Author Archives: Becky Pliego

About Becky Pliego

I am grateful because God, in His grace, called me out of darkness and into his admirable light. When I did not look for Him, He found me. When I was in a pit of sin, He rescued me. I am not walking this road alone, my family is always with me, and we love Him, because He loved us first.

Praying the Psalms -Psalm 127-

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Psalm 127

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.

1 Unless the LORD builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.
3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children of one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Father in Heaven, I praise your name, Rock of my Salvation, Cornerstone of my Faith. I come to you today to ask you forgiveness because so many times I want to build my family on my own, with my own hands, with my own strength. Sometimes, I don’t even want to submit to my husband, and think I know better. Lord, forgive me. Forgive me, Lord, when a day goes by in which I seldomly keep watch and forget to whisper prayers in the midst of all the ordinary. Remind me through your Spirit, teach me by your Word, that if I labor on my own strength I labor in vain. Lord, that I may not forget this.

I want to be watchful this year, Father. Watchful over my life, and all you have given me, but no matter how much I try to keep watch, if You, O Sovereign God don’t keep watch over me and my family, I stay awake in vain. Don’t take your eyes away from us, keep us as the apple of your eye. Close to you, hidden under your wings.

Father, how much I relate to Solomon’s words, it is vain to do and do, and do, and get tired and even exhausted if I don’t rest in You; if I don’t put all my trust in You. Lord, bless what I will do this week, bless the labor of my hands. That I will not complain, but be happy and share laughs and great joy with my husband and children, so that when night comes, I will rest in peace knowing that I have worked with your hand over me, blessing the fruit of my labor.

How precious it is know that it has pleased you to give me and my husband children, each one of them an inheritance from you. You have placed them in our hands as arrows in the hand of a warrior. Help me fight as a warrior for them on my knees, bring me to my knees to intercede fervently for them. Lord, help me put away all anxiety and all the fears of childrearing. I trust that you are watching over our children and that because of your many mercies, we will not be put to shame.

Merciful God, build my home and my life on the Rock of Ages.

I pray this in the Name of Jesus, the Cornerstone of my Faith.

Amen

Becky

Praying the Psalms

Finding Delight in God’s Word – Proverbs 4: 20-27-

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My friend Leslie is hosting this year a wonderful challenge: Finding Delight in God’s Word. I read about it and loved her idea. This year in which I want to continue on the things I have attained and at the same time, be purposely watchful I must not forget that Finding Delight in God’s Word is what will help me persevere. If my heart is somewhere else, if it is not delighting in God’s Word, how can I continue in the way I should go? How can I be truly watchful if I don’t find my utmost delight in God’s Word, the Lamp to my feet?

So, I have decided to join Leslie, and as I keep reading my Bible following my own pace with this little help,  this week I found delight in these verses:

Proverbs 4: 20- 27  ESV

20 My son, be attentive to my words;
incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Let them not escape from your sight;
keep them within your heart.
22 For they are life to those who find them,
and healing to all their flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.
24 Put away from you crooked speech,
and put devious talk far from you.
25 Let your eyes look directly forward,
and your gaze be straight before you.
26 Ponder the path of your feet;
then all your ways will be sure.
27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
turn your foot away from evil.

The first verses are a wonderful encouragement to abide in the Word, to read it and contemplate it. The more I read the Word of God, the more I incline my ear to it, the more I delight in it. And of course I must memorize it; if I don’t do so, how am I going to keep it within my heart?

Verse 23, “Keep your heart with all vigilance,  for from it flow the springs of life.” is a verse we have read and heard, but really, read it slowly, once again. What am I doing to keep my heart with all vigilance? As a mom, it seems that I am more willing to “keep my children’s heart with all vigilance” than to do something practically about my own heart. I know (or I presume to know) that I know what my children should do to keep their hearts. But what am I doing to keep my heart with all vigilance? This goes perfectly with what I am aiming for this year: Be watchful, Becky.

And I keep reading, and I delight to see that God tells me how I should be vigilant:

* Watching my words, all that I say.

* Watch where am I fixing my eyes;  where I am focusing. It is so easy to stop looking at the goal. While doing school with my children and grading, while cooking and baking, while enjoy a cup of coffee, a good book, a great conversation, I must remember at all times that it is that in Him that I move and live and have my being. It is for Him that I do all things.

* I must ponder the path of my feet. Take time to consider if I am walking in the way I should go. Am I building my relationships or tearing them apart? Am I mortifying those sins that I still pamper? Am I walking straight or maybe I am just starting little by little to swerve to the right or left?

I delight in God’s Word because it is there where I see how much I need Him and how much I hunger for Him.

Under His sun and by His grace,

Becky

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Embracing Technology with Some Family Rules -by Julie Etter-

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Last week my dear friend Wendy shared with us her family technology policy, and today I am grateful that my friend Julie Etter is willing to share with us how she and her husband are managing technology issues in their family. It is certainly a blessing to have more than one advice on this matter. Technology, Facebook, Skype, Twitter, blogs, all these are issues that concern all of us, and we must have a plan to safeward our families.

