Born to Die

They never knew a dark night
Always had the Son's light on their face
Perfect in glory, broken by the story
Of untold grace, come that day

Majesty had come down, glory had succumbed now
To flesh and bone
In the arms of a manger, in the hands of strangers
That could not know, just who they hold

And the angels filled the sky
All of heaven wondered why
Why their King would choose to be
Be a baby born to die

And all fell silent for the cry of an infant
The voice of God
Was dividing history for those with eyes to see
The Son would shine from earth that night

And the angels filled the sky
All of heaven wondered why
Why their King would choose to be
Be a baby born to die, be a baby born to die

To break the chains of guilt and sin
To find us here, to pull us in
So we can join in heaven's song
And with one voice around the throne

All the angels filled the sky
And I can't help but wonder why
Why this King would choose to be
Be a baby born for me, be a baby born
Be a baby born to die

 

-Jason Ingram and Bebo Norman

Change and Peace

Seasons are crafty, changing in the most delicate ways, so subtle, one can find it hard to recall exactly when warm days left and long nights came. They creep in like a dream with all it's stillness that one can hardly notice it came.

Winter is coming, the year is winding to a close, and for many people that brings to mind the Winters and years past with all the joy, beauty, sorrow, love and hurt that may have been a part of them.

Life is sweet and beautiful and incredibly hard. When I think about life and am tempted to see failures and mistakes, I think of Philippians 3:13, that says, "Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead".
We don't have to worry about the future when we know that we are "sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory." (Ephesians 1:13b-14)

I find myself looking back now and I think of how very different things were this time last year, and how His grace has carried me, brought through so much change. Some changes have been, at times, lighter than a breeze gently touching my face, and at other times seemed to have equaled a strong wind that so painfully stole away all breath from my lungs and I wondered how I'd recover. Yet still I can say through it all, He is faithful and loves me with a greater love and cares for me with a greater care than could ever be found in all of the worlds in all of the universe.

If the pain seems to much, I can find hope in the fact that my Savior has suffered far greater than I have, He knows and understands my weakness and can carry me in His unending grace so that I may endure. When it is easy and when it is hard, I can have faith and hope in His love. With each change, be it small or immense, I have learned of His good will, experienced His joy, and felt His very heart just a little more.

I don't know how the story ends, and yes, there are times in between that are difficult, but I can have faith, that it will be alright, because He wrote it. I know the Author. The One who promises that all things work together for good to those that love God, HE writes my story.

Yes, He is good. So, though I may not understand His timing or purpose, I don't need to, I only need to look back on His faithfulness over my entire life and be filled with faith, hope, and love....

So if I could speak to you right now, from my heart I would tell you that He knows you far better than you know yourself. That even though you may not understand why the Lord is doing (or not doing) what He's doing, trust that He sees from beginning to end, He knows when the small sparrow falls and He loves you more than many sparrows. Have faith that He can and He will work every moment you can't understand to His glory.

Look up at the crystal night stars. Our Creator has named every one of those star and yet He knows your name, your every thought, dream, need.

 

His love is unconditional, so infinitely truer than any love we can comprehend, and everlasting. He only is deserving of all our faith, hope, and love.

 

 

May you be filled with His grace and peace, dear sister (or brother) in Christ, this day, and ever day to come.

Verse of the Week

It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him:

If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him:

If we deny Him, He also will deny us:

If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself.

- 2 Timothy 2:11-13

With Thankful Heart

Thanksgiving is celebrated all over America, and has been for hundreds of years, because of the profound faith and courage of a group of Christian believers, called Pilgrims. These Pilgrims believed that God was calling them to a new land, where they could worship God more freely.

But their decision wasn't easy. Staying in Holland meant greater safety in a civilized land, going to America probably guaranteed religious liberty but the physical risks were enormous and the financial cost of voyage would be very high. They believed God would grant them success. Before departing from Holland the church spent a day in fasting and prayer for the journey ahead. 

William Bradford wrote, "They had a great hope and inward zeal of laying a good foundation for the propagating and advancing of the kingdom of Christ in those remote parts of the world. Yea, that they should be even as stepping stones unto others."

They are our stepping stones.

In September of 1620 a small ship called the Mayflower left Plymouth, England, carrying 102 passengers—an assortment of the religious separatists mentioned above, seeking a new home where they could freely practice their faith, and other individuals lured by the promise of prosperity and land ownership in the New World. It was a treacherous and uncomfortable crossing that lasted far longer than any had imagined. Only half of the Mayflower’s original passengers and crew lived to see their first New World spring.

 

In 1621, the surviving colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. They gave thanks to God for three days. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. But it wasn't until 1863, (in the midst of the Civil War) that President Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.

 

Whether you are celebrating Thanksgiving Day or not, I hope you have a blessed day of giving thanks to the Lord.

God bless,

Ashlin

 Psalm 107:8, "Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!"

 

 

Allow Me To Clarify. . .

This post is written somewhat (completely) because I looked back at my previous post called "Saved" and became more aware of the fact that I didn't convey the message I had intended to. Or at least not very well.

I probably don't often spend as much time as I ought to when writing out these posts. I apologize, and hope to be more careful with my words.

I re-read the aforementioned post and realized that, because it is titled "Saved", it would be easy for one of you lovely readers (yes, lovely) to think I was associating works with salvation. I wasn't. I do not believe any good can come from our own accord before we know God. Nor do I think that once saved any good can come from us. All good is from God. Period. Check out Mark 10:18. Or Romans 7:19, or James 2:10 or loads of other passages that I encourage you to look up if you still think good can come from any of your own actions. We can do "good" because we are made in His image, but good that stems from us is tainted by us, only good that comes from the Spirit is perfect.

