Tales from the Manse
• Jun. 27, 2008 - Ode to Potty Training
Tinkle, tinkle little son!
To the potty we will run
when to much juice you drink
of the the potty you will think
Quickly, quickly little son,
to the potty we must run!
Tinkle, tinkle little son!
Using diapers is not fun.
They stink and leave quite a mess
sometimes upon my nicest dress.
Tinkle, tinkle little son
changing diapers is not fun!
Tinkle, tinkle little son
how I pray that you'll be done,
Up above the floor so high
on the potty seat, please try.
Tinkle, tinkle little son
flush the potty when you're done!
Tinkle, tinkle little son
how I pray this trip's the one
where even just the smallest drop
in the pot your pee will plop
Tinkle, tinkle little son
flush the potty when you're done!
Tinkle, tinkle little son!
In just a moment you'll be done.
Trying hard upon the seat
T-T candy you will eat.
Tinkle, tinkle little son
flush the potty and you're done!
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• Jun. 24, 2008 - Getting Back Into the Swing of Things
We got back last Tuesday from a two week trip to Texas. We are finally starting to get normal again. That's an awful long trip to take in a car with children under the age of four.
We took Andy into the doctor's for a check-up yesterday. I've been having will problems with him in potty training. So, the doctor helped me out GREATLY. She sat the precocious three year-old down and told him "no more diapers!" She told him that if he potties in his underwear that he gets to clean it up, not me. Wow. We'll see how that goes.
My friend Ivy also tagged me the other day over at her site IF Family Blog . So, I'm going to post it below.
Sorry for seeming so rushed. I've got a printer to install, potty training to work on, and VBS stuff to finish. Plus, my husband is home sick and in bed.
Glad to be back!
1. Favorite person: Timothy
2. Favorite food: Chopped BBQ Beef Brisket
3. Quirks about me: I don’t like having dirt under my nails
4. How would the person who loves you the most describe you in ten words or less? Timothy said “Creative, funny, a joy to be around, sometimes vivacious.” (That’s pretty cool!)
5. Any regrets in life? Not meeting Timothy at my sister’s wedding
6. What can you NOT live without? The Gospel
7. Favorite blog: Down 4 a Nap. It is our family blog.
8. Something you can't get enough of: Time
9. Worst job you ever had: Working at my Dad’s office
10. What job would you pay not to have? Fish monger- that smell would kill me
11. If you could be a fly on the wall anywhere, where would it be? That depends on the gossip!
12. Favorite Bible verse: Romans 8:37-38 “ Yet in all these we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor thing to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to seperate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
13. Guilty pleasure: Eating a whole can of mushrooms or can of Eagle Brand Milk
14. Got any confessions: See number 13.
15. If you had $1000 to spend on YOURSELF, what would you spend it on? Blue jeans
16. Favorite thing about your house: My bath tub
17. Least favorite thing: Either mayonnaise or yogurt, both are nasty.
18. If you could change one thing about your current circumstances, what would it be? How expensive everything is
19. Who would you like to meet someday? R.C. Sproul
20. What makes you feel sexy? Not really any thing
21. Who is your real life hero? Raye Hope
22. What is the hardest part of your job? Not being good at it
23. When are you most relaxed? At the message therapist’s
24. What stresses you out? Politics
25. Favorite quote: At his eye exam, when asked what “+” sign was Andy said “That’s the cross that Jesus died on.”
26. Why do you blog? Because Timothy asks me to. :) |
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• May. 22, 2008 - Just a Little Bit of What's Going On
The other day I overheard Andy evangelizing to the dog.
What was he saying?
He was asking Rylie who made him (God did) and why God made him (to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.) Then he told him that Jesus is God's Son, He's in heaven with God, and that He's coming back.
I know. Pretty cool stuff going on with that little boy!
I'm on the look out around the church for a copy of the Shorter Catechism for Kids. I thought I brought one home once... but I think our house ate it.
