Others May, You Cannot

Lately I've been reminded as I muse, and pray, think and live of a really old writer, and this piece that came across my mind years ago and return to time and again, addresses the heart, and impresses upon me the importance of personal conviction, personal holiness, personal integrity, and the significance our choosing represents. I could express more of my "personal", but I've already used the word generally four times. So, for the sake of getting to it; here's that article by G.D. Watson taken directly from bible.org. 

If God has called you to be really like Jesus, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility, and put upon you such demands of obedience, that you will not be able to follow other people, or measure yourself by other Christians, and in many ways He will seem to let other good people do things which He will not let you do.

Other Christians and ministers who seem very religious and useful, may push themselves, pull wires, and work schemes to carry out their plans, but you cannot do it; and if you attempt it, you will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent.

Others may boast of themselves, of their work, of their success, of their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing, and if you begin it, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.

Others may be allowed to succeed in making money, or may have a legacy left to them, but it is likely God will keep you poor, because He wants you to have something far better than gold, namely, a helpless dependence on Him, that He may have the privilege of supplying your needs day by day out of an unseen treasury.

The Lord may let others be honored and put forward, and keep you hidden in obscurity, because He wants you to produce some choice, fragrant fruit for His coming glory, which can only be produced in the shade. He may let others be great, but keep you small. He may let others do a work for Him and get the credit for it, but He will make you work and toil on without knowing how much you are doing; and then to make your work still more precious, He may let others get the credit for the work which you have done, and thus make your reward ten times greater then Jesus comes.

The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch over you, with a jealous love, and will rebuke you for little words and feelings, or for wasting your time, which other Christians never seem distressed over. So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign, and has a right to do as He pleases with His own. He may not explain to you a thousand things which puzzle your reason in His dealings with you, but if you absolutely sell yourself to be His love slave, He will wrap you up in a jealous love, and bestow upon you many blessings which come only to those who are in the inner circle.

Settle it forever, then, that you are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit, and that He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue, or chaining your hand, or closing your eyes, in ways that He does not seem to use with others. Now when you are so possessed with the loving God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this peculiar, personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, you will have found the vestibule of Heaven.

G. D. Watson, in Living Words

In Loving Memory

 

Oma Tueny Nugteren 

1932-2021

  Gone from this earth now, but present with the LORD.  Your faith in Christ made Heaven your certain eternal Home.  We cherish the memories of times we shared, and look forward to the day we'll see you again.  Knowing Jesus means death is not good-bye, but a "See you again!".  Rejoicing with you Oma that you are enjoying Heavens' splendor; reunion with Opa, and others you love, but most of all our Saviour face-to face.     

Guest Post: "Why I'm Simplifying Our Home" by Michelle Beeksma

Over the years I've had the honour of connecting a handful of times briefly with Michelle, the author of this featured guest post. She's intentional, committed to Jesus, and authentic. It's a blessing how God works, and makes us for communities, and how incredibly rich, deep and diverse the family of God is. I've been encouraged, inspired and sharpened by Michelle when we've connected, and I'm grateful. With no more words of my own; check out this great post, and then if you have time, cruise over to Michelle's own blog for more.... 

Why I’m Simplifying Our Home

I recently shared about how relationships are the most important part of life. This is the reason why I’ve been simplifying our home, so that I can spend less time and energy on stuff and more time on my relationships. 

If relationships are the priority, where does that leave our homes and the stuff in them? 

Things don’t have to be the enemy of relationships, there is a proper place for them. 

Cleaning and organizing our homes and the things in them will always be a part of life. Certain appliances and tools really are a gift that can save us time. Furniture and decor make the home a cozy place where people feel welcome. Toys and games can help develop our kids minds and deepen our connections with each other. Clothing keeps us warm. Books feed our minds. Physical things are not evil, they are gifts that we are to steward well. No matter how much we declutter, we will always spend some time each day maintaining and caring for our stuff. There’s no getting around it, but these mundane tasks can be redeemed when they are done in a relational way for God’s glory. Together, friends help each other with the dishes, kids help each other cleanup after playing with toys. Even alone, we can fold laundry with a thankful heart and in doing so, bring glory to God. We can reflect his character by bringing order out of chaos and by serving our families in love as we pick up those dirty socks.  

Simplifying the home isn’t about donating everything and eliminating all housework. It’s really about intentionality. Being intentional while doing the tasks, and being intentional to make those tasks efficient and minimal. How can I spend the smallest amount of time possible thinking about what’s for dinner and where my socks are? Here are a few of the practical projects that have helped. 

-Purging and removing all the extra stuff that we don’t need and don’t value.  Minimal stuff means minimal time cleaning and arranging that stuff.

