DIVIDED, Watch for Free until September 2011

         

  "There is a crisis. Christian youth are rapidly leaving evangelical churches for the world. This well-recognized disaster has been the topic of significant discussion in recent years for both church leaders and modern new media. DIVIDED follows young Christian filmmaker Philip Leclerc on a revealing journey as he seeks answers to what has led his generation away from the church. Traveling across the country conducting research and interviewing church kids, youth ministry experts, evangelists, statisticians, social commentators, and pastors, Philip discovers the shockingly sinister roots of modern, age-segregated church programs, and the equally shocking evidence that the pattern in the Bible for training future generations is at odds with modern church practices. He also discovers a growing number of churches that are abandoning age-segregated Sunday school and youth ministry to embrace the discipleship model that God prescribes in His Word." (DIVIDED official site)    

           DIVIDED is an eye opening movie that looks Biblically at youth ministry and how much of the church is trying to reach out to youths. Not only is the cinamatography beautiful, but, more importantly, the movie incoperates much research from many sources.  DIVIDED not only shows the many opions on youth ministry, it  ultimately looks at youth ministry from a Biblical perspective. It is a very interesting movie and ,I believe, is a must watch for many in the church today.  
      
          The link for DIVIDED will be up until September 2011 as the producers are allowing it to be viewed for free. It can either be watch on the official DIVIDED site: http://dividedthemovie.com/#watchlink or on Vimeo : http://vimeo.com/26098320.           

Book Review: "What He Must Be...If He Wants To Marry My Daughter"

 

Recently my father handed me a book and asked me to read it, stating that He thought it was an excellent and helpful read.  Although it took me two months to get through the book, it is exceptional and is a must read for fathers, mothers, daughters, sons, and men of marriageable age. From the beginning, "What He Must Be" by Voiddie Bacucham Jr., is clear cut, gripping, helpful, powerful, and Biblical. Essentially Mr. Baucham lays out, Biblically, what fathers and daughters should look for in possible suitors, what fathers and mothers should cultivate in their own sons, and what men should be cultivating in themselves. As Voddie Baucham says:

"There are some things a man simply must be before he is qualified to assume the role of a Christian husband. For instance, he must be a Christian (2 Corinthians 6:14); he must be committed to biblical headship (Ephesians 5:23); he must welcome children (Psalms 127: 3 -5); he must be a suitable priest (Joshua 24:15), prophet (Ephesians 6:4), protector (Nehemiah 4:13 -14), and provider (1 Timothy 5:8; Titus 2:5). The man who does not possess - or at least show strong signs of - these and other basic characteristics does not meet the basic job description laid down for husbands in the Bible. Moreover, as a father,it is my responsibility to teach my daughter what these requirements are, encourage her not to settle for less, and walk her through the process of evaluating potential suitors."  (pp 17)

     Although he lists many qualifications, Mr. Baucham does not expect young men to be perfect, as none of us are perfect, but He points out that young women and fathers should look for men who have in some measure of the qualities he lists or are open to cultivating such Biblical qualities. Although he does not expect perfection, also does not want the man his daughter is going to marry to be someone who is inept of most of the qualities above.  Mr. Baucham is looking at marriage as a sacred institution that should be treasured. He also looks at marriage as the beginning of a multigenerational legacy. Depending on who one marries a beautiful and Godly legacy or a deplorable and disparaging legacy can be begun or passed on. As He states: "The marriages of our sons and daughters will serve as the foundation upon which the next generation is built." (pp. 27) If we want the next generation to be built on the word of God and be passionate planters of His word, then we must have strong and Godly marriages to begin with.
      "What He Must Be" strives to prepare this generation to look for all the qualities needed to have a strong marriage before one is married, instead of looking for those qualities or having to grow those qualities in full, once married.  Of course during any point of  life growth in necessary, but when it comes to marriage the path of growth will be much steeper if not impossible for thoe ill equipped. "What He Must be" gives one a general Biblical outline of what one should look for in a suitor instead of having to search in the dark and hope one happens upon a Godly man. 
     Although I would love to detail all Mr. Baucham says about marriage, I do not think I can adequately do so. Therefore, I will just say that part of the goal of this book is to look at marriage as more than just two individuals living together and raising children, etc. He tries to instill a spirit of soberness about marriage in his readers. He highlights that marriage is to be treasured and is to be seen as something important for the next generation. It is also a ministry for believers to their children, for others in their vicinity and the world. Marriage is a picture of Christ and the Church (Revelation 19: 7-8, 21: 9) and therefore is not an institution to be entered into lightly.  
      Before, he fully details the Biblical qualifications for a suitor Mr. Baucham also makes a point to stress how important a father's role is when it comes to choosing a spouse. He deems it important that a father protect His daughter's heart, her mind, etc. He states that one should not allow one's daughter to only go with the longings of her heart, when it comes to marriage, because : "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9)  (pp 49) He advocates for male patriarchy "responsible male leadership in the home and in the church" ( pp 51). He recommends for fathers to look at the examples of patriarchs in the Bible and in conjunction he lists a patriarchs duty to his daughter( pp 53 -65). 
          After more than sixty pages of describing why one needs to be discerning when picking a spouse, Mr. Baucham begins to list what he, the suitor, must be (pp 67 -157). He allows a chapter for each qualification, which is beneficial for the reader as the qualifications are explained in a very helpful, informative, and sometimes humorous manner. Below is the list of qualifications that Mr. Baucham gives:
1. He Must be a Follower of Christ (2 Corinthians 6: 14-18)
2. He Must be Prepared to Lead 
3. He Must Lead like Christ ( Ephesians 5)
4. He Must be Commited to His Children (Psalm 127:3- 5)
5. He Must Practice the Four P's
          A.  Protector 
          B. Provider
          C. Prophet/Priest (Basically a man who "must pray with and for his family" and a man who will teach and grows his family in the Word of God.)  
Overall he did a wonderful job of detailing Biblical qualifications husbands and daughters should be looking for in a man. I would definitely recommend this to fathers, mothers, daughters, sons, and men of marriageable age. It was a phenomenal book in terms of the information given, its God centeredness, and Mrs. Baucham's writing. It is a rare gem for one to find a truly good book on this subject in the world today. I hope you all have a chance to read the book and reflect on all Mr. Baucham has to say through a Biblical perspective.

