Bible Conference: Listen Online

The 2011 Bible Conference is in full swing!  The preaching and fellowship thus far have been excellent.  For those of you who wanted to be here and couldn't be (or those of you who don't know what you're missing because you've never come), I thought I'd share a link with you.  You can listen to the messages online!  Click here to do just that!

I'm Watching You...

 

         This weekend, I found myself thinking about just how much being a parent has changed my life.  Of course there are the obvious ways:  less sleep (in the beginning, not now), more joy, less time to think about myself (definitely a good thing).  But there are less conspicuous ways, too.  For instance, I can no longer passively watch people deal with their kids.  When I see a “situation” arise, I’m immediately attentive (hopefully not in a rude way).  I want to see how the parents react, how the child responds to their actions, etc.  I want to see what works and what doesn’t so (even though I know it’s different for each child sometimes), hopefully, I can avoid some mistakes and go right to the correct response when we get to that stage in Riley’s life.  I can’t just think about the rapture anymore.  I have to wonder what would happen to Riley if the rapture took place before she gets saved.  It goes on and on. 

Since I was a kid, I’ve enjoyed reading the Elsie Dinsmore series by Martha Finley.  They were written in the 1800s and one thing that has always intrigued me is seeing how things were back then.  The lingo, the wealthy men spending much of their time at home with their families, and other differences between then and now definitely piqued my interest.  Now, I read to see how the parents dealt with children.  The author portrays several different types of parents throughout the series:  indulgent, strict, compassionate, etc.  The differences among the children are pronounced. 

Of course we know that our actions are constantly molding the future of our children.  I always knew that in my head, but I thought that the chronic thinking about my actions forming Riley’s life and heart wouldn’t start until we were down the road of parenting a bit.  Wrong.  We’re constantly discussing what we should do, how we should respond to certain situations.  I know it’s only going to get “worse” as Riley gets older. 

          So yes, moms, I’m watching you.  I’m doing my best to do it with the right heart and not a critical one.  When I see a response that doesn’t seem quite biblical or “right” to me, I’m doing my best to avoid the “I would never do that!” train of thought and stick to praying that I, as well as the mother that I’m observing, would make the right decisions in the future.  Being a mother is the biggest, most important thing I’ve ever done and I’m nervous.  I need God’s help and I need the examples of good mothers:  mothers like mine. 

Either Way, It's a Miracle

As I read my Bible on Saturday, I came to Exodus 14.  You know that chapter where the Israelites cross the Red Sea on dry land and the Egyptians drown as they pursue them?  Every time I read that chapter, my mind goes back to the "religion" class I had to take at Stetson.  When asked if he believed this miracle really happened, the so-called Christian professor (who also happened to be a Sunday school teacher at a local baptist church) had an interesting explanation.  The body of water, he explained, was really the Reed Sea.  This sea is only ankle deep. So, no, of course the Israelites didn't really walk on dry land.  I've since heard this "explanation" several times while witnessing to people.  In their attempts to discredit the Bible, people often forget part of the story... that part about the Egyptians drowning?  I can see it now...  the Egyptian captains turn to their soldiers and say, "Everyone get on your knees and hold your faces in the water until you're good and dead."  Yeah right.

I believe the Bible.  When God says dry land, he meant it.  But, even if my professor and those other guys were right, wouldn't that be just as much a miracle?  Mentioning that usually brings the conversation to a screeching halt, but I'd say it has to make them think.

Cleaning the Shower...

Cleaning our shower is not my favorite task around the house (Read, I put it off as long as possible).  I’m always looking for a way to cheat (i.e., make it an easy task that doesn’t take a lot of time) so I can get back to playing with my sweet baby girl. 

Let’s be honest.  I live in Florida, the land where mold and mildew abound.  My shower can get nasty fast. I recently found my go-to cleaner. This cleaner knocks both of those out in one little coating!  Seriously.  Arm & Hammer Scrub Free Cleaner with Bleach is the bomb at cleaning showers.  If you fight to keep your shower mold and mildew free, this one’s for you. 

