Thankful Thursday - A Great Year

Colossians 2:6,7


So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

What better time to reflect on all we have to be thankful for than at the end of the year.

I have so many things to be thankful for this year.


- I, by God's grace, was finally able to read through the Bible in one year!

- Three beautiful beagles that almost never pee in the house anymore

- A wonderful husband who I've grown to love more than I ever thought possible

- A son who has grown from a squirrely boy into a young man, and God who has given me the grace and patience to manage the transition! (Who now, as a young man, no longer wishes to have his picture taken or be blogged about.)

- A happy home.

- A job that I love.

- A wonderful church family.

- Great neighbors.

- Friends to laugh, cry, and pray with.

What are you thankful for this week year? Check out Welcome to the Nuthouse for other thankful thoughts.

Not Me!

Are you feeling guilty for failing to return that great magazine that the mailman accidentally put in your mail box rather than your neighbors? Hoping that nobody is waiting for that library book you've had for three months? Then Not Me! Monday is just for you. It's a time for all of us to confess our shortcomings laugh with each other.

I have not, at any point, EVER found myself praying for a character in a book I was reading during my prayer time. Really.

Nor did I decide to save time Christmas afternoon by cooking the wild rice in the morning so that my mother would have something to keep warm in her new

Crock Pot Trio that we gave her for Christmas. And, wild rice does NOT turn to mush in the crock pot. It in no way resembled oatmeal by dinnertime.

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

The Gift of Christmas

John MacArthur from a concert at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, CA sharing the gift of Christmas is Jesus Christ. For more information go to: gty.org/television

What Child is This?

Isaiah 53

 ¹ Who has believed our message
       and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
 ² He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
       and like a root out of dry ground.
       He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
       nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
 ³ He was despised and rejected by men,
       a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
       Like one from whom men hide their faces
       he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
 ⁴ Surely he took up our infirmities
       and carried our sorrows,
       yet we considered him stricken by God,
       smitten by him, and afflicted.
 ⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions,
       he was crushed for our iniquities;
       the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
       and by his wounds we are healed.
 ⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
       each of us has turned to his own way;
       and the LORD has laid on him
       the iniquity of us all.
 ⁷ He was oppressed and afflicted,
       yet he did not open his mouth;
       he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
       and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
       so he did not open his mouth.
 ⁸ By oppression  and judgment he was taken away.
       And who can speak of his descendants?
       For he was cut off from the land of the living;
       for the transgression of my people he was stricken. 
 ⁹ He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
       and with the rich in his death,
       though he had done no violence,
       nor was any deceit in his mouth.
 ¹⁰ Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
       and though the LORD makes  his life a guilt offering,
       he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
       and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
 ¹¹ After the suffering of his soul,
       he will see the light of life  and be satisfied;
       by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
       and he will bear their iniquities.
 ¹² Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
       and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
       because he poured out his life unto death,
       and was numbered with the transgressors.
       For he bore the sin of many,

       and made intercession for the transgressors.

Merry Christmas!

The White Horse King

While I generally only post the on my book review blog, this one was just too good not share.

The White Horse King is a brilliantly written biography of King Alfred. It is clear this book was thoroughly researched as Benjamin Merkle has brought the events to life in rich detail.

It written in such a way that it can be used for scholarly purposes yet is fairly easy to read. I don't generally read biographies, but this one seemed interesting. I was not disappointed; I could hardly put it down.

Prior to reading this biography I knew little of Alfred the Great, and I believe that is the case for many people. However, much can be learned about Western Civilization and the importance of having a Biblical worldview through studying his life.

As the fifth in line to throne, it would have seemed unlikely that Alfred would ever be king. As a small child his father sent him to Rome, and that proved to be a defining time in Alfred's life.

This was a period of time when the Viking raiders were pillaging most the English coastlands and taking over villages. Farms, churches, and monasteries were being burned and destroyed and many were slaughtered at the hands of the Vikings.

As Alfred ascended to the throne he faced the Viking aggressions with a poorly trained volunteer military. He had already lost much of his family to the Vikings, including his brother who had been sacrificed to the Viking gods.

Merkle has done a fabulous job of describing the tactics of both the Vikings and the Anglo-Saxons in great detail. Much time is spent describing how Alfred was eventually able to establish a few periods of peace.

After pushing back the Vikings and taking captive one of there kings - to whom he showed incredible mercy, Alfred turned his attentions to building a better military and fortifying the towns.

This was at time when many years had passed since the Romans had left, and illiteracy was rampant and the people were falling into paganism. King Alfred realized that his people were being crippled by a lack of knowledge of God.

