Author: Carolyn

I am a Christian, a sinner saved by God's amazing grace. Much like my life, my blog is a work in progress. The main objective I have for this blog is to "proclaim the praises" of the One who called me out of darkness and into His marvelous light! (1 Peter 2:9)

Spring Break and Easter

Carolyn

We had a wonderful Spring Break! My friend who lost her husband to cancer last year came to visit with her two daughters. We took the girls downtown to a hotel with an American Girl package. Our three girls had so much fun shopping, swimming, eating Chicago pizza, and spending time together. Then they came out and spent a couple of nights here. It was such a relaxing few days!

Thankfully, my daughter ended a weeklong fever virus a couple of days before they came! I was so thankful we were all well to enjoy the visit.

Easter was wonderful at our church. The Good Friday and Easter services are always such special ones, definitely my favorites of the year, and it’s always amazing to end Easter singing In Christ Alone and the Hallelujah Chorus! It was a special day, too, with family, and I’ve been so happy to have my mom here this year for days like these.

Easter Sunday

I’ve had lots of ideas for blog posts, but am keeping this one simple tonight. I’ll just give a couple of books I’ve been reading.

I read this book last week in less than 24 hours. I knew it would be a quick read and something I would enjoy. I actually bought it for my daughter after we heard about Katie Davis’ ministry at a girls’ conference a few weeks back. I’m not sure what words would even accurately capture it: inspiring? challenging? It was exactly what I expected, and I was blessed by her story.

I’m also reading now Carolyn Mahaney’s book Feminine Appeal which was a “book of the month” at church last month. I didn’t know what to expect, and I sometimes pre-judge a book like this thinking I won’t like it. So far, I’ve been surprised by her straightforward, simple encouragement from Titus 2. She’s stating some things that I suppose should be fairly obvious, but to be honest, things I’ve lacked a vision for in my life (a mentoring relationship, mentoring others, etc.)

I couldn’t sleep in the middle of the night (do you ever wake up anxious for no reason?), so I came downstairs to pray and read. At the end of praying, I was about to go back to bed but checked Facebook. Do I really need to do that at 3:00 a.m.? But I saw a post from a friend that linked to a blog of a Christian woman writing about Titus 2, the exact same verses I read about in Mahaney’s book before I went to bed last night.

Since I don’t believe in coincidence, I’m memorizing Titus 2:3-5 now, and I’ll continue to pursue some of this reading and the new thoughts that are flowing through my mind. So with that, I may go read a bit before bed.

Titus 2:3-5:

Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

The Law and Grace

Carolyn

I’ve been reading through the Old Testament in my yearly Bible reading and am currently in Deuteronomy. At the same time, our church is going through a series on the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew chapters 5-7.

I have been trying to memorize the Sermon on the Mount in short sections as they are preached each week. This gives me from January – June to learn the three chapters, using weeks where we have our Missions Festival or Easter services to review and catch up. Many of these verses are familiar, so it hasn’t been too hard to memorize, and it’s been such a beneficial exercise to have these verses being written in my heart and called to mind during the activities of daily life.

It is interesting to be reading about the Law in the Old Testament and then studying Jesus’ teaching to His disciples in the New Testament. Jesus gives us a higher standard in our personal relationships in His Sermon on the Mount. “You have heard that it was said…” [giving some command from the law, such as “you shall not murder” or “you shall not commit adultery,” etc.], “but I say to you…” [a new and higher way for that law is given, such as likening anger with murder or lust with adultery, etc.].

As I’ve read through the Old Testament Law, with its many details, and about the sacrificial system in place then, how thankful it makes me for Jesus! Through the Law, we see that we are sinners, that we could never keep it perfectly! We sin, intentionally and unintentionally. And Jesus became our single sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 10:1-18)! He came to earth, took our punishment for sin in His death on the cross, and rose again that we might have new life in Him. It was a complete and finished work that He did on our behalf. Through faith in Jesus, we can be born into new life in Him.

Jesus not only provided salvation from sin and death through His death on the cross and His resurrection, but He also gives His Holy Spirit to those who believe to help them know how to live and follow Him. We obey, not out of sheer commands to do so, but out of the joy and delight in Who He is and what He has done for us!

I’m also reading a parenting book right now called Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus. It contrasts the law and grace and our children’s need to understand grace and the gospel of Jesus Christ as the way through which they find life. It shows how rules can build a law-based method of parenting that keeps our children from understanding this lavish love and grace of God by which we are saved. I’m only 80 pages into it, but it echoes so much of what I believe, and challenges how much I act otherwise with my own children at times!

So these are some thoughts I’ve been pondering as I read lately. They are not too well developed here. I’m finding when I read several chapters of the Bible at a time (as when reading through the Bible in a year), I don’t spend as much time meditating on small portions of Scripture, but I do love getting the overall themes and tracing different concepts through the Bible as I read. What a beautiful Word God has given to us in the Scriptures! Thank you, Jesus.

Romans 3:19-20 “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.”

 Romans 3:23-24 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.“

Galatians 3:24-26 “Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” 

Update on Life

Carolyn

I’m sitting at home tonight wondering what to do with this evening to myself. My husband is out with some guys, my daughter is in bed sick, and my son is at a church movie night. I’ve considered starting the new stack of books that I ordered last week and am excited to read, but I thought I’d catch up on life a bit on the blog.

New books I plan to read soon! The last one is actually for my daughter, but I will enjoy reading it, too.

There have been a lot of new and exciting things happening. My husband has just had his new book accepted by a publisher, and he is on two weeks of spring break trying to complete it. My son is in the middle of registering for high school and all the things that accompany that! He is very excited, and it feels like suddenly there are many doors of opportunity opened for him as he enters a new phase of life.