Preview of " What He Must Be" Book Review

Here is a preview of the upcoming book review: 

Recently my father handed me a book and quite simply said: "You need to read this. It is very beneficial." Although it took me two months to get through the book,  I believe it is exceptional and is a must read for fathers, mothers, daughters, sons, and men of marriageable age. From the beginning, "What He Must Be" by Voiddie Bacucham Jr. is clear cut, gripping, helpful, powerful, and overwhelmingly Biblical. Essentially Pastor Baucham lays out, Biblically, what fathers, mothers, and daughters should look for in possible suitors, what fathers and mothers should cultivate in their own sons and what men should be cultivating in themselves. As Voddie Baucham says:

"There are some things a man simply must be before he is qualified to assume the role of a Christian husband. For instance, he must be a Christian (2 Corinthians 6:14); he must be committed to biblical headship (Ephesians 5:23); he must welcome children (Psalms 127: 3 -5); he must be a suitable priest (Joshua 24:15), prophet (Ephesians 6:4), protector (Nehemiah 4:13 -14), and provider (1 Timothy 5:8; Titus 2:5). The man who does not possess - or at least show strong signs of - these and other basic characteristics does not meet the basic job description laid down for husbands in the Bible. Moreover, as a father,it is my responsibility to teach my daughter what these requirements are, encourage her not to settle for less, and walk her through the process of evaluating potential suitors."

He goes onto say that he does not expect a suitor to be perfect, as none of us are perfect. Although perfection is not expected, he does not want the man his daughter is going to marry to be someone who is inept of most of the qualities above. Mr. Baucham is looks at marriage as a sacred institution that should be treasured. He also looks at marriage as the beginning of a multigenerational legacy. Depending on who one marries a beautiful and Godly legacy or a deplorable and disparaging legacy can be begun or passed on. As He states: "The marriages of our sons and daughters will serve as the foundation upon which the next generation is built." (pp. 27) Basically, if we want the next generation to be built on the word of God and be passionate planters of His word, then we must have strong and Godly marriages to begin with. "What He Must Be" strives to prepare this generation to look for all the qualities needed to have a strong marriage before one is married, instead of looking for those qualities or having to grow those qualities once married. Of course during any point of life growth in necessary but  the path of growth will be much steeper for those ill equipped. The book gives one a general Biblical outline of what one should look for in a suitor instead of having to search in the dark and hope one happens upon a Godly man...

Unplanned

  Sometimes in life, as we all know, everything does not go as planned. My planning did not work out last week. Although my computer died for four days, I was able to go work at my Dad's office for a week, finished my CPR course, finished many necessary errands and this week my family and I are off for some time together without distractions or computers. So, I am formally informing you that the planned book review will be postponed for a week and two days.  Sorry about the delay but I am ever thankful for the Lords provision.

Book Review to Come

 

Heads up! I am writing a book review on "What He Must Be" by Voddie Baucham. I loved the book and if you have not read it before, I highly recommend reading the book review. It will be online this week! The book is a great summer read by the way!

Hold Me Together by Royal Tailor

I have not listened to any of "Royal Tailor's" other songs but I heard this on the radio the other day and felt I should share it. The music is quite neat and the words are actually fairly substantial and meaningful, which can be hard to find in Christian music anymore. It does sound a little bit too "boy band" at times for my taste but overall I would say it has some substance.

Holy, Holy, Holy

I wanted to share this because it is such a beautiful rendition of the classic song "Holy, Holy, Holy."