All this thinking about cleaning got me pondering something else.  We’re so focused on having our houses clean.  We tend to spend time making sure our outward appearance is kept and tidy.  Are we paying any attention to our insides, though?  Are we taking the appropriate steps to make sure our hearts are clean and neat?  

Here are some verses to think about:

Whose adorning let it not be that outward [adorning] of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But [let it be] the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, [even the ornament] of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

I Peter 3:3-4

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10

Value the Eternal Stuff

<<<<<  First of all, please vote in the poll and make me feel better about how often I clean my house.  


Okay.  I'll admit it.  I’m weird.  I absolutely LOVE school supplies.  Maybe it has to do with the fact that I loved school when I was growing up. Or, maybe it has to do with the fact that I’m a teacher, I really don’t know.  I just know this:  buying college-ruled paper, mechanical pencils, and fine point pens (never the gel kind!) makes me smile! 

I “had” to go to Wal*mart on Saturday and guess what was on sale?  Virtually every single school supply known to man.  Crayola crayons, pink erasers, the works.  If I had oodles of money, I would have perused the section for adorable notebooks, patterned pencils, and brightly colored markers.  Needless to say, we don’t have loads of extra cash sitting around, so I settled for scotch tape and notebook paper.  

As I was walking down the aisles, it made me think of how quickly Riley’s going to arrive at the school-age years.  I’ve mentioned it before:  She’s getting too big too fast.  She’s lost that “newborn” look and moved on to “infant.”  Each new stage is fun (oh how we love the smiles, giggles, and babbling!).  One stage that I can’t wait to start is the school stage.  I’m looking forward to sharing my love of school & learning with Riley.  I can’t wait to set up a school area in our house where Riley and I can spend time conducting experiments and sounding out words.  Where we can study history and work out word problems.    I can’t wait, but I can.  I don’t want to rush it.

But all this thinking about school and learning made me think of one more thing.  If Riley learns anything from her mommy, I hope she learns that many things are even more important than knowing all the presidents, multiplication tables, and capitols.  I hope she can recite more Bible verses than she can nursery rhymes.  I hope I teach her that living for Jesus is always worth it.  I hope, by example, I teach her how to be a good wife and mother. 

So many people value their kids’ educations, as they should.  They focus on getting them into a good college and having them find a high-paying career (which is becoming increasingly more difficult in our present economy).  Those things are fine.  But, if Riley gets to be 25 and makes good money and has a string of letters behind her name, what good will that do her in eternity?  I want to teach her value eternal things.  

For what shall it profit a man, 

if he shall gain the whole world, 

and lose his own soul?

Mark 8:36

Purity Revisited

It's so hard to believe that David and I have been married three and a half years! Time flies. Before we got married, we spent many of our "dating/courting/whatever you call it" days in separate states. That made the purity thing much easier. It's a lot harder to be tempted to go "farther" than the Bible permits when you're 600+ miles apart. When David moved here, though, we knew we wanted to stay pure to please our Savior and our parents.

Thankfully, we weren't stupid enough to think "it would just happen." Sure, we were saved. We definitely wanted to do what was right, but we also realized that we still had bodies of flesh. We also knew that there was nothing good in the flesh (Romans 7:18 says, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing..."). We came up with a list of things that we thought would help us meet our goal of being pure on our wedding day.

I'm going to share this list at our summer young ladies' Bible study tonight, so I thought I would share it here, too:

Before you read further, though, I encourage you to take a look at this post about the definition of purity.

1. Limit (even better, omit) physical touch. I Corinthians 7:1
2. Limit time alone. Romans 13:14, Philippians 3:3
3. Pray. James 5:16, Hebrews 4:15-16
4. Seek godly counsel and prayer. Proverbs 11:4, Proverbs 12:15
5. Dress carefully (click here to read my previous post on modesty and to get the verses that go with this point).
6. Relate to friends of the opposite gender as someone else's husband. Until you walk down that aisle and say "I do," you don't know for sure that you'll get married to that person. If s/he ends up marrying someone else, would his or her spouse be okay with what you're doing? If you end up marrying someone else, would you be okay telling your future husband or wife all the things you've done with your current boy/girl friend?

