Well I wrote and sent two letters this week that were very difficult for me to write. One was to a dear friend who has left the fellowship of the saints and gone her own way. The other was to our classis. I have never written a letter like those before and was a little nervous. Will my friend hate me now? Will she cut me out of her life forever? I realize that sometimes that is what is God requires of us when we speak the truth in love. The gospel is a two edged sword and sometimes it does sever the ties of friendship and love. Sometimes it severs the bond of familial love as well. I just pray that in her heart my friend knows that I do love her and that my letter was written from that love. God is faithful and He can restore her if it is His will.
Praise God!
Till next time...
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
A Haircut and Church on Sunday
Well, I dodged the bullet last week at school. Back before Christmas, I was having a bad hair month and had the thought that I might as well get a buzz cut and not have to mess with it any more so...I put forward a proposal to the fifth grade teacher (who is a male and sports tresses longer and curlier than anyone's at the school!). I told him that I was sick of my hair and I would be willing to buzz it off but why didn't he and I have a little contest to see if we could raise a little money for the school. Much to my surprise he agreed and the contest was on. I made "wanted" posters and hung them in the hallways of the highschool and elementary (our school is Pre-K-12th grade), made money jars and set them up in the front office and our elementary principal helped me advertise. Up until last week I was ahead with $25 and he had $16. I thought for sure that I would be getting a buzz cut this Friday and I was getting NERVOUS. Much to my surprise the elementary students came in with A LOT of money and HE ended up winning with $135 plus change compared with my $25! All of those people who told me that they were going to make sure that we tied so that we'd both have to get a haircut chickened out when they saw how much money they would have to kick in. Now my hair is safe. This whole contest has made me think about how much our self worth (or whatever you want to call it) is wrapped up in our appearance. I am not my hair. The value that my Lord places on me has nothing to do with my appearance or what and who I am. It has all to do with the sacrifice of my Savior. How I wish for an opening with some of these children to show them the love of God. He has given me the opportunity with some and that is a blessing. I watch them and the middle school and high school students spend so much time worrying about their appearance. They are all beautiful to me. I wish they could see what I see.
Yesterday was a day of great joy for me at my church. Our sister congregation voted to dissolve their charge and to join with us as one congregation. This sister congregation was the one my family joined when we first became members of the RCUS. I have missed those saints so very much. They are the ones who were there with my husband and me when our little daughter was stillborn, they helped us through 2 miscarriages and through the birth of our oldest daughter (I was on bed rest for SIX months), through the birth of our oldest son (he was 7 weeks early). They wept with us and rejoiced with us, prayed for us and worked out the love of God to us here on earth. I would worship with the saints at Providence Reformed church and would wish that my brothers and sisters from Blue Cliff could be there with us. Now God has answered that prayer but not without a time of great testing for all of us. Dear ones became angry when this merger was first mentioned by our former pastor (who at the time was suffering from prostate cancer and wanted the merger so things would be easier for him). They would not hear of a merger even though one of those was his own daughter. When the dear saints who wanted the merger would occasionally visit they would express the desire to be with us always and I would renew my prayer. During the time of trial those rebellious ones tried to get our pastor fired for preaching heresy! They turned their backs against family members, in one case a mother and daughter completely cut a son and daughter out of their lives because these had confronted them with their sin and asked them to repent. Dear, dear friends have spurned people who had been friends and neighbors for years. At public events they turn their backs and refuse to speak to my brothers and sisters in Christ. Oh it ought not to be so!
But through all of the turmoil our congregation has been blessed. My oldest son will be confirmed soon, my son-in-law is to be baptized and join the church and our dear little grandson will be baptized, all on the same day! A new family is taking membership classes. The father began listening to R.C. Sproul and discovered that he is Reformed instead of Catholic and has been attending church regularly. Our elders are much more approachable and have such a heart for the welfare of our souls. And our dear, dear pastor has matured so much in the Lord, as have we all. We have prayed for years for growth, both spiritual and in membership and God has been faithful to answer that prayer. He has rooted out the idolatry toward one family that so many of us had in our hearts. Those who could not give up that idolatry right now are gone from our midst but I pray that God who is working repentance in my own heart will work His repentance in their hearts as well. I have learned so much about forgiveness from my pastor and elders through watching them forgive those who have so despitefully used them. We have learned so much about thankfulness through all of this as well. My heart is full. I know that this emotional time for me will pass but I also know that God is maturing me through all of this and that the joy of my salvation will still be there always.