"Is it His plan that I remain single?" Part 2

    
 

Thinking About The Two Options 
  

  As I said in my last post it seems as if one has two options when it comes to one’s unmarried years:   
   

Option 1: We can brood over the fact that we are not married and either try to take the situation into our own hands or pine over something we may or may not be blessed with one day.    
  

Or  

Option 2: We can look at this period of our lives as a time of preparation, a blessed time in life that the Lord has given us in which to learn, trust in Him, and grow. We can thank Him for this "season" and trust that His plans are “to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future.”    

I know that there are some that rest in the middle of these two options, but for the most part I think one chooses, unknowingly at times, either option one or option two.

Option One : Sadness and Discontentment   

“ Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made.” (Genesis 3:1 a) “But the serpent said to the woman, ‘ You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’” (Genesis 3: 4-5)

          In the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve broke their trust in the Lord and listened to the lies the serpent told them. They desired to be like God and sinned for the first time when they decided to disobey the Lord and eat of the tree of good and evil.  Instead of living forever with the Lord their decision resulted in banishment, sadness, death, destruction, and the curse of knowing good and evil (Genesis 3: 22 -24). Even in Adam and Eve’s disobedience God had a beautiful plan and He did not abandon His people. He eventually gave man the greatest gift this world has ever known and sent His only and perfect son to die for the sins that we committed and commit against Him. In doing so, he saved man from ultimate death and destruction, if only one would believe in Him and confess one’s sins (Romans 10: 7- 17). Even though we sinned against Him, He still had a plan, the most beautiful plan this world has ever known.

         Even after we are saved we can still struggle with our sin natures and fail to trust in Him at times. We can also struggle with being content with what He has given us. When it comes to being unmarried I think option one can be the easiest path to fall into, but it is a path that generally leads to discontentment, unhappiness, unrest, and many lost hours in one’s life. Option one ultimately is the failure to trust, as believers, that the Lord is in control and that He has a plan for our lives. His plans are much better than the plans we try to put into place, even if at the time our plans seem much better. 

        I fully began to realize this principle five or so years ago. When I was fifteen my father needed to and was led to move to Connecticut for his career. At the time I had lived in a wonderful town for nine years and had a lot of amazing friends. As a person who often does not cope with change well, when I learned we were moving I thought my life was “ending.” For the first several years in Connecticut I genuinely struggled to trust in Him and my faith was “tested.” I was angry with God, at times I did not understand my parents, and could not see any good that had come from the move. Those years were a time of intense change for me, times of intense struggle and at times rebellion. Surprisingly those years were also a time of intense growth. Slowly I began to realize that I had begun to cut myself off from both my family and God. Only by His grace was I able to slowly, but painful, trust that these were His plans for my life. He changed my heart in many ways while I lived in Connecticut, and made me depend on Him and grow in Him more than I had been forced to in my hometown. Not only did He force me to depend on Him, but He also helped me to begin to more fully put my confidence in Him. After four years in Connecticut my father was offered a wonderful work opportunity in our old town. When I think back, those years in Connecticut were some of the hardest, saddest, and most painful times in my life, but they were also the most glorious, freeing and wonderful periods as well. If I had stayed in my home town I probably would have matured as a Christian but I would not have had to grow to the extent I was forced to when we moved. Now because I struggled against Him, there are areas in my life that I could have grown in more if I had just trusted in Him. For example, I could now have a greater knowledge of His word, but I cannot change what happened in the past, and ultimately He used my struggles to grow me.  

     So, sometimes it is hard to see how God works in our lives and it is hard to understand, as believers, that the Lord can use times of struggle to mature us and use those times for His glory, etc. If I had been asked five year ago if I wanted to move I would have shouted a resounding "NO!" but if you ask me today I would say "Yes, and thank-you Lord for using that time for your glory." It is funny sometimes how God works when we do not see how He can do so but He is omnipotent. 

         So, when it comes to option one we can try to take the situation into our own hands, but often times our efforts result in pain and failure. We can also pine away, depressed that our dreams have not come true, creating dreams for the future and crying out to God in desperation asking why He did not bless us as other girls have been. All this leads us to option two.

Option Two : Amazing Hope and Freedom

      If your like me you are probably ready to hear about option two because option one does not sound too fine or dandy at this point. In fact option one sound downright depressing and discouraging. So, here is the good news: God is in charge and He loves His people, even those unmarried, more than we could ever imagine. He has had a plan since the beginning of time and although sin has entered the world, due to man, He choose us and will not forsake us, if we are His people (Ephesians 2: 4-8).  This is the most basic, fundamental, and comforting truth.

       Option two is a hard path to choose. It is not easy to depend on Him or trust in Him but option two is the most beautiful path. It is a path in which one can find, with His aid, joy, contentment, purpose, unimaginable love, and peace. The struggle of picking option two is: trust, trust, trust, dependence, dependence, dependence and knowledge that He knows best. How painful it can be to give up our ways and to give our lives and struggles to Him, but how wonderful and relieving it can be as well. Every period in our lives is a period God can use for His glory, a time in which He can grow us in Him, grow us in our love for Him, and a time He can use us to bless others. What an amazing God He is and how much love He has for His people!   