You definitely don't have to use our list, but if you're not married, I encourage you to come up with a plan to stay pure before marriage and stick to it! If you're already married, be one of those people who gives wise counsel and good advice and help those you know who aren't married. Either one would please our Savior!

Unpopular Opinions

I recently read a forum post where people were asked to share their unpopular opinions. I had to stop and think: What are my unpopular opinions? By unpopular, I mean un-liked by the general public.

Here are a few of mine:

-I believe that placing your faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. If you haven't trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, I believe you will spend eternity in hell when you die. Though this belief has never been especially popular, it's becoming less accepted as Americans get further and further away from the Bible.

-I believe in sharing my faith in Jesus Christ with anyone who will listen (and even those who won't by things like signs and bumper stickers). If you truly believe something, why wouldn't you want to share it? To me, this whole "believe anything you want" trend simply implies that people really don't have firm convictions about anything.

-I believe in sticking to your unpopular opinions, especially if they are biblically based. Don't change your opinion because of peer pressure. Don't change your principles because they don't fit into people's expectations.

If you are truly a Christian (one who is Christ-like), you can't help but have some viewpoints that go against the grain. I encourage you to stick to your convictions; stand up for what's right. Be bold and share your faith with those around you!

Lists: Daily Life, Christian Walk

Although I haven't mentioned it in a while, I'm a huge fan of lists.  While I don't always accomplish what's on my list, I'm totally sold that lists help me accomplish far more than I would have otherwise.  In fact, after I write this post, I'm going to go make out a detailed list for the rest of my day.  I know I can squeeze mopping the kitchen floor, folding a couple loads of laundry, and other things between piano lessons.  

Until Sunday, I'd never thought of making lists to make sure I'm meeting goals in my walk with the Lord.  In fact, I never really thought of setting goals other than reading my Bible through in a year (call me dense or stupid, I know...).  Then, David mentioned it on Sunday and I had the proverbial light bulb go off in my head.  Why had I never thought of that?  So I started thinking (stand back, everyone... it can be dangerous). Why not set a goal of how long I'll pray each day?  Why not set a goal of how many tracts I'll pass out in a week?  Why not set a goal to read my Bible more next week than I did this week?  It's really not deep, I know; but to me it was a real, "Why haven't I thought of this before?" moment!  

So, in case you're like me and don't carry good ideas over from your day-to-day life to your Christian walk, start thinking of ways you can do that.  If there's something that really helps you accomplish your daily goals, why not try to transfer that over to your walk with the Lord and see if it can help you meet those much more important goals!  

Clipart from fundraw.com

So You Want to Be a Homemaker?

There's nothing wrong with that!

When I was in high school, I often found myself having the following conversation:  What are you going to do when you graduate?  Where do you want to go to college?  What career do you want?  I would then explain that I was definitely going to college, planned on majoring in music (it later changed to elementary ed.), but I did not plan on having a “career” because I wanted to eventually be a wife and a stay-at-home mom (domestic engineer).  This always got strange looks and reactions, especially from my fellow students and professors. 

This post is really addressed to younger girls.  It’s okay to want to be a wife and a mother!  Do you need to plan in case that doesn’t happen within “your” time frame?  Sure you do.  You don’t want to be living off your parents when your 48 if you haven’t found “the one.”  However, it’s okay to prepare for the homemaker position you desire (in fact, I encourage you to do just that). 

That said, I don’t think that means you should stop math in the sixth grade because you want to be a stay-at-home mom.  It’s my opinion (I know, I know, you never asked for it) that you should take every opportunity to learn something new, whether it’s math, science, or Bible.  Whatever you learn, the Lord will allow you to use it for his glory.  What if you’re a missionary one day and you’re teaching kids on the field?  What if you decide to homeschool your kids?  Just because you want to “stay at home” you don’t have an excuse to slack off on your education. 

