My pastor shared this John Bunyan quote during a recent sermon and it hit home, so I thought I would share it with you, as well as the following sermon text:
…”But one day, as I was passing in the field, and that too with some dashes on my conscience, fearing lest yet all was not right, suddenly this sentence fell upon my soul, Thy righteousness is in heaven;…I saw, with the eyes of my soul, Jesus Christ at God’s right hand; there, I say, is my righteousness; so that wherever I was, or whatever I was a-doing, God could not say of me, He wants my righteousness, for that was just before Him. I also saw, moreover, that it was not my good frame of heart that made my righteousness better, nor yet my bad frame that made my righteousness worse; for my righteousness was Jesus Christ Himself, the same yesterday, and today, and forever…Now did my chains fall off my legs indeed, I was loosed from my affliction and irons, my temptations had fled away; so that, from that time, those dreadful scriptures of God left off to trouble me now; now went I also home rejoicing, for the grace and love of God.”
o Do you see this? Bunyan grasped the truth of the Gospel! Friends, if you are trusting in Jesus Christ by faith, HE IS YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Top Ten Biblical Ways to Acquire a Wife
This cracked me up, (I couldn't find the author.)
Check it out :)
Top 10 Biblical Ways to Acquire a Wife
10. Find a prostitute and marry her. (Hosea 1:1-3)
9. Purchase a piece of property, and get a woman as part of the deal. (Ruth
4:5-10)
8. Find an attractive prisoner of war, bring her home, shave her head, trim
her nails, and give her new clothes. Then she’s yours. (Deuteronomy 21:11-13)
7. Go to a party and hide. When the women come out to dance, grab one
and carry her off to be your wife. (Judges 21:19-25)
6. Cut 200 foreskins off of your future father-in-law’s enemies and get his
daughter for a wife. (I Samuel 18:27)
5. Become the emperor of a huge nation and hold a beauty contest. (Esther 2:3-4)
4. Find a man with seven daughters, and impress him by watering his
flock. (Exodus 2:16-21)
3. When you see someone you like, go home and tell your parents, “I have
seen a woman; now get her for me.” If your parents question your decision,
simply say, “Get her for me. She’s the one for me.” (Judges 14:1-3)
2. Agree to work seven years in exchange for a woman’s hand in marriage.
Get tricked into marrying the wrong woman. Then work another seven years
for the woman you wanted to marry in the first place. That’s right. Fourteen
years of toil for a woman. (Genesis 29:15-30)
1. Have God create a wife for you while you sleep. Note: this will cost you
a rib. (Genesis 2:19-24)
Check it out :)
Top 10 Biblical Ways to Acquire a Wife
10. Find a prostitute and marry her. (Hosea 1:1-3)
9. Purchase a piece of property, and get a woman as part of the deal. (Ruth
4:5-10)
8. Find an attractive prisoner of war, bring her home, shave her head, trim
her nails, and give her new clothes. Then she’s yours. (Deuteronomy 21:11-13)
7. Go to a party and hide. When the women come out to dance, grab one
and carry her off to be your wife. (Judges 21:19-25)
6. Cut 200 foreskins off of your future father-in-law’s enemies and get his
daughter for a wife. (I Samuel 18:27)
5. Become the emperor of a huge nation and hold a beauty contest. (Esther 2:3-4)
4. Find a man with seven daughters, and impress him by watering his
flock. (Exodus 2:16-21)
3. When you see someone you like, go home and tell your parents, “I have
seen a woman; now get her for me.” If your parents question your decision,
simply say, “Get her for me. She’s the one for me.” (Judges 14:1-3)
2. Agree to work seven years in exchange for a woman’s hand in marriage.
Get tricked into marrying the wrong woman. Then work another seven years
for the woman you wanted to marry in the first place. That’s right. Fourteen
years of toil for a woman. (Genesis 29:15-30)
1. Have God create a wife for you while you sleep. Note: this will cost you
a rib. (Genesis 2:19-24)
Monday, August 2, 2010
Where Am I?