     As Jesus says in Luke 12 : “ Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious…" (vs. 22)  “Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?” (vs. 24 -26) “But if God so clothes the grass…how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!” (vs. 29) “Fear not, little flock, for it is your father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (vs. 33) “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (vs. 34, ESV) 

          So, why don’t we be thankful for what the Lord has given us and be thankful that we are His people and that He cares for us. Instead of our treasure being marriage why don’t we treasure what is above and be thankful that He chosen us. Why don’t we use the skills the Lord has given us and use them by and for His glory. There is so much we can doing during our unmarried years to further His kingdom, to learn about Him, read His word, develop skills we may need in the future, be a blessing to those around us, etc. Of course we can only do so with His help! Option two does seems so much more encouraging and God honoring than option one. Although it can be difficult at times to continue on this path, it is a relief to know that He is always with us. 

      I would like to end this article with an encouraging psalm of David. This psalm shows David's trust and love for the Lord, and demonstrates God's glory. I think it is a good "theme" psalm for this article. 

“Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion,  

and to you shall vows be performed.

O you who hear prayer, 

to you shall all flesh come.

When iniquities prevail against me,

you atone for our transgressions.

Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,

to dwell in your courts!  

We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,

the holiness of your temple!

By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,

O God of our salvation,

the hope of all the ends of the earth

and of the farthest seas;

the one who by his strength established the mountains  

being girded with might; 

who still the roaring of the seas…”

(Psalms 65: 1 -7)

May God bless your lives as you allow Him to daily work in you. 

All credits for the picture go to : http://jeroendstout.tumblr.com/ The artist is: Leopold Franz Kowalksi (1856-1931)

Edited: "Is His plan that I remain single?"

Dear Reader/s,
Please forgive me.I have been out of town and posted "Is His plan that I remain single?" in Arizona. I was quite busy at the time and did not read over the article, something a good writer should never do. Therefore, I did not notice that a large section of my writing was missing. I have since revised the article, and hope that you enjoy it once again, as this time it is far more substantial and probably less confusing. Thank-you and I am sorry.
Sincerely,
Kate
P.S. Also the title, gramatically, should read "Is His plan for me to remain single?" but, as I have already given out the link, I am going to leave the title as is.

"Is His Plan that I Remain Single?" Part 1

"Is His plan for me to remain single?"  

    Recently, I have been pondering this question. I am only twenty years old, but within my community of friends there have been the beginnings of many marriages and I know several young women who are in very serious courting relationships. So, marriage has been brought to the front of my mind. I have also been speaking to several young women who are struggling with the idea of singleness/ remaining unmarried and are ultimately frustrated by the fact that they do not know His plans (I definitely can be in this category). Due to the above, for the last several months I have been reading, studying and praying about several topics including marriage and an individuals unmarried years. After much reading, talking, and listening I have been presented with, or found several, comforting conclusions. 

1.       God has plans for those who will trust in Him, and His plans are not to harm us but to give us a hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

2.      “… that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

3.      The Lord cares for his people, more than we can ever imagine. (Mathew 6:25-34; Ephesians 2:1 -10)

4. Last but not least: "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." (Ecclesiastes 3)     
   

         The above facts  are not terribly difficult to understand, because the Lord has always been faithful to and loves His people, but they can be very difficult to put into practice or to know in one's own heart. This especially true, it seems, when one has to trust the Lord with something that is close to one's heart.
         When I was younger I tended to think that when I came to a certain age, if I was faithful to God, then I would find a godly man right away, we would get married, have children, and the rest of our lives would be spent serving others as missionaries. Although, at this point the above has not occurred, I have realized that ultimately I have to trust that His plans are best. Part of the struggle at times though, is making His desires my desires.  Therefore, I find it difficult  to put into action Psalm 37: 3-4: “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” This verse does not mean that if one does all that the Lord commands He will give you the desires of your heart but, seemingly means, that if we delight in Him, His desires will be our desires for our lives. The application of Psalm 37 can only be done through God’s grace and our willingness to delight in the Lord and not delight in ourselves.    

But Marriage is Beautiful    

 

          Although, I have begun to delight in Him more and more, something I can only do by God's grace, my real struggle has been the knowledge that marriage is a beautiful picture of Christ and the Church and can be a wonderful picture of unity. As I have read more about a woman’s role through a Biblical perspective, I have realized that apart from our relationship with the Lord,which is number one, our primary role, if the Lord wills, is to be wives and mothers (Titus 2, Proverbs 31). Our role as wives and mothers is both beautiful and necessary. Women have a key role in encouraging their husbands, helping their husbands to continue to be godly men, encouraging them to lead, raising the next generation in the fear and admonition of the Lord, setting a godly example to younger women, etc. I have have seen wonderful examples of women, including my own mother, who are Proverbs 31 women and I have seen how much they have blessed others and have been a blessing to their families. These women allow their husbands to lead and they themselves trust the Lord. Not that they are always perfect, but they do delight themselves in the Lord, have a firm understanding of His grace, and trust in Him. In a world in which feminism has become very influential, a woman who truly shows Biblical womanhood, stands out as beautiful. As a very passionate person, my heart swells when I hear or know such women and my desire to be such a woman increases. When I hear speakers who preach on Biblical womanhood and a woman's role, I feel evermore passionate to help raise up the next generation of children in the Lord. At times this thought process can lead me to think that marriage is more worthy than singleness, which is a fallacy.

