tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57868093656392767242024-02-19T06:41:46.184-08:00Valley Blogging"Where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights,
hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory."
<i>The Valley of Vision</i>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10406247942365302004noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786809365639276724.post-20101706136641750982009-12-31T00:01:00.000-08:002009-12-31T00:01:03.396-08:00Year's End<em>O Love beyond compare,</em><br /><em>Thou art good when Thou givest,</em><br /><em>when Thou takest away,</em><br /><em>when the sun shines upon me,</em><br /><em>when night gathers over me.</em><br /><em>Thou hast loved me before the foundation of the world,</em><br /><em>and in love didst redeem my soul;</em><br /><em><strong>Thou dost love me still, in spite of my hard heart, ingratitude, distrust.</strong></em><br /><em>Thy goodness has been with me during another year, leading me through a twisting wilderness,</em><br /><em>in retreat helping me to advance, </em><br /><em>when beaten back making sure headway.</em><br /><em>Thy goodness will be with me in the year ahead;</em><br /><em>I hoist sail and draw up anchor,</em><br /><em>with Thee as the blessed Pilot of my future as of my past.</em><br /><em>I bless Thee that Thou hast veiled my eyes to the waters ahead.</em><br /><em>If Thou hast appointed storms of tribulation, Thou wilt be with me in them;</em><br /><em>If I have to pass through tempests of persecution and temptation, I shall not drown;</em><br /><em>If I am to die, I shall see Thy face the sooner; </em><br /><em>If a painful end is to be my lot, grant me grace that my faith fail not;</em><br /><em>If I am to be cast aside from the service I love, I can make no stipulation;</em><br /><em><u>Only glorify Thyself in me whether in comfort or trial, as a chosen vessel always for Thy use.</u></em><br /><em>The Valley of Vision </em>(204)Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10406247942365302004noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786809365639276724.post-25794562039500460822009-07-31T14:13:00.000-07:002009-07-31T14:25:30.615-07:00It's July, Now What?So it's the end of July and I still have not decided what to do. My life has been crazy and turned upside down since I last blogged. Just a summary:<br /><ul><li>Our beloved church family ended on February 15, due to a lack of numerical growth, thus a lack of money.</li><li>We had to start the very emotional process of finding a new church family.</li><li>By God's grace and by March, we found one!</li><li>However, it was in Vallejo, another city, another county, an hour away.</li><li>We believe that you should live in the community where you also attend church- don't know if I can support this one Biblically, so let's just call it a personal preference that we feel strongly about.</li><li>In fact, we feel strongly enough about living in your church's community, that by May we decided to uproot ourselves and move. </li><li>So, right now, in this bizarre economic market, we find ourselves house-hunting on a regular basis. Driving to Vallejo at least four times a week which is a minimum of eight hours drive time weekly!</li><li>Then, we started school in July so we wouldn't get behind when we moved.</li><li>Thus, I have even less time to blog now than I did then, but...</li></ul><p>I'm not entirely prepared to let it go, I really enjoy writing and having this little creative spot, so I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I am not ready to let go yet, so maybe what I'm telling all few of my faithful followers is- I'm back!</p>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10406247942365302004noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786809365639276724.post-46726400547277027252009-03-07T11:03:00.000-08:002009-03-07T11:10:03.168-08:00Where to Go From HereAs you can tell, I have not blogged in a while. I've just figured out that I am not a woman who can do it all; at least, I can not do it all well. Yet I am unwilling to touch "permanently delete." So, don't expect anything from me until July. That gives me time to wrap up school and consider what the Lord would have me do. <br />If you have ever visited my site and/or do regularly, yet never leave a comment, please consider doing so if you like what you see and/or the Lord uses it in your life. If I am reaching only two people, I can accomplish far more in private emails than blogging. It is also an encouragement. When I visit "smaller" blogs, I always try to leave an encouraging note regardless of if I know the person or not. Hey, encouragement is a Biblical practice!<br />Until July,<br />MollyMollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10406247942365302004noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786809365639276724.post-87917466001968501092009-02-03T06:00:00.000-08:002009-02-03T06:00:01.113-08:00Truths for a Tuesday<div align="center"><em>The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. </em></div><div align="center"><em>He will take great delight in you, </em></div><div align="center"><em>He will quiet you with His love,</em></div><div align="center"><em> He will rejoice over you with singing.</em></div><div align="center">Zephaniah 3:17 NIV</div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10406247942365302004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786809365639276724.post-3431234677930579772009-02-02T08:26:00.000-08:002009-02-02T08:28:29.938-08:00Monday's Moody Musings- Who am I?<em>I am a debtor to God's grace and forgiving mercy; but I am not a debtor to His justice, for He will never accuse me of a debt already paid.