Long time no see! To my friends who have been faithful to check in on this blog every once in a while I apologize for being AWOL! I have taken a break from writing and I am coming back with a new blog!!! Here is the site of my new blog! Please consider visiting and interacting with the blog!

http://joyinjesus-theemptynester.blogspot.com/

Hope to see you there!!!!!

Greetings to those few people who follow my blog! Happy New Year!!!! I cannot believe that it is 2010!!! Does that blow anyone else away? It does me.

My husband and I laugh because this is the year we turn 55. Of course, I have to say that he turns 55 a FULL 9 months earlier than I do. Our responses to this fact of our aging was quite different... he is THRILLED that he finally will get the senior discount at Bob Evans Restaurant and I, upon the realization of turning double nickels this year, dyed my hair on New Years Day to cover up those gray hairs!! haha! Dennis is ready to embrace it and I'm just not quite ready to look the part although I will take advantage of that senior discount (and let me repeat:) a FULL 9 months after my husband does! :)

I have been away from writing this blog for a long time. Honestly? I ran out of things to say! haha! Those who know me well aren't buying that, I'm sure... but it's true. I came up against a writer's block of sorts but I have a feeling that I'm back!!!! :)

I am looking forward to waiting this year... waiting for what you might ask? Well, in August of '09 our youngest son went away to college so for the majority of the year we are empty nest. I have been stuck with not knowing what to do with myself. I think I have been downright "in the dumps"... kind of stuck... I have had some WONDERFUL things happen in the second half of '09 .. two beautiful grandchildren (our first ones!!!) were born! Charlie Michael and Gabriel Jacob! Charlie in July and Gabe in November... they bring SUCH joy to me... but I still felt "stuck".

So what do i do now?

Well, on New Year's Eve my husband was sick. By 630 PM he was sound asleep on the couch. I got online and just surfed around, played games, read blogs . In doing so I came across a live stream of John Piper preaching about Holy Ambition to I'm assuming young adults. I began to listen and was captivated by his words. His words brought me to a place of repentance of my laziness this past few months, of unbelief, of harshness towards others (in thought mostly, but also in words to some people around me.).. of wasting those few months of my life. My time in Scripture was not daily, my daily prayer life was minimal.. I was in a dry and barren land and didn't even know it until the last day of 2009.

As I said, I had a time of repentance and worship and prayer and at Dr. Piper's suggestion I prayed that God would give me a holy ambition, that I would not waste the rest of my life. At 55 I may have 2 hours, 2 days, 2 weeks, 2 months, 2 years, 20 years, 30 years left to live on this earth before I go to be with my God and Savior but I do know that I do not want to waste another minute! I immediately felt as though I were airlifted out of that dry and barren land and my joy returned! How kind and merciful of God!!!!

So... what does my life look like since then? Well, not a whole lot different . I am waiting. I don't know what God has for me but my heart attitude is different! I enjoy more time reading the bible, I am praying more, I am TRUSTING God more! I am joyful and hopeful! I am continuing to serve my church and my family .. I'm not just going to "sit and wait" for God to "voila" show me what the rest of my life is going to look like.. I am going to put one foot in front of the other and walk in trust serving the kingdom and enjoying this season of life. I am looking forward to God's continuing sanctification in my life.. I am basking in His grace, love and mercy. Ahhh.. it's good to be back. :)

I don't know what this blog is going to look like or how regularly I'll post... we'll see!!! :)

So.. Happy New Year! Welcome back to ME! :) and I look forward to communicating with those who might stop in and read this blog!

God bless you all!

"Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His presence continually." Psalm 105:4

I have not had a blog entry for a very long time. There are several reasons for this which I will save for another blog entry.

Today, however, I feel I need to put out there for whoever happens to read this blog two blogs entries that I read today. I give a standing ovation to both John Piper AND Jared for speaking out!

The first one written by John Piper and can be found on http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=29681064 and the second one written by Jared from The Thinklings blog: http://thinklings.org/posts/piper-on-obamas-speech-to-school-children .

1.

I Hope My Daughter Hears the President’s Speech

September 6, 2009 | By: John Piper | Category: Commentary

I am stunned at the outcry against the President of the United States speaking to the youth of this nation about the importance of education.

I am embarrassed by the governor of my home state saying, that the president’s plan to address them is “disruptive . . . uninvited . . . and number three . . . I don’t think he needs to force it upon the nation’s school children.”

This speech seems, for me, to be an answer to a prayer that I have prayed for the president repeatedly.

Father, the condition of our schools and families is so broken that nothing seems to be working, especially for the poor in our urban centers. Help our president to have the courage to use his amazing place of influence to speak into this situation in such a way that boys and girls would take their studies seriously and put school above sport and homework above hiphop and graduation above gangs.

O, Lord, create a culture where it is not cool to fail. Give our President the courage to call all children, especially ones who feel hopeless about academic work, to fight for knowledge the way gangs fight for turf.

