Covenant Devotion

She Always Made Home Happy

2013-02-25T18:56:00.000-05:00

I came across this poem and thought it was so beautiful and encouraging. I hope you enjoy it as well.

She Always Made Home Happy

In an old church-yard stood a stone

Weather-marked and stained;

The hand of time had crumbled it,

So only part remained.
Upon one side I could just trace

"In memory of our mother";

An epitaph which spoke of home

Was chiseled on the other.

I've gazed on monuments of fame,

High towering to the skies;

I've seen the sculptured marble stone

Where a great hero lies;

But by this epitaph I paused

And read it o'er and o'er,

For I had never seen inscribed

Such words as these before.

"She always made home happy."

What a noble record left;

A legacy of memory sweet

To those she loved bereft;

And what a testimony given

By those who knew her best,

Engraven on this plain rude stone

That marked their mother's rest.

So then was stilled her weary heart,

Folded her hands so white,

And she was carried from the home

She'd always made so bright.

Her children raised a monument

That money could not buy,

As witness of a noble life,

Whose record is on high.

A noble life, but written not

In any book of fame;

Among the list of noted ones

None ever saw her name;

For only her own household knew

The victories she had won,

And none but they could testify

How well her work was done.

Author Unknown

God is Good...All the Time?

2012-05-25T10:05:00.000-04:00

written by Rachel Brown*

Scene 1: A happy-go-lucky Irishman sitting in his fields of ripe, golden wheat with a huge smile on his face. The sun is shining brightly, the sky is blue with white, puffy clouds lazing around, and birds are chirping gaily. It is the perfect day. "God, You are just absolutely amazing! This day is perfect, my fields are ready to be harvested, and I feel so happy to be alive! Life is grand, and God, You are so good to me! Yep, God is good." He nods his head in affirmation of what he just said as he looks about his beautiful wheat once again. "Yes, God is good, all the time!"

Scene 2: The puffy white clouds have tuned black and menacing, while the sun no longer shines. The wind begins to pick up dangerously as storm clouds threaten to unleash their fury. The happy-go-lucky Irishman now has a furrow between his brow as he gazes up into the sky and then back at his wheat. Harvesting was to begin tomorrow. Thunder roars, startling the Irishman. He runs for cover as the clouds suddenly open up and let loose torrents of pouring, gushing rain. He ducks into his barn, soaked to the skin. Worry lines increase on his forehead. What had happened to his perfect day? Stark fear springs into his eyes as he hears an unwelcome sound. He prays his ears deceive him. But no, his eyes confirm it. It was hail. "No, oh no, my wheat. God, why are You doing this?! What happened to doing what is best for me? Don't You understand, that wheat is my livelihood! What will I feed my family with if I haven't any money? God, You're supposed to be good all the time! No, please no. God, if You truly do what is best for me, stop this hail before it completely destroys my crop! God? God!"

Just what is a fair-weather friend? Someone who is not steadfast; able to be relied upon only when things are going well, much like the Irishman in the story. When everything was going according to his plan, he trusted and relied upon God. Yes, God was good then. But as soon as things didn't go according to the man's plan, he lashed out at God.

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." -Romans 8:28

So many times we are God's fair-weather friends. When life suits us, we are gushing out praises to God constantly. Life is good. God is good. But only when things are going our way. As soon as disaster strikes, we faint with weariness because we don't understand why God would do this to us! Doesn't He care?

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." -Isaiah 40:31

Life is always going to be hard. We can't expect God to erase all hardship from our lives simply because we are too weak to bear the big and even little trials of life. Thankfully God has promised not to overbear us, even though it may seem like it at times.

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." -1 Corinthians 10:13

God is always faithful to His people, even when we are not, and even when life seems to be going completely against us. Many times we don't see God's handiwork behind the scenes working for our good. Everything in life—the good and the bad—is always for our good. We may not see it, we may not believe it, but as Romans 8:28 clearly states, God is always working for our good in this life. Perhaps hardship is meant to test our faith, and strengthen us where we are weak.

"And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." -2 Corinthians 12:9-10

God really is good all the time—we just don't realize it because we are too focused on ourselves. We feel that life is just so unfair because we haven't got it as good as so-and-so, or everything seems to be going just fine for the wicked, but we are left to trial and suffering. The fact is, the wicked will be punished in due season (Prov. 24:19-20) while those who trust God and remain faithful to Him will be rewarded. The problem is that we can't see the rewards just yet. We are still being tested and tried. However, as Galatians 6:9 says:

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." (emphasis mine)

Doubts begin to discourage us when we realize that things aren’t going according to plan. Waiting is such a difficult task, and we feel that we simply can't last any longer. The rewards seem too far out of reach, and our longing has already begun to slay the appetite of our living. Day after day just drags by in desperation, and we wonder hopelessly when God will make everything right. "God, I'll be happy when..."

"Life is just too hard," we say, and we want to give up. It's no use, because we can't seem to get anything we want. Yet, what is the meaning of faith? Faith put simply, is believing God, and not just believing Him, not just believing that He can, but knowing that He will perform all He has promised, for our good. No matter how hard it may be, we must simply trust God to work everything out—both the big and the little things that discourage us. Trusting God has to be a choice we make every minute. We must put all our trust in Him, for today, for tomorrow, and for five years down the road. We must give up everything to Him—our hopes, dreams, and plans for the future—because only He can bring them to pass, and only He holds tomorrow.

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." -Proverbs 3:5-6

The writer of Psalm 37 knew that God will not forsake His people when the going gets rough. Verse 25 says that, "I have been young, and now am old: yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread."

Earlier are the well-known verses of four and five:

"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust in Him; and He shall bring it to pass."

We must make our desires God's will. Thy will be done. No mater what happens we must be willing to say and truly believe that God knows what He is doing, and He is doing it for a purpose: our good. True, it can be very discouraging when nothing seems to be going right, but in the end, the rewards will be much sweeter than we could ever have imagined. God is good. All the time.

*Rachel Brown is the eldest daughter of eight children born to James and Sonya Brown. Her greatest passions lie in her avid reading and writing to the glory of God. She also enjoys music, dancing, knitting, crocheting, sewing, and cooking. Her greatest desire, beyond that of glorifying God, is to one day be a wife and mother. She is the writer of her many hopes, dreams, failures, thoughts, beliefs, and expectations for the future at Covenant Maiden.

Zero Tolerance

2012-05-11T11:47:00.000-04:00

Written by Rachel Brown*

"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry."-1 Samuel 15:25a

Rebellion is nothing new to mankind. God has had to deal with man's rebellion ever since Adam and Eve's sin in the garden of Eden, the Israelites in the wilderness, up to 21st century Christians of today. It is a never-ending story, for there is nothing new under the sun (Eccl. 1:9). For this cause, every parent has had to deal with the same willful clash of subordinate despising authority: the stubborn, defiant child resisting the parents' authority (i.e. submission crisis).

The specific problem is every man wanting to do that which is right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6). From the very beginning, children are born with the tendency to want their own way. This is called the depraved sinful nature of the human being. Therefore, each child will actively use their sinful, rebellious will to somehow force or coerce others and circumstances to get what they want when they want, so they don't have to submit to a higher authority who tells them what to do (this is the hard way of finding out that we can't always do what we want when we want). This can be seen in the five-year-old who throws a screaming tantrum in the store because he can't have the toy he wants, to the seventeen-year-old who rolls her eyes when her mother tells her to change her clothes. Rebellion reeks among the youngest to the oldest of children, and even amidst adults.

Rampant rebellion is seen throughout all of society. From clothing, music, movies, books, attitudes, government-run schools, colleges, media, bumper stickers, television, and Hollywood promotion, even so far as to say in the church, rebellion is everywhere in-our-faces. We cannot escape its desperate clutches, especially this modern world of 2012. Rebellion is far worse than ever before, and we are seeing a catastrophic sweeping of terrorizing rebellion amongst youth and adults alike. Even among Christians and godly families. Rebellion is everywhere.

All rebellion stems from man's sinful heart and is directed at God, first and foremost. However, there is also a huge conflict between children and their parents. As we see listed in the numerous Scripture passages below (see further reference), this is an age-old and very common problem. Parents have had to deal with defiant, unruly, ungrateful, rebellious, disrespectful, and wicked children ever since the world began (read the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4).

As we can see from the above Scripture passage of 1 Samuel 15:25, God strictly forbids the sin of rebellion, which in all actuality, and according to His Word, is as the sin of witchcraft. Oh c'mon, give me a break! Rebellion likened to witchcraft? That's crazy. That's insane! I'm not some maniac, mentally-disturbed lunatic who believes in the weird forces of supernatural, magical trickery!

Apparently God thinks so.

There is zero tolerance for insolent rebellion of any kind. A child still under the household of his or her parents has no right to question the parents' authority over him, for, as Romans 13 declares, rulers are ministers of God for good.

"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinace of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: for he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth the sword not in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil." -Romans 13:1-4

I had never before thought of a parent as a minister of God exactly like a government official. Yet here is clear proof to further the corporal punishment view of Proverbs for children (see Proverbs 13:24; 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15, 17-18). A parent is ordained by God to be authority to children, whether father or mother, and the child is instructed to give proper respect and obedience to both father and mother. A child can't get away with giving respect and honor to just one parent and not the other; no, God commands children to honor both parents, even if the child is able to get along with one, and not the other. If the child has an issue of trouble submitting to one parent (though not the other), there is still a problem of rebellion. That problem will continue to be a problem later on in life. Rebellion must be conquered now, in the early stage of childhood, for it only grows bigger and stronger as the years pass. If a girl has no problem submitting to her father, yet she despises the authority of her mother, she will still have difficulty submitting to her husband once she is married. It is crucial that young women learn this before they are married, or they will find themselves questioning, and rebelling, against the authority of their husband, which will then make for a miserable marriage.