Hi. Where am I? For the 21 people who follow this blog (Hi Mom!), I guess you might be wondering what the deal is. Surely I don't just NOT blog!
Well, its been a crazy few weeks. My laptop broke (still dont have any answers to why). I took a trip to Washington DC with Sherita and Hannah. I have lost a roommate and gained a roommate. I've picked up a side job gardening for an elderly woman (10 bucks an hour YEA!). Ive been writing a book. Ive been continuing my internship at the travel agency.
Whewww. Bear with me.
If you are bored or something, here are some really awesome links I encourage you to check out:
-My friend Hannah's awesome blog CLICK HERE
-"30 Reasons Why Pastors Fail to Seek Counsel for Issues in Their Life" by the Acts29 Network. I thought it was great because not only is it relatable to pastors, but ALLL Christians. So take a gander and think about it. CLICK HERE
-"The Local Church: For Your Perseverance." A Desiring God post. Definitely interesting. CLICK HERE
Later gators!
Well, its been a crazy few weeks. My laptop broke (still dont have any answers to why). I took a trip to Washington DC with Sherita and Hannah. I have lost a roommate and gained a roommate. I've picked up a side job gardening for an elderly woman (10 bucks an hour YEA!). Ive been writing a book. Ive been continuing my internship at the travel agency.
Whewww. Bear with me.
If you are bored or something, here are some really awesome links I encourage you to check out:
-My friend Hannah's awesome blog CLICK HERE
-"30 Reasons Why Pastors Fail to Seek Counsel for Issues in Their Life" by the Acts29 Network. I thought it was great because not only is it relatable to pastors, but ALLL Christians. So take a gander and think about it. CLICK HERE
-"The Local Church: For Your Perseverance." A Desiring God post. Definitely interesting. CLICK HERE
Later gators!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Urban Garden Paradise: Tips and Tricks
Ok, so I've started reaping from my sowing! Look at these beauts'. Not that I am the most proficient green thumb (oops I forget to water kind of a lot), but I figured I would share some of my tricks and tips for urban balcony gardening learned along the way (read: so I don't forget next year).
1. Garden Smoothies- when I water my plants, I make a "garden smoothie!" Combine chopped oranges, coffee grounds, and other biodegradable material in your watering pitcher. (like apple peels, coffee filters, garlic skin, lettuce leaves, carrot shavings, decaying leaves, etc) Pour into pots and stir in for a nutrition infused soil!
2. When planting tomatoes, eat bananas and put the peels at the bottom of your soil before the seedling goes in. This will create an infused soil right off the bat.
3. Mix coffee grounds in with tomato soil, for acidity. They like that.
4. DONT FORGET TO WATER- especially if its going to be a hot day.
5. Keep a compost pile going and hot for some on hand fertilizer for your potted plants- they soak up all the dirt's goodness real fast and need some food every so often!
6. Prune smaller leaves at the bottom of the plant near the base, as well as random stems that arent doing anything. This will allow your plant to concentrate its efforts on fruit bearing and not maintenance of smaller random leaves. (Don't go too crazy with this.)
7. Rearrange plants for best sunlight. After a while you will notice what spots get the best sunlight for your plants!
8. Enjoy your garden and its glory.
9. Take pictures and document the process!
10. Read your Bible and pray every day, and you'll grow, grow grow!
Any tips you would like to share with us?
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Servanthood
"You will know you are truly a servant when someone treats you like one."
-Chris Brauns
.what a necessary word this week.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Restaurant Week 2010
Ok, so I posted about this last year, and I'm continuing to be enamored by the glory that Providence Restaurant Weeks brings to the area!
Providence Restaurant Week and there are some great specials going around. Check out the links and menu's Ive included!
Places that I will definitely NEED to check out:
CAV for their fish tacos or bison burgers, salmon frittata! Whew.
Local 121 Point Judith Fried Calamari Po'Boy, Big Train Farm Cucumber Puree
native corn relish, queso fresco, chili oil, hand cut fries!
