MamaArcher's Blog

Should We Really Call It a ‘Quiet’ Time?

MamaArcher — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:36:58 +0000

In the verbal actions of the psalms—rejoicing, asking for help, and expressing thanks (see 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)—we talk to someone else, in this case, God himself. It’s fair to say that having a “quiet time” is a misnomer. We should more properly have a “noisy time”! By talking out loud you live the reality that you are talking with another person, not simply talking to yourself inside your own head. Of course “silent prayers” are not wrong—1 Samuel 1:13, Nehemiah 2:4, and, likely, Genesis 24:45—but they are the exception.

……………………………………………………………

God wants to catch your ear in order to awaken your voice. When you have your ‘quiet’ time, or as you walk outdoors, or during your commute, may the decibel level rise to joyful noise and cries of need—and may God listen to the sound of your voice!

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE:

via Should We Really Call It a ‘Quiet’ Time? | CCEF.

Let me know your thoughts on the article after you have read it. Please head back here and share your insight.

J.I. Packer on the ESV Study Bible

MamaArcher — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:17:37 +0000

J.I. Packer on the ESV Study Bible and how it helps to recover and revive the ministry of an adult catechist. Here is a snippet but the short article is well worth the read!

The reason why I’m so enthusiastic about it is largely that it takes a wider view of its task than other study Bibles do. Other study Bibles provide you with information and that’s it. The ESV Study Bible goes a step further. It’s a study Bible which not only explains the texts and expounds them accurately, but it has in it a whole series of articles for the making and shaping of discipleship to Jesus Christ on the basis of the Bible. It can be, in a very significant sense, a single-volume resource for pastoral ministry, and indeed for personal life, because it’s doing the job which professional catechists have been doing ever since Christianity started—teaching people the truths that Christians live by and teaching them how to live by those truths.

The ministry of an adult catechist is something which the early church understood very well. Every church worth its salt had an adult catechist to instruct inquirers. The catechism ministry has fallen very much into disuse in our time…………

………That’s the benefit that the reader of the Study Bible will get from the articles on Christian doctrine, on Christian ethics, on Christian faith and life, and a Christian stance in relation to any number of errors and alternatives that our time has produced.

Read the article in its entirety!

Getting An Early Start

MamaArcher — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:10:44 +0000

Alaskan Sunrise--Image by robinpresta via Flickr

If you know me, you are aware of the fact that I am not a morning person! I do love mornings, I really do! I love the crispness, the newness, and the beauty of the sunrise. But mornings just come too early for me! It seems that no matter what time I hit the sack in the evening it is still hard to rise in the morning.

I have committed to getting an early(earlier) start on our days this school year! I have noticed that when we rise and shine (early) we accomplish so much more. Our days are less rushed and we have more free time to spend just playing (or doing the laundry–ah the never ending pile).

One of the great joys of homeschooling is that you can get up and get started when you like. We have done that for many years, rolling out of bed at 9 or 10. This year out of necessity (so much to do so little time) we are getting up a few hours earlier than in recent years. It is difficult but seems to be helping in the ways I had hoped. There are happy faces and hearts all around when we finish our studies by lunch time! We are no longer rushed to get out the door for our extra curricular activities and dinner does not seem to be such a daunting task in the evening.

One other bonus…….

Living here in Alaska makes it all the easier to fulfill Proverbs 31:15.

She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.

Considering in the winter the sun doesn’t rise until mid-late morning that is now an easily attainable goal! (though it is an impossibility in the summer)

I knew Alaska was a good place for me! HAHA

So are you an early riser? Or a struggling night owl like me who tries to see the morning? What benefits have you noticed from getting up just a wee bit earlier?

Where is the Respect?

MamaArcher — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:14:05 +0000

I have been aware of a growing trend for many years. It saddens me to see this happening. It is the devaluing of those in ministerial positions. I will concede that there are many who are clergy who have abused their positions and many who have disqualified themselves because of unrepentant sins, or direct biblical disqualifications. Those who are called to a position of pastor and elder are held to a higher standard but they are not perfect. They are called to maintain the high standard, to be quickly and fully repentant when they stumble and sin, and to not use grace as an opportunity to sin. That being said, those who are lay members in the church should also respect the position that individual holds and the authority that comes with it. I have seen recently a strong tendency to bash pastors and remove any amount of authority they should carry.

I hear things like,

“I don’t need a pastor, the Holy Spirit is my teacher.”

The clergy system is the root of the church’s problems.

The title of pastor or elder is overrated, we are all called to the ministry.

These statements I find to be very frustrating. Yes, the Holy Spirit is our teacher to guide us in accordance with the scriptures. That point is correct but that does not mean that we do not need earthly teachers. If that were the case then the Lord would not have gifted and called others as teachers, elders, and pastors. I often hear this used when having a discussion with someone who simply disagrees. It is an easy way to say, “I don’t have to listen to you or take what you are saying/teaching to heart.”

The clergy system we have today may have many faults. However, to assume that they are totally set up as a way for power hungry, controlling, high and mighty proud people to loom over you is an assumption one should not make! Such an assumption carries an air of arrogance. Much of the system is set up for accountability reasons. It is good to have accountability. I am often curious as to why people often assume the worse of the clergy. Why can we not trust that the Lord knows best who to call and that they might just be godly men after the Lord’s own heart?!

All believers are called to minister to one another. However, that does not mean that all believers are called to be pastor or elder. Titles are not what is important but once again that does not mean that we should loose them altogether. Those titles describe a position; a position that carries some authority. That authority is not a man given authority. It is an authority given by the one who called the individual, the Lord. The person called does good to remember where the authority comes from and are humbled by it.

The under-shepherd is a caretaker for the sheep in the fold of the Lord but is still under the Good shepherd. Many believed and followed Christ but they were not all the apostles. In a way, it is like in a marriage. The husband and wife are equal but the wife is not the head of the home. The head of the home is still under the authority of Christ. The head of the home is in a position of authority. Is that authority sometimes abused? Yes but it does not remove the need for the position.

In our culture today, there is a trend to disrespect the position of pastors, elders, and others in the leadership of the church and those who hold those positions. In my mind, this is once again a sign of the culture of independence polluting the body of Christ. It is a way to assert one’s independence. It is a clear sign of a lack of submission to the Lord by rejecting those he has placed in positions of authority within his bride. It is a lack of humility to assume that those in these positions are in it for themselves and that you know better. It is sinful for one in authority abuse their authority but it is also a sin for one to constantly be bucking against that authority.

Table Talk Giveaway

MamaArcher — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:57:33 +0000

There is a great giveaway over at Challies.com Below is a snippet from his posting. This is a GREAT resource! I love receiving mine and spending time reading it!

Free Stuff Friday s (W ith 50 Prizes!) :: giveaways :: A Reformed, Christian Blog.

This week Ligonier Ministries is offering 50 (count ‘em 50!) prizes. Each of the 50 (!) winners will be given a year-long subscription to Tabletalk Magazine (or a subscription for a friend, neighbor, hairdresser, family member, etc if the winner happens to already be a subscriber).

Tabletalk is a tool that helps you grow in your knowledge of God and in your love for His Son and His people. Each month is packed with more than 60 pages of focused, practical Bible study and insightful commentary by today’s top Christian thinkers. Over the years, Tabletalk has been recognized for its excellence through several awards. Today, people all over the world read Tabletalk on a daily basis. The magazine is regularly found in seminary libraries and churches throughout the country. Many credit Tabletalk with helping them maintain a solid life of study and prayer.

Click here If you would like to view a sample issue.

Are You Feeling Guilty?

MamaArcher — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:12:34 +0000

Ok, so I swiped this from another blog that I read. Thank you Nate over at Presbyterian Thoughts for typing it all up!

What I found so interesting is that my hubby was talking to me about this very issue just last night! He was sharing about what he is reading, listening to, and learning in his Nouthetic Counseling studies. It is a definitely something to Ponder.

JG Vos, in the 1940s, asked the question, “What mistaken idea about guilt is common today? I believe that his answer is just as relevant 50 years later:

“Today it is very common to confuse the feeling of guilt with the fact of guilt. Popular notions of psychiatry have led many people to suppose that there is nothing to guilt beyond the feeling of guilt, and that if they can manage somehow to get rid of that troublesome feeling of guilt, that they will have nothing to fear.

The legitimate practice of psychiatry deals with neurotic or mentally abnormal individuals only. Such persons may have an abnormal feeling or complex of guilt which destroys their happiness and usefulness, and which is entirely different from their real guilt before God. It may be possible to relieve such an abnormal feeling of guilt by psychiatric methods. But real guilt before God cannot be affected one whit by psychiatry. Guilt remains guilt, regardless of whether we are obsessed by it or unconscious of it.

