Journaling Notes on Matthew 7

How is the Matthew reading going?

What struck me tonight was this passage:

Matthew 7:7-8
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Let me give a little background before going specifically into why this verse stands out.

I'm going a little nuts here lately with the kids. In one sense, I'm so proud of them....they're getting complements on their behavior in public, and that's been a real blessing for Momma, especially, who runs most of the errands with them in tow.

My least favorite? The post office! Lines, lines, lines.

However, as I busy myself with selling and buying homeschool materials, and working through storage boxes of fall clothes to assess what the needs are, all without help........well, the precious kiddos are getting under my skin. (Mind you, this doesn't make them any less a blessing.)

For one thing, the endless hats, shoes, jewels, and Legos I pick up, are causing much blood to boil....sometimes spilling over into short yelling fits (mine, not theirs).

One thing has become clear: I must be consistent in having them come back and pick up their own items.  Being called back every ten minutes to pick up a shoe or a piece of paper or a crayon, causes their blood to boil.....leading to strife between us.

I remember a Catherine Marshall journal entry in which she spoke about the uncompromising, non-coddling nature of Jesus Christ.  Knowing this aspect of Christ's character helped her deal better with strife in her home. When you're working toward godly goals, there will be strife. She learned to deal with it better internally, so it didn't undermine her determination to raise godly children.

We must be kind in our dealings with children and apologize when we're not.  Our Bible/prayer devotions serve to point out our own iniquities so we can pray about them....thank goodness. But in raising our children--whether we're perfect in our parenting delivery or not--we can't back down on the principles.  This is especially true when we're sure a child is developmentally ready for what we're asking.

Five-minute pick-ups every hour have been instituted to help with tidiness, but I still call them back for items that might cause someone to trip.

Then there's this: I'm still getting used to the differences between girls and boys. Namely, that girls are whiny or tend toward this. (Adult women can be whiners too, evidenced by my own whining here on this blog right now. :)

My 2-year-old still suffers from allergies and perhaps that's most of it; she's been whiny for at least two months. Her sister, 4.5, can be similar, but it's more due to her stubborn nature.

Their whining takes a lot out of me! I'm still learning how to deal with it. Ignoring is best when they're not sick, but it's not always easy to determine the source of the whining. For example, is Momma busy on a project and failing to cherish them, or are they just sour about not getting their own way?

Some things must be done, and since parenting support is pretty much non-existent here, we plug away at necessary life tasks on our own. My aunt watches the kids once a year for a short date night, but other than that we're running solo....especially since she began spending winters in Florida two years ago. She has four children of her own to whom she lends her support.

Husband is home in the evenings now and that's been a major adjustment for me. No longer do I have time to unwind from my day with the children....either through nightly writing or quietly working on chores. His work day has him leaving at 7:00 AM and returning about 7:10 PM. Saturday he works 7:30 AM to 12:30 PM, and then he's off until Monday morning, which allows us to have family outings every weekend again (parks, orchards, nature centers, lake beach, etc.)  That part is a blessing!

But, husband is a people person who never desires alone time. Though I love him dearly and appreciate him, I needed that alone time. I have to give up sleep to get it now, which never works when you mother four children on your own. .

Now getting back to the Matthew Scripture.....

This Scripture about asking, seeking, and knocking reminds me that no aspect of my life is too small to speak to my Father about. I can pray about the whining or the untidiness or about the curriculum or the fall/winter attire......all of it. And not just once. I already pray about most things once, but what's wrong with continuing to pursue an issue with the Lord? Nothing! I can release it from my shoulders as often as I need to.

So, after all that whining (sorry!), I come to the heart of what Jesus is saying to me, personally, in Matthew 7: 7-8:

Keep pursing the Father about difficult areas! His answers will come completely, suddenly, or they'll come piecemeal....as we're ready to process them. Many of his answers are about change in our own hearts, and that requires a readiness on our part. God, alone, knows when we're ripe for growth.

