The Woman You Gave Me

In the book, The Mark of a Man, Elisabeth Elliot writes to her nephew, 

"If, in the will of God,  you marry, Pete, I imagine you will find yourself occasionally gazing at this woman who is flesh of your flesh and bone of your bone, awed at the mystery you see there, puzzled, perhaps sometimes infuriated at what seems so mysterious and at times downright irrational in her.  

Maybe in the small hours of the night, you will lean on an elbow over her, looking at that sleeping face, at the familiar line of nose, chin, throat, the curve of the breast. 

Who is she? 

How was it that she and not another ended up in your life, your house, your bed? 

What did she mean by what she said at the supper table? 

Why can't she see what you mean?  
What is it she wants out of life? 

Why can't you reason with her? 

Why doesn't she come straight out and say what she thinks, instead of expecting you to read her mind? 

"You husbands should try to understand the wives you live with," Peter wrote in his first epistle, but there is a point beyond which you cannot delve. 

There are mysteries God gives you no warrant to plumb. 

"The glory of God is to keep things hidden."

So when you find yourself out of your depth and femininity too fathomless, the words of Thomas a Kempis are worth reviewing:

Blessed is that simplicity that leaveth the way of hard questions, and goeth in the plain and steadfast way of the commandments of God.  

Many have lost their devotion because they would search higher things than pertaineth to them. 

Faith and a good life are asked of thee, and not the highness of understanding nor the depths of the mysteries of God.  If thou may not understand nor grasp such things as be within thee, how mayst thou comprehend those things that be above thee?  

Submit thyself meekly to God, and submit also thy reason to faith; and the light of knowledge and of true understanding shall be given unto thee as shall be most profitable and necessary for thee." 

Elisabeth Elliot, (1981). The Mark of a Man. 

When You Don't Understand Her, pgs.169-170

He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD.

Proverbs 18:22

On Our Knees: 30 years

"I look back with delight on every step, every circumstance, in that whole design of providential love.  

I rejoice with grateful joy at our blessed union, and feel my obligations to every person instrumental therein.  Above all, I desire to thank my great Benefactor for giving you to my bosom, and to fulfill his gracious end by leading you to the marriage of the Lamb."

Charles Wesley (in a letter to his wife in 1755) 

We celebrated 30 years this week!  

God is truly gracious and merciful to love us more! 

May All You Send Bring Us to Thee

O Lord, by all thy dealings with us,
whether of joy or pain,
of light or darkness,
Let us be brought to Thee.
Let us value no treatment of Thy grace simply because it makes us happy
or because it makes us sad,
because it gives us and denies us what we want;
but may all that Thou sendest us bring us to Thee,
that, knowing thy perfectness, we may be sure in every disappointment that Thou are still loving us,

and in every darkness that Thou art still enlightening us,
and in every enforced idleness that Thou art still using us;
yea, in every death that Thou art still giving us life,
as in His death Thou didst give life to Thy Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Amen. 

Phillips Brooks

I've shared this quote before, but I share it again, because I need it for reminder.  

Hurricane Irma indeed rattled us to know how close, though a little further removed to the west, it would come by way of storm surge and high wind gusts to our coast and home. 

We're thankful to live in an unmarked zone for flooding and/or evacuation.  

The zones in our city that were encouraged to heed mandatory evacuations were zones A and B. Zone A residents are closely associated with the coastal and intracoastal waterways, which include inland waterways.   Zone B residents live near or adjacent to inland waterways, such as the St. johns River and larger creeks and tributaries which are fed from the St. Johns River and coastal waterways. 

This did not mean other zones would not experience flooding. 

Our city officials urged those with the highest probability for the most severe effects of the storm surge and subsequent high tides to leave their homes.  They said those areas would put them and rescue personnel at risk should calls be made for rescue. Residents were urged to "Get out now!" 

We are soo very thankful we survived a furious storm, and a short power outage of approximately 33 hours without damage to our home or neighboring freinds. We were blessed by friends who brought us a cooler of ice, frozen water bottles, and ice packs to help keep our refrigerator and freezer cool through the duration of our power outage.  The LORD gave us cooler, breezier temperatures through Monday and into the night Monday, so we slept with our windows open and enjoyed a wonderful night's rest!  What a blessing after not sleeping well the night before!

Because our large oak tree was removed late last October due to the damage it incurred from Hurricane Matthew's easterly pass off our coast, we had much less debris to clean up after Irma's westerly pass.

