Category Archives: WoMEn

A Poem by Jean Fleming

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“At ninety-seven, will I be able to write a poem capturing the scaffold of my life? How would I want it to read?”

 

Vermeer, The Kitchenmaid Commons

 

Old woman, keeper of a house,
Keeper of her heart,
Lover of one man.
Her life a scaffold of discipline and creativity:
Morning after morning: Jesus.
Her heart Bible-bent.
Prayers rise.
Every day an offering of various-sameness:
One hour of exercise (Oh, I wish!),
Dishes washed, laundry hung,
Generations welcomed,
Fed.
A good book, read.
Art made life,
Life made art.
Preparation made forever.

Praying that we will live well the week ahead of us,

Blessings,

Becky

On Modesty: a Question for You, Sister, who are Tired of the Modesty Talk.

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Yes, it happens in Mexico too. The “modesty talk,” and all the different opinions surrounding it. The arguments are the same, the same Bible verses about one’s liberty are also brought up. It should not surprise us, we are made of the same material here, in Brasil, in the USA, and Chile.

So, I won’t write another article to try to convince you that being immodest is a temptation for women, or that is a good, good thing to pursue modesty for the sake of God, your dad, your brothers in Christ, your future husband, your children, or your testimony (there are some who have done it wonderfully already).

I only have one question for you.

If you are a true believer and proclaim the love of Christ, why is it so hard for you to just say, 

“Because I love you, brothers and sisters in Christ, and because I have heard that the way I am dressing is a stumble block for many of you (I hadn’t stop to consider how hard it was for you to fight against pornography! Please, forgive me for not helping you!), I will just change the way I dress. No big problem at all. I love you more than I love this skirt or this top.”?

Please, dear Sister, try hard not to answer with one of the old arguments that you have already memorized. Answer this in the prayer closet (not over a coffee table with the group of friends whom you know will try to appease your conscience); be honest and give it a second thought. Pray about it, let the Scriptures speak to you and then answer it before God.

 

May God give us grace to love our neighbor as ourselves,

Becky

Retro-Blogging (1st Time I do a Meme on my Blog)

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I miss blogging and I miss you, my dear readers (especially those who are not on FB). But it is OK, your life -and mine- has continued to go on happily with out any of my posts, and that is good. There is so much to read now, right?

But here I am, prompted by my friend Lisa and her idea to go back to the good ol’ days of blogging in which there were no big rules on what to write and what not to write. And, Oh, especially to go back and re-build the community we had. Blogging “just because we enjoy the give-and-take, the community, the conversation” that is a good enough reason to open this space again.  So hopefully, and with no big aspirations at all, and no numbers (like Trisha said) to keep track of, but instead, keeping in mind all the good things and the good friends that come around in this, my little blogging world, I am back. Welcome again, my Friends!

So for the fun of it, and because it is Friday, and because I feel we need an ice-breaker, I will join Lisa in this Meme:

Here’s 7 things you may not know about me:

1. I generally don’t like memes. I remember thinking to myself -more than once- that I would never do one on my blog (or FB).

2. I still have trouble deciding if I should use “in” or “on.” See #1, I changed that “on”  before “my blog” three times. I am still unsure if I made the right choice (I am hoping that you one of the things you already know about me is that English is my second language).

3. The more I travel, the more I wish I could avoid planes and airports. I like window seats so that I can close the window and pretend that I am not flying.

4. I dream with having my own little Café shop-with a wonderful atmosphere, of course- in which I would serve the best breakfast in town (which of course would not be in Mexico City, because you all know we would love to move to some other place….).

5. I am an extrovert and sometimes I wish I would be an introvert. Maybe that is the reason why I LOVE to have introvert friends. I learn so much from them!

6. I don’t have a favorite color, or restaurant, or kind of food, or book, or anything! My little one (9yo) has learned to ask me, “Mom, what is your favorite color *today*?”

7. I love Ann Voskamp and I apologized to her for the words I spoke -and wrote- that were harsh and graceless. There, I said it. So if you see me linking to her blog now and then, please don’t think that I have abandoned the Reformed faith 🙂 As with the rest of my fellow brothers and sisters, Ann and I don’t always agree, but we continually sharpen and encourage each other to live a holy life before God, and that is a blessing.