Those who believe their faith demands actions, or works as they are called in the Bible, will always lack certainty in their standing before God. If salvation requires even the smallest amount of works of righteousness than no man can be saved but a perfectly righteous man. Salvation is completely the gift of God to undeserving sinners.

Salvation is not something to work toward. Salvation is not the end result of works, works is the end result of salvation. A Christian has no need to strive for a salvation that is assuredly attained through belief. Believe is the condition. Read Romans 4-5.

Working for salvation disqualifies the worker from attaining salvation. "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." ~Romans 4:5 [emphasis added]

Works come after salvation. Not because it is mandatory, but because it is natural. Once one is a part of the Vine can he help but bear fruit? (Matthew 7:16-18)

We love God because He first loves us, we try to please Him and find that, in doing so, is the greatest pleasure. (Psalm 34:8)

What was I saying about all the judgement coming for believers, you may ask.

We can grieve the Spirit. "And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." ~Ephesians 4:30

We can limit God. "Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel." ~Psalm 78:41

God is all powerful. He can do what ever He wills. Yet in His sovereignty He gave us free will. He gives us choice.

I was saying this, we should choose to do good. "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." ~James 4:17

But that doesn't mean putting on a facade of goodness and obedience. Righteousness doesn't start on the outside and work inward. It is first a hidden inward thing of the heart that grows until it is manifested in outward actions.

"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous" ~1 John 5:3

You Better Believe It!

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." ~ 1 John 4:1

I really appreciate the way my mom does that. When she visits a church, hears a teaching, and things of that sort she tests it against the Word. She doesn't pick apart every little thing that was said to argue it, but I can see the way she personally tries the spirit of it even when it seems to many to be a good sermon filled with good arguments to back up their point.

When a person teaches, they will -in general- emphasize the Scripture that supports their own view and try to discredit the verses that support the opposing view.




To often we go to church and accept all the preacher says without question. We are trusting our eternal soul's destiny to them.

One's personal opinion, or a particular tradition one inherits is of no importance when searching the Scripture. When one accepts a view largely in blindness adhering to it without there own investigation of the Scripture they are likely to be deceived. We must be careful. It is very easy to fall into such a snare when we make added teachings or respected men a final authority. As I said, this happens largely out of blindness on our part, but when we allow someone else to interpret God's Word for us we are making them our final authority and trusting them with our eternal soul's destiny.

Commentaries can be helpful, strong Christian friends can bless one's growth, preachers are needed, but we must, out of a whole-hearted love for the Lord and thankfulness of the pureness of His Word, search all Scripture before accepting any belief.

No mere man can know the mind of God. We all must be open to correction.

Say you had the opportunity of speaking with Paul the apostle. That's right, the man once known as Saul who heard the Lord's voice -spoke with Him!- and through whom God wrought special miracles, so that his handkerchiefs were brought unto the sick and the sick were healed.

Indeed, you had one or two hours to hear Paul preach. You would want to take notes, record every word, right? This guy was one of the major authors of the Bible after all! I think most of us Christians would receive his every word.

Well, Paul taught some in a synagogue in Berea, and they received his words, but they didn't accept them without question. They daily searched the Scripture to see whether or not what he taught was truth. Acts 17:11 calls them "more noble" for readily receiving the word and searching the Scripture.

When I feel presses with a question (or questions) about the Word of God, I want to find a respected teacher's writing on the subject, or ask my parents. All of that can be fine as long as we long as we remember preachers, teachers, brothers and sisters in Christ, they are only people maybe close to God, but they do not have God's omniscient, divine, boundless knowledge. God has given us His words. May we never despise them by accepting another person's. The first and last source we look to should be the Lord. 

Romans 14:5,6 says, "One man esteemet one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks." [emphasis added]
Brothers and sisters in Christ will have different beliefs sometimes, but we should each understand why we believe what we believe. Not have are argument with excellency of speech, "not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God"! (1 Cor. 2:4-5)

Beloved in Christ, God will bless the students who diligently search of His Word. How often are we told to seek for truth in the Bible?

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and abraideth not; and it shall be given him."

~James 1:5

Saved

Recently a friend and I discussed the difficult subject of how actions contirbute to our salvation (not to say that we can be saved by our own doing). I felt I could not possibly convey all that I believed on that in one e-mail, even if it was very lengthly.

I thought it would be helpful if I studied the subject more closely and wrote out a blog post on this so that I could gather my thoughts.

At the first church I ever remember going to, the pastor would give an altar call/the sinner's prayer at the end of every sermon. While that's deffinitely not always bad thing, it isn't always a good thing either. So I naturally came from the point of veiw that once you say a prayer you're saved, and their is nothing you can do to change that. Still I believe that once saved one can never loose one's salvation, however I fear for those who believe and live with a saved-by-grace-no-need-to-work attitude.

1 Corinthians 3:12-15 says, "Now if anyone builds on this foundation [which is Christ] with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."

My granddad is a preacher and I have often heard him say how sad it will be when people will get to heaven and see that the earthly riches and acheivements they have worked for will be worthless. "Those Christians will have no reward in heaven" he says with frown and a shake of his head, "but I want a crown."

Often times when we read passages like 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 we read "he will receive a reward" and we look forward to that. Which is good. But we forget to think about it saying "If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." I think to few Christians have a healthy fear of God.

