Gospel Healing for Hurting Marriages

If you haven't heard this message by Voddie Baucham, I highly encourage you to take the time to listen to it! Although the subject is marriage, the message of this sermon touches every relationship... especially the most important one we can ever have: our relationship with Christ.  I listened to this 3 times last week, and each time I was convicted of new things and inspired to focus my gaze on my Savior. There are so many excellent points made in this message, but I wanted to share a few that really spoke to me:

"Every last one of us has a natural propensity toward works righteousness. All of us desire to save ourselves. We love Jesus, and we're grateful to Jesus for dying on the cross for us... and that was real cool... thank you, Jesus. However, what we really want to do is; we want to find some things that the bible tells us to do and we want to do it either out of fear or pride. If it's out of fear, we're going: "see God, I did this... did you see that? I really hope it's good enough for you... I really do."  That's the kind of person where every negative thing in life that happens to you, you're sure it's because you weren't good enough. Let me just put a footnote here... something goes wrong in your life and you immediately start going and looking for what you did wrong to deserve it? Here's the problem with that kind of thinking: that means that you actually think that you were worthy of the goodness that you received before. Help you if you think that! So if it's not out of fear then it's out of pride, and here's the pride part: pride says: "I went to the bible, I found what I needed to do, and I did it." So you can come into heaven, walk through the gates and say "I am pleased that Christ died on the cross for me. Here are the works that I have added to make His sacrifice sufficient."

"the imperatives of the Christian life, (the stuff God says "do this"), the imperatives of the Christian life grow out of the indicatives... not the other way around. Works righteousness says this: "I will do the imperatives so that I can acheive the indicatives. I'm going to do the holiness in and of myself so that I can acheive the royal priesthood."  No... it's because of what God's made you that you're able to do what God commands. It's not the other way around."

"Look at (Ephesians) chapter 5 verse 22: "wives submit to your own husbands because they are worthy of submission because they have accomplished all the things that God says that a husband is supposed to accomplish before the wife will submit..." NO! "Wives submit to your husbands as unto the Lord," Why? Because of an indicitive: The husband is the head of the body as Christ is the head of the church. An imperative and an indicative: Submit to your husband. Why? Because of who God says he is. "No, I'm not going to submit to him." Why? "Because I disagree with God. God says he's my head, however he may have met God's qualifications for my submission but he hasn't met my qualifications for my submission. Therefore, God, I outrank you which means I am violating the first commandment because there is another god besides You, and that god is MY standard." ... an unsubmissive wife is guilty of idolatry."

"Once we understand that our relationship with our spouse is a means through which we do that, (worship and adore Christ,) it changes everything... My prayer for you today is that you would readjust your focus... readjust your gaze, and gaze upon the majesty and magnificence of Christ. You've given up because that's not where you were looking. You've given up because your focus is not on the indicatives. You have not worshipped Him for who He is and for what He has done in your life. He has redeemed you from the pit... He has satisfied your soul. His divine power has given you everything you need for life and godliness... and yet you have chosen to focus your gaze on the imperfections of one who was never intended to be perfect."

"Because to (give up on your marriage) is not just a rejection of your spouse here on earth, but it's a rejection of the bridegroom, Jesus Christ. Who, in case you were wondering, laid down His life for His bride when she was still yet an adultress, and is in the process of sanctifying her though she still from time to time wanders off pursuing other lovers. He shed His blood for her, is seated at the right hand of the Father forever making intercession for her, and is going to come back for her: not to condemn her, but to embrace her and to bring her into himself... into his bosom... to carrry her off to the wedding feast of the lamb. Not because she is worthy and she has satisfied him in every regard; but in spite of the fact that she is not, and she can not. She is precious to Him, not because of what she provides to Him.. but in spite of what she cannot provide to Him. He makes her precious because of the price He pays. Don't you dare miss the One who loves you beyond your ability to comprehend it."

If you've ever listened to Dr. Baucham then you know that the 50 minutes of this message will pass very quickly. If you've never listened to Dr. Baucham then you're in for a treat!

