Posted this quote before, but still pondering:

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

"Citizenship in a Republic,"
Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910

30 days of gratitude in the home -- day 23

A common source of dismay among young women is to find that they must start out life with a lower standard of living than what they experienced under their parents' roof. They expect to begin a marriage or a career with all of the material comfort that their parents', who are farther along in life, can provide.

Similarly, young adulthood often means moving to a new place. It may take some time to learn to enjoy a new terrain, a new atmosphere, and new friends.

When my husband and I first married, we moved fourteen hours away from my parents and ten from my husband's. I am so grateful that our new church was welcoming, as that gave us an instant support system. Still, I went from living in a large home to living in a tiny apartment first, and a small rented home later. The terrain of our new home was far different than I had experienced before, even though I was well-traveled. The customs and traditions of our new home city were different, as well.

Of course, newlywed bliss cast a golden glow over all of these changes, and I felt as if we were on a great adventure together. I think it was good for us to build our marriage together and to have our first child together on our own. I grew to enjoy the beauties of the terrain around me, instead of expecting everything to look like back home. Still, there were times when my husband and I felt homesick. Within a couple of years, we moved closer to our families.

I was happy to be back nearer home and am glad that our children grew up closer to our families. Still, there is much that I appreciate about those first years in a new setting. In fact, I can probably appreciate the wonderful things about those years even more now in retrospect.

One thing that we, as parents, can do for our children is to help them be content in their early adult years and in the first years of marriage. I'm sure that my husband's and my parents missed us a lot. Yet, they did not pull on us to come home. Nor, did they say or do things to feed any homesickness on our part.

Teaching young adults to count things for which to be grateful and not to complain about the things that they lack is a great thing. I read of a woman whose married daughter was far from home. She wrote home complaining about her homesickness and about this and that.

Her mother wrote back with this familiar saying,

"Two men looked out of prison bars.
One saw mud and one saw stars."

That was a wise mother.

It is also said that in medieval France. it was the custom for a mother to give her newly married daughter one last bit of advice before she left with her groom. One mother told her daughter, "Every day of your life, find at least one thing to be happy about."

Sage advice.

Enjoy!

30 days of gratitude in the home. Day 22

Discontent is a sin that is its own punishment and makes men torment themselves; it makes the spirit sad, the body sick, and all the enjoyments sour; it is the heaviness of the heart and the rottenness of the bones. It is a sin that is its own parent. It arises not from the condition, but from the mind. As we find Paul contented in a prison, so Ahab discontent in a palace.

Matthew Henry

Book Review -- Eat your Peas, Daughter

Eat Your Peas, Daughter, is a cheerful, sweet, and lovely gift book. It has pretty illustrations and thoughtful lines of text that help you express to your daughter how much you love her. The cute design leaves some pages with white space, so I personalized the copy I am going to give my daughter by adding little messages of my own.

I think daughters of most any age would appreciate it. The prettiness of the illustrations and the simplicity of the message makes it understandable for younger daughters. However, the meaning of the messages means that older daughters -- even well grown women -- will appreciate them. It's the type of book that, if kept by the recipient, would become more meaningful with the passage of time. It could become a comforting keepsake.

I think it would be especially sweet to send to daughters who are away at college or who are newly on their own.

I received this book as a free review copy. My opinions are my own.

Thirty Days of Gratitude in the Home

We had occasion recently to drive through miles and miles and miles of wind turbines in a northern (mid-western?) state. It was a fascinating, oddly beautiful, and serendipitous treat during a long, long, long drive to our destination. The turbines were on both sides of the Interstate, so we had a sense of driving through them.

You never know what beautiful treasures you will see on a driving trip. Once, my husband and I traveled a route that took us toward a magnificent and complete double rainbow.

Long trips in the car are great times for talking at leisure, listening to music you enjoy, and contemplating the joys in life.

I'm thankful for car trips.

Enjoy!

30 days of gratitude in the home -- day 20

Thankfulness for how God has worked in your life...