Meme and Poppy had a good amount of debris, so we helped them clean up on Tuesday.  We were joined by their neighbors, Laura and Michael, and my brother Mark.
I wish I'd taken pictures.  We accomplished a lot in several hours time, and then enjoyed some lunch together.  Even without power, Meme has a way of hospitably loving us and others.  I want to follow in her steps! 

Afterwards, we drove to Mawmaw's house to help pick up debris in her yard, and while we did that, Mark and John noticed her large oak tree in the backyard was slightly uprooted and leaning towards her neighbor's house.  Mawmaw never lost power, so we spent a few hours with her Monday evening, and I enjoyed taking a bath! 

Mark will meet with the neighbor's tree man tomorrow morn to gather information (we're hoping he's insured), and just maybe the tree can come down this week.

...Because, as of a couple of days ago, there were three additional storms gathering momentum in the Atlantic. Today one of them, now known as Hurricane Maria, gives me reason for concern!  

I anticipate it'll take a few more days before we'll know the projected path she will take.

Needless to say, I am asking the LORD to lead Maria away from our state...

Tomorrow all the schools in our city will resume classes after having a full week off because of flooding and power outages.  As of tonight, I read that 99% of our city has had their power restored.

Whatever happens in the days to come, my heart and mind are purposed to trust He is leading us to Him, come what may! 

Hurricane Irma: The LORD on High is MIGHTY

Meditation is a holy exercise of the mind whereby we bring the truths of God to remembrance, and do seriously ponder upon them and apply them to ourselves.

Thomas Watson (c. 1620-1686)

  

The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty;

the LORD is robed; he has put on strength as his belt. 

Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. 

Your throne is established from of old;

you are from everlasting. 

The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; 

the floods lift up their roaring. 

Mightier than the thunders of many waters, 

mightier that the waves of the sea, 

the LORD on high is mighty!! 

Your decrees are very trustworthy; 

holiness befits your house, O LORD, forevermore. 

Psalm 93

We are experiencing Irma's fury, and from now until noon tomorrow, we will be well aware of her presence, BUT... 

My LORD on high is mightier!! 

I'm soo thankful! 

❤️

Hurricane Irma: Let Us Thank the LORD

I am in awe of what God is doing through this hurricane named Irma. 

It grieves me that people have such contempt for God and His ways, until something like a hurricane heads their way.  Then suddenly... WE need Him.  I am guilty! 

Many ignorantly isolate and separate Him from lives, and then when a weather event comes up, they finally begin to consider Him.  

Yes, He just may desire their notice.  

I believe He desires more than that! 

I believe He desires to be known and praised of men!! 

17 Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction; 

18 they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. 

19 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 

20 He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. 

21 Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! 

22 And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of his deeds in songs of joy! 

23 Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; 

24 they saw the deeds of the LORD, his wondrous works in the deep.

25 For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. 

26 They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; 

27 they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits' end. 

28 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 

29 He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. 

30 Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. 

31 Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!

Psalm 107:17-31

At this hour, Irma has made a northwest-easterly shift and "her" projected path is to make landfall as a category 4 hurricane (not a 5!) at the most southern tip of our state and then quickly downgrade to a category 3 hurricane.  She's expected to push her way up the middle of our state, and thankfully continue to downgrade into more of a strong tropical storm as she passes by us, and into the state of Georgia.  She will continue her northernly trek through the middle of their state and likely dissipate in Tennessee. 

She has surely been a demanding storm, capturing the attention of millions as she stirred up much fear and angst in her onlookers as a category 5 hurricane, but lest any of us forget, she, too, is in subjection to the One who called her into existence.  

Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps, 

fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling His word! 

...

Kings of the earth and all peoples,

princes and all rulers of the earth! 

Young men and maidens together,

old men and children!

Let them praise the name of the LORD, 

for His name alone is exalted;

His majestyis above earth and heaven.

He has raised up a horn for His people, 

praise for all his saints, 

for the people of Israel who are near to Him. 

Praise the LORD! 

Psalm 148:7-8, 11-14

Praise the LORD! 

Thank you, LORD, for your steadfast love and wondrous works!

You are GREAT, and far more worthy of our affection and focus than this hurricane! 

May we respect and honor You more in the days to come!  

A Sword for the Lord and for Gideon

So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him went and stood near the outskirts of the camp and at the appointed time they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars that were in their hands. Then the other companies of a hundred men blew their trumpets and broke their jars. They held the torches in their left hands, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. 

And they cried out, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”

This is the phrase that jumped out at me while reading this passage... 

