So that the Word of God will not be dishonored.

Today we memorize why. Why our behavior is important and why we cannot live to please our self. 

Here is our beautiful seamstress telling us "sew that".  So that

Here pictured is my Bible open. The Bible is the word of God. So that the Word of God......

Have you ever been disciplined by writing I will not....whatever over and over again?  I am hoping that this will remind us of the words "will not". So that the word of God will not.....
The picture of the bee reminds of the word be. I used a upside down crown in between laurel leaves to symbolize dishonored. I thought about a soldier having his metals of honor removed but could not find a picture of it or the difference in having them removed and put on. What would you have used to picture dishonored? So the word of God will not be dishonored.

 Do you understand why?

Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior,

 not malicious gossips 

nor enslaved to much wine, 

teaching what is good, 

 so that they may encourage the young women 

to love their husbands, 

to love their children, 

 to be sensible, 

pure,

workers at home, 

kind, 

being subject to their own husbands, 

so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

Into Thy Hands I Commit My Children

This morning I watched a son walk out the door, get into his packed-to-the-brim car, and start out on an 800+ mile drive that would take him into the next stage of his life.  Different friends have asked, "Isn't it hard for you to have your children live so far away?"  It is true that I do miss being able to see them regularly and be a part of their daily lives, but this is what we raised them for- to live their own lives before the Lord.  My desire is for them to be who, where, and what God wants them to be.  If they are in the center of His will, I must let them go- whether it be a 10-minute drive from my house, or half-way around the world.  Though I am not with them physically, the Spirit of God is.  The Lord Himself has promised to never leave them nor forsake them.  And I can always surround them with my prayers.  

I have always loved Psalm 84:3- "Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young- even Your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God."  I can learn a lesson from these little birds.  The very best place for me to place my children is before the Lord.  The altar is a place of sacrifice and offering.  Our children have been given to us as a gift, a stewardship, that we might offer them back to the Lord.  May He use them for His glory.  

Being Subject to Their Own Husbands

I have not posted since we left for vacation so I let us review Titus 2:3,4,5 we know so far. If you are just joining us the you can see the other pictures here

Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, 

not malicious gossips 

nor enslaved to much wine, 

teaching what is good, 

so that they may encourage the young women 

to love their husbands, 

to love their children,  

to be sensible, 

pure, 

workers at home, 

kind, 

To day we add "being subject to their own husbands,". I start with a picture of a bee (sometimes it stings to be subject to our own husbands) and add ing. 

This text book labeled subject 2 reminds us that in order to be subject to our own husbands we need to be a student of our husbands so that we may act in a manner consistent with their desires. We also study God's Word so we can act in a matter consistent with God's desires.

Being subject to their own husbands,

In order to remember "their own" I found this beautiful picture by Valarian Warrior of a roan horse which we are labeling "The Roan". "The Roan" sounds like their own.

L

Roan is a color created by an even mixture of colored and white hairs on the body of an animal.  We are using "The Roan" horse to remember the words “their own”. Can you remember "The Roan”?

Being subject to their own husbands, 

Mentally place a picture of your own husband here. Those who don't have a husband picture the qualities that make a good husband. 

Congratulations one more phrase and we are finished!

Picture review

Service with a Smile

So many times I perform my daily tasks with a grimace or a sigh. That’s because I forget whom I serve.  I am not merely serving those around me- who may or may not appreciate, or even notice, what I’m doing.  

Colossians 3:23-24 tells me where my focus should be:  “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”  


So look past those around you and see the Lord Himself.  Do your service for Him.  He notices and He appreciates all that is done for Him.  He assures us that “…whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to     Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” (Mark 9:41)  

What a kind and loving God we serve.

Look at His face and catch His smile as you serve Him with a right heart attitude.  

Reflect that in your own countenance. 

We really do serve the best of masters!  

"They looked to Him and were radiant, 

and their faces were not ashamed."

(Psalm 34:5)

What Motivates YOUR Service?

Another excerpt from the writings of Lilias Trotter:

Parables of the Cross and the Christ Life

       "The return is to Him as we see in parable with the plants.  They show us a love that seeks not her own; no one knows whence the seeds come when they reach their journey's end; no glory can possibly gather round the plants that surrendered their lives to form and shed them.  They just give and give, with no aim but to be bare stalks when all is done.  Everything is loosed without a shade of calculation or self-interest.

       'Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory', they are all saying in spirit; they teach us absolute indifference as to whether our service is appreciated or even recognized so long as the work is done and the Lord is glorified, for God cannot get His whole glory as long as man gets any.

      So no matter if we never see the full up-springing on earth of the Spirit-seed scattered.  It is all the more likely that God will trust us with a great multiplying if our faith does not need to witness it.  He can grant us spiritual harvests out of sight of which only He gains the glory...for there is no limit to what God can do with a man, provided he will not touch the glory."  

My prayer:

O Lord, You know my heart.  It is true that my service for You is hardly ever done from pure motives.  You know that I crave recognition and desire to be appreciated for the things I do.  Put within my heart the desire for Your glory, rather than my own.  You are worthy of it all.  

"Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Your name give glory, 

because of Your mercy, because of Your truth."

(Psalm 115:1)

True Servanthood

                                           

Do you consider yourself a servant?

Then consider the words of Richard Foster:  "We must see the difference between the choosing to serve and choosing to be a servant.  When we choose to serve we are still in charge.  But when we choose to be a servant we give up the right to be in charge."  

A servant does whatever the master asks of them, regardless of how they personally feel about it.

Two of my children are working as counselors at a secular day camp this summer.  They have younger counselors-in-training assigned to work with them.  The CITs' job is to do whatever the counselor asks of them to help the day run more smoothly.  There is one CIT who would continually ask my daughter, "What can I do to help?"  When my daughter told the girl what needed to be done, the girl would then make the decision as to whether or not that task was to her liking.  If it wasn't, she would not do it, but would again ask my daughter, "What can I do to help?"  I'm sure this girl feels like she is being a servant because she is continually offering her service- but is she a servant?  

My daughter also teaches a Sunday school class at our local church.  Right before Sunday school, the children are to gather in a larger room for a time of singing before they are all dismissed to their various classrooms.   This gives the teachers time to set out their materials and make sure they are ready before the children arrive.  There is one girl who comes to my daughter's room instead of going to singing and says, "I'm here to help you.  What can I do?"  Then she proceeds to look through the teaching materials, write on the board, etc.  My daughter tells the girl that everything is under control and reminds her that she needs to go sing with the rest of the children.  "No," the girl replies, "I'm here to help you."  This little girl is there to serve- or is she?

Unfortunately, this attitude is not found only in children and the unsaved.  Even as believers in the Lord Jesus, our hearts are still very deceitful.  We can fool ourselves into believing that we have a servant's heart, when in reality, our "service" is doing what we want to do in the way we want to do it.  

Our attitude towards service needs to be that which the Lord Jesus exemplified.  He very clearly states His motivation in John 6:38- "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My will, but the will of Him who sent Me." 

 Being a servant basically boils down to one thing- obedience.  

And yet, serving the Lord does not have to be drudgery.  For those who serve with a right heart attitude, the Lord has great reward- "Enter into the joy of your lord." (Matthew 25:21)  What a blessing, since in His presence is FULLNESS of joy!

"So likewise you, when you have done all those things 

which you are commanded, say, 

'We are unprofitable servants.  We have done what was our duty to do.'"

(Luke 17:10)