Christianity and Culture by J. Gresham Machen – An insightful and thought-provoking essay on the false dichotomy between intellectualism and evangelism in the Church.

My First Shower Nearly Killed Me by Brett Harris – A poignant analogy that illustrates our tendency to capitulate to the low expectations society places on us in contrast to the “nearly 100% success rate [babies experience] in overcoming their big challenges.”

One Nation Over God by Doug Phillips – An excellent overview of the biblical foundations of government, including the importance of self-government and the role of civil government.

Schooled at Home by Rachel Starr Thomson – If I had to encapsulate the heart of homeschooling in one article, this is what I would say…except that Rachel already said it, so you can just read what she wrote!

Why Am I Not Married? by Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin – A hard-hitting exposé that brings to light what I believe are the foundational heart issues with which many young women are wrestling.

That’s why the title phrase of this post, Riding to Hell in a Hopechest, really resonated with me when I read it in the fabulous article just posted by Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin. Their post, Why Am I Not Married?!?, is a hard-hitting exposé that I think every young woman should read. In order to get the full context of that passing phrase that I lifted from the post, you’ll have to read the whole thing for yourself. (And hopefully it has sufficiently shocked you into going and doing just that…)

In addition to bringing to light what I believe are the foundational heart issues with which many young women are wrestling, the Botkin sisters also call us back to a remembrance of the faithfulness and sovereignty of God. This is an issue that I have studied at some length in the past, and which led me to write a short overview of my findings. I’ve previously only shared it with my family and a few close friends, but I am posting it here now because I believe it is relevant to this discussion. Perhaps it will also provide further hope and encouragement for other unmarried women who are patiently waiting on the Lord to bring them a husband…if and when He so chooses.

This study was initially prompted by a question posited to me by a friend regarding the parallel between salvation (the relationship between Christ and His Bride) and marriage (the relationship between a man and his bride) that is clearly put forth in Scripture. This is written, then, as a response to that question.

Marriage and the Sovereignty of God
originally written August, 2009

Although I’m familiar with the concept of marriage as a picture of Christ and His Bride, I had never considered the parallel between election/the Sovereignty of God and the initiation of a marriage relationship. Supposing that the analogy is valid, then we would recognize the Sovereignty of God not only in ordaining the marriage, but also in orchestrating all the events prior to the marriage, and in bringing about the consummation of the marriage at the particular time of His choosing. We would also acknowledge that each of these elements are so designed in order to make known God’s power in us and to declare His glory throughout all the earth (as we see in God’s dealings with Pharaoh – see Romans 9).

What appears, then, to be the delay of God’s plan may be seen rather as an indication that His glory will be magnified in a postponed deliverance. The intervening events serve as the conduit for greater glory, not merely as a holding time in which we wait for God to work.

For instance, if it is by God’s election that one is to be saved, but the point of salvation occurs at a late stage in life, do we conclude that God’s plan of salvation in this case has been thwarted? Indeed not! (see Job 42:2) We are all as clay in the hand of the Potter (see Isaiah 64:8; Romans 9:20-21). He forms us as He will and when He will. And we know that He “worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: that we should be to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:11-12a). All things. The means, the end, the schedule, the particulars.

With these truths in mind, we pray for the salvation of the unsaved; we preach the word, seeking to “be instant in season, out of season” (2 Timothy 4:3), knowing that “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). But in the end, we hope unceasingly in the mercy of God, who alone is mighty to save (see Psalm 147:10-11; Isaiah 63:1).

Similarly, we pray for a godly marriage; we uphold and embrace the biblical covenant of marriage and God’s design for raising up a godly seed (see Matthew 19:4-6; Malachi 2:15; Isaiah 66:22). But in the end, we hope unceasingly in the mercy of God, who has promised that “no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11).

My hope, then, as an unmarried woman is ultimately neither in marriage nor in the prospect of a godly husband, but in the mercy of God. This is an incredible thought to me in light of Proverbs 13:12, which I have before used as justification for a spirit of discontent. “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.” For if my hope is in a godly marriage, then until that desire is fulfilled, I will live in a state of heartsickness/heartache. But if my hope is in the mercy of God, I will be in a state of “lively hope” (1 Peter 1:3) because His mercies/compassions fail not; indeed, they are new every morning! (see Lamentations 3:22-26)

I can take heart in the knowledge that what seems to be a delay of God’s plan for marriage in my life is actually the means by which He is working to bring greater glory to Himself, both through His mighty and faithful deeds in the intervening period and in the eventual consummation of that plan. And I can likewise trust that the Lord who “hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil” (Proverbs 16:4) can still be trusted even if He has ordained that I should never be married.

Another thought that came to mind is that the Lord who fashions the seed of the next generation in the womb and who knows all the days ordained for it before even one of them comes to be, must necessarily also ordain the coming together of the two through whom He raises up that godly seed. We need not worry or become disheartened (as I am prone to do!) as the child-bearing years seem to pass us by, for that, too, is in the hand of God. Procreation itself is not the transmitter of a godly seed – the Sovereign God Himself is! “Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed” (Psalm 112:1-2). We must therefore fear Him, delight in His commandments, hope in His mercy, and trust in His timing.