So stay the course.  Do your best in school.  Take classes that challenge you.  Study your Bible.  Prepare for your future; be open to whatever God would have that future to be!

Note: Perhaps I should go back to the bank and thank the lady who helped us for sparking a good blogging idea in my mind!  I would have never thought I’d get three posts out of one statement.  This thought is simply sticking with me, though.  

Proud Homemaker, Continued

I bought the book Created to Be His Help Meet (along with the companion journal) by Debi Pearl yesterday.  Before David and I were married, I read bits and pieces of this book that I feel really helped our marriage before it even got started.  Now, some young, newly married girls at church want to begin going through it on a regular basis, so I bought it myself. 

As I was delving into the first chapter, I found a thought that went along with my last post.  Debi Pearl says:

If you are a wife, you were created to fill a need, and in that capacity you are a “good thing,” a helper suited to the needs of a man.  This is how God created you and it is your purpose for existing.  You are, by nature, equipped in every way to be your man’s helper.  You are inferior to none as long as you function within your created nature, for no man can do your job, and no man is complete without his wife… A unisex society is a senseless society – as society dangerously out of order.

I like her point.  We’re not inferior to anyone if we’re doing the job God created us to do.  Just because we’re different doesn’t mean we’re inferior.  I really like that point.  I think the world is convinced that a biblical view of women is that they are inferior to the men, and that simply isn’t so.  

Proud Homemaker

Unfortunately, in our nation today, many women find the term homemaker degrading. To the general public, it seems to bring a mental picture of a passive woman being controlled unkindly by her heavy-handed husband. In our world, women want to be viewed in the same light as men. They can do everything just as well (I really like a point Bro. James has made a few times: When a woman fights for “equality” and receives it, she should get no special treatment on a job. If she gets a job as a UPS delivery person, should she really get help with the heavier packages? Should she have been hired for the job if she’s incapable of dealing with the size of packages?).

I couldn’t disagree with this way of thinking any more than I do! A woman who lives in a truly Christian home, though commanded to be submissive to her husband or obedient to her father, will be treated with the utmost respect, love, and kindness. She won’t be forced into “obedience.” A loving man who is in submission to God proves he is worthy of her trust and reverence (Eph. 5:33).

Now, I don’t say all this thinking that a woman should, in every single circumstance, be at home without work (the term work is very loosely defined in that sentence. Does the work in a home EVER end??). There are times when the husband you are commanded to follow asks you to get a job. There are times when it is financially necessary (though I think many people can do with far less than they think). The Proverbs 31 woman was obviously a very busy lady both inside and outside her home.

All this is a prelude to the following story story: At the bank today, the lady helping David and me was asking about my occupation. When I said I didn’t have a job, she asked me if I am a house wife/homemaker. She looked almost apologetic and said, “That sounds funny, doesn’t it?” I didn’t mean to contradict her, but couldn’t avoid saying, “Not at all.” David and I just looked at each other and smiled. It’s a job I’m very thankful to have! Even when I had a job outside our home, I was a homemaker. It’s much easier to devote all the necessary attention to that task now that I am not working, though!

One last thought for you ladies: The Bible doesn’t ask us to reverence (Eph 5:33) our husbands only if we deem them worthy. There are no conditions. We as wives are simply given the command. Let’s pray for each other that we’ll do just that.

Michael Jackson

I was in line at Wal-mart today, and the lady right behind me, out of the blue, said, "Can you believe Michael Jackson died?"  I said that I couldn't, and mentioned something about his only being fifty.  She said she was sad because that's how old her husband is.  I mentioned that we're all going to die and the most important thing is being ready.  So, I just want to encourage you to use this as an opportunity to witness.  If random people mention Michael Jackson to you, give them the gospel!  He probably didn't think he was going to step out into eternity yesterday...  you have no idea when it'll be your turn!  

Confused

On my way to work each morning, I listen to the news on the radio (87.7 - CBS Early Show).  I usually get to catch the weather and health watch as I'm driving to work.  Until today, when I leave work, it's usually the news.  With the new schedule, I got in my car to Dr. Phil this afternoon.  I usually wouldn't have kept it on, but something I heard piqued my interest.  

