Biblical Womanhood

It’s Next Time

I won't admit to you how many years it has been since I attended the Next conference. It makes me feel my age and I have intentionally forgotten how old I am. But I will tell you that I am still reaping the blessings of that conference in my life today. And there are people all over the country and the world that could say the same. I know them.

There is the girl who came as a non-Christian and left regenerated. She wrote me after the conference to tell me that she had joined a wonderful, gospel-preaching church.

There is the girl who was convicted of lying to her parents and went home and told them the truth.

There is the young man who was ignited with a fire for the local church and the gospel. And I know all about him because I have been happily married to him for the past eleven years.

What is most unique about this conference is that it is more about what happens the other 362 days of the year. The Next conference isn't about three days of spiritual high but about year round, faithful, grace-enabled service in the local church. And it is this message that continues to shape and inspire my life today.

I don't want anyone who is still young enough to attend to miss out on this conference. This year more than ever! The conference is being led by Dad and Bob Kauflin and speakers include Kevin DeYoung and Matt Chandler. The theme is You + The Church.

So today, thanks to the kind folks at Next, we have FIVE free registrations (for a single or a married couple) to give away! To win you need to do at leat one of the following:

1. Facebook - like the Next page on fb and post a link to the Next website on your fb page.

2. Twitter - tweet about the Next conference.

3. Blog - write a blog post about the Next conference.

Then simply email us at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and send us a link to your blog or tell us that you have posted on fb or twitter (we'll just use the honor system here). You must email us by midnight on Thursday evening and on Friday morning we will choose five random winners.

I can't wait to hear the life changing stories that will be written this year!

52home at Kelly’s Home

5:43 p.m. Breakfast for dinner.

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Turn, O Lord

In our greatest troubles, it often seems as if God has turned His face away. As if He doesn't see, as if He doesn't care to see.

And so we cry out as David did, "Turn, O Lord, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love" (Ps. 6:4). And we ask for the faith that concludes before it sees: "The Lord has heard my pleas; the LORD accepts my prayer. All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled; they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment" (Ps. 6:9-10).

Turn, O Lord and deliver us. And cause our enemies to turn back.

But no answer do we hear. No turning do we see. Or so it seems.

Until we return to the cross.

At the cross, our Heavenly Father turned away from His beloved Son. He did not hear His Son's pleas. He did not turn back His Son's enemies. He crushed His Son to fulfill the promise He gave to us through the prophets: "I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me" (Jer. 32:40).

God has not turned away from us in our trouble. He will not turn away. We deserve to have Him turn away from us forever, but He turned away from His Son instead--so that He might not turn away from doing good to us. 

And what is that good? It is the fear of God. It is the grace that keeps us from turning away from Him.

This turning, our turning away from God is the greatest tragedy, our greatest trial. And in all our trials, it is this turning that God is working to prevent. He is turning back our greatest enemy of all: sin. He is making sure we do not turn from Him, that we might always bask in the light of His face.

Truly, the Lord has heard my pleas.

52home at Jennifer’s home

10:11 a.m. At least he changed them!

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How God Works

"That's how God works. He gets at our most fundamental idolatry and He ruthlessly crushes it in His unfathomable love and fatherly kindness and inscrutable wisdom and He goes after our greatest treasures and He leaves us with nothing but himself so that we go limping on our way for the rest of our lives having learned: 'My grace is sufficient for you for my power is perfected in weakness.' Don't underestimate God. Don't underestimate His ruthless compassionate gracious commitment to His glory or His commitment to your everlasting joy and good. He will pursue you graciously and ruthlessly and rip out the idols of your soul that would otherwise consume you. He is working for your joy and your good even when you cannot perceive it and have ceased to be able to feel anything anymore." ~Ligon Duncan, The Underestimated God, T4G 2012

52home at Jennifer’s Home

3:49 p.m. Mommy, come play with us!

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52home at Jennifer’s Home

5:28 p.m. Ever feel like you're losing your mind? Yup.

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T4H[ome] During T4G

Like many of you, the four of us are at home and feeling very together with the children during this T4G week. Between the eleven kids we've had eye infections and bathroom accidents and nap boycotts and broken birthday presents and for some reason the days just seem longer when Daddy doesn't come home for dinner. But even though we can't be there we are thrilled that our husbands are receiving amazing teaching and encouragement. And I'm excited we can listen to the audio here. First up on my ipod: Dad and Kevin DeYoung.

This morning my husband sent me a message from the conference that he knew I would be excited to hear: Apparently Martyn Lloyd-Jones' grandson took the platform to announce that they are now making all of Dr. Lloyd-Jones' sermons available online for free. Spiritual Depression, Studies on the Sermon on the Mount, and Faith on Trial--all MLJ sermon transcripts turned books--have been some of the most influential teachings of my Christian life. You can bet I'm going to get started right away on listening to all 1600 of these free sermons. That's a lot of scrubbed toilets and emptied dishwashers.

And a few great articles for moms popped up this week by Rachel Jankovic and Gloria Furman , so be encouraged all of you who are laboring with little ones for the gospel.

52home at Jennifer’s Home

3:14 p.m. Afternoon Tea

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52home at Jennifer’s Home

9:46 a.m. Why my kids like the UPS man.

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Missing Mom at Easter

I was having my devotions yesterday morning when I got an email from my sister to all our siblings--"I miss mother but...how happy I am to have you."

And it hit me again, just how much I miss my mom. I could tell you all the things I miss about her, but that's not really the point. I just miss her. I miss her being here.

It's Easter morning and I am sobbing. I suppose it is normal to grieve more for loved ones on special days. And yet the Easter holiday also brings a special comfort. Because of Jesus' resurrection, my mother's sins were forgiven, she was given power to live a faithful life, and now she is with Christ.

As much as I miss my mom, I don't wish her back. This Easter she is experiencing the power of the resurrection like never before.

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4:10 p.m. Sick Day

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10:17 a.m. Miss Mischief

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girltalk links {perspective}

Biblical perspective in trials from Dad's recent sermon "A Surprising Command"


Eternal perspective in motherhood from Gloria Furman


Wise perspective on complementarian decision-making from Wayne & Margaret Grudem