Grandma was one of the most beautiful, gracious, hospitable women I’ve known. She had increasing difficulty hearing in the past several years before her death, so we corresponded back and forth via letters. Even though we lived hundreds of miles apart, Grandma’s influence upon my life was tremendous. Equally at home at a formal dinner, or serving meals at a community event, or performing volunteer janitorial duties at church, or helping with  Special Olympics athletes, Grandma modeled what it means to be a true lady. This is the tribute I wrote to her last year:

Grandma’s Legacy

Grandma, when I think of you
memories flood my mind ~
from earliest childhood you were there,
loving, sweet, and kind.
And as I grew you always were
my faithful cheering fan,
in every effort encouraging me,
supporting all my ideas and plans.
All who knew you clearly saw
the beauty of your character ~
a loyal wife, a generous heart,
a life poured out as a selfless server.
For this heritage you’ve given me
my heart overflows with thanks to God;
sorrow runs deep, but hope springs forth,
for your legacy will always live on.

Discussing details.

Heave, Ho, Heave, Ho!

Excitement! Look, they don’t even take up that much space after all!

Flat #2 moving in.

How are we ever going to sell all these books? 2,760 to be exact.

It’s so beautiful! It pays to hire good designers!

The journey has just begun!

Order your special 1-year anniversary copy here. Only $12 when you use coupon code: 1year. Thanks for celebrating with me! Soli Deo Gloria!

God has not promised skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways all our lives through;
God has not promised sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain;
But God has promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

That’s the facetious title of the workshop that I am scheduled to give at 10:00 this morning for the Heart of the Matter online homeschool conference. I’ve been preparing for the workshop now for several weeks with a mixture of trepidation and excitement. I really love talking with and encouraging homeschooling families, but there’s always the gnawing fear that maybe I’ll say something dumb…or the presentation will be too random and lacking in substance…or someone won’t like my style of speaking…ad infinitum. Hmm. Kind of how I feel about my book, too. And the truth of the matter is that I have said dumb things…I have been random before…I have had people dislike my presentation style. But we cannot allow ourselves to be crippled by fear and insecurity.

In the familiar Psalm 23, we read that “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” In the ESV Study Bible notes for this verse, “want” is described as “to lack what one needs.” What a simple, but precious promise! If I need security, my Shepherd holds me in His arms; if I need guidance, my Shepherd leads me in paths of righteousness; if I need courage, my Shepherd makes His presence known; if I need refreshment, my Shepherd restores my soul; if I need hope, my Shepherd reminds me that I will dwell in His house for all eternity. What blessed contentedness may be found if we truly take this passage to heart!

If you’d like to download a copy of the handout for the workshop, just click here or on the image below.

He was a fixture in the neighborhood for years. Every morning, like clockwork, he ambled down the sidewalk beside our house, enjoying the fresh air and frequently stopping to visit with friends along the way. While out for my morning run several days a week we often crossed paths, and I came to look forward to our occasional chats. He filled me in on his wife and the grandson that was living with them temporarily, and I gave him the latest on my various projects. Last summer, I had a chance to share my faith with him. He listened politely, but said he didn’t need a crutch to get through life. Oh how I protested that Jesus is a crutch! I couldn’t imagine anything further from the truth. Instead, I referenced Isaiah 40:31 and told him that having the Lord in your life is more like being lifted up on wings so that you can fly in the midst of life’s difficulties! But he was resolved in his unbelief. As one might expect of an 84-year old.

I knew the day would come, but it still sent me into momentary shock tonight when my sister relayed the news that the obituaries in last week’s paper listed dear Mr. Wes Gum. He breathed his last on January 31. Only a week before, Dad and I were walking back from breakfast and I had a chance to introduce Dad to the man he had heard me speak of on multiple occasions. He looked as fit as ever and responded in his customary pleasantness when queried as to how he was doing. Little did he know that in a week he would take his final trip around the block. Little did any of us know. I prayed often for Wes over the last year, but never again conversed on matters of faith. I wish I would have. Death has such a way of bringing eternity into focus. If only I could remember every day to pour my time and effort into things of eternal value. My heart is sad. I will miss Wes Gum.

“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.”

2 Timothy 4:1-2

After many hours of designing, writing, editing, tweaking, printing, collating, stuffing, labeling, taping, and stamping, we are happy to announce that the newsletters are now in the mail and should be arriving at their recipients’ homes soon! If you are not on our mailing list, please feel free to download and read my page from our 2009 Family Newsletter.

Toward the end of her time of sharing, Tonya reflected on why we take pictures. It’s because we want to capture the moment. That exact moment will never be repeated again, so a picture is a small way of capturing and preserving the moments of our lives that we want to remember. In many ways, I feel the same about writing and journaling. That was part of the impetus behind writing my book, Pajama School, and that is part of the reason why I keep a calendar and journal. One of my biggest hesitations in going digital with my calendar and daily agenda this year is that I won’t have that paper copy for future reference. I’m not much of a trinket person, but I do tend to be sentimental about things like this for some reason…

Anyway, Tonya’s message inspired me to start a [hopefully] weekly feature here on the Pajama School Blog to “Capture the Moment.” My plan is to take a day at the end of the week to encapsulate some of the memorable things that happened during the week – both in words and pictures. I really don’t like the “Dear Diary, today I ate eggs for breakfast…” variety of blogging, so I can assure you this will not become a public forum for the overflow of all of my thoughts and daily activities, but I’m not quite sure what it will look like from week to week. I’m also hoping to be more consistent in getting up other posts during the week (not that that would take much!). I would welcome any suggestions or input that you have on what you’d like to see here on the blog.