Till next time...
Yesterday was a day of great joy for me at my church. Our sister congregation voted to dissolve their charge and to join with us as one congregation. This sister congregation was the one my family joined when we first became members of the RCUS. I have missed those saints so very much. They are the ones who were there with my husband and me when our little daughter was stillborn, they helped us through 2 miscarriages and through the birth of our oldest daughter (I was on bed rest for SIX months), through the birth of our oldest son (he was 7 weeks early). They wept with us and rejoiced with us, prayed for us and worked out the love of God to us here on earth. I would worship with the saints at Providence Reformed church and would wish that my brothers and sisters from Blue Cliff could be there with us. Now God has answered that prayer but not without a time of great testing for all of us. Dear ones became angry when this merger was first mentioned by our former pastor (who at the time was suffering from prostate cancer and wanted the merger so things would be easier for him). They would not hear of a merger even though one of those was his own daughter. When the dear saints who wanted the merger would occasionally visit they would express the desire to be with us always and I would renew my prayer. During the time of trial those rebellious ones tried to get our pastor fired for preaching heresy! They turned their backs against family members, in one case a mother and daughter completely cut a son and daughter out of their lives because these had confronted them with their sin and asked them to repent. Dear, dear friends have spurned people who had been friends and neighbors for years. At public events they turn their backs and refuse to speak to my brothers and sisters in Christ. Oh it ought not to be so!
But through all of the turmoil our congregation has been blessed. My oldest son will be confirmed soon, my son-in-law is to be baptized and join the church and our dear little grandson will be baptized, all on the same day! A new family is taking membership classes. The father began listening to R.C. Sproul and discovered that he is Reformed instead of Catholic and has been attending church regularly. Our elders are much more approachable and have such a heart for the welfare of our souls. And our dear, dear pastor has matured so much in the Lord, as have we all. We have prayed for years for growth, both spiritual and in membership and God has been faithful to answer that prayer. He has rooted out the idolatry toward one family that so many of us had in our hearts. Those who could not give up that idolatry right now are gone from our midst but I pray that God who is working repentance in my own heart will work His repentance in their hearts as well. I have learned so much about forgiveness from my pastor and elders through watching them forgive those who have so despitefully used them. We have learned so much about thankfulness through all of this as well. My heart is full. I know that this emotional time for me will pass but I also know that God is maturing me through all of this and that the joy of my salvation will still be there always.
Till next time...
Thursday, January 29, 2009
THE BABY
Well I haven't been back since I wrote my first blog because I became a first time Grandma on Thursday January 22, 2009. My grandson was born at 12:40 pm. Of course he is the cutest baby! I spent two days with him and my daughter and loved every minute of it. Looking at a new baby confirms that God is real, all powerful and that He did create everything there is. When I look at the babies I can't help but think about how hard unredeemed man is that he can't see that!
My daughter did a great job on Thursday. I was so proud of her and her husband. They will be wonderful parents and this has been a real time of healing for my son-in-law's family. It has been wonderful to see God work in that situation. It was fun to be in their little house and to see the great way my daughter has become a wife and mother. I love you, Lena!
I am back at it in the library. It is an endlessly interesting place to work. All weekend I was thinking about how hard it is to get upper elementary aged students to remember their passwords. I guess we all struggle with that and that is why we tend to use the same password over and over again. Just a thought. Meanwhile I will keep emailing the tech person to reset logins so that passwords can be changed.
I am in the middle of reading an interesting series. I am enjoying them a lot. It is the Magyk series by Angie Sage. I have enjoyed suspending reality and enjoying these books. I haven't read a book for quite a while that I haven't enjoyed. Some you just can't get into and you end up putting them back without having read them. That happened to me with Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. I have so many students who love them that I think maybe I'll try again. Maybe this summer I can take the time to try again. We'll see.
Till next time...
My daughter did a great job on Thursday. I was so proud of her and her husband. They will be wonderful parents and this has been a real time of healing for my son-in-law's family. It has been wonderful to see God work in that situation. It was fun to be in their little house and to see the great way my daughter has become a wife and mother. I love you, Lena!