The show was, from what I could gather just hearing a portion of it, about the recession's effects in Detroit.  People were apparently coming on the show discussing how it is tearing their family apart, etc., etc.  Well, Dr. Phil was calling people losers and telling them that they needed to put their families first, get to work, etc.  It's not a time to be picky about the job you "really want," etc.  At one point in the few minutes I was listening, Dr. Phil was pretty much yelling at the audience.  Guess what!  The audience was cheering.  They are interested and care about what he thinks. 

I definitely don't think you should set an alarm for 5 o'clock each afternoon and sit down for coffee with Dr. Phil, but I would love you to take a minute to think about this:  At church, so-called Christians get offended when preachers expose sin; they get upset when a man who has studied the Bible presents God's opinions about false religion and incorrect doctrine. They're more worried about not offending people than they are the truth.  Are we really going to let the world listen to their "preacher" talk about the world's problem and not listen to our preachers who are giving us the truth?  If we are, our nation has much bigger problems than the "failing economy."  

Fixed Reference

If you have spent any time at all attempting to give the gospel to a lost and dying world, you've undoubtedly heard people say, "I'm going to heaven.  I'm a good person."  When you ask them why, they let you know (often arrogantly) that they've never killed anybody, they don't steal, and they help people in need.  After the common response, we often ask people "You say you're good? Compared to what standard?"  In other words, how does someone come up with what they consider to be "good." When you ask that, you get that "you're kidding, right?" look. Nope. We're not.  

A year or so ago, some friends and I were at the beach celebrating another friend's birthday.  It was a bunch of girls having a good time.  We were boogie boarding, swimming in the ocean. Just plain enjoying ourselves.  Well, when we went swimming in the ocean, we got too far out because of the current.  All of us were frightened, worried that we were going to drown before we could reach the shore.  Well, one of us would find a place where we could stand, and everyone would head for that location.  Once again, due to the current, we would reach the girl who was standing and she would have drifted to another deep spot.  We could not find the shallow place because our point of reference kept moving.  If we'd had some buoy anchored in the shallow water, we would have had no problems.  We could swim to the buoy and know that's right where we needed to stand.  But, because our reference was moving, we couldn't find it.  

The Bible is like the anchored buoy.  It gives us definite standard of goodness.  You do this, you don't do that.  Let's make sure we're using the reference that we have in our lives.  Is what you're doing aligned with the Bible?  Are you living up to its standards?  We're all going to fall short, but we need to be giving it our best shot!  On the streets, use the Bible to show people the standard needed for heaven: perfection.  Then show them how Jesus came so that we might have righteousness through him!  

Bro. James gave this same illustration this morning with his own story (about trying to catch a shark :).  I can't claim to have come up with this on my own.  I simply happened to have a story that went along with it.  

photo from www.freefoto.com

You teach Where?

When people ask me, "At what school do you teach?" (though they usually don't use the correct grammar), I always cringe on the inside.  Sometimes, people automatically assume things... for instance, if you teach at an "episcopalian" school, you must have to teach their doctrine.  Well, I'm very happy to say that isn't the case at all!  Just last week, one little girl came up and asked, "Mrs. Brown, how does someone become a disciple of Jesus?"  Of course, I didn't tell her, "Well, if you just get baptized and take communion here every Sunday, you'll be okay."  I asked her if she knew what sin was.  When she said she did, I was able to tell her what Jesus Christ has done to take away all of her sins!  I then explained how she could make that personal.  Then I said that after she had made that decision, if she wanted to follow Jesus, that's discipleship. She wasn't ready to make a decision at that moment, but a seed was planted! Please pray that during the next few weeks I'll be able to talk to her more.  

Now, as for people assuming that I'm teaching false doctrine based on my association with school, I hope they don't think when they see me in Walmart that I'm buying alcohol (they do sell it there, you know!).  It made me really sad to realize some people feel that I would actually teach a child the wrong way to heaven, and I just wanted to clear it up once and for all!  