</em><br />Charles SpurgeonMollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10406247942365302004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786809365639276724.post-87059595268234627422009-01-27T00:01:00.000-08:002009-01-27T00:01:01.024-08:00Truths for a TuesdayO God, You are my God; earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh faints for You,<br />as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.<br />So I have looked upon You in the sanctuary, beholding Your power and glory. Because <strong>Your steadfast love is better than life</strong>, my lips will praise You. So I will bless You as long as I live; in Your name I will lift up my hands. Psalm 63:1-4Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10406247942365302004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786809365639276724.post-37425526632722948722009-01-20T00:01:00.000-08:002009-01-20T00:01:01.420-08:00Truths for a TuesdayRejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Philippians 4:4Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10406247942365302004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786809365639276724.post-4900051955944738102009-01-19T19:51:00.000-08:002009-01-19T20:40:46.596-08:00Monday's Moody MusingsI'm a little concerned that my post on devotions was intimidating. So let me give you a reality check into my life:<br />For some reason, God gave me an automatic alarm clock in my body and it's one of those that wake you up gradually. So, when I am supposed to wake up at 5 a.m., my inner alarm might start waking me up, say 45 minutes earlier; this morning it started going off around 4:20. A lot of days it might only be 15 minutes earlier and sometimes I even get to sleep through until the real buzzer goes off promptly at 5 a.m.<br />I don't get up with the inner alarm. I'll lay there thinking, sometimes drowsing, sometimes praying, sometimes running over my memory work. And today I rolled out of bed a few minutes before 5. But this morning was a no coffee, no tea, no hot beverage treat to greet me and make the morning appealing, instead it was plea to God that He might be my only pleasure this Monday morning.<br />And it all felt pointless. My brain was so stupid with sleep there was no way I could concentrate on God's attributes, so I just read Psalm 19 and Proverbs 19 and caught up with the devotionals from <em>A Godward Life </em>that I had missed over the weekend. My prayers were flat, non-existent. I could see the truths in Scripture, but my mouth, or rather my pen as I normally write my prayers, just couldn't connect. Grace that there is a Spirit interceding for me is all I could think. Because I did say to my husband, "Mornings like this seem so pointless." And yet it wasn't.<br /><br />Today was discipline. Discipline that was as painful as the four mile walk in 32 degree weather that was my next event for the day. Last week my partner and I could barely get three miles done in an hour, today we added a mile and finished in 59 minutes! Yup, the cold helped.<br /><br />But it was discipline, just like getting up to be with God, to devote that time to Him, to love Him and desire Him despite my exhaustion, to choose to go without temporal pleasures as a way of saying, "You're my pleasure, my delight, Holy Father."<br /><br />In <em>A Godward Life</em>, John Piper talks about "discipline and spontaneity" (56) in Bible reading. Discipline moves us steadily through our reading, spontaneity moves us "to a part of the Bible that we sense will meet a particular need" (56). We need both because they are both "powerful encouragement{s} for faith" (56). But we don't always get both, as Piper says, "Sometimes in the midst of discipline, unexpected power will spring forth, and the line between spontaneity and discipline disappears" (56).<br /><br />There was nothing spontaneous today. And this study of God's attribute has been more discipline than not. I was also too ambitious. I cannot do this study in one month and delight in it. And then I war with the nature that God gave me, as it will throw my whole schedule off for the year to keep studying these attributes into February. But that's the spontaneity of it. The point is to know this gracious God, not to accomplish my schedule through teeth-gritting discipline. And when I was discouraged last week because I was unable to relate these attributes to my life and they certainly didn't seem to be <a href="http://valley-blogging.blogspot.com/2009/01/in-morning-with-god.html">humbling </a>me, I just uttered the simple prayer, "Open the eyes of my heart, satisfy me with Your steadfast love in this endeavor," and somehow the lines between the discipline and spontaneity have blurred. He has heeded my cry for help and I am starting to see truths about who God is.<br /><br />So today was discipline and maybe tomorrow will be also, but I have been given faith to know that there will be spontaneity and some days my prayers will flow and I will lose myself in the great God of the universe.Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10406247942365302004noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786809365639276724.post-42047163085640123012009-01-16T06:00:00.000-08:002009-01-16T06:00:00.951-08:00Malcolm Charles MoodyIt's Malcolm's 14th birthday today. He's my Malcolm in the middle, my enigma child. I have to empty his pockets of knives before he goes to the movies, yet he will watch five hours of <em>Pride and Prejudice </em>with his sister and her girlfriends- and enjoy it. He's my karate-kicking, piano-playing, guitar-picking son. He loves his fat, furry cat and adores his new corn snake. He can't still for more than a couple minutes and yet he's memorized all of <em>Phillipians</em> and is half-way through <em>James. </em>He recited Patrick Henry's "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" and got a standing ovation and tears. But he can't remember to clean the catbox. He makes me laugh; he makes me cry... he's my Malcolm.