Real guilt is not a mere subjective feeling, but an objective fact concerning a person’s relation to God. A person may be so hardened in sin that he is entirely unconscious of his guilt, and vainly imagines himself to be a righteous person on the road to heaven. By the special work of the Holy Spirit a sinner is brought under conviction of sin and then realizes himself to be guilty before God and deserving of eternal punishment in hell. Imaginary guilt or the mere feeling of guilt may be removed by psychiatry, but real guilt can only be removed by the blood of Jesus Christ, the sinner’s substitute.”

So feeling guilty? If you are then Jesus is the real answer. He taught us to pray, “forgive us our debts”. So many in our culture attempt to medicate away what only the blood of Christ can heal.

Patience, An Exercise in Self-Control

MamaArcher — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:06:58 +0000

Homeschooling brings many ups and downs. There are the days that are full of joy because your children seem to really grasp the concepts you are teaching and then there are days when you wonder where the children have placed their brains! The concepts that seemed so easily grasped the day before have overnight turned into what seems to be a foreign language. There are days when the children seem to have forgotten things that we have been working on for years! It is easy to get discouraged, frustrated, and angry. I have found myself in this situation more times than I would like to admit.

I have often been told that I am a patient person. I beg to differ with those who say that. In fact, I think it is one of my weakest areas! I may indeed be more patient than some but it does not necessarily make me a patient person. It is something that is a constant battle for me. I want things done the instant I think of them and I want them done correctly. I want my children to understand and remember everything the first time I teach it. I do not want them to not understand. I do not want to struggle to get the point in a manner they understand, I simply want them to understand.

This sounds a bit unrealistic doesn’t it. This sadly enough is something I struggle with daily. Today has been no different. I have a very grumpy little one who just is being difficult. I have a kindergartner who just cannot seem to remember that the number ten is written with a one and a zero. I have an older child who is questioning everything I say. I want to scream at the top of my lungs, “Don’t question–just do!”, “Quit grumping!”, and “One and zero, One and zero, how many times do we have to go over this!”.

I had a moment in the midst of this today where I paused, took a deep breath, and heard the Lord whisper, “Self-Control.”

I did not yell at my children. I dealt with them calmly and kindly. I once again nicely said, “Remember one and zero side by side make 10.”, “Please don’t argue, I really just need you to help me out with this.”, “Come here, I think you need a hug and a cuddle.”. Chaos was once again averted! Peace dwells in the house.

If you had seen this scene you might say I was a patient person. I was indeed exercising patience however it was more than that. Remember what I said the Lord taught me today? Patience does not happen alone. Self-control plays a bit part. I had to conscienceless make the decision to be patient. I had to control my urge to be impatient and too loose my temper. Thankfully, today, I exercised self-control. That unfortunately is not always the case. Exercise is not always easy, it is hard work. It can be tiring! However, the more we exercise the easier things become. The more I choose to exercise self-control in this area of patience the easier it is to do it again.

Then it occurred to me. How many times does God exercise self-control and patience toward me? How many times has the Lord had to say to me, “Remember………”, “Please don’t argue I need you to obey.”,”Come unto me.”? More times than again I would like to admit! I am so thankful that I did not receive the angry, “Don’t argue, quit grumping, how many times do I have to go over this!!” from my Lord.

God truly is a loving Father who shows us how to deal with our own children. He teaches me to love, to be kind, to be patient, and to exercise self-control. I need only to be obedient and turn to him when I am weak!

Thank you Lord for using the struggles of my day to grow me more into your likeness. Help me each day to exercise self-control to be patient.

What Day Is It?

MamaArcher — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:28:00 +0000

Can it really be November already? It seems once again my blog has gone by the wayside. I am continuing to find it difficult to put in the time it takes to maintain a blog. I even missed posting on Reformation Day!

Well, there are several reasons that this blog has suffered in recent days. We are now in our fourth week of illness at our house. It really isn’t anything major but a fever here, an ear infection there, a cough and a sniffle, and as soon as we think we are all better it begins again. I will be thinking differently about a child who says they do not feel well when they only have a 99.5 temp. Those low grade fevers are just enough to make one feel yucky! I can say this because that has been me for the last week. I have been teetering between 99.5 and 100.5, just enough to remove any little bit of motivation to do anything! Prayfully, we are on the mend and hopefully for the long term.

