The Small Things That Keep Me Close...

Sarah Markley has just written another wonderful little bit of inspiration. Pay attention to the words she puts in bold, and especially this latter part of her post:

"When I don’t feel like reading the Bible and I go months and months without cracking its pages, I seem to fall back to prayer and meditation like they are old friends. The idea of studying a child’s laughter or why a bird builds a nest near my dining room window comes easier to me because I’ve done it before and God has spoken to me through these things. I’ve practiced it with my own hands. The years when sermons seem dry and Bible studies bore are the years I find myself picking out a single verse and meditating on it over a kitchen sink full of dishes, my arms half deep in the soap. And to be alone, to be silent in communion with God is ever preferable to me over many other things.

I’m not at all against church. I love church and I love my church very much.

But at the end of it all, it won’t matter what church we’ve gone to or how many women’s Bible studies we’ve attended.

It will matter, I believe, how we let Him infuse our days with Himself and how we allow ourselves to be taught by the little, beautiful things in life. And I think it will matter, at the end, how we choose to live with Jesus every day.

What are the small things that keep you close to or bring you back to Jesus? How have you seen God in daily life lately?"

Encouragement to keep close...

A confession...

I began to blog partly out of a need to reference inspirational articles. I needed somewhere to store them where I could retrieve them when I needed to. Often, I think I'd be best off just 're-publishing' - rather like 'retweeting' - every inspirational blog I read. Don't really need to blog myself when there is such wonderful stuff out there.
Today was one such day. A hiccupy, teary, 'whoops' day which reminded me of the need to receive encouragement, to store it on my blog as well as on my heart - because I forget too easily. A day when I needed to read this.
Several months of stress - husband ill, a  busy school year, adult children flown the nest, unkindness from a friend resulting in the loss of friendship (her choice, not mine), and struggling to serve out of my comfort zone in a small traditional church - have left me tired and surprisingly lonely. I have much to be thankful for and to take joy in - my husband's health is now under control and he is back at work, and I am enjoying the summer break from school, to mention just a couple of lesseners of stress - but I have found social interaction hard work. I've felt alone, even worthless, and my joy seems to have disappeared. For today, anyway.
So Ayla's words of encouragement were very timely. A good reminder that I cannot - must not - depend on circumstances or others for my joy.
I pray that I learn the lesson PROPERLY in my heart.
Then there was double whoops, as I was reminded to 'look to Christ and remember just how precious I am in His eyes' over at Messy Marriage...
Hmmm... lessons to learn indeed.
(I'm thinking I may still be needing to add to this post...)

Train up a child in the way he should go...a challenge for us all.

I had had this on my mind for a long time, when my study with GoodMorningGirls on the Proverbs 31 woman took me to this verse this week: Proverbs 22:6 "Point your kids in the right direction - when they're old they won't be lost. " (The Message). Indeed.

Please don’t look at the title and think ‘This won’t apply to me, I don’t have children.’  Yes, it does. Children are our future and we can all help them grow into the people God means them to become.

I was saddened recently when, at a wonderful local church conference, there were very few children. The event was held over a whole weekend and had carefully planned, age appropriate activities. The leaders were hugely creative and energetic: the children who joined in had a wonderful time. While the Sunday morning was well attended, the Saturday was not. Even a church known for its thriving children’s ministry had only a few children attend. I wondered why.

We are fortunate to live in a place where there are wonderful opportunities for people of every age. Thriving sports clubs; an active Music Centre where talents are developed; and a huge variety of other activities, from cooking to candlemaking, are all on offer. Weekends are VERY busy. Church is fitted in on Sundays around football practice and outings with the family. There is little – or no – time for anything extra.

Yet...where do priorities lie? Do we seek to teach our children how to put God first, when we choose a rugby match over worship, swimming club over walking on water, pantomimes over prayer?  I’m not suggesting that children should not develop their talent for sport, or music, or art and craft, but I do think we need to keep alert for opportunities where our children have the chance to meet with God.