So, what is the Book of Matthew saying to you these last few days?

Bible Reading HW (Giveaway)

Just a reminder that as part of our Catherine Marshall study we are reading through the Gospels consecutively to discover more about the person of Jesus.

This week read Matthew 1 through Matthew 14 (due Wednesday, Aug. 24) and make notes on what new things stand out about Jesus. Or, take notes on what He is saying to you, directly, through the week's verses.

If you do your homework faithfully every week between now and October 12 (8 weeks), I will send you this 3-piece Thanksgiving book set. The first person to comment on October 12, stating that they did all the homework by the Wednesday deadlines, will get the books. You can e-mail me with your mailing address after I post the winner.

Side Note:  You know I'm desperate to get you studying your Bible when I go and offer a giveaway. Me, who abhors giveaways and never clicks on any giveaway post of any author, no matter how much I love them. I prefer blog posts without advertisements; my reading time is precious and short.

But really, these are wonderful books!  I just happen to own two copies of all three of them......and I really think this was the Holy Spirit's idea. At first I thought....how ridiculous! No way! But the next thing I know, I'm pulling these books off the shelf.

Tonight I read Matthew 1 through Matthew 5 and what stood out for me personally was the suffering Jesus endured as he fasted for forty days in the desert. For some reason this never gripped me so much before....I guess because Jesus is God and I figured he was stronger than us and better able to endure. But he did this as a man! His body functioned just as ours does. 

I'm a person who falls apart when hungry (lack of concentration, short-tempered, headaches), which is something that happens far too often because the kids' needs keep me so busy. I make the mistake of trying to do one more thing before eating. I can't imagine skipping even two meals. Jesus skipped 120 meals!

What also stood out is this verse:  "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Matthew 4:4

Jesus is telling us here that we can't truly live without our Bible reading. So let's not try!  Let's not push it aside with other, less important things. Or rush through it, for that matter. Jesus wants us to have life abundant. Without our Bible reading, we have life heavy-laden.

Which do you choose?  Life abundant, or life heavy-laden?

Tips for busy moms:

~ Just open your Bible!

~ Read while in the same room with your children. They are less likely to ask for things and interrupt you if you read in their presence. (Plus, you leave them a legacy of devotion to Jesus. Not a bad thing to be remembered for, eh?) Often they interrupt our activities because they want our physical presence. Let's give that to them, and see how much reading we get done.

~ If you have a baby and toddler to care for, aim for ten verses at a sitting. It will add up by the end of the day. Using a highlighter will help you remember what stood out and why.

~ Tell your husband what your reading goal is and ask him to take over with the kids for twenty minutes, so you can go in a room by yourself. Even a tired husband should be willing to give you twenty minutes.

~ Try not to save it for the last half hour of your day, when you're exceptionally tired. You won't concentrate as well and it will seem more like an obligation.

~ Leave your Bible open in a prominent place, as a reminder. (Just don't forget to hide the highlighter marker from your toddler. Been there, done that.)

Catherine Marshall's Heart For God, Vol. 2

Catherine Marshall Lesourd

1914 - 1983

We are studying a book entitled Catherine Marshall, A Closer Walk (1986), published three years after Catherine Marshall's death. A collaborative effort between Catherine's second husband, Len Lesourd, and her longtime friend and editor, Elizabeth Sherrill, the text includes selected entries from a 23-year span of Catherine's journal keeping. The years cover her marriage to Len in 1959 when she was 44, up until her death in 1983 when she was 68. The introduction to my Catherine Marshall series can be found here. Volume 1 can be found here. 

Catherine Marshall's Heart for God, Vol. 2

Our text for today begins:

As Len and I begin our new life together, I'm enjoying a new way to read the New Testament--undoubtedly a way known to many Christians through the centuries but new to me: during my early morning devotions I'm reading the words as if Jesus were speaking directly to me.