-Investing some time up front creating meal plans, weekly routines, and laundry systems that are beginning to save a lot of time and mental energy in the day to day. 

 -Disciplining myself and our kids to practice some daily habits of making sure every item has a home and putting things back when we’re done using them. 

Again, the reason behind all of this is to create more mental space for relationships, to spend my time well so that I can be a present wife, mom, and friend. Once we can eliminate excess clutter and wasted time, then comes the fun part. We get to fill the space with what is valuable to us. If we aren’t intentional at this point, the extra time and energy we have worked hard to earn will quickly get sucked up by different things such as too much TV and social media. There are so many other obstacles to living an intentional life. What matters most to you? This will look slightly different for everyone. For our family, we value quality time as a family, reading good books, having dance parties, filling our minds with what is good and true through God’s Word, and having buffer time to love people by meeting sudden needs that come up, to name a few. An intentional, simple life isn’t easy, it takes some time up front to think and strategize, hard work to declutter, and daily habits to maintain, but it is possible, freeing, and worth it. 

For more from Michelle check out; michellebeeksma.wordpress.com

Take Heart Barren Wombed Women

May is here. I'm taking a short detour from the "Gospel Primer" blog series I've been doing.

For myself May is a pivotal month of emotions for me. Delightful celebrations of Birthdays; my husbands' and my own, and our Anniversary celebrating nineteen years of life together through ups and downs, with the guidance of our Heavenly Father. We are blessed and grateful, growing and deepening in faith and love.

May also Springs crocuses, daffodils, trillium, hyacinth, forsythia; buds of hope burst forth on limbs that appeared dead and forlorn under the weight of Winter. I so enjoy every season for it's own splendor, and the way that it clearly proclaims the creativity and tender care of it's Maker.


In May we honour Mothers. I have been dearly blessed with a Mom who is sweet, present in my life, encouraging, creative and more.... My Mother-in-law was a joyful, faithful, wise, and adventurous lady who has preceded us to Heaven by cancer; but her legacy lives on. I thank God for them and other dear women who have demonstrated motherly care towards me over the years of my life; Grandma and Oma, aunts, Sunday School teachers, neighbour, coach, mentors, co-workers, managers I've worked under, fellow missionaries, and Pastors' wives, music artists, and authors, quaint shop owners, and more have influenced my life in motherly ways, and I am blessed and so very grateful.

My heart sincerely goes out to Moms during this global pandemic. Your schedules are hectic, your time to yourself zilch as babysitters and regular scheduled programs, lessons, practices and more are on hold. Everything has been turned upside down, and you and your household are feeling it. I am thinking and praying for the Mothers I know that are doing there best in these times. May the Lord give you perseverance, grace, strength, peace and patience.

Isn't that sweet and precious, a heartfelt way to end..... I wanted to begin with the good, true and grateful. God in Heaven has truly heaped upon me blessings by the ton. Spiritual riches that no circumstances can tarnish or steal (Ephesians 1-3). Earthly blessings I truly am humbled to hold. God has given me much. I praise Him, and thank Him often, amazed.   

 However, May also wakens in me honest feelings of turmoil in my soul that have been there for years, but arise every May; feelings of grief at unmet expectations. I have endometriosis, and have posted on this in the past, you can look back at if you like. As the years pass my perspective and maturity at addressing these feelings has grown, thanks to the Holy Spirit in me and His ability to transform my thinking (Romans 12:1-2). To Him alone be glory.

I wanted to take time to write this post to my own soul, and to those of you in similar boats of circumstance, as well as to those who have children of their own just to shed light on the reality others' face and share honestly.

I encourage my own mind and spirit through the month of May in many different ways.

Practically; I choose to smell all the flowers blooming, enjoy the simple joys of the season. Hanging laundry on the line, observing seeds sprout, walking in warmer temperatures with less outer gear, tuning into the sweet melodies of chirping birds, thinking on their flight patterns, and watching them nest and nurture. I celebrate with delight the milestones and markers on our calendar and life with gusto and recalling the days gone by. With hope I look to the future no matter what comes or doesn't because I know that Jesus Christ is the anchor of my soul.

I allow myself to feel what I'm going to without trying to deny or suppress the emotions. This has been a journey for me, and I've failed at it countless times; if you doubt that, ask Nathan. What a man he is; patient, consistent, faithful and devoted to comforting me, supporting me, accepting me and the reality of our infertility. It effects us both. Yet he is committed to our marriage and embraces the blessings and trials in faith and leads me by doing so.

When my feelings surface I must choose well. I have a journal I don't frequently use, but taking time to write down and process my thoughts and emotions on paper helps me to gather what's really going on within. I turn to God in prayer, and know that bearing my soul to Him is always safe. He hears. He knows. He compassionately welcomes my expressions of heart, and is working. His way, in His time, He never stops accomplishing good through our perceived hardships. He is ever present and wisely writing an eternal story much bigger in scope than our finite perceptions can fathom. Ah, what comfort that is, and hope. There my soul rests. In Him my Shepherd I have all I need.

Prayer, reading Scripture, listening to good music, drinking cups of tea, letting the tears flow and coming back to a mindset of gratitude and an active faith that chooses to submit to the hand of God is how I address my own heart in the processing of emotions.

We must firmly believe God, and continually align our view of Him and His character with what is true. There are incredible resources for which I'm grateful that have helped me to do this repeatedly.

Please dear one reading this, know that you are not alone. Others are hurting too. There is a Saviour that wants to hold you close. He is good and trustworthy. You may not find the answers you desire or expect, but His ways are higher than ours, and He is calling out to you with hope, peace, comfort and help. Even when our desires are left unmet, it is for His good purposes. It's hard to wrap our minds around that, but that's where faith is exercised.

May you know this Mother's Day even if your womb is barren, your heart can have joy that overflows. Your Creator, the God of Heaven offers a help that is sufficient not just for now, but forever. Jesus came to give us life, one that's definitely not without hurt, deep valleys of hardships, and mountains that feel impassible. But through our lives wherever they lead, He is present. He is worthy of worship and faithful. Our present existence is just the prologue, eternity is real, and will be an extravagantly unfolding a plot too amazing for words. I will see it, because I know Jesus has rescued me from my sin and given me an anchor of certain hope for the future. Do you know that certainty for yourself?

If children ever grace our home as our own it will be miraculous. If they don't there are an ever abundant flow of blessings that God has lavished upon our lives; even including the blessing of infertility. It's bitter more than sweet, but with open hands I accept His good will and ask for His help daily to live for His glory and shine the Light of His grace.


"May the God of hope fill you (dear reader) with joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that hope may overflow by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

Hold onto hope, dear soul. Accept with faith that your suffering is His appointed agenda that is full of faithful love, and prospects of opportunity that you don't see now. Keep on doing the next thing, and the next, and the one after that..... Living faithfully in the small ways you have control over, and constantly trusting Him and His heart for the big things you cannot control or fathom.

One day, one moment at a time.

From one barren wombed woman to you; Peace. In the name of Jesus Christ. I pray that this Mother's Day you'll be able to have His abiding peace, a gratitude for life and a hope that rises above the present circumstances.     

"A Gospel Primer: Learning to See the Glories of God's Love" by Milton Vincent - Part 6

Recap: This series of posts is using the text of a small booklet that has encouraged my faith, as a project to help me further consider the truths presented, and apply it to my own beliefs and instill it in my life I've put quotes over photos that are significant reminders of the principles in the quotes. Please read back through posts 1-5. Thanks for joining me but reading these posts. I trust they've been a catalyst to your own journey of soul.

Praise God for His provision of justification! Consider with me the incredible reality that what our minds perceive as evil and hopeless; God knows all about, is never surprised by and is able to effectively accomplish His glory through and use for His kind of everlasting good in the growth of our faith as we look to Him in the trials and sufferings of life.

I don't know your hardships, and some of these words may feel harsh, insensitive, or even impossible. Yet, I hope it spurns you on to investigate how there can be redeeming aspects of the hardest moments of life. If not during our lifetimes, in the forever of eternity.

The series will continue. Stay tuned. 

"A Gospel Primer: Learning to See the Glories of God's Love" by Milton Vincent - Part 5

This blog project has been an instrument God has used to; teach me truth, remind my heart of the blessedness of the Gospel, and refresh my focus through this season of accepting limitations due to COVID-19. May it do the same for you dear reader.

Wherever you are; through various circumstances and emotional states, no matter what your bank account balance, regardless of your family heritage, or number of wrong-doings in your lifetime. Regardless of your scars visible and invisible. If you are tranquil or hostile of heart; there is truth that remains the same.

In a world that we perceive to be in ruin, an atmosphere of fear right now; there is an everlasting Hope. My prayer is that you know that to be true in your soul. If not, that you would consider in this time your conviction foundations. Search. Seek. Decide. 

" A Gospel Primer: Learning to See the Glories of God's Love" By Milton Vincent - Part 4

Quotes taken from Milton Vincent's booklet and added to photos taken by either Nathan or myself. 

Meditating on eternal truths engages our faith when what we see in our present world is difficult and beyond our control. 

Praying that as you read these quotes, that you'll turn to the Scripture passages underneath and read for truth yourself. May seeing reminders of natural wonder that your heart is encouraged, reminded of truth and spurred to spend time with the One who is in control.