Hebrews 10:26-27, 30-31 "For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries... For we know Him who said, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord. And again, 'The Lord will judge His people.' It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

Don't think the judgement is only for those who are not Christians. You an be saved and still appear before God with "spot and wrinkle".

2 Corinthians 5:9-11 "Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all [must all!] appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences."

Pay close attention as you read this: 2 Peter 2:20-21, "For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them."

The warnings are there. No one is hidden, all must give an acount before God someday. (Hebrews 4:13)

Jesus Christ alone is qualified to be the Judge of all mankind. Only He has ever lived a perfect life. Not only that, but He knows what it is like to be a human being and He understands the difficulties His people have while living in this present, evil world (Hebrews 2:14-18).
Upon what things will we be judged? Ecclesiastes 11:9; 12:14; Matthew 12:36; 1 Peter 4:17; Luke 12:3; 1 Corinthians 4:5.

God says that individuals will have to account for all of their works, our secret sins, even every word we have spoken will be judged. It doesn't matter if you were just a kid having fun, or if you "didn't really mean it". That includes the motive for our works."Every man's work shall be tried to see of what sort."

What standard will we be judged against? John 12:48; Revelation 20:12

God will judge us by the things written in the "books", His Word (both the Old and New testements). The Bible contains God's laws, the standard of righteousness by which everyone is judged. But at the same time, some have better opportunities to understand and learn to obey God's law in this life than others. God's judgment is perfectly fair. He says "to whom much is given, much is required". Luke 12:48. Teachers of God's way will be held to an even higher standard. James 3:1.

Why does Philippians 2:12 tell already born again Christians "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling"? Because although we are completely saved, we still must work toward righteousness not in own might, but as we ask, seek and knock so will He answer. Read Luke 6:38.

A recent survey of church goers showed that,

10% of church members never attend church.

70% never give to missions.

75% never engage in any church activity.

80% never attend prayer meetings.

90% never have family worship.

95% never win a soul to Christ.

For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God.

Maybe, worship has just become a "form of Godliness" because too many of us do not have a right vew of what it means to live "in Christ".
To many Christians are "scarcely saved. (1 Peter 4:14-18)

Even though this is already very long, I want to end with a quote: "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me" (John 14:6). Even this glourious directive is tragically limited when seen as a rebirth reference. "Coming to the Father" applies powerfully to growth in knowing. We can obey the Lord with scanty understanding and scarcely know Him at all.We can be healed and forget to go back and thank Him. Close friends keep in close touch. The ultimate intamacy is as a bride with her bridegroom. Rebirth does not guarantee we will be "presented before Him without spot or wrinkle." He is able to complete our cleansing, if we grow in His likeness, ingest of His nature, diligently seeking to grow "in the knowledge of Him".

Both "it is finished"(John 19:13) and "author and finisher" (Hewbrews 12:2) are repeatedly mis-read. {See page 211. [His work is finished]} This is not demeaning of the Lord's magnificent work. "By which also ye are saved [not thoroughly and instantly, but progressively], if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you [such as 1 Corinthians 3:3, 4:2, the whole letter], unless [or else] ye have believed in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:2) "We then as workers together with Him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain... now is the day of salvation." Written to believers. Have we sought Him today? He will achieve in us increasing salvation from blindness and sin and mature our faith if we love Him and seek Him dillegently in the prayer closet, working out our own [Matthew 25:9] salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12-13)."

~Ashlin

Do the Next Thing

From an old English parsonage down by the sea

There came in the twilight a message to me;

Its quaint Saxon legend, deeply engraven,

Hath, it seems to me, teaching from Heaven.

And on through the doors the quiet words ring

Like a low inspiration: “Do the next thing.”

Many a questioning, many a fear,

Many a doubt, hath its quieting here.

Moment by moment, let down from Heaven,

Time, opportunity, and guidance are given.

Fear not tomorrows, child of the King,

Trust them with Jesus, do the next thing.

Do it immediately, do it with prayer;

Do it reliantly, casting all care;

Do it with reverence, tracing His hand

Who placed it before thee with earnest command.

Stayed on Omnipotence, safe ‘neath His wing,

Leave all results, do the next thing.

Looking for Jesus, ever serener,

Working or suffering, be thy demeanor;

In His dear presence, the rest of His calm,

The light of His countenance be thy psalm,

Strong in His faithfulness, praise and sing.

Then, as He beckons thee, do the next thing.

 

[A poem quoted by Elisabeth Elliot ] 

Verse of the Week

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

~Jude 20,21~

Very Simply Pictures and Quotes

"From David to Noah, we see that the only qualification to be used by God is absolute dependence on Him. These men were simple, yielded vessels looking to God alone, never relying upon mere human strength, experience or skill. Because of that, God was able to display His greatness through their lives."
-K.P. Yohannan Revolution in World Missions

"It is impossible to keep our moral practices sound and our inward attitudes right while our idea of God is erroneous or inadequate. If we would bring back spiritual power to our lives, we must begin to think of God more nearly as He is. "-Tozer

"It is time for us Christians, to face up to our responsibility for holiness. Too often we say we are “defeated” by this or that sin. No, we are not defeated; we are simply disobedient. It might be well if we stopped using the terms victory and defeat to describe our progress in holiness. Rather we should use the terms obedience and disobedience." -Jerry Bridges

Think what it is we really posses, if Christ is in us . . . We have Him, in whom all fullness of life actually dwells, in whom infinite resources are stored up for our use. Everything needed for continual growth, for perpetual freshness, and for abundant fruitfulness are found in Him. All power, all grace, all purity, and all fullness, absolutely everything to make all grace abound toward us, in us, and through us, are stored up in Him who verily dwells within us.