 At the time of my discovery, I was going through the Gospels consecutively, desiring above all else to get a vivid portrait of Jesus. And a portrait emerged all right, not so much of what He looked like, as the characteristics of His person. I discovered in Him one who is totally alive--physically stalwart, emotionally sensitive. Humor, I definitely found. And grief--not for Himself, but for others' hurts and the tragic havoc that sin brings. And love, an amazing love that pours out of Him with never any effort to hide it or dam it up. Yet it is a love with steel in it.

Over and over I have come upon this steel--a note of stringency in Jesus' conversation and His way of dealing with people that, for the most part, seems alien to the teaching in our churches today. Never have I found a trace of coddling or compromising or self-protectiveness in Him.

For example, there was the Pharisee who asked Jesus to lunch at his house. Jesus accepted. But if there was anything pleasant about the conversations about the table, we were not told so in Luke's account. Indeed, centuries later, the words all but blister the page.

 But woe to you Pharisees! for you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God......you love the best seat in the synagogues and salutations in the market places......you are like graves which are not seen, and men walk over them without knowing it. Luke 11: 42-44 RSV

Excerpt from Catherine Marshall, A Closer Walk, pages 3, 4 

What a perfect picture of Catherine's pursuit of Jesus! This sentence, especially, speaks volumes to me: 

I was going through the Gospels consecutively, desiring above all else to get a vivid portrait of Jesus. 

We see here that Catherine didn't read her Bible out of obligation. She read it out of pleasure. She wanted to know Jesus intimately...to really sit at His feet and enjoy Him and learn of Him.

There is an unexpected dividend from reading the New Testament as if Jesus were speaking to me: when I look away from the problems in my marriage to turn my full attention to Jesus, He proves Himself alive by concerning Himself with my life, family, and friends and talking to me about these matters morning after morning. (page 4)
..........The resurrected Jesus is a continual reality in my life. How can I ever find words to express the joy of His presence? (page 5)

When was the last time you sat down with your Bible out of pleasure? Even if you've been a Christian forever, the Bible still speaks to you anew. The Word of God is alive! The Holy Spirit makes it so as he journeys with us through the words. Never tire of opening your Bible. 


If you're in a slump with your reading, pray specifically that Our Father would renew your joy in His Word. Don't accept that feeling of devotional obligation. Pursue Jesus. Tell your Heavenly Father to make you a pursuer. I don't have a problem wrestling with God on some things, like Jacob did. This would be one of those things. 


Jacob, you remember, wrestled with God on the ground until God blessed Jacob. The actual person was an angel who probably was Jesus Christ, since Jesus is the only member of the Godhead seen in the flesh.  The Bible says of Jesus: "his goings forth were of old". 


His Goings Forth Were of Old
Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.


John 8:57-58 “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”


Jacob Wrestles With God
Genesis 32:24-29 (source here)
So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. ²⁵ When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. ²⁶ Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”

   But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

 ²⁷ The man asked him, “What is your name?”

   “Jacob,” he answered.

 ²⁸ Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,^[f] because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”

 ²⁹ Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”

   But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there. 

Let's take a lesson from Jacob here, and wrestle with God until He blesses us with a devotional time that is pleasurable and intimate. God wants to be pursued!



If you have a hit and miss record with Bible reading, remember this one tip: Open your Bible. That, my friends, is the hardest part. Once you've got it opened, you're home free. You've defeated Satan. He doesn't want you to open it, any more than he wants you to start the first line of your prayers. I can give you the same tip about prayer.......just utter the first line. 


We're going to read through the Gospels consecutively as Catherine did. Yes, that's right. We've got homework this week. Read Matthew 1 through Matthew 14 by next Wednesday, and make notes about the character of Jesus. What is He like? You can just write down adjectives that come to you, or you can actually journal your findings.