<br /><br /><div><embed src="http://widget-ac.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" quality="high" scale="noscale" salign="l" wmode="transparent" flashvars="cy=bb&il=1&channel=3386706919786503852&site=widget-ac.slide.com" style="width:400px;height:320px" name="flashticker" align="middle"></embed><div style="width:400px;text-align:left;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=3386706919786503852&map=1" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-ac.slide.com/p1/3386706919786503852/bb_t014_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=3386706919786503852&map=2" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-ac.slide.com/p2/3386706919786503852/bb_t014_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=3386706919786503852&map=F" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-ac.slide.com/p4/3386706919786503852/bb_t014_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide42.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a></div></div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10406247942365302004noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786809365639276724.post-89983936161107300422009-01-14T17:38:00.000-08:002009-01-14T17:46:27.105-08:00Why I'm Not Blogging Today<ul><li>I got behind in my memory work and needed to spend the time catching up</li><li>I needed to spend a lot of time working with Matthew who just was not getting "it"</li><li>I was having a lot of fun subscribing to podcasts for my new iPod</li><li>I haven't cleaned my bedroom or bathroom for I don't know how long</li><li>I need to make cookies and read to my kids</li><li>Honestly, I need to be a wife and homeschooling mom and I am not getting up any earlier just to fill this need to blog. </li></ul><p>So, I've gotten a bit unbalanced and I'm not really even ahead enough with posting to make it look like I'm here when I'm not, so the honest truth is I can't do it all and right now I have to do other things. I'd like to be back soon, so you could ask God to grant me the grace to do what I need to and also be able to come back here.</p>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10406247942365302004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786809365639276724.post-43182167899162308582009-01-13T00:01:00.000-08:002009-01-13T00:01:01.508-08:00Truths for a TuesdayServe the Lord with gladness! Come into His presence with singing! Psalm 100:2Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10406247942365302004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786809365639276724.post-57572321019918659952009-01-12T00:01:00.000-08:002009-01-12T00:01:00.851-08:00Monday's Musings on the Attributes of GodOne reason I like Wayne Grudem's <em>Systematic Theology </em>is because it is devotional in nature. At the end of each chapter, Grudem includes questions for personal application, a portion of Scripture to memorize, and a hymn that is appropriate to the doctrine discussed in the chapter. For God's incommunicable attributes, he gives the following hymn:<br /><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"><em>"Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise"</em></div><div align="center"><em></em> </div><div align="center"><em>Immortal, invisible, God only wise,</em></div><div align="center"><em>In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,</em></div><div align="center"><em>Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,</em></div><div align="center"><em>Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise.</em></div><div align="center"><em></em> </div><div align="center"><em>Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,</em></div><div align="center"><em>Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might;</em></div><div align="center"><em>Thy justice like mountains high soaring above</em></div><div align="center"><em>Thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.</em></div><div align="center"><em></em> </div><div align="center"><em>Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,</em></div><div align="center"><em>Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;</em></div><div align="center"><em>All praise we would render; O help us to see</em></div><div align="center"><em>'Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee!</em></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="right">Author: Walter Chalmers Smith, 1867</div><div align="center"><em></em> </div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10406247942365302004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786809365639276724.post-64357120795912308932009-01-10T10:24:00.000-08:002009-01-10T11:11:30.790-08:00What's for Dinner?This recipe is from <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Panic-Dinners-Freezer-Great-Tasting/dp/0800730550/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231614484&sr=8-1">Don't Panic- Dinner's in the Freezer: Great Tasting Meal You Can Make Ahead.