52home

8:21 a.m. My 3.Week 5 Crib Jumping

52home

When We Cannot Trace Him

"Our times are in God's hands; it is well they are so. Believers are not to expect great wealth, long life, or to be free from trials. But all will be ordered for the best. And remark from Job's history, that steadiness of mind and heart under trial, is one of the highest attainments of faith. There is little exercise for faith when all things go well. But if God raises a storm, permits the enemy to send wave after wave, and seemingly stands aloof from our prayers, then, still to hang on and trust God, when we cannot trace him, this is the patience of the saints. Blessed Saviour! how sweet it is to look unto thee, the Author and Finisher of faith, in such moments!" ~Matthew Henry

52home

3:14 p.m. Ask Kristin

52home

The Question God Always Answers

In difficulty, my first question is often “Why?” I can be tempted to demand an answer from God. Sometimes He makes his purposes clear; but God is not obligated, nor does He always tell us why.

But there is another question He will always answer, as JI Packer asserts in his book: Praying the Lord’s Prayer:

“If you ask, ‘Why is this or that happening?’ no light may come, for ‘the secret things belong to the Lord our God’ (Deuteronomy 29:29); but if you ask, ‘How am I to serve and glorify God here and now, where I am?’ there will always be an answer.”

Our Father in heaven will show us how to glorify Him, if we simply ask, ready to obey. So which question are you asking today?

“And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” Isaiah 30:21

~from the archives

52home

10:05 a.m. Wet Beds

52home

52home

11:07 a.m.

52home

“But the pace!” CS Lewis on Young Parents

Every mom of young, active, children (especially boys!) needs to take a minute to read these excerpts of letters from CS Lewis. The way he describes the whirlwind of these parenting years will bring a knowing smile to your face. So "fling yourself into a chair" for a moment and enjoy:

My brother and I have just had the experience of an American lady to stay with us accompanied by her two sons, aged 9 1/2 and 8. Whew! Lovely creatures — couldn’t meet nicer children — but the pace! I realize have never respected young married people enough and never dreamed of the Sabbath calm which descends on the house when the little cyclones have gone to bed and all the grown-ups fling themselves into chairs and the silence of exhaustion.

Continue reading, courtesy of Tony Reinke.

52home

3:27 p.m. Someone needs to hide these from me.

52home

When Life is Hard

I love Scripture's honesty. I love how the biblical authors, inspired by the Holy Spirit, don't hold back about despair, weakness, doubt, or fear. They don't step gingerly around topics of pain or temptation or trouble. They are frank about the fact that life is hard.

So when the biblical writers speak to us of hope and joy and peace, we know these are real too. And in our depths of despair, we can take their hand and follow them out of the pit.

Take for example, the words of Jeremiah in Lamentations 3 that we are all so familiar with: "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness" (v. 22-23). These words are spoken from the heights, a spectacular panorama. But how do we get there when we feel crippled by the trials of life? 
 
The same way Jeremiah did.

Only a few verses earlier he writes from the deepest valley: "...my soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is; so I say, 'My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the Lord'" (v. 17-18).

Can you relate? Hope, gone. Peace, gone. Happiness, so far gone, you can't even remember what it feels like. What do we say to someone who confesses this? Do we recoil at their lack of faith? And yet here is Jeremiah, prophet of God, confessing that in his trouble he feels bereft of all of the blessings of the people of God.
 
Then Jeremiah shows us how he gets from the depths to the heights: "But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope..." (v. 21).

His soul, which had taken its last breath of hope, was resuscitated by calling to mind who God is and what He does. He is faithful. He shows mercy, He does love. He does not forget. He sent His only Son who endured the agony of the cross, in our place and for our sins, and rose again, victorious. This I call to mind.

Notice that Jeremiah's trial was unchanged. He didn't get a phone call that the cancer was gone. He didn't find his enemies on his front porch asking for forgiveness. He didn't get hired. His child didn't become a Christian. But he had something better.

He had hope. Hope that one day, even if it wasn't until heaven, he would know happiness again.

Thank You

Today we are grateful for the news that CJ/Dad has been exonerated from the charges against him and fully restored to fruitful, gospel ministry. We could not let this moment pass without thanking so many of you who communicated your prayers and encouragement during this difficult year. Even though we weren't able to reply personally, we read every one of your emails and our souls were comforted by the many verses, thoughts, and prayers. As we are fond of saying here at girltalk, you did us the truest kindness in the world--you prayed for us. We can never thank you enough. And thank you for reading even though our posting has been spotty. We look forward to more regular blogging in the days ahead. We may have to wait until heaven to thank each of you in person, but until then, we hope you know we are truly grateful for your friendship and care.

the girltalkers

52home

2:03 p.m. The Alternative Coat Closet

52home

girltalk links

New@52home - there's a new romantic collection over at 52home@home, just in time for Valentine's Day

Sitting is Good News - Why sitting down at the end of a long day should remind you of the gospel

More Than Enough - "Will Jesus provide for you? Are you struggling to believe it, because when you do the math it doesn’t add up?"

52home

11:43 a.m. The 3-year-old again.

52home

Grieving with Hope

"[H]e himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death...." (Hebrews 2:14 ESV)

"O children of God! death hath lost its sting, because the devil's power over it is destroyed...It is sweet to die; to lie upon the breast of Christ... And you that have lost friends, or that may be bereaved, sorrow not as those who are without hope. What a sweet thought the death of Christ brings us concerning those who are departed! They are gone, my brethren; but do you know how far they have gone? The distance between the glorified spirits in heaven and the militant saints on earth seems great; but it is not so. We are not far from home." C.H.S.

A Faithful Woman

By Carolyn, from the archives: July 15, 2005

Yesterday was my mom’s 83rd birthday.  My sister and I took her out for breakfast to celebrate.  She loves to go out for breakfast.  And as usual, the three of us talked lots and laughed even more.  Then I seized a moment in our conversation to say "thank you."  That’s when my mom became uneasy.  She always does, but that’s okay.  I pressed through the awkwardness and thanked her for her faithfulness.

I thanked her for providing an example of unwavering devotion to God.
I thanked her for loving my dad and being faithful to her marriage covenant of 60 years.
I thanked her for constantly and tenderly caring for her 5 children and now her 17 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren.
I thanked her for modeling biblical womanhood for me.

As if in hopelessness, Solomon poses this question in Proverbs 20:6—“A faithful [woman] who can find?”

Well, I found one—my mom.  And realizing how rare she truly is, I am thanking God today for the life she has lived and the legacy she has given to me.  I’m also asking God to help me to be faithful and to pass on this same legacy to my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Who can you thank today for living a life of faithful biblical womanhood?