Well, I've turned in my rèsumè and application for an open position at the Pregnancy Care Center. It would be only 30 hours a week. I could still home school our children, even bring them to work with me. I volunteered there before I developed more problems in the pregnancy with Joey and was under orders to stop. The job would really help things not be so tight and help to pay down bills that stress out my husband. So, I've now taken the human steps, the rest is God's will. |
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• May. 11, 2008 - Better than All Elizabeth's Jewels
Today, I got a precious gift from my son. One that I've waited all my life to get. In Sunday school, he made me a beaded necklace on pink string. I walked through the door and he immediately brought it to me and said "Happy Mother's Day", came up and gave me a hug, and asked me with pride to put it on. It melted my heart. I don't think I could have ever been more proud and happier over a gift. I wore it proudly to church and out to lunch, and until I laid down for a nap (which I just got up from.) Each time I look at it, it will remind me of who blessed me with motherhood and the two great gifts He has given to Timothy and me. 
Queen Elizabeth and all the crown jewels have nothing compared to this precious gift of my little three year old son.
Rather than honoring mothers on this Sabbath day in particular, maybe we mothers ought to spend the day thankful to God for the richest treasures He's given us- our little ones. |
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• Apr. 19, 2008 - "Bervinas" and Allysium
I had a grand idea to take clippings of the "bervina" and the alysium and put them on the blog so that Mary could help me figure things out. But...
When I went outside to get the clippings of the "bervina" they were dead. They didn't survive the transplanting. The alysium did. So, I am trying to root a twig and get some other of the plants growing.
I got the term "bervina" from the neighbors across the street. The blooms are the same, but the leaves are a little different. The "bervina" leaves are thicker and more solid than the alysium leaves. Both need water... or they die.
So much for sprinkler systems.
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• Apr. 17, 2008 - Children's Book Project
I have been teaching enrichment classes in a local home school co-op this year, even though my children are very little. Last month I had the high school group and did a project on the elements of a short story and had them write children's books, with info, guidelines, activities, rubrics and all. I even had two help sessions.
It's been an interesting lesson for me in the dynamics of home schooling. Only two of my ten students completed the project on time. We had to move back the due date and change the judging procedure. It's been a hard day. I had a preconceived notion that home schoolers would have the work done on time more than those in the public schools. My lesson is that that is not necessarily so. Teaching in public school I'd have 50-60% projects turned in. I had 20% today. I've worked hard on the project, even spent some money and it is kinda sad.
So, the project has been moved back two weeks to give those who have been sick or out of town more time to finish. The competition was in jeopardy. I also want those to know that they are held accountable for finishing a project they started. I don't want some to think that just because they don't want to do it, they aren't expected to. The former teacher in me can't let that happen. A lesson in finishing by a certain time will have to be learned in the future, I'm afraid.
I really like teaching this class. I hope that by pulling back the date, the competition will be really neat and the little ones in the co-op really like the books the older ones wrote. So, how can I get them excited about participating, do the work, and look forward to May 1st and awarding of the prize? |
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• Apr. 13, 2008 - A Hard Sunday
I am writing this afternoon with a heavy heart. I knew what was coming and was prepared for it to be difficult. It should be difficult. Dealing with sin always is and there's always consequences. Someone is always hurt. Then, when you think not only what you've done to someone else, there's your relationship with God, and sinning against Him that must be reconciled.
This morning, my husband had to announce to the congregation that the session had to exercise church discipline on a man, removing him from the diaconate and the Table until August for having an inappropriate relationship with a woman not his wife. He has abandoned his wife, asking her to leave. The interesting thing about today was that the Lord had him continue his sermon series on the Ten Commandments and today's was the seventh. "You shall not commit adultery."
He had to make the announcement about the session's actions towards the man in order to protect the purity of the church and to help the couple reconcile. He also then read a letter the wife wrote to the church. Heavy. Very heavy, But the Lord filled her full of grace. She has to move because of him and the church is full behind her. She has to be taken care of and he is not going to do it. She is a true widow, I'm afraid. And she had to go through this day by herself. At the end, an elder prayed for them, and her, for they are such a vital part of our congregation. She broke down in tears and I couldn't let her sit by herself any more. It was one of the hardest things to watch and be a part of that I've been a part of.
Timothy is trying to nap to recover from this morning and prepare for tonight's sermon. He has such a heavy heart. He loves them both dearly. Here is a rough draft of the sermon. It was very good and very convicting.