I have felt so thankful as I look back on the road we have traveled at his current school and the gift it has been through middle school. What a wonderful and distinct school with a unique educational model that we have been privileged to be involved with! I look back with gratefulness and remember the faithfulness of God in that journey. And then as we look ahead, we seek the Lord for this new adventure, trusting He will continue to lead us for the days ahead. We are also grateful for all we have seen and learned about his new school and look forward to being involved.

My daughter had her first babysitting job last week! Well, she and I actually babysat this sweet little boy (almost 2 years old) twice together while his parents went out; that was phase 1. Now she is babysitting him alone while his mother is there cooking and doing things around the house; this is phase 2. It has been so much fun. We saw them Sunday at church, and as soon as the little boy saw my daughter, he started saying her name and giggling! He gets so excited. It is precious.

So I’m watching and joining in the fun and exciting things in the lives of those around me, and it is a joy to see. My own life seems to be clicking along in its normal routine, and I tend to like that. I have battled a little complacency lately in the busyness of life, but I am enjoying reading through the Bible in a year and have kept up pretty well. I would like to pick back up on the blog and continue with its original intent — to proclaim the praises of the One who called me out of darkness and into His marvelous light by remembering the great and mighty things He has done.

If I can get back into the swing of things here, I may pick back up on these stories of God’s faithfulness. That’s the goal anyway.

I’ll end with the verses running through my head tonight, maybe because of reading the passages in Deuteronomy.

Psalm 106:2-3:

“Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD or fully declare his praise? Blessed are those who act justly, who always do what is right.”

I couldn’t find the worship song that goes along with it, but maybe you’ve heard it:

“Who can tell the mighty deeds of the Lord, or show forth all His praise? Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. And let all God’s people say ‘Amen’; and let all God’s people say, ‘Amen’; and let all God’s people say, ‘Amen.’ Praise the Lord.”

Valentine’s Day 2013

Carolyn

I had such a sweet Valentine’s Day this year. My husband took me to lunch and got me candy that he knows I love. I realized it was our 27th year as being each other’s Valentine, way back to our high school days! Then we ended up waiting to go out to dinner with friends on Sunday night at a time we could all get together and enjoy it.

What made this Valentine’s Day so extra special, though, was that my son made me cookies. (My daughter was away at a friend’s for a sleepover.) On his own, he decided to do this. He found a recipe online, made sugar cookies, made the yummy icing with almond flavoring, colored it pink, and then cleaned it all up! The cookies were delicious, some of the best I’ve ever had. I was so impressed. We watched a movie together, too (Seven Days in Utopia – I would recommend), and had BBQ sandwiches I had thrown together with some leftover pork tender.

It’s not often young teenage boys care to spend much time with their mothers anymore — or think to bake them cookies — and I realize tomorrow may come and this is over! So I have to capture it here on the blog with thankfulness for the special day so I can remember this memory!

Happy New Year 2013!

Carolyn

It’s been a while since I blogged. We were busy the last couple of months of 2012. My sister and her family came to visit us for two weeks for Thanksgiving. I had not seen them for almost 2 1/2 years — and that visit was for my step-father’s funeral and was a short time together. We toured many museums and had so much fun watching the cousins together.

Christmas was wonderful. I often feel overwhelmed at Christmas with all that has to be done, but this year seemed very smooth and was so much fun. We entertained a few times in December, having students out twice, having our small group over, and hosting friends two or three times for dinner. One dinner party was unexpected and planned on short notice, but those seem always to be the easiest and best kind.

My husband’s family were all out of town this Christmas, so we enjoyed a quieter one with my mom. I’m so glad she moved here this year and is getting to spend a few weeks with us while the family that has rented the house to her are back in town for their Christmas vacation. It’s been great!

So now we enter a new year. I don’t like to leave the last year without some kinds of reflections and enter the new one without having a theme.

A few reflections for 2012:

I never did update after I took the 10 day prayer challenge in October about how my heart was being deceived. At first, I anticipated a specific answer each day, but there were 2 specific answers during that time. One was the blog post I wrote about bridling my tongue. That has continued to come to mind more times than I can count when I am in conversation. It has been an important truth for me to remember and an area where I can continue to grow.

The other answer came over several days and seemed to be a highlight of those days of prayer. It was a verse that showed up in both of my Bible studies during that time. And it was a verse I saw on Facebook and in other places during those days. It was this:

Matthew 16:24-25:

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

There were specific ways this was applicable to me at that time. Isn’t this such the reverse of what we would naturally desire? Self-denial, carrying a cross, losing our lives? But it’s in embracing those things as we follow Jesus that we really discover our lives and true joy! My heart can deceive me in these kinds of things.

So those were some meaningful verses for me in 2012.

Some “Favorites” from 2012:

A favorite song was 10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman. The third and last verse will always remind me of our friend who went to be with the Lord in 2012.

Some Bible studies I enjoyed in 2012 were Beth Moore’s study of James, Beth Moore’s study of Esther that I did on my own and finally finished last night!, and the Bible studies we did at church on the minor prophets (spring) and the Storyline of the Bible (fall).

This is when it’s fun to keep a blog and scroll through some of the events from the last year and remember different things, from speaking at Women’s Bible Study in the spring, to the third book in my husband’s trilogy being released this summer, to knee surgery in the fall, to seeing our friend go to be with the Lord. It’s good to trace the journey of life through these seasons and record God’s hand at work in each of them.

Entering 2013, I don’t yet have a theme for the year. Last year it was prayer. I’ll give this some thought over the next few days and see what emerges. I am going to try to read through the Bible in a year. I’ve tried before, but never actually done it! This is the book I am using:

I’m very excited and enjoyed the first day today! We’ll see how it goes!

Happy New Year to whoever stumbles upon this blog! May you be blessed in the new year and know the joy of following Jesus daily.