</a> </em>The premise of the cookbook is that it doesn't take much longer to make two, three, or more dinners than one. Thus for each recipe the authors give not only the ingredient list for one meal but multiples. They also give instructions for "cooking day" and then "serving day." Lots of tips on how to freeze are also included. I prefer this style of cooking because if you use this cookbook once or twice a week, and make enough for three meals each time, in just a few weeks a mom will have a nice stockpile of frozen meals waiting for those days when time just does not permit cooking. The authors also point out that if a dinner serves six and you have a family of three, just by doubling the recipe you will get four dinners. <br />This meal is one of Hannah's favorites. I will give the recipe for one meal and then my variations at the end. It is also really quick and easy. We had it this week when our new carpet was being installed and we were going to be gone all day.<br /><br /><div align="center">Woodland Park Italian Beef</div><div align="center">serves 8-10</div><div align="left">2-3 pound roast (<u>rump</u>, chuck, or pot)</div><div align="left"><u>1</u>-2 large onions, sliced</div><div align="left"><u>1</u>-2 green peppers, diced or <u>sliced</u></div><div align="left"><u>1</u>-2 16 oz. jars Pepperoncini peppers, sliced</div><div align="left"><u>1/2</u> - 1 cup water</div><div align="left">1 tsp. fresh ground pepper, sprinkled on top of roast</div><div align="left">French rolls, sliced</div><div align="left"><u>provolone</u> or mozzarella cheese slices</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">Cooking Day Instructions:</div><div align="left">Cut roast into approximately 4x4 chunks. Put meat into crockpot with onions and green peppers. Sprinkle with the pepper and pour the entire jar/s of Pepperocini peppers over the meat. Cook on high for one hour and on low for eight hours. The last hour or so of cooking shred the beef. This can be done by taking the chunks out and tearing them apart with two forks or using the forks inside the crockpot.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">Serving Day Instructions: </div><div align="left">Thaw meat and gently reheat. Place rolls open on baking sheet. Place a slice of cheese on each half of roll and place under broiler until melted. Top with beef and serve. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="center">We like to eat potato wedgies with these.</div><div align="left">My variations:</div><ul><li><div align="left">We only use one jar of Pepperoncinis and that makes it plenty spicy. I think you could even use less. I've also always used the whole Pepperoncinis and just been too lazy to slice them. But finally I found Mezzetta Deli-Sliced Pepperoncinis at Safeway and they were actually less than the whole on sale. </div></li><li><div align="left">Everywhere you see underlining like <u>rump</u> indicates what I used.</div></li><li><div align="left">I started this recipe at 8 a.m. and we ate dinner at 6 p.m. I actually never used the high setting this time. You can't overcook this one, thus I would suggest it can be cooked on low for 8-10 hours. If you don't prepare it until noon or so just cook it on high for a lesser amount of time.</div></li><li><div align="left">When I made this the other day, I had forgotten to purchase green peppers. So I only put in the beef, Pepperoncinis, pepper and water. While shopping I bought a bag of frozen sliced peppers at Trader Jo's for $1.99. When I got home, I quickly sliced an onion while some olive oil was heating in a saute pan on the stove. I threw the onion, and semi-thawed peppers in the pan and let them cook till they were turning golden brown to black on the edges. This was delicious! And that bag of pre-sliced peppers was a huge time saver for this occasion.</div></li></ul><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> </div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10406247942365302004noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786809365639276724.post-1555537945838266962009-01-09T00:01:00.000-08:002009-01-09T00:01:00.807-08:00Morning Needs<em>O God, the Author of all good,</em><br /><br /><em>I come to Thee for the grace another day will require for its duties and events.</em><br /><br /><em>I step out into a wicked world,</em><br /><br /><em>I carry about with me an evil heart,</em><br /><br /><em>I know that without Thee I can do nothing,</em><br /><br /><div align="center"><em>that everything with which I shall be concerned,</em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>however harmless in itself,</em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>may prove an occasion of sin or folly,</em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>unless I am kept by Thy power.</em></div><br /><div align="left"><em>Hold Thou me up and I shall be safe.</em></div><br /><div align="left"><em>Preserve my understanding from subtilty of error,</em></div><br /><div align="left"><em> my affections from love of idols, </em></div><br /><div align="left"><em> my character from stain of vice, </em></div><br /><div align="left"><em> my profession from every form of evil.</em></div><br /><div align="left"><em>May I engage in nothing in which I cannot implore Thy blessing,</em></div><br /><div align="left"><em>and in which I cannot invite Thy inspection.</em></div><br /><div align="left"><em>Prosper me in all lawful undertakings, or prepare me for disappointments;</em></div><br /><div align="left"><em>Give me neither poverty nor riches; </em></div><br /><div align="left"><em>Feed me with food convenient for me, </em></div><br /><div align="left"><em> lest I be full and deny Thee</em></div><br /><div align="left"><em> and say, Who is the Lord?</em></div><br /><div align="left"><em> or be poor, and steal, and take Thy name in vain.