Singleness/ Being Unmarried Can Be Lovely Too 

          
Although marriage is a wonderful institution, and God will probably allow most of us to enter into it, God can use me and other young women as singles/ unmarried no matter how long He has us remain unmarried. See, within our lives there are different periods in which God uses us in different ways. When we were children we were able to help others but mainly it was a period of instruction, we needed that time in order to grow both physically but also emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Although in many ways we still need instruction we are at a time in our lives in which we can use as either a time to pine away for something we do not have or as a time to grow in the skills or gifts the Lord has given us. It is also a time in which we can grow in our relationship with Him, a time in which we can help our families, learn from our fathers and mothers, bless those inside and outside the church that need help, etc. I used to think, and partially was taught, that after high school you had several options but none of them included staying at home with one's family. I used to think it was nobler to help others, and was unable to se how I could be used in my own home. So, I used to think that in order to be useful in my own home or to grow in certain skills I would need to be married or, once I received a degree, leave my parents home. Although I go to a college near my home, I have realized that the above is not true. Through books such as “So Much More”, “Joyfully Home”, “What He Must Be”, conferences I’ve been to, my parents, the Bible, and close friends, I have realized the exact opposite. I have found that I can be extremely useful as unmarried. This time in my life can be extremely beneficial no matter what path God has in store for my life. One’s “single years” can be a time of helping one’s family, gaining skills one will need later in life (such as knowledge of the Bible, teaching, cooking, sewing, gardening, interaction with others, learning what a family should look like, etc.). Also, one's unmarried years can be used to further God's kingdom and is a period in which one can grow deeper in one's relationship with Him. As the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 7: 34, 35: "And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord." ("So Much More" has several uplifting paragraphs on this,pages 251 -252, FYI.)
          Lately, I have realize what a blessing one's unmarried years can be, in terms of preparation for whatever the Lord has in store for me. I have been blessed to have be given the opportunity to babysit five young children on multiple occasions. The children are extremely sweet and I love them dearly, but at times I realize my weaknesses when babysitting them. I can be too strict or to lenient at times because I am unwilling to deal with something that seems to have happened 100 times that day. Sometimes I think "Oh, it is so wonderful to be around and care for such children. I can’t wait until I become a mother!"and at other times, when diapers need to be changed at the same time two children are fighting and one is yelling to get my attention, I think “How am I ever going to become a mother.” During the latter I just have to thank the Lord for the position that He has put me in as a time to learn and grow.  

Two Options  

       When it comes to our unmarried years I think there are two options we have:

  Option1: We can brood over the fact that we are not married and either try to take the situation into our own hands or pine over something we may or may not be blessed with one day.

Or    

  Option 2: We can look at this period of our lives as a time of preparation, a blessed time in life that the Lord has given us in which to learn, trust in Him, and grow. We can thank Him for this "season" and trust that His plans are “to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future.”     

      On our own strength option two is extremely difficult and I know that I personally struggle with trusting in Him. I also know, though, that with His help anything is possible and I believe that He is faithful and sovereign over my life. This knowledge helps me both to have confidence in Him and to trust in Him, but even with such knowledge I often struggle with trusting and having confidence in Him. 
      
In the next part of this article I would like to further discuss the implications of the two choices and see where each option leads.

"New" Discussions

     In my twenty years of life on this earth I have gone through many phases of growth and change, as many of you have as well, but the last several years have been a time of intense and, at times, painful growth for me. During these last several years I have been introduced more fully to ideas that were quite foreign.  I also gained a fuller knowledge of God's amazing grace and how much He has a hand in my life. Since I have been thinking through so many ideas a lot of questions have entered my mind about many subjects and ideas. I have had to understand, to a greater degree, why I believe certain things scripturally and have had to discern, through the word of God and prayer, if I should accept certain concepts or ideas supported by scripture. I continually learn something new everyday, it seems, about His word and how pertinent it is in my life. Discussions with my father, sermon's, conferences, books such as "So Much More","What He Must Be" and "Joyfully Home", and discussions with older and younger ladies have made me interested and thoughtful about concepts I had rejected or had dismissed in the past. Due to these new interests and based on my own struggles, I feel that there are some subjects that are close to my heart that I would like to at least discuss on "His Plans and Living Life", through a Biblical perspective. All this to say that "His Plans and Living Life" might be getting a little "heavier" now in them when it comes to my writing but don't fear there is definitely going to be some light moments as well, knowing how strange and wonderful my life can be at times.  So, please don't take this as a warning to abandon ship when it comes to reading this blog but as an invite to discuss some subjects that are very interesting and beautiful.

