Author: RefreshHer

children · eternal · evangelism · salvation

Family Friday – A Mom’s Greatest Privilege

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January is a busy birthday month for our family. Our son-in-law celebrated his a couple weeks ago. My husband’s is on the 22nd.  Today we celebrate my mom’s 80th!!   What a blessing she is with her love for the Lord, her family and her home.She has been a blessing to all that know her, and I am thankful to call her my mom!   Happy Birthday, Mom!

Our oldest daughter, Whitney celebrated a special birthday last week – it was her 28th spiritual birthday. When she was three and a half she trusted Christ as her Savior. You may be thinking, “Three and a half? How could a child that young understand how to be saved?” I don’t know how the Lord works in a sinner’s heart, but I know that He does.

From the moment she was born, we told her of God’s love, of Jesus dying on the cross, that sin was what we say or do that doesn’t please God, etc. One evening after she’d been listening to a Patch the Pirate tape about a little boy trusting Christ as his Savior, she told me she wanted to do that too. I wasn’t sure how much she understood, but after talking with her, I knew she wouldn’t be satisfied until she prayed. Her prayer was simple and sincere, trusting as a child can.

As she grew up I didn’t want to keep reminding her of her decision at that early age. If there was ever a doubt in her heart, I wanted her to feel free to make it sure. However, she never doubted what God did for her on that day!

Our responsibility and privilege as moms is to keep telling our children about the Lord, His love and Christ’s sacrifice for them in terms they can understand. We do it as Deuteronomy 6:4-7 admonishes us – while we sit, when we rise, when we lie down, when we get up. This means all through the day in the activities you find yourself doing, make it a natural part of your conversation to talk about the Lord.

Ask the Lord to help you make spiritual applications using the snow, bath bubbles, gardening – whatever you’re doing. It will be a natural conversation, not something that is forced, and when your child understands and is ready to receive Christ, it will probably be at one of those very informal times. When both of my girls trusted Christ, we were at home, doing things we do each day. The Lord may touch your child’s heart when they are at church, but your home can also be the sanctuary in which they are saved.

One year Whitney wrote me on her spiritual birthday and said,

“Thank you for introducing me to Jesus.”

I read that and wept, as I also do at this moment. Is there any privilege any greater than that? She and her sister are two treasures that by God’s grace I get to take to heaven with me! How sweet eternity will be!

To all you young moms – just keep telling the story. Tell it. Sing it. Share it. You may have another birthday at your house as a result!

How old were you when you got saved?

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Christian Life

The Comfort of His Presence

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Image result for sitting at a red light

Imagine going to town this morning. You pull up to the red light and turn to see that the car in the lane next to you is someone that’s close to you – your husband, parent, pastor, or friend. You nod and wave, acknowledging their presence. The light turns green and you go on. When you arrive at the library to return your books, you open the car door and there’s that same person that was at the green light. They smile and watch as you go into the building. “I didn’t know we were going the same direction today,” you might think. You jump back in your car and head to the salon for your hair appointment. When you walk in, there sits that person again, reading a magazine. You laugh, perhaps, shake your head and walk into the room where your stylist is waiting for your arrival. Imagine that everywhere you went today that same person showed up. They didn’t threaten or frighten you, but you are very aware of their presence.

 What kind of difference would there be in your day today if you saw Jesus’ face in each of those scenarios? Think of it – at every turn, you see Christ. In the line in the grocery store, His gaze is on you. As you speak to your family, His ear is leaning your direction, listening. He is in the family room as you surf the Internet. He hears your conversations with your fellow employees. Would there be a difference in how you’d spend your day, in the things you would talk about, in how bold you would be to witness? I know it would for me, that’s why I often pray that the Lord would make me more aware of His presence in my life today, because He is there every single moment. Consider these verses:

Proverbs 5:21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings.
Psalm 125:2 – As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.
Proverbs 5:21 – For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings.
Proverbs 5:21 – For the Lord looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.

Should this be a frightening thought for us? No, the more we come to know God, the more we understand Who He is and that He is there to be our Comforter, Guide and Friend.
Look beside you, and be comforted that He is with you there today and every day.
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Life

Usefulness While Aging

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I don’t believe I have ever met anyone who is excited at the thought of aging. Take this woman, for instance – an interviewer said to her:

“I see your birthday is May 5, Ms. Beale. May I ask what year?” Ms. Beale replied: “Every year.”

We don’t want others to know how old we are; lest they think we’re old. There really is no option however, and we all have to determine not if we will age, but how we will do it! It’s really up to us how we live our years as seniors. Denying the truth won’t change the situation, but a biblical perspective will be the best help we could give ourselves.

This week our Sunday school class studied Psalm 90-92. There are some wonderful helps in this passage to guide our aging process. Consider Psalm 90 verses 9b, 10 and 12. “We spend our years as a tale that is told. The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” We spend our years as a tale that is told – in other words we are preaching our funeral while we are living. You will be remembered by how you are living your life each day. The average years of a person’s life are seventy, but we can by His grace live to eighty or beyond, but we need to remember that we are living for the Judgment Seat of Christ where our works will be tried. We need to be living so that we will hear “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

I read that there are Seven Ages of Man:
6 weeks–all systems go
6 years–all systems “No!”
16 years–all systems know
26 years–all systems glow
36 years–all systems owe
56 years–all systems status quo
76 years–all systems slow

How then does an aging person continue to live so that their life counts for eternal purposes? They don’t have the stamina and strength that they had when they were younger. What can a senior citizen do for the Lord at this time in their life when “all systems are slow?” Here are a few suggestions:

