Modest Yet Feminine

  

A Little Order

I was so tired of fighting this cabinet, I took it all out and spread the mess all over the kitchen. 

This is the before picture. 

 Now after 

 Couple other cabinets I have been working on. 

 I love my mason jars, my cabinets are either overflowing with too many or I can't find one available. 

We live in a small house but I think we have a nice sized kitchen. The cabinets are adequate, but I need to use the space wisely. 

It's been a month or so to finish the cabinets, but I feel better about them now. 

We all know what the real trick is ... keeping them that way! 

"The homemaker has the ultimate career. 

All other careers exist for one purpose only - and that is to support the ultimate career."

C.S. Lewis 

He Wore Their Clothes

Hudson Taylor, early 20's loved God.

God put on his heart a love for the people of China so great that he gave up everything to go.

The Lord walked with Hudson Taylor every day. 

Hudson Taylor spent his life in China ministering to the Chinese. 

As a young man, 20's, the Lord impressed on Hudson Taylor's heart to wear Chinese clothes. 

With Chinese clothing the atmosphere changed. 

He was no longer a untrustable foreigner but instead one of them. 

At a young age Hudson Taylor met an older, faithful, fellow evangelist, William Burns. 

Mr. Burns had been evangelizing for many years ahead of Hudson Taylor but William Burns saw the Chinese people were open to Hudson Taylor partly because he wore their clothes and cut his hair. Hudson Taylor wasn't seen as a foreigner. 

 The Chinese invited Hudson into their homes but told William Burns to stay out. 

William Burns then bought and wore Chinese clothes. 

Interesting, Our magnificent God,

is of course, so smart. He knows us, His sheep. 

We are timid and untrusting. 

When He came, He put on our clothing and walked with us so we would feel safe. How is it that the Creator of everything, would go to such effort to connect and comfort us?

What is mankind that You are mindful of them, human beings that You care for them. {Proverbs 8:4}

Thank YOU 

Jehovah Rohi - The Lord my Shepherd 

A Real Life Story

“Something within me cried, “You hypocrite!”

It was 1851, and at 19 years old, Hudson Taylor was preparing to serve in China. He had moved to a poor neighborhood in Kingston upon Hull [England] to be a medical assistant with Dr. Robert Hardey, and began preparing himself for a life of faith and service, devoting himself to the poor and exercising faith that God would provide for his needs.

Half Crown coin 1845

One weekend, he found himself possessing only one remaining coin – a half-crown piece. He prayed for God’s provision and for his employer to remember to pay him. He did voluntary gospel work in the various lodging houses in the lowest part of the town.

In the words of Hudson Taylor from the book Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret,

“After concluding my last service about 10 o’clock that night, a poor man asked me to go and pray with his wife, saying that she was dying. I readily agreed, and on the way asked him why he had not sent for the priest, as his accent told me he was an Irishman. He had done so, he said, but the priest refused to come without a payment of 18 pence, which the man did not possess as the family was starving.

Immediately it occurred to my mind that all the money I had in the world was the solitary half-crown, and that was in one coin; moreover, that while the basin of water-gruel I usually took for supper was awaiting me, and there was sufficient in the house for breakfast in the morning, I certainly had nothing for dinner on the coming day.

Somehow or other there was at once a stoppage in the flow of joy in my heart. But instead of reproving myself I began to reprove the poor man, telling him that it was very wrong to have allowed matters to get into such a state as he described, and that he ought to have applied to the relieving officer. His answer was that he had done so, and was told to come at 11 o’clock the next morning, but that he feared his wife might not live through the night.

’Ah,’ thought I, ‘if only I had two shillings and a sixpence instead of this half-crown, how gladly would I give these poor people a shilling!’ But to part with the half-crown was far from my thoughts. I little dreamed that the truth of the matter simply was that I could trust God plus one-and-sixpence, but was not prepared to trust him only, without any money at all in my pocket.

My conductor led me into a court, down which I followed him with some degree of nervousness. I had found myself there before, and at my last visit had been roughly handled. . . . Up a miserable flight of stairs into a wretched room he led me, and oh, what a sight there presented itself! Four or five children stood about, their sunken cheeks and temples telling unmistakably the story of slow starvations, and lying on a wretched pallet was a poor, exhausted mother, with a tiny infant who was only 36 hours old moaning, rather than crying, at her side.

’Ah,’ thought I, ‘if I had two shillings and a sixpence, instead of half-a-crown, how gladly should they have one-and-sixpence of it.’ But still a wretched unbelief prevented me from obeying the impulse to relieve their distress at the cost of all I possessed.

It will scarcely seem strange that I was unable to say much to comfort these poor people. I needed to comfort myself. I began to tell them, however that they must not be cast down; that though their circumstances were very distressing there was a kind a loving father in heaven. But something within me cried, ‘You hypocrite. Telling these unconverted people about a kind and loving father in heaven, and not prepared yourself to trust him without a half-a-crown.

I nearly choked. How gladly would I have compromised with conscience, if I had had a florin and a sixpence! I would have given the florin thankfully and kept the rest. But I was not yet prepared to trust in God alone, without the sixpence.

To talk was impossible under these circumstances, yet strange to say I thought I should have no difficulty in praying. Prayer was a delightful occupation in those days. Time thus spent never seemed wearisome and I knew no lack of words. I seemed to think that all I should have to do would be to kneel down and pray, and that relief would come to them and to myself together.

‘You asked me to come and pray with your wife,’ I said to the man, ‘let us pray.’ And I knelt down.

But no sooner had I opened my lips with, ‘Our father who art in heaven,’ than conscience said within, ‘Dare you mock God? Dare you kneel down and call him ‘father’ with that half-crown in your pocket?’

Such a time of conflict then came upon me as I had never experienced before. How I got through that form of prayer I know not, and whether the words uttered were connected or disconnected. But I arose from my knees in great distress of mind.

The poor father turned to me and said, ‘You see what a terrible state we are in, sir. If you can help us, for God’s sake, do!’

At that moment the word flashed into my mind, ‘Give to him that asketh of thee,’ and in the word of a king there is power.

I put my hand into my pocket and slowly drawing out the half-crown gave it to the man, telling him that it might seem a small matter for me to relieve them, seeing that I was comparatively well off, but that in parting with that coin I was giving him my all; but that what I had been trying to tell them was indeed true, God really was a father and might be trusted. And how the joy came back in full flood tide to my heart! I could say anything and feel it then, and the hindrance to blessing was gone – gone, I trust forever.

Not only was the poor woman’s life saved, but my life as I fully realized had been saved too. It might have been a wreck – would have been, probably, as a Christian life – had not grace at that time conquered and the striving of God’s Spirit been obeyed.

I well remember that night as I went home to my lodgings how my heart was as light as my pocket. The dark, deserted streets resounded with a hymn of praise that I could not restrain. When I took my basin of gruel before retiring, I would not have exchanged it for a prince’s feast. Reminding the Lord as I knelt at my bedside of his own word,

‘he that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord’ [Prov.19:17], 

I asked him not to let my loan be a long one, or I should have no dinner the next day. And with peace within and peace without, I spent a happy, restful night.

Next morning, my plate of porridge remained for breakfast, and before it was finished the postman’s know was heard at the door. I was not in the habit o receiving letters on Monday, as my parents and most of my friends refrained from posting on Saturday, so that I was somewhat surprised when the landlady came in holding a letter or packet in her wet hand covered by her apron. I looked at the letter, but could not make out the handwriting. It was either a strange hand or a feigned one, and the postmark was blurred. Where it came from I could not tell. On opening the envelope I found nothing written within, but inside a sheet of blank paper was folded a pair of kid gloves from which, as I opened them in astonishment, half-a-sovereign fell to the ground.

“Praise the Lord,’ I exclaimed, ‘400 percent for a 12 hours’ investment! How glad the merchants of Hull would be if they could lend their money at such a rate of interest!’ Then and there I determined that a bank that could not break should have my savings or earnings as the case might be, a determination I have not yet learned to regret.”

There is even more to this story in Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret.