I think I've miscounted somewhere, because I've been blogging about this subject since November and think I've surely done more than 20 posts already. But, if I spend a little extra time on Thanksgiving than need be, it surely won't hurt!

Have you ever done a survey of your whole life, taking note of all thew ways you've seen God working in your life? If you haven't, I highly recommended it. Seeing how God has blessed you from childhood on will surely change your view of your life. Even if you have had terrible times in the past, you will see them in a new light.

Last night, friends and I were talking about how easy it is to be kind and gracious to everyone else in the world, except for the person dearest to us -- the beloved husband of the heart. We all discovered something. It's when we are frustrated with ourselves that we often become impatient with our spouses.

After I came home, I did a little blog reading. I followed a link from The Elegant Woman to this moving article about a woman in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. This article is especially touching to me, as my mother died of early onset Alzhiemer's, and my father is suffering from mild dementia in his very advanced years.

The article profiles Mary Ann Becklenberg, a retired social worker from Dyer, Indiana. At the age of 62, she learned she was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s Disease. Though she remained active, even to the point of becoming an Alzheimer's patient advocate, her husband, John, began to move into the role of her care giver.

It's interesting that Mary Ann pointed to the same concept that my friends and I were talking about. She writes:

My husband has become my caregiver. He is the navigator and coordinator of my day to day life. He’s rarely short with me, but I’m often short with him – because of my frustration with myself. One of the challenges is to keep humor in our lives, to laugh about the things you forget.

My message to people with Alzheimer’s is this: Be gentle with yourself. This disease requires that you lower your expectations of yourself. That’s a hard thing for most of us to do. The fear is losing yourself, knowing that you won’t bring this self to the end stage of your life.So I look to build my spirit.

I believe in a loving God, and when I’m afraid or down or angry or frustrated, I go outside, whatever the weather, and I pray, “Teach me to be gentle with myself.”

Her message doesn't apply to people with Alzheimer's disease only. If we find ourselves becoming impatient with others, rather than being grateful for them, we can check what's going on in our hearts.

Often, we will find that we are frustrated with ourselves because we know we didn't attend to some important responsibility or we are tired or we have loaded our day with unrealistic expectations or another person's needs are getting in the way of our mental "to-do" list. At such moments, it's wise to take our personal irritations to the Lord to find help and grace. Then, we can remind ourselves to be grateful for this person in our lives.

That doesn't always mean that we will not need to speak to another person about some issue at hand. But, it does mean that we will free ourselves up to talk in a gentle and respectful manner, rather than snapping or whining or nagging or putting the other person down.

A little gratitude and kindness goes a long way in soothing our own spirits and in helping us treat other people with respect.

Enjoy!

30 days of gratitude in home -- Day 19

Gratitude helps us to savor our days. A busy day seems long. When we look back over a string of busy days, however, we wonder where they went. A season, a year, or even a decade can fly by, and we are amazed at how the time passes.

If we focus on gratitude, we will notice things about each day that are special. We will realize how meaningful our days really are.

This is especially important for the keeper at home, particularly if she is a mother with young children. Sometimes, we will wonder how it was that we were occupied every moment of the day, yet don't have an answer for that question, "So, just what did you do all day?" We may have rocked toddlers with skin knees, changed umpteen baby diapers, washed a load or two of clothes, cooked meals, and, viola, it's bedtime. Taking time to savor beautiful moments in our busy days will give us happy thoughts to look back on as we close our eyes to sleep. It will also implant happy memories in our brains, so that we treasure each wonderful stage of life.

When the empty nest comes and time flies even faster and faster to us, a habit of gratitude truly serves us well. Instead of looking back on time that was squandered in haste, we will be able to look back on time that was treasured. We will have the satisfaction of having spent earlier years well. Yet, we will also be able to move forward, because we will still be offering thanks. We will enjoy our new stage of life, just as much as we enjoyed our earlier days.

Enjoy!

Do you have a signature scent for your home?