Great is the love of a parent. They give birth to a child, they feed the child, they love and nurture the child, they walk that child around the room for what seems decades in the wee hours of the morning because they love the child, they give the child clothing, shelter, a bed to sleep in, food to eat, toys to play with, material aspects to indulge in, playmates to enjoy, and countless other blessings, while they the parents sacrifice so much for that beloved child. Not a day goes by when the parents are not looking out for the best interests of that child (and even other children that eventually come along). But what always happens with each child? As they grow in age and "wisdom" they learn to despise their parents. What do parents receive after many weary years of training and raising and correcting and loving and sacrificing? The answer is ripe, hearty rebellion.

Those ungrateful, despicable children! We all do it, as children to our parents, and as children of God to our Maker Himself.

Although rebellion surfaces in the very early stages of child development, "teenage" rebellion seems to be the worst. It's that time in life when we know we know more than our parents, and they only think they know what we know, when really, we know they don't really know us at all! It is the confusing logic of a not-so-wise young girl or boy. We can all attest to this fact—whether we are still in our father's house or not—we all know what it is like to be in such rebellion. The excuses and justifications made for our bad behavior (like "they provoked me to this wrath!" while mentally quoting Ephesians 6:4), the unwise decisions of not submitting to our parents' authority, and despising anything they had to say simply because we didn't want to listen, we wanted to be our own boss, and because they were the ones who said it.

There is no room for excuses or justifications in the commandment of God. As long as the parent is not forcing the child to sin, that child is to obey and honor without a second thought, not matter how stupid or unjust it may seem to him. But grudging obedience is not true obedience. If we obey, after being told the third or fifth time, while rolling our eyes, sighing in disgust, and clearly showing our displeasure that we would rather not be doing this, it is not true obedience, nor honor. This is clearly rebellion.

A child, whether three years old, or nineteen years old, has no say-so in the matter with regard to submission to his or her parents. Once a command is given, it is to be carried out with full compliance. His parents are his authority until he begins a home of his own. God has ordained parents to give the orders; children to carry them out. There is absolutely zero tolerance for rebellion and defiance. A child must obey in all things (or suffer the consequences of "the sword"), and not just simply obey, he must obey with a right attitude (which stems from a right heart)—not grudgingly—but with a cheerful and enthusiastic disposition to please both God and his parents.

Too many young people fall into the trap of thinking their parents don't really understand them or what they're going through, when the truth is, their parents went through the exact same things. That's a little bit difficult to understand. After all, times change, circumstances are different, technology becomes a new thing, the world becomes more modernized, and on and on we go. Our parents did not go through what we go through today. They're old fashioned and eccentric. Maybe even a little behind the times.

No, I'm afraid we can't excuse our rebellious ways that easily. You see, this is just another excuse that we fall into. The fact of the matter is that, boys, your dad knows you better than anyone because he was once a boy himself; girls, your mother knows you better than anyone else because she was once a girl herself. As unbelievable as it sounds that they were once our age. Remember Ecclesiastes 1:9? There is nothing new under the sun; therefore we can't be going through something completely new and bizarre that no one else has ever gone through before. Our rebellion of today is just like the rebellion of our parents' day. We may think that it is our peers who understand us better because we are the same age, but consider this: who would know better how to design and build a skyscraper? Someone who had done it before, or someone still in the learning process? So who can best tell us how to live life? Our parents who have more years on us, or the self-same peer-type of kids who really don't know anymore than we think we do, and who definitely do not know more than our parents?

As Christians, we are following the pied piper's fife with the crowd of people going down to destruction, only we don't know it. Without a doubt, rebellion leads to destruction. If we will not honor and submit to our parents, we young women will never honor and submit to our husbands. If we will not honor and submit to our parents, we as young men and women alike will not submit to God. No submission means no wonderful life. Every aspect of life requires submission. The child to his parents and God. The wife to her husband and God. The husband to the church, God, and civil government. The employee to boss. The civil government and church to God. Ultimately everyone and everything is to be in submission to God, but God has also placed other certain institutions and individuals above us. We can't escape authority even if we wanted to.

With authority surrounding us, we can't escape. We can, however, escape the rebellion that raises its ugly head whenever authority is near, which is an all-the-time, every day scenario—children, teenagers, and adults alike. Although rebellion is simply a root of sin, and we can never be completely free from sin, if Christ truly rules our lives we can only be strengthened through Him (Phil. 4:13) to fight the rebellion that seems to take over our lives. God has implicitly commanded strict obedience to His Word. We cannot fight Him in our rebellion and win, for sin can never be victorious over the All-Powerful. Therefore, it is our duty to submit to those in authority over us, no matter our situation, no matter how differently we may think, it is our duty. And our duty should not be taken lightly or thrown to the wind. Our duty is to be faithful followers of Jesus Christ, and to follow His commandments found in His Word. Only then can we have a fulfilling life.

In stark contrast to a wonderful and fulfilling life, is the life that rebellion brings. In the world's [seemingly] grand life of rebellion there can only be found unhappiness and wasted years. Rebellion is a certain killer, and very dangerous. If we give in to it, we will destroy the very life that God has blessed us with. No wonderful life for the rebellious man.

For further reference:

"The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother." -Proverbs 10:1

"Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish." -Proverbs 12:1

"The way of the fool is right in his own eyes: but he that harkeneth unto counsel is wise." -Proverbs 12:15

"A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke." -Proverbs 13:1

"A fool despiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent." -Proverbs 15:5

"Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die." -Proverbs 15:10

"A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother." -Proverbs 15:20

"He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding." -Proverbs 15:32

"A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him." -Proverbs 17:25

"A foolish son is the calamity of his father." -Proverbs 19:13a

"He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach." -Proverbs 19:26

"Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right." -Proverbs 20:11

"Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old." -Proverbs 23:22

"He, that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." -Proverbs 29:1

"There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up." -Proverbs 30:11-13

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honor thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth." -Ephesians 6:1-3

"Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee." -Exodus 20:12

"Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord." -Colossians 3:20

*Rachel Brown is the eldest daughter of eight children born to James and Sonya Brown. Her greatest passions lie in her avid reading and writing to the glory of God. She also enjoys music, dancing, knitting, crocheting, sewing, and cooking. Her greatest desire, beyond that of glorifying God, is to one day be a wife and mother. She is the writer of her many hopes, dreams, failures, thoughts, beliefs, and expectations for the future at Covenant Maiden.

True or False Love

2012-04-17T11:59:00.000-04:00

Written by Rachel Brown*

When I was young and immature, I pretty much took love at its basic concept, as any young child does. I loved my parents, I loved my siblings, I loved my family, and I loved my friends. What else was there? That was love. It wasn't until I began to grow up that my version of loved changed (particularly due to a demolished sense of love portrayed in romance novels). Love was that beautiful thing of romance and flowers, gazing deeply into someone's eyes, being "in a relationship" with someone, saying sweet things, being told sweet things, candlelight, and "ooey gooey mush," as some people like to call it. However, the more I find out about true love, the more I realize that there is so much more beneath the underlying surface of romance.

My dad told me to study 1 Corinthians 13—for it is the most precise chapter in the Bible on the meaning of true love—to deepen and develop my weak understanding of what love really is. So I took him up on it. I have read over 1 Corinthians 13 countless times, but it was only recently that I realized how superficially I had been reading it. I had already understood that love suffers long, is kind, is patient, does not envy, and is not prideful, but I had never fully grasped what it is like in practice.

I am at a point and time in my life when I need the best understanding of love I can possibly receive. Too many people have made mistakes concerning love and marriage, simply because of their misconception of that little word love, and have come to regret decisions later on in life. Many marriages have failed because people do not understand what it really takes to love someone until death do them part, especially when "real life" hits. Love is all that beatific, romanticism into practice, but it goes so much deeper into the heart and soul of a person. As Voddie Baucham has said:

"Love is an act of the will accompanied by emotion that leads to action on behalf of its object."

There is plenty of emotion in love, more than enough in fact at its fullest, ripest phase. However, the true test of love is found in 1 Corinthians 13.

"Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love never faileth" (v. 4-8).

The character of love is one of the most important aspects. As Daddy has said, anyone can romance; it takes a real love built upon the foundation of God's Word with Christ as head to last forever, even through the toughest times life brings our way [read: reality]. When I am old and gray, I still want my husband to say that he loves me just as much after fifty years of marriage as he did in the beginning, if not more. I will have lost all earthly youth and beauty as wrinkles line my face and my hair has turned to gray, but I want him to love me just as much as ever before. That could not be possible if our "love" was based solely on the youthful delight of passing romance. True romance in love, however, will last forever, just like the old white-haired couple who still loves to hold hands after a lifetime together. What could be sweeter?

From 1 Corinthians 13 we gather that love is a pretty selfless virtue. It suffers long, is kind, patient, humble, does not envy, is not jealous, does not behave unseemly, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil, rejoices in truth not iniquity, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, and never fails.

Love says, "I will follow you to the ends of the earth if need be, suffering in patience anything that may annoy or irritate me." Love says, "I am willing to sacrifice my selfish desires for your needs and even wants, no matter the cost to myself." Love says, "I will be with you through the fire, through the raging storm, as well as during the best years of our lives." Love says, "I will be your ever constant source of hope, encouragement, faithfulness, devotion, friendship, tears, smiles, happiness, sorrow, and joy." Love says, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Love says, "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things (1 Cor. 13:11). Love says, "I will always be here for you, whatever may happen. I am willing to lay down my life daily in self-sacrifice for you. I will live for Christ and serve Him because I love Him most, but through loving Him I can love you more." True love never ceases, never fails, and though sometimes it may falter or waver, Christ the architect always keeps it steady. Love is forever. True love is not the furtherance of self, but rather the laying down of self for others.

Oh yes, there is definitely mush in love. That is the emotion that leads to action; the excitement that follows commitment; and the depth that cannot be measured. True love without romance would not be love at all, for love has to have emotion. In marriage there is deep emotion between husband and wife, just as God ordained.

Let's face it: love can be pretty blind to faults in another person. Premature emotion can twist and distort the meaning and object of love, which is why one must be extremely cautious in applying emotional romance in courtship before marriage. Too many times emotion blinds, until the revelation at the end ends in confusion, unhappiness, and broken hearts. Romance in the early part of a courtship can actually be quite dangerous if it gets out of hand. Joshua Harris, in his book I Kissed Dating Goodbye, said this:

"When we find ourselves attracted to someone, we need to make building a deeper friendship our first priority. Too often we believe that relating in a romantic, exclusive relationship will automatically mean we'll be closer and know each other better. But this doesn't always happen. Although romance can be a more exciting level of relationship, it can also foster illusion and infatuation, obscuring the true character of each person involved. Remember, as soon as we unleash our emotions in romantic love, our objectivity begins to fade. For this reason, we need to focus on developing a closer friendship with a potential partner before introducing romance."

Every girl wants the romance. It must be part of our womanly genetic system. Because of this, we tend to speed things up in a friendship or courtship before marriage, when what we should be doing is concentrating on the most important: the character of the other person. When the time comes that we have to decide on whom we marry, do we want to be confident because we have deepened the friendship and discovered the hidden person and character, or do we want to be so blinded by romance that we are rudely awakened to an unhappy and unfit marriage with lots of troubles later on? Disaster is ripe and ready to be harvested when two people say they love each other, but both don’t truly understand what they mean.

This period of love is an extremely difficult one. On the one hand, it can be the most glorious and fantastic time period of life. On the other, sometimes it can be the most frustrating because we want to rush into something head-over-heels, without giving proper time to analyze and discover and grow. Marriage is a committed covenant for life, and if the time before it is messed in in haste, we will regret it for the rest of our lives. Caution is the best key in a beginning courtship. In due time, if there is true love on both sides, it will bud and bring forth the most gorgeous flowers that purity can muster.

True love IS worth the wait. Yes, it is hard to wait on the romance, and many times we make the mistake of rushing headlong into it, but it is a matter of being guided by God's wisdom and prudence, as well as the counsel of godly parents. Is it wise to be led by emotion without realizing what true love is? It is definitely fun, but unquestionably not wise. God will bring forth the increase in His timing, if we are patient and faithful in doing what is right. After all, in marriage two lovers can have all the romance that their hearts desire.

So, is it worth the wait to experience the first of everything in marriage, or is it better to go ahead and give pieces of our hearts way before it is the correct time at the alter? Do we want to give our whole and unblemished heart to our future spouse, or just broken fragments of a once beautiful thing?

It depends on whether your love is true or false.

Rachel Brown is the oldest daughter of James and Sonya Brown. You can read more about her on her blog, Covenant Maiden.

A little something to ponder...

2012-04-14T19:57:00.000-04:00

I want to have a word with the younger ladies...and maybe a few older ones as well, if it is needed. I have been married for nearly 20 years, and it seems like it has taken many of those precious years for me to realize...it's not all about me. You heard me right. When it comes down to it, we are all extremely selfish creatures. We want everything to go our way. We want what we want and we want it now! Whether it's the perfect body, beautiful hair, the latest gadgets, our dream home, what the Jones' have, time alone, peace and quiet...You name it, we want it, and most of the time, we think we "deserve" it. I want us all to stop and ponder...what is our role, our responsibility, in this life? Is it to keep up with the Jones'? Or constantly try and attain that youthful "beauty"?

From the beginning of time, we (women) have struggled with the desire to have power. You may say, "I don't want to rule over any one." That may not be the "power" you struggle with. But what about the "power" to be a goddess? To have the power over men, to sway their eyes (lust) to your body, to have them "worship" your beauty? No, you may not have the desire to rule over a nation, or "wear the pants" in your family, but what about the desires in your heart? Are you longing to be a godly Christian wife and mother, or are you secretly wishing for that "perfect" body that you think can have power to turn men's hearts? Or maybe it's another power you desire. I don't know what it may be, but I do know, we MUST turn our hearts back to God...back to our homes and our families.

We have wasted too many precious years on ourselves. We wonder why our homes are in shambles, why "christian" ladies want to focus so much attention on their outward appearance, and their hearts are full rebellion and bitterness. Yes, I do agree that our society's main focus is on outward appearance, and it is harder in this day and age...we constantly feel as if we are in competition with our bodies...BUT, aren't we supposed to "come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the LORD"... To be in the world, but not of the world. It's time we start focusing on our hearts...on the things that matter most in life. One day we are going to wake up and realize that it is too late...we've spent all our life on worldly pursuits, and not focused on the things that REALLY matter. What IS the chief end of man? To glorify GOD and enjoy HIM forever! We are falling for the exact same thing that Eve fell for in the garden...we want to be God, plain and simple. We are to pursue righteousness, holiness, godliness, contentment. Are we teaching our children to pursue these things, or are we teaching them to pursue their desires, their dreams, their wants, their lusts? We need to examine our hearts, our motives. Are they in accordance with scripture, or are they our own humanistic agenda? God said if we obey him, he will bless us...if we disobey, he will curse us. Which is it going to be?

Another area I see running unchecked is jealousy, and it is usually a bigger problem with women than men, and yes, I have struggled with it greatly in the past. There is a time and a place for everything, and I do believe that there can be a time for righteous jealousy, but what I'm seeing is not and could never be labeled as "godly" jealousy. It is flat out, "selfish distrust, because we want it all to be about me", jealousy. What are we teaching our daughters? Again, we have taken our focus off the prize (the high calling of Jesus Christ) and put the focus on ourselves. I hate to be the one to break it to you, but jealousy is selfishness at it's core. The Bible says plain and simple that it's as cruel as the grave. Think about that for a minute. To me that says that the person on the receiving end of a jealous wife might as well be put in the grave. There is no escaping it...no matter what he does, he is never trusted. Can you even imagine? Again, we need a complete heart change. Are our lives bringing glory to Jesus Christ or are we wanting it all for ourselves. When our lives on this earth are past, what will we be remembered for... Just something to ponder.

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

The Depravity of the Tongue

2012-03-07T10:48:00.000-05:00

Today's post is written by my oldest daughter, Rachel. It deals with a much needed topic among Christian kids today...Sibling Rivalry. She is wise beyond her 17 years. :)

"Lord, make me a channel of Thy peace
That where there is hatred, I may bring love,
That where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness,
That where there is discord, I may bring harmony,
That where there is error, I may bring truth,
That where there is doubt, I may bring faith,
That where there is despair, I may bring hope,
That where there are shadows, I may bring light,
That where there is sadness, I may bring joy."
-St. Francis of Assisi
Let me begin with a story.

Once upon a time, in the schoolroom of an ordinary little home, there lived eight children: Temper, Impatience, Bossy, Anger, Hateful, Jealousy, Pride, and Conflict. Unlike the happily ever after stories of fairytale books, these little children loved to quarrel and fight and argue and bicker amongst themselves. Their names, as you can see, befit their character perfectly. These eight children were constantly at war with one another—sometimes two against one, or seven ganging up against one, or five against two—and it seemed quite a hopeless case of self-love: each esteeming self above all the others. What a horrible way to begin a story, aye?

Unfortunately, this is not a make-believe story. In fact, it is all too real, particularly in my family, probably in yours, and most definitely in the lives of siblings around the world. We all share this not-so-unique common problem: sibling rivalry. Even at seventeen years old, I am still at war with my siblings, God forgive us all. There may be a few with whom I get along better, just as there are others with whom I do not get along quite so well. Sometimes it is as if we are barely existing, barely getting by, and barely acknowledging one another's existence. Then again, there are others who get along so well that most of the time it is laughter and jokes shared, though not without the occasional rift. It is a wild rollercoaster ride of mixed emotions and attitudes—one day we like so-and-so, and the next day we like a different so-and-so—just like the little second-grader whose best friend changes weekly.

"A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle." -Proverbs 18:19

There are many different root causes of sibling strife, but the most dominant, the ultimate root cause of all, would be self-love. Self-love leads us to act in many ways that we should not act, and more specifically being addressed in this post, say many things that we should not say. The tongue is the most dangerous of all enemies for the Christian, and particularly, to brothers and sisters. The tongue is a malicious part of the human body, for it has a more destructive force than any earthly weapon. The old saying of "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me," is the furthest thing from the truth. Words can and do cause more pain and anguish than a thousand sharp knives that are lashed into the body. The tongue, as James says, is a fire.

"And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell...the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." -James 3:6, 8

The evil, deadly poison of the tongue causes us to offend our brother, and in the verse quoted above, a brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city (Prov. 18:19). The tongue will make or break a relationship. If the tongue is given freedom to say whatever it wants and feels like saying, the only logical conclusion is the relationship will not last or bring forth fruit. We are seeing an apparent lack of brotherly love among siblings, and thus the breaking of the relationships, because the tongue is loose and rampant, and has not been held in check.

"Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding." -Proverbs 17:28

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." -Proverbs 18:21

"A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards." -Proverbs 29:11

All men, because they are sinners, love the depravity of the tongue. It gives them a taste of power and control above other men. They can speak words that will hurt, wound, cut to the quick, bring power to self, uplift self's pride, degrade others, and create a pedestal on which they can rise above others. Brothers and sisters love the tongue just as much as any man, perhaps even more so because it allows them to uplift themselves as better than their siblings. The tongue is a wicked member, causing strife and discord where peace and harmony ought to reign. Even when the tongue is bridled, more often than not a little slip of the tongue can cause the greatest damage and distress. Whether in the heat of anger, or the quiet rest of peace, we must be wary of the tongue.

I took the following paragraphs from a post I wrote on my blog, entitled Bite Your Tongue, thinking that it fit in well with this article:

With siblings it is especially difficult to keep a watchful eye over our tongue because we are so used to saying whatever comes to our mind, and usually it is not what is acceptable (Rom.12:1).

In all of our relationships (i.e. husband, wife, father mother, child, sibling, coworker, boss, pastor, relative, friend, etc.) there is an important key to maintaining a tongue of that which is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report (Phil.4:13). Oftentimes it is a troublesome task not to just blurt out as fast as out brain thinks (which can be scary in some of our cases). More often than not this is how relationships are damaged because we are habitually prone to say hurtful things to degrade others and promote self. From experience I can say that the hurtful words of our mouth injures not only others, but ourselves. We fulfill the lust of the flesh (Gal.5:16-17) when we give in to our fallen desire "to be as gods." To achieve this, and to reconcile our own mind to the fact, we first have to make sure no one else is in the god-seat. Dare we assume to take the place of God Almighty? God forbid us.

We as Christians are called to be the salt and light of the earth, but if we fail in the small things, what right have we to expect the bigger blessings from God? Too frequently we automatically expect the best things from God when we are not willing to be faithful in what we have already been given (Matt.25:14-29). And besides, our witness to the world is shattered if we are not willing to submit every area of our lives to the sovereignty of God. He will acquire our ultimate obedience anyway; for He is GOD (isn't there such power in His name alone?).

Just another thought for the day. Think about it. And bite your tongue.

Sometimes it seems like the only answer to the solution of an unruly tongue is to bite it, literally. Yet how many times do we fail to do so when the need is dire? "Let loose and live" is the motto of our tongues, and frankly, we don't seem to care what we say, particularly when it comes to our brothers and sisters. They are the easiest to offend, the easiest to wound, and the hardest to win back. If we truly want to become the best friends we possibly can with our siblings, one of the key elements in this reconciliation is to entrap our tongue, not by saying whatever we please whenever we please, but by bringing it captive to Christ and His Word (2 Cor. 10:5). There is simply no other way around the matter. Our tongue has to be controlled by Christ, or we will never accomplish the work of being ruled by kindness (Prov. 31:26).

Most of the time we don't want to be nice to our brothers and sisters. We view them as annoying little pests who are always bothering us or getting into our stuff. But the fact of the matter is that, well, I'm certain we can be irritating at least many times. God ordained the home to be a happy, harmonizing place of peace and laughter, not grudges and hatred. We have made our homes into graveyards, where only dead bones abide. The weeds have grown up high and towering around our homes, as the roof has caved in and the foundation has been destroyed. It is up to each individual, whether an oldest, middle, or younger sibling, to close in the gap that separates us from being friends with our siblings. We have kept each other at arm's length long enough. Enough is enough, for I am sure that each one of us is tired of the constant dirge of seemingly endless conflict and fighting. Our lives will be happier, more blessed by God, and definitely more fulfilling when we settle the differences that lie between our hurting relationships, and kill the god of self that lies within us. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Phil. 4:13), and that includes solves the puzzle of sibling rivalry.

The answer is simple, really. Self must be destroyed so that God may be glorified. And in doing so, we pave the way to creating strong relationships within the family—bound together by the bonds of love that cannot be severed. The road that leads to a truly fulfilling life is indeed difficult, but very worth it in the end.

The story I began in the beginning is not over. It is in the working right now. Those eight little siblings have choices to make, whether they will continue in their sin of hatred and strife, or whether they will give up their desire to war, as well as give up their pride. Self-love is dangerous, for the end is death, and eventually one by one each person is consumed (Gal. 5:15).

The first step is to guard, guide, and yes, even bite our tongue when need be. We don't realize how much catastrophe could be avoided if we would just watch our tongue, and instead of using it for evil, use if for good and the encouragement of our siblings. Saying something cruel and nasty is easy enough, for it comes with our sin nature; but it takes courage to say what comes hardest to our nature, and that is something kind and edifying. There is no doubt that the tongue is depraved. The question is, will we fight its depravity and use it for good?

Rachel Brown is the oldest daughter of James and Sonya Brown. You can read more about her on her blog, Covenant Maiden.

Having a Wise Heart

2012-01-21T18:12:00.002-05:00

I came across this article by Nancy Wilson...wife to pastor Doug Wilson, and thought I would share it with y'all. It's rather convicting - which is a good thing, btw - So, I thought "Hey! Why should I be the only one under conviction!" Here you go sisters!

"If you have ongoing anger toward one person in particular, then it’s likely there may be some unconfessed bitterness and resentment toward that person, big or little, young or old. We get resentful over some of the dumbest things. Deal with the bitterness that is lodging in your heart. It’s poisoning everything! It feeds anger and needs anger."

"Don’t take your children’s misbehavior personally. Don’t get into an adversarial relationship with your children. You are the mother; you are in authority over them. Don’t get your feelings hurt when they don’t listen or when they disobey. They are children! That’s what children do!"

Read more here...

A Biblical Worldview

2012-01-21T17:46:00.000-05:00

He Made Us!

2011-09-23T12:22:00.001-04:00

"O LORD, Thou hast searched me, and known me.

Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off.

Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, Thou knowest it altogether.

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

~Psalm 139:1-4, 23-24

I love this reminder of God's sovereignty. Here the Psalmist is telling us that God knows everything about us: when we sit down, when we rise up, our thoughts, and every word our tongue speaks—compassing every single tiny detail about us. Then in verse 14 of the same chapter David continues:

"I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:

marvelous are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well."

I love that. I love how God fashioned us and created us—each with different personalities, looks, and characteristics—and loves us each as something terrifically exceptional and incomparable because He made us. There is such power in those three words: He made us. If He made us, and He is God Almighty, then nothing can be wrong, absolutely nothing. And even more than that, He knows everything about us, even from our very number of hairs (Matt.10:30; Luke 12:7). That alone is astounding.amazing.powerful.awing.inspiring.extraordinary.bliss.

Doesn't that alone tell you how supremely excellent our God is?

I don't know about you, but I need to be reminded every day of just that, and I think that goes for all of us. Too often we are burdened down by the cares of this world and forget of how wonderfully crafted we are and how much mercy God bestows on us each and every day. We forget all of the extensive blessings that God has given us (i.e. breath, health, food, raiment) as we dwell on the negatives of life. Even if we are not blessed with great material wealth, while we retain breath in our body we have been given a gift. And an even greater gift we have been given is the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Even when we compare how much we don't have (material wealth) to how much we do have (eternal wealth), I'd say we have much more than we deserve.

Like I said, I don't know about you, but I need to be reminded every day of just that.

written by Rachel Brown of Covenant Maiden

Segregate or No?

2011-08-15T19:00:00.001-04:00

For just a short time you can watch "Divided the Movie" for free online. DIVIDED follows young Christian filmmaker Philip Leclerc on a revealing journey as he seeks answers to what has led his generation away from the church. Make sure you take the time to watch this must-see film!

On the same note, you can listen to my husbands radio show dealing with this very same topic. Part 1- Divided - It's not just a movie and Part 2- Divided - It's elementary my dear Watson! The real question is, "Are the scriptures sufficient for every aspect of life, or just a few areas"? So many churches are throwing away the sufficiency of scripture and we wonder why we are in such a mess!

Also, if you are able, would you prayerfully consider giving to our church and ministry to help advance the Kingdom of our LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ? The devil would LOVE to see us crumble, no doubt. But with your prayer and support, we can go on working to establish what Christ has called us to do. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You can donate at Covenant Commission.

Growing in Christ

2011-07-04T21:12:00.002-04:00

God never places us in any position in which we cannot grow. We may imagine that He does. We may fear we are so impeded by fretting petty cares that we are gaining nothing; but when we are not sending any branches upward, we may be sending roots downward. Perhaps in the time of our humiliation, when everything seems a failure, we are making the best kind of progress. Look on and look up. Lay hold on Christ with both your poor, empty hands. Let Him do with you what seems good to Him. Though He slay you, still trust in Him, and I dare in His name to promise you a sweeter, better life than you could have ever known, had He left you to drink of the full dangerous cups of unmingled prosperity.

~ Elizabeth Prentiss (1818 - 1878)

The Spotless Spouse

2011-06-14T11:38:00.000-04:00

Written by Susanna Spurgeon

"You are so beautiful, My beloved; there is no spot in you." - Song of Solomon 4:7

"Ah!" I hear some timid, trembling believer say, "such a text can have nothing to do with me! I am the very opposite of all that is beautiful and spotless. The eyes of my soul have seen hideous sights within, which I can never forget; and I loathe myself and my sin so much that, though I believe God has forgiven me for Christ's sake, I feel it impossible to take those precious words as addressed to one so sinful and imperfect."

Yet, trembling soul, I would bid you take courage, and look up. Christ's love for His people is marvelously set forth in this Song of Songs; and if you are a believer in Him, you must be part of that Church—as much His bride and spouse as the greatest saint, or most renowned disciple. The Master makes no difference between upper and lower servants in His household. The same price was paid to redeem the least lamb of the flock, as for the choicest sheep; the same precious blood was poured out to ransom the feeblest child of the great family, as for its strongest and most notable member.

Come, then, timid one, fear not to grasp the truth now put before you; delay not to rejoice in the blessed fact that you are indeed precious to the Lord; and when He says, "You are all beautiful, My beloved," do not contradict Him by lamenting your blackness; but, rather, adoringly bow before Him in wonder at the miracle His love has wrought in you. It ill becomes the bride of Christ to ignore His loveliness, which He has put upon her, and go about bemoaning the scars and blemishes which His great love overlooks and forgets.

It is quite true that, in themselves, believers are sorrowfully imperfect and sinful; but if the Lord Jesus, in His marvelous mercy, unrobes Himself to cover over their unrighteousness, they may well be content to be thus made "beautiful" in His sight. Do you ask, "Why should He do this?" Look at the succeeding words, "My beloved." We cannot comprehend the mystery and sublimity of Divine love; but it is the sole and all-sufficient reason for the dear Lord's estimate of us; and when He uses such endearing language, our hearts melt and are ravished by His condescension. Even as earthly affection is intensified and nourished by tender tones and words of special grace, so, (with reverence we say it,) when our dear Master deigns to address us in accents of love and admiration, our souls are thrilled with heavenly bliss, and we are uplifted beyond all the sorrows and vexations of this world, into an atmosphere of unspeakable spiritual joy! To be "the beloved of the Lord," to "dwell in safety by Him," as our Husband and dearest Friend, is so high an attainment, and so glorious a privilege, that it must forever be a marvel why we are so listless in seeking it, or so sinfully content without it.

"My beloved," Oh, say it again, dear Master! Let the music of Your voice touch and vibrate through the deepest chords of my nature, and awaken sweet responses in my soul! You are the fount and source of all love; oh, fill me, overwhelm me, plunge me in this sea of mercy and of grace! I would be swallowed up in it, knowing no other joy or bliss comparable to that of being able to say, "My Beloved is mine—and I am His."

"There is no spot in you." Can our loving Lord really mean this, and mean it of you and I, dear reader? He does, indeed, if only we have believed on His Name to the saving of our soul, and trusted in His precious blood to wash away all our sin. But is it not a love passing knowledge which can cause such a statement to be absolute truth? "There is no spot in you." "Where, then, are all my spots, dear Lord, for they were legion; and sin must have rendered me vile and loathsome in Your pure sight?" The reply comes direct from the Lord's own Word: "When I passed by you, and looked upon you, behold, your time was the time of love. So I spread the edge of My garment over you and covered your nakedness. I pledged Myself to you, entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine!"

"Before He saved her, well He knew,
What a heart like her's would do."

All the uncleanness—past, present, and future—all the deformity and blackness is put aside by love, cleansed away by blood, covered by Christ's righteousness; and so completely is this done, that God Himself can find no remnant or stain of that which would have meant eternal death to an unwashed soul. Oh, the "riches of the glory of this mystery," this mighty power which lifts a poor sinner from the depths of sin—to the heights of heavenly bliss! "What kind of love is this?" It is so Divine and incomprehensible that, in the contemplation of it, we are lost in wonder and amazement, and have to cry out, with the disciples of old, "Lord, increase our faith!"

"There is no spot in you." An old writer says—"Now, if God sees no spot, why should you be prying after one? Poring over your misery, searching after your blackness and depravity, will be no help to you. It is only keeping your eye off Jesus, instead of up unto Jesus. You cannot look two ways at once. How did the poor serpent-bitten Israelites in the wilderness get relief and healing? By looking to their sores, their wounds, their malady? Oh, no! it was by looking to the brazen serpent! And if you would get relief, it must be by looking to Jesus Christ!"

Now, my poor heart, will you not accept your Lord's own verdict concerning you, and rejoice in His assurance that you are lovely with His loveliness which He has put upon you? That HE thinks you to be "all beautiful" will make you guard against any defilement, and keep aloof from anything which could sully your purity. That He should say, "My beloved," will help you to listen more eagerly for His sweet voice, waiting upon His lips lest one love-word should be lost. And that He should declare, "There is no spot in you," will make you so tenderly circumspect that you will be enabled to "walk worthy of God" and of love so unspeakable and Divine.

Lord Jesus, what a glorious Savior You are! How can Your bride, Your Church, tell forth her delight in Your beauty? All the sin, which made her SO black and vile, was laid upon You; yet it only made You "fairer than the children of men;" and the bearing of that awful burden does but immeasurably enhance the glory which was Your with the Father before the world was created. How sorrowful it is that such love should be despised and rejected by thousands whom it could and would save from eternal death!

The question comes pertinently, "What do you think you of Christ?" Bless the Lord, if we can make answer, "He is the chief among ten thousand! Yes, He is altogether lovely!"

The Impending Disaster of Chaos

2011-05-17T20:47:00.002-04:00

* written by Rachel Brown

If people looking in on the outside scrutinized our lives, even the intimate details we try to hide, would they see a wild-haired, long-clawed woman greedy for a husband, hypocritical in public, a domineering boss at home, a bore around her family, rebellious to the core, a relationship with God only embers, secretly reading romance novels and trying to pass off as a "content" daughter at home, and secretly longing to be married (as soon as possible!)?

If so, we would be denying everything we ever stood for. Our witness for Christ would disintegrate, and our influence as a content daughter at home would have failed. This is exactly what the feminist movement would like to happen. And taking a quick look around our society, I'd say this is what is happening. From the media especially we receive a distorted view of love and life. Liberals, atheists, communists, socialists, and feminists want us to get discouraged, wreck havoc in our homes, and ultimately destroy the family as an institution; therefore destroying God—their fundamental end. Betty Friedan, so-called "author" of American feminism, tried to misrepresent housewives as victims of patriarchy who are chained down by rules and regulations with absolutely no freedom. We are realistically slaves who have no say in life if we are bound down by the chains of a debased home, according to world feminism. On the other hand, we can be independent and free if we do what we want with our lives as long as we are away from the home. Forget about men, marriage, and babies—those are called shackles, more particularly, the shackles of yesterday (remember the song from Mary Poppins?) What we don't realize about Friedan, however, is that she was a staunch supporter of Joseph Stalin (communist dictator of Russia,1929-1953). Isn't it kind of ironic that a stalwart supporter of feminism and women's rights (women-who-want-nothing-to-do-with-men) was also devoted supporter of a...[gasp]...man? Another thing not commonly known among the feminist masses is that she was not a housewife herself, contrary to her stance. Her goal was the same as the communist movement: destroy the family, destroy the church, destroy the civil institutions, destroy society as a whole, destroy the country's liberty, destroy Almighty God.

"My object in life is to dethrone God and destroy capitalism." -Karl Marx

"If I could control Hollywood, I could control the world." -Joseph Stalin

"Give me four years to teach the children and the seed I plant will never be uprooted." -Vladimir Lenin

What we don't understand is that while we are fighting and bickering, daydreaming, and not working for the kingdom of Jesus Christ, communists and others are working their fingers to the bone to overthrow liberty. Have you ever stopped to wonder why there are so many feminists, atheists, obsessed radicals, liberals, racists, communists, socialists, and family/God/state/ haters; and yet seemingly so little of femininity, masculinity, godly leaders, freedom lovers, and Christian-grounded families? The answer is quite simple, really. The devoted leaders of the communist movement have realized they cannot win without the majority of the people. Therefore they water down their message to what the people want to hear, and they hide behind false names like "progressives," "healthcare," "government welfare," "environmentalism," "feminism," "media," "public schools" (i.e. government schools), "contemporary religion," "traditional Marxism," "homosexuality," and other such names. Millions of people eat up these words, and become, as Lenin put it so factually, "useful idiots."   In other words, most of the common people don't really know the issue, don't really understand, and some probably don't really care. Confronted with the actual terms of "communism," "socialism," "destroy Americanism," they would most likely be stunned or unconcerned. We have become a callous, indifferent, hardhearted, and unfeeling people.

Today's American children learn nothing about this country's true history and founding fathers, but are given heroes like Abraham Lincoln who "freed the slaves and saved the Union," and Martin Luther King Jr, leader of the "civil rights movement" in the U.S., supposedly for black and white "integration." Moreover, children are brainwashed by evolution and "we come from monkeys." Every scrap of material taught in public schools comes from the government [read: communists], proving my point: while the useful idiots make up the lower classes, the true conspirators are in the news media, Hollywood, the newspapers, radio and television, Congress, the House of Representatives and the Senate, even in the White House! They have one of their own in every leading branch of public interest. With yellow eyes, sharply filed fangs, and a seducing smile, they lead the overwhelming populace forward blindly. Someday the blind eyes of the people will finally open, but then it will be too late. Already we are socialistic and headed for communism ("The goal of socialism is communism." -Stalin). Our national leaders are directing a totalitarian government, and we shouldn't be surprised if, one day, we have a dictator in place of a President.

Benjamin Franklin said in concern: "I am apprehensive, therefore—perhaps too apprehensive—that the Government of these States may in future times end in a monarchy. But this catastrophe, I think, may be long delayed, if in our proposed system we do not sow the seeds of contention, faction, and tumult, by making our posts of honor places of profit."   Apparently his apprehensions were well-grounded, for the results have become far more appalling than he ever dreamed.

Daughters at home are being attacked; masculinity and femininity are being attacked; gun rights are being attacked; families are under attack; the church is being attacked; the entirety of America is under attack, all from within our midst. Sometimes it would seem simpler if our invaders dropped bombs around us. Then we would know exactly what to do in return: drop bombs on them. Unfortunately, their aggressive assault is more subtle, for they realize that working behind the scenes to penetrate America will reap more rewards than military combat. They are attacking everything that America has ever stood for that was right and good and true. And they intend to win.

Are we going to let them win? Although we can do nothing of ourselves, there is only hope in Jesus Christ. Right now our duty is to equip ourselves. For example: defend unborn life; learn to wield a gun (yes, even us women!); educate ourselves concerning history, theology, politics, economics, socialism, communism, so we will have an answer to every one that asks us (1 Peter 3:15-16). We are not totally helpless...yet. Even as stay-at-home daughters we can still fight the good fight of faith. Our vigilance, fortitude, and zeal will depend upon our attitudes. If we are truly willing to stand up and fight, first we must prepare our hearts before the Lord. Nothing can be accomplished without His hand (Philippians 4:13). Secondly, we must first fight the good fight right in our own homes. To be a corner stone, "polished after the similitude of a palace" (Psalm 144:12), we must become the daughter and sibling, wife and mother, father and husband and son God wants us to be, which will ultimately be a woman/man after His own heart. We must constantly remind ourselves of the grave danger lurking. As a daughter, son, wife, or husband, we all should remember that we have treacherous enemies working to destroy the very beliefs we stand for. With God's help, become the very best woman or man you possibly can be. With God's help there is no limit. Although our depraved human nature may buck us off now and then, our duty is to get right back on the horse. Failure is not an option. I myself must realize this in my own life. Because I should not dwell on the dejected side of myself, I should press toward the mark of shaping my life according to God's standards. In the end, truth and freedom will endure and triumph, when the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord. Then He will reign forever (Revelation 11:15). Until then, our responsibility is to remain faithful, even when the world seems completely lost in sin and chaos. If we just look at one small portion of the picture it does indeed look hopeless. Like Russia, America would so easily fall completely into communist hands (or is she already?). But if we look at the entire picture, we would see God's promises:

Blessed are you when men revile you for My sake (Matthew 5:11-12).
Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you (Matthew 6:33).
Whosoever believes in Me will I confess before My Father (Matthew 10:32-33).
He that endures to the end shall be saved (Matthew 10:28).
I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).
Well done, though good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:23).
I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:1-6).
I will overcome (John 16:33).
Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
All things work together for good to those who love God (Romans 8:28).
Nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ (Romans 8:35-39).

God has given us many promises, countless others among these. Finally it all boils down to this verse: "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever." ~Revelation 11:15.   Then, "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." ~Revelation 21:4

Daughters at home, I encourage you. Fellow citizens of the United States of America, I cheer you. I want us to be examples of biblical womanhood, of genuine faithfulness, of true excellence, of bona fide fight-hard, die-hard Christians who will sacrifice all for the kingdom of Christ. I want feminists to cower in fear when they hear of our corps. I want communists to retreat in dread of our God. And I want Barak Obama's "change" thwarted by the old-time religion of our founding fathers. The faith and rights our soldiers have fought and died for in the past wars should be fought for today. The War for Independence, as well as the War for Southern Independence, was fought with certain principles in mind, that all men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, and among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

What else have we to fight for, to die for, if not for Jesus Christ and these basic principles of life? The answer is nothing, nothing whatsoever.

*Rachel Brown is the eldest daughter of James and Sonya Brown. She is an amazing writer, a talented violinist, a good cook, and a dedicated daughter. To read more about her, you can visit her blog, Covenant Maiden.

Lest we forget our first love...

2011-05-07T17:57:00.000-04:00

I have several “favorite” verses in scripture and one of them happens to be Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” I have to go back to that verse time and time again, and still yet, time and again I forget and get caught up in the busyness of life. It’s like a vicious cycle….we wander away even a day to do things “our” way and we have to be prodded back into the fold. As another favorite verse says, {Proverbs 3:5-6} “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” How many times do we fail to trust in the LORD and instead lean on our OWN understanding? Why is it so hard for us to acknowledge him and let HIM direct our paths?

Ecclesiastes 2:11 says, “Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.” We try to do everything according to OUR works, OUR way. Instead of allowing God to rule, we want to rule. There is nothing new under the sun. We are like our first parents, Adam and Eve, we want things OUR way {or is that the Burger King way?} We are sinners from our mother’s womb. Thank the LORD we have an advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous, who has interceded on our behalf! The LORD wants us to be faithful in season and out of season. When it’s popular and when it’s not popular. Our trust should ALWAYS be in Him. Not in our selves. We will fail every time. Did I say that loud enough? I said EVERY time. Plain and simple. We might as well fess up right now and admit that we are weak, puny, filthy beings worthy of hell. Because that is what we are. It is ONLY through Christ that we are made free. He is our strength. He is our righteousness. He is our life. My husbands favorite verse is Philippians 4:13 which says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” It needs to be seared into our minds…HE is our strength. And without him we would be nothing!

As Psalm 40:17 says, “I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make not tarrying, O my God.” Years ago when I came across that verse, it struck me to the very core of my being. The LORD, the maker of Heaven and Earth, the Almighty….He thinks about me! Little o’ stinkin’, rottin’ me….it was also very sobering to say the least. But as I said before, there is hope. We don’t have to be downcast and think that all is lost. The scripture is full of promises from our Heavenly Father declaring his love for us. “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” -Psalm 42:11 And again in Psalm 48:14, “For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.” I can only speak for myself, but I personally don’t want to be like the church in Revelation that forgot their first love. I want to praise him and bring him glory each and every day of my life. And when I do forget….Please, just give me a good swift kick in the pants!

I’ll leave you with a few more verses to ponder, including one of my all-time favorites, Lamentations 3:22-23 “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

“I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.”

-Psalm 91:2

“Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.” -Psalms 37:3-9

Are you a Hollywood Christian?

2011-04-16T22:18:00.000-04:00

You don't have to tell me twice that American Christians are falling away from the truth of God's Word at an alarming rate...I already know it. It is becoming quite obvious that we live in a society that is made up of what I call "Hollywood Christians". It is so watered down that anybody and everybody can be a "Christian" and still live a Hollywood lifestyle. Forget living a holy, consecrated life set apart for the glory of God, we want to "have our cake and eat it too" lifestyle and "who are you to judge me"? It is apparent in the new movie Soul Surfer which is being raved about and supported by so many of these "Christians". Why does it seem that Christians are some of the easiest people to dumb down? You would think we were a bunch of sheep or something :)

Stacy McDonald wrote a good review {Part 1 and Part 2} of the movie on her blog, Your Sacred Calling. It is encouraging to know there are still some out there willing to take a stand for truth and righteousness. You can also listen to a radio broadcast from my husband, Pastor James Brown, on the subject as well entitled Soul Seducers. May we endeavor to live our lives to the glory of God ALONE, and not so that we can fit in with the Hollywood crowd.

Just like a Cookie

2011-02-25T16:28:00.000-05:00

written by Grace Brown* - Graceful Maiden

Today while cooking over the hot stove baking cookies, my first batch wasn't turning out right. Usually the first batch can sometimes be like that; flat. Crumbly. They may taste good, but they sure wouldn't win first prize for their looks. Then, second batch comes and they turn out a whole lot better. Third batch is even better, starts looking more round and like an actual cookie.

Well, like you are guessing, the first batch left me totally aggravated. It makes you start thinking; "What if the whole batch of cookies looks like this!" And if you are anything like me, that sure isn't a very good thought!

I simply love being in the kitchen, but sometimes while alone I can start feeling mighty lonely. So, I turned on some music, and let my thoughts entertain me. Well, one of my thoughts turned to my blog and what to write about next. Then all the sudden I had an Idea, and that is-- "We are just like those cookies"

Yes, yes, I know that by now you are laughing. I mean, us, like a cookie? What could we ever really resemble. Surely its not our smell?

Well, before you get worried; no! It is not our smell. Although, that would be rather fun wouldn't it? Smelling like a delicious cookie all the time would attract a lot of people, and make a lot of people like us, wouldn't it? But no, that isn't exactly where I was trying to go.

As I described above when the first batch of cookies doesn't turn out right, they are very crumbly and ugly looking on the outside. By looks they are nothing. But when you bite down into the surface; when you feel the smoothness on your mouth-- its wonderful! Our lives are sorta like that. From the outside we may feel as if we are nothing, we may feel ugly and feel like we should just throw ourselves away.

But deep down we know that we have something wonderful surrounding us; and that is God! But what about the outside? What happens then? By just looking at us everyone will think that we are a failure.

Well, the Bible says that "Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." So you see, though the people around us may look on our outward appearance and judge us by our looks; God looks deeper than that. He looks to the heart.

And if our heart is full of love for him; beautiful and loyal-- that is all that matters! And if we trust in God, and praise his name day by day, soon we shall turn out to be just like those last batches of cookies. Soft. Beautiful. Fluffy. Or in other words; we shall be beautiful, and look like we have some great purpose... even from the outside. That is IF we will call on the name of the Lord, and just take one step at a time... with God by our side.

Whether you are feeling discouraged, ugly, or like a failure. That us just something to let you think upon for a little while. But for now...You didn't know that you could resemble a cookie, now did you?

*Grace Brown is the second oldest daughter of James and Sonya Brown. You can read more about her on her blog, Graceful Maiden

Our God IS Great!

2011-02-11T08:05:00.000-05:00

We watched a video by Louie Giglio last night during our devotions called How Great is our God. We had seen another version of it several years ago and it was simply amazing! It will leave you in awe at the Grandeur of our God and His infinite BIG-ness! I hope you enjoy!

Anne Bradstreet... Truly Feminine

2011-02-04T11:06:00.000-05:00

Anne Bradstreet by D.B. Kellogg is a book I would recommend reading. It gives an accurate account of Anne Bradstreet, a remarkable, truly dedicated, Proverbs 31 woman. She took her role as a wife and mother seriously. She was married at the age of 16. She believed that God's hand was guiding her in every area of her life, that everything happened through the providential hand of God. Her husband was her "chiefest comforter on Earth" and she loved him deeply and was very thankful for God's provision in her life. It was important to her that she encourage her husband. She devoted her life to the Lord and to her family. Despite her ill health, she had 8 children, 4 boys and 4 girls. She delighted in training her children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Education and Biblical teaching was an important part of the lives of her children. She was blessed with the gift of words for which she wrote many lovely poems. She endured many trials and hardships but through it all she gave God the glory in her life.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Living the Impossible

2011-01-20T19:34:00.001-05:00

written by Rachel Brown - Covenant Maiden

2010 has closed its door; 2011 has opened another. This means God has not forsaken us, but has given us another chance at life, and another chance to live wholly for His glory. Let's look at "living for God's glory" a moment. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." We may smile and nod our heads in righteous piety, but do we take this verse at its fullest context? "I pray before I eat," we may say triumphantly. Apparently we forgot to read the remainder of the verse. You've heard that the Bible applies to every area of life? This verse could sum it up. Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever, exactly what this verse is reminding us. "Whatsoever ye do" doesn't mean whatever we feel like doing or whatever we want to do - it is everything. That means how we treat our siblings, honor our parents, the music we listen to, the movies we watch, the books we read, the words we say, our attitudes, our thoughts, even the simplest chores around the house. We want to do something big, however. Some of us may be willing to face the jungles of Africa or the communist hostility in China, but no one wants to wield a toilet scrubber and face a dirty bathroom. Or, we may want to work in a big company for fame, recognition, money, or even just to make a difference, but who wants to help their father in his vision and business, especially if it is small and unnoticed? We would gloriously die on the mission field, but we don't want to live contentedly at home. We take Paul's words in Philippians 1:21 a little too far. Sure, to die is gain for Christ.

Daughters at home can get a little discouraged sometimes. Okay, maybe very discouraged (more than sometimes). This is dangerous- very dangerous - because the world begins to look inviting. We must not fall into that trap! Daily routine becomes monotonous. Because of our restlessness and discontentment, we are grumpy, moody, and liable to be snappish. The truth of the matter is that we are not happy with our position, and we don't want to glorify God in everything.

I'm not one for making New Year's resolutions. I never have been. Anything I might have "promised" myself in the past always ended in disaster, such as waking up every morning with a smile on my lips and a song in my heart. It's always the impossible with me. I might want to be completely loving, always honoring my parents, never quarreling [much] with my siblings, always having the right attitude in every situation, being a servant, daily displaying the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22,23), and on and on and on the list goes. Call me crazy, but I'm a perfectionist.

Mark 10:27 and Luke 1:37; 18: 27 say the same thing: with God nothing is impossible. So we think that, while glorifying God in the home, everything should be practically unproblematic. We want the easy life. Yet, if everything was easy and breezy, where would satisfaction come in? Our character would never be strengthened, our patience would never be tried, and we would never receive a "well done" from our Master. Life wouldn't be life without difficulty. There would be no triumph over trials and no ultimate glory in the end. We would be lazy good-for-nothings.

Again we take a verse out of context (many times we do this to fit our preferences, ironically). We as infallible human beings cannot be perfect! Everything is impossible with us because we cannot do good. (Romans 3:10; 3:23; 7:15; Isaiah 64:6) Therefore we shouldn't expect a miracle every morning (especially at 7:00 a.m.). However, this also doesn't mean we have the right to be a snappy grump. Titus 2:3-5 exhorts women of all ages to be holy, temperate, loving, discreet, good, and obedient - showing us a pattern of good works. I know from experience how hard it is to be kind and patient. But that doesn't give us the license to be mean, cross, and irritable. To develop a good relationship with family and friends we have to be considerate, helpful, understanding, and attentive. If not, bitterness and strife will cause pain because of rejection. Again, speaking from experience, people will want to completely ignore you if you haven't the right attitude. Everyone finds irksome people a chore to get along with. True love will find a way, however, even amongst faults. (1 Corinthians 13)

With a whole new year ahead of us, just waiting for us to taste the delicious delights pending over the horizon, we shouldn't expect the impossible. Instead, cultivate joy and contentment even in the smallest of things. People will be happier, and the atmosphere so much more pleasant. Because God in His mercy and grace has given us another chance, we ought to look forward with bright eyes and a rapidly beating heart. Only God knows what lies ahead, but we can be sure it will be something grand as long as we walk in His footsteps.

Living the impossible...
For the Crown Rights of Jesus Christ
Soli Deo Gloria!

Rachel is the oldest daughter of James and Sonya Brown. Check out her blog, Covenant Maiden, to find our more about her.

A word of encouragement

2011-01-09T10:24:00.000-05:00

So many times we may get bogged down in the every day, same routine, wondering if we really are doing any good with our homes. We may even be ridiculed by the world that we are "just housewives". But we can rest assured that God is God, and He has promised to bless His children for obedience. If we train our children up in the LORD, then He has promised that they will NEVER depart from it. That is a wonderful promise!

Here is a quote I came across from Charles Spurgeon that is very uplifting especially in our day and time, even though He said it over 100 years ago!

"You are as much serving God in looking after your own children, and training them up in God’s fear, and minding the house, and making your household a church for God, as you would be if you had been called to lead an army to battle for the Lord of hosts."

Don't give up hope! With God, NOTHING is impossible!

A Great Video!

2010-11-30T10:41:00.000-05:00

Wouldn't be awesome if Christians all over the country started doing this in public places?... proclaiming Christ as King for all the world to hear? This video is a must see! See if it doesn't make you want to stand up and sing to the top of your lungs, "And He shall reign forever and ever!"

A Woman's Question

2010-11-18T19:06:00.000-05:00

A Woman's Question

by Adelaide Procter

BEFORE I trust my fate to thee,
Or place my hand in thine,
Before I let thy future give
Color and form to mine,
Before I peril all for thee, question thy soul to-night for me.

I break all slighter bonds, nor feel
A shadow of regret:
Is there one link within the Past
That holds thy spirit yet?
Or is thy faith as clear and free as that which I can pledge to thee?

Does there within thy dimmest dreams
A possible future shine,
Wherein thy life could henceforth breathe,
Untouch’d, unshar’d by mine?
If so, at any pain or cost, O, tell me before all is lost.

Look deeper still. If thou canst feel,
Within thy inmost soul,
That thou hast kept a portion back,
While I have stak’d the whole;
Let no false pity spare the blow, but in true mercy tell me so.

Is there within thy heart a need
That mine cannot fulfil?
One chord that any other hand
Could better wake or still?
Speak now—lest at some future day my whole life wither and decay.

Lives there within thy nature hid
The demon-spirit Change,
Shedding a passing glory still
On all things new and strange?
It may not be thy fault alone—but shield my heart against thy own.

Couldst thou withdraw thy hand one day
And answer to my claim,
That Fate, and that to-day’s mistake—
Not thou—had been to blame?
Some soothe their conscience thus; but thou wilt surely warn and save me now.

Nay, answer not,—I dare not hear,
The words would come too late;
Yet I would spare thee all remorse,
So, comfort thee, my fate—
Whatever on my heart may fall—remember, I would risk it all!

Are you a Neanderthal?

2010-11-06T20:31:00.001-04:00

Has the thought ever entered your mind, "I am such a Neanderthal"? Well, me neither, but Sarah Palin seems to think we are exactly that. We just need to become more "modern". WELL, {hmmph} I never!

Maybe we need to have a new Geico commercial -- starring --

The Common Homemaker! It's so easy, even a caveman could do it! {I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself}

What does your tongue say?

2010-10-15T10:25:00.000-04:00

Here's a little "conviction" to throw everyone's way... {including mine}

The Home Conversation by J.R. Miller

Few things are more important in a home, than its conversation—yet there are few things to which less deliberate thought is given. We take great pains to have our house well-furnished. We select our carpets and pictures with the utmost care. We send our children to school that they may become intelligent. We strive to bring into our homes, the best conditions of happiness. But how often is the speech of the household left untrained and undisciplined?

The good we might do in our homes with our tongues, if we would use them to the limit of their capacity of cheer and helpfulness, it is simply impossible to state. That in most homes the best possible results from the gift of speech are not attained, is very evident. Why should so much power for blessing be wasted? Especially why should we ever pervert these gifts, and use our tongues to do evil, to give pain, to scatter seeds of bitterness? It is a sad thing when a child is born dumb; but it were better far to be born dumb, and never to have the gift of speech—than, having that gift, to employ it in speaking only sharp, unloving, or angry words.

While in all places and at all times our words should be well chosen, and should be full of the pure and gentle spirit of Christ—there are many reasons why the home conversation, pre-eminently, should be loving. Home is the place for warmth and tenderness: it should be made the brightest and sweetest spot on earth, to those who dwell within its walls. We should all carry there our very best moods, tempers, and dispositions. Especially by our speech should we seek to contribute to the enrichment of the home life, helping to make it elevating and refining, and in every way ennobling in its influence.

Home should inspire every tongue to speak its most loving words—yet there is in many families, a great dearth of kind speech. In some cases, there is no conversation at all worthy of the name; there are no affectionate greetings in the morning, or hearty good-nights at parting when the evening closes; the meals are eaten in silence; there are no bright fireside chats over the events and incidents of the day. A stranger might mistake the home for a deaf-and-dumb institution, or for a hotel where strangers were together only for a passing night. In other cases—it would be even better if silence did reign—for there are words of miserable strife and shameful quarreling heard from day to day!

Husband and wife, who vowed at the marriage-altar to cherish each other until death, keep up an incessant petty strife of words!

Parents, who are commanded in the Holy Word not to provoke their children to wrath, lest they be discouraged, but to bring them up in the nurture of the Lord, scarcely ever speak to them gently and in tenderness. They seem to imagine that they are not governing their children, unless they are perpetually scolding them. They fly into a rage against them at the smallest irritation. They issue their commands to them in words and tones which would better suit the despot of a petty savage tribe, than the head of a Christian household. It is not strange, that, under such "nurture," the children, instead of dwelling together in unity, with loving speech—only wrangle and quarrel, speaking only bitter words in their interactions with one another.

That there are many homes of just this type, it is idle to deny. That prayer is offered morning and evening in some of these families, only makes the truth the sadder; for it is mockery for the members of a household to rise together from their knees after morning devotion, only to begin another day of strife and bitterness!

Nothing in the home life needs to be more carefully watched and more diligently cultivated, than the conversation; it should be imbued with the spirit of love. No bitter word should ever be spoken!

The talk of husband and wife, in their companionship together, should always be tender. Anger in word, or even in tone—should never be allowed! Chiding and fault-finding should never be permitted to mar the sacredness of their speech! The warmth and tenderness of their hearts, should flow out in every word that they utter to each other. As parents, too, in their interaction with their children, they should never speak—but in words of Christ-like gentleness. It is a fatal mistake to suppose that children's lives can grow up into beauty— an atmosphere of strife! Harsh, angry words are to their sensitive souls—what frosts are to the delicate flowers! To bring them up in the nurture of the Lord, is to bring them up as Christ himself would do; and surely that would be with infinite tenderness. It is impossible to estimate the blessed influence of loving speech, day after day and month after month—it is like the falling of warm spring rain and sunshine on the garden. Beauty and sweetness of character will issue from such a home.

But home conversation needs more than love, to give it its best influence: it ought to be enriched by thought. The Savior's warning against idle words should be remembered. Every wise-hearted parent will seek to train his household to converse on subjects which will yield instruction, or tend toward spiritual and moral refinement. The table affords an excellent opportunity for this kind of education. Three times each day the family gathers there; it is a place for cheerfulness. Simply on the grounds of health, meals should never be eaten in silence. Bright, cheerful conversation is an excellent sauce, and a prime aid to digestion. If it prolongs the meal, and thus appears to take too much time out of the busy day—t will, in the end, add to the years by increased healthfulness and lengthened life. In any case, however, something is due to spiritual and moral refinement, and still more is due to the culture of one's home life.

The table should be made the center of the social life of the household. There, all should appear at their best and brightest; gloom should be banished. The conversation should be sprightly and sparkling; it should consist of something besides dull and threadbare commonplaces. The idle gossip of the street is not a worthy theme for such hallowed moments. The conversation of the table should be of a kind to interest all the members of the family; hence it should vary to suit the age and intelligence of those who form the family circle. The events and occurrences of each day, may with profit be spoken of and discussed; and now that the daily newspaper contains so full and faithful a summary of the world's doings and happenings, this is easy. Each one may mention the event which has specially impressed him in reading or in discussion without. Bits of refined humor should always be welcome, and all wearisome recital and dull, uninteresting discussion, should be avoided.

Table-talk may be enriched, and at the same time the education of all the members of the family may be advanced, by bringing out at least one new fact at each meal, to be added to the common fund of knowledge. Suppose there are two or three children at the table, varying in their ages from five to twelve. Let the father or the mother have some particular subject to introduce during the meal, which will be both interesting and profitable to the younger members of the family. It may be some historical incident, or some scientific fact, or an event in the life of some distinguished man. The subject should not be above the capacity of the younger people, for whose special benefit it is introduced, nor should the conversation be over-weighted by attempting too much at one time.

One single fact clearly presented, and firmly impressed so as to be remembered, is better than whole chapters of information poured out in a confused jargon on minds, that tomorrow cannot recall any part of it. A little thought will show the rich benefits of a system like this, if faithfully followed through a series of years. If but one fact is presented at every meal, there will be a thousand things taught to the children in a year! If the subjects are wisely chosen, the fund of knowledge communicated in this way will be of no inconsiderable value. A whole system of education lies in this suggestion; for, besides the communication of important knowledge, the habit of mental activity is stimulated, interest is awakened in lines of study and research which may afterwards be followed out, tastes are improved, while the effect upon the family life is elevating and refining!

It may be objected that such a system of table-talk could not be conducted without much thought, study, and preparation on the part of parents. But if the habit once were formed, and the plan properly introduced, it would be found comparatively easy for parents of ordinary intelligence to maintain it. Books are now prepared in great numbers, giving important facts in small compass. Then, there are encyclopedias and dictionaries of various kinds. The newspapers contain every week paragraphs and articles of great value in such a course. A wise use of scissors and paste will keep scrap-books well filled with materials which can readily be made available. It will be necessary to think and plan for such a system, to choose the topics in advance, and to become familiar with the facts. This work might be shared by both parents, and thus be easy for both. That it will cost time and thought and labor ought not to be an objection, for is it not worth almost any cost to secure the benefits and advantages which would result from such a system of home instruction?

These are only hints of the almost infinite possibilities of good which lie in the home conversation. That so little is realized in most cases, when so much is possible—is one of the saddest things about our current life. It may be that these suggestions shall stimulate in some families, at least—an earnest search after something better than they have yet found in their desultory and aimless conversational habits. Surely there should be no home in which, amid all the light talk that flies from busy tongues, time is not found every day in which to say at least one word that shall be instructive, suggestive, elevating, or at least, in some way, helpful.

Calvin on submission

2010-09-24T20:13:00.001-04:00

Here is an excerpt from Calvin's Commentaries on Ephesians 5

Verse 22 - Wives submit your selves. He comes now to the various conditions of life; for, besides the universal bond of subjection, some are more closely bound to each other, according to their respective callings. The community at large is divided, as it were, into so many yokes, out of which arises mutual obligation. There is, first, the yoke of marriage between husband and wife; - secondly, the yoke which binds parents and children; - and, thirdly, the yoke which connects masters and servants. By this arrangement there are six different classes, for each of whom Paul lays down peculiar duties. He begins with wives, whom he enjoins to be subject to their husbands, in the same manner as to Christ, - as to the Lord. Not that the authority is equal, but wives cannot obey Christ without yielding obedience to their husbands.

Verse 23 - For the husband is the head of the wife. This is the reason assigned why wives should be obedient. Christ has appointed the same relation to exist between a husband and a wife, as between himself and his church. This comparison ought to produce a stronger impression on their minds, than the mere declaration that such is the appointment of God. Two things are here stated. God has given to the husband authority over the wife; and a resemblance of this authority is found in Christ, who is the head of the church, as the husband is of the wife.

And he is the saviour of the body. The pronoun HE is supposed by some to refer to Christ; and, by others, to the husband. It applies more naturally, in my opinion, to Christ, but still with a view to the present subject. In this point, as well as in others, the resemblance ought to hold. As Christ rules over his church for her salvation, so nothing yields more advantage or comfort to the wife than to be subject to her husband. To refuse that subjection, by means of which they might be saved, is to choose destruction.

Verse 24 - But, as the church is subject to Christ. The particle but, may lead some to believe that the words, he is the saviour of the body, are intended to anticipate an objection. Christ has, no doubt, this peculiar claim, that he is the Saviour of the Church: nevertheless, let wives know, that their husbands, though they cannot produce equal claims, have authority over them, after the example of Christ. I prefer the former interpretation; for the argument derived from the word but, does not appear to me to have much weight.