On another note, I have a bunch of great ideas floating around in my head for some blogging fodder. I do not feel like I have the energy or time to make them into a finished post thought. The few I have thought of working……well……let me just say that I am a bit gun shy at this point. There are things I have seen floating around the blog world lately that I would just LOVE to comment on. I am not sure that I am willing to be trusting enough to take the possible backlash! I have been there and done that and I am not sure I am ready to go under fire again. Nevertheless, the thoughts continue to roll through my mind and I may yet take the time to type them up.

There have been other things that are happening. There are things to ponder, trials to live through, others to encourage, homeschool to teach, and the beauty of fall to enjoy. I just need to make a point of posting about those I suppose. I hope you will overlook the fact that I have let the blog suffer some neglect. I will try harder to make it here. Sometimes we just get in a rut and have a hard time climbing out. That seems to be the case with me lately. I will to attempt to do better!

Ok, so if you have stuck with me this far, I have a few discussion questions for you.

Have you ever found yourself in a blogging rut?
What did you do to overcome that?
How much time do you spend a day writing your blog posts?
What is your most favorite thing about the month of November?

Having a Failure Kind of Day

MamaArcher — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:19:20 +0000

There are days when I just feel “off my game.” Nothing seems to go as I planned. There are days when I feel like a total failure and wonder if my family might be better off with someone who was better at (insert anything here) than I am. Then I remind myself, “I am not perfect and I never will be, at least not before the Lord comes!” This road of sanctification can seem so very long at times. I want to be there already, who after all doesn’t want to do everything right all the time! Oh wait, that sounds a bit like impatience, discontentment, and self-reliance! Shoot, I failed again!

It isn’t that I do not have constant reminders of the things I do right. I do. I often have people who tell me. I have a husband who tells me. I even have children who tell me. I see the fruit of my labor in my children. Yet, I also have constant reminders of my failings. I have those who seek to tear me down to make themselves feel better about their own shortcomings. I have the occasions when my children remind me they too are fallen sinners (by attitudes and actions) yet saved by grace the same as I am. I have the Holy Spirit indwelling me as an ever constant reminder of how and how far I fall short.

The thing is…… who do I listen to? What do I do with what I hear?

Failings sometimes seem to make us loose our focus. Do you ever forget that it is the Lord who works and begin to think it is all about you? Well, I will be honest here. Sometimes I do. I begin to think, if I just try harder I will do it right today! A friend recently said when speaking of being a perfect parent, “When my children are asleep in their beds and I remember how I failed, I plan to be the perfect parent tomorrow, then we wake up.”

If I am focused on the Lord. I will hear and take heart His correction. I may even grieve that I have failed so greatly. BUT, I will remember that it is He who works all things together. The work that the Lord does through me is still HIS work. I will be ever mindful of His love, grace, mercy, and power to overcome.

If I allow my focus to be moved away from Him, Satan begins to take advantage of the situation. He tells me that it is all up to me. That I am indeed the total failure I think myself to be. He reminds me of how I was not compassionate, how I lost my temper, and every other thing I seemed to mess up. Only unlike the Holy Spirit there is no offer of grace, no reminder that I am not alone, and no power to overcome!

God will let us know that we have failed. We all fall short. Yet he reminds us and comforts us that we are not on our own. He is working. He is sanctifying. He will overcome. In Christ we are more than conquerors. It is the process of sanctification and we need repent, submit, seek his guidance, and move forward.

Satan, however, will turn us to focus on ourselves and try to keep us there wallowing for as long as possible. We will conclude that we are indeed the total failures we were afraid we really were!

Failing and being a total failure are not the same. Where is your focus when you fail? It makes all the difference in the world.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

A Bathroom I Love

MamaArcher — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:12:29 +0000

A few weeks ago I posted photos of our BEFORE shots of the main bathroom. If you need a refresher or for comparison sake want another look, here are the BEFORE photos. We are mostly finished. In fact, the rest (easy part) will probably take us longer to get to just for the lack of motivation and time. We have to put coverings over the cabinets and paint the ceiling. So please ignore the open cabinets with all of the construction supplies in them! Here are the AFTER shots and a good look at our new bathroom! I did the paint job(you can’t really tell but it is a green color) but hubby did the rest. He did an amazing job! I am so proud of him!!

our newly remodeled bathroom

new lighting, mirrors, paint, sinks, and tile countertop

new white bathtub

white bathtub--tile all around & to the ceiling

new tile floor

new sinks with tile mosaic