Every week, one of the girls tries to round up all of our truthfests and combine them into a post. And as the summer has progressed, it’s grown harder and harder to consistently get everyone to contribute due to overfull schedules and not enough breathing margins on life. This week was particularly bad, and I couldn’t get truthfests from 5 out of the 8 of us here at Forthright Fixation.

So, in hopes that they will read this and be convicted to keep up with the blog, I’m going to hijack the AWOL truthfests. Girls, if you read this, I know you’re busy and I know you all have excellent reasons to put this off. But I just couldn’t resist heckling you any longer. Feel free to strikethrough all that I wrote and update your truthfest correctly. I love you all!

Debbie Jane: God has been showing me His strength through me…His strength through people who could not be strong without Him. Through business, through trials, through impossibilities and improbabilities, God has been there. [Debbie is going to be insanely busy this coming week with a stage production of Peter Pan. Pray for much grace on her!]

Kate: God has been gracious to me this week, allowing me to get lots of things done that have been on my to-do list. He also provided me with two more piano students, which has been an answer to prayer!

Hännah: My week has been full of strenous days and little sleep. But there’s been that deep-seated contentment and joy in the Lord permeating the hours, for which I am very grateful. Provision of work, provision of strength and of grace for the little moments’ quiet need have been given to me faithfully by the dear Father who remembers that I am but dust. He is good indeed.

Katie Marie: is far too busy giggling and staying up late and humming Christmas carols to post. She does not send her regards, but rather laughs at the notion that anything could possibly be more important than investing in her visit with Kristin. [Pray for her time, that they are both blessed and encouraged. Biblical fellowship is a wonderful thing, is it not?]

Kaitlin: This last week I’ve taken the time to ponder God’s timing, and I’ve come to the fresh realization that it’s perfect! I see where He’s leading me now, from where I’ve come and to where I’m going, and that without His perfect timing chaos would reign.

Riëtte: is gadding about Gaithersburg humming and laughing and making new inside jokes with fellow worship team members. She said she’d only answer the phone if her “girls” (some sweeties she babysits) or her fish call. Leave a message. [Pray for her sanity. Okay, just kidding. Pray that she's blessed and built up by the Worship God conference this weekend.]

Kelsey: is bowing down with other devotees before a gilded image of Ludwig von Mises. Pray for repentance. [Just kidding. She's at an econ seminar this week. Pray that she is blessed by rich fellowship with the Lord and other believers during that time.]

Steph: finally succumbed to her secret desire to be a bohemian artsy person and is playing Pied Piper to hordes of adoring children as she instructs them in the Way of Artsiness. [Pray for grace as she leads an Art Camp for young children this weekend.] EDIT: Well, you’ll be happy to know that I managed to contain my bohemian artist inside over the weekend. I did, however, see a lot of God — He breathed life into Art Camp and met us above and beyond our expectations, using my weaknesses, and impacting the kids. Praise God!

Filed under: Truthfest, Uncategorized, humor | 2 Comments »

A few weeks ago, Hannah posted some journalings. Following suit but trying not to be a copy cat, I’m posting a written sketch from my recent reading of Ephesians. Please view the image full size for readability.

“…But God…”  He changes everything.

While reading through Ephesians last week, I was struck by Paul’s method of using contrast to delivering his message.  Even more, I am heart-stoppin’, glory-filled, nearly speechless in thankfulness, amazed at the fact that these glorious contrasts of redemption are the Word of God and are TRUE! I am dead. BUT GOD, being rich in mercy, because of His great love which he loves me, even when I was dead in my sin, made me alive together with Christ.

Rejoice with me, you that because of Christ, are now alive and walk in light.  Oh, the richness of Christ! All honour and praise be to His holy, name! Revel in His glory with me, fellow saint. He is amazing!

ESV

Filed under: God's Glory, God's Word | 4 Comments »

Hännah:

This week has been a whirlwind of work and writing and taxi-ing siblings all about town. God’s been very kind to give me strength and grace when I’m tired, and to give me some wonderful opportunities to fellowship. He is all I need!

Kaitlin:

During this week there have been moments of craziness where I’ve felt like my head was about to spin off my shoulders from all the college planning that I’ve been doing. But, God has reminded me that He is in control of all the details and I need to trust Him; sometimes that’s all I can do!

Kate:

God has shown me grace in simple things this week. He’s given me times alone with Him in His word, given me diligence to go work out consistently again, and helped me finish some scholarship essays I’ve been needing to send off.

Kelsey:

I spent most of this week in Yosemite with a great group of friends. God showed me, among other things, that he works all things for his glory (and sometimes, his plan is a lot more fun too :-D)

Stephanie:

As the weight of to-do lists, relationships, and administration pile on, my strength and capacity wears thin. God has been faithful this week to pry my fingers off of His work, so that He can carry the burden for me. And that has freed me to be joyful, motivated, and thankful because I see Christ instead of myself, and I see His provision instead of my lack.

Filed under: Truthfest | No Comments »

Confession: I worry. I didn’t think I was a worrier, but I do lean in that direction. Maybe you could lay the blame on inherited character traits and say I’m just like my grandmother, but that’s a cop-out. Worrying may be an inherited weakness, but sin is still sin no matter what label you put on it. I know it’s sin, because sin, as one theologian (I can’t recall who, though) has said, “sin is wrong thinking about God.”

What does that mean? When I worry about something, I am acting on the belief that God is not able to handle this, that He doesn’t care to do me good, that He does not really know what I need or what’s best for me, or that He’s out to do me ill. All of that is a brazen affront to His name and His proven character—why should I listen to any of that garbage? I must wrestle with truth and fight to live like I really believe that He is good and sovereign and my Savior.

Elisabeth Elliot comments on the silliness of worrying, saying:

“When you look over what it was you worried about this time last week, did it happen? Was it worth the worry? If it was—if the worst thing that you could imagine actually did happen—where did the worry get you?”

It’s easy to worry and to fret, but is it really worth the cost of my peace of mind and a steadfast trust in God? I need to fix my eyes on the Savior and be transfixed by the truth I know about Him, rather than my circumstances, needs, desires, hopes, plans, etc. Listen to Christ as He speaks to the crowds:

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? . . . Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” – Matt. 6:25-27 & 31-34, ESV

This is the truth I must be speaking to my soul when I struggle with anxiety. And I can go further than this, and use another tool to combat my worries. Peace must replace my worries, and Paul wrote to the church at Colossae, saying,

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” – Col. 3:15, ESV

Why does he add “and be thankful” at the end of a command to let peace rule their hearts? I would argue that the Christian’s best defense against worrying is not just correcting one’s thoughts about God, but going further and recounting to oneself over again His mercies and blessings. That’s the difference between us and unbelievers—because we can see Christ rightly, we have many reasons to recount, with a thrill of unashamed delight, His goodness to us. My roommate likes to say that if God tells us not to worry, then we ought to do just that.She often follows up on that by noting His kindnesses to her and others. We’d be wise to follow in her example—I know I want to delight in His faithfulness and to rejoice in thanksgiving over all He has done and promised for me. In order for that promised peace to rule in my heart, I must think rightly about God, and respond to His truth in an overflow of gratitude to Him.

And be thankful.

Filed under: Attributes of God, Faith, Thankfulness, Uncategorized, Worry | 3 Comments »

Hännah is writing a guest series on biblical femininity on the Beauty from the Heart blog.

Filed under: Uncategorized | No Comments »

Ever since we moved to the States I’ve had a severe dislike for reading or watching the news because it seems to me that there is always someone griping or complaining about something or someone else. All the complaining through the media only escalates during an election year. Everyone is whining that this isn’t fair, or so-and-so shouldn’t have done that. Everyone is stomping on others’ toes because they “have rights” and such-and-such a person infringed them. When all is said and done, however, all this complaining comes down to 1 thing: love of money; the root of this being sin.