For me, it's easy to know what other people's homes smell like. But, it's harder to detect the scent of my own home, or, at least, it's hard to know what other people sense when they come into my home. Of course, I know if there's something malodorous that needs to be detected and gotten rid of. And, I smell the immediate odors of various cleaning products that I use and the foods that I cook. But, I'm not sure what is our home's indefinable something that every home has about it.

I do enjoy signature things, such as scents and colors and the like. I'm sort of outgrowing the signature perfume that I have worn most of my adult life and am in the search for a new one. Now, I'm also on the hunt for my home's signature scent.

My husband loves citrusy scents. He enjoys the citrus scent left by the products his office cleaning woman uses. I enjoy floral scents or florientals, but I think I shall try to move towards a more citrusy-signature scent for the home. That is, I think so.

Until I read Brocante Home's article about your home's signature scent, I had not thought about the fact I probably do have many competing scents in my home. I use a variety of cleaning products that appeal to me for different reasons. I also have different candles and potpourris. Sticking to one overall scent is probably a good idea in order to keep various scents from becoming overwhelming.

So, help me out. What products do you use that leave a special scent or scents in your home? I'm open for ideas.

Enjoy!

Book Review: The Dragon and the Turtle Go on Safari by Donia K. Paul and Evangeline Denmark.

I love children's books, especially ones with lovely illustrations. The Dragon and the Turtle Go on Safari is well-illustrated. Both boys and girls might find the pictures accompanying the text to be appealing.

The story, itself, is a nice one. It's not entirely original, as it makes use of a common plot line: Children (or their imaginary anthropomorphic equivalents) who spend a night in their backyard and are frightened when, in the darkness, they mistake normal events for something more sinister. But, the authors do put their own spin on the tale, as the characters are pretending to be explorers in Africa. At the end, they provide a scripture and ideas about how children can help each other to be brave.

To me, the major weakness of the book is that the main characters try to speak as if they were African explorers. The language sometimes comes across as stilted and is probably over the head of children on the younger side of the book's suggested age range. Parents can probably compensate for this by explaining the words or by simply telling the story in their own, less stilted manner.

The Dragon and the Turtle Go on Safari could be a nice addition to a large home library of children's books. I'm not sure that I would include it if I could have only a few books for the children in my life. To me, it's not a must-have.

Enjoy!

30 days of thanksgiving in the home.

This quote from Teddy Roosevelt is one of my favorites:

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

From "Citizenship in a Republic,"Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910

It's easy to spot weaknesses; harder to look for and recognize the good; harder still to live -- really live -- with faith, courage, and thankfulness. Gratitude notices and fosters the achievements of others. Gratitude brings out our own best selves. Let us be grateful.

Enjoy!

The Freedom of Repentance...

The awareness of sin and the chance the Lord gives us to repent might seem to some to be an odd occasion for thankfulness. In our culture, we try to avoid talking or thinking about sin, because we do not want to feel guilty or to be seen as someone who causes someone else to feel guilty. It's true that false guilt or unresolved guilt is damaging. But, healthy sorrow for our transmissions that leads to a change of heart and life is freeing, rather than burdening.

I ponder the words of Karl Menninger, an American psychiatrist who once tried to eliminate sin and repentance from our psychological vocabulary. He later reversed himself and wrote a book called, "Whatever Became of Sin". In it, he argues that we must be realistic: evil does surround us. But, he say, when no one is guilty, no moral questions are asked. Lacking a resolution to the problem of sin within us and within our world, we sink into despair. He notes that America's moral slide cannot be turned around unless we accept personal responsibility for evil and repent of it through action.

Praise God, who saves us from the power of sin and makes repentance possible.

30 days of gratitude in the home --

Being grateful for the home, itself...

Our family of churches sponsor clinics, health and education programs, and a teaching hospital in many poor areas. Near one such clinic, people live in tiny shacks built on a precarious slope. The women keep these dirt-floor shacks neatly and show hospitality. It's a rare luxury there to have even one pretty decorate item in the home.