Every man stood in his place around the camp, and all the army ran. 

They cried out and fled. When Gideon's army blew the 300 trumpets, the Lord set every man's sword against his comrade and against all the army. And the army fled. 

The enemy soldiers turned on one another because they were frightened by Gideon's surprise attack. 

Gideon's messengers went after them and found and captured the two princes of Midian...🙈! 

Gideon was faithful to hear and obey God's command, and he answered His call! 

"Every man stood in his place around the camp". 

I know the LORD has a place and purpose for each of us to fill, but I also know how very important it is that each of us seek to know what that call and place is!!  

We won't learn anything by avoiding time and meditation in His word and prayer! 

If every minute of our 'down' time is filled with frivolous waste, how sensitive will we be to His call? 

Anyone can tell you, "Yeah, do that with your life! That sounds good", but they walk away and leave you to live with the reality of their best guess for a "good" life. 

We must make time to get alone with the LORD, so He can give us counsel in the night seasons. He created us to fulfill His call and purpose (Psalm 138:8). 

I pray you will desire to know your Chief Commanding Officer, and seek to follow His command !  

Please don't doubt that God can use you to blow a trumpet to His praise and authority in your life, and smash jars of alarm, to testify "A sword for the Lord..." because when you trust the weapon God has given you, you'll know better how to use it to smite the enemies in your lives!! 

That's what VICTORY looks like when you answer His call to allow Him to fight your battles!! 

❤️u!!!!

Photo:  This photo will always be a treasured one for me.  It was taken one Christmas morning when the children were young and anxious to open their presents, yet Dad wanted to show them God's Word was more valuable, the best gift to long for!! It was a hard few moments to wait through, but I pray they will never forget him doing this each Christmas morning!! 

From our earliest days as a couple, even before marriage, Mark has sought to lead me to truth, the Truth, that calibrates my heart and mind, He who is First and Last, the ultimate One worthy of all of my affection, honor, and praise, even when I am weak and prone to anxiety and fear. 

Mark has faithfully lead me to God's word, and helped me to understand and believe there is no other ROCK for my heart and mind like the security and anchor God's word is for my weaknesses and vulnerabilities. 

I have oft said with much angst, "I wish I were not this way", but Mark has always followed that with pointing me to God, to value Him first and not myself!! 

"In the beginning, God...".

He has a purpose and plan for my life.  He created me, and it could be He has chosen to use these very offensive weaknesses in my life to help me realize how much I need Him!!  If my focus is always on myself, Ill never see Him in my circumstances of my life!  I must know my dependence is for Him, and not myself, or even Mark!  

I am slowly learning to accept myself, weaknesses and all, with the understanding that the LORD is Sovereign, and even the worst of my personal attributes must be viewed in light of Who God is, and only then can I humbly bow to receive what He allows to shape and refine me, for His praise alone! 

Gideon had to learn this also! 

Hurricane Irma: Hold Us Quiet

Well, Hurricane Season is indeed here.  

Last week Hurricane Harvey devastated the southeast coastline of Texas, near Houson, where our cousins Mark and MaryJane, and Great Aunt Eva live.  Our nephew's family recently moved from that area, but chose to lease their house, so we've yet to receive word about their property.  We surely pray their home was minimally damaged.  

Needless to say, our hearts have not fully recovered from the concern we've had for our family in TX, and now it's time to consider the possibility of a direct hit to our state by a new approaching storm system named Irma, which has already been declared a category 4 hurricane.  

The above photo is the latest five day projection that Irma is taking. 

We will continue to pray these next few days, and make necessary preparations, as we seek to have hearts quieted by His provision and care. That is not easy to say, or do, but it is necessary! 

Last October, Hurricane Matthew passed by approximately 55 miles east of our coast.  The distance between us and the hurricane was an amazing mercy we thanked the LORD for.  

I'm tempted to fret about Irma, but again, I am learning to PUT more faith and confidence in the One who created the storm than the storm itself!  God can do anything He chooses to do, and by recognizing His providence and sovereign rule over ALL things, hurricanes included, I must maintain my focus...

This is one of my favorite stories in the Bible, well... one of my many favorite stories...😊

23And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 

24And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 

25And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 

26And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 

27And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

Matthew 8

I love this passage! 

"And the men marveled, ..."!! 

In the Gospel of Mark, the  story includes another detail I enjoy...

35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 

36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 

37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 

38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Mark 4

This second detail speaks volumes about the humanity and person of Jesus, yet he was God! He slept on a pillow, yet he spoke and quieted the furious squall!  

Simply stated, if God blew the wind and stirred the waters to form Hurricane Irma, then shouldn't I believe He can quiet them also?  And the detail that Jesus slept on a pillow moves me to believe He will satisfy my need for comfort and rest in the midst of our next storm! I want to have the kind of faith to believe He is my security and peace when winds and storms around me rage!! 

"Thou art the Lord who slept upon the pillow, 

Thou art the Lord who soothed the furious sea,

What matters bearing wind and tossing billow

If only we are in the boat with Thee? 

Hold us quiet through the age-long minute

While Thou are silent and the wind is shrill:

Can the boat sink while, Thou, dear Lord, are in it;

Can the heart faint that waiteth on thy will? 

Amy Carmichael

He Will Tend His Flock Like a Shepherd

Praying that you may with every emotion, thought, word, and action TODAY...

*Honor God's glory

*Reverence God's holiness

*Admire God's greatness

*Praise God's power

*Seek God's truth

*Esteem God's wisdom

*Treasure God's beauty

*Savor God's goodness

*Trust God's faithfulness

*Believe God's promises

*Obey God's commandments

*Respect God's justice

*Fear God's wrath

*Cherish God's grace

*Prize God's presence

*Love God's person

(Copied from Desiring God) 

This text perfectly represents the kind of edification our church body receives from our pastor on a weekly basis.  Pastor Shane has faithfully served the LORD as the "undershepherd" of His flock, Sovereign Grace Baptist Church, for 14 years.  Our church recently celebrated that anniversary.  

Our family knows the blessing of not only Pastor Shane's leadership, but his friendship as well.  He is very gifted with a scripturally nurturing watch care of his church members.  We very much appreciate and admire the amount of guarded, disciplined time he spends in God's word each week.  He is equally giving of himself to discipling our congregation, and he is very conscientious and caring towards the countless, various needs in our fellowship.  He definitely seems too good to be true for a pastor, but I speak from the special privilege of knowing first hand that the LORD has called this man to a very special place of service at Sovereign Grace.  May the LORD receive all the glory!! 

I must also say, Pastor Shane would never want to be the focus of this blog post, because his aim every week is to point us to Christ, and to encourage us to consider our lives in light of the gospel...

15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 

16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 

17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 

18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 

19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 

20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 

21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 

22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,

23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Ephesians 1:15-23, ESV

Our church body is presently praying through the process of looking for a new location to gather beginning in January 2018.  We have been blessed for many years to meet in a local YMCA bldg , for a very low financial fee.  However, after Hurricane Matthew passed by our coast last October, causing some damage to that property, we were encouraged by the YMCA organization to move to a newer facility with the understanding that in one year we would have found a new meeting place.  This matter has definitely been our prayer focus, and our elders have worked as diligently to locate another meeting place. 

In their search, our elders learned that there is a small church close by that will soon close their doors.  Their membership has dwindled down to a small number of elderly members that cannot maintain their property.  

As a result of learning this news, our church has been praying and seeking the LORD as to whether He is truly opening the doors for us to purchase this small piece of property and building.  If so, we trust He will give us the necessary favor and financial means to move forward.  We are $50K short of paying for the property with cash, so in a matter of two months time, we prayingfully hope to gain the amount of money we need. 

We anticipate what God will do in and through our church body, and those whose hearts He chooses to turn toward SGBC during this time. 

Please join us in praying we will follow His lead and loving provision for Sovereign Grace Baptist Church as He shepherds us into the new year and to a new fold. 

10Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might,

and his arm rules for him;

behold, his reward is with him,

and his recompense before him.

11He will tend his flock like a shepherd;

he will gather the lambs in his arms;

he will carry them in his bosom,

and gently lead those that are with young.

Isaiah 40:10-11, ESV

Photo:  Possible future new home of Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Set Your Hope in God

My Dear Darling Daughters (Yes, I treasure all three of you as such!!), 

The day has come... young men are noticing you! 

Are we, your parents, ready for this?  

I can't speak for all of us, but I can say for myself, I want to be. 

Have we adequately prepared you for the one who will one day capture your heart? 

May I encourage you to long more deeply for "The One" who created you to need Him most?

It is VITAL that you know Him best, so you may better understand the value of the characteristics in a young man who desires to pursue you.  He must love and lead you to Christ!!

C.J. and Carolyn Mahaney, parents of three daughters and a son, compiled