The Service of Love

"Is there someone who comes to your mind, a friend or family member, who would be honored and encouraged by an expression of your love and appreciation? Then do something to show it--while the person is still alive."

~Haddon Robinson

"A heart that is full of compassion for others is less likely to be absorbed in its own sorrows and poisoned by its own self pity."

~ P.M. Derham

"Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, there came unto Him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on His head, as he sat at meat. But when His disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, 'to what purpose is this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.' When Jesus understood it, He said unto them, 'Why trouble ye the woman? For she hath wrought a good work upon Me. For ye have the poor always with you; but Me ye have not always. For in that she hath poured this ointment on My body, she did it for My burial.' "

I believe a good rule of thumb to live by is this: do what you have to do for yourself, but make the majority of your life a service for others.

A Few Thoughts on the Raising of Children

A little while ago (last year!) we enjoyed being in Kirkland for their all-day-meeting. The Adult Sunday School Class was very sobering for me and the things said could be very helpful for young parents. Hopefully, they listened because it's not too late for them. The reading took up Ephesians 5 and child rearing.

There are at least four or five things to remember in raising children.

1. Do not discipline in anger (I often put my children "in ward" until I could figure out what to do with them and until I could simmer down. "In ward" was their bedrooms.)

2. Don't "roast" the brethren. (Criticism of the people you really do love is deadly).

3. Be in agreement as parents. Forbid them from playing one against the other.

4. Have rules with relationship. The kids need to know that there is love behind the rules and that they are not arbitrary.

5. Let the children know that ultimately they have to do with God and are responsible to Him.

Well, that about does it for me. I feel slain.

"A Mother's Life-Work"

My work at home lies with the olive branches

Thou'st planted there,

To train them meekly for the heavenly garden

Needs all my care.

I may not in the woods and on the mountains

Seek Thy lost sheep;

At home a little flock of tender lambkins

'Tis mine to keep.

Thou givest to Thy servants each his life-work;

No trumpet tone

Will tell the nations in triumphant pealing

How mine was done-

But 'twill be much, if, when the task is ended,

Through grace from Thee,

I give Thee back, undimmed, the radiant jewels

Thou gavest me.

~Selected

Would You Change What You Just Did?

"Act in the way you want it to come out at the judgment seat of Christ." J. Brereton

Consecration and Service

"God wants us before He wants anything we can do for Him. There is a danger of being consecrated to service for the Lord, rather than to the Lord Himself." ~The Christian Digest, vol. X, No. 3, p. 31, March, 1945.

It's so easy to be caught up in doing, doing, doing for the Lord without thought of what He really wants. And that is communion with Himself. He desires our company every single moment of the day. "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Rev. 3:20. But He won't push at the door. We must open to Him.

"The Slothful Man"

"The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting."

How often is it that we read our Bibles, pray and go out about our day with no thought of what we just read? Or how often do we come away from a meeting saying, "That was a great meeting!" and then never think of it again? If we can't get a hold of everything that was before us, perhaps there was just one thought we can hang on to and meditate on throughout the day. Even to go over our notes of meetings the next time we have a quiet time would be "roasting" what we took.

It's been said that "meditation is a lost art". Psalm 1 says that "in His law doth he meditate day and night" and the result was friut for God. "And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season. and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." Ps. 1:3. Do I, do you, want to be slothful or fruitful and prosperous? Being fruitful would mean we bear the attributes of Christ as in the fruit of the Spirit, ie, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Prosperous? Perhaps it would be enjoying the benefits of one who bears those attributes.

"If any be a hearer of the Word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was." James 1:23-24

"Say Little, Serve All, Pass On" ~JND

Do you seek a place? among your brethren? Don't. Be content with that lowly, obscure, out of the way place that the Lord has put you. He sees everything and makes a note of all that you've done for Him. Go quietly on with the Lord.

"Oh, to be emptier, lowlier,

Mean, unnoticed, and unknown,

And to God a vessel holier

Filled with Christ and Christ alone."

(Anonymous)

"Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of His goodness, and the work of faith with power: that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12