We've all seen news coverage of natural disaster areas, such as Haiti and New Orleans, in which many people are suddenly displaced from their homes. In our family of churches, there is a church in Haiti. The members there made their way to the building and small grounds surrounding it and made sure that everyone was ok. Those who had lost their homes took shelter there, with each other, and built each other up in faith.

Even in the midst of affluence, a home can be lost. Some friends of mine watched helplessly as their neighbors' house burned to the ground. Their neighbors got out safely, but only with the night-clothes on their back and shoes hastily thrown on without socks on their feet. The community has pitched in to help this family. Likely, they have insurance and will be able to replace their house and furniture. Yet, this does serve as a reminder that we can't place our sense of home and our security in material possessions, which can be burned, stolen, damaged, or otherwise destroyed.

There are women in this world who do not have access to enough clean water for their families to drink, for their clothes to be washed, and for their homes to be cleaned well. There are others who struggle to put food on the table. Some live in refugee tents. Others live in shelters set up for women and children who are fleeing abusive situations.

True Christians are blessed by God to have a citizenship in heaven and a Savior who is coming back to take us to his home. Phil. 3:20. As the old song says, "This world is not my home; I'm just a-passing through."

Sometimes, when striving to be more excellent in my stewardship of our home, I can find myself building my own little kingdom in order to bring glory and comfort to me. What happens when I slip into that? I become complacent, which is all together a different thing than godly contentment. Or, I become frustrated when things don't go as I envisioned and my complacency is interrupted by life. Yet, when I repent of this self-focus and surrender all that I do to the glory of God, then I see things more clearly.

If our hearts are in heaven (Luke 12:34), then we carry home with us. No matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, we can be content. No matter where we are, we can love God and love others. We can share the gospel with others, so that they, too, will find their true and eternal home in heaven. We also give sacrificially to others, for we know that accumulating possessions here on earth isn't the sum of our life. (Luke 12:15)

Sometimes, I lie in bed on a rainy or cold night and think how grateful I am that God has given me a warm place to sleep. If I were to think about it more, I'd be grateful all day for things like clean, running water, indoor plumbing, household appliances, cars, dishes, glasses, clothes, shoes, etc. And, this is something that I do want to have in my thoughts -- a profound gratitude that God has given me a temporary shelter on this earth and a sense of joy in managing it for His glory.

Enjoy!

30 days of gratitude in the home...

In I John 3, John says, "See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children and God, and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know him."

That is a love to be thankful for! It's only in one sense that everyone is born a child of God and that is in the sense that we are all children of Adam. Yet, sin makes of us estranged children. We are not part of God's family until God restores that relationship.

John 1 says, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." To those who accept Christ, Jesus gives the right to become children of God. Accepting Him opens our hearts to hear how we might become so.

Ephesians 1 says of Christians that "God predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will". Ephesians 2:10 tells us "Go then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and are of God's households."

I Peter 1:14 gives this as a motivation for godly living: "As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your behavior.

In I John, John goes on to say that if we are children of God, the world will not know it. This is because they do not know the Father.

In the movie "An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving, a young widow struggled to keep her family together. She and her children were treated poorly by the wife of their landlord. Likewise, few people in the town saw anything special about them.

Then, one day, the young woman's mother arrives in town. Through this event, the townspeople learn that the widow is the daughter of a wealthy and famous industrialist who died and left her mother a fortune.

Once the people learn who the woman's father is, their treatment of her changes. In particular, the landlady now is eager to be friends with her tenant. Nothing about the daughter changed to make people respond to her with more kindness. It was the people who changed when they learned who her father was. She displayed a fine character before people knew her position and a fine character after people knew her position.

In the same way, if we are children of God, the world will not recognize it. In fact, we may be mistreated. However, children of God do not lose their confidence in the face of mistreatment from the world. The true child of God knows that he or she has been called to make the Father known to as many as will listen and become children of God, themselves. The child of God knows that the Father, "is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9. We are also called to be made more like Christ and to purify our character in readiness for the day we are called to stand before the Father.