</em></div><br /><div align="left"><em>May every creature be made good to me by prayer and Thy will;</em></div><br /><div align="left"><em>Teach me how to use the world, and not abuse it,</em></div><br /><div align="left"><em> to improve my talents,</em></div><br /><div align="left"><em> to redeem my time,</em></div><br /><div align="left"><em> to walk in wisdom toward those without,</em></div><br /><div align="left"><em> and in kindness to those within,</em></div><br /><div align="left"><em> to do good to all men, </em></div><br /><div align="left"><em> and especially to my fellow Christians,</em></div><br /><div align="left"><em>And to Thee be the glory.</em></div><br /><div align="left"><em></em></div><br /><div align="left"><em>Valley of Vision </em>(218)</div><br /><div align="left"><em></em></div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10406247942365302004noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786809365639276724.post-3245521827439724082009-01-08T00:01:00.000-08:002009-01-08T00:01:00.968-08:00In the Morning with God IIMost weekdays I'm up by 5 a.m. I've been trying to discipline myself to greet the Lord immediately with His Word; sometimes all I can do is groan, "Incline my heart to Your testimony and not to selfish gain," other times I can actually say, "This is the day that You have made, I will rejoice in all that this day holds and be glad in it!" I make my way out to the kitchen to greet four cats in various degrees of starvation, turn the coffeemaker on, and start feeding the cats, the dog, greet the fish, and make Eric's lunch while the coffee brews. If he's lucky and I'm not moving like molasses, I may even make breakfast for him. But the goal is to be sitting in my chair, wrapped in a blanket, coffee in hand, ready to hunt for gold.<br /> I start the day with a devotional by John Piper from his book, <em>A Godward Life</em>, I have returned to my beloved practice of reading through <em>Psalms</em> and <em>Proverbs</em>. I just can't get enough of those two books. <em>Proverbs</em> I read through in a month, a chapter a day. In <em>Psalms</em> I have done lots of different things: reading three Psalms a day in order to read through the book six times a year, to my current schedule- a Psalm a day. That will allow a person to read <em>Psalms </em>twice a year. When depression is a frequent guest in your life, <em>Psalms</em> are the sure fire antidepressant. Then I get into my focus study and here is how I divided it up for the year:<br /><ul><li>January- study the attributes of God using Wayne Grudem's <em>Systematic Theology</em>, chapters 11-13, and John MacArthur's <em>Topical Bible. </em>Create a 31 day chart for use in prayer.</li><li>February- study the doctrines of grace (election, calling, justification, perseverance). Because of the scope of this section I will be studying one a month. I will start by reading <em>Saved by Grace </em>by Anthony Hockema and continue to use <em>Systematic Theology </em>and the <em>Topical Bible.</em></li><li>March- calling</li><li>April- justification</li><li>May- perseverance</li><li>June, July & August- study the doctrine of sin. No beach reading here! I am taking three months because I want to read <em>The Enemy Within</em> by Kris Lundgard and then hopefully tackle <em>Sin and Temptation </em>by John Owens. This is where I'll probably stop blogging and you will never hear from me again. I will also continue to implement <em>Systematic Theology.</em></li><li>September- time for a break. Because I am a parent, I do find the study of Proverbs vital. Thus I will be doing a short study by Katherine Nielson and using Derek Kidner's commentary on Proverbs.</li><li>October- prayer. This is another vital component of devotions and Christian living. In 2008 I read <em>Working with God </em>by Edward Hiebert and it was tremendous. I had gone into the bookstore to purchase D.A. Carson's <em>Spiritual Reformation</em> and the Master's seminarian convinced me to get the other- I've always wanted to thank him for the powerful effect that book had on my life. And so this year I will use <em>Spiritual Reformation.</em></li><li>November- when C.J. Mahaney recommended laughing, he also recommended the book, <em>Surprised by Laughter: The Comic World of C.S. Lewis </em>by Terry Lindvall, so I will read it and then counter it with <em>A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life</em> by William Law.</li><li>December- what better way to finish the year then to read of Christ and so I will read through <em>A Harmony of the Gospels</em> which basically has you reading through all four gospels at the same time so that the events are coordinated.</li></ul><p> I then finish my time by reading a prayer from <em>The Valley of Vision</em> and right now I often read a poem from <em>Grace in Winter</em> by Faith Cook. She has taken excerpts of Samuel Rutherford's letters and put them into poetry.</p><p> This is what comprises my Bible reading/study portion of my devotions. There are other components, such as meditation, memorization, and prayer. Those topics are for another day.</p><p>*Most of the above mentioned books I already own and they appear in the reading widget on the side bar. If they don't it is because I have not bought them yet; when I do they will appear on my widget. To insert links into each title was really too daunting of a task today.