Our family has struggled a bit with what to do with technology. We have been encouraged by many to throw it all out, and others have said just embrace it, we live in the technology age. While we love the idea of the simple life and living without all of the distraction, the simple truth is, we enjoy technology. Not only do we enjoy it, but we do live in a technology age.  There are three main reasons that we have chosen to responsibly embrace technology: 1. Since we live in a technology age, our children need to learn how to use it in a responsible and God-honoring way. 2. We believe technology is not different than any other past time that can be overused. It really boils down to self-control and we desire to train our children (and ourselves) in using self control in what seems to be the latest craze. 3. We aim to not have “extreme” reactions to things that are not biblically mandated.
We live in a time where technology seems necessary. Even our Amish neighbors seem to find this to ring true. We see them with phones in their barns, carrying around cell phones, hiring others to drive them places, etc. I cannot make a trip to the library without seeing an Amish person on the computer. Simply put, our children are going to need to use technology. We desire to be the ones to train them in the proper use of it. We want to set standards and goals before they leave our home to discover them on their own.
I always find it ironic that a parent has completely banned technology because “it is so addicting”. However, their children will spend the whole day shut up in a room, without fellowship, reading a book, drawing, or anything else you can imagine. Now, do not get me wrong, I realize these things are a bit different than wasting brain cells on a video game, but there are still a couple of core issues that stand true: 1. They have shut themselves off from the family. 2. They lack the self control to stop when it is time, and find fellowship with others.
I am blessed to be married to a man who finds danger in the “pendulum swing”. What I mean by this is it is always concerning to see someone swing from one extreme to another. You almost always see alarming results from this action. His favorite teaching on this came from a seminary professor who encouraged his students to “remain at the center of Biblical tension”. Unless scripture is clear, it is best to not jump on extreme bandwagons. In our many years of working with families, we have seen many children rebel after being raised in extremes that are not mandated in scripture. To pretend technology does not exist, would be quite dangerous to a young adult who leaves the home to find it everywhere and they have never learned how to use it responsibly.
Therefore, for the reasons listed above, we embrace technology. However, there is a need for rules. We find that these rules have to be changed from time to time as the children mature and as they deal with different sin issues. After each school break, we find the need to tighten the belt again. Here you will find our latest list of requirements for technology with our children. Please know that these rules fit the needs of our children and are not meant to be taken as law by others. Also, we believe in grace. If you see us making allowances, it may simply mean our children earned some extra grace that week.
  1. Television is limited to weekends for school aged children. Exceptions will be made if the parents desire to watch a family show/movie with the children and all chores and homework are done.
  2. Preschool aged children may watch television/movie once per day at the mother’s discretion.
  3. All electronic equipment stays on the table unless it is being used for school. After schoolwork is done, it may be used, but must come back to the table by 7:00 pm for pre-school aged children and 8:00pm for school aged children.
  4. You may SKYPE, with permission, with friends that have been approved. SKYPE hours most be within appropriate time range of our time zones, not those whom you are trying to SKYPE. Exceptions to the time of day may be made on Friday nights.
  5. Email may be checked in the morning and evening.
  6. Facebook maybe used after all schoolwork and chores are completed. You are allowed 15 minutes.
  7. There are to be no accounts which the parents do not have access to and the parents have the right to check them. Remember, even in the work place, nothing done on work email or computers is private. This is a lesson you need to learn and for your protection.
  8. At the parent’s discretion, we will have a “technology ban”. We will “pull the plug” on all technology that is not work or school related for 1 month in order to be sure we are connecting as a family and our priorities are appropriate.
  9. Each child is required to meet with your mother to develop a list of things to do which are productive and do not involve technology. As with your technology, these activities should not take the place of your time with God and building relationships with those in your family.

Again, I find the need to change these every few months as our families needs a sins change. 

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Bruce and Julie have a beautiful family, with 5 precious children. They have a love for teaching, (and yes, they both are some of the best teachers at VPSA!) they love spending time with their church community, spend lots of time chasing after the little ones, and driving the older ones around to all of their commitments. Bruce and Julie are very special friends to my husband and I, we love them very much!

And again I ask, What are some of the ideas your own family is using to set technology boundaries? How are you setting limits in your home regarding all things related to technology? How do you set limits for yourself?

Learning with you,

 

Becky

Grateful for My Sister

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A sister knows you well,
so she prays for you,
prays with you,
cries with you,
and laughs with you.

A sister drinks tea,
while you drink coffee,
she loves boots,
and so do you.

Your sister and you enjoy chocolate.
Dark.
Both have different ways of doing some things,
but look alike in some many other ways.

Your sister gives you words of encouragement
and speaks hard words.
and loving words.

A real sister encourages you to be bold,
to dare to do things you never thought you would.
like this:

I am so grateful for my sister and for the beautiful time we have spent together these past weeks. I will sure miss her until I see her again, God willing, next summer!

And I am grateful for my sisters in Christ, who have been close to me in so many ways this past year. I love each one of you; you are a gift to me.

Becky

Living by Prayer

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O GOD OF THE OPEN EAR;
Teach me to live by prayer as well as by providence,
for myself, soul, body, children, family, church;
Give me a heart frameable to thy will;
so that I might live in prayer,
and honor Thee,
being kept from evil, known and unknown.