Enjoy yourself as you pursue Him! Get ready to fall in love all over again.

weekend doings

As  much as I love for my kids to explore nature and have pets, I never touch any creepy crawlies or furry things myself. And I find this photo disgusting. And cute. Hamsters can eat whole wheat pasta, so we tried this multi-grain, high-protein brand of angel hair. Little furry loved it and my kids were enthralled. They all took a turn feeding a string to Jack the Black.

This might be some type of walking stick, we think. Peter wanted for years to find one, and Friday evening this one crawled up on Daddy's pants. My son started out so excited, and then twenty minutes later, he said, "I hate to say it Mommy, but it's not as exciting as I thought it would be. I guess a praying mantis is my favorite insect."

Grasshoppers and crickets are all the rage here. August and September bring out tons of varieties and sizes. Mary loves to get involved as well, while Beth is more like me. Not afraid, but definitely not in love. "God created a wonderful creature there...it's fascinating. But it better not jump on me." That's my creepy crawly motto.

Paul is a mathematician. When a mathematician wants to make a little money, he folds towels for you......and arranges them like this. Much better than a boring stack of clean towels, don't you think?

The three older children went to Kids Bowl Free with Daddy earlier today. Paul couldn't roll the balls straight and came back a little discouraged. He's very competitive and very much a perfectionist. A few minutes rocking in the rocker with Momma cheered him up, thank goodness.

I'm so grateful no one around here is too old for Momma's rocker!

We'd also planned peach picking at the orchard, so Beth and I could get out too, but it rained and thundered something fierce today.

Here he is again, making his favorite breaded squash.  Only this time he added jalapeno peppers, also from our garden. They are so strong we were all coughing and miserable for awhile, even in the back of the house far from the kitchen.  Lethal! No thanks! (Probably not bad for allergies though. Made my nose run and loosened my post-nasal drip...and I tried my best to stay out of the kitchen while he worked with them.)

It's Sunday night and I had plans. After everyone went to bed, I was going to copy my spiral-bound prayer notes into a bound journal. Then I was going to pray and read some of the Catherine Marshall book.

But on Saturday night husband took a bad spill on a ten-speed bike, getting eight areas of road abrasion, with the worst on his face. Peter, riding in front of Daddy, made a sudden unpredictable move and caused the crash. Unfortunately, the ten-speed didn't have any brakes.

He cleaned the wounds while I put the girls to bed. Then I added antibiotic ointment and sterile gauze dressings or large bandaids to each wound. Tonight, twenty-four hours later, the wound on the chin looks like it might be getting infected. I spent two hours reading first-aid websites, trying to get a description of what a newly infected wound might look like. As always, any kind of wound care stresses me, especially when we have to decide ourselves if medical care is necessary (and a tetanus booster shot...when its been more than ten years since the last booster). After agonizing over the decision, I finally advised him to go to urgent care tomorrow, after the new job and before the other job. His work days are ten hours long and the tetanus shot needs to be administered within 48 hours, so playing it safe means he has to go during the day. Road wounds are very dirty and subject to nasty infection.

I'm thankful for the neighborhood Samaritans who helped both my husband and Peter after the accident. Peter panicked from the blood and shock of the accident, but they calmed him down quite well. He did not fall, because Daddy purposely avoided hitting him.

It could have been much worse. I'm so grateful for my husband!  Grateful he's okay. He's such a great guy, beloved by us all. The children run to the door and out to the driveway when he comes home from work at 7 pm. They're all equally excited to see him; it warms my heart every night. Thank you, Father, for a husband who is much beloved by his children! He exerts himself so much on their behalf, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Fatherhood is hard work! I'm so grateful for his commitment!

After all that web searching and agonizing, I'm emotionally exhausted. I think I'll just pray and crash.

Hope you had a nice weekend, friends!

A Continuum of Heart Change...On the Poor

My friend Katherine posted a video sermon on her blog featuring Tim Keller speaking on The Gospel and The Poor. Watching it this morning, spirited debate began in our home. Where does one draw the line on caring for the poor? How simply must we live to really be following this Biblical mandate?