– Evan Hopkins –

I am getting desperately afraid of going to heaven for I have had the vision of the shame I shall suffer as I get my first glimpse of the Lord Jesus; His majesty, power and marvellous love for me, who treated Him so meanly and shabbily on earth, and acted as though I did Him a favour in serving Him! No wonder God shall have to wipe away the tears off all faces, for we shall be broken-hearted when we see the depth of His love and the shallowness of ours.

– CT Studd –

"Look unto Jesus. I looked on Jesus and the dove of peace entered my heart. I looked at the dove of peace; and lo . . . off he went.

Once it was the blessing, now it is the Lord.

Once it was the feeling, now it is the Word.

Once the gift I wanted, now the Giver owns.

Once I saught for healing,

Now Himself alone. 

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above

James 1:17

Lord, thank You for all You have given me, but thank You most of all for who You are."
[from Each New Day, by Corrie ten Boom]

His Testimonies

"Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
when the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
by the living Word of God I shall prevail,
standing on the promises of God." -R. Kelso Carter

You tell the Lord, "I am loosing hope!" He answers “Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord... There is hope in your future, says the Lord..." "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." Jeremiah 31:16-17, Galatians 6:9

In the midst of your overwhelming circumstances... trust your Father in Heaven is with you saying, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you." Isaiah 43:2

When you cry, "God, I'm overcome with guilt from past sins" Our Creator declares, “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins." Isaiah 43:25

You may pray, "Lord, help my faith to grow!" He says, "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3

"My soul keeps Your testimonies, and I love them exceedingly." Psalm 119:167

Do not allow your feelings, emotions and circumstances to speak to you, but speak to yourself truth from the word of God.
"My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us." - Psalm 62:5-8

"Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
listening every moment to the Spirit's call,
resting in my Savior as my all in all,
standing on the promises of God."

My Theme Song

If I had a theme song I think it would be The Chasing Song by Andrew Peterson.
I really like all of Andrew Peterson's music. I hope you like this song too.

Now and then these feet just take to wandering
Now and then I prop them up at home
Sometimes I think about the consequences
 Sometimes I don't

Well, I realize that falling down ain't graceful
But I thank the Lord that falling's full of grace
Sometimes I take my eyes off Jesus
And you know that's all it takes

Well I wish that I could say that at the close of every day
 I was happy with the way that I'm behaving
'Cause Job, he chased an answer
The wise men chased the Child
Jacob chased her 14 years and he Captured Rachel's smile
 Moses chased the Promised Land
Joseph chased a dream
David, he chased God's own heart
All I ever seem to chase is me

Well, they say a race can only have one winner
And you know you've got to pull out front to win
God knows the only time I'm winning
Is when I'm chasing Him

Well I wish that I could say that at the close of every day
I was happy with the way that I'm behaving
'Cause Samson chased a woman and he chased the Philistines
I'm not quite sure what Jonah chased
But I know he caught the sea
Cain, he chased the harvest
While Abel chased the beasts
David, he chased God's own heart
All I ever seem to chase is me

And Jesus chased the moneymen
And he chased his Father's will
He chased my sin to Calvary
And he caught it on that hill
Saul, he chased the Christians
Till his blindness made him see
David, he chased God's own heart
All I ever seem to chase is me

It's Alright

Verse of the Week has an added video today. =)

"But He said to them, 'Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?' Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm." Matthew 8:26

Olympic Resolve in Prayer Life

We see the passion and determination in the faces of athletes taking part in the Olympics; they give their all to do their very best.

Together as the Body of Christ, we can stand in the gap and pray for the nations with the same fervency and purpose as athletes who compete for a heavenly prize.

The first Friday of every month from 7:30 to 9:30pm, CST you can pray with the GFA family via live streaming services. @: gfa.org/prayer This Friday night, let's believe the Lord will do miracles in the lives of those who have no hope throughout Asia.

Intercede for one another, cry out for the lost, ask God to meet the needs of the helpless and weak. Just like the speaker says in the video above, sometimes it is uncomfortable to know what is going on, we don't always like to hear about those in dire circumstances with great need of our prayer, but what a privilege it is to take on the burdens of others and bring them before the throne of God. "Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" -Gal:6:2

Supporting Chick-fil-A

I don't know if you have heard about the vicious assaults on the Chick Fil-A
company because the CEO, Dan Cathy, made comments recently in which he affirmed his view that the Biblical view of marriage should be upheld. Because of the CEO's personal belief Chick Fil-A has received vicious hate speech and completely intolerant bigotry. In fact, the mayor of Boston has banned Chick Fil-A from Boston. It is completely unconstitutional to be able to completely stop commerce because your own personal beliefs disagree with the personal beliefs of a chief executive officer of a company!

I have always appreciated the stand that the Chick Fil-A company makes by choosing not to open on Sundays so that their employees can go to church if they wish. Despite the pressure coming from the outside to open on Sundays, they still don't. Plus they always treat customers and employees with respect and dignity.

Because of this Mike Huckabee asks those who affirm a business that operates on Christian principles and whose executives are willing to take a stand for the Godly values to show up and eat at Chick-fil-A on Wednesday, August 1 for "Chick Fil-A Appreciation Day.”

Those on the left are free to make statements supporting same sex marriage, abortion, or profanity, but if Christians pronounce traditional values, we're too often considered homophobic, haters, intolerant, you name it. 

