May10
Biblical counseling is helping fellow sinners in this fallen world to live coram Deo.
“To live coram Deo is to live one’s entire life in the presence of God, under the authority of God, to the glory of God…
“To live all of life coram Deo is to live a life of integrity…Integrity is found where men and women live their lives in a pattern of consistency. It is a pattern that functions the same basic way in church and out of church. It is a life that is open before God. It is a life in which all that is done is done as to the Lord. It is a life lived by principle, not expediency; by humility before God, not defiance. It is a life lived under the tutelage of conscience that is held captive by the Word of God.” (R.C. Sproul, What Does coram Deo Mean?)
We take that broad, overarching theme for our lives and get specific with the nitty gritty of life’s circumstances in light of spiritual realities using the tools God Himself gives – His Word, His Spirit, His People.
May9
“He who loves money will not be satisfied with money,
nor he who loves wealth with his income“ (Ecclesiastes 5:10)
Money will not satisfy and pursuit of “more stuff” derails your pursuit of Christ (1 Tim. 6:10). So what is real gain? How about “godliness with contentment” (1 Tim. 6:6)? Once again it’s about looking beyond the temporal (1 Tim. 6:7) toward what counts for eternity (1 Tim. 6:12).
Instead of loving money and pursuing wealth, let’s love Christ and pursue Christlikeness (1 Tim. 6:11)!
May4
Last year I showed you the first piece of wall art I created for the boys’ room (Impress Your Kids). I never loved how it turned out so now that we’re moving Katy in with the boys I decided to decorate her corner and repaint the canvas. I used cheapo (59 cent) acrylic paint, scrapbook paper I had on hand, and my handy dandy cricut to make a tree to match her bedding. This is our third child and having a corner to decorate is the closest I’ve ever come to having a nursery. Maybe it’s pathetic, but I’m thankful!
April30
For anyone who might be thinking about God and what it means to be a Christian, whether you are a believer or not, I invite you to listen to this message by our church’s youth pastor last Sunday. A year ago Patrick McGoldrick was in excellent physical health and now his body is rapidly degenerating, yet his “inner man” (2 Cor 4:16) is more vibrant than ever. God used His Word through Patrick’s mouth and life to speak to me and address the exact issues I had on my heart that morning. Maybe God has something for you too. His Word is powerful (Heb. 4:12) and accomplishes what He purposes (Is. 55:11), and after all, you reading this blog entry may be part of what Paul describes in Acts 17 about God orchestrating the details of your life to draw you to Him (Acts 17:22-34 – LOVE this). Seek Him while He may be found! (Is. 55:6-7)
Patrick McGoldrick Sunday AM 4/22/2012 “The Sovereignty of God” from DWK on Vimeo.
April26
I hung on every word Paul Tripp spoke at the parenting conference our church hosted last month. I was convicted and encouraged and humbled and equipped. An overarching theme I’ve sought to apply is purposefully but naturally incorporating God and His involvement in the world and with us personally into conversations throughout the day. Another challenge has been to not think I get to take my parenting hat off and on as it’s convenient for me. When Dr. Tripp called us out on wanting to be done for the day (“It’s 10pm! I’m off duty!”) he was talkin’ to me! Especially with a newborn who invades “my” schedule ’round the clock, it is easy to get possessive of my time and attention. But Dr. Tripp reminds us -
Parenting is all about living by the principle of prepared spontaneity. You don’t really know what’s going to happen next. You don’t really know when you’ll have enforce a command, intervene in an argument, confront a wrong, holdout for a better way, remind someone of a truth, call for forgiveness, lead someone to confession, point to Jesus, restore peace, hold someone accountable, explain a wisdom principle, give a hug of love, laugh in the face of adversity, help someone complete a task, mediate an argument, stop with someone and pray, assist someone to see their heart, or talk once again about what it means to live together in a community of love.
What you do know is that Scripture gives you the wisdom that you need and your always-present Messiah gives you the grace that you need to be ready to respond to the moments of opportunity he will give you. Along with this, you and I must remember that our Lord loves our children more than we ever could and his commitment to their growth and change is more faithful and persevering than ours could ever be. Because of this, in his grace and love, he will manufacture moments that expose the needy hearts of our children to us. He will faithfully employ the little moments of everyday life to expose to us and our children their need of rescuing and forgiving grace. And he will not do this only at the moments which you feel are appropriate and when you feel most prepared.
Read the rest here: Parenting: It’s Never an Interruption and consider those interruptions as opportunities to redeem for the Kingdom’s sake!
P.S. Providentially, I had the same concepts on my mind exactly a year ago! (Prioritizing Your Priorities) I am obviously a work in progress!