Loie Fullers smoked tomato bisque soup, snapper burger, and Pot de creme! Yum!
Pane E Vino Carpaccio di Manzo -Thin Slices of Raw Beef, Tangy Horseradish Aioli, Rucola & Capers, Ravioli con Polpa di Granchio- Lump crabmeat Ravioli, Roasted Garlic & Saffron Cream Sauce- Sign me up!
Pot Au Feu Quiche Du Jour- Freshly baked in a pastry crust with a variety of seasonal ingredients, Pate Maison-
Chicken liver mousse with French Brandy and croutons, Crepes aux Fruits Frais-
A pair of house made crepes - hand flipped – thin and tasty, Quarter folded around sweet brandied cream and topped with fresh fruit of the season. Oh my heavens.
Providence Restaurant Week and there are some great specials going around. Check out the links and menu's Ive included!
Choose from more than 75 Restaurants
$12.95 for a three-course lunch $29.95 for a three-course dinner
Places that I will definitely NEED to check out:
CAV for their fish tacos or bison burgers, salmon frittata! Whew.
Local 121 Point Judith Fried Calamari Po'Boy, Big Train Farm Cucumber Puree
native corn relish, queso fresco, chili oil, hand cut fries!
Loie Fullers smoked tomato bisque soup, snapper burger, and Pot de creme! Yum!
Pane E Vino Carpaccio di Manzo -Thin Slices of Raw Beef, Tangy Horseradish Aioli, Rucola & Capers, Ravioli con Polpa di Granchio- Lump crabmeat Ravioli, Roasted Garlic & Saffron Cream Sauce- Sign me up!
Pot Au Feu Quiche Du Jour- Freshly baked in a pastry crust with a variety of seasonal ingredients, Pate Maison-
Chicken liver mousse with French Brandy and croutons, Crepes aux Fruits Frais-
A pair of house made crepes - hand flipped – thin and tasty, Quarter folded around sweet brandied cream and topped with fresh fruit of the season. Oh my heavens.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Whats on Your Shelf: Mike?
For todays installment of On Your Shelf, we are lucky enough to get a participant from all the way across the world- Russia! Michael and his wife Karen are a career missionaries working in Nizhny Novgorod. I had the privilege of meeting them while I was over there, and they are a blessing.
Check out Mike and Karen McDonald's blog HERE for some awesome updates about their ministry in Russia.
Check out Mike and Karen McDonald's blog HERE for some awesome updates about their ministry in Russia.
Whats on Your Shelf?
Kindle, Nook, or iPad? What do you think of e-readers?
Sony Ebook Reader – I like the Sony, it has it limitations, but it is nice to be able to carry one hundred books at a time – good for long Russian train rides. The Nook gets bad revues. Ipad is too big, Kindle looks awkward. I used to own an RCA eBook reader – it was a first generation eBook reader. The company was purchased by a bigger group, they then managed to bankrupt the company. The reader was really well designed. If they brought it back with “E-ink” technology I would buy it in a second.
Where do you most like to read? Anywhere
When? - Anytime
Favorite genre of literature? History, apocalyptic novels (non-Christian), alternative history I will read the history of anything. Missionary bios and Methodist church history. I am trying to learn to read books that I don’t agree with, it helps me to see things from a broader perspective.
Best novel you’ve read? I really liked Exodus and Mila 18 by Leon Uris, but really how do you decide upon a favorite novel – I really don’t read a lot of what many readers consider “great”.
Most influential book in your life outside the Bible? “God’s Smuggler” the book that sent me to Russia, and “God’s Guerrillas” (out of print) introduced me to missions and the need in Europe
Who are some of your favorite writers?
I actually don’t think in terms of favorite writers – it really depends upon the genre.