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” – Hebrews 13:5 (ESV)

It’s easy to fall in love with money. Money can get you things that you want. And sometimes the drive to get money to spend can be dangerous. I sometimes find my heart inclined towards tendencies that make me think I’ll be content or satisfied when I have ‘stuff’; a car of my own, more books, more shoes, etc. But seeing as though I’m about to start college, I’ve realized that this is very thin ice I’m skating on. While college is primarily an opportunity to further one’s education, I also see it as a time to be a good steward with the resources God has given me. Over the next few years, before I’m out in the world on my own completely, I have a responsibility for school bills and living expenses, and as I’m sure you know neither of these are cheap nowadays. I can’t see what the future holds but there will probably be a few occasions when I won’t be able to buy exactly what I want when I want it. I’ve determined to be content with this, and to quietly do without something that I may really, really want.

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” – Matthew 6:25, 26 (ESV)

I know that all of my needs will be taken care of by my Heavenly Father; it’s all my wants that I have to look out for. But, I’ve decided that instead of complaining or becoming money-hungry, I’m going to, by the grace of God, count my blessings. Instead of moping about what I don’t have, I’m going to remind myself of what I do have: my family, my home, my church family – be it local or universal. I have plenty of clothes to wear and I’ve never gone to bed hungry. I’m healthy and so is the rest of my family. The list goes on and on. I’ve innumerable blessings to count, gifts from God. What about you? Do you count your blessings?

Filed under: Christian Living, Satisfied, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

The most noticeable thing about being around a newborn is how much they want closeness. How much they want warmth, comfort, and -quite simply- you! My nephew Hank was a strong advocate for snuggling when he was tiny. Oftentimes whenever he was crying all he wanted was to be “swaddled” – cocooned tightly in a blanket and cradled securely up against someone. Because he would get cold, or nervous, or uncomfortable. And being totally engulfed in my protection made him feel safe. After all…he was so tiny and confused. Closeness was all he understood.

“As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you…”
[Isaiah 66:13a NIV]

Over and over again, we are invited to be close to God. To come to him- to stretch out our arms to receive his love. He wants to protect us. He wants us to remain close to him.

-

Henry is over four months now. He laughs constantly, turns his head to follow you across the room, and protests things by waving his left arm around. He’s also constantly wiggling. He much prefers to “sit” on you, normally, than squish up against you like he used to. Instead of being swaddled, he prefers that you pick him up and walk around with him, to divert him from discomfort. You, and your warmth, are not quite enough anymore.

Sound familiar? So often we lose interest in simply being close to God. We long for other things. The commonplace human desire for independence distracts us. We try to tackle problems on our own. We compare ourselves to other Christians who may seem to have loftier spiritual goals.

And, of course, change comes with growth. We can’t survive on milk forever- we must move on to bread and meat. But I don’t think that God ever wants us to outgrow wanting to be close to him. Plain and simple. When our ambitions lie in “being a strong Christian” instead of drawing nearer to our Heavenly Father…that is the mistake. Being close to God is the root of everything else we aspire to beyond that.

He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
[Matthew 10:14b, 15]

Like a little child. Little children don’t get stressed or depressed- they turn to their parents. They turn to a loving mother or father, who stands with open arms, and bury their faces in a hug. It’s enough for them. Is it enough for me? Do I say, “God, I will rest in you and wait on your direction” or do I strategically evaluate my strengths and weaknesses and try to figure out problems I can’t solve?

God gives us responsibilities, problems to work out, and tasks to face. But oh…let us not neglect to remain close to our loving Father first and foremost, and trust that he will hold us more securely than the best laid plans.

Filed under: Attributes of God, Christian Living, Trusting God | 2 Comments »

Debbie:

As my summer is about to really kick-off and be even busier and crazier than it’s already been, God is reminding me that my role is continually changing to one of leadership, mentoring, and serving. But He is providing Grace and Joy in the midst of what could be tough transitions.

O Bless the Lord, my soul!

Hännah:

Seeing God’s providence in the little things has been a blessing - like when the stone slipped out of my purity ring at work, but He answered my prayers and allowed me to find it behind a fridge. I’ve also been challenged to re-examine how I relate to my parents and walk in humility and submission. It’s not about what I want or how things seem - it’s my response that reveals my heart and what I believe about God.

Kaitlin:

 I’ve just come back from spending the last two weeks on vacation with my family. It was a wonderful time of relaxing and being with my cousins, aunts, and uncles. I also attended my great-grandmother’s 100th birthday party! I’m very thankful to the Lord for the good time He gave to us with all our family.

Kate:

I just returned from vacation and I’m so grateful for the time I got to spend away with my family just getting away from some of the things that normally distract us. It was truly a blessing to us all, and for that I thank God!

Kelsey:

I think God is working on strengthening me for his service. This week that has meant taking me out of my comfort zone. I’ve spent the last two weeks teaching highschoolers and at so many times I felt inadequate. Yet, I trust that he will use this experience to refine me in bunch of different areas.

Riette:

This Monday and Tuesday my brother and I were able to go visit some friends in Maryland. God was so kind in really directing our conversation to be very meaningful and intentional. I am so thankful for fellow brothers and sisters in Christ!

Stephanie:

As the date of the kids’ Art Camp I’m planning quickly approaches, I’m learning afresh the difference between praying: “Lord, please fill this need” and “Lord, fulfill Your purpose.” There’s a difference between trying to take what I think I need from God, and leaving my palms open, ready to receive whatever He wants to give me. His provision—whenever and however it comes—is always superior, and it’s worth the wait.

Filed under: Truthfest | 1 Comment »

One of the most enjoyable parts of my morning is reading the daily passage from Spurgeon, posted on the Spurgeon Archives. A few days ago I read his thoughts on Psalm 103:2. It’s a good reminder of the blessings that have been granted to us.

“Forget not all His benefits.”—Psalm 103:2.

IT is a delightful and profitable occupation to mark the hand of God in the lives of ancient saints, and to observe His goodness in delivering them, His mercy in pardoning them, and His faithfulness in keeping His covenant with them. But would it not be even more interesting and profitable for us to remark the hand of God in our own lives? Ought we not to look upon our own history as being at least as full of God, as full of His goodness and of His truth, as much a proof of His faithfulness and veracity, as the lives of any of the saints who have gone before?

We do our Lord an injustice when we suppose that He wrought all His mighty acts, and showed Himself strong for those in the early time, but doth not perform wonders or lay bare His arm for the saints who are now upon the earth. Let us review our own lives. Surely in these we may discover some happy incidents, refreshing to ourselves and glorifying to our God.

Have you had no deliverances? Have you passed through no rivers, supported by the divine presence? Have you walked through no fires unharmed? Have you had no manifestations? Have you had no choice favours? The God who gave Solomon the desire of his heart, hath He never listened to you and answered your requests? That God of lavish bounty of whom David sang, “Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things,” hath He never satiated you with fatness? Have you never been made to lie down in green pastures? Have you never been led by the still waters?

Surely the goodness of God has been the same to us as to the saints of old. Let us, then, weave His mercies into a song. Let us take the pure gold of thankfulness, and the jewels of praise and make them into another crown for the head of Jesus. Let our souls give forth music as sweet and as exhilarating as came from David’s harp, while we praise the Lord whose mercy endureth for ever.

Filed under: Attributes of God, Christian Living, Grace, Joy in Christ | No Comments »

Beauty, creativity, purpose, splendor—it’s all reflected in Creation. Canyons, insects, the central nervous system, deep-sea creatures, an atom, waterfalls, volcanoes, autumn leaves—Oh, yes…

”—and the stars.” Genesis 1:16

Reading the account in Genesis, it seems as though God created the stars on a whim, as though they are extraneous expressions of His glory. It’s funny that the trillions of stars in their countless galaxies sprawling across empty space receive comparatively so little attention in the description of Creation.

So, why would God create all of that “wasted” space?

”The created universe is all about glory. The deepest longing of the human heart and the deepest meaning of heaven and earth are summed up in this; the glory of God. The universe was made to show it, and we were made to see and savor it.”  -John Piper

When was the last time you really thought about how incredibly expansive the universe is? When was the last time you pondered how infinitely glorious its Creator must be?

Watch this. It will help you marvel.

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.”
Psalm 19:1

Go look at the sky tonight and join with the stars in that happy declaration of His glory.

Let’s make a habit of delighting in our smallness for the glory of God.
”All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made.… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 1:2-3, 14-16

Filed under: God's Glory, Knowing God | 1 Comment »