26 Things About Humble People

Hello Friends and Happy Sunday. I mentioned that I'm studying humility during my quiet time. Ugh. It's been good, wonderful even, don't get me wrong. But what a learning experience.

How ashamed I've felt; I'm far from humility even after 16 years as a Christian.

I see this study as monumental in my Christian walk. God has been speaking to me loudly about humility for nearly 2 years, but only now have I begun to really study it.

My personal stumbling blocks are these:

~ When I work hard for others, I want to be thanked.

~ I sometimes think ill of others in a blind effort to build myself up in my own mind.

~ When I don't feel like I'm enough, I work harder, not for the Lord, but for myself.

~ I'm willing to criticize my housemates, but I'm hurt and sad when they criticize me; I even try to defend myself.

~ I care what others think of me.

There are other things, but these stand out today. It's only by the grace of a glorious God that I'm learning these things. My job now that I understand what humility truly is, is to pray for it in my heart and ask for forgiveness when I fail in it.

Humility, I think, is a matter of putting on God's glasses, so to speak. When I see myself through His eyes, I see my filth and my need for forgiveness and redemption. If I can just remember the view from the God glasses--one of filthy sin--my heart will reflect humility; it will reflect gratitude that He could possibly love me enough to submit to death on a cross for me.

If I trust him with my salvation, I can trust him with my worth, and not care about what I'm worth to others.

A humble person...

...knows who she is in Christ.

...has a grateful heart.

...does not need to defend herself.

...walks in the power of God's Holy Spirit, not in her personal power.

...puts others first.

...defuses arguments, rather than participates in them; she is a peacemaker.

...handles unfair treatment peaceably.

...receives criticism graciously and learns from it.

...is not devastated by her own failures.

...asks for forgiveness readily.

...is courteous and loving, even when she needs to be firm.

...seeks the good in others.

...feels strong in the Lord.

...is aware of her gifts, but understands they come from God's grace alone.

...sees herself through God's eyes rather than her own.

...confesses her sins before God and man.

...submits to authority.

...accepts a lowly place; does not seek to exalt herself.

...associates with the poor and lowly.

...chooses to serve others.

...forgives readily.


Rewards for being truly humble:

Humble people...

...receive God's favor. (Prov. 3:34)

...receive God's wisdom. (Prov. 11:2)

...find riches, honor and life. (Prov. 22:4)

...will be exalted by God. (1 Peter 5:6)

...can get along with others. (1 Samuel 25)

Humility Quotes:

Humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less. --C.S. Lewis

A man can counterfeit love, he can counterfeit faith, he can counterfeit hope and all the other graces, but it is very difficult to counterfeit humility.-- D. L. Moody

The meek man is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his own inferiority. He has accepted God's estimate of his own life: In himself, nothing; In God, everything. He knows well that the world will never see him as God sees him and he has stopped caring.-- A.W. Tozer

 Nothing disciplines the inordinate desires of the flesh like service, and nothing transforms the desires of the flesh like serving in hiddenness. The flesh whines against service but it screams against hidden service. It strains and pulls for honor and recognition. --Richard Foster

 Humility is nothing but truth, and pride is nothing but lying. -- Vincent de Paul

 I am sure that there are many Christians who will confess that their experience has been very much like my own—that we had long known the Lord without realizing that meekness and lowliness of heart should be the distinguishing feature of the disciple, as they were of the Master. Such humility is not a thing that will come on its own. It must be made the object of special desire, prayer, faith and practice. --Andrew Murray

I long to accomplish a great and noble task; but my chief duty is to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble -- Helen Keller
Simplicity is the nature of great souls.-- Papa Ramadas

We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed. --Brother Lawrence

How do we know if we have a servant’s heart? By how we act when we are treated like one!--Unknown

 Be not proud of race, face, place, or grace. --Charles Haddon Spurgeon

 Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.-- Thomas a Kempis

 The meek man will attain a place of soul rest. As he walks on in meekness he will be happy to let God defend him. The old struggle to defend himself is over. He has found the peace which meekness brings.-- A.W. Tozer

We have forgotten the gracious hand which has preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and have vainly imagined in the deceitfulness of our hearts that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving Grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us. --Abraham Lincoln

Your turn. What have you learned about humility this year?

