Mom’s Musings

(Image from Snapshots of Joy.)

I have been blessed, once again, to join with my family and others in worshiping the Lord this Sunday. We enjoyed good fellowship with one another as well, and now, it is late. Therefore, I will leave you with only a wee post, an excerpt from the metrical version of Psalm 19, verses 1 through 6:

1 The heav’ns God’s glory do declare,
the skies his hand-works preach:
2 Day utters speech to day, and night
to night doth knowledge teach.
3 There is no speech nor tongue to which
their voice doth not extend:
4 Their line is gone through all the earth,
their words to the world’s end.

In them he set the sun a tent;
5 Who, bridegroom-like, forth goes
From’s chamber, as a strong man doth
to run his race rejoice.
6 From heav’n’s end is his going forth,
circling to th’ end again;
And there is nothing from his heat
that hidden doth remain.

We sing this psalm to the tune Crediton, which sounds like this: crediton

I enjoy reading the Reformation 21 blog, but had fallen behind on reading the posts there. Last Sunday, one of my favorite authors at that site, Rev. Richard Phillips, posted a great short article on what it means to keep the Lord’s Day holy. I hope you find it as helpful and refreshing as I did.

(Image from Snapshots of Joy.)

Yano at Ten on Tuesday
has asked her readers, “What are ten things you love about your life?”

There are many more than ten things that I could list. I have a wonderful life, a blessed life, and a busy life. But, since I have such a busy life, I’m thankful that Yano only wants us to list ten things. Here’s my list:

• I love being reconciled to God, through the active and passive obedience of Christ on my behalf. “There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” – 1 Timothy 2:5,6.
  
• I love my husband, and am thankful for him. What a blessing to be married to a godly, unselfish, hard-working guy, who also is a teaser-mc-beazer.
  
• I love my children, each and every one of them. I am so thankful for all the great times we’ve enjoyed together as they’ve been growing up.
  
• I love my church. What a blessing to gather together with God’s people to hear the faithful preaching of God’s Word on Sundays! One special emphasis at our church is learning to love one another, which is a very good thing indeed.
  
• I love my work as a paraeducator. Each day is different and challenging, and the work has such a worthwhile end: furthering the educational development of young people.
  
• I love my in-laws. They are common-sense, hard-working, generous people who love their children and grandchildren. And, they’re fun to visit, too.
  
• I love having internet access, and a blog to write. What a great outlet this is!
  
• I love having enough of life’s necessities, some of life’s luxuries, but not so much money that I need to worry about it.
  
• I love having a healthy, strong body, still a faithful servant to me, so that I may work and be useful.
  
• I love my sanity and intelligence. Thinking about things is a genuine pleasure.
  

The prompt this week for One Single Impression is GLORY. Immediately I thought of the GLORY OF GOD. Specifically, I thought of how God manifests His GLORY in the creation that we see all around us (and in us).

A helpful summary of Christian doctrine, The Westminster Confession of Faith, says this about God’s GLORY in creation:

It pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for the manifestation of the GLORY of his eternal power, wisdom, and goodness, in the beginning, to create, or make of nothing, the world, and all things therein, whether visible or invisible, in the space of six days, and all very good. – The Westminster Confession of Faith, 1647, Chapter 4: Of Creation.

In our family, during daily Bible reading times, we also sing from God’s song book, the Book of Psalms. One of our favorite psalms, Psalm 148, speaks of God’s GLORY in creation. Here is the metrical version of Psalm 148:1-14 taken from The Scottish Psalter, published 1650:

The Lord of heav’n confess,

On high his glory raise.

Him let all angels bless,

Him all his armies praise.

Him glorify

Sun, moon, and stars;

Ye higher spheres,

And cloudy sky.

From God your beings are,

Him therefore famous make;

You all created were,

When he the word but spake.

And from that place,

Where fix’d you be

By his decree,

You cannot pass.

Praise God from earth below,

Ye dragons and ye deeps:

Fire, hail, clouds, wind, and snow,

Whom in command he keeps.