I believe in the freedom of Americans to speak their mind and practice their faith. If you do too please celebrate Chick fil-A Appreciation Day by eating at - and inviting your friends to eat with you at- Chick fil-A!

Wednesday, August 1, let's eat chicken not be one!

~Ashlin

Auf Wiedersehen!

Wow, I can't believe the year is more than half over. Is Summer more than half spent too? Yeah, I think it is. It is a good thing I'm not one of those crazy people who believe the Mayans were predicting the world will end this December. I'm glad I don't have to worry about this being the last July I may ever know. But then again, while I shouldn't fret (too much) over the way I spent this July, I'm not promised this won't be my last July.
I mean honestly. So many times we go through life hold tight to thing that we feel entitled too. God, we say, I can't be happy if I don't get married, You owe me at least that much! Right?!

I posted about the short-ness of life not to long ago and I don't want to sound like a broken record.

I'm going to be leaving out of town for a while. I get to be a nanny/babysitter for four really great kiddos, but that means I'm not gonna be posting for a while. Just thought I'd give you a heads up. So this is farewell for a time.

Ecc. 12:13 says, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter; fear God and keep his commandments, for this is man's all."

The joy that comes from obedience is so far above any earthly treasure we can gain here! Ask yourself, ask the Lord, today how you can spend it for Him? How to show Him you desire His treasure, of unimaginable cost above the passing treasures of this life.

Blessings,
Ashlin

Mortification - by J. I. Packer

Can you believe July will be over in 2 weeks? Wow.
Oh, back to the post...
My mom recently showed me a post on John Piper's blog. It has really blessed me and so I wanted to share it with you. Please tell me what you think.

Oh, and if your internet is as slow as mine you'll be glad I wrote out all that he said, if not you'll enjoy the video.

J. I. Packer: "Personal prayer begins before the Throne of God with my acknowledgement that He is great, glorious, all-powerful, and ready to help me and I am weak, unstable, with no strength of my own to get things right in spiritual terms. And thus I need His help and need it urgently at all points of obedience but certainly at the point in which I am called to mortify sin.

Sin, I understand in that phrase, is sin in the sense of ungodly and anti-God inclinations in the heart. They are positive inclinations to act in disobedience and they are also negative, that is, they are inclinations not to bother about moral and spiritual issues. That kind of inclination used to be called 'sloth', spiritual laziness. And as far as I'm concerned sloth is still the best word for it. But if I want to mortify sin what I must do is first of all ask God to enable me to see the it sin as He sees, that is as spiritual equivalent as dirt in places where cleanliness ought to be, as something very ugly as well as something very guilty. In prayer also I ask, yes I must ask the Lord to direct the Holy Spirit within me, to drain the life out of sin and in prayer I must seek it seems to me both to see and to fellowship with the Lord Jesus whose disciple I am, whose servant I am and Who most certainly echos the Father's directive that I mortify sin. By the way that directive is expressed by two Greek words. One of them comes in Romans 8:13, I think, and it means put to death. and the other comes in Colossians 3:4, if I remember rightly, it's a different word but it also means put to death, and put to death is the basic idea.

If the Father and the Son in mercy show me Their love to me and draw out of me grateful love to Them, if at the same time the Spirit makes me aware that my sinful habits are what they are and that each single one of them is anathema to God. God wants to see the last of it. And through the power of the Holy Spirit He can actually bring that to pass. Well then I pray, continue to pray, I cherish grateful love to the Father and the Son in my heart, I thank the Lord Jesus for the new life that I already have in Him, risen as indeed I am in Christ, in dwelt by the Holy Spirit, called to holiness and promised all the enabling I need to achieve holiness. I expect to find as I pray along theses lines day by day and - well it depends on the sin that is bothering me at the moment, it may be hour by hour. But as I pray regularly along these lines so I look to find and by the grace of God -again and again I do find- that the sinful desire that was grabbing my heart is getting weaker, and love and loyalty to the Lord and a spirit of praise, adoration and thanksgiving is getting stronger and stronger. And I experience at that point what Thomas Chalmers called "the expulsive power of a new affection".

Love to the Father and the Son simply drains the life out of love for sin and for the particular happiness in which sin expresses itself. I never get to the end of mortifying sin because sin in my heart is still marauding, even though it is not dominant. Sin is constantly expressing itself in new disorderly desires, as bindweed is constantly expressing itself in fresh shoots and fresh blooms. Once bindweed has established itself in your garden or hedge it is very difficult to get out because it is always extending itself under the surface of the soil. And sin in the heart is rather like that. But as blooms of sin break surface and I recognize them, I am called to — indeed deep down in my heart I want to — go into action with this prayer procedure for draining the life out of them. And I think this is a discipline every Christian has to wake up to right at the beginning of the Christian life and continue with as long as we are in this world.

So I picked up what I know about mortification very soon after my conversion which was more than 65 years ago. And mortification is still necessary. There are sinful desires associated with old age, same as there are sinful desires associated with youth. I'm older now but sinful desires, like the bloom of the bindweed, do from time to time grow up. And from time to time I have to go back to the beginning and labour in the practice of mortification as described."

Have you ever heard of J.I. Packer? What did you think of all he said?

Have a great week, all.

"Missions is the overflow of our delight in God because missions is the overflow of God's delight in being God. "

"To belong to Jesus is to embrace the nations with Him."

