"It is difficult for us to see God's hand of love in the adversities and heartaches of life because we persist in thinking, as the world does, that happiness is the greatest good. Thus we tend to evaluate all our circumstances in terms of whether or not they produce happiness. Holiness, however, is a greater good than happiness, so God arranges and orchestrates circumstances to produce holiness before happiness. He is more concerned about our eternal than our temporal welfare and more concerned about our spiritual than our material welfare. So all the trials and difficulties, all the heartaches, disappointments, and humiliations come from His loving hand to make us partakers of His holiness."...
God's Word
Suffering When Tempted
October 26, 2007
"Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." Hebrews 2:17,18I read these verses earlier this week in my quiet time/devotions. They are obviously jam-packed with meaning on a number of levels. Probably the most important thing in them is the reminder that Jesus Christ came as a propitiation for our sins, taking on the wrath of God that we deserved that we might know peace with God. That is reason to stop and worship! But this week, what God...
children
The Pretender
October 25, 2007
One of my favorite things about this month has been Tali's newfound love for pretending. After she finishes her bottle, she promptly puts it by her baby's mouth and lets her have a sip. When she's eating her lunch, she'll periodically stop to turn around and give the bear on her high chair a bite of her food. It is so much fun to watch her play!Giving the bear a CheerioSharing her sippy cup with BabyThis one has nothing to do with pretending, but isn't it just plain cut...
children
Ma Ma Ma
October 24, 2007
Tali has decide to start speaking with her voice and not just her hands. While the sign language is definitely fun, this is even better. However, it is a bit challenging when the little dear is supposed to be in her crib sleeping and instead I hear her belting out "Ma Ma Ma Ma" at the top of her lungs! My heart says, "She's calling for me with an actual name" and wants to go pick her up. But, my tired body and my head says, "That girl needs her rest and so do you." So I'm off to the couch to pray that she falls asleep soon and stops calling me with that sweet little voice of hers. We both need a little rest time.UPDATE later in the afternoon: it took her over an hour to fall asleep. This girl...
retreats
Personal What?
October 23, 2007
My hubby is off on a "personal" retreat for the next couple of days. (By "personal" I don't mean that he's going to go take naps and watch the World Series...although I'm sure that would be fun for him! It's just called a "personal retreat" because he will be alone and his agenda will be one that is aiming to refresh himself spiritually & to study.) I'm so grateful that he truly wants to watch his "life and doctrine closely" and so is willing to take a couple of days out of the normal routine to go and pray, study, and evaluate his own soul and ministry. He said that he had heard from another pastor that it can be tempting at times to think of a personal retreat as selfish but that, in...
Easy Baked Potato Soup
October 19, 2007
These days, I am feeling so tired that I don't even care what a meal tastes like; I just want it to be easy to fix. When I found this recipe in "The Joy of Hospitality" it definitely fit my qualifications for easy: ingredients that I actually have on hand, little chopping, short prep & short cooking time. What I didn't expect was that it would be so good!Baked Potato Soup (serves 4-5)2 large baking potatoes 1/4 tsp pepper1/4 tsp salt1/3 cup butter 3 T. thinly sliced green onion 4 cups milk3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese1/3 cup flour ...
reflections
The Greatest Good
October 18, 2007
The Lord has been working on my heart lately in the area of living for God's glory and not for what I want. I'm fairly convinced that this is the long-standing lesson that He is trying to teach me each and every day. In one particular life circumstance that is not at all what I would choose, Josh has been encouraging me to think about how God might want to bring good out of it. To be honest, I have had a really hard time thinking of anything. I mustered up a couple of thoughts but all that I could see from my vantage point was one bad thing after another.As I mentioned this to some friends yesterday and asked for their input, the Lord gave me great help. I shared, "Really, the only thing remotely...
children
,
fall
We Love Mondays!
October 17, 2007
(Here is Tali, enjoying the beautiful fall weather. Sorry-we failed to get any pics of her with dirt in her mouth. Probably because I was too busy frantically digging it out of her cheeks...)While most people in the world eagerly await Friday, Saturday, and Sunday as "the weekend," at the Fenska's, we can't wait for Mondays. Monday=Daddy's day off=Mommy's morning out=working on projects=special family time. We love Mondays!Josh has been doing a fabulous job of planning for our special day as a family, thinking of fun things that both a seven month pregnant wife and an 11 month daughter will enjoy. As I've said before, he's the best! This Monday we went to one of our favorite spots by the river...
Family
The Gift of Family
October 10, 2007
Comparing "baby bellies" with my cousin, CarrieGod is able to do amazing things in any and every family. I am particularly aware of that today as I reflect on the grace of God that I see at work in my cousins that I had the blessing of seeing a couple weekends ago. My Grandma, Aunt Patti, Tara & her girls, Meg, and Carrie all came for a visit. It was a blast to be with them and encouraging as well.When God saved me from my sins back in eighth grade, it was not very common at that time for many in our family to talk about the Lord or what He was teaching them or what was going on at their church. There weren't comments like, "I've been praying for..." or "I know that God can..." Don't...
children
11 Month Update
October 8, 2007
Our little sweet girl is now an eleven month old. It's hard to believe that she's almost been in this world for an entire year. Time really does fly when you're having fun! We are so grateful to God for the gift of Tali.Here are some Tali facts for those of you who don't get the pleasure of playing with her each day like we do. :)Favorite Foods: anything Daddy & Mommy are eating, if it comes off of their plateClothing Size: 12 months on most things but is starting to fit some 18 months for pantsHair: Curly when wet or in humid weather, straight when dryEye Color: Yet to be determinedFavorite Books: Anything new or anything with flapsNaps: 2 a day for about an hour or 1.5 hours eachFavorite...
Sermons
Reflecting His Image Each Day
October 7, 2007
As a church, we're going through the book of Genesis right now. It has been a rich series and a refreshing look at this first book of the Bible. Today, my husband preached an excellent message on Genesis 1:27:"So God created man in his own image,in the image of God he created him;male and female he created them."Josh's main point was that being created in God's image should shape the way that we view and live our lives. One aspect of being a created being is that I have a Creator. (Seems obvious, but it's important!) This should shape the way that I view myself. I am not the center of the universe and I am not God. I was created. The wonder of this miracle of creation should lead me to stand...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)