Winner of “Evenings With Victoria”

(Did I say I get nervous every time I host a give-away?)

127 commenters, some of which had their names entered 2 or 3 times

Alexa was my helper…

Names shuffled, prayer uttered, choose a name…

Michelle!!!

Congratulations, Michelle!

Are You “One of Those People”?

Sometimes the smallest Word lodges itself and looms large in my heart…

“…having the form of godliness but denying its power…”

I tend to skip over this verse because, well you know, it’s about “those other people”.

“For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,  unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,  traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power.”  2 Timothy 3:2-6

(tap tap…)  “unthankful, headstrong, lovers of pleasure”

How could those things be lumped in with “brutal and blasphemers”?

And He speaks so clearly–“Anyone who loves (fill in the blank) more than Me is not worthy of Me.”

I am unthankful when I complain about MY needs not being met.  I am headstrong when I want MY way.  I am a lover of pleasure when I choose ME over Him.  Ick.

Oh yes, I can “look” godly.  But do I live godly?

I am a “lover of self” each day that I don’t crucify my flesh.  I am “one of those people” when I don’t deny myself, take up my cross and follow Him.

And it comes again–the beautiful irony of God’s Word:

If loving myself “denies the power of godliness” in my life, then dying to self brings it to life!  POWER.  The very thing I think I can achieve when I live in the flesh is the thing I lose.

What if we really died to live?

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Daily.  Thank you, Lord, for knowing I’m so forgetful that I need to start again every morning,  and thank You that Your mercies are new!

Register for a Giveaway: Evenings With Victoria Botkin

Exciting news ahead…

Victoria  Botkin is about to begin an on-line discipleship course called “Evenings with Victoria”.  Mrs. Botkin is wife to Geoff Botkin and mother to 7 children, two of whom are Anna Sophia and Elizabeth Botkin, authors of the book, So Much More, which I highly recommend. I have had the pleasure of listening to Mr. Botkin on several occasions and spending limited time with the Botkin family, and I am always so encouraged by our brief encounters. Mrs. Botkin possesses a delightfully gentle spirit contained in a wealth of wisdom, and takes her Titus 2 calling seriously.

If that news isn’t exciting enough, she has graciously offered Generation Cedar readers the chance to win a free registration ($49 value)!

Sessions begin March 1-April 26, every Monday evening from 8-9 p.m. CST.

She will begin each session by responding to questions from participants and discussions will cover topics “such as woman’s great power, sinful tendencies, obedience vs. submission, independence vs. submission, freedom vs. submission, beauty, dress, makeup, respect, women’s rights, hospitality, speaking words of life, managing with grace, pitfalls of perfectionism in homemaking, Hollywood expectations, trials, trust, and cultivating personality.”

I know this will be a time of tremendous inspiration and insight and I would encourage all who can to register. Mothers and daughters in a household can participate with one registration.

Prayerfully consider sponsoring another woman if you are able as well.

Read more at Evenings With Victoria Botkin

Here’s how to register for your chance to win a free registration:  (Comments open until Sunday night, and the winners will be announced Monday morning.)

1. Leave a comment here to have your name entered one time.  If your name isn’t hyper-linked to a blog with contact info, be sure to leave your email in case you win.
2. Link back to this post from your blog, Facebook, Twitter or other location to get your name entered for each link you post.  Just let me know where you posted it.

I hope you’ll consider sitting in on this unique opportunity that the Internet now affords.  There ARE still older women speaking truth and giving of their lives to mentor younger ones.  I believe you and your marriage will be changed.

Love Covers…

Even though I’m in a hurry, I prop on my full buggy and motion her, with her three items in hand, to go in front of me…it’s only treating her the way I want to be treated.  But then, the hasty shuffle past me, and never a grateful glance.

A short response from someone I love…

a perceived wound…

A thousand small injustices a day have only the power we give them…will I nurse my wound, blame, wear my feelings in a vulnerable place, or will I give others the benefit of the doubt?

“Who knows what that woman may be dealing with:  a terminally ill child she is hurrying back home to nurse?  Financial burdens larger than life?  An abusive husband?” I choose to ask myself.

“Love covers over an offense”.

I’m only just learning, at 37 years old, to look over offenses.  And I’m still very bad at it.  At least the thought occurs to me, and I’m praying earnestly that those thoughts would grow into more follow through.

As a mom, I find a hundred love-lessons like these to teach a day.  If we can cultivate a heart of looking over offenses in our children, imagine how we put them ahead!  Would you agree that this one character trait or flaw, whichever it is, is the source of so much violence, family turmoil and broken homes?  Think about the trail of disaster left in the wake of one of these tragedies when, who knows, had one party only had a mother walking beside him every day, spurring him to true Love, shaping a heart that is able to let an offense go, the whole chain of events may have never existed.

Left alone, the misery of self-centeredness–(for that is the vice that causes us to be quickly offended) will eat them alive.  But with careful pruning, day by day we speak into their lives…“Love keeps no record of wrongs”, and they are transformed by that truth. “Maybe your sister just needs a gentle word…”

Do I model it for them?   Do my children learn from the way I speak of others to cover offenses?  (This is a real question I’m asking myself right now as I write.)  What about my reactions to my husband or in-laws?

Thinking the best of people, letting things go, covering up offenses…this is the stuff of Christian love.  Are we big enough?

Frugal Living: The Tightwad Gazette Author, Amy Dacyczyn

“Our first child was born nine months (and fifteen minutes) after the ceremony. I set aside my career in graphic design to be a Mom. It was during this time that I discovered daytime talk shows and first heard commonly held myths expounded by intelligent audience members.

“Nowadays, a family has to have two incomes to make ends meet.”

“Nowadays, it is impossible for a young couple to get into the housing market.”

“Nowadays, families cannot afford to raise more than two children.”

As if the message could magically be shot back through the television tube, I raised my fist and shouted, “It is not true, it can be done!” And so began my quest to prove that it could be done – that it was still possible to raise a large family and buy a house without two full-time incomes….

Over the years our average income has been less than $30,000. In less than seven years we saved $49,000, made significant investment purchases (vehicles, appliances, furniture) of $38,000, and were completely debt free! That is an annual savings/investment rate of over $12,500 per year, or 43% of our gross income.”

Reflections on True Love…The Love of God

The love of God is greater far Than tongue or pen can ever tell;

It goes beyond the highest star, And reaches to the lowest hell;

The guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win;

His erring child He reconciled, And pardoned from his sin.

CHORUS:

O love of God, how rich and pure!

How measureless and strong!

It shall for evermore endure

The saints’ and angels’ song.

When years of time shall pass away, And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,

When men, who here refuse to pray, On rocks and hills and mountains call,

God’s love so sure, shall still endure, All measureless and strong;

Redeeming grace to Adam’s race-The saints’ and angels’ song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made,

Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade,

To write the love of God above Would drain the ocean dry.

Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky.