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Wednesday, November 28, 2012

New Tatted Necklaces Now Available!







All these necklaces are now available in the shop - just in time for Christmas! Have a lovely day!
Blessings,
Alana

Monday, November 26, 2012

Psalm 24

Yesterday, our Call to Worship at chu was Psalm 24, and it was so encouraging to me that I just had to share it with y'all! 


Psalm 24
The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof,
    the world and those who dwell therein,
for he has founded it upon the seas
    and established it upon the rivers.

Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
    And who shall stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
    who does not lift up his soul to what is false
    and does not swear deceitfully.
He will receive blessing from the Lord
    and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
    who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah
Lift up your heads, O gates!
    And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord, strong and mighty,
    the Lord, mighty in battle!
Lift up your heads, O gates!
    And lift them up, O ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord of hosts,
    he is the King of glory! Selah

This psalm can be divided into three sections:  a declaration of God's ownership over His creation, a question asking who is worthy to stand before the Lord, and a call to acknowledge the Kingship of Christ by welcoming Him.
The question is rhetorical, of course.  No human except Jesus fills that bill, but He freely offers us His righteousness before the Father.  And the gates of a city were where the leaders went to hear cases, so the reference to 'gates' lifting up their heads means that the rulers are to lead the people in worshiping God. 

Happy Cyber Monday!
Blessings,
Alana

 

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Snowflakes and Thankfulness

The recent snowstorm in our area has brought to mind many random things: Thanksgiving,  Christmas, winter, and snowflakes.  Now, the kind of snowflakes I'm talking about here aren't the white icy things that fall from the sky.  No, these are very special children who are up for adoption in a very special way.  Should I ever marry, and if we were not able to have children on our own, I would hope that we could adopt some of these snowflake babies.
 For more information, please visit the link below.

http://www.nightlight.org/snowflakes-video-page/

And while we are on the topic of unborn children, here are two news links which I found very interesting:

http://www.lifenews.com/2012/10/25/planned-parenthood-wants-to-elinminate-prenatal-care/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/10/26/so-you-want-to-defund-planned-parenthood-texas-gives-other-states-a-roadmap/

I'm thankful for family and friends who continually point me to Christ, and encourage me to trust Him in all things.  I'm thankful for family coming in to visit.  I'm thankful for the opportunities the Lord is giving His church to minister to those in need around us.  (These next four years are going to be the proof of the pudding for the church - do we really follow God, or are we deluding ourselves into being afraid of man?) I'm thankful for nieces and nephews, and the blessing that they are.  I am thankful for life in the Lord Jesus, and the hope that He offers to all people who will believe in His name and follow Him. 

Psalm 136 gives us ample reason to be thankful to the Lord in reminding us of His abundant blessings and provisions for His people throughout history.
 Psalm 136
O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.
O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.
To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.
To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.
To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.
To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:
The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:
The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.
10 To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever:
11 And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever:
12 With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever.
13 To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever:
14 And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever:
15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.
16 To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.
17 To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:
18 And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:
19 Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever:
20 And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever:
21 And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever:
22 Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever.
23 Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:
24 And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.
25 Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.
26 O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.
 

May our kind Lord richly bless your Thanksgiving!
~Alana

Monday, November 5, 2012

Regarding a woman's role

The role a woman should take in society is a very sensitive topic these days, but should it be?  I mean, isn't God's plan specific enough?  Or are we just so sure that we know better than God does?  Am I stubbornly hanging onto what I want, and refusing to accept what God says is best?

It seems that every Christian struggles with the role of women at some point; even men!  God has given them the job of initiation and leadership, so they have to go to the Bible  to learn how to walk the fine line between being tyrannical in their home life and refusing to take charge of the family.

What does the Bible say about a woman's role?

Genesis 2:18-24
18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” 19 Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said,
“This at last is bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
    because she was taken out of Man.”
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Ephesians 5:22-24
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

Proverbs 31: 10-31
10 An excellent wife who can find?
    She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
    and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm,
    all the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax,
    and works with willing hands.
14 She is like the ships of the merchant;
    she brings her food from afar.
15 She rises while it is yet night
    and provides food for her household
    and portions for her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
    with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 She dresses herself with strength
    and makes her arms strong.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
    Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
    and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She opens her hand to the poor
    and reaches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
    for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes bed coverings for herself;
    her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates
    when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them;
    she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
    and she laughs at the time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
    and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women have done excellently,
    but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
    and let her works praise her in the gates.


These verses are so intimidating to me when I think of trying to do all this in my own strength, even as far as it applies to a single girl, but it is so sweet to remember that God promises to give grace and strength to obey His commands!  Our kind Lord not only gives the command, but enables His people to obey Him. Praise the Lord, who showers us with innumerable blessings!

Let me finish with a quote from Home-Making by J. R. Miller:  "Dependance is beautiful when it does not become weakness and inefficiency.  The true wife clings and leans; but she also helps and inspires.  Her husband feels the mighty inspiration of her love in all his life.  Toil is easier, burdens are lighter, battles are less fierce,  because of the face that waits in the quiet of the home, heart that beats in loving sympathy whatever the experience, because of the voice that speaks its words of cheer and encouragement when the day's work is done.  No wife knows how much she can do to make her husband honored among men, and his life a power and a success, by her loyal faithfulness, by the active inspiration of her own sweet life."

Blessings,
Alana