Earthly Reliefs--The Clymers

Definition of Earthly Reliefs: Earthly Reliefs are men and women (sometimes families, sometimes single) brought into believers' lives for the Proverbs 27:17 sharpening of a person for the glory of God. They help us breathe a little easier as we are called by our great God to travel and journey on this earth. While we are just pilgrims in a dusty and foreign land, Earthly Reliefs are the watering and feeding oases. In some ways, they minister to us and in some ways, we minister to them. But however God has called us to work on the privilege of becoming more Christlike--Earthly Reliefs are designed gifts from the Heavenly Father above to help sharpen and mold us into His image.

I'm starting a feature on my blog called Earthly Reliefs. In my life, God has brought me much needed rest from the burden of being in this natural, wretched casing called human flesh through the wonderful pleasure of having Earthly Reliefs. As with all articles on my blog, I'm hoping that this new section will help to display God's glory by showing how Earthly Reliefs have righteously influenced us toward the kingdom of God. I'm hoping that they will encourage any reader of this tiny blog to look for Earthly Reliefs in their own lives. Search for patterns and markers in the people around them that will lead them to seek and befriend these Earthly Reliefs, be mentored by them, mentor and minister to them, and with their Earthly Relief companions, desire the exact same godly image of Christ in every thought, word and deed. And in so doing, by the grace of God, will cling to them, appreciate them and emulate them as earthly models of heavenly godliness. Just as Paul wrote in I Corinthians 11:1--he called the church in Corinth to be like him because he imitated Christ. That's what Earthly Reliefs are. Imitators of Christ here on earth set before us to model and follow.... to diligently seek their friendship in every way, thereby surrounding yourself with godly models of Christ for His glory and His alone.

It is no great secret that this is my favorite part of blogging. Oft times, I feel a sense of obligation toward this project I have started--maintaining a blog. Don't get me wrong. I do enjoy sharing stories and silly poems, for the world to see...I'm just that type. But there are times when it's hard to tell who's running whom? I can blame most of that on the aforementioned babbling in my head that keeps me drawn toward blogging thoughts that I am grappling with by my lonesome. It helps to maintain a sense of chaotic order in this noggin' o' mine. But then there are times of great happiness and joy that come along, and my Earthly Relief section is one of them. Thus, this next family.

This is the Dave and Deb Clymer Family. At first glance, they look like an every day, all American family but the Lord has created them for far greater works than just being an average, ordinary family. They are extraordinary in every sense of the word.













I tried thinking of a verse to sum them up as I felt that was the only way to truly do this family the justice that is theirs to enjoy, by God's grace. There were a ton of verses on loving, serving, forgiving, etc., but none seemed to fully capture my feelings toward them. Then Luke 9:23 shot up like a flare--and that seemed most appropriate. "And He was saying to them all, If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me." Initially, I didn't link it to Evangelism Class, but as I am typing just now, I realize that it is one of our class outline verses and so it seems even more appropriate than when I began typing. And that neatest of all is that Dave is one of the godly trainers mentioned in a few of the posts about my beloved Evangelism Class.

These people are no frills, no fluff--walking the walk people. Denying themselves, their comforts, their wants, their desires, themselves in general, seems to be their every day m.o. So much so that you hear of the Clymers serving in ways that seem unimaginable to the rest of us. Notice I said that "you hear of." Meaning, they don't tell you about it. You have to hear from someone else. They're not the type to slip service into conversation--how much they've served, or when they serve, or where they serve. They just do it and don't talk about it--period. They don't complain, they don't gripe--they just serve. Honestly, I've never met a family like them, we're talking family here. Not just Dave or just Deb, but the whole crew. They care not for their conveniences or what they can gain for themselves, they only care for the lost and the Kingdom of God. I've never met a family so pure in heart. Yes, they have faults, sins and issues they battle, but God has worked in them so those battles do not ever detract from His glorious work in their lives... and isn't that the way it should be?

On a personal note, Deb went through chemotherapy for cancer a few years back. If you ever get the chance to sit and talk with her about it--please do! Please! I encourage you. You will leave with the type of steel encouragement that can only come from Deb's desire to see her King glorified in all things. Her testimony is one of faith and trust in God. The sanctifying process for her has been honest and open, wrought with heartache and trial and she has showed me personally what type of God she serves. She is slight in frame, but large on glorifying God. She is reserved in personality, but outgoing in love.

Her husband, Dave, is an amazing, faithful man, who loves God and knows scripture. He is a gentle, quiet soul that when faced with a persecuting and slanderous situation--roars like a lion on behalf of the righteous. He does not sway, swerve and/or compromise the truth and anything less would be unthinkable to him.

Together they are formidable. There are those who serve with the pomp and showiness of a praying Pharisee (Luke 18). The Clymers are the exact opposite. They are the tax collector who never lift their eyes toward heaven in demands of what they think they deserve. They are in a continual state of humility that truly shows us lesser Christians, how we ought to act, if we truly believe what we profess.

Why do I praise God for the Clymers? Because without them, I would have very few people in my life who show me how biblical servanthood ought to look. How desiring the walk in Christ, denying one's own flesh and daily taking a cross can be achieved for an average American family with an extraordinary faith.

I love you Clymers! Thank you for being such a huge blessing in our lives. :)

The End Is Near...

Well, it's sad to even type it, but the end of our beloved evangelism class is near the end. We had a bit of a finale last night with a final outline review and then viewing Way of the Master DVDs.



For those of you who don't know what Way of the Master is--let me tell you, it's quite an organization.



Here's the good: They preach the gospel to the every day joe on the street. They witness and clearly define sin and its consequences. They are bold, confident and well-rehearsed. They know scripture backwards and forwards and can expertly lead a conversation toward just about any end goal of their choosing. They don't discriminate. They don't assume. They just preach.

Before I go on, I want to add a disclaimer that when watching their videos, it is obvious that they are edited. So I may not be giving them a fair shake and if anyone knows more about the organization (which should be just about everyone, because I know very little) then by all means--jump in!

Here's the bad: They're so well-rehearsed that it sometimes comes off a little too scripted. A little too method (for those with any acting experience.) While I think this can be good (I'm just thinking of myself who can tend to stumble and fumble around with my words when confronted with an evangelism opportunity,) they tend to come off as overly rehearsed and it appears to have a disingenuous effect to the viewing audience. Sort of like a Rogaine infomercial on steroids.