I need to start by retracting something I recently wrote in part 7 of my prayer series, in which I stated that all luxury consumption is greed. Well, that's pretty stupid now that I think about it. If no one bought luxury items, what about all the jobs in this industry? They'd be lost, affecting many families. I wasn't thinking clearly and I'm sorry about that. Too much zeal. You probably had this thought while reading my piece, but you didn't want to comment and tell me so. Always tell me your contrary thoughts, please?  I need your input.

Tim briefly discusses, in response to an audience question, the 60% tax rate in some parts of Europe. Is it fair that some work very hard, but have a standard of living equal to those who don't work at all? No, says Tim. That isn't Biblical justice. But neither is a government that does nothing for the poor, well the rich keep getting richer. Coercing people to give through tax code is not as good as people doing it willingly, in response to Biblical mandate. Since too few give willingly, however, governments do well to provide some sort of safety net, at least to provide food for hungry bellies.

Tim was quick to point out that Christians should try to steer away from public policy debates, and concentrate on what the Bible says to do. I think this is good advice, since neither liberals nor conservatives get it quite right.

Tim makes it clear that if you don't have a burden for the poor, you probably don't have a saving faith (from the Book of James and other Books, which he quotes). Mind you, he doesn't preach that you must sell everything you own, but you do need to be on a continuum of heart change in regard to the poor. The Holy Spirit meets you where you're at, as always.

For example, if you've got $20,000 in living-beyond-your-means consumer debt, you're at the starting point. Change won't happen overnight, but neither will God leave you in your sin. If you're a Christian, you will respond to the Holy Spirit's nudges in regards to your finances.

Now....on to that spirited debate we had here this morning.

I have more of a "calling" to be poor than my husband does. He wrestles with God daily regarding our situation. His conversations with the Father go something like this: "Why give me four children, God, without also giving me the talents needed to support them with some modicum of security?"


My answer? His grace is sufficient for us, for His power is made perfect in our weakness. This sentiment makes my dear husband feel ballistic. He wants to support his family as mandated in the Bible. That means, in his mind, we should have enough to repair cars and pay the house payment, rather than choosing one or the other.

My answer?  Well, this has been going on 2.5 years, and we are still in our house and husband has always had a working vehicle to use for work. Therefore, despite our budget deficit, God is providing. And His grace is always present.

I keep in mind that everyone is gifted in different ways. Our experiences have been very stretching for my husband, but they've been the best thing for me personally. My heart is forever changed.

While I don't have an evangelism gift, I might be developing a heart for missions. A very good friend of mine had to wait many years--into her sixties, in fact--before she could get out in the mission field. Her husband felt very differently so she couldn't pursue it until after he'd passed away. She's loving the mission field, after spending two years in China, and now, two short-term mission trips to Africa.....all as a teacher.

Every story is so unique, isn't it? The Lord can sure weave a tale!

Anyhow, my Peter was wondering, upon listening to the sermon and hearing our debate, if he could buy as many bird feeders as he wanted someday, to make his backyard a bird sanctuary. Would that be excessive, he wanted to know? And husband stated emphatically that if we ever have the money to buy a better camera, he will, without hesitation. He missed his calling, he feels, in not becoming a nature photographer.

Is a better camera needed?  Well, if you have ADHD and nature photography relaxes you, I'm guessing a better camera is fine. And the bird feeders? My answer is the same....nature watching relaxes my son and sets his gaze on the Lord.

What I really think after mulling this over all day, is that the death of Christ on the cross brought us the New Covenant in which the truth is written on the tablets of our hearts. We no longer have to follow a burdensome law in which everything is written out in maddening detail. Each person responding to the Biblical mandate to care for the poor will come up with a different answer as to how much sacrifice is needed. The Holy Spirit will take each person's heart to where God wants it to be.

Our role then, is to respond. If we have salvation, we will respond.

What are your thoughts?

The video link above is well worth your time! You can listen while you fold that mountain of laundry.....that's what I did. :)