"Go, send, or disobey"
-John Piper

Excuses and An Overdue Post

I realize that my blog may seem somewhat slower than it should be, but I have a few reasons for that. One is that I don’t want to be a hypocryte. I do try to spend a lot of time on the posts I publish on this blog, because I want to be glorifying God in all that I do. I’ll never forget when my dad said, “Hey, that last blog post you did, Ashlin, was really good. It was so true… Maybe you should read it again.” He smiled. “And again, and again.”
Also, I’m sure you all understand when I say life is busy and it is necessary to prioritize. Blogging isn’t one of the best ways to spend my time at this point in my life.
And lastly, I have had posts ready, and I expected them to be posted. I thought I found a way to set the time and date of the post I desire to post and schedule it for that time. I recently checked and realized that the post I had scheduled for Independence and a few other posts, have not indeed been published. I’m very sorry.

Anyway, This Land and Flag was the post that should’ve been posted on the Fourth of July, but wasn’t. I’m sorry about that. I hope this won’t happen again. Here is "This Land and Flag" now.

What is the love of country for which our flag stands? Maybe it begins with love of the land itself. It is the fog rolling in with the tide at Eastport or through the Golden Gate and among the towers of San Francisco. It is the sun coming up behind the White Mountains, over the Green, throwing a shining glory on Lake Champlain and above the Adirondacks. It is the storied Mississippi rolling swift and muddy past St. Louis, rolling past Cairo, pouring down past the levees of New Orleans. It is lazy noontide in the pines of North Carolina; it is a sea of wheat rippling in western Kansas; it is the San Francisco peaks far north across the glowing nakedness of Arizona; it is the Grand Canyon and little trout stream coming down out of a New England ridge.
It is men at work. It is the storm-tossed fishermen coming into Gloucester and Provincetown and Astoria. It is the farmer riding his great machine in the dust of harvest, the dairyman going to the barn before sunrise, the lineman mending the broken wire, the miner drilling for the blast. It is the servants of fire in the murky splendor of Pittsburgh, between the Allegheny and the Monongahela, the trucks rumbling through the night, the locomotive engineer bringing the train in on time, the pilot in the clouds, the riveter running along the beam a hundred feet in the air. It is the clerk in the office, the housewife doing the dishes and sending the children off to school. It is the teacher, doctor and parson tending and helping, body and soul, for small reward.
It is small things remembered, the little corners of the land, the houses, the people that each one loves. We love our country because there was a little tree on a hill, and grass thereon, and a sweet valley below; because the hurdy-gurdy man came along on a sunny morning in a city street; because a beach or a farm or a lane or a house that might not seem much to others were once, for each of us, made magic. It is voices that are remembered only, no longer heard. It is parents, friends, the lazy chat of street and store and office, and the ease of mind that makes life tranquil. It is Summer and Winter, rain and sun and storms. These are flesh of our flesh, bone of our bone, blood of our blood, a lasting part of what we are, each of us and all of us together.
It is stories told. It is the Pilgrims dying in their first dreadful Winter. It is the minute man standing his ground at Concord Bridge, and dying there. It is the army in rags, sick, freezing, starving at Valley Forge. It is the wagons and the men on foot going westward over Cumberland Gap, floating down the great rivers, rolling over the great plains. It is the settler hacking fiercely at the primeval forest on his new, his own lands. It is Thoreau at Walden Pond, Lincoln at Cooper Union, and Lee riding home from Appomattox. It is corruption and disgrace, answered always by men who would not let the flag lie in the dust, who have stood up in every generation to fight for the old ideals and the old rights, at risk of ruin or of life itself.
It is a great multitude of people on pilgrimage, common and ordinary people, charged with the usual human failings, yet filled with such a hope as never caught the imaginations and the hearts of any nation on earth before. The hope of liberty. The hope of justice. The hope of a land in which a man can stand straight, without fear, without rancor. The land and the people and the flag, the land a continent, the people of every race, the flag a symbol of what humanity may aspire to when the wars are over and the barriers are down: to these each generation must be dedicated and consecrated anew, to defend with life itself, if need be, but, above all, in friendliness, in hope, in courage, to live for.
Author Unknown

"My Days Are Like a Shadow That Lengthens"

James 1:10-11,14 "...because as a flower of the field he will pass away. For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits....whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away."

Ecclesiastes 6:12 "For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he passes like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will happen after him under the sun?"

Psalm 103:14-16 "For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.

Isaiah 40:6b-7 "All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass."

Enduring Things

by Mary E. Linton

And what, then
    is the all-important goal
To which we drive ourselves
    and have no time
To listen to the singing of the soul,
Or rise on spirit's wings,
    to thoughts sublime?
One day the world will grind
    much as before
Without our grim direction,
   and the wheels
Will somehow turn
   when we have passed the door
That leads beyond four walls
   and three square meals.
And what then will we have to take along
Where there and neither pockets
   vaults nor shelves,
When all that we can hold
   will be our song
And what we worked to build
   into ourselves?
Oh, listen to the universe that sings
Through hearts attuned
to Life's enduring things.

"For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, preacious stones, wood hay straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will recieve a reward. If anyone's work is burned he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." 1 Corinthians 3:11-15

"Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bagswhich wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no theif approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." - Luke 12:33-34

Seeking His kingdom's glory,
Ashlin

Verse of the Week

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Jude 1:20-21

My Prayer Point of View (Part 2)

"How often have we prayed something like, 'O Lord, be with cousin Billy now in a special way'? Have we stopped to consider what it is we're requesting? Imagine that you are a parent who is preparing to leave your children with a babysitter. Would you dream of saying, "O Betsy, I ask you now that you would be with my children in a special way"? No way. You would say, "Betsy, the kids need to be in bed by 9 pm. They can have one snack before their baths, and please make sure they finish their homework. You can reach us at this number if there's any problem. Any questions before we go?" We are very specific with our requests and instructions for our babysitters. We want them to know specifics. It should be no different with prayer. "-David Jeremiah

Isn't it odd that such simple principles can often seem so hard to grasp?