Here's the ugly: Their machine gun effect leads me to believe that their theology may not be well-grounded in the word of God that says salvation is from the Lord (Jonah 2:9). At times, they seem almost desperate to get every bit of rehearsed script out so as to get the whole, entire and complete version of their gospel in even though it seems that the person is no longer interested, could care less or has even gone into the irritation mode (Matthew 7:6). That kind of desperate pleading no longer shows the secure knowledge in sovereign grace (irresistible and perfect timing,) it seems to point to a more Arminian approach to things.

Another ugliness point is that their gospel version seemingly neglects a most important fact about God. That He is holy, perfectly holy and that is the standard by which every single person is judged. Every situation, every thought, every deed. They're heavy on sin, but light on holy, which means that people might walk away with a standard that is less than what the bible teaches. To me, if you're going to be heavy on something--the holiness and reverence of God should be right up there (Proverbs 1:7).

The final ugly is this. Scott and I watched a few videos later on that night and none, that we could see (again, editing has its privileges and pains) point people to the local church. A key, key fact. These people, if interested or seemingly approachable, need to be pointed to a good, sound doctrine church in their area. There could be a whole post on this, but I'll refrain.

Before I sound like I'm totally dogging the program, please see the 'good' section in this post. I do think there are a lot of redeemable qualities of the program and I readily admit that they are doing way more evangelism then I could accomplish in three lifetimes. Praise God for Way of the Master!

And then for the capping of the evening. If many of you have been wondering where in the world have all of the children gone while we sit for two hours discussing holiness, depravity and repentance... well, wonder no more. Our dear Pastor's wife, Lisa, committed her time and resources toward teaching our precious ones, the 7-day creation points of the bible. They sang songs, wrote poems and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. At least, I know my kids did and from the look on the faces of every child presenting their work for us to see, they all had a great time and learned some invaluable truths during it.

That's Lisa's heart. Our kids would glean as much from the night as we did.

Well, notice I said that the end is near but not over. That's right, jolly reader. We are not done. We have one more crucial night to go. This is the ultimate in roleplaying. The plan is to go out on the mean streets of West Hartford Center and evangelize. The Pound let loose to run amok! Think of it! :)

It scares the bajeebers out of me to even think of it, but I'm so happy that we have committed to it. We're as ready as we're going to be. Frank and Dave, our trainers extraordinaire, have made us ready for the kind of showing that the AKC could never even begin to put on...or judge.

Please pray for our team this next week and a half. Please pray that God will soften the hearts of all of those who "happen" to be there. Please pray that we will be bold, confident and memorized. Please pray that while nerves will make us weak, God's power will show to be the perfection it is (II Corinthians 12:9). It's exciting for this pack of strays brought into the glorious pound by our dear Master, to be purchased, groomed and sent into all the world.

Please tune in two weeks for the grandest finaliest (silly, I know) of them all....

Lest I forget,

Lest I forget my humble beginnings,
Lest I forget my orphan status,
Lest I forget my American adoption,
Lest I forget my parent's sacrifice,
Lest I forget my night fevers,
Lest I forget my childhood fears,
Lest I forget my homecooked meals,
Lest I forget my safe, warm bed,
Lest I forget my doctor's visits,
Lest I forget my dental care,
Lest I forget my love for reading,
Lest I forget my nightly homework,
Lest I forget my expensive field trips,
Lest I forget my endless concerts, plays, choirs, youth events, camps, church functions, roller skating expeditions,
Lest I forget my telephone marathons,
Lest I forget my teenage drama,
Lest I forget my Mom's consolation,
Lest I forget my Dad's firm restraint,
Lest I forget my Christian upbringing,
Lest I forget my hearing the gospel,
Lest I forget my academic years,
Lest I forget my paying jobs,
Lest I forget my roommate antics,
Lest I forget my wayward ways,
Lest I forget my heart being drawn,
Lest I forget my peaceful solitude,
Lest I forget my dates with THE boy,
Lest I forget my receiving a ring,
Lest I forget my wedding day,
Lest I forget our apartment together
Lest I forget our Moody Church days,
Lest I forget our date nights out,
Lest I forget our first pregnancy test,
Lest I forget our 1st child, then #2, then #3,
Lest I forget our first home, then #2, then #3,
Lest I forget our friends and family,
Lest I forget our finding Calvary, then Grace,
Lest I forget our dear Pastor,
Lest I forget our Pastor's family,
Lest I forget our Pastor's passion and zeal for the inerrancy of scripture, sound doctrine and Lordship authority; and living it,
Lest I forget our spiritual growth,
Lest I forget our service opportunities,
Lest I forget our brothers and sisters in Christ,
Lest I forget our growth and maturity,
Lest I forget how wonderful the conviction of how far we have to go really is,
Lest I forget that in all of my complaining, grumbling, mumbling, bemoaning, clamorous, lamenting, bellyaching, bewailing, yelping, crabbing and otherwise, just downright sinful moments of my life...

There is HIS cross.

The Evangelim Dog Pound--(Wo)Man's Best Friend

There are times in your life when the Lord allows you a glimpse into dedication, loyalty and faithfulness...all attributed to man's best friend. Well, I have the best of it all--the ultimate Friend, Christ, who displays His awesome love for me through providing dear, wonderfully talented sisters-in-Christ. The type of sisters you wouldn't trade for a big, beautiful yacht, a fast, racy Jag....or all of the Twinkies in the world! One such sister is Peggy Jo--who has been the star pooch in our Evangelism Dog Pound class on... well, evangelism.

I missed last Wednesday night because one of my pup's was sick and she, in her graciousness, though her life is very full and busy now, wrote a blurb so this blog could maintain a faithful summary of the night's activities. I post this with much thanks and love for her!!

"I love you, dear friend and I do believe there'll be an extra doggy treat in heaven for you... better than rawhide! :) Love you, PJo!!!"

Peggy Jo Style:

This past Wednesday evening, Grace Evangelism covered the issue of conviction when presenting the Gospel. Frank used the three elements of the Law: moral, ceremonial and civil, to show the importance of pointing the hearer to their sin through the conviction of breaking God's Laws, the 10 commandments. (Romans 3:20b). This lesson was a natural outflow of the last class, when most found that while role playing, it was more natural to begin with a discussion of sin, in explaining the gospel. But the question that arose was how to deal with a hearer that has no idea of what sin is or whether they are a sinner.

We discussed the need to use God's Moral Laws or the 10 Commandments, to speak directly to the conscience of the person to whom we are witnessing. (Romans 2:15), the purpose of the Law, to leave the sinner speechless and without excuse, and accountable to God. Through Christ's being the fulfillment of the Law Frank noted that we no longer have a need to practice ceremonial laws like cleansing rituals, nor do we have to practice Jewish Old Testament Law, like the rules for gleaning the fields. (Ephesians 2:11-19). Yet, Frank pointed out that the practice of the Moral Law endures. Frank stated that in Romans 2, under the Law of God the Jew is without excuse because of God's written Law and the Gentile is without excuse because God's Law is written upon his heart. If the hearer then shuts his mouth before God's Law and admits his guilt, the Grace of the Gospel is at work. At this point Frank introduced a method of questioning the hearer about God's Laws, in order to show them their sin. You can google "The Way of the Master," and check this out in more detail.

In short, you ask the hearer if they consider themselves a good person, then begin to ask them if they have kept the 10 Commandments, listing the commandments one by one. You bring the hearer to the point of having to admit that they are a lying, thieving, adulterer at heart. You then ask the hearer if they would be innocent or guilty, if judged according to the 10 Commandments. And, then ask if they would go to heaven or hell. Once the hearer admits their guilt and realizes God's judgement, it is then a natural progression to continue with what the class has already learned about Christ as Savior and the need for the hearer to repent and believe.

We watched some video footage of The Way of the Master, with the interviewers questioning people in this manner. I thought it was very helpful to see the different reactions and answers that people gave, and how the interviewer handled the responses. As always, this course continues to give me more and more confidence, excitement and compassion in sharing God's revealed Word with other people, knowing that God's Word is being sewn and that God will do the watering.

"Just one remaining question, when will you be getting your own blog!?"

[Editor's Note: If you have ever wondered what true Christian sisterhood is...follow this. Get married, have three children, move to CT, go to a new church plant, hang out for a year, meet a new family, have them over for the occasional lunch and homeschool fun, exchange witty, engaging E-mails, pray for each other, love each other, converse with each other, laugh with each other, start a blog, attend a church class on evangelism, blog about the class, have a child get sick, miss the class....enter true sisterhood.]

Amazing Grace in the Life of William Wilberforce

In keeping with the dry theme of this blog, I've decided to start a new category called "Book Nook." This little cuddly corner of my blog will hopefully give you the opportunity to feel like we're sitting together next to a warm, cozy fire, sipping homemade hot chocolate (lots of marshmallows!) in the middle of January, discussing the most recent "great read" in our repertoire. A book review category for those without an imagination.

Honestly, I'm not well-read or at least not well-read in the theology department. To rectify that, I have started a reading campaign. I invite anyone who's interested to read my book reviews and comment in the comments section or via E-mail, their thoughts...especially if they have read the same book. A group book club would be ideal, with lots of titillating discussion, but I think I'm overshooting things a bit, so for right now, I would be completely content with any corrections or other summations of the book.

Upfront, I will give to you some patterned guidelines that I intend to follow for each review:

1) I'll personally rate each book from 1 to 5 stars (5= blow-your-socks-off-wow!)
2) I'll try to give a short, brief overview of the book. Probably plagiarized right from the book's jacket.
3) I'll try and give you a very biased, subjective opinion of what I thought about the book.

This first book choice is fairly easy because of the size of this book, although power-packed, nonetheless.










Amazing Grace in the Life of William Wilberforce by John Piper

Overall I give this book a 4-star rating.

Many are aware of Wilberforce's role in bringing an end to slavery in Great Britain, but few have taken the time to examine the beliefs and motivations that spurred him on for decades. In this concise volume, John Piper tells the story of how Wilberforce was transformed from an unbelieving, young politician into a radically God-centered Christian, and how his deep spirituality helped to change the moral outlook of a nation.As world leaders debate over how to deal with a host of social justice and humanitarian crises, a closer look at Wilberforce's life and faith serves as an encouragement and example to all believers.

(Foreword by Jonathan Aitken)
Against great obstacles William Wilberforce, an evangelical member of Parliament, fought for the abolition of the African slave trade and against slavery itself until they were both illegal in the British Empire. Many are aware of Wilberforce’s role in bringing an end to slavery in Great Britain, but few have taken the time to examine his beliefs and motivations that spurred him on for decades. In this concise volume, John Piper tells the story of Wilberforce’s transformation from an unbelieving young politician into a radically God-centered Christian and how his deep spirituality helped to change the moral outlook of a nation.
As world leaders debate over how to deal with a host of social justice and humanitarian crises, a closer look at Wilberforce’s life and faith serves as an encouragement and an example to all believers.

As a fairly quick, comprehensive reader, I was able to read this book in about 3-4 days...without much effort. It's only about 75 pages, so even without the boastful announcement, I think it's safe to say that it can be viewed as an easy read. Dr. Piper is one of my favorite authors and he did not fail me here. In this book, Wilberforce's life was portrayed in a full array of colors that any professing believer should find interesting. Piper paints a wonderful portrait of a man wrought with trials, struggles and the occasional sin (yes! even our heroes are sinful.) Wilberforce used Christianity as a basis for all that he did; not the other way around, like those with a political agenda and use Christianity as a means to an end. He showed Wilberforce's struggles within himself and clearly writes how this affected and permeated his life, family and political aspirations. He weaves a great story of facts and historical events without the usual yawn effect those types of factoids have on me.

This would be a great read, I think, for teenagers as well as adults. I would toy with the idea of having our homeschool children write a paper on this book as they get older. Oh joy!

Just a warning, though. If you are looking for an all-consuming biography on Wilberforce, then you will be sorely disappointed. I don't think that was Piper's intent, as I'm fairly sure, if it was, he would have written as such. But if your intent is to read a book that enlightens you on the highlights of Wilberforce's life; while glorifying God in the process... then this is your book.

A Little Mirth

There once was a dog named Patti,
Whose mischevious acts were baddy.
She dug up the grass,
A naughty young lass,
And made her dear owners real saddy.

There once was a boy named Jacob,
Who, in the morning, would wake up.
Piano today,
For baseball to play
And other fun sports to take up.

There once was a girl named Ellie,
Who stared 'till you felt real chilly.
She stared and she stared,
and she stared and she stared,
A scary, young, innocent filly.

There once was babe named Caleb,
Who loved all his stories made up.
You'd tickle his ribs,
He'd laugh in his crib,
And then he'd like throwing his bib up.

There once was a lady named Mummy,
Whose make-up would often look runny.
She did not quite care,
About all her hair,
And that's why it always looks funny.

There once was a fair man named Daddy,
Who liked when him minions were happy.
He loved his honey,
His daughter and sonnies,
And even their puppy named Patti.

Growing Up Noble

I had a hard time trying to decide on how to label this post. I have two specific category labels that it would fit. One is Growing Up Noble and one is Teaching From Becoming A T2W. So I decided to do what any self-respecting, wordy blogger would do in this dilemma--name it one label and categorize it under the other. Clever-eh?

Blogging about this topic is going to take some work on my part. Many of my previous posts are just ramblings of this and that and here or there. Nothing organized or certainly grammatically correct--but that's not the main goal. The main goal is to convey ideas that are dancing around in this mini-ocean I call a brain. Thoughts and (sometimes) weighty pressings that I feel the Holy Spirit places on my heart to chew over again, and again, and again, and again, and again--very appropriate for an Iowan girl to have cow-like tendencies.

But this post will take some thought to really get across what I'd like to say and if I fail in any part--it could really bomb. Not that other posts haven't bombed, but this could really be a doosey.

I'll start with this...a quote from a previous beloved Pastor back in our urban Chicago days. Pastor Bertsche married Scott and me when we attended Moody Memorial Church. He counseled us one day a week for 9 weeks straight (standard counseling session--had nothing to do with the amount of counseling that we needed--well, at least in Scott's case.) Bertsche (soon to be Doctor Bertsche) made a huge impact on us in many ways and we would love to have him be in our lives on a regular basis--but as in all good things--sometimes they have to come to an end. Anyway, I digress. Here's his quote from our counseling session:

"A parent's truest success is not in raising children who become doctors or lawyers or teachers or even function well in society. The truest measure of success for a parent is that their child(ren) gave their life defending the name of Jesus Christ." That has always stuck with me. It is an awesome statement and one that haunts me to this day. Everything that I have done as a parent; all that I have prayed; everything that I have read in the name of parenting--has carried that mark and by the grace of God--my children will come to value that their Mommy desired for them not that they would succeed by the world's standards, but that they literally died for the name of Jesus Christ.

Pastor Bertsche also challenged us that we need to raise them to leave the home. That should always be the main focus of parenting. They are not ours, they are God's. The tighter grip we have on them; the less of a grip they will have on God. Oh sure! They can regurgitate with the best of them, but that is all it is--pure imitation of us. Until we loosen our grip, their hands will clutch tight to the ones they see providing for them.

So as you can see, if I don't clearly explain myself, it can really look like I desire that my children would be underachieving, non-functional thugs that end up dead on the streets in Africa. Not quite a MOTY (Mother-of-the-Year) award moment--wouldn't you say?

How has this looked in our home? There are some small, very insignificant activities we try to acheive in any given day, but hopefully all will amount to seeding and watering on ground that is tilled and fertilized by the only Farmer that counts, for the Kingdom of God.

1) Devotions. Devotional time is of the utmost. Reading, memorizing and explaining scripture is foremost.

2) Learning hymns. Christian songs (some of them anyway) are great, but it's the hymns that are the rock-solid, standing-the-test-of-time music that will help carry them through the trials in their lives.

3) Discipline. Yes, there's that nasty, controversial word that no one likes to use, yet the bible is clear. If your child isn't controlled enough to teach, then nothing that you teach will help him with self-control.

4) Teaching. The handmaiden of discipline. It's like peanut butter cups. You can't have one without the other unless you'll end up with just chocolate or just peanut butter--just wrong!

5) Regular church attendance. Attending a healthy (not perfect) church that teaches sound doctrine is an essential.

6) Active involvement in our local church. While this wouldn't be the main reason that we are involved, this certainly has provided many opportunities for our children to see what homegrown ministry is all about. Imperfect humans relating to imperfect humans on a daily basis--growing in love, being sanctified, practicing humility, forgiving and being forgiven. All great activities for the watchful eyes of our impressionable (possibly missions-minded) children.

7) Homeschool. We don't believe that people who homeschool are better Christians, we just believe that for our family, it is a way for us to be able to encourage our children toward the adult goals we have in mind for them.

8) Learn an instrument. What better way to encourage your child toward a fruitful, enduring ministry than to learn how to play an instrument--preferably in a style that doesn't make you boogie too much?

9) Hard work. Our children have chores, lots of chores. What is the worse kind of help that could possibly come to a missions field? A worker sent that doesn't like to work--indoors or out.

10) Picky eaters. Not allowed. Period. End of story. None of our children have ever been allowed to be picky eaters. Whether in survival mode or cultural mode, we would hope that fried chicken and boiled frog legs would be met with equal zeal. Of course, we don't expect all foods to be like that. We know that given there is quite a variety out there--it would be impossible, but if we can lay a good foundation for "eating what's in front of them," then we've pushed them one step closer toward a stranger lifestyle.

11) Discernment. I pray that Scott and I have the type of discernment that will see past the words and attitudes that my children like to mirror now; and will open up my ears and eyes to what is really in their heart. (Although, I realize I will only see in part.) Likewise, I equally pray that the Lord will deafen and blind my child to the numerous mistakes that I make with them.

It's a beginner's list. There are quite a few smaller details that we try to involve our kids in, but this is a springboard to the deep, missional-mind waters that we hope our kids will be open to swimming in. We're not saying that this is the only path that God will lead them on, but what we are saying is that if it is--this might possibly be the hardest path they will encounter and we want them to be well-equipped at home for it.

To be clear, we aren't trying to manufacture little pastors or missionaries. We just want to wisely redeem our time with them and give them every opportunity to be missions-minded so if the call comes in, they won't have to fight some of the external reasons of why not to go.

I'll leave you with a snippet that I pulled from the Desiring God blog. I've already posted the whole article and sent it around to every single woman that I could think of that even breathed the name Jesus Christ, as I thought it was pretty powerful and enriching stuff. In it was a quote from a 13 year old--her name is Esther. She says a very powerful statement that immediately gave me a jolt of renewed enthusiasm for the single vision of what we want our children to look like when they are older. This would be about as close as any scenario that I can think of:

Gladys and Esther Staines

The opposite of a wimpy woman is Gladys Staines who in 1999, after serving with her husband Graham in India for three decades learned that he and their two sons, Phillip (10) and Timothy (6), had been set on fire and burned alive by the very people they had served for 34 years, said, “I have only one message for the people of India. I’m not bitter. Neither am I angry. Let us burn hatred and spread the flame of Christ’s love.”

The opposite of a wimpy woman is her 13-year-old daughter Esther (rightly named!) who said, when asked how she felt about her father’s murder, “I praise the Lord that He found my father worthy to die for Him.”

Would my children praise God for taking us if the circumstances were deemed an immature and unwarranted death? I pray that they would and moreso, I pray that what I have taught them is a high view and totally dependency toward God and an absolute low view and dependent-less of their parents.

Matthew 10:37-39 "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it."

Luke 14:26-27, "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

May it truly be my heart's desire that I am raising my children to "hate" me as it directly ties into their enduring and undying love for Christ as Lord and Owner of everything--including my three blessings.

Endurance Is Not For the Faint of Heart

I wish I had a "Paul." Now those of you who know me, know that I am absolutely, one hundred percent in love with my appointed husband, Scott Noble. So to be perfectly clear and concise, wishing for a "Paul" does not include a physical man named Paul. Indulge me.

II Timothy 4:7, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;"

The other day, my oldest son was wearing his T-shirt with these words on it. It started me on a line of thinking that intersected with my current mental trial (please see previous post.) I don't have a Paul in my life. I guess it would be more fair (and more godly) to say, I don't really have a "Paul-a" in my life. Someone who is regenerated and has fought through countless physical and mental trials and; by His grace, has endured. Someone with an incredible hunger for theology and doctrine; knowing that any foundation of service is built on an endless knowledge of the Triune God. This woman would have an unquenchable thirst for sound teaching, a genuine grasp for the pinpoint accuracy of biblical doctrine, and a huge vocabulary of theological terms. My "Paul-a" would understand the importance of these and how a passion for seminary-level knowledge builds a fortified strength and belief system that can withstand the modern day shipwreck, beatings, false imprisonments and yes, even the occasional modern-day stoning. II Corinthians 11:23-28.

The Apostle Paul wrote II Timothy later on in his apostolic career. To say that he had already suffered a lot would be quite the understatement; but it's true. He wrote this letter while imprisoned in Rome at a time when there was mass desertion of so-called disciples. But more than just a knowledgeable character, he practiced with consuming passion, all that he knew and taught. He was the imperfect, human model of humility. He loved with the kind of love that saturated his life and gave him the rare ability to see his church plants as his children. His patience with the sheep that he shepherd was limitless and he taught with the kind of long-suffering and endurance that was only built out of his clear understanding of who Christ was and who he was without Christ. And as a thanks for all of his work, a lot of his disciples left him. So what kept him going?

This is where I started building my perfect Titus 2 "Paul-a." I started thinking of her factory built-ins. I started detailing in my mind, what I thought she would spiritually look like; possess and desire. The list just kept getting longer, but ultimately, I knew that she would practice her knowledge with such preciseness and complete discernment that it could only be attributed to the true domination of the Holy Spirit that resided in her.

I realize this is quite a fantasy I have going on. But I am beginning to think that the desire that should grow inside every Titus 2 woman has that harmonious blend of knowledge and practice. The Proverbs 31 woman had it. Notice in Proverbs 31:26--this single verse embodies knowledge and practice of a godly, Titus woman who knows the complete scriptures by the wisdom and kindness she teaches. Where is she getting this wisdom? Any Proverbs 31 woman knows that the only wisdom is the wisdom that comes from fearing the Lord. She can only know to fear the Lord by reading His statutes and commandments--the bible.

There are a lot of women with either, but not both. Women who know so much head knowledge, but to see the practice in their lives is somewhat discouraging. Likewise, there are kind, faithful, loving women who wouldn't be able to simply distinguish between pneumotology and soteriology. That is equally discouraging.

Which brings me to the example of Paul. I can't imagine being taught by this man or being one of his first disciples. To see this man in action must have been pretty amazing....yet I guess there were many who remained unimpressed. Many who deserted. Those who were not as dazzled by this man's intelligence and abilities as I have been. So it leaves me to wonder what is the difference between those who imitate him (as he imitates Christ--I Corinthians 11:1) and those who sit under his teaching; read his letters first-hand; have visual knowledge of his earthly ministries; and yet defect?

The difference is endurance. To have a lasting ministry takes the divine factor that none of us called to know and serve can ever attain without the Triune God. I'm realizing that endurance is what separates the 'boys from the men'; 'girls from the gals.' Growing up in church and now being privileged to serve in my local church, I have had enough experience with professed believers to know that everyone has their proverbial shipwrecks, imprisonments, lashings, beatings and a plethora of other hardships. When you're dealing with humans on a regular basis, that is going to happen. We all have things that we think are the absolute worst thing that can happen to us and no one else understands me, me, me; but God, in His absolute detailed care of us, shows us that He does understand and allows human relationships (both joyous and sorrowful) to sanctify us; while we work out our salvation with fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12-13) In fact, those proverbial stonings have their place--read James 1:2-3. Trials produce endurance.

I realize now that the importance of the local church and why Paul's heart for healthy church plants was so that professed believers could be sanctified and produce endurance. In a healthy, imperfect church--there are enough sanctifying, heart-wrenching, gut-tearing afflictions that even if you're minimally involved, you will experience them.

In my lifetime, I've seen enough people quit church. I've heard a lot of excuses of why they don't go to church. Hypocrites, cold shoulders, lack of caring, polity run amok and the list goes on and on of so-called reasons. But if you're not a part of a healthy local church, then you cannot endure. Unhealthy churches without sound doctrine do not endure. The bible is clear. Matthew 24:35--everything else in and on this earth will pass away, except for His word.

So endurance is not for the faint of heart; and a solid foundation on that which does not pass away can only fortify and build an enduring heart, like the one Paul had. And where does my "Paul-a" fit in? Well, so far, the bible's Paul has been my "Paul-a." His writings have kept me going when other trials loom large and tangle with my mind and heart. His writings have been closest to me when the lashing of human service have marked me. No local church is perfect. It is without a doubt that those that think they are, will fall.

But what my "Paul-a" would tell me would be that a healthy local church that preaches sound doctrine will endure because it is based on God's word. "Paul-a" would tell me that to quit the church is to quit being sanctified by the best sharpening tool imaginable. That true endurance can only be produced by those with long-lasting relationships that are called to forgive and forget in the midst of sin, human folly and even defection. (II Timothy 4:11) "Paul-a" would tell me to be on guard for there are wolves and tares in a healthy church that desire to see it's downfall. And finally, "Paul-a" would exhort me to learn, love and mature in all aspects of the faith (Ephesians 4:15) so that I might have the privilege of being a "Paul-a" to a young "me" some day.

I am learning over time that my truest desire is not that my own small Gentile ministry at home or small temporary church plant (which they participate in everything, but tithing--still searching scripture to figure out a way to implement church discipline!) would remember a Mom that could toothbrush clean or spend hours combing rug fibers to make them lay flat; but would remember their Mom as someone who had an all-consuming passion to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ her Lord and used those gifts to build up her home ministry and the local church for the long haul.

Frankenstein meets Stalin (a.k.a. Cal is walking)

Wimpy Theology Makes Wimpy Women...

I'm posting this link in hopes that many, if not all, who read this blog will click on the following link and read Dr. Piper's message at a national conference held in Chicago. The topic: Wimpy Theology Makes Wimpy Women.

**To any women: Please click on the link and read.

**To any men: Please have your wife, mother, sister, daughter read this. It's excellent.

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/ConferenceMessages/ByDate/2008/3296_The_Ultimate_Meaning_of_True_Womanhood/

Grumbling, Mumbling and Stumbling

Lately, I've been going through an enormous mental trial that has kept me up at night and sometimes stops me in my daily housekeeping tracks. It's been an interesting exercise that has caused me to question some core issues in my life. Like, do I truly believe the whole bible to be true or am I still taking a Hometown Buffet approach to the word of God. I profess that I'm a true believe and follower of Christ (Romans 10:9.) I profess that I believe in the authority of Jesus as ruling over all, seen and unseen (Matthew 28:18.) I profess that I believe the inerrancy and authority of scripture (II Timothy 3:16.) But are my thoughts and intentions following suit or am I being a hypocrite (Mark 7:6)?

Enter, this mental trial. By the grace of God, it has clearly shown me what a low view of scripture I really have. It has shown me the great lengths that I will go to either skirt issues in my own personal thought, prayer or deeds life; or the layers of justifying that I will do to prove my case worthy of unrepentance. This has been my mode for the past few weeks.

Now, I want to be clear that this trial has not, as of yet, taken the form of sin in-and-of-itself. It has not morphed into a private sin of which needs confession. It has, however, flushed out some really ugly, miry clay stuff that I didn't realize existed. All kinds of muck has surfaced as a dirty result of the mental gymnastics happening in my head.

One such grotesque reaction has been complaining. Now those who know me know that I am prone to complaining. In my natural state, I actually enjoy it. There's something so releasing about complaining. There are a few angles, as I see it.

First, it makes me feel like a martyr. Complaining gives me that Joan-of-Arc, poor-me surge that fuels the pity party and everyone's invited--as long as I remain the star martyr.

Complaining also gives me a platform to which I can espouse many of my reasons (in full detail) of what in the world is wrong with this person or circumstance, and poor martyr me has to fix it.

Superiority. Complaining about something always gives me a sense of superiority. As long as I complain about the situation, then it feels as if I have a firm grasp of what's going on; or at least can assess a situation enough to have an opinion on it--even if it is totally off-based or worse yet, misinformed. Also, I feel a sort of rising in my status because complaining allows me to place the situation at my footstool. Only those who truly complain about a situation can really be superior to the situation. Blah!

Do you know people like this? Well, if you know me, then you can say yes to that last question. What's worse is the way I go about it.

I can hide my complaining in a number of different forms. Here's just a few:

1) Prayer request (Hey! Somebody's gotta pray for these low cards I've been dealt.)
2) Storytelling (Just telling a riveting story about how bad my life is.)
3) Suggestion Box (Let me tell you how to do things better by telling you what's wrong and what I don't like about something.)

Okay...what's the remedy? Well, let's get back to the word of God. Grumbling and complaining is simply a low view of God. It says, "I don't like this or that about my life and I've decided to 'voice' it." It doesn't have to be verbal or audible...some of my best complaining goes on in my head. The word of God says this, "Do all things without grumbling or disputing so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among who you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain." Philippians 2:14-16. My weak understanding of this passage is that the word "disputing" is actually an internal dialogue in your head. Internal complaining is one of my greatest strengths--or greatest weaknesses--depending on your angle.

So while there are many times that I can practice self-control in an audible way regarding complaining; internally, I am a web of grumbling deceit. My low view of God and His scriptures is the cause and the only way to combat such an internal struggle is with the sword of the Spirit.

In Philippians, God commands that we do all things without complaining. Why? So that we will be proven to be blameless and innocent. Do you know that we ruin and dishonor our testimony when we complain...especially in front of the world? We are to appear as lights, but with a grumbling tongue, we are not only light-less, but we have officially dishonored the word of God with our mouths. Our mouths can either display God's light and glory or displays a discontentment with God that leads to the "crooked and perverse generation" thinking only one thought--a low view of God and the scripture. But it starts with the internal war raging in my mind.