As a teacher, I know how thirsty children are to experience God. A few months ago we hosted a Prayerspace in school. Over the two day period, the children crowded in at lunchtime, forgoing the chance to play football or run around outside. They pored over the prayers put up on sticky notes, chatted about how special they were in God’s eyes and sat thoughtfully in the ‘quiet tent’. A couple of weeks later, when I referred to the Prayerspace in assembly, there was the most incredible sigh of eager expectation from the whole school – a truly holy moment which I have never, in all my years of teaching, experienced.

Children long to know and have an encounter with God.

Now, before I go any further, I am well aware that, whatever we do or don’t do, ultimately a child’s decision whether or not to follow Jesus is entirely their choice. We cannot force, cajole or manipulate them to do so – temporarily, possibly, but not in any lasting way. There are many prodigal children of godly parents and we pray for their return. Nothing we can do will make them love God any more and nothing we can do will make them love God any less.

We can, however, encourage them. To paraphrase Romans 10:1, 13 – 14 (NIV):

‘...my heart’s desire and prayer to God for children is that they may be saved... for “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?’ And, may I add, how can the children be told about Jesus unless they are brought to places where his life is demonstrated and taught? (Emphasis mine)

Many churches have good children’s programmes running on Sunday mornings, with classes for all ages up to the teens. Often, all may be well until the age of 11. Then children may start to complain, dragging their heels so that it becomes harder for parents to take them. Eventually, as they enter their teens, children refuse to attend church. The primary school age is of tremendous importance, the best chance to “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22:6, NIV.)  Attending church every Sunday is a brilliant place to start, but we need to take every opportunity to encourage our children in the development of their faith.

Here are a few practical suggestions:

Put them in places where they can hear the Word  and experience the Holy Spirit. This is, obviously, Sunday school or children’s church on a Sunday morning.

Vacation Bible school – holiday clubs at half terms and during the holidays are wonderful opportunities. Many churches organise these, either themselves or booking a visiting team. If your church doesn’t have anything like this but other churches in the area do, take your children along. Or perhaps get a team of like-minded folk and organise one yourself – even two or three days long. There are numerous resources available to help you.

Age doesn’t matter: children are never too young to experience God. We need only to look at how John the Baptist ‘leapt in his mother’s womb’ when he recognized Jesus, or to Samuel when he heard God calling him in the night. I was privileged to serve on the team for 3 – 4 year olds at one of the New Wine summer conferences: we were soon reminded that God’s spirit is not confined to age, as these tiny children prayed for each other and their leaders, as a consequence of which we saw physical healing take place. Not only that: I was moved to tears as one mother related how the life of her three year old, as a result of attending the sessions for just one and a half hours a day for just five days, had completely turned around. This is not normal: this would not have happened in a day nursery: this is the Holy Spirit.

Encourage children by your example: Let them hear ‘God talk’ around meal times – don’t hide your faith from them but don’t be super spiritual either. Let them hear your prayers;  see you make your home group a priority above your own convenience; welcome friends and strangers into your home, hosting gatherings whenever you can. Inviting a missionary to a meal can have a powerful impact on your children as they listen to the discussion of the missionary’s work and calling.

Model to your children how much you value learning more about God. Apart from letting them see you study your Bible and pray, show your appreciation for their Sunday school teachers with an occasional gift, or discussing their teachers’ good qualities and hard work  over dinner.

  

Listen to the children when they talk to you and encourage them to ask you questions. Discussion helps develop their interest and understanding in a way that talks and sermons, however good they might be, cannot do.

Take them out of their comfort zone. Nowadays, children can sometimes be over-protected. We are so aware of health and safety in all aspects, particularly ‘stranger danger’, both physically and online, that we are careful to shield our children from anything which might be at all risky for them.

Yet we as adults know that faith is often spelt R.I.S.K. We need to make sure that our children are gently challenged to grow into faith and we can do this by taking them out of their comfort zones, with our loving support. Taking my children to a huge Christian conference was challenging for all of us, not just my children: it was the first time we had experienced worshipping with thousands of others. But it was also the first time that my daughter had a powerful experience with the Holy Spirit – before, even, than I myself. It was an experience which has stayed with her many years later.

Persevere with independence. If there is a child-friendly Christian event such as a conference or holiday club, but you don’t know anyone else attending: take your child anyway. Children may be a little nervous if they don’t know anyone to go with, but in my experience children’s leaders are so welcoming that children rapidly settle in and are more enthusiastic about returning the next day than adults would be. Don’t let them miss out because of initial nervousness.