Oatmeal Spice Squares

The Whole Wheat Cinnamon Graham Squares from Tammy's Recipes have been a long standing favorite around here... and while I'm still making them for Isaac and the kiddo's, they don't fit into my new way of eating.  So one evening, out of desperation, I toyed around with the recipe and came up with my own little version.  Let's call them Oatmeal Spice Squares. *grin*
These can be considered gluten-free if you use certified gluten free oats and oat flour. Since gluten isn't my issue (just wheat), I just use plain old fashioned rolled oats.  Also, some of the measurements are odd since I quartered the recipe. I find that this makes just the right amount for me to eat before they aren't so fresh anymore.

Oatmeal Spice Squares
1/2 cup oat flour
1/4 cup almond meal
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 + 1/8 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup honey
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 Tbsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 + 1/8 cup oil (I use coconut oil)
1/4 cup cold water

Mix all ingredients together and pat down into greased 8" or 9" square glass pan.
Bake at 400 degrees for 13-18 minutes

Baby Booties Giveaway

Seriously, are these not the cutest things you've seen in a while??

And guess what? The best part is that you can enter a giveaway to win a pair!  Head over to Audrey's Give Aways and enter to win your choice of a pair of crocheted baby booties from Twenty Second Street

My pick is a pair of the black Mary Janes.... talk about adorable! :)

A New Little Friend

Heather's goat had its first kid.... and boy is it a cutie!!  I wish you could see this little guy in action... he hops around in an adorable little dance and sounds like a kitten mewing when he bleats for his milk.  My own little ones are smitten with him!  *sigh*... If we ever have a farm...

Frugal Frappuccino

Because of my dairy allergy, (and a serious Starbucks addiction,) I've been making these at home for a few years now.... and though I try to enjoy them in moderation, they make for an awfully yummy treat!

For 1 serving:

• 1 cup chocolate milk     (I use chocolate Silk (soymilk). *Raw milk lovers can use 1 cup raw milk plus 2 Tbsp cocoa powder. If you do this, be sure to increase your sweetener a little)
• 1 Tbsp instant coffee granules
• 1/2 - 1 Tbsp brown sugar   (I use raw honey)
• 1 cup of ice    (this is approximate... play around to acheive your desired consistency)

Blend all ingredients together, and if you're not avoing the dairy top with whipped cream and chocolate syrup!

A Few Hungry Cows

This morning, my hubby decided that we should take the kids to Chick-Fil-A for dinner in honor of their Cow Appreciation Day... so this afternoon, we "crafted up" some cow costumes and set out for our first Cow Adventure!  Our little calves had a blast, and "moo'd" all the way to CFA, (and partly through dinner. *grin*)

Mmmmm.... chicken!

The hero of the evening

An Interesting Bit of History

I picked up a book from the library, The Family Under Siege, by George Grant. Now, I haven't read the entire book, so I can't speak to the soundness of it in its entirety... but I found this history about Henry Laurens to be particularly interesting.  The quote below, taken from the excerpt, holds so much truth. This story is long, (and I hope I'm not violating anything by sharing it here,) but well worth the time spent reading it.... enjoy!




"At a time when liberty is under attack, decency is under assault, the family is under siege, and life itself is threatened, the good will arise in truth; they will arise in truth with the very essence and substance of their lives; they will arise in truth though they face opposition by fierce subverters; they will arise in truth never shying from the Standard of truth, never shirking from the Author of truth."