Help me to see the sin that accompanies all I do,
and the good I can distill from everything.

Let me know that the work of prayer is to bring my will to thine,
and that without this is folly to pray;
When I try to bring thy will to thine is to command Christ,
to be above him, and wiser than he:
this is my sin and my pride.

I can only succeed when I pray
according to thy precept and promise,
and to be done with as it pleases thee,
according to thy sovereign will.

When thou commandest me to pray for pardon, peace, brokeness,
it is because thou wilt give me the thing promised,
for thy glory, as well as for my good.

Help me not only to desire small things,
but with holy boldness to desire great things
for thy people, for myself,
that they and I might live to show thy glory.

Teach me that it is wisdom for me to pray for all I have,
out of love, willingly, not of necessity;
that I may come to thee at any time,
to lay open my needs acceptably to thee;
that my great sin lies in my not keeping the savour of thy ways;
that the remembrance of this truth is one way
to the sense of thy presence;
that there is no wrath like the wrath of being governed
by my own lusts for my own ends.

Amen

From the Valley of Vision

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Lord, today is the first day of the year, and I come to you praying this prayer from the Puritans. Thanking You for new beginnings, new mornings, new mercies. All Powerful God, grant me this year that I may live by prayer! That my heart may be frameable to your will, Lord. That no matter what providences you bring to my life this year, I will honor you.

Father, help me to do the labor of prayer, to persevere in it. To be reminded that there is no way for me to succeed in all that you have appointed me to do apart from You; that a life without prayer is  arrogant and vain.

God of all mercies, thank you, because you hear me, and because your ear is open to hear the prayers of your children and You do not despise us, but are pleased when we come before you in the name of Jesus, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

 

Becky

Continue and Be Watchful.

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©Katie Lloyd Photography

A new year is at hand and the reminder that our lives happen in cycles, in seasons is at the door. I take a time to consider how I have lived this past year, a year purposely “lived in the Sacred.” A year of laughs and many tears; a year of sharing so much with my family, a year of big changes, of great gains but also with many hard providences. Living in the Sacred, open before the face of God, knowing that He is Holy and Sovereign, has deeply changed me.

But I am not where I should be… I am fragile; so many times this past year I woke up feeling fragile, so vulnerable to my own sin. So blind.

I have quietly prayed, and have considered this verse over and over:

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. Col.4:2

Holding fast to what I have attained, continuing in the progresses that I have made, persevering to the end; Oh to finsh the race by God’s grace is something that I want to do. And I pray I will with God’s help. This coming year, 2012, will be a year, God willing, of continuity and watchfulness. Prayer and thanksgiving will be my bread.

James Smith said it well,

“Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17

How important is a spirit of prayer! It is . . .
the proof of regeneration,
the manifestation of grace in our hearts, and
the evidence our title to mansions in the skies!

Prayer is . . .
the breath of the renewed soul,
the beating of the sanctified heart,
the effect of the life of God within us.

O that I had prayed more!

Prayer should become a habit with us — then everything would furnish us with matter for prayer. Prayer should mingle with our pleasures and our pains, with our labor and our rest. O for more prayer!

We should never do — what we cannot pray God to bless.

We should never go — where we cannot ask God to go with us.

If we would hold fast our profession,
if we would adorn the gospel,
if we would honor Jesus,
if we would enjoy our mercies,
if we would get good by our trials,
if we would see all things working together for good,
if we would conquer Satan,
if we would overcome the world,
if we would crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts
— we must pray!

Prayer, if it is believing prayer . . .
opens Heaven to us,
unveils the glorious face of God, and
brings down foretastes of the joys of paradise,
makes us a match for all our foes,
enables us patiently to carry every cross, and with perseverance to climb and pass over the loftiest hills we meet with on our heaven-bound pilgrimage!

Those who pray, will, by deriving strength from Heaven, by drawing down wisdom from above — withstand every storm, and shout God’s praises at last.

If I want to be watchful, I must continue to live in prayer, like the Children of Light are called to live; there is simply no other way to do this.

“But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.” I Thessalonians 5:4-6

Puritan Thomas Brooks said:

The best way to be safe and secure from all Satan’s assaults is, with Nehemiah and the Jews, to watch and pray, and pray and watch. By this means they became too hard for their enemies, and the work of the Lord did prosper sweetly in their hands…

Our whole life is beset with temptations. Satan watches all opportunities to break our peace, to wound our consciences, to lessen our comforts, to impair our graces, to slur our evidences, and to dampen our assurances. Oh! what need then have we to be always upon our watch-tower, lest we be surprised by this subtle serpent. Watchfulness includes a waking, a rousing up of the soul. It is a continual, careful observing of our hearts and ways, in all the turnings of our lives—that we still keep close to God and his Word.

Watchfulness is the heart busied and employed with diligent observation of what comes from within us, and of what comes from without us and into us.

May God give us grace to keep pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

May our soul’s strength be renewed as we continue to watch and pray.

Under His sun and by His grace,

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