Glorious Grace!

A few years ago, I received the Book of Common Prayer from a good friend of mine. Although I no longer attend a church that uses the Book of Common Prayer, I still reference my copy often. Yesterday was the First Sunday after Epiphany and the collect reads:

O LORD, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people who call upon thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

What a great prayer. “Grant that (I) may both perceive and know what things (I) ought to do.” Before reading this prayer, I read Psalm 119 and was struck once again by the delight the psalmist takes in the Law of God. Doug Wilson in the documentary Collison: Is Christianity Good for the World? mentions at one point that the Law of God is an expression of who God is. We often hear or think of God’s Law as a heavy condemning judgmental “rule,” but when we consider the Law as an expression of who God is, what joy it becomes for the child of God to know the Law, to delight in it, to love it, and to meditate on it. By knowing, delighting, loving and meditating on it, I learn to know, delight, love and meditate upon who God is, and that Law that once hung over my head condemning my sin, now becomes like sweet honey not because it justifies me, but because it shows me who my Father is. As the psalmist says in Psalm 119:102-103, “I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” What better way is there to “perceive and know things (we) ought to do” than to know the Law of God? I love that the prayer does not end in just perceiving or knowing, but it asks God to grant that I also “have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord.” What a glorious thing that not only does my justification come through Jesus Christ, but He also grants me grace and power for sanctification. Left to my own abilities I fail, but through the grace and power of Christ, I am sanctified. However, even though it is completely of His grace, He does not put me in a position of passivity.  He gives His Word, prayer, and the sacraments as means of grace. As I know and commune with Him through these means of grace, I become more like Him, and His reflection permeates my life.  What glorious grace!

As the psalmist, may we also delight in God's Law!

"For I find my delight in your commandments, which I love." Psalm 119:47

"At midnight I rise to praise you, because of your righteous rules." Psalm 119:62

"The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces." Psalm 119:72

"Let your mercy come to me, that I may live; for your law is my delight." Psalm 119:77

"If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction." Psal 119:92

"Oh how I love your law! It is my mediation all the day." Psalm 119:97

"Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold." Psalm 119:127

"Trouble and anguish have found me out, but your commandments are my delight." Psalm 119:143

"Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble." Psalm 119:166

"I long for your salvation, O LORD, and your law is my delight." Psalm 119:174

The Little Things Do Matter

Ever gotten a kind note out of the blue from a good friend? Has someone ever gone out of the way to do something for you without expecting anything in return? Has your spouse ever surprised you with some thoughtful gift or act of kindness? Little things often matter. They can truly encourage, or they can destroy. It does work both ways. Over Christmas, we got a jillion cards and family updates from people. We love hearing from old friends, but this past Christmas we also received two unexpected items. First, was an envelope with a cut out newspaper article and a small note written on a little torn piece of paper. The newspaper article had quoted my husband, and the sender thought we would like a copy of it, so she cut it out and sent it to us along with a little note letting us know she had prayed for us. I do know this lady a little, but by no means do I know her well. She is more of an acquaintance which is why the gesture was so unexpected to me. Her kindness took me off guard. The second piece of mail was a regular Christmas card addressed to my husband. Inside was a sweet note from a woman thanking him for praying for her and her family during a hospital emergency back in January 2010. My husband kept looking at the card trying to recall the situation, but he could not remember anything about the woman or even the emergency. Once again the little things matter greatly! He had helped a family in need and although to him it was hardly memorable, to them it meant a great deal. 

As I was thinking about how little things can impact us, I started thinking about words and expressions. Words are little things, but they carry meaning (much to the chagrin of our postmodern world). A few years ago I used to have frequent conversations about various doctrinal subjects with a friend that was an ordained minister. One day in conversation, I used the phrase, “It’s human nature...” He immediately stopped me, and I remember him looking at me as if I had just said something outrageously heretical. In a unwavering tone with overly enunciated consonants and slightly stretched out syllables he then said, “It is not human nature; it is sinful nature.”  Of course, I meant human nature--as in that fallen nature that we all have, but he was right, human nature is the wrong term. I have never forgotten the quickness and intensity with which he corrected me. To this day when I hear someone say "human nature" in place of sinful nature little hairs go up on my neck. The error now drives me crazy! Human nature and sinful nature are two different things. After all Christ took on  human flesh, yet He was perfectly obedient in his humanity. There was not an inkling of sin in Him.  It is interesting though how little wrong uses of terms/phrases like that over time can impact thinking and theology. After a while, humanness becomes the problem, instead of sinfulness.  Richard Mouw in his book, Calvinism in the Las Vegas Airport adapted a phrase from a Lutheran scholar to make it apply to his situation. Mouw’s phrase came out like this, 

"First and foremost I am a human being. But I find being a Christian to be the best way for me to be a human being. And I find being Protestant the best way for me to be a Christian. And I find being Reformed the best way for me to be Protestant. And I find being a Calvinist to be the best way of being Reformed." 

The reason I love this quote so much is that it all goes back to being what we were created to be--human beings created in the image of God to commune with God and to glorify God. 

A Plug for Blog and Mablog

Recently I have been on a Doug Wilson kick. I have known about Doug Wilson for years through reading a book by him,  hearing his name tossed around in conversations about the Auburn Avenue Controversy, listening to classical school teachers rave about incredible educational conferences with him-- and OH! I do remember reading through some Credenda Agenda magazines years ago and laughing my head off! However I have never read enough of Wilson to really appreciate his writing (apart from those few magazines!).  My current Wilson "phase" started a couple weeks ago when I purchased the film, Collision: Is Christianity Good for the World?  This documentary follows Doug Wilson, a devout Christian, and Christopher Hitchens, an articulate atheist, around the United States as they debate their two opposing positions. It’s a fascinating film if you ever get to the chance to see it. Both men share a respect for one another (not to mention an appreciation for P.G. Wodehouse). In the end, depending on which set of presuppositions you carry into the debate will probably determine who you think does the best job in the debate. Anyhow, after seeing the film I started reading Wilson’s blog, and I have just thoroughly enjoyed it. It never ceases to challenge, humor and provoke me. I absolutely LOVE it. Check it out! One thing is for sure, you will either love or hate Wilson, but you will not remain neutral! 

Reasons I like Blog and Mablog:

Diverse Topics

Thoughtful

Logical

Biblical

Edifying

Witty

Sarcastic

Straight forward

Insightful

Clever

Welcome 2011!

It's a new year, and I had a great New Years Eve/Day! It may be strange to some, but in this house some of our favorite moments are really the non-moments. Those times of just hanging out and talking. This past weekend my husband and I did a lot of hanging out, and that took the form of board games (well, one game in particular), and we literally played into the middle of the night and all day the next day and all day yesterday. Samurai Swords, a war strategy game that takes 3-5 hours to play was the focus of our weekend. We played a total of five times and I lost a total of five times...not a great record. My husband thinks I’m crazy for continually coming back for more humiliating defeat. I guess I am a glutton for punishment, but I really do not care.  As we approach this year, I know that my husband’s job will take him away for many months, and I want to relish every moment with him while he is able to be home even if that time is spent losing miserably in Samurai Swords! 

One of our many Samurai Sword games!

So what about resolutions, you ask? Well, if “resolution” holds the idea of lots of determination then well, these aren’t resolutions, but for the fun of it I’ll call them resolutions.

I guess I should qualify--these first few are most definitely resolutions, not just some random things I’d like to do, but things I will do, if they kill me. 

1. Survive the time that my other half and I will be apart during this year. Just thinking about not being able to talk to my husband whenever I want to is stressful for me. I do not remember very many days since our wedding when we haven’t at least been able to talk, so the idea of him being gone and unavailable is frightening.

2. Enjoy the time that my dearest and I will be together. We have had a good start with all of our Samurai Sword competitions. Honestly, it is difficult for me to not be overjoyed when spending time with him. After 11 years of marriage, his company truly makes me more and more happy everyday.  

3. Grow in contentment and joy in Christ throughout my husband’s absence. It’s often when our earthly supports are removed that we are driven to our knees and learn more complete reliance on the Savior. I want to smile not just thinking about my husband’s return, but thinking about my confidence in Jesus Christ and basking in the joy of being His Child.  

As for the others:

4. It would be nice to read more. I suppose if I blogged less I would be able to read more, but in all honesty it is not blogging that keeps me from the books, it is my own laziness. I am currently almost through my first two books for the new year! I will confess, however, that they are quite short. 

5. Paint a room. A good number of rooms in my home need painting, and really my main problem is that I cannot decide exactly which color to paint them, and I do not want to start the project if I am only going to have to turn around and redo it. I’d rather just not start. 

6. Be intentional and diligent about praying for our church leaders, our military, and our government leaders. I suppose this should be in the first few resolutions. 

7. I am told by my doctor that my blood sugar is running a little high, so I guess I should include on the list of goals to decrease my sugar and carb intake, and increase my exercise. 

8. Pick a couple mercy ministries and involve myself! I was approached a few weeks about becoming an ombudsman for area nursing homes, and I am still tossing that idea around, but I would also love to volunteer for an organization that supports our troops (USO or other) or maybe volunteer to help with Special Olympics. I worked a lot with Special Olympics in college and very much enjoyed it. 


9. It should not take much effort, but surely I can have more than 15 blog entries this year! 

I think that about sums it up, I could think of more, but these few are a good start. What are your plans for the new year?

Cooking Up Some Christmas Creations in the Kitchen!

Merry Christmas blogger world! Today was a quiet Christmas for me and my dearest. It was just the two of us, but do not let that make you think we didn't pull out the stops for a great meal!

Last night the preparations began. I figured that some of that silverware that is tarnished and hardly ever used should be broken out, polished and used! So I broke out the Reed & Barton Tara and went to work polishing it.

This morning began with the opening of gifts. My husband received 14 books (pictured right) along with some other items, but books are definitely his favorite and his joy was overflowing. I received a toaster convection oven along with books. **Please note that if anyone has bookshelves they want to give away...we are ALWAYS in need! :-)



After opening gifts, I started on Operation Christmas Dinner

Menu:
Orange Walnut Salad with Sweet and Sour dressing
Roast with carrots and onions
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan Cheese
Sauteed Mushrooms for the husband!
Caramel Chocolate Pie

The pie was the most intensive part of the meal and required refrigeration between steps, so I thought I should start on that first. The crust was made out of pecan toffee cookies. Well, my first crust was a big FAIL! Ok, so I didn't notice that fine print that instructed me to omit sugar and cut the butter in half if I was using cookies instead of graham cracker crumbs. I noticed immediately that the crust did not seem to have the right texture, but I thought I would put it in the oven to see what happened. Well, it definitely was not going to work. Thankfully, I had purchased extra pecan toffee cookies, so I quickly ground up some more and started again. The second time was a charm, but the first failure was a nerve racking way to begin the Christmas cooking! Crust done and cooling.


Now onto the roast. I seared the beef in a little olive oil and set it aside, Then I added chopped leeks, garlic cloves, and pearl onions to the pan, sauteed them a little, put the beef back in added some celery, carrots, a bay leaf, onion soup mix, red wine and beef broth (not quite enough liquid to cover), put on the lid and stuck it in the oven. I planned to cook it for 2.5 hours basting the beef every thirty minutes.



Now onto the second step of my pie...melted caramels. I melted 30 caramels with 2 tbsp of butter and 2 tbsp of water then poured them into the crust and sprinkled them with 1/2 c of chopped pecans. I put into the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour. At this point, I took a break, cleaned the kitchen and relaxed a little while putting my husband on basting duty!



After an hour had past, it was time for the second layer of pie--cream cheese whipped with 1/3 c of powdered sugar. After it became creamy I spread it on top of the caramel/pecan layer, and back into the frige it went.



At this point it was about time to start concerning myself with other aspects of the meal. First point of business, get the husband involved by peeling potatoes. Meanwhile I started making the sweet and sour dressing and sautéing  the walnuts for the salad. The dressing was fairly simple: Combine 1/2 vegetable oil (I used 1/2 c olive oil instead), 1/4c white vinegar, 1/4c sugar (or less), 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp dry mustard,  1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp grated onion. Blend until smooth. Then add 1/2 tsp celery seed. Walnuts were sauteed in 2 tsp of butter on the stove. After they were done, they were set aside to cool.

Back to the pie. I started melting 4 oz of semi-sweet chocolate on the stove with 3 tbsp of hot water. Stirring constantly until it  was completely melted. After melted, I set it aside and allowed it to cool to room temp. When cooled I added 1/2 tsp vanilla and stirred. I also had to start whipping the cream for the pie. While the chocolate was cooling, I poured 2 cups of heavy cream in a bowl and started whipping. I added 1/3 c powdered sugar to the cream in the process. Once my cream was fairly stiff, I separated 1.5 c of whipped cream out and folded the rest of the cream with the cooled chocolate sauce, pulled the pie back out and spread the chocolate cream layer. The other 1.5 c of whipped cream was spread on top of the chocolate cream, and back into the fridge it went to chill until it was served.



Pie was done, potatoes were peeled, and water was boiling on the stove waiting for the potatoes. They started cooking while I got out the asparagus. I washed it, trimmed the stems, lined a cookie sheet with foil and layered the asparagus on the sheet. I drizzled olive oil on it and rolled the asparagus just enough to ensure all of them had a thin coat of oil. I added a little salt and pepper, took the beef out of the oven, turned it up to 450 and added the asparagus for 10 minutes. Just enough time to throw the spinach and bibb lettuce in the salad spinner. I got the greens in a bowl, added chilled mandarin oranges to the salad along with a little swiss and parmesan cheeses, and the walnuts.

Potatoes were now done and being drained. I put the potatoes in a mixer along with some butter. Meanwhile, I start sautéing the mushrooms in a little butter and beef broth. I also started the gravy. Ahhh...the smells! It was almost time for dinner. I added some cream to the potatoes, continued to stir some of the broth from the roast into the gravy. Meanwhile, my dear husband started filling the dish washer with dirty dishes. Finally, I removed the asparagus from the oven, topped it with some parmesan cheese, tossed the salad with dressing, put the potatoes in a bowl, got it all on the table, poured the wine, and wah-lah....Christmas Dinner 2010 was ready for consumption!  And consumed we did! It was a change from our normal turkey dinner on Christmas, but we loved it!

And of course, we saved the best for last!

Kudos to Betty Crocker for the pie recipe and Southern Living for the Mandarin Walnut Salad! 

Sending Love to Our Service Members in Afghanistan

As I sit here and type it is around 2am Thursday morning in Afghanistan and some soldiers or Marines are pulling a long night keeping watch. They are probably thinking about the upcoming Christmas celebrations, wearing smiles imagining family and friends and eagerly anticipating the notes, photos, and little packages they will be receiving from back home. Perhaps they have pulled out a deck of cards and are passing the time, but you can bet they are all missing their spouses, their children, their parents, and their siblings. Some of them have children they have not yet met, and they will miss their son or daughter's first Christmas. For some of them, this is not the first Christmas they have spent in the dessert answering the call of duty away from the hugs and kisses of the ones they love. They are not in the comfort of their home listening to the sounds of Christmas, inhaling the smell of freshly cut down Christmas trees, watching the joy on the faces of their children as they run and play, and sniffing in the aroma of Christmas dinner in the oven. They are in a dry dessert with other dusty smelly servicemen eating whatever the government issued meal of the day is.  As this Christmas approaches, take the time to pray for, write to, and/or send a package to our troops. They can use all the encouragement we have to offer.  Today, I went to the store to put together some packages to send to Afghanistan.  Below are two boxes I packed. They contain many items our troops are always desiring and needing. Although my packages will not make it in time for Christmas, hopefully, they will be an encouragement as our troops start the new year.   I would encourage you to pack a box to support our troops as they sacrifice for us, and if you have children, be sure to get them involved. What a great way to appreciate our military while instilling in young minds the importance of gratitude and sacrifice this Christmas season.


Merry Christmas troops! We love you, miss you and hope you return home safely soon! 

Just some ideas for care packages to our troops:

peanut butter
pocket sized snack mixes
sunflower seeds/ peanuts/ trail mix
chewing gum
salt/pepper
protrien pouches (tuna, chicken)
energy bars
instant coffee
drink packets for water bottles
hand sanitizer
baby wipes
small portable alarm clocks
batteries
zip-lock bags
Purex 3 in 1 laundry sheets
stick up
shower shoes
travel size toiletries
foot powder
socks
t shirts
dark colored towels
disposable hand/feet warmers
eye drops
playing cards
books/magazines/US newpapers


Do Not Send: Pork products, alcohol, aerosol cans, flammables

To learn how to send packages visit the following websites:

http://www.ustroopcarepackage.com/ 
http://www.opgratitude.com/
http://www.Give2thetroops.org/

To email a service member: http://action.uso.org/action/sem-thank-you-holiday?sc=OM-gadw-p_Support-search_ThankYouEmail

To support our troops in other ways:
http://www.uso.org/

          

It's Not Always Loving to be Nice...

Due to certain personal situations, various cultural happenings and a good dose of thought provoking reading material, I have been busy processing frustrations and meditating on many doctrinal truths lately. We all know they were bound to be revealed at some point, so why not now? 

I begin with citing the Westminster Larger Catechism, something sound Presbyterians hold dear to their hearts. Buried deep inside the WLC are three questions/answers that I think need some revival as we enter 2011.  

Q. 150. Are all transgressions of the law of God equally heinous in themselves, and in the sight of God?
A. All transgressions of the law are not equally heinous; but some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.

Q. 151. What are those aggravations that make some sins more heinous than others?
A. Sins receive their aggravations, 1. From the persons offending; if they be of riper age, greater experience or grace, eminent for profession, gifts, place, office, guides to others, and whose example is likely to be followed by others. 2. From the parties offended: if immediately against God, his attributes, and worship; against Christ, and his grace; the Holy Spirit, his witness, and workings; against superiors, men of eminency, and such as we stand especially related and engaged unto; against any of the saints, particularly weak brethren, the souls of them, or any other, and the common good of all or many. 3. From the nature and quality of the offence: if it be against the express letter of the law, break many commandments, contain in it many sins: if not only conceived in the heart, but breaks forth in words and actions, scandalize others, and admit of no reparation: if against means, mercies, judgments, light of nature, conviction of conscience, public or private admonition, censures of the church, civil punishments; and our prayers, purposes, promises, vows, covenants, and engagements to God or men: if done deliberately, willfully, presumptuously, impudently, boastingly,maliciously, frequently, obstinately, with delight, continuance, or relapsing after repentance. 4. From circumstances of time, and place: if on the Lord's day, or other times of divine worship; or immediately before or after these, or other helps to prevent or remedy such miscarriages: if in public, or in the presence of others, who are thereby likely to be provoked or defiled.

152. What doth every sin deserve at the hands of God?
A. Every sin, even the least, being against the sovereignty, goodness, and holiness of God, and against his righteous law, deserveth his wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come; and cannot be expiated but by the blood of Christ.




In a day when we are constantly bombarded with the lie that all sins are equal, it would do us well to actually consider the biblical teaching. Are all sins equal? Well...yes and no. Do all sins equally deserve the wrath and curse of God? Yes, even what is the tiniest transgression. And are all of us totally depraved? Yes, but let us not confuse total depravity with utter depravity. We are not utterly depraved. Sin has penetrated every facet of our thinking. Every ounce of our being is infected with sin, and even in our attempts to be righteous, without the power of Christ and His resurrection, we are unable to glorify Him in the slightest, yet even in our total depravity God’s common grace restrains us from sinning as greatly as we could sin. Hence, there are those in society that are far from understanding the Gospel, yet they may still hold to morals that are derived directly from God Law.  They are still desperately in need of special grace, that salvific grace found when we repent and cling to Christ-His righteousness, His atoning death and His conquering of death through the resurrection-as our only Hope from sin, but His common grace still keeps them from becoming the worst sinners they could be.  Through God’s common grace, societies are also kept from spiraling down into further depravity. As His common grace is removed, we see more and more immorality and destruction. Romans 1 is the perfect example. God gave them over to sexual impurity, God gave them over to shameful lusts, and God gave them over to a depraved mind. It was a progression. In Ezekiel 8, we continue to see greater and greater abominations, so although all sin is deserving of condemnation, some sins are more heinous and warrant worse judgement. In Matthew 11 we see that Capernaum will suffer greater judgment than Sodom.  We have deceived ourselves into thinking that all sins are equally heinous when the truth is that all sins are equally condemnable. There is a difference. 

The sad reality is that Christians today do not task themselves with reflecting on doctrines like common grace and the degrees of sin.  Our culture continues to tear down hurdles to sin and as a result God’s restraining grace withdraws. When you consider the legalization of abortion, the allowance of no fault divorce, the push for gay rights and same sex marriage, all of these things spiral us down a path to greater depravity. It is Romans 1. And yes, these sins ARE more heinous than the way that that two year old coveted after his brother’s Legos! My biggest question is: where is the Church? Why have we rolled over like fearful cowards and in the name of “love” been so quiet concerning these sins? Granted, there are pro-life organizations fighting diligently against abortion. And may God bless and honor them for fighting for life! However, what about divorce? Sexual perversions? Sodomy?  Why do we find speaking Truth in conflict with loving our neighbor? Why are we attempting to create a false dichotomy? The Scripture is not in conflict with itself. God is not in conflict with Himself.  Like the great heroes of the faith in the past, we should be taking up the task of loving our neighbors by proclaiming Truth to them. The Truth that these sins are abominations before a Just and Holy God. The Truth that God hates and despises sin. The Truth that sin cannot go unpunished. The Truth that Christ took the wrath we so rightly deserved so that we can have forgiveness, grace and freedom from sin. Through Christ we can mortify sin. Through Christ we become new creatures able to glorify and enjoy Him. We need to proclaim Truth clearly. We need to proclaim it boldly. And we need to proclaim it often. Our culture is sinking further and further into a pit of corruption as we sit by like demoralized zombies. The prince of darkness is at work, and he is not lazy about destroying man. He is attempting to crush everyone in his path. We need to stop concerning ourselves with “being nice” and instead concern ourselves with loving our neighbor by defending righteousness and confronting evil. Lying is never loving. We need to shed our sin of apprehension and live in the knowledge that Christ is with the faithful. The Truth has set us free, and we need to let it set others free. What wonders we will see if we unleash the Truth and let God’s Word and Spirit do their work. As we face the new year may this hymn text by Thomas Hughes sink into our hearts, minds and lives.

O God of truth, whose living Word
Upholds whate’er hath breath,
Look down on Thy creation, Lord,
Enslaved by sin and death.

Set up Thy standard, Lord, that we,
Who claim a heavenly birth,
May march with Thee to smite the lies
That vex Thy groaning earth.

Ah! would we join that blest array,
And follow in the might
Of Him, the Faithful and the True,
In raiment clean and white!

We fight for truth, we fight for God,
Poor slaves of lies and sin!
He who would fight for Thee on earth
Must first be true within.

Then, God of truth, for Whom we long,
Thou Who wilt hear our prayer,
Do Thine own battle in our hearts,
And slay the falsehood there.