For the child of God, knowing God the Father brings security and humility, but not pride. The child of God understands that it's only because of God's magnificent love that he or she is adopted by Him. The child of God is ever-grateful for this gift made possible only through Christ's blood.

So, if we are truly children of God, we can live with gratitude in this world, even if, in this world, we face temptations, trials, and persecution. We know that our standing before God is not changed by whether or not people recognize us. We can be happy and content in all situations, as Paul says in Philippians that he learned to be. We can also choose to love others as Christ loved us.

Children of God rejoice with John when he says, "Beloved, now we are chlidren of God, and it has not appeared as what we will be. We know that when he appears, we shall be like HIm, because we will see Him just as He is." I John 3:2

Enjoy!

Book Review -- Love by Calvin Miller

Love by Calvin Miller was one of Book Sneeze's Valentine's Day offerings. (I'm late in posting a review). I think it's a wonderful idea to give a book about God's love to honor the day. This book consists of scriptures references with illustrative stories and questions for a reader to ponder or a group to discuss. If I could have only one book about God's love, this wouldn't be it. I've read other works about this theme that are more captivating and more thorough. However, it is worth reading.

Enjoy!

Gratitude in the Home...

If I can write an unkind letter, speak an unkind word, think an unkind thought without grief and shame, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I do not feel far more for the grieved Savior than for my worried self when troublesome things occur, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I can rebuke without a pang, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If my attitude be one of fear, not faith, about one who has disappointed me; if I say, "Just what I expected" if a fall occurs, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I am afraid to speak the truth, lest I lose affection, or lest the one concerned should say, "You do not understand," or because I fear to lose my reputation for kindness; if I put my own good name before the other's highest good, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I am content to heal a hurt slightly, saying "Peace, peace," where there is no peace; if I forget the poignant word "Let love be without dissimulation" and blunt the edge of truth, speaking not right things but smooth things, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I hold on to choices of any kind, just because they are my choice, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I am soft to myself and slide comfortably into self-pity and self-sympathy; If I do not by the grace of God practice fortitude, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I myself dominate myself, if my thoughts revolve round myself, if I am so occupied with myself I rarely have "a heart at leisure from itself," then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If, the moment I am conscious of the shadow of self crossing my threshold, I do not shut the door, and keep that door shut, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I cannot in honest happiness take the second place (or the twentieth); if I cannot take the first without making a fuss about my unworthiness, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I take offense easily, if I am content to continue in a cool unfriendliness, though friendship be possible, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I feel injured when another lays to my charge things that I know not, forgetting that my sinless Savior trod this path to the end, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I feel bitter toward those who condemn me, as it seems to me, unjustly, forgetting that if they knew me as I know myself they would condemn me much more, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If souls can suffer alongside, and I hardly know it, because the spirit of discernment is not in me, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If the praise of others elates me and their blame depresses me; if I cannot rest under misunderstanding without defending myself; if I love to be loved more than to love, to be served more than to serve, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I crave hungrily to be used to show the way of liberty to a soul in bondage, instead of caring only that it be delivered; if I nurse my disappointment when I fail, instead of asking that to another the word of release may be given, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I do not forget about such a trifle as personal success, so that it never crosses my mind, or if it does, is never given room there; if the cup of flattery tastes sweet to me, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If in the fellowship of service I seek to attach a friend to myself, so that others are caused to feel unwanted; if my friendships do not draw others deeper in, but are ungenerous (to myself, for myself), then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I refuse to allow one who is dear to me to suffer for the sake of Christ, if I do not see such suffering as the greatest honor that can be offered to any follower of the Crucified, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I slip into the place that can be filled by Christ alone, making myself the first necessity to a soul instead of leading it to fasten upon Him, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If my interest in the work of others is cool; if I think in terms of my own special work; if the burdens of others are not my burdens too, and their joys mine, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I wonder why something trying is allowed, and press for prayer that it may be removed; if I cannot be trusted with any disappointment, and cannot go on in peace under any mystery, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If the ultimate, the hardest, cannot be asked of me; if my fellows hesitate to ask it and turn to someone else, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I covet any place on earth but the dust at the foot of the Cross, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

That which I know not, teach Thou me, O Lord, my God.