The Truck Stop Gas Station

First, I want to preface this post by noting that I believe trucking is a necessary, legitimate and worthy  profession. I also realize truck stop gas stations are important to truck drivers as they are a miniature "home away from home." With the above said, I want to note that I have had my first memorable truck stop gas station experience....

      

      It was a beautiful Friday afternoon as we pulled into an exceptionally large gas station for a much needed break from the monotony of the highway. Most of the car ride thus far had been spent talking, and catching up on some necessary rest. The first of two conferences my sister and I were to attend had just come to a close, and we were making our way home with some very sweet family friends. As we forced our numb legs through the door of the “convenience store", I didn't notice anything unusual about the 400th gas station I have been to in my short twenty year life. Although coming out of the restroom, an announcement over the five overhead speakers began to catch my attention. In a masculine and hurried voice I heard: "Shower number three is ready for Hank, shower number three!" Since I had not seen any showers in the restroom, I hastily assumed the mention of a shower referred to a truck wash and quickly dismissed the loud voice. Making my way into the unusually large snack section of the store, I noticed almost every item was a bogo (buy one get one free) or a recently discounted item. Thinking that this was especially nice of the store to be willing to discount almost everything, I scoured the aisles with utmost attention – always looking for a good deal. After several seconds I noticed with disappointment that everything was King Sized, and since I wasn't really feeling in a huge sweets or snack mood, at the moment, I gave up the hunt. 

 

     Quickly making my way over to the drink section, I shortly reunited with my traveling companions. Their I found the shangri-la of all truck stop drink stations. The station spanned most of the wall and therefore was close to three and a half feet long. The blue glow and fake, but realistic, droplets of water on the plastic cover, would make almost anyone feel as if they needed to buy a soda from this gargantuan machine. Not only did the machine have twelve kinds of soda, it also contained four different additional flavors that could be added to the soda, including cherry, lemon, and chocolate. My sister, a "soda junky", stared at the machine in awe and utmost delight. Mrs. M, with whom we were traveling, was reminded of the days when this country had real soda fountains in most every city. "In my town they had a soda fountain that allowed us to put as many flavors as we wanted in our drinks." The dear lady stated in front of the blue glow. “Most girls would put four to five flavors in each drink. My favorite was the cherry." This story was a dear reminder of times past, especially of the rich history of the south, but although sweet, it was also quite hilarious. Here we were in the middle of a giant truck stop with the largest soda machine, this side of the Mississippi, behind us, little taquitos and hot dogs were twirling on their warmer, the loud masculine voice was calling above the din "Shower number four ready for Jeff.", and in the midst of it all, our little party was having a wonderful conversation about soda flavors and times past. After pulling ourselves away from the awe inspiring and memory jolting blue glow we made our way to the register. 

      I insisted on not buying anything because, as many know, I can be a bit too frugal at times,  but in the end the new Mini-Reese's Peanut Butter Cups tempted me to open my wallet. I noticed the " 2 for $2" sign and figured if I bought one package I would only have to pay a dollar, which is a great deal at those sorts of places. Placing the bag on the counter, I greeted the cashier and promptly began to grab $1.25 from my wallet. 

"Ma'am are you sure you only want one? They are on sale." The cashier asked kindly.

"Thank-you but I only want one today."
“Ok, well that will be $1.75."
"Oh, well I thought they were 2 for $2."
"Well they are Ma'am, but you have to buy two in order to get the deal."
"Oh, ok..." Unsure of what I should do I made the first choice that came to mind, "Well, I guess I'll just get two then. Sorry about that." Grabbing another bag from the bin I quickly placed it on the counter and gathered another dollar from my purse.
"That will be $2.05 Ma'am."
"Here you go." I said, placing the money on the counter, thanking her and stepping away dazed and confused. How could one item cost exponentially more than the second item? After shopping coupons sales for the last year and a half, I could not understand this concept. Generally, to all those who do not shop with coupons, when an item is bogo it means if you buy one of that item it costs half of the bogo cost, which is logical.
       After, the sale I was able to take in the rest of the glorious truck stop sight. "Shower number 3, Larry. Shower number three," the strong voice called out for the last audible time. Glancing over I saw on the wall gleaming knives, coolers and guns (I couldn’t figure out what type of animal you would hunt the highway -opossum?), flags, DVD’s, cell phone covers, TV's, and whatever else one could ever want.With one long glance back at the  Subway restaurant on the right side of the store, I slowly made my way out of the first memorable truck stop station I had ever been to and it was bittersweet. To this day, I still remember the gleaming drink station, the wonderful soda fountain story, and the sight of Mrs. M gleefully drinking the last dredges of her cherry soda as she left the gas station.
      After such an experience, we all hopped back in the car for another hour or two of driving and talking, eating both bags of “King Size” Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

On the road again

Gas stations are my best of friends

The conferences just seem to blend and blend

And I can't wait to get on the road again...

