Leap for Joy!

Hello everyone! I found a really good blog post last night and thought I'd share the link to it. It was posted by Tara and Kelly over at Daughters of Vision. It's a very encouraging and convicting post. So pop on over and read it Here.

Saturday Psalm ~ 7-25-09

I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes

Forever, even to the end.

Psalm 119:112

Pharaoh's Hardened Heart

As I read the account of the plagues on Egypt in Exodus, I noticed a phrase that was repeated with each plague. As each plague came, Pharaoh would say that the Israelites could go, and would plead for the plague to stop. However, when God stopped the plague, each time Pharaoh would change his mind. Three times the account says that, “the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart” (Exodus 9:12; 10:2; 10:27), and four times it says, “Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, just as the Lord had said” (7:13; 7:22; 8:15; 9:35). I began to think about the wording of this passage. If it had read, “Pharaoh’s heart was hardened”, we would not have thought much about it. However, God used this opportunity to show us that He controls the hearts of all men, even the king of Egypt. In Chapter 7 of Exodus, God had told Moses that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart (v. 3). This is another amazing verse that stood out to me as I read this account. In this verse, God tells us why He hardened Pharaoh’s heart. “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.” God could have made Pharaoh let the Israelites go the first time Moses and Aaron made the request. But He didn’t. He chose to harden Pharaoh’s heart to bring glory to Himself, and so Pharaoh, the Egyptians, the Israelites, and all of us, could see the power of God. In this passage, I saw proof that God is completely in control of everything, even the minds, hearts, and responses of men, and that He has a purpose for everything He does, even if it doesn’t make sense to us at the time. We serve an amazing God!

10 Things I Wish I'd Known When I Was Single

A friend of mine posted this on her blog after she found it. They are good reminders to us single ladies as well as an encouragement to "excel still more"!

1) Marriage doesn't "develop" the good traits. If you don't cultivate patience, joy, gentleness, kindness, etc. before marriage, they aren't going to miraculously appear when you've wed.

2) If you can't joyfully submit to your parents, you won't joyfully submit to your husband.

3) If you develop a "grass is greener" mentality while single, marriage won't feel as fulfilling as you dream it to be. Contentedness is something you must cultivate while single. If you aren't content as a daughter, you won't be magically become content as a wife.

4) Cultivate a schedule (along with a daily quiet time) before you have to schedule life around children. If you can function on a schedule as a single young lady, then you will flourish as a wife and mother.

5) Learn to play with your siblings. If you can't "enjoy" your brothers and sisters, it will be hard to "delight" in your children. You will love your children, yes... but you will not become a "fun" person through childbirth.

6) Learn to give. Make your life as a single young woman about serving others. (Make sure to do this through the leadership of your father so that you choose wisely and don't overextend yourself.) If you make your single years about "serving self," it is very difficult to "kill off self" once you're married.

7) Learn to please your earthly father. This relationship will give you the vital ability to discern what will bless your future husband. Granted, every man is different... but if you seek to do your father good, it will be easy to seek to do your husband good.

8) Consider your mother your mentor. Learn from her... Study her... Memorize her movements and schedules. One day you will be the "home manager."

9) Learn to enjoy and have fun with "just" your family. If you need friends to make life fun while single, the same will apply when married.

10) Learn to follow a budget and shop wisely. Regardless of your family's "mode" of living, generally marriage is started off on a simple budget. You will be a great blessing to your husband if you manage carefully the money he gives to you.

Saturday Psalm ~ 7-11-09

I haveinherited Your testimonies forever,

for they are the joy of my heart.

Psalm 119:111

Following & Friends

Blogs are popular things these days. There are blogs on a wide variety of topics. Some have a definite theme to them and others are used to recount the life of the author. Blogger has created a feature that allows you to “follow” the blogs you check up on frequently. I admit it is a very nice feature. I have a fairly long list of blogs and websites I read, and it’s nice to see who has a new post without having to load each and every site (I have dial-up so it takes a really long time). Being able to “follow” a blog is also favorable because I rarely miss when someone has a new post. I can carefully read every word my friends write as soon as possible. Similar to a blog is Facebook. While I don’t have a Facebook account, I have heard a lot about it from others who do. I often hear about how many friends someone has and who their friends are. (“Friends” are basically the same as followers, in case you were wondering) While I was thinking about all of this the other day, God convicted me of some things. Do I check up on and follow God’s Word as often (or more often) than I check on my friends’ blogs? We should be in His Word daily, meditating on it all day long. It should be the first thing we check in the morning and our final thought at night. Do I count Jesus Christ as my most important friend? Do I tell everyone I meet that He’s my friend? He is the ultimate Friend and the best one to have. Our lives should be evident to everyone that we are friends with Christ and that we follow God and His Word.

Please Note: I am not in any way against blogs or Facebook.

Saturday Psalm ~ 7-4-09

The LORD is exalted over all the nations,

His glory is above the heavens.

Psalm 133:4

While the majority of our nation doesn't glorify the Lord with their lives, may we always remember that there will come a day when everyone will proclaim that there is a God and that Jesus Christ is Lord!

Happy 4th!