All of the Christian works of the day were in Latin, and few people outside of church scholars and monks could read it. In addition, most of the Anglo-Saxon people could not read or write their own language. Alfred set up public school system to teach the peasant children to read, and required all of the noblemen to learn to read. He hired monks and other scholars to translate parts of the Bible to the Anglo-Saxon language, knowing that his people needed the word of God in their own language - this was almost 700 years BEFORE the Reformation.

Seeing as America is falling into paganism now, not from illiteracy but from Biblical illiteracy I found it very refreshing to hear that so many years ago one very wise king saw the same problem. People need to know the Bible to avoid paganism, yet so many churches today have abandoned Bible teaching and replaced it with self-help or the social gospel.

I would highly recommend this book for home school classes or for anyone who wanting to understand the importance of having a Biblical worldview.



While I did receive a courtesy review copy of this book from Thomas Nelson publishers, that in no way influenced my review.

Blogging Bliss

Yes, I've been away from the blog world for several days now. I've just been so busy putting up Chirstmas decorations---no...we don't have any.... baking for Christmas....(yeah, right)

Truth be told, we only have one computer and it never seemed to be my turn this week. Until the snow fell I had that sliver of time between driving the Teen to ski practice and making dinner to claim the computer as my own. Now that there is snow, that time is spent sipping coffee in ski chalets.

But, on the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me....

... a HP 100 Mini netbook.  Yes, it is 2 lbs of pure blogging bliss. At 10 inches, it easily fits into my "carrying all my stuff" bag. Yes, right now I'm sitting in front the fire at the Elm Creek Park Preserve, enjoying MY computer time.

 

A Worshipful Heart

This morning started out with a teeneage tantrum from the boy, gruff words from Mr K, major traffic problems on the way to work, and a power outage once I got here.

And  I handled it all with perfect grace ....ummm...grumbling and complaining.

As I sat in traffic feeling sorry for myself I heard this prayer:

"Grant us, Lord, a worshipful heart."

That was part of Alistair Begg's opening to today's radio program.

It struck me. It grabbed me by the heart, shook me up, and brought me to my knees - figuratively, that is. I was driving after all.

God the Father, giver of all good things, gives us the opportunity and ability to worship Him. But until today I never realized that He actaully gives us the desire to worship Him as well. Our hearts, apart from God's saving grace, do not even desire to worship Him. And even once we have become a partaker in His grace, it's so easy to give in to grumbling and complaining and lose our heart of worship.

My prayer for all of us today:

"Grant us, Lord, a worshipful heart."

When Words Hurt

Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.

Most of us heard this as a child. And to a certain degree it is true. We should teach our children not to be crushed when someone else can't control their tongue.

But words are powerful. We can use them to build people up or tear them down. When someone does not control their tongue, it can hurt. If it is someone who is close to us it can hurt quite deeply.

The Bible warns us over and over to control our tongues. Here are a few  from Proverbs:

Proverbs 10:19 When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.

Proverbs 13:3 He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.

Proverbs 17:27 A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered. (28) Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.

Proverbs 18:2 A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions.

Proverbs 21:23 He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.

Proverbs 29:20 Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Psalms 17:3 Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.

He who holds his tongue is wise.  A fool delights in airing his opinions.

Here in America we have a culture that is constantly screaming, EXPRESS YOURSELF. Be yourself, you are a great. Let it out. We have culture that is always asking "What do you think and how do you feel?"

As a result, we now have an entire nation of people who seem to feel that they are always entitled to freely express their opinion.

But is this how we are act as Christians? I don't think so.

Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

So how do we handle it when words hurt?

This past Sunday I was hurt very deeply by the words of someone who I have known my entire life. This is a person who I have a lot of respect for as an older Christian woman and I truly love as a sister in Christ.

I'm certain that she never meant to hurt me with her words, but she did. I actually burst into tears right there in the fellowship hall in front of many people.

I have struggled the last several days with how to handle this.  I have searched the Scriptures and prayed about it.

Here's what I found:

Colossians 3:12,13 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.


2 Timothy 2:24-26 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

When words hurt, we must forgive. We must hold our own tongues. And though our flesh may want to bite back we must strive to respond with gentleness and humility. A gentle answer turns away wrath (Proverbs 15:1).

Yes, I have forgiven her. We all fall short. There have been many times when I have lost control of my tongue. Sometimes I hear words come out of my mouth that I immediately wish I could have back.

Psalm 141:3 Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.

What do we do when we have lost control of our tongues? Confess to God. Apologize to the one you hurt and seek forgiveness.

God is faithful and will give us the grace we need to exercise self-control and tame our tongues.