Due to the busyness of life recently, I will not be posting my article on "Truck Stops" or my articles on the conferences for another week. Sorry. : )

On The Road Again... Another Conference Left, My Friend....

On the road again

Gas stations are my best of friends

The conferences just seem to blend and blend

And I can't wait to get on the road again...

On the road again

That conference hasn't quite sunk in

I know that economics was within

And I'm sorry I have to get back on the road again.... 

On the road again

                                           Departing from such good friends

                                        I want the conferences back again, My Friend 

                                      And I'm sorry I have to get back in the road again...

                               (Kate's version with inspiration from 

                                            Willie Nelson's Song  "On The Road Again")

      As can be seen by this amazingly talented piece of gifted music, derived from a music author semi-close to my song writing ability, one can derive, with the right amount of effort, that I have been at gas stations and conferences - but not gas station conferences- during the last ten days. Starting with a conference on the Holy Spirit in Greenville and ending with a conference on economics, life has been a bit busy. Although the conferences were amazing…

I'm happy to be home again

The coastal warmth is again my friend

My Mom's cooking is wafting in.

And I'm so glad I get to be home again...

So, since I'm home again my goals is to tell you, at nauseum, about the trip. Here is what to prepare yourself for:

1. The Trucker Gas Station Experience 

2. Theology from the Holy Spirit Conference

3. Good Applications from the Economics Conference 



Since Spring is on the verge, or feels as if it is, below are some summer/spring photographs to cheer us all up and get us in the mood for the next season. I am sorry if these photos are too painful to look at for those in countries such as Russia and wintery states, i.e. Connecticut, but I hope you enjoy them wherever you are and remember spring is almost here! : )

 

 

How Deep the Father's Love For Us

I have had my wisdom teeth removed this week and have been a little out of it. So, I figured I would not try to write anything, in case it doesn't make sense. Therefore, I am posting yet another song I love. Hopefully soon I'll be alert enough to write something of importance. : ) Enjoy!

Beautiful Psalm of Forgiveness and God's Infinite Mercy

Psalm 32

 Blessed is the one

whose transgressions are forgiven,

whose sins are covered.

 Blessed is the one

whose sin the LORD does not count against them

and in whose spirit is no deceit. 

 When I kept silent,

my bones wasted away

through my groaning all day long.

 For day and night

your hand was heavy on me;

my strength was sapped

as in the heat of summer.[b]

 Then I acknowledged my sin to you

and did not cover up my iniquity.

I said, “I will confess

my transgressions to the LORD.”

And you forgave

the guilt of my sin. 

 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you

while you may be found;

surely the rising of the mighty waters

will not reach them.

 You are my hiding place;

you will protect me from trouble

and surround me with songs of deliverance. 

 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

 Do not be like the horse or the mule,

which have no understanding

but must be controlled by bit and bridle

or they will not come to you.
 Many are the woes of the wicked,

but the LORD’s unfailing love

surrounds the one who trusts in him.

 Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Ronald Regan "A Time For Choosing" - One of His Many Amazing Speeches

As part of my year off I've tried to spend some time cultivating my mind. I do so when I'm in college, but, as many of you probably know, I don't have as much time. The other night I sat down to watch a movie I heard much about but had never watched. The movie is entitled "The Agenda" and details the influences of socialism in and on the United States. It is a very interesting and eye opening movie- produced for the San Antonio Film Festival last year. On the vido there are some extra features and one bonus was a 1964 speech by Ronald Regan. The speech was given to support for Barry Goldwater (a man who ran for president, but lost, in 1964) but it addresses problems seen in our culture today, some, if not all, of which, with much effort, we can change. If you have time I would recomend watching the entire speech as it is one of the best speeches Ronald Regan ever gave! Feel free to comment. 

"A Tale of Two Cities" Book Review

 

 "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." (7)
This is how the book a "Tale of Two Cities" begins. Below is a short book review for all those who have not and have read the novel "A Tale of Two Cities" before. The story revolves around true events that took place during the French Revolution.

The Main Characters of the Plot: 

1. Charles Darnay: a French citizen by birth who moves to England for several important reasons and becomes entangled with the Manette family. He is highly motivated man and strives to make the most out of his life. 

. Sydney Carton: is an English citizen by birth that is quite brilliant but does not work diligently. Although he has a wonderful heart, he is lazy and abrupt. Below is the novel's description of him: 

"Sadly, sadly, the sun rose; it rose upon no sadder sight than the man of good abilities and good emotions, incapable of their directed exercise, incapable of his own help and his own happiness, sensible of the blight on him and resigning himself to let it eat him away." (pp 93)

  3. Doctor Manette: is a French citizen who spent the beginning of his life training to be a doctor. After he becomes a doctor, due to unfortunate circumstances, he is sent to the Bastille for eighteen years. His time in the Bastille turns him into the man one sees at the beginning of the book. He is a wonderful doctor who has a wonderful heart and a very caring personality.