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Homeschool and Mother's Journal, May 31

In my life this week:
I'm nearly there in experiencing victory over rebound headaches! This has been a long-time prayer and I thank the Lord for His wisdom and healing. I'm so excited about this new-found health!

The central air conditioner in our house went out again today, so it wasn't all good this week. Last week it was the circuit breaker, but we checked that first thing this time. We can't afford a new unit so I pray it's something minor. This Momma needs her air; some people do heat well but that's not me. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I'll be saying that a lot if we lose our central air!

I'm doing fine washing dishes by hand after last month's dishwasher demise, but I must say, doing dishes in the hottest water you can stand gets very hot in the summer!

Wearing lighter clothes this time of year means less laundry. My whole house is neater and cleaner because of the time freed up. Makes it easier to host and teach a Saturday Children's Bible Study here in our home.

Our friend Dean helped Peter repair one of our bird boxes and now we have a bluebird pair nesting in our yard!

In our homeschool this week:
I'm working my girls hard (ages 4 and 6) now that they sit still longer. We added in regular modeled writing. I use chart paper to write the sentences they dictate, talking about grammar and spelling while I write, eliciting the sounds from them as we sound out the words together. Then, they use a pointer and read the "daily news" back to me. I then copy their sentences onto lined paper and cut them apart between each word, and the girls put them back in order and read their sentence to me, and read the words out of order too.

We added in a second read-aloud session, starting our school day with 5 stories chosen from Honey For A Child's Heart.



Here are the favorites this week:


Publisher synopsis "Bobby was named after his best friend, his grandfather, Bob," begins Tomie dePaola's heartwarming tale of the special relationship between grandchild and grandparent, Now One Foot, Now the Other (1981). The title refers to one of the boy's favorite stories: how Bob taught Bobby to walk. And after Bob has a stroke, it's Bobby's turn to help his grandfather relearn how to walk. 

My notes: The special bond grandfather and grandson share is so heartwarming and the tale itself is woven expertly. I never wanted it to end but it ended grandly! We were all smiles (and Momma was in tears too).




 Publisher Synopsis: If you are lucky you know someone like the elderly lady in this book. Whenever she sees you--coming home from school, trick-or-treating at Halloween, or walking with your dog in the wood--she makes you feel special. She is someone you admire. She is someone you love.

My notes: Great for reinforcing seasons, hospitality and kindness. The girls and I loved this!



Publisher Synopsis: When a young girl from a poor eastern European village learns that she must leave her beloved grandmother for a new life - and a new love - in America, they both feel that their hearts will break. The sure and inspired narrative by award-winning author Amy Hest is paired with paintings by P.J. Lynch that glow with warmth and carefully observed detail, creating an unforgettable tribute to the immigrant experience.

My notes: Very special story and a wonderful social studies selection for all ages. I don't know why this didn't win a Caldecott Medal; the paintings are so exquisite. I had to linger on every page...the detail and beauty were so amazing.



Publisher Synopsis:  Springtime is here, and Zinnia can’t wait to plant her seeds and watch them grow. She carefully takes care of her garden, watering her plants, weeding, and waiting patiently for something to sprout. And soon enough, the first seedlings appear! With art just as colorful as a garden in bloom, young readers will enjoy watching Zinnia’s beautiful garden grow, and may even be inspired to start one of their own.

Good Reads Synopsis: Zinnia grows many kinds of flowers in her garden. Sunflowers, sweet peas, and (of course) zinnias bloom in the sunshine. Customers come to pick their own bunches of flowers. Bouquet-bright artwork shows all Zinnia's tasks, from planting the seeds to cutting the beautiful blooms. The perfect tie-in to elementary biology units about plant growth-and school gardens-this book will be especially welcomed by teachers. It is a splendid addition to Monica Wellington's nonfiction for the very young and a true spring delight that's good in any season

My notes: A must-read for preschool and lower elementary. What a beautiful, exciting science book!



Publisher Synopsis:  Apple cider, applesauce, apple muffins, cakes, and pies! Annie is a very busy apple farmer. She bakes yummy treats with the apples she picks and saves her best apples to sell at the market. Follow Annie through her apple-filled day of picking, counting, sorting, baking, and selling, and then try making some of her simple apple recipes.

My notes: Another outstanding preschool and lower-elementary science pick!

Publisher Synopsis:  One afternoon late in August, before the start of a new school year, Jay finds Cricket. Cricket fits just right in small spaces--like under a tea strainer or in Jay's very own pocket--and Cricket makes the most exciting sounds. But what happens when it's time to go back to school? Will Cricket come too?

Forty years after its original publication, this charming tale continues to capture the imaginative world of a child.
 

On his way home with the cows one evening, a six-year-old Kentucky farm boy catches a cricket and makes it his friend. The story reveals a child's sense of wonder about nature in verse-like prose. Caldecott Honor Book. 

Publisher's Weekly: Honoring its 40th anniversary, the Caldecott Honor book, A Pocketful of Cricket by Rebecca Caudill, illus. by Evaline Ness, is back, starring six-year-old Jay who meanders through the countryside and finds striped beans that "felt cool-like morning," an arrowhead and a cricket that he brings home, among other treasures. Caudill's gentle sentences pair well with Ness's charming vintage scenes in mustard, red, avocado and black inks. 

My notes: As a mother of boys and littles, I can definitely say this book captures the wonder of childhood. Excellent nature book we can use to give thanks to God for his glorious gifts. I loved every descriptive word and all four of my kids did too! Outstanding story.


My boys had a great school week too, but in the interest of time I'll be brief about them this time.

Peter, age 11, thanks to the Teaching Textbooks math program he's used for 2.5 years, now says he likes math and he thinks he's good at it! I can't tell you how thankful I am for this program and for my son's new enthusiasm!

Peter's spelling skills, too, have come a long way...so much so that I no longer consider him behind in spelling (or in anything, actually). This year has been one of real blossom. All the reading he's been doing for the last three years has had a great impact on his writing and spelling skills. Nothing helps more than 2 hours of reading a day, which he gets between literature, science and history. We do read-alouds with him on top of that. I like our spelling program, Avko Sequential Spelling, but it didn't have half the impact reading itself did.

Helpful homeschooling advice to share:
Don't fret when a child has difficulties. Pray them through. Pray for guidance on curriculum choices and then wait for the Lord, and the books, to do their work. Cut out worksheets as much as possible and get them reading.

Places We're Going and People We're Seeing:
The children enjoyed another year of A Day Out With Thomas the Train on a strangely cold May day, tickets compliments of the Children's Hospital 4-year-old Beth goes to for Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. The boys also enjoyed two fishing trips with Daddy and our friend Dean. The girls and I went along for one of them and after a couple of hours of fishing we all enjoyed a two-mile hike.

Neither Dean nor my husband care much for fishing, but they're glad to help the boys. I must say, though, it's stressful due to all the problems that occur with the poles. The boys and Mary caught a multitude of 4-inch blue gill, reeling in one right after the other. Peter kept them to fertilize our garden with, which he does every year.

 

Our friend Dean giving Beth a break from walking.