What makes their writing great? See above
Do you have any “pet peeves” about writing? Writers who say the same thing over and over again
Reading habits? (e.g., Pen in hand? Coffee? Diet Coke? Music playing?) Coffee if possible, or something cold preferably Coke Lite
Elephant ear or bookmark? Never, never, never turn down the page of a book – I do highlite in some books
Approximately how many volumes are in your personal library? Several thousand. Most are packed in boxes. I have probably given away or sold 1000 or more over the years.
Favorite children’s book? The Runaway Bunny
Favorite library you’ve ever visited? I find libraries overwhelming – to many books, to many choices.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Fighting for Joy and I-O-U-S
Honestly, I have not been very joyful lately, and sadly more than a few people could probably testify to this. It has been an uphill fight to keep the joy of the Lord as my strength- instead of letting lies and sin contribute to my weakness.
Recently while reading some blogs, I stumbled across this blog which featured a quote from John Piper's book "How to Fight for Joy" and it really hit home. The following chunk has been a helpful tool to aid me in seeking God. Take a gander:
I—Incline "Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain." (Psalm 119:36)
O—Open "Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law." (Psalm 119:18)
U—Unite "Unite my heart to fear your name." (Psalm 86:11)
S—Satisfy "Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days." (Psalm 90:14)
I—(Incline!) The first thing my soul needs is an inclination toward God and his Word. Without that, nothing else will happen of any value in my life. I must want to know God and read his Word and draw near to him. Where does that “want to” come from? It comes from God. So Psalm 119:36 teaches us to pray, “Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!” Very simply we ask God to take our hearts, which are more inclined to breakfast and the newspaper, and change that inclination. We are asking that God create desires that are not there.
O—(Open!) Next I need to have the eyes of my heart opened so that when my inclination leads me to the Word, I see what is really there, and not just my own ideas. Who opens the eyes of the heart? God does. So Psalm 119:18 teaches us to pray, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” So many times we read the Bible and see nothing wonderful. Its reading does not produce joy. So what can we do? We can cry to God: “Open the eyes of my heart, O Lord, to see what it says about you as wonderful.”
U—(Unite!) Then I am concerned that my heart is badly fragmented. Parts of it are inclined, and parts of it are not. Parts see wonder, and parts say, “That’s not so wonderful.” What I long for is a united heart where all the parts say a joyful Yes! to what God reveals in his Word. Where does that wholeness and unity come from? It comes from God. So Psalm 86:11 teaches us to pray, “Unite my heart to fear your name.”
S—(Satisfy!) What I really want from all this engagement with the Word of God and the work of his Spirit in answer to my prayers is for my heart to be satisfied with God and not with the world. Where does that satisfaction come from? It comes from God. So Psalm 90:14 teaches us to pray, “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.”
God, help me to find joy, and that that joy will be purely in your wonder and perfectly holy self.
Recently while reading some blogs, I stumbled across this blog which featured a quote from John Piper's book "How to Fight for Joy" and it really hit home. The following chunk has been a helpful tool to aid me in seeking God. Take a gander:
I—Incline "Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain." (Psalm 119:36)
O—Open "Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law." (Psalm 119:18)
U—Unite "Unite my heart to fear your name." (Psalm 86:11)
S—Satisfy "Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days." (Psalm 90:14)
I—(Incline!) The first thing my soul needs is an inclination toward God and his Word. Without that, nothing else will happen of any value in my life. I must want to know God and read his Word and draw near to him. Where does that “want to” come from? It comes from God. So Psalm 119:36 teaches us to pray, “Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!” Very simply we ask God to take our hearts, which are more inclined to breakfast and the newspaper, and change that inclination. We are asking that God create desires that are not there.
O—(Open!) Next I need to have the eyes of my heart opened so that when my inclination leads me to the Word, I see what is really there, and not just my own ideas. Who opens the eyes of the heart? God does. So Psalm 119:18 teaches us to pray, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” So many times we read the Bible and see nothing wonderful. Its reading does not produce joy. So what can we do? We can cry to God: “Open the eyes of my heart, O Lord, to see what it says about you as wonderful.”