So, here you go, this was fun and I am happy to be back.

Thanks, Lisa!

Under His Sun and by His grace,

Becky

Thankful on my 42th Birthday

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Waking up to a new day is always good, and waking up to a new year is such an incredible blessing. I am so very grateful!

My heart bursts as I meditate in the many ways God has blessed my life, and again I can only say with a grateful and humble heart, “Why me, God?”

Today I am grateful for….

The lessons He has taught me, the sweet and the bitter ones.

For the many times He has drawn me to repentance and has forgiven my trespasses.

I am grateful for the friends He has given me, each one different, yet everyone very special, hand-tailored to help me grow in Christ.

Having friends that are much wiser than I am, friends who have taught me through their example -and have encouraged me- to hold my tongue, to pray more, to be humble, to be quiet, to persevere, to speak the truth in love, to stand firm in the Truth when the easiest way would be to do otherwise. I am grateful for each friend who has been there to teach me, to mentor me, to help me become the woman I am now. Thank you for living your lives as open books that I can read and from whom I learn so much. I love you, each one of you.

I am grateful for the years I have been given to serve breakfast, and lunch, and dinner to my 4 children. But even more, I am grateful that God gave me His Word to nourish their souls each day.

Now two more of my children are leaving to college and I am so grateful to see them ready to embrace what lies ahead. I am grateful for every hug, every kiss, every tear, every conversation, every song sang, and every melody played. As I hold them tight and I swallow hard, and tears fall I am more than anything else, grateful. So grateful for each moment shared together.

I am so grateful that when they were little ones God delivered me from the two words that kill the beautiful moments: “Hurry up!” Oh, how grateful I am that by his Grace, we learned to slow down. In a sense, it does feels that Time did fly by rapidly, but I am grateful it didn’t escape from our hands. We have lived fully and that is a blessing.

When I think of the many ways I have failed to fully trust and obey God, of the times I ignored the warnings He clearly showed me, I can only be grateful for the way He disciplined me and forgave me, and  held me. Oh how grateful I am that His sovereign hand never ceases to direct our ways even through our shortcomings!

That God is Sovereign overall, that He is in charge of my children’s stories, that I can rest assured that He will finish the work He has begun in them makes me burst in gratitude.

I am so grateful for my Man. For the way he has loved me and chose me day after day. I am blessed to be his and to know that he is mine.

I am grateful for the times of waiting. For the times of quiet. How much they have helped me grow!

For friends that pray.

For songs in the night.

For my little one that looks up to me with a smile and holds me tight. How much I love her and how much we still have to share! I am grateful for each moment that awaits for us and for the grace to live fully each day and every opportunity we’ll be given to make memories.

For the Church of Christ that knows no boundaries.

For bread in the oven and wine in the glasses, and friends and family to share it with.

God is good and His faithfulness endures forever.

To God be the glory!

Becky

Time to Do What the Lord Wills

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Photo Print by Laura Evans on Etsy

Some encouraging -and convicting- words from the pen of Elisabeth Elliot on the Discipline of Time:

“My times are in thy hand…” has become a part of my life. When the Lord has left me in agony of waiting over some decision, these words have put me a rest. His timing is always perfect, though it seldom seems to me, for my temperament longs for previews of coming attractions.”

 

“There is always enough time to do the will of God. For that we can never say, “I don’t have time.” When we find ourselves frantic and frustrated, harried and harassed and “hassled,” it is a sign that we are running on our own schedule, not on God’s”

On our way too long to-do lists:

“But the lists must be reviewed daily with the Lord, asking Him to delete whatever is not on His list for us, so that before we go to bed it will be possible to say, “I have finished the work You gave me to do.””

Are you feeling frustrated and worried about your endless lists of things to accomplish and places to go? Maybe it will be a good idea to be reminded of these simple truths:

“Frustration is not the will of God. Of that we can be quite certain. There is time to do anything and everything that God wants us to do. Obedience fits smoothly into His given framework. One thing that most certainly will not fit into it is worry.”

 

“Direct your time and energy into worry, and you will be deficient in things like singing with grace in your heart, praying with thanksgiving, listening to a child’s account of his school day, inviting a lonely person to supper, sitting down to talk unhurriedly with wife or husband, writing a note to someone who needs it.”