From If (Calvary Love)

Lovely thought of the day:

Sweet stream that winds through yonder glade,
Apt emblem of a virtuous maid
Silent and chaste she steals along,
Far from the world's gay busy throng:
With gentle yet prevailing force,
Intent upon her destined course;
Graceful and useful all she does,
Blessing and blest where'er she goes;
Pure-bosom'd as that watery glass,
And Heaven reflected in her face.

To A Young Lady

By William Cowper

30 days of gratitude in the home -- day 14

Teaching children to be grateful for toys and possessions....

Too many toys can be overwhelming to young children. Instead of settling down for creative play time, they become restless. Plus, if they are given too many things at once, they often flit from one thing to another and scatter their toys about. Picking up thus becomes a chore that can be overwhelming to both mother and child. If a child is innundated with too much of a good thing, it's hard for that child to learn gratitude for his or her possessions. Deciding how many choices of play things to give to a child at one time is a personal decision best made by the parents who know their child's limits.

When my children were preschooler, another mother shared this tip with me. Her children would often receive several toys at Christmas and for birthdays. The givers of these toys -- i.e. grandparents -- meant well, but sometimes gave more than the mother thought her children could really enjoy. Instead of giving her children all of these things to play with at once, she divided the toys into thirds, bringing down only one third at a time in a year-long rotation. Thus, her children thoroughly played with and enjoyed a smaller subset of toys. When it was time for a new rotation, it was as if the children were receiving new things to play with. They were grateful and mother, children, and grandparents were happy.

Another mother shared with me that she was ruthless about culling down the toy chest by giving away toys that were no longer being used and disposing of items that were worn out or broken.

Letting a child pick a toy from among his own to give to a toy drive is another way of helping a child learn gratitude. This works best if the child thinks of this on his or her own because he or she sees your example of giving to others. It also works if the child is agreeable to the suggestion that each person in the family give to such a drive. Coercing a child to give when it's not in his or her heart is not as effective in teaching gratitude. Some children are not ready to give a toy in this manner, and it's best not to make the child feel pressured. Likewise, a young child may happily give things away without realizing that those things aren't coming back. In such cases, parents can encourage the child's giving spirit but ensure that the child retains things he would miss later.

Involving your child in the care of and clean-up of his or her own possessions is another way to help a child learn gratitude. Even young toddlers can help pick up toys and put them in containers or on low shelves. As the child grows, he or she can learn more responsibility for his or her own possessions.

Enjoy!

Book Review

Randy Alcorn, The Goodness of God, gift size edition.

Randy Alcorn's book, The Goodness of God, is subtitled, Assurance of Purpose in the Midst of Suffering. The version I have, which is a review copy sent to me by Multnomah's Blogging for Books program, is abridged from a longer book dealing with the same subject.

The issue of suffering is a deep one. Alcorn points the reader to a deeper knowledge of and trust in the Lord, which -- in the end -- is what we cling to when going through trials. He says,

"In our times of suffering, God doesn't give answers as much as he gives himself. And already, in the bible, h has revealed more than enough of himself to give us solid reasons for faith -- yet not enough to make our faith unnecessary."

He also writes, "Because Jesus willingly entered this world of evil and suffering and didn't spare himself, but took on the worst of it for my sake and yours, he has earned my trust even for what I can't understand."

Alcorn doesn't ask the reader to accept suffering on blind faith, but offers perspectives about evil and suffering that help build trust in God's sovereignty and goodness. It certainly gave me some good food for thought. I read it quickly once and intend to read it again so that I can ponder some of his points more deeply.

