upon Him, who alone is worthy words of adoration as a body of believers; what are we doing when we gather.
In SOS, there is clearly complimenting and extoling of the loving couple's attributes to one another.
It is just adorable, to see a young couple; whose eyes are still clouded so by love that they have not adjusted to the real picture of eachother. God created such love. A love that sees the purity and beauty of the other. God showers that type of love upon His church and when an intruder or invader comes to accuse Christ's church to the Father, our advocate rises in His love and casts down those accusation, in the beauty of a pure and chaste and driven love. He doesn't coddle sin and in His purity, He cleanses, but in the presence of the accuser, He defends.
Oh Love! God's pure and chaste Agape and Victorious Love to His Church can only be responded to, by glorious halleluia's and lavishing words of adoration upon His precious acceptance of us and defense of us on this earth.
He loves us individually and personally changes us from sinner into "the beloved". But, His real and true defense is for His Church.

"Who will lay anything to the charge of God's elect?..."

Our defense should be likewise. "For Her my tears shall fall...For Her my prayers ascend." When we pray, is it for the glory of God revealed in His Church? Or is it for our own devises and sandcastles upon the earth? Bless me and mine we pray and we are truly blessed. But how much more are we in communion with the continuous prayers of Christ in Heaven, when we are praying for the building of His Kingdom and for His members in particular.
"And unconstrained, His Homage Pay!"
On earth, for now, that is what we are striving for. To show our adoration to our Beloved, until the consummation of the age.

God's Personal Commitment to protection and love is to His Church!

All of the promises that are yea and amen to the believer, are multiplied infinitely to the Body of Christ, the church. The expressions of love that God shows on the earth are not as much seen in the example of any one believer with Himself, although that is so. It is seen in the relationship of The Church with Christ. Christ is advocating for us with the father. Christ is giving us all things that pertain to life and godliness. He owns us in Christ, in fellowship with His body the church. I do not think that is emphasized enough. We are not fit to take on the principalities and powers in our own strength, even as a stalwart believer. When God gives the power, He gives it to His Church. When God dispenses protection, He does it in His Church for the taking over of the world's wicked imaginations to the submission to the glory of God. When we are singing and making melody in our hearts to the Lord and "being filled with the spirit", Christ has made the commitment to subdue principalities under our feet. He is pleased to teach us the trusting and growing together with Him and in redemption.
The love expressed in the SOS is truly the image of God's supreme love and anticipation for the Church to be triumphant. When we take it upon ourselves to be little mirrors of that beauty by being married, we are just little images of the truth of what God is doing through Christ and His Church in the world. The dance of the loving interaction of God with man in the relationship of Christ and His Church. Christ clothes our spirits with righteousness and our relations with Himself, so that He sanctifies our time away from His intense presence and He is more present when we come together in worship. He gives us liberty to enjoy our creature comforts in the light of His love. He intensifies His expressions of His presence with us as we come to worship Him. Clothing upon our human relationships, that we are protected from our own sinful tendencies by the instruction of the Word of God and the hedges that put each relationship where it is supposed to be. Husband and wife is one relationship and there are rules, protecting that relationship. Sister and Brother and so on, we enjoy the beauty of the family relationship, in Christ with His blessing that we may richly enjoy the life on earth that God intended.
It seems clear, that there was no way to have those kinds of extended relationships in the garden, with the first perfect couple. Sanctified, is far more blessed, even, than perfect; as were our first parents. Redeemed and bought by the blood of Jesus, is clearly more to be desired, than to have been created in perfection. God had this plan laid out from the beginning of the creation, that the church would be the ground of blessed human relationships.