Ben, migraines, and thankfulness

It's been a tough year for my 12-year-old son Ben. He suffers from migraines, and missed most of term 2 of school. During term 3 he was better than he's been for years thanks to his new medication, for which we thank God! But early this term he was sick again for a month, due to a nasty virus that stirred up his headaches. I wrote this at the end of that month.

When I think of my son this year, the words that spring to mind are "patient endurance".

I love how Ben keeps persevering and trusting in God even when he's sick. I love the way he thinks hard about his attitudes and how they affect how he's feeling. I love how he works at getting well (sleep routines, relaxation exercises, new ways of thinking, headache diaries, exercise...)

I love Ben's loyal friends and his hunger for learning, that mean he keeps up at school, even though we grieve over all he misses out on. I love that he still loves hearing God's word, even though it's often difficult for him to be at church. I love the way he soldiers through the days, and how his teachers come up to me and say, "He tries so hard!".

I love Ben's loud enthusiasm when he's well, even though it can be a little trying (as he says, he has to make the most of it!). I love the way his eyes light up when he's playing complicated games with his sister. I love his "imaginations": inventing languages, designing elaborate constructions on Minecraft, writing a novel about another world.

I love the long conversations we have on the way home from (yet another) doctor's appointment. I love our precious half-hours on the couch, when he fills me in on what he's been thinking about. I love our games and our cuddles and our love for all the same books.

I love his patience and quiet persistence. I love his compassion and helpfulness. I love his love for Jesus.

I love my Ben.

P.S. Ben has recovered from his virus and has been well for several weeks now, except for a couple of one-day migraines. Thank God with us, that well is our new normal.

online meanderings

No little person - A beautiful memory of Francis Shaeffer.

My heart is heavy - The book of Job in the life of a cancer sufferer. Beautiful - and sad. Macca.

How do we pray through pain? - When our prayers for relief aren't granted? Carolyn Mahaney.

The chief of sinners - A poem about Paul by John Piper. I enjoyed this greatly.

The idolatry of regret - "My middle years have ushered in a new kind of idol -- the idol of looking back. I see all the mistakes I made and roads not taken." Staci Eastin.

Signs of an abusive relationship and what the Bible says about abuse in marriage. Mary Kassian.

From scroll to screen ... to scrolling - What we gain and lose with a new way of reading. Fascinating! Lev Grossman.

Sometimes old and simple truths affect us in new ways. In fact, this seems to be an essential feature of spiritual growth. The passage that was ho-hum last week now plumbs the depths of our souls. We are always re-discovering simple spiritual realities as the Spirit brings new light and depth to old truths. Ed Welch

To see the rest of my links, click here (Facebook) or here.

how to grapple with issues in our lives

An excellent model:

1. observe our circumstances
2. analyse and consider what we’re going through
3. reflect on Scripture
4. change our attitudes and actions
5. talk to God about it.

Macca. Read the rest here.

the joy of service (2)

In a recent post, The joy of service, I wrote about the need to serve practically when all you want to do is teach. Karen asked a great question: “Does it work the other way, Jean–when you’re good at (and often prefer) to stuff envelopes, stack chairs and wash dishes, but the thought of leading Bible study fills you with extreme terror?” 

Here’s The joy of service re-written (with apologies) for such a person. Because, yes, I have friends who lead Bible studies even though it terrifies them. And, yes, it works both ways.

I’m no up-the-front servant. My love is given to behind-the-scenes ministries: cooking a meal for a friend, stacking chairs, organising events. If I’m honest, I also love the safety of this kind of ministry. There: I’ve said it.

The word-y roles, the out-there roles, the people-can-see-me roles: they don’t come naturally to me. Sitting next to a stranger at church, reading the Bible during the service, welcoming newcomers, leading a small group, walking into a room full of people: I try to avoid these things. I have to fight down my terror as I do them. I don’t like this about myself, but it’s true.

I know this isn’t good enough. I know that to stuff envelopes and avoid people is as far from our Lord’s example as hell from heaven. And so picture, if you will, a recent morning at our church. The usual leaders aren’t there, so I sit with people I don’t know. When we split into small groups to pray after the sermon, I find myself leading the prayers.

Then there’s this moment. This crystal-clear, earth-touches-heaven, joy-filled moment. As I say a stumbling prayer for one of the members of the group, it’s as if I’m speaking Christ’s words on his behalf. If it was Paul’s privilege to suffer with him, it’s mine to serve with him.1 Looking at this group of strangers, awkward with unspoken fears, I touch the tiniest edge of what it meant for him to serve.

The One with the right to a universe of worship gave up his own interests, his right to equality with God, and made himself nothing. The King of heaven and earth got off a chair, tied a towel around his waist, and knelt to wash his follower’s feet. God’s own Son was stripped naked and hung on a cross, abandoned between earth and heaven, bleeding out his life for his bride.2

Leading a group in prayer is just a baby-step as I follow in his footsteps. But if so much joy can be found in such a simple task, I wonder what else we miss out on when we refuse to serve.


1. Romans 8:17; Colossians 1:24; John 13:14-17
2. Philippians 2:1-11; John 13:1-17; Mark 10:35-45

This post first appeared at The Briefing.

image is by HidingHeart at flickr

questions about women's ministry (3) what it looks like in practice

Simone has been asking some questions about women's ministry. Here's my answer to her third question (an extension of the last one).

If you think Titus 2:3-5 gives us a model and a curriculum for women's ministry, are you following the curriculum? 

Yes, in the women’s ministry at our church I make a deliberate effort to follow the "curriculum" (we're slowly working through the Titus 2 qualities, both 2:3 and 2:4-5) but very slowly, very flexibly and with plenty of additions, to make our teaching and training relevant to women in all kinds of situations.

I could have chosen another passage, but I started with Titus 2:3-5 because ours is a new ministry and I wanted to begin by inspiring the group with a model of older women teaching younger women.

I deliberately began with the topic of “reverence for God” (Titus 2:3) rather than marriage or motherhood, because I wanted to concentrate on the heart of godly womanhood, to avoid the legalistic emphasis on certain models of womanhood that can sometimes characterise women's ministry.

And yes, I spoke on the topic of marriage (Titus 2:4-5 - we have lots of women heading towards marriage in our group) but I made sure that I emphasised the "greater marriage" to Christ and the "greater gift" of singleness, and addressed my applications to all kinds of different life situations.

We’ve also had a session training women in evangelism; and next month, we’ll be discussing work and outreach at work, since we have lots of young women in this life situation. So you can see we cover the topics in Titus 2:3-5 in a way that's relevant to all, but lots more besides.

I should add that I don't see Titus 2:3-5 as a necessary or prescribed curriculum, just a good starting point. I could have chosen something else. For example, I love the list for widows in 1 Timothy 5:9-10, and I wish we were more familiar with this passage instead of jumping straight to Titus 2, as it seems to me to be a little broader in its application to different seasons and situations (I'll probably move there next). Or I could have picked Proverbs 31:10-31. Or I could have ignored the "women's passages" and gone with Colossians 3:1-4:6 or something else entirely.

But I do think Titus 2:3-5 is a useful set of topics to cover, especially with young women. And I do think the qualities on the list aren't just situation-specific, as they spring up all over the Bible, often (but not always) with reference to women (e.g. 1 Tim 2:11-15, 3:11, 5:9-10). More about that next time!

Please add your thoughts to the comments.

image is by Andrew Kirkley at flickr

questions about women's ministry (2) Titus 2: model or curriculum?

Simone has been asking some questions about women's ministry. Here's my answer to her second question.

Do you think Titus 2 gives us a model and a curriculum for women's ministry, or just a model, or something else or maybe neither?

Yes, Titus 2:3-5 gives us a model. As Simone says, "The model is that of older women teaching younger women." I wouldn't see this as culture-specific. And obviously the ministry of women to women isn’t limited to older to younger!

Yes, it gives us the beginnings of a curriculum (and one for older women as well as younger women – Titus 2:3 not just 2:4-5) but by no means a complete curriculum.

It's a curriculum no doubt shaped by context – not just the Cretan context, but the wider context of a culture in which marriage was more normative for women (and men) than it is in our culture. But it’s not limited to context: if you trace the Bible's teaching on womanhood, you'll find a similar emphasis on marriage and motherhood as key spheres in which most women serve God at some stage during their lives (Gen 2-3, Prov 31:10-31, 1 Tim 2:11-15, 5:9-16 etc). So yes, older women should cover these topics in their teaching of younger women – especially if these women are married and/or have children – but not to the exclusion of other life situations and seasons.

Other topics mentioned in Titus 2:3-5, like purity and how we use our speech, are relevant to all women (including older singles). And other parts of the Bible, both those addressed to women and those addressed to all Christians, expand the curriculum: 1 Tim 5:9-10 adds ministry/service outside the family; Prov 31:10-31 adds paid work and helping the poor; 1 Cor 7 addresses singleness; 1 Tim 2:11-15 talks about women’s relationships within the church; Col 4:2-6 adds evangelism; and so on and so on.

Most importantly, any and all of these topics need to be grounded in the gospel, as they are in Titus 2:11-15. We have to be careful not to limit godly womanhood to a certain season or situation in life, and we have to emphasis the gospel, not a certain set of “qualities of biblical womanhood”. The heart, foundation and motivation of any curriculum is the gospel and the character of God.

Please add your thoughts to the comments.

image is by Pingu at flickr

online meanderings

When God looks like your earthly father - If you find it hard to call God "Father", read this, and fight to take back the name. Ed Welch.

Give thanks - This is a fantastic post on thankfulness: a complete theology in a few paragraphs, and very helpful and challenging too! David Mathis.

Don't sanitize the Psalms - Do we express the range of emotions found in the Psalms? Steve Cornell.

Leading in finances - Do you give enough money away? How would you know? This is a fantastic article that challenges us right where it hurts. Phil Cogan.

Joy in hard places - "The safest thing we can do is sacrifice our safety and possessions for the sake of Christ." Marshall Segal with Zane Pratt.

Pray for those you counsel - The wonder of prayer, and how it folds us into others' lives. Eliza Jane Huie.

Don't mess with her, man - No excuse for abuse: it's good to see The Gospel Coalition writing about this. Matt Smethurst HT Sandy.

On being offended - When people make comments on your kids, parenting, pregnancy, or anything else - how do you respond? Deb.

The conversation continues over at Simone's blog. You'll find me in the comments. Add your thoughts!

For months the routine of caring for my wife was my sanity. For the months after she was gone, the habits of caring for my daughter were my sanity. Now they are both gone. And I have lessons to learn. RC Sproul Jr

We tend to use prayer as a last resort, but God wants it to be our first line of defence. We pray when nothing else we can do, but God wants us to pray before we do anything at all.  Oswald Chambers

To see the rest of my links, click here (Facebook) or here.

stop reading and start reflecting, or you'll rattle

If you're even the slightest bit into children's literature, here's a great read: E.L. Konigsburg's From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler.

My friend Jenny introduced me to this book a few years ago. It won a Newberry Medal in 1968, so it's been around for a while. It's about two children who run away and live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, as you do.

All that's by way of preamble. What I really want to share today is a wonderful quote from this book that my friend Andrew posted on his Facebook profile:

I think you should learn, of course, and some days you must learn a great deal. But you should also have days when you allow what is already in you to swell up inside of you until it touches everything. And you can feel it inside of you. If you never take time out to let that happen, then you accumulate facts, and they begin to rattle around inside of you. You can make noise with them, but never really feel anything with them. It's hollow.

Here's a similar statement from Challies:

There is something in my nature, I think, that wants to glance instead of linger. I get restless quickly, I look for a moment and then move on to other things. I have come to see that it is often better to linger, that certain things can only be seen and grasped by that long and dedicated study.

So true! So very true! Sometimes I have to stop reading a thousand blog posts and just slow down and...read. A book. Slowly.

Sometimes I have to stop reading and just slow down and...think. Pray. Ponder.

Or I start to rattle.

online meanderings

Religion is crap - Macca explains why.

The advantage of living in a society where people don't know their Bibles - "There is something exquisitely innocent about not realizing you shouldn’t call Jesus stupid." Virginia Stem Owens.

Lessons in darkness - A wonderful post about a boy with leukaemia and his parents' struggle with God. Naomi Millar.

Living with disability: 13 reasons for hope - A summary of Krista Horning's unforgettable testimony.

When you feel in a rut with reading the Bible, try something new! Excellent advice from Karen.

4 models of womanhood - Tim Chester comes up with a "quadrant" for women. Brave, but we did ask! I enjoyed this.

"He's just not a spiritual leader" and other Christian dating myths. I found this intriguing. Marlena Graves.

Family feuds and tensions over the holidays - Some helpful guidelines for dealing with family tensions. Tim Lane and Russell Moore with Justin Taylor.

The books you come back to,  Write in your books and Can a person be judged by their bookshelf? - Three great posts about reading by Joel Miller.

How stealthily God works in the soul, one day and one trial at a time. He softens your edges so slowly and subtly that you can fail to notice how far you have come. Colleen Carroll Campbell

I can be tempted in my thoughts but I do not have to sin. I can take my thoughts captive and put on righteousness in the secret places of my soul. And when He saved me He left nothing uncovered and unclothed with Christ’s righteousness. He saves to the uttermost—to the depths of our soul and the darkest places. Trillia Newbell

To see the rest of my links, click here (Facebook) or here.

questions about women's ministry (1) is it necessary?

Simone has been asking some questions about women's ministry, in response to this post by Jenny about our narrow definitions of "godly womanhood". I've been thinking about this a lot, as I now have shared responsibility for the women's ministry at our church. I thought I might post my answers, beginning with Simone's first question:

Is it possible for a woman to be ministered to entirely in mixed settings and to thrive in her faith? Is it okay for her not to attend the formal women's ministries that are available to her?

Yes; and yes, it's okay, or the Bible would command her to attend. (Although you'd hope it's not fear - or an ineptly run program - keeping her away!)

A formal women's ministry is not necessary (although it can be helpful!) or the Bible would command it.

An informal women's ministry - that is, women encouraging one another in their faith, and older women teaching, training and setting an example to younger women: well, Titus 2:3-5 makes it pretty clear that Paul gives the responsibility of teaching and training younger women to older women (rather than to male overseers like Titus); and in any mixed group of Christians you'd hope that mutual encouragement between women was happening naturally and organically.

So, no, it's not necessary for it to be formal; but, yes, there should be some ministry of "women to women" in any healthy church.

This will include "women's issues" (hence the lists in Titus 2:3-5) - in fact, I'd think both informal and formal women's ministry would rightly include issues particularly relevant to women - but hopefully not just "women's issues", not an "exclusive" version of them (e.g. for mums only), and certainly not an unbiblically legalistic version of them (e.g. patchwork and particular sleep routines).

In Titus 2 it's the gospel that drives all our behaviour, teaching and training, whatever group we belong to. So gospel, gospel, and more gospel: that's what I'd hope to see in women's teaching and women's encouragement.

If women's ministry doesn't major on the gospel and the Bible, but instead on some legalistic version of what womanhood looks like, or just on the mums and married amongst us, no wonder if many women feel discouraged and alienated by it.

But let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Let’s have women encouraging women with the gospel and God’s word, whether formally or informally doesn’t really matter.

Please add your thoughts to the comments.


image is by jhall at flickr

so many things make me sad

Do you often feel sad? Is the glass half empty for you? Are you introspective and reflective? Do you tend to self-pity?

David Powlison has just written a wonderful series of posts called "So many things make me sad". He concludes,

There is an unspeakable sorrow at the heart of the world. All the Bible writers know that. All the great saints know that. All the great novelists and poets have known it. All honest men and women have known it. Only the self-deluded, who pursue their schemes for earthly joy, who expend their lives in climbing ladders to nowhere, fail to recognize the obvious. In the end, all is loss. And, whether the effects are subtle or grotesque, a madness of evil blinds the human heart (Ecclesiastes 9:3).

There is one more thing that needs to be said, and said again. We are surprised by joy, as C. S. Lewis put it. Life wins, gladness wins, hope wins. Death dies, sin disappears, all tears are wiped away...

The mercies of God in Jesus Christ give certainty that sadness does not get last say. The past grace of our Father's purposes and the self-sacrificing love of Jesus provide the indestructible foundation on which to build your life. The present help of Christ through his Holy Spirit works with you so you increasingly find the balance point between joy and sorrow. And the future hope of Christ promises that joy will sweep away all sorrows.

If you want to read the series, follow these links:

Part 1: So many things make me sad.
Part 2: Is it right to feel grief for what is grievous?
Part 3: Does my temperament make me sad?
Part 4: How precisely can I sort out my emotions?
Part 5: Is there a normative internal experience?

image is by Chapendra at flickr

what I'm reading: the Bible, chronologically

I did it! I finally did it! I finished my 1-year Bible reading plan in, oh, just under 2 years.

When I had babies, I stuck to Matthias Media's Daily Reading Bible Notes, but now I figure I've got the energy for more.

I'm following in a grand family tradition. Here are 2 things I remember about my darling Nana:

1. she loved us tickling the soles of her feet
2. she read the Bible through every year.

So it's a family kind of thing.

This time, I'm using a chronological Bible reading plan. I can't tell you how it's going yet, as I'm only 5 readings in. But I'm excited, especially about seeing how the Psalms fit into the Bible story.

Already I've gone a little off course. Instead of meandering off Genesis and into Job, I ignored the reading chart and jumped straight into the story of Abraham ... oops! So I took a U-turn and I'm now knee-deep in Job, which I loved reading last year.

Next time, I want to try this thematic Bible reading plan. And then I want to write a review of the plans I've used. All in good time.

Can I encourage you to try one of these plans or this one? You can start any time of the year - I did! - and go as slowly as you like - I did!

Meredith, who reminds me of my Nana (the Bible bit, not the feet bit), gives some great hints and tips to help you here.

Why wait till after Christmas when you can start now?

What about you? How are you reading the Bible at the moment? Tell us here.

do you love life?

The other day Thomas (9) asked me, "Mum, do you want to live? Do you love life?"

I answered, "Yes, and can you guess one reason why?"

"No..."

"It's because you're in it!"

(Smiles and hugs and motherly things like that.)

"And, Thomas, can you guess some other reasons why I love life?"

I'm expecting him to say, "Daddy and Lizzy and Ben and Andy".

But Thomas says, as if there could be only one answer,

"The Royal Melbourne Show!"

online meanderings

The day my dad chopped down an idol - A wonderful story. Beverly Chao Berrus. 

Why is it so hard to rejoice when God blesses others? - "It should be the most natural thing for us to rejoice when God blesses others because he’s crowned us spiritual billionaires." Mark Altrogge.

A new(ish) blog about the challenges of being a church planter's wife - Woo hoo! Belinda writes well and has great stuff to say.

The contrarian's guide to leadership - 10 pointers to being a good leader. I see so many of these in the good leaders I know, including my husband. Steven Sample via Macca.

Parenting advice and why you should take it with a grain of salt - If you need a laugh today, and some encouragement from a very real mum, then read this. Love it! Deb.

4 models of manhood - I like this! I wonder what the woman's version would look like? Tim Chester.

Learning to love your kids unconditionally - "This is one of the hardest jobs I have ever been asked to do. I think it would be easier to go bungee jumping and sky diving than to love my children in the same manner God loves me."  Sarah Condie.

Addiction - 5 mindsets of addiction, and 5 attitudes to "put on" instead. Mark Shaw.

The Lord has a way of modulating the key in which life plays. Many psalms are in the “minor key” emotionally. But it is a sorrow that continually reckons with God: his lovingkindness, his watchful care, his forgiveness. Psalms take us by the hand. We learn how to honestly face trouble, how to give voice to deep internal struggles, and how this can often segue into a “major key” sense of confidence, safety, and even (on occasion) exultant joy. David Powlison

Psalms ultimately demonstrate the thoughts, experience, emotions, and voice of Jesus. He is the only completely sane human being, and he is a man of sorrows, well acquainted with grief. He is also a man of joy, and an intimate friend of gladness. David Powlison

To see the rest of my links, click here (Facebook) or here.

online meanderings

The key to resolving conflict - Forgiveness, and how it's possible. Dave MacDonald.

The poor are always with you - "Christians must love the poor, because God has a heart for the poor. Caring for the poor is not the gospel, but the gospel teaches us to do it. It’s not strategic. It’s just right." Con Campbell.

Confessing sin to your boyfriend or girlfriend before you get engaged - Read this if you're considering marriage. Deepak Reju.

God's guidance and the mundane world of motherhood - "Many times I felt a strong desire to do something big for God. Something risky and exciting, and yes, often more glamorous than the everyday things I was already doing. I don't recall ever feeling 'led' to do the laundry or dust the furniture." Staci Eastman.

A talk to listen to (for perfectionists) - "Perfectionists tend to spend more time talking to themselves than talking to Jesus."

A series to follow (for Eeyores) - Do you see the sadness in life? Are you given to self-pity? David Powlison.

A book to read (for everyone) - "Making the most of the Bible" by John Chapman. Macca.

A book not to read - and one to read (for women) - Mary Kassian reviews "A year of biblical womanhood" and quotes from her own "True Woman 101".

Here are some sweeping generalisations that I've experienced in my time as a mum. Homeschooling (more Christian). Working mother (less Christian). Daily family devotionals (more Christian). Strict sleep routines (more Christian). Child watches television (less Christian). Immaculate house (more Christian). Lunches from school canteen (less Christian). Perhaps you've had experiences of this in your own context. And each context has its own subtleties. But as Paul has reminded the Galatians, there isn't a more or less way of being a Christian. You either trust in Jesus or you don't. It's free. It's simple. Jenny

To see the rest of my links, click here (Facebook) or here.

book recommendation: Married for God

I love Christopher Ash's Married for God. I've read lots of books on marriage this year, and this one's unique.

Marriage books that emphasise the relationship are a dime a dozen. Some are excellent, like Timothy Keller's The Meaning of Marriage. Others are just so much psychopop.

I found it refreshing to read Married for God, which says that marriage is not, ultimately, about the people in it, about their needs or their love or their relationship.

Marriage is about serving in partnership in God's world.

Adam didn't just need a "companion", a solution to loneliness. He needed a "helper", because the task God gave him was too big to do alone: to rule and fill God's world. So God made Eve to serve beside him in loving companionship.

It's important that married couples have a strong, intimate relationship, but this isn't just for their own sake: it's because their love overflows to others and invites them in.

Marriage doesn't ultimately look inwards. Relationally-obsessed marriages become stunted, introspective and self-destructive. Marriage looks outwards, as together husband and wife work in God's world and make Jesus known.

Married for God is written with a scholar's clarity and a writer's grace. The main point is occasionally overstated, yet it transformed my perspective on marriage in all kinds of helpful ways.

So if you haven't read Married for God, it's time to pick up this little book. It might just change the way you think about marriage.

Here's a little taste:

Our marriage need a passionate heart of intimacy that overflows in blessings to others…As a couple delighting in one another you can forge a new social unit whose heart is faithful love; and then out of that heart of faithful love can overflow generous love to others…Think about how, in partnership with one another, helping one another, your love can provide a centre of stable security; so that this safe home will become a refuge into which others can be welcomed. Think…how…your private intimacy can be at the heart of a relationship which overflows in love to others. (73-76)

online meanderings for parents

Changing the maybe culture in our church - What attitudes should we have as we take our kids to church, Sunday School, youth group? Useful advice! Jon Thorpe.

Do you love your child too much? -  You excuse your child's bad behaviour. You can't bear it when they are angry with your discipline. You try to shield them from mistakes. You struggle to let them go. Kim Shay.

A wise mum remembers grace - A beautiful post about motherhood and grace. Sarah Condie.

"We always do prays together." - The impact of a father who prays with his kids. Gina Black.

Should you let your kids go on sleepovers? - Susie, Deb and I discuss the issue in the post and comments here. Add your thoughts!

10 scientific tips for raising happy kids - I want to read this, so I'm bookmarking it. Looks like excellent secular advice.

7 things a pastor's kid needs from a father - Excellent! Barnabas Piper.

Kik the habit - Helpful guidelines about children and teens using Intagram and Kik on their iPods or smartphones. Susie.

To see the rest of my links, click here (Facebook) or here.

online meanderings

How to write a good sympathy card - So very helpful! Paul Tautges.

The 4 Cs of biblical friendship - Constancy, Carefulness, Candour, Counsel. Johathon Holmes.

Why small groups in churches need to be stopped...not quite literally. This is helpful. Macca.

5 questions husbands should ask their wives and 5 questions wives should not ask their husbands (and 5 questions they should). Made me giggle, anyway.

Don' be a Hezekiah - Train up the next generation of gospel workers. Here's why - and how. Mike Bullmore.

What would I do if I was falsely accused of sexual immorality? - Thoughtful, helpful advice (with a small question mark over necessarily assuming no. 2). David Murray.

Book review: The heart of the matter - CCEF brings out a series of devotions, and Wendy reads and recommends it. Love these guys, and this sounds great!

Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to, and delights in, God’s wise and fatherly disposal in every condition. Jeremy Burroughs

We go to Bible college not to study the Word, but to begin to learn to have the Word study us. We go to pursue not advanced degrees but the fruit of the Spirit. We go to lose our reputations, not to gain them. We go not to be thought wise, but to learn what fools we are. RC Sproul Jr

To see the rest of my links, click here (Facebook) or here.

my son wrote this blog post

Hey mum! I know how to do exclamation marks. I learnt it at school!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Andy wrote this.)

the joy of service

I’m no behind-the-scenes servant. My love is given to wordy ministries: the nervous plunge when I teach a group of women, the energy that sparkles in a small group, the light in a friend’s eyes when God’s truth sinks in. If I’m honest, I also love the recognition that comes with this kind of ministry. There: I’ve said it.

The humble roles, the practical roles, the self-effacing roles: they don’t come naturally to me. Setting up for a meeting, cooking for an event, serving food, running crèche, stuffing envelopes: these mundane tasks aren’t on my bucket list. I have to fight my inner whinger as I do them. I don’t like this about myself, but it’s true.

I know this isn’t good enough. I know that to teach the Bible and refuse to stack chairs is as far from our Lord’s example as hell from heaven. And so picture, if you will, a recent dinner at our church. My friend who usually organises our meals isn’t there, so my husband and I set out casseroles and collect plates and scrub them clean.

Then there’s this moment. This crystal-clear, earth-touches-heaven, joy-filled moment. As I wash the dishes, it’s as if Christ’s hands are mine and mine his. If it was Paul’s privilege to suffer with him, it’s mine to serve with him.1 Hands plunged into soapy water, the grit and grease of food scraps on my fingers, I touch the tiniest edge of what it meant for him to serve.

The One with the right to a universe of worship gave up his own interests, his right to equality with God, and made himself nothing. The King of heaven and earth got off a chair, tied a towel around his waist, and knelt to wash his follower’s feet. God’s own Son was stripped naked and hung on a cross, abandoned between earth and heaven, bleeding out his life for his bride.2

Washing dishes is just a baby-step as I follow in his footsteps. But if so much joy can be found in such a simple task, I wonder what else we miss out on when we refuse to serve.


1. Romans 8:17; Colossians 1:24; John 13:14-17
2. Philippians 2:1-11; John 13:1-17; Mark 10:35-45

This post first appeared at The Briefing.

image is by UggBoy at flickr

online meanderings for when it's hard to read the Bible

2 questions to ask when you read the Bible - What does it mean? What does it mean for me? A helpful little guide. Jonathon Parnell.

How to read all of the Bible - A great series introducing the Bible by Meredith. The flow chart she uses is the best ever!

A guide to the books you always get bogged down in - The ever-excellent Nancie Guthrie has just written "The Lamb of God: Seeing Jesus in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy". Sounds good. Courtney Reissig.

"I'm not much of a reader" is no excuse for not reading the Bible by Jared Wilson:

"Imagine I showed you a tent across the yard. You can see a glow emanating from its zippered door. “Inside that tent,” I said, “is God himself. He has something to say to you. You just have to go inside the tent, and the God of the Universe will reveal the mystery of the ages to you.” And then imagine you were to say, “I’m not much of a walker. I prefer sitting to walking.”

To see the rest of my links, click here (Facebook) or here.

online meanderings

My least favourite words: "I am disappointed in you" - "There are no doghouses in the Kingdom of God." If you hate disappointing people, or feel like you've disappointed God, you'll love this post. Ed Welch.

Lifting up our shamefaced heads - "Earlier this week I had a thought that surprised me for its vileness...It showed the corruption of my heart, a rot in my core." Reflections on sin and grace from Rebecca Stark.

The spiritual discipline that no one wants and everyone needs - Suffering. Never mentioned in books on the so-called "spiritual disciplines", you'll find it in Jerry Bridges' best book, The Discipline of Grace. Read along with Challies.

Don't be nice, be holy - I needed to read this. Challies.

A year of ridiculous Bible interpretation - Justin Taylor with a good guide to reviews of "A year of biblical womanhood", including Kathy Keller's.

It was not the nails that held Jesus to the cross. It was my sin that held Him there. It was not the nails that held Him, but His love for the Father and His love for us. It was death by love. No one took Jesus’ life from Him. He did not lose it, He gave it. Challies

To see the rest of my links, click here (Facebook) or here.

a very talk-y weekend

I went away on the weekend to a women's conference* and had an exhausting, encouraging, very talk-y time.

I set some kind of record on Friday, talking for 8 hours without a pause with my dear friend Emma in Sydney. Then she drove me to the conference and I talked for what felt like 2 solid days (okay, so there was some sleeping) with lots of women from around Australia.

What's unique about women's conferences?

• No one ever stops talking
• everyone is so busy talking that all the seminars run overtime
• there are no men sticking their heads in the door saying, "It's time for you to finish now!"
• everyone is late for all the meals (because no one ever stops talking)
• everyone leaves all the meals late (because no one ever stops talking)
• no one ever stops talking.

I love talking but I am an introvert. So I arrived at the conference tired (after 6 weeks writing 2 seminars and an article and caring for a sick son) and left even more tired (after all that talking). It was worth it! As Jenny said, it was wonderful, enriching talking.

Memorable moments:

• hugging / meeting / catching up with 3 of my bloggy friends: Jane, Jenny and Wendy
• making some very dear friends who I can't wait to catch up with next year**
• making lots of other friends that I can't wait to get to know better next year**
• grieving about all the hard things we've gone through, and being encouraged by my friend Cathy to keep setting my hope on heaven
• hearing about God's work all over Australia, illustrating Wendy's lovely words from Philippians 1 about our partnership in the gospel
• seeing a bunch of women giving some great talks and seminars
• leading a seminar with 20 women about helping our husbands (yep, it went well, thanks to God and your prayers)***
• stepping into the airport arrival lounge to shouts of "Mummy!" and a kiss from my hubby.

Most memorable moment:

• talking and praying with Bronwyn, who is dying of cancer, unless God has other ideas. I am so grateful to God for her joy in Christ, her bubbly warmth, and the privilege of being encouraged by her wisdom and godly example.

Less memorable moments:

• that uncomfortable feeling when people know who you are and you don't yet know them (but what a joy to get to know them too!)
• realising that I have a lot more to learn about packing
• tiredness. Did I mention that already?

Ringing in my eyes are Jen's (or is that God's?) wonderful words from our final talk on Philippians 3:

• stand firm in Christ
• press on in knowing Jesus (don't tread water!)
• keep your eyes on the glorious day when we'll know Christ perfectly and (finally!) be perfected in him.

I pray that we can all do this during this coming year.**

If you were there, what did you enjoy about the conference? Tell us here.

* The conference was for wives in AFES, an organisation that shares Jesus with university students across Australia.
** Yes, Tracey, I want to have a conference every year. And they all said "A-men".
*** Oh, and I have LOTS of ideas for future seminars. Bring it on!