UPDATE:
After I wrote this post our Pastor called me into his office. The incident had been brought to his attention by people who had witnessed it. I must admit, I was quite relieved to hear that our pastor will be handling this situation. Please pray that our relationship will be restored.

Thankful While Frozen

Colossians 2:6,7

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

As I sit here in my cozy office sipping a hot cup of coffee, I am very thankful that though the thermometer outside reads -7 (yes, that's BELOW ZERO), I am warm.


I'm very thankful that my wonderful husband put new tires on my Honda so I had no trouble driving during the snowstorm yesterday.

He also put a new battery in it, so it started fine this morning even though it was so terribly cold.

I'm thankful for the  nearly-invisible 3M windows kits that keep out the sub-zero winds.

What are you thankful for this week? Check out Welcome to the Nuthouse for other thankful thoughts.

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace Techno - Computer Controlled Christmas Lights from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.

An interesting way to share “Amazing Grace” with your community. Christmas Light Show features 45,000 lights, an outdoor sound system, and requires a crew of 3 people each night to manage the traffic.

Virtual Cookie Exchange

Do you have a great cookie recipe to share?  Post it on your blog and then hop over to http://littlellamas.blogspot.com/1999/12/cookie-exchange.html

to check out the others!

Snickerdoodles -- Nut Free

For the topping:

* 3 tablespoons sugar

* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the cookie dough:

* 3 1/2 cups flour

* 1 tablespoon baking powder

* 2 teaspoons baking soda

* 1/4 teaspoon salt

* 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

* 1 cup butter

* 2 cups sugar

* 2 eggs

* 1 tablespoon light corn syrup

* 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

To make the cookie dough, stir together the dry ingredients and set aside.

With a mixer, cream the butter. Add the sugar and continue to mix, then add the eggs, corn syrup, and vanilla, and mix thoroughly. Add the dry ingredients and mix until blended. Chill dough 1 hour if it's sticky or difficult to handle.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Roll balls of dough about the size of a walnut then roll them in the cinnamon sugar to coat. Place on an un-greased sheet pan 2 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until puffed up and the surface is slightly cracked. Let cool on the sheet pan a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.

Not Me!

Are you feeling guilty for failing to return that great magazine that the mailman accidentally put in your mail box rather than your neighbors? Hoping that nobody is waiting for that library book you've had for three months? Then Not Me! Monday is just for you. It's a time for all of us to confess our shortcomings laugh with each other.

I did not, at any point this week, stay in my PJ's until 2PM.

This did not happen on a day that I had taken off to install Windows 7 on my sweet new Seagate Barracuda 1TB SATA drive. Nor am I so much of a geek that I would actually find a hard drive cool.

And that copy of 7 has not been sitting on my desk waiting to be installed since Oct 22, while I continued to use the beta version. I'm always on top of these things.

On that very morning I did not begin making a late pancake breakfast and take a quick minute to see if Firefox was done installing.

This did not happen because of that quick minute.

I was not at any point relieved that I have yet to plastic a few of our windows....

 

...so that I could air out the house. Nor would I ever open the windows when it is 33 degrees outside.

*** Yes, my non-frozen tundra dwelling friends, we do actually do plastic over the windows here. And I would never wait until December to do this.

I did not put the pancakes that I burned did not burn outside to cool....

Only to check back later and discover this cat:

from this Not Me! post eating the pancakes.

I did not wish at that moment that I had poisoned the pancakes first.

Nope, not me!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Yep, I Taught Him Well

Stock photo

Following the St Anthony Middle School choir concert last night several of "the Teen's" friends wanted to stop at Applebees for a treat.

When we arrived, the boys sat at one table and we parents sat several tables away.

The kind and patient server quickly figured out which boy went with which parent for sorting out the bill.

***

While us parents were enjoying our desserts the now-slightly-flustered server came over and informed us that our boys were offering to buy food for the table of girls on the other side of the window.

I mean, we're talking real GENTLEMEN here.  Talk about classy...

"I'll get that sweetie, just put it on my mom's bill!"

Yes, we've raised them well.

I looked over to see who the lucky girls were, expecting to see other middle-schoolers, and was shocked surprised ....hmmm.... tickled to see that they were at least 20.

The bravest of the boys came and asked me for a pen, and then went over to the table of girls.

Yep, asking for numbers.

Did he get them?

Not exactly.

But all five  eighth grade boys were high-fiving each other as we walked out the door.

They had gotten their names. Written on a cocktail napkin!  Could their luck get any better?!

Hey, a boy can dream right?

A Few of My Favorite Things

Beagles kisses after a hard day.

Cousins on Thanksgiving Day.