The two kids next to us weren't catching anything so my boys took them under their wing and gave them worms, baited their hooks and advised them not to reel the line in so often. The little girl then did catch one fish and she was thrilled. Seeing my Peter help her warmed my heart so! Their father wanted to fish himself and he was very impatient with his kids, not wanting to untangle their lines or bait them. It made me appreciate my husband's brand of fathering so much, let me tell you. He's a wonderful Daddy--not perfect, but sacrificial, always putting his children first. Sometimes you have to witness another father in action to gain new appreciation of your husband's family ways.

While at the nature park and pond, few to no mosquitoes, thank the Lord, even though we were on a deeply wooded trail. I keep saying we're having a minor drought here in Northeast Ohio, and the low water level in creeks points to the same. No mosquitoes is nice but it usually means not enough rain in these parts, and conversely, too many mosquitoes means too much rain. Food prices went up after last year's serious drought so I'm hoping for good crops this year.

Peter will enter the children's library photo contest again this year. He turned in fine photos last year but the winner took a picture of a cute pig and it seems all kids--who are the main voters--love pigs. My Peter has it in his mind that to win this contest he must have a pig photo. Lo and behold, our friend Erica keeps pigs out at her parent's 32-acre estate. We're all going out there next week to visit the pigs so Peter can take photos. They told us they'd bring the whipped cream because the pigs are hilarious when they get that special treat; Erica and her husband shoot it right into their mouths.

This is their second collection of pigs, and they name them all, so it was disconcerting to hear them talk about how good the bacon was from their last collection. Don't ask me how you can name a pig and have fun with it, and then talk about how good its bacon was, but whatever, we love this family. I want to live on a farm alright, but I don't want to kill any animals or think about them going to slaughter. Silly, I know.

Tomorrow the boys will take part in a kids' fishing derby contest at our favorite nature park. Three hours of untangling lines and such; my husband is a saint.

My Favorite Thing This Week:
Our nature hike last Sunday. So special to be all together, exploring and exercising.

My Kiddos Favorite Thing This Week:
The water balloons they played with in the backyard today.

Things I'm Working On:
I'm studying humility in my quiet time and really enjoying that. Peter is working on the garden and I hope to help him finish up this weekend.

I'm Cooking:
So far this week for dinner: crockpot porkribs, turkey sloppy joes, turkey burgers, spaghetti, crockpot whole chicken. We filled the propane tank today so grilling is next!

I'm Grateful For:
My Lord, my husband, my children, our friends, our garden, the healing power of prayer, family devotions in Isaiah, flowers, birds, hiking trails, pretty ponds, sweet kids

I'm praying about:
Our 11-year-old neighborhood friend, Lexie, repeated the fourth grade this year and still earned D's and F's. I'm praying about having her come every day in the summer to use our 4th grade Teaching Textbooks CD Rom. I know it would help her and staying a couple hours for school with us would too. But, she is high maintenance; her ADHD makes her jump from one activity to another like the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie book series. My son Peter doesn't have this same type of ADHD--he's not inattentive, just hyper and impulsive. She's an exhausting guest but I love her and want to help her, but part of me is screaming "NO way! I can't do it!" I plan on praying another week before mentioning it to her. She's said many times she wishes I could homeschool her--not to improve her grades, but because she gets bullied at school.

Homeschoolers or not, we all need to pray for the nation's youngsters; bullying is a complicated, heartwrenching problem.

Poem to Share (for upcoming Father's Day):

A Father's Prayer

Lord, make me tolerant and wise;
Incline my ears to hear him through;
Let him not stand with downcast eyes,
Fearing to trust me and be true.
Instruct me so that I may know
The way my son and I should go.

When he shall err, as once did I,
Or boyhood folly bids him stray,
Let me not into anger fly
And drive the good in him away.
Teach me to win his trust, that he
Shall keep no secret hid from me.

Lord, strengthen me that I may be .
A fit example for my son.
Grant he may never hear or see
A shameful deed that I have done.
However sorely I am tried,
Let me not undermine his pride.

In spite of years and temples gray,
Still let my spirit beat with joy;
Teach me to share in all his play
And be a comrade with my boy.
Wherever we may chance to be,
Let him find happiness with me.

Lord, as his father, now I pray
For manhood's strength and counsel wise;
Let me deal justly, day by day,
In all that fatherhood implies.
To be his father, keep me fit;
Let me not play the hypocrite!

Edgar Albert Guest
Have a blessed week, friends!
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Studying Humility: Part 1

Dear Friends, in my quiet time I'm studying humility. While I'm on this journey I'll share scriptures or quotes that really impact my heart.

Isaiah 66:2,“This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.” 

Prov. 25:27“It is not good…to seek one’s own honor”

Today I have a long but easy-to-read and powerful quote from Bible.org. Here is the link to the whole article: http://bible.org/seriespage/humility

Honor comes from God, and it comes – as counter-intuitive as this seems – as the result of downward mobility. Jesus chose downward mobility, a descent from the heights of heaven to a teenager’s womb to a cattle trough to a peasant home to a dusty road to a cross to a tomb. Jesus didn’t surrender a little; he surrendered everything completely, confident that his Father would take care of the outcome. The most powerful person who ever walked on the planet calls us and says, “I served you, and now I’m asking you to serve others. A servant is not greater than his master. If I did this for you, you must do this for one another. I’ll take care of your dignity. You don’t have to take yourself so seriously, because I take you seriously.” 

 If a man does not understand that, he will live in constant insecurity. We all know what insecure people look like. Always searching for approval, they cannot relax. They’re driven. They never reach the mark, so there’s a perfectionism that torments them and everyone around them. Often, their self-esteem is tied to their material possessions, and it’s so important to always have something a little bit newer, a little bit better than the other guy. Because insecurity and envy often go together, they relentlessly find faults with others. Pride seeks the higher place; envy has to do with resenting others’ good fortune. An insecure person is so focused on image rather than substance that they have a persona. They have an image that they have to sustain, and our culture supports that. Proud people are defensive. They cannot handle criticism or rebuke. They cannot receive it, and, therefore, it’s hard for them to be teachable, because they always have to defend that image, that position.

...The Scriptures tell us that he (Jesus) understood three things before he assumed the role of a lowly servant and began to wash the feet of the disciples: Jesus understood where he had come from, that all things had been given to him and where his final destiny would lead Him (John 13:3). In other words, he understood his true identity, true dignity and true significance. He knew who he was, why he had come and where he was going.

Likewise, you and I, as new creations in Christ, can have the same security. We have transferred our trust from ourselves to him, and in so doing we receive the abundant life he promised us (John 10:10). We are no longer in the line of Adam; we are in the line of Christ (Rom. 5:12-21). The significance of this may escape us, but this means nothing less than that we have come forth from God (John 1:12-13; 3:6). It means that every spiritual blessing has been given to us (Eph. 1:3). It means that our eternal destiny is at home in heaven (Phil. 3:20-21).

What I find most beautiful, most significant in this quote? This right here:  ...The Scriptures tell us that he (Jesus) understood three things before he assumed the role of a lowly servant and began to wash the feet of the disciples: Jesus understood where he had come from, that all things had been given to him and where his final destiny would lead Him (John 13:3). In other words, he understood his true identity, true dignity and true significance. He knew who he was, why he had come and where he was going.

Friends, in Christ we have our true identity, true dignity, and true significance.

Let us not chase after the things of this world, which cheapen who we are. We have come forth from God, and that is infinitely more than enough. We can bow low as a servant because we have nothing to prove, nothing to defend. No image to uphold. We can live a life that points to Christ, reflects Christ, embodies Christ, when we give ourselves fully to Him, trusting in the worth that comes from being born of God and loved by God.

A Portrait of True Hospitality

The surest way to judge someone's hospitality gift is to take your touchy-feely littles over to their house. Do you know what I'm saying, mamas? The experience can be warm and wonderful, or nerve-wracking and disastrous. You might drive away from one house with the warm fuzzies, and from another horribly embarrassed and lecturing the little ones.

And afterwards, spankings handed out at home, you slump in a chair, wondering what in the world happened. You don't often have this kind of trouble with them; by golly, what was it today ?

Maybe you feel a tad guilty for disciplining them, because somehow, you feel partially responsible.

I'm not saying kids should be allowed to climb all over furniture and break knickknacks, making nuisances of themselves. It might happen occasionally with the under-four set, but it's never okay; discipline required.

Today we took a quick trip over to an aunt's house and stayed outside. We hadn't been there in quite some time, and we found they had new things in their yard, like a brick-bordered flowerbed and an eye-level windchime. My 4-and 6-year-old girls were touchy-feely, wanting to rattle the windchime a bit and walk along the brick border. I said no and pulled them away, but it took a few times for them to get the message. They weren't rough or doing any harm; they couldn't have ruined anything they touched or stepped on. I just wanted to prevent any disasters and set the tone.

One thing's for sure, they didn't understand my nervous vibes. 

Friends, this aunt and uncle care about their stuff. They don't want little hands checking out the lace on their curtains. There's no materialism in the sense that they buy every new thing--they live modestly in fact--but their house is filled with knickknacks purchased as gifts probably from their kids and grandkids. Nothing pricey, but there's always the nervous tension that comes when people who care about their stuff encounter little children.

I feel this tension the moment we arrive, and it steadily climbs. My kids are curious in that house, possibly because I have very few knickknacks, preferring a tidier look to my rooms. Neither my walls nor my tabletops are cluttered or busy.

As soon as we got into the van after the 20-minute visit, I was livid with the girls. My aunt hadn't seen them in quite a while and her impression was surely that they were testy, ornery girls, when in fact, I rarely have trouble with them in public places.

Once home, as the clocked ticked into the afternoon, I continued to teach, hang laundry, and wipe down bathrooms, but all the while I stewed and tried to get to the bottom of the whole behavioral nightmare and what part I might have played in it.

It really puzzled me, because in the last two weeks we've been to the AWANA leader's house twice, and both times it was a wonderful experience.

Do you know what Erica, the leader said, almost right away, the first time my 4-year-old reached to touch something?

"Oh, that's okay. They can touch anything; I don't care about my stuff."

She had few knickknacks, thank goodness, and what's more, she hadn't bothered to mop or vacuum before the two social events we were there for. There wasn't clutter, but since the house was also home to two frisky dogs, it definitely didn't have a clean appearance.

I marveled at this because I stress about my house and clean it right perfect before I have guests...at great cost to the whole family and to my time. I would probably have people over a lot more if I didn't feel a certain level of cleanliness was required. Clutter is not good, but do all the floors need mopped, and does the bathroom need to shine just so, as well as the wood?

For heaven's sake, no. Why can't I get that?

My whole family loves going to Erica's house, who is a wife and a mom to two teens, and a children's church coordinator. She loves my kids and she loves having us and many more families over for cookouts.

She says the same thing to every parent: "I don't care about my stuff."

And something happens to every parent upon hearing this. They relax. And the more relaxed Mom and Dad are, the less the kids get testy. The better they behave and the more they charm, because there's no tension in the air to mess everyone's emotions up.

The Lord opened my eyes to several things today, including my ugly pride.

I'm not exactly going to give my girls an apology for spanking them after the visit, because they did defy me, after all, about touching things.

But now I'm more keenly aware of the tension-over-stuff phenomena that occurs at some houses. And instead of going to those houses, I'll invite them to my house instead, if possible.

Here, we don't care about our stuff.

And in the future, this Momma is going to care less about cleanliness and concentrate instead on clearing clutter. I'm far more likely to extend hospitality when I only have clutter to attend to, and not three hours of cleaning on top of it.