I am back at it in the library. It is an endlessly interesting place to work. All weekend I was thinking about how hard it is to get upper elementary aged students to remember their passwords. I guess we all struggle with that and that is why we tend to use the same password over and over again. Just a thought. Meanwhile I will keep emailing the tech person to reset logins so that passwords can be changed.
I am in the middle of reading an interesting series. I am enjoying them a lot. It is the Magyk series by Angie Sage. I have enjoyed suspending reality and enjoying these books. I haven't read a book for quite a while that I haven't enjoyed. Some you just can't get into and you end up putting them back without having read them. That happened to me with Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. I have so many students who love them that I think maybe I'll try again. Maybe this summer I can take the time to try again. We'll see.
Till next time...
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Too Many Books
This is all new to me. I love reading other peoples' blogs but have only just begun to think maybe I could do it! I don't know whether I will have anything useful to say but I do know that some funny stuff happens in my world! I work in a public school in the library. Thus the title of this blog. It certainly seems to be true in my case. I love to read. I love working with the books, recommending books to students, finding out whether they enjoyed them or not, in short everything that being a librarian entails!
Working with elementary aged children is a lot of fun. They think all books are cool and love the priviledge of checking out books. It is fun to see them grow in responsibility, taking care of the books and making sure they are returned on time. They also tend to think that part of my function as librarian is to remember which books they have checked out, when they are due back and whether they have turned them in or not. I do think I'm good at my job but not quite that good!
A huge part of my life is my faith. I am a member of the RCUS (Reformed Church of the United States) and am so blessed in my church family. The RCUS is a small denomination and there are congregations all over the U.S. Ours consists of about 15 families and we are a close-knit group. We have just endured several years of turmoil, including several trials at our congregational level and several more at the classical level. It has been a time of growth for our congregation but a great time of trial as well. Several members left our midst and continue to slander our pastor and elders. It has caused divisions among families. The gospel is a two edged sword. But through it all the Lord has sustained us and given us great spiritual growth. It has also shown me personally that I still wasn't quite over my idolatry toward some who have been Christians for far longer than I. God has shown me that at any level of church government men are still men and as such are prone to all of the sins to which I am prone. He has also been gracious to show me (through our pastor) that chronological age has nothing to do with one's wisdom and understanding of scripture. I have seen people who I always thought were greatly knowledgeable show that they have little understanding of scripture. I have also discovered the truth of the scripture in its teachings about how we are to love one another sacrificially. It seems so easy doesn't it? Thank the Lord that He is faithful to sanctify us and that He is longsuffering with us.
Well, I guess that I have about run out of gas for this blog.
Till next time...
Working with elementary aged children is a lot of fun. They think all books are cool and love the priviledge of checking out books. It is fun to see them grow in responsibility, taking care of the books and making sure they are returned on time. They also tend to think that part of my function as librarian is to remember which books they have checked out, when they are due back and whether they have turned them in or not. I do think I'm good at my job but not quite that good!
A huge part of my life is my faith. I am a member of the RCUS (Reformed Church of the United States) and am so blessed in my church family. The RCUS is a small denomination and there are congregations all over the U.S. Ours consists of about 15 families and we are a close-knit group. We have just endured several years of turmoil, including several trials at our congregational level and several more at the classical level. It has been a time of growth for our congregation but a great time of trial as well. Several members left our midst and continue to slander our pastor and elders. It has caused divisions among families. The gospel is a two edged sword. But through it all the Lord has sustained us and given us great spiritual growth. It has also shown me personally that I still wasn't quite over my idolatry toward some who have been Christians for far longer than I. God has shown me that at any level of church government men are still men and as such are prone to all of the sins to which I am prone. He has also been gracious to show me (through our pastor) that chronological age has nothing to do with one's wisdom and understanding of scripture. I have seen people who I always thought were greatly knowledgeable show that they have little understanding of scripture. I have also discovered the truth of the scripture in its teachings about how we are to love one another sacrificially. It seems so easy doesn't it? Thank the Lord that He is faithful to sanctify us and that He is longsuffering with us.
Well, I guess that I have about run out of gas for this blog.
Till next time...
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