Adultery is Costly
I remember the first time I was on the floor of Covenant Presbytery in Arkansas that we moved into executive session. For those of you who don’t know what that means, it means that presbytery is closed to visitors so we can deal with a court case against someone who has sinned within presbytery. The purpose of the executive session is for confidentiality.
One of my first thoughts, was, “this ought to be interesting.”
And it was. But it wasn’t interesting in the way that I thought it would be. We were dealing with a fellow pastor that had committed adultery. He had formed a relationship with a young woman in his church, and one thing led to another. (Don’t worry, I’m not breaking the rules of executive session. I’m merely giving general events, which are now publicly known).
The case was difficult and sobering.
It was difficult because while the man had been caught, and was repentant, he wasn’t truly repentant. What I mean by that is that he was repentant in the fact that he was caught, but he had yet come to a point of loathing and despising his sin. He had yet come to a point of brokenness.
He knew cognitively that he was wrong, but he was still trying to find a way to have his cake and eat it too. He was undergoing the discipline the Presbytery was giving him, but only because he was caught, not because he felt the odiousness of his sin. He wasn’t sorry for his actions.
Because of that, we dealt with him more seriously.
While this case was being discussed, I was at a loss for who the man was. He wasn’t there. I knew his name, and knew enough men in Presbytery that if I could place his face, I would know who we were talking about.
I leaned over to the Presbyter next to me, and asked who it was. The fellow pastor explained who the man was. I was shocked. I remember my thoughts following that bit of information.
“Not THAT guy! No, not him. That guy… how could he do that? He had so much going for him.”
I was blown away, saddened and mortified. The man was someone that I knew only slightly, but who I knew he had a lot going for him. He was an excellent preacher, very well polished, very likeable. He was the sort of man that always made you feel like you were more significant than normal. He seemed to have every thing going for him.
And he lost it all because of an adulterous relationship.
Then another thought hit me. If it could happen to THAT guy… then… it could happen to me too. Who am I to think I’m above such actions. If it happened to THAT guy… it could happen to anyone…
I had to wonder, how did THAT guy face his wife… how did he face his children…? How did he face his parents…? What do you say?
I’m sure there were all the typical lines: “Yes, I still love my wife but…” No you don’t. If you loved her, you wouldn’t have sex with another woman. In view of this, I hate it when I hear ex-wives of adulterous dads saying: “Yes, but he is a good father.” No he isn’t. A good father stays with his wife and children to be a dad that remains home for his children.
The point is that adultery is a serious sin. It is devastating. Not just to the one committing it, but also to their families, to their friends, to the church, and to God. The big lie of adultery is that it is just between the two people involved. It’s never just between the two people involved. It effects everyone around those two people.
Purpose of the Command
We are working our way through the Ten Commandments because we want to understand God’s Law. Remember, the more we understand God’s Law, the more we understand His holiness and our sin, His grace and our depravity, His mercy and our need for Christ.
This morning we are covering the Seventh Commandment: You shall not commit adultery. This is a command given by God to protect the sanctity of marriage and the families involved. Marriage is an institution that God has given us. He is the one that has defined marriage. He has given marriage “for the mutual help of husband and wife, for the increase of mankind with a legitimate issue, and of the church with an holy seed; and for preventing of uncleanness.”[1]
The idea is that marriage would help both involved. Both involved would be made complete in their union together, and even more so, in their union with Christ. So to intervene and break this union through adultery is quite a heinous sin. I know that it is rampant in our culture, but that doesn’t make it OK.
Leanne Bell of andtheylivedhappilyeverafter.com, writes the following on the myths on adultery… and I’m just going to read myth number one.
Myth Number One: statistics prove a high percentage of married people commit adultery.
A lot of proponents of extra-marital relationships try to justify their behavior with the pseudo-scientific assessment that monogamy is unnatural and that vast numbers of married people habitually cheat on their spouses. Websites devoted to helping people have affairs take great pains to get this point across - probably out of guilt over the inescapable truth that what they're doing is dishonourable - but as much as they would like this to be true, as much as it would justify their rotten behavior, they have absolutely no proof of what they're saying and absolutely no right to try to foist this ridiculous "science" off on the rest of us.