"He was a prize catch.
Henry Laurens was just off the coast of Newfoundland when the British cruiser Vestal chased and intercepted his lone rebel packet, the Mercury. Fearing the worst, he emptied all the diplomatic papers from his trunk, stuffed them into a leather bag weighted with shot, and threw the heavy bundle overboard. Unfortunately, he failed to deflate the air within the bag-- so it floated, was sighted by an alert sailor on the Vestal, and subsequently was hooked on board.
On thus discovering both the identity of the Mercury's prominent passenger and his intended mission, the commander of the Vestal had the small packet boarded and Laurens was arrested.
It was September 3, 1780. The rebellion of England's American colonies was now in its fourth year. And the war was not going particularly well for the mother country. Although the rebels could boast precious few actual field victories, they were a stubborn and elusive lot. They were poorly equipped, under-financed, and lacked even a modicum of formal military training, yet they continued to harass supply lines, out-maneuver troop placements, and evade naval blockades.
The morale of His Majesty's troops was at an all-time low. The distance from home combined with the constant frustration at arms had taken a bitter toll. The war, never particularly popular before, was now stirring a near mutinous restlessness among the conscripts.
The commander of the Vestal was hopeful that the capture of Laurens might actually afford the royal cause the advantage it now so sorely needed. He was, after all, one of the most important leaders of the revolution and its fledgling government.
A wealthy merchant from South Carolina, he was a member of the first provincial convention in Charleston in 1775. The next year he was elected vice-president of the sovereign state under its new constitution and was chosen to serve as a representative in the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. He was so highly regarded by his fellow delegates there that when John Hancock resigned his position as president, they unanimously elected Laurens to succeed him on November 1, 1777.
His tenure as the fourth president of the newly independent United States was predictably tumultuous. Besides all the difficulties of trying to mobilize the tiny confederated nation for war against impossible odds, supply the widely dispersed Continental army, hold together the fractious congress, and secure international recognition for the rebel cause, he also had to deal with the acrimonious conflict between his Commander in Chief, George Washington, and the temperamental General Thomas Conway. But somehow he was able to do it all- with amazing success. Furiously outspoken, unflaggingly ambitious, and decisively brilliant, his obvious leadership abilities won him the admiration of the American patriots- and the enmity of the court and Westminster.
At the end of his distinguished term he was appointed to supervene John Adams as the legate to the Dutch government at the Hague. And it was to that assignment that he was traveling when he was captured.
The commander of the Vestal delivered Laurens to his superiors at home amidst a flurry of publicity and fanfare. The London papers trumpeted the news with all the gaudy gossip of a palace coup. They displayed the worst qualities of journalism: all its paralysis of thought, all its monotony of chatter, all its sham culture and shoddy jingoism, all its perpetual readiness to cover any vulgarity of the present with any sentimentalism of the past. One of the papers declared that the rebel cause had at last been "dealt its death blow" Another predicted that American resistance would likely "collapse within the month." More prudent press observers, while admitting the vital significance of the former president to the colonial cause, cautioned that his captivity might only serve to "stiffen their resistance."
Whatever the American reaction might prove to be, it was clear that the English reaction was profound. Though he has been "thoughtfully neglected" in our own day- as the esteemed southern man-of-letters M.E. Bradford was wont to say- his greatness was certainly recognized in his own day.
Laurens was imprisoned in the Tower of London. Steeped in English history and the blood of many of its leading participants, the infamous fortress on the Thames had dominated the London skyline ever since William the Conqueror built it to repress his unwilling Saxon subjects. It thus served for centuries as the scene of state and private violence, of torture, murder, and execution.
Although he had been a lifelong churchman, Laurens was not particularly known for his piety- quite unlike his close friends Patrick Henry and Samuel Adams. But cut off from the noisy forgetfulness of public life, he resolved his faith into what he called a "God-fearing, Bible-reading, hymn-singing passion for permanent things." Each day he was allowed to attend private services in the St. Peter-ad-Vincula chapel. Within the precincts of the vast Tower compound, to the northwest, the little sanctuary was built by Henry VIII on the site of a previous chapel in 1519. In it were buried his second wife, Anne Boleyn, and his fifth, Catherine Howard- both of whom he had beheaded on the Tower Green a few yards away. Also killed there, and buried ignominiously below the chapel floor paving, were the old Countess of Salisbury, Lady Jane Grey, the Elizabethan Earl of Essex, the rebel Duke of Monmouth, and a host of others. The associates of the place make it rather oppressive, even today; old terrors and miseries seem to hang in the air.
But Laurens found "an unspeakable comfort" there. Although he would be released at the end of the war- exchanged for Lord Cornwallis, following the surrender at Yorktown as a part of the negotiated cease-fire arrangement- he maintained to the end of his life that it was in that "dismal, haunting chapel" that he found "genuine release."
The experience of prison often changes the outlook of men. According to the Greek author and journalist Taki, it "strips away all the inconsequential peripherals of daily life and hones close to the bone of what matters most: faith and family, principle and priority." It is, he says, "a fundamental reordering" of what is and is not really important:

Imprisonment throws a searchlight of brilliant clarity on all that we are and all that we do. Every sham pretense, every false motive, every empty ideal, every corrupt ambition, and every shallow desire is exposed for what it is. Thus prison either drives men to greater sagacity and keenness or to deeper vapidity and tedium. It either breaks men or makes me.