So I am resolved. While the battle rages on in my brain, I will fight wearing the entire armor of God (Ephesians 6:14-17) that starts with my thought life. By His grace, I will change my action and reaction to people and circumstances that does not include grumbling and complaining about where my Savior is leading me. And while He is leading, I have to stop this stumbling around in the complaining darkness. My focus must change; my view must be raised; the darkness must become light.

We all know people who outwardly complain, but I would guess there are far greater minions like myself. Those who outwardly practice self-control, but inwardly are wind-up complaining machines. The bible has a name for us--"hypocrites."

So, once again, I praise God for this mental trial that I know will be settled soon because decisions need to be made within a deadline. But until this trial is settled, there is much to be learned. God, in His everlasting and boundless kindness, has shown His detailed care for me by no longer allowing me to suppress a grumbling spirit, but leads me through a sanctifying trial to root out not just a grumbling tongue, but more importantly, a grumbling conscience.

Taken For A Walk

So we did it. The dread of all dreads happened last night--dum, dum, dadum... roleplay. Here's how we started things.



Frank was back. This godly trainer is no schlep. He immediately made us jump through the ring of fire with an overview (pop quiz) of the outline. Thankfully, my awesome hubby made us drill before we got there so I was fully prepared for the show tricks that Frank made us jump through; and there were a lot. We went over the outlines, verses and stopped for a quick drink from scripture regarding why the resurrection is important.



He challenged us with the importance of never leaving that out. Why is it important? Because it puts the 'pow' in power. Without the resurrection, you have just another miserable prophet who made ridiculous claims of himself and his expectations without any possible way of achieving anything, but frustration, emptiness and self-abasement. But with the power of the resurrection, you have the one true God, majestically and mercifully displaying His omnipotence to us so that we could know for certain who holds the keys to death and hell. It is God. I Corinthians 15:55, "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH WHERE IS YOUR STING?



Can you hear me howlin'!? After a short break, he then leashed us and took us for the dreaded walk that no evangelism dog wants to tread. The roleplay sidewalk. Here's where the mutts are separated from the purebreds. The big dogs from the little ones. The Dalmatians from their spots. It is, without a doubt, the most nervous time in a young (hey!) pooch's life but I'm not sure why? Well, glory, glory, I was paired with my dear sister, Laura, a quiet and meek spirit. We took turns--one was the unbeliever and the other the believer, and then switched. Frank handed out assignments to each group and then we broke up into pairs and started to evangelize each other. hee, hee It makes me laugh just thinking about it.

Anyway, the first set, Laura was the unbeliever and I was the evangelizer. Laura was supposed to be an angry individual with no concept of God. We had about 6 minutes to get in our presentation while the unbeliever was to try and throw us with a preassigned curve. Laura and I laughed for about 3 minutes of it and the funny thing about my dear friend Laura is that evangelizing her was like evangelizing--well, a christian playing an unbeliever. She's just too sweet, kind, generous, thoughtful, and godly to really pull off an unbelieving shtick. And she's only been a believer for less than two years, but boy has she grown--leaps and bounds!! So while I had dreaded this whole role playing section in the evangelism class--it turned out to be one of the most enjoyable experiences in my life. Sitting with my dear friend Laura, uninterrupted for 6 minutes, sharing the gospel. Pure doggone pleasure! I'm sure it won't fare as well next time.

After a quick review and an encouragement by Frank to ask more questions as we evangelize, we then switched roles. Now I was the unbeliever (definitely more believable than Laura) and Laura was the evangelizer. I was to play the friend who borrowed a car from the believer (Laura) and then proceeded to smash it to smithereens. I was to pretend like I had no background in church at all. She did great. She got tripped up a couple of times, but all-in-all, she has this background glow about her, so she was able to gain points on godly love and presence alone. :) Way to go Laura! She articulated a few good points before the buzzer went off and we had to return to the main kennel.

Well, why do I include this part? Because roleplaying, however uncomfortable and squeamish it makes me feel, ultimately helped tremendously in organizing and defining the strengths and weaknesses of what I do and don't know. Now all of us are more equipped to present the gospel again, with an increased clarity and preciseness that we would not have had if we hadn't gotten a chance to try it out. :)

All in all, it was a great, heart-pounding class that made for some great laughs and some serious conversations on what's needed in our own personal lives as we go about our Father's business. Take it from me--this pup is very thankful that the Hound of Heaven has me in this class to learn how to be a true street hound for Him.

Fruit Cake

I have a strange question,
I'd like to inquire
What kind of person
has fruitcake desire?

Now, please do not fret,
or misunderstand.
My goal is not to
annoy or offend.

I really like fruit,
it's yummy and sweet.
Oranges and apples,
and grapes--yes! All three.

I like fruity flavors,
and fruit on a stick.
Fruit at the mall,
and fruit that you lick.

The colors are pretty.
Orange, yellow, and green
and purple and red
like the vegetable team.

Lest we forget
my favorite part.
I really like cake,
and desserts from a cart.

There's not much I know,
but one thing's for sure,
cake does it for me,
it's quite the allure.

In chocolate and yellow,
and even in plain,
I really like cake
in any ol' frame.

But this is what puzzles,
I'm sure to alarm.
What's with fruitcake?
I'm really disarmed.

It makes me so sad,
to think of it so.
Those innocent fruit,
screaming help from the dough.

Sinking and trying
to come up for some air.
Then cooking and baking,
Oh what dispair!

Let's face it, fruitcake.
You're really so icky.
You're heavy as stones
and your texture is sticky.

You're taste is real crazy,
there's way too much stuff.
Fruity and nutty,
I say, 'noughs enough!

So now I must wonder,
I'm left to just think.
Hooray for the day
When fruitcake's extinct!

Oh Where Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?

I confess! I am delinquent in following up on our delightful Evangelism Class held two weeks ago. Folks, I ask for your forgiveness. In part, it is because we had to cancel class due to scheduling conflicts and in part, I have just been plain busy--but as my dear father always says, "Kim, excuses are like belly buttons, everybody's got 'em." So with that fatherly advice in mind, I stop making my excuses and start with this post.

Two weeks ago, the class was awesome! No really!! Dave, our godly trainer, was back and better than ever. We covered The Work of Christ for the last class, which was a continuation of what Dave had started about a month ago. Grace evangelism was infused with such a glorious session on Christ and His amazing, beautiful and complete work.