These websites quote statistics to try to convince us that adultery is a foregone conclusion and that we should just get off their backs and let them mess around/fornicate to their little adolescent hearts' content. They spit out numbers like 75 % of men have had extra-marital relationships and that 60% of women have committed adultery and that in 80% of marriages, at least one of the partners will have an affair. All I can say about this is the following: 35% of adults believe that 80% of the top 20% of the world's population are wrong about what 65% of the world believes 50% of the time.
In other words, statistics mean nothing.
The truth is, no one really knows how often people commit adultery or under what circumstances. Neither does anyone know how faithful people are either. While we can rely on statistics like divorce and marriage rates, which are based on the hard evidence of registered marriages and divorces, we can't ever know for certain who is faithful to their spouse and who isn't, and so in that regard it's pointless to speculate about the prevalence of adultery. Especially if we're trying to use those numbers as some sort of justification for our adolescent behavior.
At any rate, it doesn't matter if every other person in the world were committing adultery every day of their lives. That would not make it an honourable thing to do, or something for which you should expect sympathy or understanding.
While she is not writing from a Christian world view, Ms. Bell does have something to say about marriage. Her conclusions that statistics don’t mean a thing when it comes to adultery is correct. She concludes that it doesn’t matter what the statistics show, adultery is still wrong. I think her basis for this is the conscience that she has been given by God, even though she doesn’t appear to be a Christian. Fundamentally, we know that adultery is wrong. It is always wrong, even when the two people are “in love.”
The problem is that Leanne Bell never hits the nail on the head for the reasons that adultery is wrong. The reason for not committed adultery is that it is not only a dishonor to our spouses, but also dishonoring to God. It is a sin, punishable by death, according to the law.
The Ten Commandments are given showing us the holiness of God. They reflect His holiness to us, and help us understand what it means not to be holy, or what it means to be sinful. When we break one of these commandments in any way, we are ultimately sinning against God.
When David sinned with Bathsheba, his confession was ultimately to the Father for his wicked heart and actions. When it comes to these commands, we must remember that they are not only there to show us how to live, but to remind us of the holiness of God.
The point is that adultery is never OK, because it sins against God and His institution of marriage.
Marriage is a God Ordained Institution
Remember that marriage is an institution given to us by God. Jesus confirmed this truth to us as well. He set it up that the two who are married should never be separated.
Matthew 19:4-6 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made[a]them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’[b] 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?[c] (Lasting attachment – meant to endure) So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Jesus is answering the Pharisees in their question about whether or not it was lawful to divorce for any reason. There were two schools of thought in those days, one of Hillel, who believed you could divorce for “any” reason. And the other thought was from the school of Shammai, who restricted divorce for reasons of adultery. That is because adultery has already profaned the marriage.
Jesus was affirming the latter views, and showing that the marriage was a union that was only to be separated by death. Not that all must marry, but those who do marry must realize that marriage is a DIVINE institution, “a state in which they must so conduct themselves (in) that true union—sexual, to be sure;… but also intellectual, moral and spiritual—is not only established but more and more firmly cemented.”[2]
When a man and woman come together in marriage, they are joined together as one flesh, and nothing is to separate that bond and covenant that God has brought about. Since marriage is so sacred and set up by God, He has also given this command so that we would not break the marriage bonds. We must take marriage seriously and the way that we do so is to take the Seventh Commandment seriously.
You shall not commit adultery.
The adulterer is one who breaks the bonds of marriage, and interferes with what God has brought together. It is an assault against the covenant relationship and God. It is to be despise and looked down upon at all times. There are never times where adultery is OK, even if the couple is in love.
What exactly is adultery?
Adultery Defined
Adultery is when one of the two married people enter into another sexual relationship or even an inappropriate relationship, that involves the lust of the heart, with another person other than their spouse.
We get the idea of lust entering the picture from Christ Himself.
Matthew 5:27-30 “You have heard that it was said to those of old,[a] ‘You shall not commit adultery.’[b] 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
Once again, He shows us the where the seed of adultery begins. It begins in the heart, just as murder did. This means that by the time that adultery was committed the seed was planted a long time before that.
Here Jesus shows us the beginning of adultery. He is not saying that the answer to it is to mutilate oneself, but to guard the eye so the lust doesn’t follow, and guard the heart, so the hand doesn’t act on the lust that may be there.
The problem we face is that there are pictures and images everywhere that can lead to lust in our hearts. We must guard ourselves against these pictures. We see them on billboard, in magazines, on the television, on the sidelines at football games with pompoms, and on the internet.
No, I’m not talking about porn sites on the internet. I’m talking about normal usage of the internet. There are plenty of pictures that are filled with seductive looking men and women selling everything from weight loss products, to trips to the beach.
We also must guard ourselves about the movies we watch. Remember that many of our Oscar winning movies are centered around adultery. So it make sense that we should not give ourselves over to the idea that there is nothing wrong with the movies Hollywood gives us. We know right from wrong, and to ignore what God has given to us, thinking it won’t matter is like the fool in Proverbs that never heeds warning or instruction.
Adultery is so common, that when a former president was caught committing adultery, there was so little outrage.
Remember the story I told you about a friend and her realization that our country was in moral decline. She said that during the Clinton scandal, she came out of the church one morning and two men were talking about it. She asked why there was no moral outrage, and one of the men said, “it’s just adultery.”
May we never take this attitude towards sin! This sin not only breaks our fellowship with God, but with our spouse. Remember that this is a sin against marriage itself. Marriage is “an exclusive relationship in which a man and a woman commit themselves to each other in covenant for life and, on the basis of solemn vows, become ‘one flesh’ physically.”[3]
The command is meant to protect this special relationship that was brought about by God, yes, I mean brought about by God. We must remember that marriage is an institution given to us by God. We don’t define it, God does. We didn’t set it up, God did. He gave it to us for our mutual benefit, for our aid to one another, and for the procreation of mankind. To commit adultery is to sin against this God-ordained institution. It’s not something that should be taken lightly. It is sin against God.
Adultery has saturated our world and for it not to effect us, we must takes steps to guard what we watch, hear and think.
2 Corinthians 10:4-6 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
CURRENT END OF SERMON…
[1] WCF XXIV.2
[2] Hendriksen, p. 715.
[3] Waltke, p. 429.
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• Apr. 9, 2008 - Joey's 1st Popcicle
• Apr. 9, 2008 - Varoom-Varoom Cake Truck
| There was an unmistakable sound coming from a few houses down that made my husband and three year old son bolt out the door in glee. The electronic music box of the ice cream lady heralded her entry into our neighborhood paired with the laughter and shouts of "Varoom-Varoom Cake Truck!!" "Varoom-Varoom Cake Truck!!" from Andy.
They hurried to get their shoes pulled on and the five dollars it would take to purchase ice cream bars for the four of us, and met the Ice Cream Lady in the front yard.
All of us picked our favorite ice cream treats from the colorful, and yummy-looking pictures stuck to the side of her truck. Andy and Joey both got a red, white and blue bomb pop.
It was Joey's first popcicle.
In delight we four took our prizes to the front step and enjoyed our pre-dinner feast. Joey, not wanting to sit for long, stood up on his wobbly legs and toddled down the front sidewalk in all of his eleven-month-old bravery, clutching his chilly treat in his fist and sucking on the bright red end of the popcicle. The cherry goo painted his little face in a wide grin of a circus clown, in a matter of seconds as we heard the twinkle of the Ice Cream Lady's music box slowly roll down a neighboring street.
I'm sure that Joey will join the thundering herd the next time he hears the faint twinkle of the Ice Cream Lady and her Varoom-Varoom Cake Truck turning round the corner! |
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• Apr. 8, 2008 - First Post
| Hello!
This is the first post, I hope one of many, on this site. I hope I can find time to update it often.
Right now, the house is quiet, except for the dishwasher. My husband and 3 year old, are asleep on the couch when at least one of them should be in bed. My infant, sick with lung junk from allergies is in his crib awaiting a breathing treatment. THAT's going to make him really happy if he wakes up. I hope we can keep him asleep.
Well... what on earth am I going to write? What's going to be the theme of this blog? How can I upload pictures? Is this easier than Wordpress? Good grief coffee sounds great right now... but I don't want to be awake much longer! Don't you love stream of consciousness writing? Bleck!
I think I will dedicate this site to writing about my most important ministry project to date- my boys! They do so many neat and great things that I am amazed by something every day.
Ok. Enough for tonight. I'm going to explore how to use this site and comment on Julie's blog. \See you tomorrow!
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