It made Laurens.
Though he was no less irascible in his resistance to English rule, no less belligerent in his revolutionary insurgency, and no less antithetic in his sedition against tyranny, he was far more pensive, for more judicious, and far more principled. Years later he would summarize his new "Christian vision" for "social involvement" as the "natural outworking of a threefold covenantal responsibility." He wrote:

"At a time when liberty is under attack, decency is under assault, the family is under siege, and life itself is threatened, the good will arise in truth; they will arise in truth with the very essence and substance of their lives; they will arise in truth though they face opposition by fierce subverters; they will arise in truth never shying from the Standard of truth, never shirking from the Author of truth."

Laurens asserted that this threefold perspective in dealing with the enemies of freedom- focusing as he said, "first on us, then on them, and then ultimately on Him" -was attainable "only by one means: that being the means of grace." He had come to understand that "the crucial question" in squaring off against any political or theological juggernaut is "not so much: How have they violated truth? but how have we, in word and deed, told it?"

picture taken from wikipedia

...Christians must not assume that if we are able to help pass a few good laws, or elect a few good traditions, that we will ensure the integrity of the family or establish the foundations of freedom.
America's character must change, not just her laws, not just her judges, her schools, her media, her legislation, or her priorities. And in order for America's character to change, the character of America's Christians must change.
...Only then will we be able to turn back the current siege on the family, and begin to solve the many problems that plague our cities and communities. Repentance, revival, and righteousness among God's own precedes social renewal. It always has. It always will:

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14, RSV)

The Family Under Siege, George Grant

Some Cousin Fun and a Cutie-Pie

Right after William was born, Isaac and I started going to a chiropractor that had come highly recommened to us by my midwife. (I was having constant, awful headaches.)  He quickly fixed me up, (my spine had gotten out of line during the birthing process,) found a few other minor issues, (my knees and hips were out of line,)  and we've been fans ever since.

After a good year and a half of hearing us talk about how great our chiropractor was, my mom and sisters came to visit... and he fixed them up too!  My mom's problems were pretty severe, so it took a couple of months of weekly visits for her: and we made some really good use of our time! Every time a visit would roll around, my mom and a sister would come and spend the day with us.

Today was Mom and Heather, and Stephanie came along to help me watch all the littles while they went to the chiro. (As an aside: Would you believe Stephanie and I actually took all 5 little ones (5, 3, 2, 2, and 11 months) to the grocery store, and had not once single incident??  Not even a blueberry moment???!)    Mom had her last weekly appointment today, so we're partially in mourning that we won't be spending days with them as often! We had lots of fun today though... when it cooled down a *very* little this afternoon we took them all outside, where they had a blast playing together!

Noah and Rosie...

two of a kind!

Who knew a double stroller could be the source of so much joy?

Little Miss Mercy

I've been having TONS of fun with the Pioneer Woman's Photoshop actions... if you have photoshop, they're a must download! (And they're free!!)  Be sure to download both sets!

Family Time

We just returned from a visit to my family's, where we celebrated all of the June birthdays. Not to mention hitting our absolute favorite place to shop: the Goodwill Clearance Center. (Sadly no longer $0.99/lb.... they've increased their prices to... gasp... $1.09/lb! Still, 27 pounds of clothes for under $30 works for me)

Hannah made a cake...  she's so creative!

5-74, a four generation span

Mema Hamilton

And no, he didn't turn 5...

we overlooked getting a "2" candle *grin*

A mother-daughter moment

This picture is actually from Luke and Joe...

and not from this trip. But I couldn't resist throwing it in the mix.

Preparation for motherhood:

hold a squirmy 2 year old while fixing breakfast for 12