Choose to act sacrificially.

Putting your child in a place where he or she has the opportunity to come closer to God comes at a cost: time, convenience, money – even status. For example, many parents sacrifice their holiday time to take their children to a Christian conference. This doesn’t quite have the same cachet as a week in Biarritz! Your colleagues or neighbours may think this very strange.

  

Challenge your children. A  dear friend related how Dawson Trotman, founder of the Navigators (renowned for its discipleship ministry and emphasis on memorizing Scripture) was visiting her parents. He asked her which Bible verses she knew – not many! She explained that she had a poor memory and couldn’t learn Bible verses. He then started chatting to her about the latest top music hits. She replied enthusiastically, reciting several of the lyrics. When Dawson Trotman gently showed her that she knew the lyrics well simply because she had listened to them over and over again, she realized that she could apply the same principle to learning the Bible and so developed a lifelong habit of memorization.

Encourage godly friendships. Invite other families over: for coffee, to lunch after church, planned or potluck. Make arrangements to do things with other families – pick things the children will enjoy!

Finally, for parents: be careful about the choices you give your children.

There have been several times when I did not allow my children to ‘opt out’ and God blessed them in an amazing way. Another friend, when her children started to complain about having to go to church on a Sunday, took them to a church with a less child-friendly program. Within a couple of weeks they started begging to go back to ‘their’ church and never looked back in their spiritual development. We need to listen to our children while not necessarily giving them whatever they want – we know the truth of this regarding diet, sleep and exercise and this applies to spiritual growth as well.  As adults, protecting  our children can mean saying ‘no’ at times. Choose their activities carefully, as far as you can. Make quite sure that you really do want your child to be a rugby star if  a commitment to Sunday morning practices means that they will not be able to go to church. You may have the chance to attend church on a Sunday evening but, in my experience, evening services rarely cater for the under 11s.

What about older children and teens?

All is not lost! Volunteer to help and get them to come along with you. Although they won’t often admit it, teenagers love to hang around adults when they can listen to interesting conversations. They go through a ‘wallpaper’ phase – as silent as the walls but all eyes and ears. They soak up God talk without knowing it.

I feel passionately about our children’s spiritual development. My own children are now adults:  this has not diluted my eagerness that we should take every opportunity to encourage the children we know. Parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends, neighbours... one of my friends became a Christian because a neighbour first took her to church when she was two.  We should not forget that children are adults in the making: that our prayer for them should be that “ our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage their hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word.”  (2 Thessalonians 2:16 – 17)

Let us remember that, unlike physical growth, our children’s spiritual growth doesn’t happen automatically – God has no grandchildren. We know this deep down but culture tries to tell us otherwise, with its individualistic emphasis on choice and freedom. Let’s take every chance we can to help our children make WISE choices so that they can find true freedom – in Jesus.


So I should finish by pointing you to much wiser sources of help and information in this parenting adventure: here is a link to Women Living Well - a list of recommended reading and a blogging gateway of endless tips and encouragement!


Also linking up with: 

Waiting

Can you describe a time when you were waiting for something to happen or someone to visit?  How did you feel?

Today we’re thinking about waiting on the Lord.  Christian-speak, even jargon, often heard.  Waiting for...what?

Something to happen. Something to change a situation, a person.

How often do we ‘wait on the Lord’ to hear Him SPEAK to us?

What should we wait FOR?

The right gift. Acts 1:4 - 5, NIV  On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command:“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.  For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

The right person. A Messiah to save us.  John 4:25-27  The Message

 ²⁵The woman said, "I don't know about that. I do know that the Messiah is coming. When he arrives, we'll get the whole story."

 ²⁶"I am he," said Jesus. "You don't have to wait any longer or look any further."

We don’t need to look anywhere else when we are in trouble. Not to family, or friends, or man-made solutions. Just Jesus. And we have the gift of the person of the Holy Spirit, so...first response: prayer!

The right time. John 7 (NIV)

Jesus Goes to the Festival of Tabernacles

7 After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want^[a] to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him. ² But when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near, ³ Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do.⁴ No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” ⁵ For even his own brothers did not believe in him.