Will people notice some dirt? Maybe. Will it make them think less of me? Probably not. Will they feel comfortable in my home, like they can relax, put their feet up and enjoy the fellowship? Absolutely.

What would Jesus do? 

He would care about people. The human angle always...never the material angle. He would have Christians gather together often, not just in the church building on Sunday, but in each other's homes, building one another up in Christ. Laughing, dining, loving, praying. Doing life together and bearing burdens.

Now, your turn. What have you learned about hospitality?

Ephesians 6:7
Rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man,

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Behold Wondrous Things

We're blessed to have a pastor who, though only 33 years old, preaches very well and bravely exhorts as well. He's quick to remind us that if we can't find our Bibles on Sunday morning in the rush to get ready for church, perhaps it's because we haven't opened them since the previous Sunday?

Our Heavenly Father has so much for us. He's wanting always to give us good gifts, and guess where the bulk of those gifts are kept?

That's right...in our Bibles. God beckons us to come to Him and receive. Come and be filled to overflowing.

God's plan is for our stay here on Earth to be rich in meaning, love, joy, and peace, despite the human condition.

But Satan has a plan too. There's much in the world that makes our stay here rotten, like the stench of sin. The allure, and then the stench, is everywhere. We can't protect ourselves or our children enough.

The speech teacher three of my children go to has a speech game on her iPad. Twice monthly we go to speech and yet I hadn't heard anything about this iPad. I didn't realize my girls knew of the existence of the iPad, since no commericals come into our home. There's a lot we spare them by not having a TV signal, and by not using the Internet as TV.  I don't even realize all that we're missing, but I'm grateful.

But suddenly, this week, my mostly-unmaterialistic girls are asking for an iPad and I'm grieving at their coveting.

We teach purchasing on a needs-basis only, with few exceptions per year (such as pre-used, purposeful items). Our Compassion children's faces on our kitchen cupboards remind us of where our money is better spent. There's a sinful discrepancy in the way the first world lives compared to the third world, and I don't want to be a part of that discrepancy, except to try to correct it.

Well girls, I said, an iPad might be necessary for competing in the business world, but we're not in that world so we won't be getting one; we have a computer already. Think of the significant, life-changing benefits our Compassion children would enjoy with the same $400 - $700. And you? You would just have a second computer....one that would entice you to spend more and more.

But even before the words left my mouth, I knew my lecturing was worthless next to the Power of God; only God changes hearts. I'm an imperfect parent and as such, I have no power by myself. My only power comes from God...the oral reading (for my girls especially) and teaching of the Word of God, and my prayers.

Maybe in your house it isn't an iPad and materialism this week, but a teen who wants to date and touch. You can try hard to keep your teen separated from her beloved beau, but ultimately, the Word of God and your prayers are the real power.

As parents and as Christians, we can't afford to leave the Bible on the end-table or bedside, unopened, all week. Doing so is trading God's peace for Satan's stench. It doesn't take long for a Christian worldview to water down, inviting sin into our lives.

Dear Friends, none of us is immune. We desperately need the Word of God, everyday. If there's a newborn in the house or littles and we can't manage everyday, then can we listen to the Word of God, with just an Internet connection? We can do it! We just have to understand the impact and thirst for more of God.

Prayer Time: Dear Heavenly Father, we love you. We thank you for the wondrous gifts you offer in your Word. May we receive those gifts unto ourselves and thirst for more. Make us thirst for your peace and your righteousness, not Solomon's empty experiences. The world empties us, but you fill us. Oh, Lord, may we be filled to overflowing and bring glory to You.

In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

Here are some scriptures that teach the value and the gift of God's Word:

Psalm 119:105     
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Joshua 1:8     
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Romans 15:4     
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Hebrews 4:12          
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Psalm 119:18 Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.

1 Peter 2:2
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—

2 Timothy 3:16-17     
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

Matthew 4:4          
But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Psalm 119:10-11          
With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.