U—(Unite!) Then I am concerned that my heart is badly fragmented. Parts of it are inclined, and parts of it are not. Parts see wonder, and parts say, “That’s not so wonderful.” What I long for is a united heart where all the parts say a joyful Yes! to what God reveals in his Word. Where does that wholeness and unity come from? It comes from God. So Psalm 86:11 teaches us to pray, “Unite my heart to fear your name.”
S—(Satisfy!) What I really want from all this engagement with the Word of God and the work of his Spirit in answer to my prayers is for my heart to be satisfied with God and not with the world. Where does that satisfaction come from? It comes from God. So Psalm 90:14 teaches us to pray, “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.”
God, help me to find joy, and that that joy will be purely in your wonder and perfectly holy self.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Experience New England: Rhodey Staycation
This weekend my family drove down from upstate New York to vacation with me in Providence. It's a great situation for everyone- they get a great vacation, I get a great "staycation." If you have never heard the term before, well, it means staying in ones own locale and exploring new things, instead of spending loads of money going elsewhere.
When they come down, I always do a little research of some new and exciting things that I have never taken advantage of, and of course things I know we will all love. They are still in town until Thursday, but I thought I would do a little recap of our Rhodey Vacation/Staycation 2010, days 1-3, in hopes that you will discover some awesome places to check out!
Nicks on Broadway
For some reason I cant imagine why I have never been to this eating establishment. Located on Broadway in Providence, Nick's boasts delicious, local, seasonal cuisine that is both highly rated and approachable. Their Eggs Benedict was out of this world, coming on top of two savory biscuits with delicious handcut ham slices. Their salmon breakfast sandwhich on pesto wheat bread was pure glorious, and vadalia onion corned beef hash blew me out of the water. Go there now.
RISD Museum of Art
The last saturday of the month is a freefor all at the RISD Museum, and so off we went! Quite larger than I imagined, there were some wonderful exhibits on display at the museum from classical style to extremely modern, something for all art lovers to enjoy. There was also an interactive art class open to the public in which you created answers to question promts with their provided suplies, for example, "write a love letter to a part of your body." We were slightly crunched for time, and I image this museum is ten times better if you are not crunched for time. Parking stinks, but it was all free, and I cant wait to check it out next month!
The Mooring
Get the Seafood Pie. This restaurant located along the Thames St, Newport Bay area is a great special dinner kind of place. It is quite upscale, but they serve some of their sides and apps in brown paper bags for an interesting twist! We sat out on the balcony and had a wonderful view of the Newport Harbor. I'll be going back.
Rhode Island Bay Lighthouse Cruise
This one is a show stopper. I random'y found an advertisement for this cruise on a billboard somewhere, and it is worth every single penny. ($25 a person). Leaving from Quonsett Point, this cruise takes you through the Narragansett Bay area, around the Jamestown Island, and into the Newport Harbor. This light house cruise is absolutely wonderful, providing narration and indoor and outdoor seating. Absolutely picturesque, up close and personal views of the ten lighthouses and other interesting sights, along with a perfectly sunny and breezy day spent with family, how could you go wrong? I would recommend this for everyone- kids to elderly, native rhodeys or out of towners. Seriously.
We also checked out WaterFire an artsy festival type performance art where giant cauldrons of wood floating on the river are set ablaze. Its pretty amazing.
I Love Rhode Island.
Let me know if you have any other awesome ideas for things to do or see in New England!
When they come down, I always do a little research of some new and exciting things that I have never taken advantage of, and of course things I know we will all love. They are still in town until Thursday, but I thought I would do a little recap of our Rhodey Vacation/Staycation 2010, days 1-3, in hopes that you will discover some awesome places to check out!
For some reason I cant imagine why I have never been to this eating establishment. Located on Broadway in Providence, Nick's boasts delicious, local, seasonal cuisine that is both highly rated and approachable. Their Eggs Benedict was out of this world, coming on top of two savory biscuits with delicious handcut ham slices. Their salmon breakfast sandwhich on pesto wheat bread was pure glorious, and vadalia onion corned beef hash blew me out of the water. Go there now.