Praise ye his name,

Hills great and small,

Trees low and tall;

Beasts wild and tame;

All things that creep or fly,

Ye kings, ye vulgar throng,

All princes mean or high;

Both men and virgins young,

Ev’n young and old,

Exalt his name;

For much his fame

Should be extoll’d.

O let God’s name be prais’d

Above both earth and sky;

For he his saints hath rais’d,

And set their horn on high;

Ev’n those that be

Of Isr’el’s race,

Near to his grace.

The Lord praise ye.

Those of you interested in meter (which means all of you, I imagine!) will note that this metrical psalm is written in 66. 66. 88. We sing this Psalm to the tune Darwall, written by John Darwall.darwalls148th

I John 3:16-18

16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

I know this isn’t my usual type of post. I’m not claiming to be a Bible teacher, but am thinking about Love For The Brethren, and am talking out loud to you, Dear Reader. I am at home with my dear Lydia who is sick with flu (boo hoo!), rather than at the evening worship service with the rest of the family. I love the book of I John, so that’s what I picked up to read this quiet Sunday evening.

In verse 16 I note that God the Son, Jesus Christ, has already shown His love to us in laying down His life for us. Regardless of what emotions I might be feeling at any given time, and regardless of circumstances being difficult, the fact of the matter is that God has already shown and is continuing to show ultimate love. In this I take comfort, and my heart is calmed.

Next, in verses 16 and 17, I notice the following things about the love Christians are to have for others, especially for the brethren:

1. Love is willing to be inconvenienced (and more) for the sake of others.
   
2. Love wants to know other people to the extent of knowing what their needs are. It isn’t shallow or superficial with others.
   
3. Love is desirous to help meet the needs of those it professes to love at cost to oneself.
   
4. Love shows itself by truly loving, helpful works.
   
5. Love doesn’t PRETEND that everything is OK when it’s not.
   

I pray God that He would grow me in grace, that I might love Him more and that I might have this miraculous love for others.

(Image from Snapshots of Joy.)

PSALM 67: To the chief Musician on Neginoth, a Psalm or Song.

1 God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.

2 That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.

3 Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.

4 O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah.

5 Let the people praise the, O God; let all the people praise thee.

6 Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.

7 God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.

This morning our pastor preached to us from Psalm 67, which is known as The Missionary Psalm.

It is true that in the Old Testament times, the oracles of God (the Scriptures) were committed to the Jews (Romans 3:1,2). Yet even in those times, God promised that blessing would spread through all nations, through Abram (who became Abraham), the father of the faithful. (Genesis 12:1-3).

One of the main points our pastor made was that the Church in not to be self-centered. We hear of false teachings that encourage Christians to seek health, wealth and happiness for themselves. The truth of the matter is that we are an undeserving, privileged people who have been called to bless others. As Christians, we are committed to do good to all people. (Galatians 6:10).

To that I would say, “Amen!” May I, as a Christian focus more and more on how I may be a blessing to others. And, may we as Christians reach out in true empathy and concern to others with their spiritual, emotional and physical needs.

This will be my first “real” More Than Rubies Mondays post. Last Monday I typed up Proverbs 31:10-31, which you will find as one of my blog pages. You can reread that, if you so desire, to get the whole description of the virtuous wife and mother, whose “price is far above rubies.” (Proverbs 31:10b).

I don’t plan to go through these verses systematically, as a pastor would. I’ll just chat with you about whatever comes to mind each week.

So – here you go!

I don’t know about you, but one of my character flaws is that I tend to compare myself unfavorably with others. This is a form of PRIDE that says, “If I’m not the the best at (fill in the blank), I’m going to be depressed about it.”

Look at that Proverbs 31 lady. It IS true that her husband says of her (verse 29), “Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.” The message I get is that it IS hard work to be an excellent wife and mother, NOT that this lady is comparing herself with others. She is simply striving to do a competent job, as she does the work of a wife and mom. According to her husband, she surely does succeed!

I have also caught myself comparing my older self unfavorably with my younger self. “I remember when I used to work hard baking or cleaning until midnight. I just don’t have that kind of energy anymore,” I’ll say regretfully. The truth of the matter is:

• I DON’T have that kind of energy anymore. What kind of superhuman do I pretend to think that I am, that I would not age and decrease somewhat in vigor as the years march on?
  
• I don’t NEED to have that kind of energy anymore. I no longer have a houseful of little ones who need lots of attention during the day. Some of the children are grown and gone from the family home. Those left at home are competent and willing to share in the work of the home.
  

Yes. I want to be competent. I want to do well, and even very well, all that is mine to do in my marriage and family. What I am NOT going to do, is compare myself unfavorably with every woman, past or present, who is better than me at something or another.

I will focus on my work. You focus on yours. Hope you do a great job in your home. That’s what I’m aiming for here, too.

The house is so quiet just now. It’s possible that my husband and I are the only ones awake this Sunday afternoon. I believe he is reading a discussion on Puritan Board; I’m in his study as well, seated before the faithful computer where I do my blog posts. Old Lassie dog is snoozing on the floor between us.

I understand the subdued mood of the day. Yesterday was a busy day for the entire family, as we prepared for and hosted a young people’s game night at our home. It seemed like everyone had a great time. We surely enjoyed the evening. I loved hearing the young people laugh. There was never a dull moment, and at one point they all headed outside to play a version of hide-and-seek.

This morning we were blessed with the privilege of meeting together to hear God’s Word preached. Our pastor spoke of the necessity of Christ’s sufferings. The Lord Jesus Christ purposefully came to this earth to die as the sacrificial Lamb of God, that those who were estranged from God might be reconciled to Him. This foundational understanding precedes the joyous remembrance of His resurrection.

Soon I’ll need to roust the sleepy-heads from their quiet repose, so that they can grab a quick bite before we leave for church again. This evening will be a momentous one for Lydia, since after the evening worship service she will be interviewed by our elders for church membership. That means a late evening (and a stressful one for the dear girl, though her sister has advised her which elder is the most Daddy-ish, and thus, least stressful to be near during the interview process!)

I hope you all have been enjoying a blessed Lord’s Day as well.

I’m interested in trying a new meme for Mondays called More Than Rubies Monday. I imagine that my posts are meant to have something or the other to say about Proverbs 31:10-31, which describes the life of a godly wife and mother. The title of the meme is taken from verse 10: “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.” My daughter Laura, ever one to keep me humble, said to me on the phone, “That sounds funny to me, Mom. Are you going to talk about all the fields you’ve bought, or how all your family is clothed in scarlet?”

Honestly, I have no intention of coming across like some homemaking guru-ess. I just like thinking a lot, and thinking about my role as a Christian wife and mother. Besides, the lady who provides the buttons for the meme has made so many PRETTY ones. I like pretty buttons!

So, for those of you who may not be familiar with the story of the Proverbs 31 woman, my first post will simply be a recording of verses 10-31 of that chapter of the Bible:

10 Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.

11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

14 She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar.

15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.

19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.

23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.

30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

This evening I had to stay home from evening worship, due to finally succumbing to the unpleasant tummy bug that’s been hovering about our family for a few weeks. Now it’s time to go to bed, and hopefully be well enough to carry on with life’s duties as usual tomorrow. I DO feel quite a bit better.

As I was snuggled under extra covers due to shaking chills, I thought of the many things for which I can be thankful, even in this. Here are some things that came to mind:

• We have good, wholesome water to drink. This affliction is not from tainted, filthy water.
  
• We have wholesome food to eat, in plenty.
  
• We can easily keep our clothing and our environment clean, to cut down on the likelihood of “filth” diseases.
  
• When I am well, I can assemble with others to worship the Lord, without fear of senseless violence and persecution.
  
• We have a loving church family for whom we care, and who, in turn, care for us.
  
• We have INDOOR plumbing, and central heating, both of which are a great comfort when one is ill.
  
• My family carries on, keeping things neat and feeding themselves, when I’m out of commission.
  
• I have my own copy of the Bible, which I may read and which I may study, and find comfort (and conviction) therein.
  
• I am not ill with a chronic, debilitating illness.
  

Well, I could go on. But it is time to bid you, Adieu. May the Lord keep you safe, bless you with a true nearness to Himself, and keep you well. May your heart overflow in love and gratitude to Him:

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28