Our godly trainer had us review Ephesians 1:3-14 and study what the passages meant to be "in Christ." These verses have such an intimate draw for me as they are one of the first verses that opened up my eyes toward sovereign grace. I'll have to save that for a later post, as this post is about The Work of Christ bent toward evangelism--focus, Kim--focus. We went through, verse by verse. It was such a rich time of discussion. I remember thinking during the discussion that I wish I could audiotape some of the comments. Some of them were so heartfelt and having a typical out-of-body experience when I'm in large groups like that, I found myself watching precious souls being reminded of that wonderful gift of grace--all under the humble and treasured leadership of Dave.

Verse 3 talks about being blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Verse 4 states very clearly who is the author of our faith--"predestined for salvation." Verse 5 talks about adoption. I want to camp here just for a minute.

If you know me...even a little bit...you know that I'm adopted. I used to hate being adopted. It was different and odd and not a lot of Korean adoptees in the good ol' plains of Iowa growing up. I used to hate being different, I could sense it. Everything about me was different--my hair, my eyes, my face, my height, my birth. In a world where conformity is expected and exalted and anything else outside of that was laughed at--it was difficult at times.

But now I am so thankful I could burst. I was so short-sighted as a child. First, I was adopted by people who loved me and wanted to see a poverty-stricken child have a better life. I was brought to America--and while America is not the perfect land as so many believe it is--I know that I am still privileged to call this place home. I was adopted into a Christian home, where the love of Christ was taught. I was given a good home, a good education, a good family. How could I have resented that for mere looks, mere popularity--a mere shallow focus that ended up driving me to a spiritual ruin of sorts. I look back now and have such an amazing appreciation for adoption. I think of so many children who are in need of adoption and while I wouldn't want to "deny" anyone "their own" child, I also would love to see more families adopt. I can not understand why people go through such trials and angsts to have their "own" when there are so many out in the world who are needing to be adopted. Talk to anyone from a poorer country and they can tell you what an orphanage is like (and the ones who end up in an orphanage are the "blessed" ones.) Besides, adoption is no cakewalk and talk to my Mom who has both adopted and given birth; she'll tell you that in some ways, you need much more fortified strength--spiritually, mentally and emotionally--to adopt than to have "your own."

So each time this topic of adoption comes up now, I am fully bursting with such joy and emotion...and now I am adopted again into the family of God--having brothers and sisters in Christ whom I would not trade for the most popular, beautiful station in life that the world could offer. Praise the Lord!

Talk to anyone who is adopted or has adopted and they can give you the clearest view of the adoption process and those who have never gone through it, I believe, have a slightly less understanding of adoption than those who have really gone through it. Want to know what it is like to be "grafted into the family of God?" (Romans 11) Do you want to know about adoption? How it feels to be an outsider and then to have a seamless transition into the kingdom of God? Do you want to know what it's like for the Heavenly Father to love someone so much that He does not distinguish between who are His "real" children and who are His adopted children. Talk to someone who has adopted or was adopted. If they are truthful and grateful, they will be able to tell you what it's like. While words limit the feeling, it is truly a gift to be able to share the immense gratitude you have inside.

In verse 6, we moved into "His grace." Grace, grace, marvelous grace. Is there any wonder why this was an excellent class? It is only by His grace that we can come into His family and yet it His grace this is lavished on us. I was thinking about this for a little bit. His grace is lavished on us. Lavished in such a way that speaks to the depravity of our sin. You see, we're so sinful that a slight bit, or a tiny bit of grace wouldn't do. Our depravity has to be washed by lavished grace so as to wash us thoroughly down into the depths of a mangled and perverse heart, soul and mind. And yet, I do believe that lavished grace, in sum total, speaks to the heights of our God and not the depths of our sin. IMHO, God's motive was not that His hand was forced, in quantity or quality, because of the depths of our sin; rather He who is an always good and loving God, lavished us because of His great love.

We talked of redemption through Christ's blood which was described as "paying of a price to get something." I found myself talking about it in such technical terms that as I now review, I am convicted at my lack of sensitivity toward the topic and must openly confess that I looked at this topic as one that needed to get a good grade and pass--not one that was immensely grateful and thankful for the work of Christ, which I believe, should be at the heart of every discussion and study of scripture. So I openly repent and move on.

The mystery of His will was bounced around. What was it? What did it refer to? A number of suggestions were brought forth, but Dave mentioned that he would do more work on it and get back to us on this subject. Admittedly, I have not worked on this myself, so I'm anxious to hear other people's comments.

Verse 11 talks about "obtaining an inheritance." So lavished grace includes an inheritance in Christ. An inheritance so valuable and immense, that there is no possible way to describe all of the untold and unknown waiting for us when we get to heaven, but let me try and name a few:

*Eternal life with God
*Singing and praising God forever
*No more tears or sadness
*No more sin
*Perfect minds, bodies and souls
*Perfect knowledge
*Perfect ambiance
*Continual presence of sisters and brothers in Christ
*Saints of old telling triumphs and victories
*The results of your seeding and watering
*And so much more

Finally, in verse 13, it was wrapped up with our promise of being sealed with the Holy Spirit. Our inheritance is secure because of the Holy Spirit. Our eternal lives are secure because we are sealed in Him--never to be plucked or grabbed, as some doctrines would teach.

We ended with the security of our salvation because of the calling, genuine repentance, regeneration, redemption, justification, adoption, sanctification and glorification. While we couldn't detail many of those beautiful doctrines, our godly trainer, Dave, provided us with a list of excellent scripture references to review.

I am excited about going to class tonight, and I truly hope and pray that those who are leading it are gaining as much from it as we students are. May God be praised and may I be more faithful to His word moment by moment.

I leave you with this beautiful hymn:

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

Refrain

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.

Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,
Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,
Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.

Refrain

Dark is the stain that we cannot hide.
What can avail to wash it away?
Look! There is flowing a crimson tide,
Brighter than snow you may be today.

Refrain

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
Freely bestowed on all who believe!
You that are longing to see His face,
Will you this moment His grace receive?

Words by Julia H. Johnston
Music by Daniel B. Towner