</p>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10406247942365302004noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786809365639276724.post-7788711549968206082009-01-07T00:01:00.000-08:002009-01-07T00:01:00.758-08:00In the Morning with GodAt the beginning of 2008, <a href="http://girltalk.blogs.com/girltalk/">Girltalk</a> had posted a New Year's series on resolutions. My favorite one was <a href="http://girltalk.blogs.com/girltalk/2008/01/keeping-one-res.html">Keeping One Resolution</a> and, as the idea was to grow in godliness, I thought I would study humility and contentment. The more I studied, the more I thought these two traits were really different sides of the same coin, then realizing my poverty. But, hey, if you want to get rich you have to work. <br />Sometime during the latter part of the year, I made it to C.J. Mahaney's little book<em>, Humility: True Greatness. </em>After spending the better part of the year reading Puritan authors like Jeremiah Burroughs, Mahaney was sweet relief. And it was from him that I devised my Bible study plan for 2009.<br />In his book<em>,</em> Mahaney presents three ways to pursue humility: things to do "as each day begins," things to do "as each day ends," and things "for special focus." I have clipped a 5x8 sheet in my Bible to remind me how to start and end the day, thus I decided to focus, focus, focus.<br />Mahaney lists five areas of focus:<br /><ul><li>Study the attributes of God (87)</li><li>Study the doctrines of grace (90)</li><li>Study the doctrine of sin (92)</li><li>Play golf (94)</li><li>Laugh often and laugh often at yourself (94)</li></ul><p>And that's the bare bones skeleton of what I will be studying over the year, yup, even the golf. Over the next few days, I will put the flesh on this skeleton and let you see what the body looks like.</p><p>C.J. Mahaney, <em>Humility: True Greatness, </em>(Colorado Springs, CO: Multnomah Books, 2005), 63, 79, 87.</p>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10406247942365302004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786809365639276724.post-52366626154980395552009-01-06T00:01:00.001-08:002009-01-06T00:01:01.245-08:00Puddle JumpingI did decide to take an extra week of school off. Maybe because I haven't been <a href="http://valley-blogging.blogspot.com/2008/12/world-between-worlds.html">between worlds </a>long enough, been painting walls too long, and maybe because I could and I wanted to see grins of delight on the kids' faces- it was almost like I'd announced a trip to Disneyland. Not quite, but almost. And now, I can get to sharing about devotions or quiet times. <br />I'd been re-reading some old notes of mine and noticed some scribblings, "Devotion- devoted to God." Unfortunately, I hadn't noted where I'd found that particular bit of wisdom, a failing of lots of my notes, so I looked it up in the <a href="http://valley-blogging.blogspot.com/2009/01/devotion-n.html">dictionary</a>. I was delighted and surprised to read the different definitions, so many of which really describe the seriousness yet eagerness that a life devoted to God should portray. Please note, all I am doing is sharing how I am spending my morning moments with God. I am not saying, "This is the way, do what I do." Rather, I love spending time with God; I even collect devotional plans and have a huge file in addition to books about quiet times. Then, I love talking about God, how He works in my life, how I love to worship Him, and how that changes in my life from time to time. <br />I've read through my Bible several times since I was a teen. Usually I do it in a year. I've also done other things but for the last several years I've read through the Bible. In 2008 I used <em>The Literary Study Bible</em> and I really did enjoy it; especially since Hannah was also reading it and we could discuss the Rykens' commentary. But come fall I was bored. I also struggle with reading the Bible in several different portions- I was reading four different chapters each day- I like to start in Genesis and read straight through, just my preference. So I finally purchased <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Enjoy-Your-Bible-John-Blanchard/dp/0852346700/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231221255&sr=8-1"><em>How to Enjoy Your Bible</em></a><em> </em>by John Blanchard. And while it does deserve a review, that will have to wait. Suffice it to say, Blanchard writes, "...there are others who have followed one method of Bible study for so long that the whole exercise has dengenerated from the methodical to the mechanical, and now has no sense of adventure, progress or achievement...these are tragic situations because the Bible is not only wonderfully rich in the variety of its content, it also lends itself to many different methods of reading and study." (128). I had become rote in my Bible reading and it showed. It was time for a drastic change.Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10406247942365302004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786809365639276724.post-26284168052237750472009-01-06T00:01:00.000-08:002009-01-06T00:01:01.006-08:00Truths for a TuesdayTrust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness<strong>. Delight yourself in the Lord</strong>, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Psalm 37:3-7Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10406247942365302004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786809365639276724.post-9780936003008205432009-01-05T21:12:00.000-08:002009-01-05T21:25:15.998-08:00DEVO'TION, n.<em> </em>The state of being dedicated, consecrated, or solemnly set apart for a particular purpose.<br />2. A solemn attention to the Supreme Being in worship; a yielding of the heart and affections to God, with reverence, faith and piety, in religious duties, particularly in prayer and meditation; devoutness.<br />3. External worship; acts of religion; performance of religious duties.<br />4. Prayer to the Supreme Being.<br />5. An act of reverence, respect, or ceremony.<br />6. Ardent love or affection; attachment manifested by constant attention.