This is the kind of book to read and study in those moments when things are going well in order to have a good foundation for any trials that might come later. I'm not sure whether or not I would give this book to someone who was in the throes of an acute tragedy. What helps people in the first moments of suffering or trial varies, and I would consider whether a particular person would find this book to be of comfort in such a time or not before giving it to him or her. However, I would more likely give it as a gift to someone who struggles with the issue of suffering in general or to someone who is facing a chronic trial or who is already past the first shock of suffering.

The book is written mostly for those who already have some kind of faith in the Lord. It does include a section at the end aimed to the person who has never come into a relationship with Christ. Here's my only criticism of the book: This little section is the standard presentation that occurs in many religious books. It assumes that the person can become a Christian simply by reading this book and "praying Jesus into their heart". My conviction is that this does readers a terrible disservice by 1) taking certain scriptures out of their context as written to Christians and using them -- wrongly -- as a basis for initial conversion, 2) failing to present the full truth and beauty of the gospel the way the apostles showed us throughout the book of Acts and 3) leaving out the personal relationships needed to help a person become a disciple of Jesus, to connect with Jesus' sacrifice for us and his grace, and to be nurtured in the faith. (See Matthew 28:18-20).

Enjoy!

Gratefulness in the home....

Young people (and not so young people) often imagine that a cynical, blasé demeanor makes them seem more sophisticated and mature. In fact, one of the definitions given for the word blasé in the Free Dictionary
is very sophisticated.

I suppose this phenomenon has been going on for generations -- perhaps even back to Adam and Eve's progeny. There's always a set of young people who don't want to appear naive, and so they affect a cool disdain for everything and everyone they imagine falls short of their crowd's tastes and beliefs. If indulged in, this can form a habit of complaining, rather than being grateful.

In truth, not only is gratitude a godly virtue, it earns more respect from others than complaints and disdain do. A sign of maturity is to be able to find something to appreciate in every person and in every circumstance. That's not to say that we always agree with others or that we are happy about every situation in our lives. There is a time to respectfully stand for our beliefs, even if it means hurting someone's feelings or losing their good opinion of us. Even in that, however, we can wish the best for those with whom we must disagree. We can choose to be gracious, rather than to be bitter. By the same token, we can look for the good even in hard times, and we can maintain our peace, as the well-known prayer says, by doing what we can to change what we can and accepting what we can't.

Consider what sages and celebrities have said about gratitude:

"Gratitude is the sign of noble souls", said Aesop.

Epictetus puts it this way: "He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has."

Writer A. J. Cronin said, "Gratitude is something of which none of us can give too much.
For on the smiles, the thanks we give, our little gestures of appreciation,
our neighbors build their philosophy of life."

Elsie DeWolf, style maven of the early twentieth century, used to embroider pillows with the motto, "Never complain; never explain". This saying, which has been attributed to a number of sources, has inspired several historical figures to avoid complaining and making excuses.

Audrey Hepburn, who was known for her graciousness to others and her uncomplaining attitude said, "People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived,
reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone."

"I firmly believe that in every situation, no matter how difficult, God extends grace greater than the hardship, and strength and peace of mind that can lead us to a place higher than where we were before," said Andy Griffith

Actress Renee Zellweger says, ""I'm very blessed with people who will go great distance out of their way to help not just me, but other people in their lives. I think that's a huge blessing."

Actor Michael J. Fox maintains gratitude in site of his battle with Parkinson's disease. "I wake up curious every day and every day I'm surprised by something. And if I can just recognize that surprise every day and say, "Oh, that's a new thing, that's a new gift that I got today that I didn't even know about yesterday," it keeps me going. It keeps me more than going. It keeps me enthusiastic and grateful."

Football analyst Michael Strahen says he is grateful for "life, family, and health."

These are just a smattering of notable people, past and present, who have publicly expressed gratitude. Of course, we don't look to people for our standard, but to God. However, those in their formative years do well to remember that there are many examples that prove real maturity and style isn't about complaining, but about looking to the best in life.

Enjoy!

Thankfulness in the home!

"God's gifts put man's best dreams to shame."
Elizabeth Barret Browning

Babies Don’t Keep

by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren’t his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.