 

“People wish they had more leisure time. The problem is not too little of it, but too much of it poorly spent.”

On our time spent with the Lord:

“Time management…begins for the Christian with time set aside for God. Other things cannot fall into a peaceful order if this is omitted.”

All these quotes come from the book, Discipline: The Glad Surrender.

Becky

Proverbs 2: Three Ifs

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Shiloh Photography

Proverbs 2 is without any doubt one of my favorite proverbs and this morning as I was reading it I noticed three important ifs (v.1-4)  that lead us to understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God (v.5-8). Three ifs that will help us understand righteousness and justice (v.9).

“My son, if you receive my words
and treasure up my commandments with you,
making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to
understanding;
yes, if you call out for insight
and raise your voice for understanding,
if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures…”
Proverbs 2:1-4 (emphasis mine)

If you receive my words…

The only way to receive God’s Word is with a humble and quiet heart. A proud heart, an unteachable heart will never have an attitude of inclining his heart and ear to attentively listen to what God is saying.  We need a quiet heart, a quiet spirit to listen humbly to what the Lord is saying in His Word.  I have many times sinned by trying to quench God’s voice and choosing instead to listen to my own heart’s desires or anxieties. I have sinned when I have not taken heed of the warnings that God gives us in His Word, when I have been stubborn and have embraced my own thinking as the correct one. And you know what? Those times I have sinned in this area is because I did not come to the Word with a humble and a quiet heart that is always ready to listen both the encouragement in God’s Word as well as His warnings and admonitions.

If you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you…

Again and again, we see this principle all over. How can I possible treasure up God’s Word within me if  don’t purposely do something about it? Memorizing the Word is the only way to meditate on it day and night. And if you think you can’t memorize it, well, read it all day long. Carry the Word with you, have it open on your kitchen counter, on your coffee table in your living-room, download Apps on your mobile that will help you treasure it all day long. As John Piper said, “Let the Bible bring you back to reality over and over during the day.”

If you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding…

James told us the same thing: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” The key word in both passages is “call.” We must call, we must ask God for it, knowing that He is the source of all Wisdom. There is no wisdom apart from Him. Let us not deceive ourselves, sisters, we know no better than God. Before calling your friend asking her for an advice, first search the Scriptures and go to your Heavenly Father in prayer. He has promised to generously give us the wisdom we need to live in this beautiful, crazy, and at times confusing world when we call for it, when we diligently seek it in prayer. The more wisdom I need the more prayer and the more reading of the Bible I need.

If you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures…

So we need a humble heart to receive and treasure God’s Word, we also need to call out to God for wisdom. Now how are we going to do this? Diligently, putting all effort in our quest for wisdom. It doesn’t just happen. It is not like our justification in which we don’t have to do anything to become children of God, no here we are called to action. We must seek it and search it as for silver and hidden treasures. It is a life long pursue, it a day to day endeavor. It is hard work. It means that we might have to wake up earlier to make time for reading the Scriptures and praying. It means that we must purposely bring our heart and thoughts in submission to what God says throughout the day. There are no shortcuts. If we want to grow in wisdom we must strive for it and seek it with all diligence.

Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God…

Please read verses 5-8. See? Isn’t it amazing that the Lord does give wisdom? He has stored  sound wisdom for simple women like me!  When we listen attentively, when we call for it, when we search for it as for hidden treasures we come to understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

Then you will understand righteousness and justice…

Now read verses 9-22. Look at these promises: wisdom will sure come to our heart and knowledge will be pleasant to our soul as a result of God answering our prayers. Discretion will watch over us and understanding will guard us (and watch and guard are strong verbs, they are definitely not passive ones!)

In verses 12-29 we see that when wisdom comes we will be able to discern and be delivered from the way of the evil and of men of perverted speech that deceive with their many words.  We will be delivered from the forbidden women (who always leads to idolatry and foolishness that drives men -and women alike- away from the covenant).

The last three verses give us a glimpse of the end of both the wise and the fool. And I know I want live and end my days walking in the way of the good, keeping to the path of the righteous. I long to live uprightly and in all integrity before my God. I want to live a wise life, so I will remember to listen humbly, to search the Scriptures, and to pray.

May God help us,

Becky