And as the President plans his speech, help him to feel as helpless as he really is to meet the greatest needs of the children, so that he turns to Jesus who alone has the answer for the ruin and the wrongs of our cities. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I hope my daughter hears the speech.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Piper on Obama's Speech to School Children

Posted by Jared @ 2:37 pm CDT
Filed under: Politics

John Piper on why he hopes his daughter hears the President's speech.

It only takes about 15 comments before someone compares Obama to Hitler.

Nothing has pushed me more toward committing not to vote again than this stuff lately. I've never seriously considered not voting before, but all this reaction to this thing will do it, I think. I don't know how else to express it, but it just grieves me. And 8 years ago, I think I'd be yelling and blogging and arguing right along with everybody.

Fear and worry are the affections of the idolatrous. I don't mean to over-spiritualize this stuff, but I am utterly convinced that the more awake to the gospel we become, the less pressing all this stuff seems. And I don't think in good conscience I can help my brothers and sisters who are acting like this win an election.

You probably don't care. But I'm just gonna put that out there, because I don't think I'm alone in feeling this way.
You might be losing the political capital you think you've gained now that the president is pretty much a lame duck for the time being. If this is the continuing face of Christian conservatism, I'm out.

Here are Nancy Leigh DeMoss's excellent views on the subject of Miss California, Carrie Prejean:

I’ve been asked numerous times for my take on the firestorm surrounding Carrie Prejean—the reigning Miss California who lost her bid for Miss USA after publicly affirming her belief that marriage should be between a man and a woman.

Those who hold to the biblical concept of marriage couldn’t help but be glad that this young woman courageously stood for the Truth, knowing that to do so could be costly.

Yet, for those who affirm and cherish the biblical perspective of femininity and sexuality, this story has an important subtext and raises a number of issues that should be of great concern to us as followers of Christ.

Carrie has made a strong public profession of her faith in Christ. As Christians, we are called to live as redeemed men and women and to reflect to the world the beauty and holiness of God. I’m not in a position to judge Carrie’s motives or her heart. But while I applaud her courage, I also believe some of her choices and public actions, past and present, are representative of many women who consider themselves Christians, but who lack clear biblical thinking and conviction on such matters as virtue, womanhood, beauty, modesty, and discretion.

In my mind, Carrie Prejean’s story is symptomatic of deeper root issues in the evangelical world—issues that in my opinion outweigh most of what is being debated in the secular press.

Sadly, Carrie is the product of a Christian sub-culture that has lost a sense of what it means to be citizens of the kingdom of God and has embraced the values and thinking of this world.

By and large, young adults who have grown up in our evangelical homes, churches, and schools, are buying into a message that they have seen modeled by those around them who call themselves Christians—namely, that Christianity can be divorced from Christ-likeness, and that practical holiness in everyday life is out-dated, irrelevant, or optional.

Carrie Prejean’s situation highlights the desperate need for Titus 2 “older women”—mothers, youth workers, mentors—to take an active role in the training and discipleship of younger women—teaching them to live out the implications of the gospel in every area of their lives.

So many young women in the Christian world have little understanding or discernment when it comes to modesty and personal purity. And can you blame them when they are following in the footsteps of a generation of so-called believers who tolerate, justify, and flaunt immodesty, sensuality, and immorality of every form, along with serial divorce and remarriage?

That’s why as women we need to be asking ourselves questions like:

• How does my life measure up to the Word of God?
• Am I modeling Christ-like, Gospel-drenched virtue, modesty, femininity, beauty, and discretion to the next generation?
• What kind of impact am I having on the younger women in my sphere of influence?
• What I am doing to invest in their lives, to point them to Christ, and to mentor them in godliness?

Carrie Pejean’s story should cause us to be on our faces crying out to God over the extent to which the church today has accommodated to the world. It should cause us to plead with God on behalf of our children and grandchildren, and then to get up off our knees and go out and engage this younger generation with love and grace and truth and to become agents of redemption in their lives.

INSOLENCE and HUMILITY

It has been quite a while since I have posted an entry here! I have no excuse except that I had nothing to say! haha! Those of you who know me personally have by now fallen off their chairs laughing hysterically, saying, "WHAT? Diane ALWAYS has something to say!!!!" But seriously, I had nothing to say and by God's great grace maybe, just maybe, I am learning that if i don't have anything to say then I should keep my mouth and my blog shut! :)

BUT... today as I was studying Psalm 119,
(preparing to speak about Psalm 119 for a mini women's retreat in October), I was struck by the psalmist's humility in verse 80.

Verses 78 and 80 say:

"Let the insolent be put to shame, because they have wronged me with falsehood, as for me, I will meditate on your precepts.... May my heart be blameless in your statutes, that I may not be put to shame!"