"A centipede was happy till one day, a toad in fun said, ‘Pray, which leg goes after which?’ Which strained his mind to such a pitch he lay distracted in a ditch, considering how to run. I think there are a good many toads in the world, and sometimes, not in fun at all but very seriously, they manage “to strain our minds to such a pitch”, that instead of going on in simplicity we may easily find ourselves distracted in a ditch, not running, but only considering how to run.
-Amy Carmichael

So often I am my own toad. (Oh, that sounds wierd.) I spend so much time asking God to "help me with this" or "show me this" when He has already given me answers in His word! I remember a particular period when I spent so much time wondering (and dispairing) "in a ditch on the side of the road" because I felt I could recieving no answer.

The Lord opened my eyes to what I had so pridefully ignored and I saw when I asked for strength He answered, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor 12:9) I asked for joy and He said, "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." (Jn 15:10-12) I could find joy in obedience, do all things through His strength, find His will for my life (1 Thes 5:16-18) -even my prayer life.

You see, so many principles of prayer that are laid out plainly in the Scriptures have been very difficult to grasp. There was a point in my life when I knew the foundation of my life in Christ was supposed to be fellowship and communion with Him, but I had so much trouble in proceeding. I could easily spend time praising Him, but I was confused and concered about how to bring my petitions before Him. Was I supposed to ask God for something only once, and the wait with a spirit of longsuffering for the answer? If I asked two or three times (or more) was I whinning and begging or not being grateful enough.

I thought, what about the parable of that persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8), and the story of Elijah's prayer (1 Kings 18:41-45. Seven times he bowed down, praying for rain, and when he finally saw a cloud as small as a man’s hand, he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’”)? I read Luke 11 and saw that right after Jesus was asked to teach about prayer, Jesus gives a pararble of a man who came at midnight asking his friend to get up and give him bread, and Jesus said "I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs." And for the next five verses Jesus tells us to keep asking, seeking, knocking.

Leslie Ludy said, "Instead of assuming that Christ doesn't desire to answer our prayers when we don't recieve an immediate response, we are to press in with even more persistance not letting go until our requests are granted. Just as Jacob wrestled all night with God saying, 'I will not let you go until you bless me,' we are to wrestle in prayer until the breaking of day. (See Gen 32:26)"

There are times when repeated prayers are inapropriate. (see Matthew 6:7, and in 2 Corinthians 12:7,8 three times was enough.) Though as we see in Elijah's case, it was God's will for the rain to come, and yet the Lord required Elijah to show faith and persistance until He answered Him. Jesus repeated prayers, Matthew 26:44, "So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words."

Prayers that are in accordance with God's will, and prayed in faith (we must be certain of the nature of God) with persistance, (do not falter), and prayed with purity (prayers can be hindered by sin, 1 Peter 3:7, Matthew 5:23-24) are prayers that God takes pleasure in answering. Delight yourself in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Ps 37:4

Perserverance is an indespensible factor. Spiritual victories are rarely won in single battles.
Faithful prayer can be established by persistantly resisting hinderance. But every rich approach to God is bound to meet resistance. The enemy will never entirely quit. He returns time after time after time using many different means. Do not grow weary, keep praying again, and again.

My Prayer Point of View (Part 1)

I was pondering today the parable Jesus told about a bunch of wise and foolish virgins waiting for their bridegroom.

"Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. -Matthew 25:1-13

There is no such thing as secondhand salvation. We might go to church every Sunday, and read our Bible every morning, but until we really have our own fellowship with our Saviour we aren't living a fruitful Christian life. I'm not saying hearing a sermon every Sunday and reading our Bible isn't profitable, but with out a life a prayer our intentions often end with un-intended results!

“Don’t pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it. A man is powerful on his knees.” -Corrie ten Boom

Many times I have times I have made the primary focus of my growth Bible reading. I think many Believers, just like me, spend much of their energy on Bible reading and Bible studies and church attendance with the intent of spiritual growth. But when I made Bible study my principal focus, I became much more of a hearer than a doer. (James 1:22) The Word of God is the surest source of truth, but I began to realize that that cannot be my rock. Jesus, Himself, is my Rock! And the best root for spiritual growth is crying out to God as you seek Him. Even Christian acts of service and Bible study can be unknowingly fruitless, self-led, and for me, destructive without my calling out Jesus. (2 Tim 3:7)

Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. -Is 55:6

The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer. -Psalm 6:9

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men -1 Tim 2:1

God just permeates His word with invitations to lift up your voice to Him. Ps 55:1-2, Is 24:14, Eph 6:18, 1 Kings 8:28, Ps 71:16, Ps 28:6, Psalm 55:17, Ps 5:2, Ps 142:1, Ps 130:2, Rom 1:9, Lam 3:56, Ps 143:1, 2 Sam 22:7, Ps 119:13, Ps 28:2 just to pick a few. There are so many more!