Segment in quotations from Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret, chapter 4.
Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret, Written by Howard and Geraldine Taylor, Revised and Edited by Gwen Hanna, Copyright ©2010 OMF International

I copied this wonderful article from ... 

http://www.halfcrownmedia.com/about-us/the-story-of-hudson-taylor-and-the-half-crown-coin/

Create

Our life is changing. 

I have been a full time mom for golly, over 34 years. 

The years have been fulfilling, challenging, blessed, and life changing. 

I am thankful for the privilege I have been given. 

I LOVE my kids with my whole heart, every part of my being is energized by the relationships I have with them. 

Our kids love us. 

I do not take that for granted. 

Love from adult children is optional. 

They grow up, look around and then decide what they want to do with their lives. 

In reality, it may or may not involve mom and dad. 

Adult children do not have any problem putting up boundaries. 

 ** If we stopped right here and pondered, we could enter into some significant self pity. Thoughts like: 

"Hey! I gave you all those years of my life and 

you are going to just ... put personal boundaries 

that define our relationship?"

"I was there for you all those years, 

are you telling me you may or may not be here for me?" 

"It's unfair!" 

Yeah, I know all those thoughts.

As a mom with adult children, I awaken in the morning, I have a new day. The Lord has given me breath to breathe and a life to live. 

If we are smart, and that happens on a good days, we will count our blessings. 

I have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts, 

then there is no hurt, but only more love.                                                                       Mother Teresa

Something to consider is that my life as a mom has not been spent in vain. 

For me, there are 4 people I mothered that are now emotionally strong enough to live apart from mom and dad. 

We have 4 children that have the courage to dare to live a new life. To venture out and see what they can accomplish. To see where the Lord will lead them.

That's saying something. 

If our kids are brave enough to dare to live a new life, what about Don and I? 

{It's mostly me that has to adjust. He has not been mothering 4 children. }

Do I dare to believe that I can live a new life? That I can enter into this season and create a vibrant, exciting life worth getting up for in the morning? 

I go to God's Word for inspiration and instruction. What do I do now? 

For me, several years ago I asked God what He would have me do. 

At that time I was a wife and a mom and maybe even a grandma, but I remember what I consider was a distinct instruction from God: 

Love the church - specifically, the women of the church. 

I was surprised. Really? That's all? I was expecting some big, cool next step but nope. My instructions are to love the women of the church. 

That's wonderful, I like that plan. 

He enables us to do what 

He calls us to do. 

My heart is full of love for the women of the church. 

Further Bible study and prayer time have given me specific direction. 

The glory of God is life giving, through the strength of God I am able to go into this next season with purpose. 

A book I read told me to pick a word to define my hopes for the next year and I picked the word CREATE. 

I will CREATE a new life. My job as a full time mom is done now, so I will dare to believe I can have a new life, to venture forth as the Lord leads, to take His hand and see what He would have me see. EXCITING!! 

Being married to Don means we will be going on these adventures together. 

It's a new season for both of us. I have to chuckle because Don says "Good, maybe I can get some attention now!" Poor, patient fellow! 

The Lord is busy in both of our lives and we are trying to hear HIM instruct us on the way 

we should go. 

Here is a picture of our chalkboard. 

Elisa wrote ABIDE as her word 

Benjamin wrote EXPLORE 

Don wrote RELY and OBEY 

and I wrote CREATE. 

If you are in a new season then you too can be like our young folks! You can be brave and dare to believe you can live a new life. This new season can be a call to let go of the past and take hold of the Lord's hand and let Him lead you into a blessed adventure.  

As a women we can go through a lot of ups and downs. If you are in your 50's and feeling depressed and hopeless you might consider some menopausal supplements. Our bodies are going through so many changes and sometimes we just need a little help. So if that is the case. Do it. Dare to believe you can live a happy, well adjusted life. Go to a dr or a holistic health care provider. 

We should go out to dinner. 

Tell me all the things you want to do  :) 

Dogs

Love Wins

He's back.

 Rick Warren and his wife experienced a nightmare from hell. 

Their son committed suicide. 

This is what he learned from his experience. 

http://saddleback.com/mc/Archives/

Their son suffered for years, the family suffered as a result of mental illness along with their son for years. 

But Rick's response? Hope.