  • Become a prayer warrior for a younger person. Ask the Lord to burden your heart for someone for whom you could pray. Go to that person and ask them how you can pray for them that week, then pray! Go back to them and ask them how that situation is coming, reminding them of your prayers. Continue to pray for their needs each week. 
  • Take a younger person under your wing as a mentor. Perhaps there is a younger person that would love to learn a skill you can do – knitting, sewing, baking, quilting, etc. While you’re with them, encourage them in the Scriptures and their walk with God.
  • Be a prayer warrior for your pastor and other leaders in your church. If you are familiar with other pastors, pray for their needs as well. Write them a note to tell them you’re praying for them. Satan is seeking to destroy them and their ministry; what a blessing you could be to them!
  • If you are able to bake, make something – cookies, a pie, homemade bread (you could just bake a frozen loaf) to a family that has moved into your neighborhood and is unchurched, a young family in your church that’s had a new baby or a new family that’s visited your church.
  • Give out tracts. When you go out to eat, give one to the waitress. Hand one to the clerk at the store where you shop. Put one on the bread you give to your new neighbor.
  • Be a verbal witness. Be praying for someone that the Lord would give you the chance to share the Gospel with. If you can’t get out, ask Him to bring someone to you!
  • Write a card or email of encouragement each week to someone for whom the Lord burdens your heart. It might be a missionary your church supports, your pastor, or a church member going through a trial.

These are just a few suggestions to get you thinking. I believe if we really desire to be used of the Lord we will be like Psalm 92:14 says, “They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.” I love this verse. A person that serves the Lord with a right heart won’t just have leaves, they will bear fruit! No matter how old we are, we can be useful to God -even if your “systems are slow!”

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Christian Life · Prayer

It Smells of the Lamp

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I have parents that haven been a quilting duo! My dad, the engineer mind in the family, cuts the fabric squares. My mom, the crafter, sews them together, then Dad cuts them again to get them perfectly square. Each square gets a heavy ironing before it’s sewn again. The picture you see here is that of the pieces being laid out to see where each one should go. After placing and replacing, they will take this up very carefully, row after row and stack it the way it needs to be sewn together. Of course after the batting and backing are put behind it there’s all the hand quilting to be done. Whoa! Many, many hours go into the making of a quilt! However, when it’s all finished it’s not only warm and cozy, it is a piece of art!

This week as I was studying Proverbs 31 I read verse 18 –

She perceiveth that her merchandise is good; her candle goeth not out by night.

As I studied the last part of this verse, I learned that it was often said of an elaborate piece (of art, needlework, a literary work, etc), “It smells of the lamp.” That means that there were many long hours put into making that piece – so much that it even went into the night hours. You could tell by looking at it that it wasn’t done quickly; it took much labor and effort.

When you understand the hours of labor that a quilt takes you appreciate it all the more! When I look at the quilts that my parents have made for each of their children and grandchildren I am reminded of the sacrifice of time and labor that it took to make them. They “smell of the lamp.”

While I’ve pondered that phrase for the last several days, the cry of my heart to the Lord is that my prayer life would be what “smells of the lamp.” More and more I understand how weak I am and unable to do anything without God’s enablement and power in my life. Oh, that I would wake up in the morning with the burden to pray, go into the noon hour with prayer on my lips, enter the evening with a continued heart-cry to my God, and go to bed at night and be awakened to “turn on the lamp.”

Nothing else will go lacking if prayer is the center of my life. For when I am praying my needs are met, my steps directed, my thoughts established, my heart made right, and my burdens lifted. What a beautiful thing a prayer life like that would be.

Oh, God, may my prayer life smell of the lamp!
Dinner · main dish · salad

(L)Oven Monday – Short Ribs in the Crock Pot

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I have some tried and true recipes that I have fixed many many times over the years, and yesterday’s dinner was one of those. I fixed Short Ribs and Lima Beans. Don’t turn your nose up at the Lima beans; I don’t like Limas except when they’re served in this dish! This recipe is a great one for Sunday since it’s cooked in the slow cooker. The ribs fall off the bone and are so delicious after cooking in the soups that season them and the beans. Here’s my recipe:
 Short Ribs and Lima Bean Casserole – In the crock pot
Short ribs – a couple packages – sorry I don’t have the “pounds”
1 pkg. frozen lima beans
1 pkg. Lipton Onion soup
1 Can vegetable beef soup with barley
1/2 can water
Place the ribs in the bottom of crock pot. Mix the beans, soups and water in a bowl. then pour over ribs. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove ribs and beans. Thicken the liquid in the crock pot with about 1/3 cup of water and 3 tbl. flour mixed together. Turn crock pot to high and stir in flour/water mixture. Cook until thickened (about 10 minutes).
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Baked potatoes or mashed potatoes are good with this meal because of the nice gravy.
A great salad to serve with this meal is Mandarin Orange Tossed Salad. On Saturday night I prepared the lettuce, celery, green onions and almonds. After church all I had to do was mix the ingredients in the salad bowls and stir the quick dressing together. It’s light and refreshing!
Mandarin Orange Tossed Salad
1/4 cup wine vinegar
1/2 cup oil
1 tbl. sugar
salt and pepper to taste
3 3/4 oz. slivered almonds
2 tbl. sugar
1 head lettuce, chopped (I like leaf or Bibb lettuce)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 11 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained
Combine vinegar, oil and 1 tbl. sugar, salt and pepper in bowl; mix well. Set aside. Combine almonds with 2 tbl. sugar in skillet. Cook over low heat until sugar melts and almonds are coated and light brown, stirring constantly. Cool to room temperature. Combine lettuce, green onions, celery, oranges, and almonds in salad bowl. Add dressing at serving time, tossing gently to mix well.

What was cooking your kitchen yesterday?