⁶ Therefore Jesus told them, “My time is not yet here; for you any time will do. ⁷ The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil.⁸ You go to the festival. I am not^[b] going up to this festival, because my time has not yet fully come.”⁹ After he had said this, he stayed in Galilee.

¹⁰ However, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. ¹¹ Now at the festival the Jewish leaders were watching for Jesus and asking, “Where is he?”

¹² Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.”

Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.” ¹³ But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the leaders.

Jesus Teaches at the Festival

¹⁴ Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. ¹⁵ The Jews there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having been taught?”

¹⁶ Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. ¹⁷ Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. ¹⁸ Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. ¹⁹ Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?”

The right response:

Can you think of a time when you waited impatiently but realised afterwards that the timing, when it actually happened, was perfect? What about when a delay doesn’t seem good, even in retrospect? How do we reconcile that? Can you think of changes – perhaps in the situation, maybe even in yourself, in your attitude – which were good in spite of the delay?

James 5:7-8 The Message Meanwhile, friends, wait patiently for the Master's Arrival. You see farmers do this all the time, waiting for their valuable crops to mature, patiently letting the rain do its slow but sure work. Be patient like that. Stay steady and strong. The Master could arrive at any time.

What does ‘waiting on the Lord’ look like? How do we do it?

As I was preparing this, an email from Ed, a Christian writer whose blog I follow, dropped into my inbox with an attention-grabbing ‘ping’.

Do you ever find yourself hoping for an email or a text from a friend or family member? You wait and wait, but nothing happens?  Perhaps you have asked a question, or, after a long message, are hoping for a response, an acknowledgement even, something which communicates that the other person has been glad to hear from you?  I’d like God to ‘ping’ me an email or a text, a quick response to a request or an out of the blue message which connects my emotions to him.

If I’m not waiting at the computer, or near my phone, I won’t hear that alluring ‘ping’.

What does that look like in my life with God?

Ed says this:

“I lug a copy of the Divine Hours around the house all day in an attempt to remember to pray a few times throughout the day.

I jot down notes during the sermon.

I sing the same slow song each week at church as a confession of my sins.

I crunch on a juice-stained wafer for communion.

I read a bit of the Bible each morning while eating breakfast.

This is not exciting stuff by any measure. I often have to force myself to open my prayer book in the middle of a busy day or to put aside an amusing book at bed time in order to focus on the Compline. Watching a hockey game, even a Bluejackets game, strikes me as a bit more exciting than prayer or sitting around at church.....

I need to do these “boring” things because they reorient me. Oftentimes I don’t even perceive the ways I’ve been drifting away from God and from others before it’s too late. Lots of times sin works like that: we drift away little by little until temptation pounces on us when we’re far away from God and our defenses are down.

There is something effective and necessary about the daily gentle prods of prayer, scripture reading, and worshipping in community. They aren’t magical remedies for sinful ailments, but they can provide the timely pushes, the sustaining words, and the stories we need to stay on track, to draw near to Jesus, and to stay there.”

So ‘waiting on God’ means drawing near to him with conscious choices to pray, to read, to listen to others speak His truth...

Galatians 5:4-5 The Message When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace. Meanwhile we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit.

This is why we would do all these things – to deepen our relationship with God through the Holy Spirit.

Above all, we wait with eagerness and expectation, LOOKING FORWARD to what is coming.

Romans 5:3-6 There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

 ^6-8Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn't, and doesn't, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway.

Romans 8:18-25  The Message

 ^18-21That's why I don't think there's any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what's coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens.

 ^22-25All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it's not only around us; it's within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We're also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.

So waiting is for now, and for the life to come. This is the verse which most helps me wait:

Hebrews 12:2  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

In The Message: Discipline in a Long-Distance Race

 ^1-3Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!

I’m there, way back from the starting line of the Marathon, walking slowly forwards. Right at the back, but I’ll get there.  

Courtship!

Yes, happily married for nearly 28 years...why on earth would I be posting on courtship?
Just  because I have read a couple of good posts from stayathomedaughter - also now about to be happily married - and, as I can't pin them, I need to save them here for future reference. Someone might ask me for advice one day - you never know.
Okay? So...
5 stages of courtship...
Our courtship story...meeting Mr Right - and the fiance's version, too - both a bit 'over the top' but good, cautious advice for those who don't get  bowled over by instant revelation.
Worth a read, a think, and a pick-out-what-is-useful.

Thoughts on strength...and Proverbs 31

In our study of the Proverbs 31 good woman with Good Morning Girls, we were reminded that:  the joy of the Lord is our strength; that we should do whatever our hands find to do with all our might; and that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

We are to be strong physically, mentally and emotionally, and spiritually.

Yes but how?

We need to remember that strength comes from God: it sounds obvious, but how often do we remember this?  I know I don’t – usually muddle along a best I can without particularly relying on God. In the day to day, I become complacent.

If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 4:11

Colossians 1:11 says that we are ... strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that (we) may have great endurance and patience...and  Philippians 4:13 that  we  can do everything through him who gives (us) strength.

Some key verses to keep us going and give us strength: TRUST

 

Psalm 20:6-8  Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed⁾

    he answers him from his holy heaven

    with the saving power of his right hand.

⁷ Some trust in chariots and some in horses,

    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

⁸ They are brought to their knees and fall,

    but we rise up and stand firm.

 

Isaiah 12:2 says: Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.”

Isaiah 30:15

This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.

Isaiah 31:1

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the LORD.

                           

GOD TURNS WEAKNESS TO STRENGTH

 In the great list of heroes, the writer of Hebrews talks of how God gave the prophets strength (Chapter 11 v 34) and Paul (2 Corinthians 12:9) said:

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

GO IN THE STRENGTH YOU HAVE  – as Gideon did. Things were bad, and Gideon questioned God as to why they were, but God didn’t explain – just told him how things were going to get better.

“But sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders^(A) that our fathers told^(B) us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned^(C) us and put us into the hand of Midian.”

¹⁴ The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have^(D) and save^(E) Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”   Judges 6:13-15

JOY

We do not necessarily associate the strength of God with joy, yet David, in his great psalm of thanks after bringing the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem says:

Splendour and majesty are before him; strength and joy in his dwelling place. 1 Chronicles 16:27

Nehemiah 8:10

Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Zephaniah 3:17

The Lord your God is with you,

    he is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you,

    he will quiet you with his love,

    he will rejoice over you with singing.”

Nehemiah 8:10

Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Psalm 28:7

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.

Colossians 1:11

being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully

To finish, let us echo the words of David in his Psalm of thanks:

Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.

Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced.

...Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength, ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name...Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love endures forever. (1 Chronicles 16,

vv 11 – 12, 28 – 29

GoodMorningGirls suggests: follow Phil 4.8 … and think upon things that are good, right, noble …. even in the midst of pain and hardship. We need to flee to the basics of the Christian faith, and set our minds on “the things above,” on Christ himself. God is always good, he is always kind, he is never cruel, he has a perfect plan, he is with us always.

Mikeschair

Just came across this great group: Mikeschair:

through Lisa's blog.
It fitted in really nicely with the Good Morning Girls Proverbs 31 study this week - the theme was 'plan' and 'do'. Getting up early, not procrastinating, thinking ahead...  Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 
I liked Lisa's lead in:

Who is it for?

Why do you . . .

• Do laundry?
• Buy the wedding gift?
• Drive across town for lunch?
• Respond to the text?
• Water the plants?
• Get to work on time?
• Pray with your kids?
• Bite your tongue?
• Check your email?
• Put down your book?
• Pick up your book?
• Take a shower?
• Kiss your husband?
• Write a blog post?

All for Him?
Um, not all. Not yet.
But it’s the goal...
She had another interesting post about hobbies ministry here, too.

Why I cried.

Sorry, whoever might read this, if you're expecting some earth-shattering disaster or even a long account of 'the straw that broke the camel's back'.
Yes, I might cry - occasionally - for such events. It's not, however, my default mechanism to cry.
Yet this morning, as I flicked through emails, I stopped to read this blog post from Renee Ronika Klug.
She's American. Living in America.
I'm British. Living in a tiny Crown Dependency which isn't even part of the UK. I suspect that the distance to her grocery store is possibly greater than the whole length of this island.
Different worlds.
Incredibly similar experiences.
As I read her longings to pursue God and connect in authentic community with other women, I recognised deep longings inside myself. 
Her words echoed so powerfully that...I cried. I wept, laughing, in delighted recognition.
As, over the years, I have sought God, longed for and experienced the Holy Spirit and yearned for true community, I knew that I had been to places - not here, not in America, but life places - where Renee also journeyed.
She offers hope and encouragement for people like me. Hope that yes,  it IS possible "to interact with God and other women like in the Bible—with intimate encounters that uncover our weaknesses and then clothe us with the strength of the Holy Spirit."
My prayer is that, like her, "my community of women will not be marked by the commonplace. Our lives will radiate from the brilliance of having risen above our circumstances, to reach out and rescue other women from their hiding places."
And yes, if any of my dear friends are reading this, I have already experienced this with you.
I'm just greedy for more. More kingdom living with like-minded women.
So I cried.

Isaiah 58...Sara's story in New York

Proverbs 31:7 - 14...weeks 2 and 3

Some highlights. It's hard to believe we've spent two weeks studying so few verses, but I'm always amazed at how truth sinks in as we study so slowly.
At the end of Week 1 we were challenged to set goals: this article by Charity Silvers in GMG Leadership is really helpful:

Thoughts on Goals
As we get ready to set our goals for this summer’s study in Proverbs 31, I wanted to share a few thoughts with all of you. As women we tend to have grand desires for our lives, which include that bad word “expectations” that we have for the behavior of our husbands and our children. As I was reading Linda Dillow’s book, What’s It Like to be Married to Me?, I got a better understanding of the difference between desires and goals. On page 32 she wrote that a desire is “something wanted that cannot be obtained without the cooperation of another person. It is an objective for which a person can assume no responsibility because it is beyond her control.” She further wrote that a goal is “a purpose to which a woman is unalterably committed. She assumes unconditional responsibility for a goal and it can be achieved if she is willing to work at it.” Simply put, desires cannot be controlled solely by the woman whereas goals can be.

David wrote in Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (NASB) From this verse we can realize that it is not wrong to have desires - desires for a husband who is the spiritual leader of the home; desires for children who love the Lord and follow after Him with all their heart; desires for a warm and loving atmosphere in the home; and so on. But as you can readily see now, if those desires are to be met, they depend on the willing cooperation of the other people involved! And as wives and mothers, you know it doesn’t happen all the time. The key to our desires is to delight ourselves in the Lord. And it appears that you have taken a first step in that direction with your commitment to this summer study in Proverbs 31.
Goals, on the other hand, are something that YOU on your own can work toward. In a brief study I did on the word “goal” I came across I Timothy 1:5 – “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” (NASB) The Greek word there for goal can be defined as “the end to which all things relate.” In essence, we set a goal and then everything we do relates to meeting that goal. Philippians 3:14 also talks about a goal – “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (NASB) The word there is a different Greek word with the definition of “a distant mark looked at.” In the context of this verse it is a distant mark, so we see that we can have short-term goals and long-term goals but either way, we keep looking at the goal and working toward it.

Our assignment for Friday of our first week in the GMG study this summer is to set goals for ourselves. So as you do, ponder the above and set something that you can obtain with your own effort. It might be good to set a short-term goal that you can reach this summer so you can be encouraged when you reach that goal at the end of our 14 weeks. It can be in your own spiritual life or it could be in how you interact with your family members or what you do in your own home to become a living example of the Proverbs 31 woman. Whatever it is, keep looking toward that goal and ask yourself on a day by day, moment by moment basis, “Is what I’m doing right now related to reaching the goal I have?” If you can answer positively, then you know you’re on the right track. If however, your answer is negative, consider that as a much-needed warning to refocus and change direction. May all that we do glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now thinking about the verses we've been looking at:
vv 7 - 9  Wine and beer is not for the rich to get drunk on, but a medicine to help the suffering...echoes of Jesus on the cross. yet it is also for celebration.
Is it easier to speak out for justice for people who are remote from us? Eg supporting Amnesty International, or Tearfund? Is it hard to speak up for the underdog at work? The person who gets blamed for everything? Someone who is relatively powerless to defend themselves?

v10 This woman is PRECIOUS and adds VALUE. If she is a wife, she adds value to her husband but if she is not SHE STILL ADDS VALUE TO THOSE WITH WHOM SHE IS IN RELATIONSHIP.