"Into his handsome face, the bitter waters of captivity had worn; but, he covered upeir tracks with a determination so strong, that he held the mastery of them, even in his sleep." (pp 189)

4. Lucie Manette: is the daughter of Doctor Manette and a French citizen by birth, who is raised, as a child, in England by Miss Pross (Lucie's servant).  Lucie finds and dutifully takes care of her father throughout the book, making his time in the Bastille seem as if it were a whisper of time.  
 

5. Jarvis Lorry: an elderly man who works as a businessman for Tellson's bank in England. He is a wonderful old man who is intricately involved in the lives of the Manette family. He is a helper and comforter to many characters in the book, but foremost the Manette family.      

6. Monsuier and Madame Defarge: wine shop keepers in France who are deeply involved in the start of the French Revolution and who are also involved in the lives of the Manette family.

The Review:

    The characters above are all intertwined in a complicated, but amazingly crafted, plot by Charles Dickens. As with most books Charles Dickens wrote, the first hundred and fifty pages are quite laborious. Although tiring, those first pages are extremely important, as they develop the characters, and bond the reader to the Manette family. The rest of the storyline is a fight of emotions to the finish.

     The many emotions the novel evokes include: love, longing, anger, horror, compassion, hate, kindness, and, ultimately, sacrificial love. It is one of the best, if not the best, novel ever written in English history but unless one is willing to read the entire book this realization will never come to pass. 

     The book begins with Mr. Lorry and ultimately leads to the reunion of the Manette family. The family then goes back to England. There a trial takes place that starts turning the "wheels" of the plot that takes place over the next hundred and fifty pages. I would describe more of what take place after the trial but I would not want to spoil the surprises.
     Not only is the novel a great work of fiction but it also helps one to understand what it must have been like to live right before, and during, the French Revolution. It is a frightening picture that Dickens paints and one that comes with a warning for all future people groups.

"Crush humanity out of shape once more, under similar hammers, and it will twist itself into the same tortured forms. Sow the same seed of rapacious license and oppression over again, and it will surely yield the same fruit according to its kind." (pp. 376)

Lack of Morality

  The book is a demonstration of what life might be like without any morality. It’s hard to picture a world without morality when one lives in the United States; we accept that, except for a few people in history and the world today, most people are "good." Although this may seem to be true for those of the world, Dickens demonstrates that in the face of fear, death and suffering many can go from possessing "good" character to becoming morally inept. "A Tale of Two Cities" is both a picture of unimaginable love and also of what man can become without morality (i.e. without God). 

At several points in the story I understood and was horrified at the lack of morality portrayed by many of the characters in the book. Below are several examples:

1. As the emergence of the French Revolution comes to the brink a nobleman (who is still in power), a man named Monseignur, runs over a young girl with his carriage and kills her, as he flies through the streets of France. Instead of feeling compassion he offers the father some money and commands his driver to move forward. This is the description of what the people do:
"So cowed was their condition, and so long and hard their experience of what such a man could do to them, within the law and beyond it, that not a voice, or a hand, or even an eye was raised. Among the men, not one." "His contemptuous eyes passed...over all the other rats; and he leaned back in his seat again and gave the word 'Go on!'" (pp 112 -113) 

2. Another example is seen through the description of Madame Defarge. As the book says:

     "It was nothing to her, that an innocent man was to die for the sins of his forefathers; she saw, not him, but them. It was nothing to her, that his wife was to be made a widow and his daughter an orphan..." "To appeal to her was made hopeless by her having no sense of pity, even for herself. If she had been laid low in the streets, in any of the many encounters...she would not have pitied herself, nor, if she had been ordered to the axe to-marrow, would she have gone to it with any softer feeling than a fierce desire to change places with the man who sent her there. Such a heart Madame Defarge carried under her rough robe." (pp 359) 

     Although it seems at first incomprehensible that any human being can harbor such a coldness of heart, after some thought it did not seem as such a shock, at least to me. For without God everyone, at heart, is capable of such hardness and bitter hatred for other human beings. We have seen such coldness many times throughout history for example during the French Revolution, in Nazi Germany, Cuba, and South Korea. Without God's infinite grace and mercy we all could commit such acts, but due to His mercy and character God gave us an option of salvation from such coldness of heart, and for those who will not believe, common grace.   

Unconditional Love and Acceptance

     Although there is much suffering in the world there is also much happiness, joy, and unconditional love. This novel shows a beautiful picture of unconditional love and a wonderful picture of how close a family can become. Although I do not want to give away the storyline there is a part in the book that demonstrates, oh so minimally, how much Christ really did for mankind. A phrase in the book that demonstrates the importance of human life is below:
"Of little worth as life is when we misuse it, it is worth that effort [the effort to save it]. It would cost nothing to lay down if it were not."

No matter who you are I fully believe that "A Tale of Two Cities" is well worth the read!!

Even the last line of this book ends beautifully:

"It is far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest I go to than I have ever known."(pp 372)

None of the above pictures are owned or were taken by me. All copyright is owned by the authors.