This conversation with my student made me start thinking about the word "disciple."  I just looked it up, and the definition is "someone who believes and helps to spread the doctrine of another."  Are you a disciple of Jesus Christ?  Are you actively spreading the good news of Jesus Christ?  When Bro. Ray was here to preach the youth rally at BBC, David and I were impressed by his boldness.  David and I are going shopping today... I'm going to see if I can get out 15 tracts.  

photo from www.freefoto.com

Whenever I hear someone talk about “gratitude journals” or “thankfulness books,” I always think, “What a great idea.” Taking into consideration my love of lists, you’d think I’d make a list of what I’m thankful for each and every day. I believe I’ve even purposed to do it. Ha… so didn’t happen. I just read a list of someone’s “gratitudes,” and it made me think about mine. So… here are several things that I’m thankful for. 

1. I’m thankful that the Honduras team made it safely back. I’m also thankful that they seemed to come back with a greater appreciation for the wealth we enjoy in America and a greater burden to see souls saved. It was so awesome to see them all raise their hands when asked, “Who watch someone trust Jesus Christ as his Savior?” and then see the hands go up when asked, “Was this a first for anyone?” 
   
2. I’m thankful for the time David and I were able to spend with my cousin’s three kids on Saturday night. Since we don’t have any of our own, we enjoy laughing and playing with other people’s kids… especially ones as cute as those three! 
   
3. I’m thankful that I have a teaching job for the fall. With the situation as it is, many teachers are scrambling for jobs. I’m thankful I’m not one of those people. 
   
4. I’m thankful for my husband, my parents, my brother, and my extended family. With very few exceptions, we’re all saved and doing our best to live a clean life that would be pleasing to our Savior. 
   
5. I’m thankful that we have the Bible readily available for us in English! When you think about how many languages there are in the world and how many of them don’t have a Bible, it’s really amazing! 
   

Psalm 106:1 says, “O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

I Was Glad...

...when they said unto me, let us go unto the house of the Lord...

Today was a wonderful day in the church house. David preached both sermons today, which makes me a little nervous; but he did a great job. He ventured out into a "dangerous" topic tonight -- apparel & modesty. David did something that very few preachers seem to do (though Bro James does the same): He didn't preach his opinion, he went through what the Bible has to say about modesty.

The five principles that David has found in the Bible and that the Brown family goes by are the following:

1. Cover your nakedness (Gen. 3:6-7,21)
2. Dress modestly (I Timothy 2:9,10)
3. Uphold the distinction between male and female (Gen 1:26-27, Mark 10:6, Deut. 22:5)
4. Be separate from the world (2 Cor 6:14-18, I Peter 1:13-16)
5. Remember you represent Jesus Christ (2 Cor 5:20)

It is sad what so-called Christians wear today. Even if there are those who dress modestly at church, they seem to feel like God's standard varies from place to place. Unfortunately for them, God's word doesn't change when you're at the beach or the pool. Biblical principles must be followed. Obviously, the materials might be different, but the distinction still must remain. Just because everyone else is wearing less doesn't mean you're modest.

Who Do You Love?

Something our pastor said at church Thursday night took me back to the "courting days" of David and me.  When we were in that stage, even when we weren't together, David was constantly on my mind.  What is he doing?  Is he having a good day?  I wonder if I'll get to talk to him today?  Is he thinking about me, too?  I wonder if he's having a good time at...?  Why was David on my mind so much?  Because I loved him.  Why is he still on my mind?  Because I love him.  You think about what you love!

Now let me ask you this:  How much is Jesus on your mind?  Is he on your mind as much as your husband or fiance is or was?  We think about that "special someone" without hearing messages about him or her, without reading books about him or her, and without having him or her answer our prayers!  How much more should we have our mind turned towards Jesus! While your spouse loves you a great deal, and I'm sure you love them just as much, how much more does Jesus love us?  How much more should we love him?  

I am totally "guilty" on this one!  I need to work on loving my Saviour more and more!  There certainly is a great reason to strive to love him more and more!  