Pr.18:22 "He who finds a wife finds a good thing"... interesting that this comes halfway through the book. The Message: Find a good spouse, you find a good life— and even more: the favor of God! I really felt this when I married Richard, that in marrying him I was moving nearer God.
House and land are handed down from parents, but a congenial spouse comes straight from God.
Doesn't this say again how valuable women are? When my mother would relate how she met my father, he would always say "I know a good thing when I see it". And not only are women good things, but I man who recognises this gets God's blessing.

We can pray for our sons to find their wives; we can pray that men recognise the value of women.

Pr.31:11 - 12 The husband can trust his wife - for his own benefit! But to do that just for selfish gain is no use.
We can't trust in riches - only in God. And so whoever trusts his own wisdom is silly
The Message says: Her husband trusts her without reserve, and never has reason to regret it. Never spiteful, she treats him generously
Interesting to read how Solomon's downfall was his wives, who did not encourage his devotion to God but took him away from God. Whether married or not, surely we want to be women who do good not harm; women who can be trusted: at home and at work, whether in relationship with those close to us, or those who are acquaintances

I'm conscious that these verses seem to be all about the wife bringing good to her husband...but what about those without husbands? Remembering the context, in those times a woman would have been married unless she had been widowed - the single life was not an option! So then all women would have at some time been married.

In our modern context, these verses must also be about being devoted to those one has charge for: might be children for the lone parent, elderly parents, friends in need, neighbours...

Proverbs 16:20: It pays to take life seriously; things work out when you trust in God. (The Message)
Proverbs 29:25 The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that (The Message)
NIV Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.
...we are to trust in God, not look to others for affirmation, advice, wisdom, opinions...

Proverbs 31:13 She works with eager hands - eager to do whatever is needed to bring her family what they need - clothes, food. I've always been disturbingly satisfied with a big shop and full store cupboards - glad to know I'm doing what is needed! I like Colossians 3:23 which takes the  verse in Proverbs wider:  "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters..."

A quick paraphrase of  verses 11 - 13:
"The husband can trust his wife - for his own benefit!
But to do that just for selfish gain is no use.
We can't trust in riches - only in God.
And so whoever trusts his own wisdom is silly..."

Proverbs 31:14 She does everything needed to keep the household going. Willing to 'go the distance' - like a merchant ship travelling far!! Read this for more encouragement to keep on doing menial tasks cheerfully...

The next verse was Genesis 24:15-20, about the choosing of Rebekah as a wife for Isaac, when she gave water to the servant sent to find a wife and then watered his camels as well - a lot of work! Rebekah was kind, generous, hard-working, open, welcoming to strangers, respectful...I don't tend to think of her very often, but what a role model, especially in the context of this study...

Studying Proverbs 31 with Good Morning Girls is more of a challenge than I thought it would be.  OK, the woman is all too perfect - so for a long time I have secretly thought that this chapter didn't REALLY apply to me. Because I am not. perfect. Very far from it. And her ideals seemed impossible.
Yet, as I study, I realise that she is a composite, and that I can aspire to little bits of her at different times in my life.
No, the challenge is from those I study with online. The girls I study with here in real life don't challenge me in the same way. Because most of them are at a similar life stage, so we understand each other. My challenge is in the memories.
Because MANY of the women who post on facebook about their studies are young mothers, struggling with all the demands on their time and energy that a young family - or even not so young but still living at home family - pose. The Proverbs 31 woman has a lot of good advice to offer, and it's lovely to see how people respond and grow.
My challenge is in my memories.
Every time I read yet another story of a little victory of time-juggling, chore-balancing, demand-meeting...memories tug. A little voice says: "Bet you wish you'd known THAT tip before. You were a lousy mother."
Ouch.
I look back on my years of mothering - children now grown and left - and wonder how they survived me. SO far short of perfection.
My challenge is to maintain my balance. To lovingly accept truth and my imperfection. To recognise lies which attempt to destroy me. To keep focused on what God is teaching me and wants from me NOW.