The last saturday of the month is a freefor all at the RISD Museum, and so off we went! Quite larger than I imagined, there were some wonderful exhibits on display at the museum from classical style to extremely modern, something for all art lovers to enjoy. There was also an interactive art class open to the public in which you created answers to question promts with their provided suplies, for example, "write a love letter to a part of your body." We were slightly crunched for time, and I image this museum is ten times better if you are not crunched for time. Parking stinks, but it was all free, and I cant wait to check it out next month!
Get the Seafood Pie. This restaurant located along the Thames St, Newport Bay area is a great special dinner kind of place. It is quite upscale, but they serve some of their sides and apps in brown paper bags for an interesting twist! We sat out on the balcony and had a wonderful view of the Newport Harbor. I'll be going back.
This one is a show stopper. I random'y found an advertisement for this cruise on a billboard somewhere, and it is worth every single penny. ($25 a person). Leaving from Quonsett Point, this cruise takes you through the Narragansett Bay area, around the Jamestown Island, and into the Newport Harbor. This light house cruise is absolutely wonderful, providing narration and indoor and outdoor seating. Absolutely picturesque, up close and personal views of the ten lighthouses and other interesting sights, along with a perfectly sunny and breezy day spent with family, how could you go wrong? I would recommend this for everyone- kids to elderly, native rhodeys or out of towners. Seriously.
We also checked out WaterFire an artsy festival type performance art where giant cauldrons of wood floating on the river are set ablaze. Its pretty amazing.
I Love Rhode Island.
Let me know if you have any other awesome ideas for things to do or see in New England!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
How do we enjoy God?
The Westminster Catechism states that the chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Do you enjoy God? What does that look like in your life?
Enjoying God is a hard concept for me to really grasp, and I don't even know if I’ve gotten the concept correct.
But two verses come to mind when I think of enjoying God, first being 1 Peter 3:12 “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears attend to their prayers, but the face of the lord is against those who do evil.”
I can enjoy God because I know his eyes are on me, and he hears my prayers. I know I am righteous, not because of anything I do, but because his grace has allowed me salvation. It is not about working to gain his approval, because he views me as his own child and friend.
Psalm 15 “Oh Lord, who may abide in your tent, who may dwell on your holy hill? Those who walk with integrity and work righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart..”
I can enjoy God because he has saved me from myself. In His sovereignty I have been made right with Him, have been saved from myself and can walk with integrity and righteousness.
Wow, dwelling on his holy hill? Pure enjoyment.
Maybe its because I am such a doer, but I have to remember always that it is because of nothing I have done that has earned me a place in the family of God, but merely from his pure grace and mercy in my life. And that really brings me enjoyment.
I think enjoying God also comes when we make what makes Him happy- what makes us happy.
Thoughts?
Enjoying God is a hard concept for me to really grasp, and I don't even know if I’ve gotten the concept correct.
But two verses come to mind when I think of enjoying God, first being 1 Peter 3:12 “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears attend to their prayers, but the face of the lord is against those who do evil.”
I can enjoy God because I know his eyes are on me, and he hears my prayers. I know I am righteous, not because of anything I do, but because his grace has allowed me salvation. It is not about working to gain his approval, because he views me as his own child and friend.
Psalm 15 “Oh Lord, who may abide in your tent, who may dwell on your holy hill? Those who walk with integrity and work righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart..”
I can enjoy God because he has saved me from myself. In His sovereignty I have been made right with Him, have been saved from myself and can walk with integrity and righteousness.
Wow, dwelling on his holy hill? Pure enjoyment.
Maybe its because I am such a doer, but I have to remember always that it is because of nothing I have done that has earned me a place in the family of God, but merely from his pure grace and mercy in my life. And that really brings me enjoyment.
I think enjoying God also comes when we make what makes Him happy- what makes us happy.
Thoughts?
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