<br />7. Earnestness; ardor; eagerness.<br /><em>Webster's 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language</em>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10406247942365302004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786809365639276724.post-16455261548839511392009-01-02T00:01:00.000-08:002009-01-02T00:01:00.670-08:00Quotable<em>"...What satisfies are not the gifts of God, but the glory of God- the glory of His love, the glory of His power, the glory of His wisdom, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth."</em><br />John Piper, <em>A Godward Life </em>(Sisters, Ore.: Multnomah Publishing, Inc., 1997), 23.Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10406247942365302004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786809365639276724.post-78843833346530300932009-01-01T12:44:00.000-08:002009-01-01T12:56:06.189-08:00Happy New Year!<em>O Lord,</em><br /><br /><em>Length of days does not profit me except the days are passed in Thy presence, in Thy service, to Thy glory.</em><br /><br /><em>Give me a grace that precedes, follows, guides, sustains, sanctifies, aids every hour, that I may not be one moment apart from Thee, but may rely on Thy Spirit</em><br /><br /><div align="center"><em>to supply every thought,</em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>speak in every word,</em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>direct every step,</em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>prosper every work,</em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>build up every mote of faith,</em></div><br /><div align="center"><em><u>and give me a desire</u> </em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>to show forth Thy praise;</em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>testify Thy love, </em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>advance Thy kingdom.</em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>I launch my bark on the unknown waters of this year,</em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>with Thee, O Father, as my harbour,</em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>Thee, O Son, at my helm,</em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>Thee, O Holy Spirit, filling my sails.</em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>Guide me to heaven with my loins girt,</em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>my lamp burning, </em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>my ear open to Thy calls,</em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>my heart full of love,</em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>my soul free.</em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>Give me grace to sanctify me,</em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>Thy comforts to cheer,</em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>Thy wisdom to teach, </em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>Thy right hand to guide,</em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>Thy counsel to instruct,</em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>Thy law to judge,</em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>Thy presence to stabilize.</em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>May Thy fear be my awe, Thy triumphs my joy.</em></div><div align="center"><em>Valley of Vision</em> (206)</div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10406247942365302004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786809365639276724.post-40774069845699213562008-12-27T18:10:00.000-08:002008-12-27T18:38:12.253-08:00The World Between Worlds<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4rki5xjG_r649vqIlvVPbNQ0h_RQxtkg5GkA5A7NdyB3180ut__0IpbXJutqrx7TTqVNcbjw7_WgTuNM0Pg61pv2KBa4bzhm2bLQCRhY5_Z3jr_k-7i7T6szRPZX-UZ-2HxVEydQIVA/s1600-h/untitled.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284659690659544370" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 110px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 110px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4rki5xjG_r649vqIlvVPbNQ0h_RQxtkg5GkA5A7NdyB3180ut__0IpbXJutqrx7TTqVNcbjw7_WgTuNM0Pg61pv2KBa4bzhm2bLQCRhY5_Z3jr_k-7i7T6szRPZX-UZ-2HxVEydQIVA/s200/untitled.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I always think the time after Christmas is the world between worlds. You know, from <em>The Magician's Nephew</em> and the woods with the puddles where Digory and Polly land between our world and Narnia. These days always remind me of that because it is so quiet. The parties and preparation are over and a year is ending. This is actually when I do a lot of spring cleaning as we take down the tree, rearrange the furniture, organize all my new presents.</div><br /><p> I really love this time of year. It is quiet, peaceful, contemplative. I'm always tempted to postpone the start of school, too, make vacation last a little longer. Isn't that the teacher's perogative? Just today I puttered around the house putting away Christmas dishes, washing linens, redecorating the blog, adding a new widget (thank you, <a href="http://joyineverystep.blogspot.com/">Anna</a>), visiting friends, making turkey soup for dinner tomorrow and coffee cake for our church's after-Christmas brunch. I really like to putter; it's soothing to my soul. I also like to prepare- sometimes more than I like the doing.</p><p>One way we prepare for the New Year is to give calendars and new devotional reading plans to everyone in the family. Sometimes we give the calendars on Christmas, like this year, and sometimes on New Year's. And sometimes we also give new devotional Bibles on New Year's. So, as I am in between worlds, I will be posting my 2009 Devotional Reading schedule and sharing what our kids will be doing over the next week. If you're in between worlds or considering new Quiet Time options, come jump in the puddles with me.</p>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10406247942365302004noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786809365639276724.post-58928202792011364072008-12-24T00:01:00.001-08:002008-12-24T00:01:00.964-08:00Santa's Helper<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1aoA_RVSYQbDBfwa3Eaf-rLSptvww6X54xrPcZ_0bmXQO6_gJKFaeAKFzoMD0Nm_j_U5GmEUn2gSP7BpH4ES06i9pP6Ycbp3RaHijPshvr1K97cspAyx-Yf7ff3hUcLktNWLzxdWsg/s1600-h/santaround.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282631528616478226" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 194px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1aoA_RVSYQbDBfwa3Eaf-rLSptvww6X54xrPcZ_0bmXQO6_gJKFaeAKFzoMD0Nm_j_U5GmEUn2gSP7BpH4ES06i9pP6Ycbp3RaHijPshvr1K97cspAyx-Yf7ff3hUcLktNWLzxdWsg/s200/santaround.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="right"></div><div align="right">Merry Christmas Eve! This is always my favorite part of Christmas because I love the anticipation. In fact, I think I like anticipating events and remembering them almost more than the events themselves. Probably because nothing quite ever lives up to the anticipation, nothing that is until we reach our heavenly home.</div><div align="right">So, if you made it here today, I am assuming that you had a little time on your hands and maybe you have a few more minutes to check out the <a href="http://www.shepherdpress.com/">Shepherd's Press</a> <a href="http://shepherding.typepad.com/my_weblog/">blog</a>. There is a <a href="http://shepherding.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/12/are-you-santas-helper.html">fantastic article </a>on our words with our children using the analogy of being Santa's helper. And if you are here after Christmas, really, this article is for 365 days of the year. Not just for Christmas. So whatever day of the year it is, take some time to hear the wisdom .</div><div align="right">And, have yourself a merry little Christmas!</div><div></div><div><a href="http://collectdolls.about.com/">©2000 Denise Van Patten</a></div><div></div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10406247942365302004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786809365639276724.post-86412369863051932622008-12-23T00:01:00.000-08:002008-12-23T00:01:01.146-08:00The Valley Where I Live<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbrcqlGtyL8rBSBBoE_8Rcp-T9Riki-1LO1W47UJHdzHfmEZdRMBGnVurObQx_uU-FC1_OjgrdMBN7lrIwn-Q-dxwNfpu5VO9sqb4fbyMdiB5Ohuky_0Bqq1wi3I58Yun6YMmuQ_T3aw/s1600-h/Misc+2007+043.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281362650647406978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbrcqlGtyL8rBSBBoE_8Rcp-T9Riki-1LO1W47UJHdzHfmEZdRMBGnVurObQx_uU-FC1_OjgrdMBN7lrIwn-Q-dxwNfpu5VO9sqb4fbyMdiB5Ohuky_0Bqq1wi3I58Yun6YMmuQ_T3aw/s200/Misc+2007+043.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10406247942365302004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5786809365639276724.post-32764814136560359022008-12-22T00:01:00.000-08:002008-12-22T00:01:01.200-08:00The Promise of Spring<div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgyT9Rjk7X5SdnaICZUGNyhsMAenh_bJ3VfJtftqJzkgooWKcGyF9WKiAVq4ETBE_9BeWbmwvTuC7-wVnmQ0DRAnofRWfHKVg3UZbbrJ_Z-ZGSI5luHQUkUnoNCj-Z32hPB4aTcOnXCw/s1600-h/animals+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281363581299619762" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgyT9Rjk7X5SdnaICZUGNyhsMAenh_bJ3VfJtftqJzkgooWKcGyF9WKiAVq4ETBE_9BeWbmwvTuC7-wVnmQ0DRAnofRWfHKVg3UZbbrJ_Z-ZGSI5luHQUkUnoNCj-Z32hPB4aTcOnXCw/s200/animals+001.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div>I came home from my walk the other day and started some weed-pulling and little bits of clean-up. I looked at my lilac and just saw the dying leaves and sticks. I was so discouraged. This is my second lilac and the first one I ended up killing. I get a little bit nervous about spending all that money only to lose it. But it was my "First Day of Spring" present and so I thought I would at least pull off all the unsightly leaves. Imagine my delight when I got close....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPEFoCyxHTC-gN8Cyj_Bzne0ck1iCakDU64RZq-57kNexVb70Q1IsVZnA4nC7Eyk8MfSEXfO4qvXHSaFVGrby7AELdRFt1GcRwTYPfEVzrpHyAWX593rXLNVn98VfLqZ9RWVXTye9ig/s1600-h/animals+004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281365138091004082" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPEFoCyxHTC-gN8Cyj_Bzne0ck1iCakDU64RZq-57kNexVb70Q1IsVZnA4nC7Eyk8MfSEXfO4qvXHSaFVGrby7AELdRFt1GcRwTYPfEVzrpHyAWX593rXLNVn98VfLqZ9RWVXTye9ig/s200/animals+004.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>...the promise of new life. And what a sweet picture the Master Gardener and Creator of Gardens had just given me. My life looks like a winter garden- shriveled leaves barely hanging on, sticks poking up from hard ground, old debris littering the ground- but there is a promise of something beautiful to come. It might be just a tight little green bud right now, but it is going to cling steadfastly to its branch during all the rain and frost, the wind and cold, and then come spring when it feels the Son smile brightly upon it, that little bud is going to burst forth into a big, fat, fluffy, lilac sending its sweet fragrance forth like a song praising its Maker. So come on blustery winter, for I have the promise of eternal spring!</div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10406247942365302004noreply@blogger.com0