More Love to Thee

by Elizabeth Prentiss

More love to Thee, O Christ, more love to Thee! 

Hear Thou the prayer I make on bended knee. 

This is my earnest plea: More love, O Christ, to Thee; 

More love to Thee, more love to Thee! 

Once earthly joy I craved, sought peace and rest; 

Now Thee alone I seek, give what is best. 

This all my prayer shall be: More love, O Christ to Thee; 

More love to Thee, more love to Thee! 

Let sorrow do its work, come grief or pain; 

Sweet are Thy messengers, sweet their refrain, 

When they can sing with me: More love, O Christ, to Thee; 

More love to Thee, more love to Thee! 

Then shall my latest breath whisper Thy praise; 

This be the parting cry my heart shall raise; 

This still its prayer shall be: More love, O Christ to Thee; 

More love to Thee, more love to Thee!

 

How Busy Are You?

Take just a second and think about your day-to-day life. With the responsibilities that many people have today, there isn’t much time to stop and think. Our modern, civilized, up-to-date world leaves us very little time to ponder. 

As I'm sure I've mentioned previously, our pastor is going through a series on the mind of God versus the mind of Man, as well as other verses on thinking, meditating, etc. Last night, we started looking at the verses in the Bible that refer to meditating. 

According to Webster’s 1828 dictionary, here’s what the word meditate means: 

1. To dwell on any thing in thought; to contemplate; to study; to turn or revolve any subject in the mind; appropriately but not exclusively used of pious contemplation, or a consideration of the truths of religion. 
   
2. To intend; to have in contemplation.
   
3. To think on; to revolve in the mind. 
   

Joshua 1:8 says, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

What was the purpose of the meditation? “That thou mayest observe to do.” If we think on God’s word, we will be more likely to heed its commands. 

Meeting the needs of our families (especially the father providing for his wife and children) is a biblical requirement. However, the Lord also tells us not to neglect our spiritual lives. As we’re running about, fulfilling all our responsibilities, let’s be certain to ask ourselves, “Is this the best use of my time?” “Is this going to matter in eternity?”

In order to be successful at something, some level of thought must be devoted to it. If your husband wants to be a successful businessman in order to provide for his family, he is going to have to devote some time to thinking about his business. If you want to be the best wife and mother in the world, you are going to have to ponder how you can best serve your family. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with either of those things. But, don’t we want to be the best Christians we can be, too? Have you been meditating on what the Bible commands Christians to do? Have I? 

Psalm 1:2 says, “But his delight [is] in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”

Is our delight in the law of the Lord? Is dwelling on the precious word of God one of the things that makes you happy? 

Psalm 5:1: Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.

Have you ever been walking by a group of people talking and as soon as you walked by, the people stopped talking. Doesn’t make you feel very comfortable, does it? You begin to wonder, were they talking about me? Were they talking about my kids? My husband? Have we ever been guilty of the same thing? If we’re worried about that those people walking by my hear what we’re saying, we certainly need to stop and remember God is always listening to what we say and think!

This was a help to me, so I wanted to share it with you. There are battles different people deal with. There are probably very few of us who struggle with drinking or drugs; but there are people like that. This is something I would say we all struggle with: How do I get everything done and still keep my mind stayed on Jesus Christ? 

Side note:  Why I don't capitalize the w in word when I'm referring to the Bible.  

I thought some of you might be wondering.  In John 1, the Bible refers to Jesus Christ as the Word.  When the Bible refers to the words of God, the w is never upper case.  Thus, when I talk about the word of God, I don't capitalize it.  If I were to refer to Jesus Christ as the Word, I would capitalize it.  

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I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes...

If you read Tori's blog, I'm sorry you have to see this twice.  I thought it was worth sharing, though!  

All I can say is "wow."  Obviously Oprah doesn't believe the Bible as far as she could throw the White House.  You wouldn't let her have an hour alone with your kids... why let her come into your home for an hour even through the TV? 

Isaiah 64:6: But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Psalm 101:3: I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.