 

Home....the best place on earth.

This week I'm taking part in "Tuesdays Unwrapped", a time to slow down and notice the gifts around us.

A time to reflect on the small things.

What gifts are before you today?

Check out www.chattingatthesky.com to see what others have to share.

Not Me! Monday

Are you feeling guilty for failing to return that great magazine that the mailman accidentally put in your mail box rather than your neighbors? Hoping that nobody is waiting for that library book you've had for three months? Then Not Me! Monday is just for you. It's a time for all of us to confess our shortcomings laugh with each other.

It was not me sitting at the organ yesterday ready for my roaring organ intro to "Come Ye Sinners Lost and Hopeless" ....

who realized after two measures that she was playing the tune of "Love Divine All Loves Excelling."

I did not immediately break into a sweat as the singers looked over at me in utter confusion.

And my face did not turn as red as my sweater as I smoothly transitioned to the correct melody. I am always well practiced, cool, calm and collected.

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Surviving the Holidays with Food Allergies: A Guide for the Host

"Oh dear, coconut is a nut?"

Um, yes. And I've actually heard that - several times.

I have food allergies and often cannot eat at the parties we attend, and therefore always eat first. However, I have found that this seems to offend many hosts. I would like to say up front that I never expect hosts to prepare a menu just for me. Quite the opposite, I would rather eat at home and then come enjoy the company and not worry about the food. However, this has yet to work. I usually end up trying to explain to a frazzled host why I can't just pick the slivered almonds out of the green beans.

With the holidays parties just around the corner it seems like a good time to blog about the perils of food allergies.

Today I am going to focus on peanut/ tree nut allergies since they are very common and are often most severe.

A person with a nut allergy may have reactions ranging from hives and sneezing to anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a sudden, potentially life-threatening reaction that can make someone's throat swell shut and blood pressure drop. An anaphylactic reaction can be fatal if the person isn't able to get to a hospital soon enough. Having an EpiPen helps, but it is not a substitute for an emergency room and may not be enough to stop the reaction.

While I'm always careful to tell the host/hostess ahead of time about my food allergies, one would be surprised how often it is a problem. It's never that a bowl of nuts is sitting on my plate. Most of the major reactions I have had are because people don't pay attention to ingredients. Chocolate that contains hazelnut paste will cause a reaction. Almond extract comes from almonds. Peanut butter is made from peanuts.

A dear friend of mine once went out of her way to make Special K bars with creamy peanut butter instead of chunky, since she knew I was allergic to peanuts.

Another friend offered me cookies that she said had no nuts. Being unconvinced that they were safe, my husband tried one first...

and bit into a nut. Her response: "Oh, that's a walnut, not a nut." True story, folks.

But the single biggest problem seems to be cross-contamination. Which brings me back to the beans with slivered almonds. Even the slightest trace of the nut can cause a reaction. Nut-free cookies on the same plate with peanut butter cookies are dangerous. Cashews cannot be picked out of the salad, the whole thing is contaminated.

I've found it's been helpful to have people think of nuts as poison. Would you expect your guests to pick cyanide out of their salad? Would you put cyanide on the same plate with the sugar cookies? Would you handle cyanide and then chop fresh vegetables without thoroughly washing your hands first?

To people with food allergies it really is poison. It is serious.

So what can you do?

- Ask you guests about food allergies. Most often guests with severe allergies will tell you, but ask just in case.

-Ask your allergic guest to bring a dish and/or dessert that they can eat. It will guarantee that there is something for them and it will be one less thing for you to prepare.

-If you a serving a large group clearly label the food items that contain common allergens. This is particularly important if it is not obvious. Earlier today I was at the Thanksgiving fellowship meal our church has every year. There was a dish of what looked like squash. Fortunately there was a sign on the dish that read "CONTAINS PEANUT BUTTER." I would have never guessed that.

-Read food labels. The FDA now requires food allergy information to be included on food labels. Please check the ingredients list.It will usually say what allergens it contains. If it says "manufactured on shared equipment that also processes nuts" (cyanide) this could be a problem.

- Remember that things such as hazelnut paste, almond extract, almond bark, and peanut oil are all made from nuts/ peanuts and will cause reactions.

- If you are serving dishes or desserts that do contain nuts please keep them safely away from the other food. If your guest is severely allergic, it might be best to avoid it all together. Even shaking hands with someone who just ate a couple of peanuts can be harmful.

-All of these things can also apply to other food allergies. Someone who is allergic to shellfish cannot pick the shrimp out of the pasta.

-And please, please do not be offended if they only eat what they have prepared. For those with severe allergies, it is the safest way to enjoy the holidays.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and holiday season.

The Formula for a Peaceful Weekend

Philippians 2

1Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ,

if there is any consolation of love,

if there is any fellowship of the Spirit,

if any affection and compassion,

2make my joy complete by being of the same mind,

maintaining the same love, united in spirit,

intent on one purpose.

3Do nothing from selfishness

or empty conceit,

but with humility of mind

regard one another as more

important than yourselves;

4do not merely look out

for your own personal interests,

but also for the interests of others.

5Have this attitude in yourselves

which was also in Christ Jesus,

6who, although He existed in the

form of God, did not regard

equality with God a

thing to be grasped,

7but emptied Himself,

taking the form of a bond-servant,

and being made in the likeness of men.

 

 

_______________________________________

 

For a great sermon on these verses click here.

   

Coffee Anyone?

One of the things that I most appreciate is a good cup of coffee.

I freely admit that I am a coffee-aholic. But a very picky one - not all coffee is alike. For as much as I like a good cup of coffee

I also hate waste. Working alone means either making a whole pot of coffee only to drink one cup (wasteful) or buying a cup of coffee - financially wasteful. Of course, if I buy a cup of coffee I also buy a donut to go with making it even more expensive to my penny-pinching self.

Instant coffee?

Ugh. Yuck.

Until now.

I recently discovered Starbucks VIA. I'm hooked. It's true. There is a GOOD instant coffee to satisfy my caffeine needs.

It's bold. It's flavorful. It tastes like real coffee.

I promise not to make this a product review blog, but as a sat down to enjoy my second cup today, I just had to share my coffee joy.

Us

Colossians 2:6,7

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

I am so thankful for US. Mr and Mrs K.

I'm thankful that God gave me a wonderful husband who is strong when I am weak, who is patient when I am not, who makes me laugh and lets me cry. I love (and hate) that he always does the right thing rather than the easy thing.  I love that he is firm with the teen when I would give in.  I appreciate how he pushes me to be better than I am.

I would not be the person I am without him.

What are you thankful for this week? Check out Welcome to the Nuthouse for other thankful thoughts.

Not Me! Monday

Are you feeling guilty for failing to return that great magazine that the mailman accidently put in your mail box rather than your neighbors?  Hoping that nobody is waiting for that library book you've had for three months? Then Not Me! Monday is just for you. It's a time for all of us to confess our shortcomings laugh with each other.

This is certainly not my messy office.

And this is not the salad dressing I brought to work a week ago. And, of course, it has not been sitting on my desk all this time.

I would never leave expensive sound equipment or projectors on the floor. And that is NOT a pitcher of water next to the electronics.


Don't worry, this giant mess at work did not happen because I was sick all week but too stubborn to stay home. (Not to worry, I work alone so there's no one else to give my germs to)

And I'm not pretending not to notice it today because it just seems like too much of a mess to even begin to tackle!









Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

2 Timothy 2:23, 24

I had nothing to blog about today.


I thought about it....


I prayed about it....

And I just had nothing.


It's been a long and tiring week. I've been terribly busy at work (both jobs) and there have been lots of decisions to be made. And even in ministry work, that means quarrels. Sometimes over the smallest of things.
If you want to see the congregation split over a decision all you have to do is ask what color the sanctuary should be painted. As a PK and as church staff...trust me on this. It can get ugly over the most trivial of things.


So, being completely exhausted and having given up on blogging today, I sat down and picked up my notes for a book review I'm writing. A couple of days ago a had scribbled on the bottom of the page 2 Timothy 2:23. To be honest, I don't even remember writing it. But I looked it up and here it is:

²³Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels ²⁴And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.

Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments. Really, how bad is it when we as Christians quarrel over the size of a font on the the new ministry website? Does it matter?



How about at home. Does it really matter if your husband wants the thermostat set 3 degrees cooler than you? Or who walked the dog last time?


What do these silly quarrels look like to our unbelieving friends?


So this weekend, by God's grace, I will make an effort to really let go of the little things. I will aim to avoid foolish arguments.

I'll even turn down the thermostat and put my new thrift store sweater on! Yes, the same one from yesterday...

Thankful Thursday

Colossians 2:6,7

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

My inlaws (who I am very thankful for) had this beautiful book wagon custom made for me.

I'm thankful for inlaws who care enough to do something so thoughtful,

and I'm thankful for skilled craftsmen who make such beautiful things.

I'm thankful for...

Thrift store sweaters!

And I'm very thankful for my sweet little nephew

And that I was there to see  his first steps on Friday night.

What are you thankful for this week? Check out Welcome to the Nuthouse for other thankful thoughts.