As I mentioned, I would spend time reading God's word but then I continued living a life of defeat. I was getting the Word but not living the Word. The Bible has so many phrases about having "eyes to see" and "ears to hear", but I realized that I was trying to open my own eyes and ears and the result was a spiritually blind and deaf me, thinking I was seeing and hearing all that God was saying to me. But the Spirit began to show me how futile it was to try to "see" and "hear" on my own. I came to the realization that only the Lord makes deaf hear, opens eyes, and softens hearts. And if we desire to soften our hard hearts we must each have our own private search for this.

"But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly" -Matt 6:6

"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded." -James 4:8

This is key if we desire an close relationship with our Heavenly Father. The depths of knowing God is beyond knowing about Him, it is knowing intimately Who He Is!

I've heard many people's advice on prayer be, "You're busy just like anyone else, so the best tips I can give would be to pray while you brush your teeth, while you're driving, when you take a shower." I don't think it is wrong to pray when you go on a walk or make breakfast or anything like that, but we must also make time for fellowship with God. He is the High King above all, He is the Creator of the universe.

If you were to get to talk with Queen Elizabeth II, would you even think about saying, "Well you know, Elizabeth, I need to get my exercise so let's walk and talk, okay?" Or would you ask her to talk while you brushed your teeth? The Lord wants to hear our individual voices lifted up to Him, just as any bridegroom wants to spend one-on-one time with His bride. He is the Master of our time. It is an honor and a privilege and a joy to be able to give Him whole-hearted one-on-one attention, and know that He is actually as pleased with us and that He takes as much joy in our communing with Him as we do. (And infinitely more.)

I encourage you to not just pray when you feel like it. But to "have an appointment with the Lord and keep it." Find a place where you won't be heard, and actually spend time praising, petitioning  and praying out loud. It won't be easy at first, but God promises to hear those who call out to Him, and to draw near to those who draw near to Him, and He cannot go back on His word! Soon you may learn to love your time with Him more and more so that you will wish it never had to end! I have experienced the joy in coming to Him, even when I don't feel like it. It is a beautiful thing to know that the God of the universe is mindful of me, I cannot fathom a love so deep!

Until next time,

Ashlin

Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.

1 Timothy 6:6-8

Snares

“I do — oh, indeed I do — desire to live up to my profession, to be His, for time and eternity. But I am learning to see how very weak I am, and how easily Satan can conquer me even when I do strive against him. I do believe with my head that Jesus can, and will give me His grace, and I do not need to fear, yet somehow my heart seems to be hard and cold and not to take it in. Oh, if we were but there — where there is no more sin ! Oh do not forget to pray for me, and don’t ever doubt the love of your unworthy friend.” – Francis Havergal

When I do not strive, when I don't make great effort to fight the good fight, then my heart becomes hard and Satan can easily conquer  me.

At times, my heart is hardened slowly, it becomes numb so that I do not feel hungry for the fellowship with my Saviour each morning. I may not go in out right rebellion and sin, in fact it is almost always just the simple "non-actions" that begin my faltering. James 4:17 so plainly states that that is sin. Even as a Christian, "the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful." (Mark 4:19) [emphasis added] It is so easy to get distarcted to kick off our shoes and watch TV, or spend our morning time with God sleeping in instead.

But when we are not focused on Christ what happens? When we are in the very action of obedience what consequences come?
We are given so many examples. When David comitted his sin with Bathsheba was when he ought to have been doing his kingly responsibilities and been out with his men at battle. When Peter obeyed Christ he could walk on the water, but as soon as his eyes were off of Christ and on the worries before him he began to drown. When Moses had his eyes fixed on what God could do he didn't fear when in the middle of a sea and the armies of pharoh. When they stoned Stephen he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” because of his faith!

When we set our hearts on Jesus, He promises to give us the strength we need to endure. Sometimes it’s through the very trials and weariness that we’re experiencing that God is using to help us find the strength to get through. Even when He doesn’t relieve our trials right away, we must have faith that He will give us what we need to persevere through them.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were able to look king Nebuchadnezzar in the face and bodly say, "Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” (emphasis added) Daniel 3:16-18

Whether God shows us a way around the fire or brings us thru the fire to safe ground we are to have faith. God uses the hardest time in our lives to bring us closer to Him. I have no greater desire than to become more like the One who has stolen my heart. And my Jesus uses hard times to stretch, mold, and prune me into the child of God I was called to be. "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. " 2 Corinthians 12:10

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26:3

Through it all I can look to Him and give thanks! I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:9

I don't want to let the seed the Spirit planted inside me become choked by the cares of this world, and desire for other things. I want to be the one "which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience."(emphasis mine)  Luke 8:15

"For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith." 1 John 5:4

God is the one who prepares the light for the sun each day. Psalm 74:16  He can undoubtedly give us the strength we need to have victory all that He called us to do!

May your eyes be fixed on Him,
Ashlin

Oh Lord, You're Beautiful

Happy Mother's Day

A  mom takes a house and makes it a home.

A godly mother is one who aspires to be all that Christ has called her to be.

Mothers have a special way of filling homes with love, and when the home is filled with love - you'll always find God spoken of there. - Helen Steiner Rice -

"Every wise woman builds her house." Psalm 14:1

The mother's heart is the child's schoolroom. - Henry Ward Beecher

"Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

No man is poor who has had a Godly Mother. - Abraham Lincoln

"Her children rise up and call her blessed." Proverbs 31:28

Thank the Lord for godly mothers who know how to pray, how to share the importance of the Holy Word.

Thank you God, for moms who always strive to be loving, gentle, and kind, helping her children grow wisdom, and grace.

Happy Mother's Day!

Verse of The Week

Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.

Let all that you do be done with love.

 ~ 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ~