You Don't Know

You don't know...
the rejection.
the hurt behind her smile.
the emotional turmoil.
the pain beneath his laughter.
the tears that soak the pillow.

Behind their masks are painful wounds...
some fresh.
some scarred over.
some painfully tender.
some almost forgotten.

No matter. . .
how hard the laugh,
how bright the smile,
how chirpy the greeting,
every heart has its aching wounds.

We should thus treat those around us. . .
with gentleness.
with kindess.
with patience.
with tenderness
with love.

One of those days...

Sometimes, you have "one of those days". What exactly do I mean? Those days are where nothing (or at least a lot) of things go wrong. Today was close to being one of those days. My big disappointment of the day involved experimenting with homemade marshmallow peeps. Now, you are supposed use an electric mixer but mine broke so I tried to do it by hand, but in the end it was a flop. Then I injured my little toe while dancing - the day before I am supposed to help my aunt shoot a wedding. I'm sure I don't have to tell you the temptation we all have on these type of days towards self-pity and despair.

It is so easy to start focusing on the bad things that happening and miss out on the good. For example, the failed peeps turned into delicious oatmeal creme pies. If we seek to turn ourselves into regular ol' Pollyannas, always looking for the good in *every* situation, we will be rewarded. Trying to find the silver lining doesn't come naturally; in fact, it can take a lot of time and practice to cultivate that "talent". But if we seek to find joy in every situation, we will be happier people. Our cups will be so filled with joy that it will "splash" onto those around us. Even so, the joy does not come of ourselves but is a gift from Yahweh. The world will wonder at the inexpressible delight we find in Him.

Sometimes the burden becomes too much for us, though. We can't seem to find joy anywhere. It seems as if everything that could possible go wrong has. The cloud of depression weighs heavily on your soul and nothing seems to be able to dispel it. What then, are we to wallow in our sadness? No, we need to seek our joy from Yahweh. Even on our absolute worse days, we are not beyond the reach of His grace. Even on our best days, we are not beyond the need of His grace. As Christians, we are constantly supposed to be joyful. What to we have to be sad and mournful about? The maker of the universe loves us. He gave His most valuable, precious possession to be torn, beaten, hung on a cross for us. What more could He have given? It was for me, for my sins that He was smitten of God and afflicted. For the lies I have told, the sins I have committed. By His stripes I am healed, my sins are forgiven. Now, is that not something to be joyful about?

A glorious Easter Sunday to you all.

SDG,
Jessica
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Why Dance?

If you know me at all, you know that I highly enjoy dancing. It may seem silly, or perhaps a waste of time, but I would argue that dancing is much more than about having a good time.

You have to be a humble person to be able to dance. Sooner or later you will mess up, direct someone in the wrong direction, mis-read a dance step, or simply not know what you are doing. You have to be willing to admit you messed up, and be humble enough to ask for help when you have no idea what you are supposed to do.

Dancing teaches you patience. It takes time to walk through a dance and learn the steps before you can even get the chance to dance it through with you music. Or perhaps you already know the dance and you must learn to wait patiently as others learn.

You learn to help others. When first starting out, you are concerned for yourself and how to do it right. As you progress you start to look out for your partner, then your set, then others in your line. You begin to look out not just for yourself but for others with which you are dancing.

You have the opportunity to enjoy some of the most exquisite pieces of music. Just dance Pat Shaw's version of Mr. Beveridge's Maggot and you'll know what I mean.

If you don't know how to listen you shouldn't dance. It's not even just listening to the caller, but listening also for the music for it will tell you when to perform the next figure. Paying attention to the caller helps, too. ;-)

So dancing isn't just for fun. It will stretch you. God has used my experiences with dance to shape me into the person I am today. Four years ago, I would never ever have thought it possible for me to have the nerve to actually stand in front of a group of people and call dances. I was extremely shy and uncomfortable actually looking at my partner when I was dancing with them. I was not outgoing at all and probably would have nearly died if I had to speak in front of a group of people. Dance, however, forced me out of my shell and taught me how to be comfortable interacting with other people. Here I am today - helping my brother lead our dance group and calling dances.

So what are you waiting for? Get out there and dance!

A Sabbath on the Lord's Day

I have had this article in my drafts for quite some time. I decided it's about time that I share this with you! :-)

I think it is an excellent idea. We are so surrounded my our technology that it would be beneficial to take regular breaks and unplug. We ask God to speak to us, yet our lives are so filled with music, iPods, emails, all sorts of electronics...we have no silence in which we can hear Him speak. This is why our quiet time with the Lord should come as soon as possible in the mornings, before the distractions start flooding in. Do the bare minimum you have to do to wake up, and then make it your priority to spend time with Yahweh - not just in His Word, but speaking to Him and listening.

A good point brought out in the article is the temptation towards legalism. It is easy to think ourselves better because we don't get on Facebook on Sundays. Yet the prophet Isaiah tells us that our righteousness is as filthy rags. It doesn't matter how good we are, it is never good enough. I can't enter into heaven on my own merit. My very best is nothing better than a pile of dirty, filthy, stained rags. Do I lose hope, seeing how not matter what I do, it is naught? No, for by Yahweh's grace, I am being sanctified, and am being made more holy and more like Him. I can not do it of myself, I must plead with Yahweh to work in me - to sanctify me, to grant me the desire to seek after Him, to help me follow hard after Him. By seeking to unplug from the source of so much distraction, I am more free to focus on Him on His day. It isn't easy, especially at first, and I admit that sometimes it is difficult to do it for a full twenty-four hours. You can even start out with, say, twelve or fifteen hours, and work up to a full twenty-four hours. Persevere and I think you will find the eternal rewards worth the struggle.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Jessica
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Yes, I'm writing about *that* again...

Well, sort of. This is actually something I wrote a while back (if you don't believe me, just check the date of the article. It was published not long before I wrote this!). I've edited and added to my thoughts before publishing it here, of course. Stacy Macdonald has done such a good job with her article, that really there isn't much I can add to her work.



The article by Stacy Macdonald on courtship and betrothal is located here:
http://yoursacredcalling.blogspot.com/2009/11/beauty-of-courtship-and-betrothal.html


There is no cut and dried way that a courtship should happen. Each couple's story is going to be amazingly unique. How each family implements biblical principles is going to be different. But the thing is that there are biblical principles that should be followed. That's my disclaimer before I state my thoughts on the above article.

I agree with Mrs. Macdonald that if there is an interest there, that one of the best ways to get a glimpse of the other's character is through interaction with the other person in a family or group setting. The emotions should and must take the sideline as you are trying to ascertain the character of the other person. Does their theology line up? Do they share a vision? Can I submit to/love as Christ this person? Topics such as these above should be worked out before anyone even thinks about involving the emotional aspect of it.
When it is discovered that this is "the one", that this young lady would share in his vision and submit to his leadership - it is at that point where the man can (and should) approach the father to ask for her hand in marriage. This is by no means the limit of the father's role. As the young lady's God-given protector, he should be "checking out" and getting to know the young man both before and during the courtship.


The emotions should be involved as little as possible until there is a firm commitment. No, it is not possible to be one hundred percent stoic, but there are certain pitfalls that can be avoided. In the beginning, one-on-one interaction in person should be limited, if not prohibited. I would even venture banning such phrases as "I miss you", "I love you", "Can't wait to see you again" and so on. The betrothal/engagement period is the time to focus on developing a romantic relationship with the person you are planning to spend the rest of your life with, while the courtship should be focused on whether or not this person is the one God has meant for you. There is always the possibility that this is not the one that He has intended for you. Our sin-ridden lives are not perfect and hearts will be broken no matter what model you use, but there is certainly a way that is wiser than the rest.

There's my "snippet" on the topic. I enjoy talking about the subject, though I much prefer the conversational layout than merely stating my opinion!


In Yahweh,

Excited Yet?

I've heard it's a great conference. This is my first year attending and I have several friends going, so I am looking forward to it!




This ball is going to awesome. If you aren't going, you are really going to miss out. As part of the ball planning committee, I can guarantee that you will have a delightful time if you come. ;-) Personally, I'm preparing to spend the evening dancing as a guy...the guy/girl ratio right now is 1 to 3. The poor guys won't be able to sit out a dance! (Not that they'd want to... ;-)




The Red Hills Historical Ball is coming up. It will be here before you know it! If you are going to be near Rock Hill, SC on May 1st, go ahead and make plans to join us. It's going to be fun!

Bearers of the Light

As I mentioned in an earlier post, what I have been reading of late has included a biography of Hudson and Maria Taylor. The format is one I've found unique, with quote from primary source documents interspered throughout the telling of their story. One of the quotes from Hudson Taylor struck a particular chord with me. Hudson Taylor had recently returned from spending some time in China and was seeking to recruit others to go as missionaries amoung the Chinese, particularly those inland who untouched and unreached up to that time in history.

Wider reaction to an unconnected nobody aged twenty-nine was what might have been expected, 'The Church is asleep; and armchairs and sofas and English comforts possess more attractions than perishing souls; besides which [the Chinese] are "half savages"'.

Sounds familiar, no? We are much more interested in serving Yahweh while living the American dream. Certainly nothing is new under the sun. It is easy to get caught up with our things and in the journey to accumulate more and more, but it is also a temptation to view other cultures as less-than superior than ours. We are Americans, our nation is the wealthiest in the world. Yes, we have much that is good in our culture and we may have more progress is certain areas, but to reach out to other ethnic groups and cultures we have to be willing to put away our western pride and be willing to embrace their culture. Hudson Taylor did this by adopting the dress of the Chinese, all the way down to pigtail and slippers. Suddenly, he was able to move more freely and share more openly. No longer was a crowd gathered around him simply to gawk at his clothing. This dress allowed him to places where before he couldn't when dressed as a foreigner. Practically all of his fellow missionaries, instead of rejoicing at his sucess, mocked him instead for giving up his western superiority. Let us not think that in their place we would do differently. It is only by Yahweh's grace that we are able to accomplish what we accomplish. By Yahweh's Grace Hudson Taylor was able to accomplish what he accomplished.

Hudson carried a very heavy burden for the fate of the Chinese. Millions were dying without hearing of Christ. He describes one of his encounters with a new Christian convert as follows:

Taylor passed to the story of an ex-Buddhist merchant, an educated man, who had been baptised after attending the little church in Ningpo. 'He asked me soon afterwards, "How long have you know this Good News in your own country?"
'"Hundreds of years."
'" Hundreds of years! And yet never came to tell us! My father sought the truth, sought it long, and died without finding it. Oh, why did you not come sooner?'"

Even in this day and age, there remain people groups of which this could be said. [As a side note, the Joshua Project is a very good way to be able to pray for these unreached people groups. Click the box on the sidebar to get more information about signing up for their daily emails which enable you to daily pray for specific unreached people groups]. Hudson Taylor could not forget those Chinese who lived in the unreached areas of China. To evangelise millions of people by himself was impossible, and he was at a loss as to how he would be able to find the help that he needed.

One experiment described in this divine text-book he determined to carry out at once. 'Pray ye the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth labourers into the harvest.' Taylor decided that the divine method of raising missionaries did not lie in 'elaborate' appeals for help, but, first, earnest prayer to God to thrust forth labourers, and, second, the deepening of the spiritual Life of the Church, so that men should be unable to stay at home'.

What did he do? He sought wisdom from God's word and acted upon it. Not everyone is called to be a missionary, but we all need to pray for harvesters to be raised up. Some of us will be senders, but we should all have a burder to pray for unreached people.


There is a balance, though, that has to be struck. We can not be so missions-minded that we fail to disciple those at home, nor can we be so focused on ourselves as to not be willing to go out and reach the lost. I have seen the pendulum swing both ways. We must strive to make certain that those who are called to serve God in their home country are not failed to be discipled and matured in the faith. Neither should we overlook those in other countries who are perishing for want of the light of the gospel. We are called to serve Yahweh where he has placed us - serving Him in another land does not make us holier or more worthy than others. We just need to be willing and open to serving Him wherever we have been place, whether it's in the suburbs of Charlotte or the muddy roads of Nigeria.

If nothing else, hopefully my scattered musings will encourage you to read more of the life and works of Hudson and Maria Taylor. I have enjoyed writing some of my thoughts on what I have read, may they have been as enjoyable to read. Will I be writing more on the subject once I have finished the book? We shall see...