A short list of synonyms for the word insolent (from www.dictionary.com) may be helpful in driving home the message in these 2 small verses:

Overbearing
insulting
abusive
offensive
saucy
impudent
audacious
pert
impertinent
rude
reproachful

The psalmist has been wronged. Perhaps slanderous things were said about him by insolent people! Insolent people, as defined above, are not very nice! Perhaps he was betrayed by someone he thought a friend but is now an enemy. Persecution of some sort has affected him.. maybe by an acquaintance, maybe by a political figure or a political group.

Regardless, the psalmist in verse 78 calls these people insolent and calls for God to put them to shame! The psalmist could have "meditated" on the wrong done to him. He could have rehearsed in his mind the falsehoods said, the falsehoods implied and he could have churned it over and over again in his mind but look at what he chose to do! He chose to meditate on God's precepts instead! He chose to meditate on the Word of God RATHER then meditate on the accusations and/or falsehoods spoken about him! And not only did he choose to set his mind on things above but then he also remembered his own tendencies to sin and insolence!!!!! In verse 80 he asks God to make his own heart blameless so that he, himself, may not be put to shame!!!!!

This affected my soul today. It is so easy for me to point a finger at someone who has spoken lies about me or has unjustly accused me of something. It is so easy for me to point my fingers at political groups who differ from my opinions and call out for God to shame them for their insolence! (Please know that I understand there are certain things we must stand up for, ie.. abortion.. but we do not have to be insolent about it.. we can humbly fight for the unborn).
It is so easy to look at the ungodly and point fingers and call for God to shame them!

AND THEN, by God's grace, love and mercy he reminds me of how helpless and insolent I am apart from Jesus! I can do NOTHING apart from Jesus! I am helpless and hopeless and yes, insolent apart from Jesus. I can be overbearing, saucy, offensive, verbally abusive... I can and have been all those things and I would consistently walk in those ways still if not for the grace of God and salvation through Jesus Christ!

While I was still a sinner Jesus died for my sins! While you were still a sinner Jesus died for your sins!!! What love is this??? Amazing.. absolutely amazing!

God make and keep me humble, remembering that apart from YOU I can do nothing. I pray that I would choose to meditate on YOUR Word and YOUR promises and YOUR goodness rather than on the insolence of others. I pray God that You would continually increase my faith, my love for You, increase humility in my life and love towards others. I pray that I would have a compassion and love for the unsaved, insolent ones so much so that I would pray for them to be saved. Oh Lord, apart from You I cannot even pray. I am happy to say that I need You and depend on You. Abba Father I call out to you to keep me. I trust in Your promises. Amen.

RUFFLED FEATHERS

I don't usually get my political feathers ruffled but I did this morning as I read what Jan Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security said. She said that War Veterans are potential terrorists and in danger of being recruited by right wing extremists. She defined right wing extremists as those who are pro-life, own a gun or are a war veteran.

Well, my feathers got ruffled, first and foremost because my son served in Iraq for 18 months. He risked his life for the good of others and Homeland Security, a Department for the very country he serves dares to call him a potential terrorist??? I was very upset, my mommy hairs on the back of my neck were standing straight up! I am so proud of my son and the men and women of this country who have served in foreign wars. HOW DARE THEY!?

On another note... pro life advocates are potential terrorists? What? The people who DEFEND life, not take it? Really? Are they serious?

I immediately thought of this Scripture in Isaiah 5:20 : "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter."

I was just plain angry this morning.

THEN

I went to Psalm 37 which is the psalm I'm supposed to be blogging about this week and haven't done so yet... and my heart came to rest in God's Word. God's Word gave me peace.

vs 1-8

Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfullness.
Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your justice as the noonday.
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him and fret not yourself over the one who prospers in His way, over the man who carries out evil devices!
Refrain from anger and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.

God brought me back to a remembrance of His sovereignty. The Lord is at hand. God is the God of history past, the God of history present and the God of history future. I was reminded that I must trust the Lord and do good. It does not serve my soul well nor glorify God to be fretful or angry. God will act. God will take care of all injustices. We must wait patiently for Him. To fret and be angry will only lead me into sin.

And then I remembered something else.. as I demand justice I must remember that if God gave me what I deserve I'd be hell-bound, but instead God chose me to be his child and Jesus came to live a righteous life, die an awful death, become sin for me, bear the wrath of God in my place and ROSE from the dead! He gave me a faith to believe in Him and grace to repent of my sins. He attributed the righteousness of Christ to me!!!! So when God, my Father, looks upon me He sees the righteousness of Christ !!!! WOW! I am humbled at the mercies of God!

God took care of my greatest need. He took care of your greatest need. He took care of the worst thing in the world, our separation from a good, just and holy God. Is He not also taking care of the unjust opinions toward my son and yours who went to war and is He not also caring for the unjust opinions of those who love life from conception? Of course, He is. We must be patient and be still before Him.

How kind of God to remind me to get on my knees and pray for my leaders, for kings and all those who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. (1 Tim 2:2). Let us pray for them to be saved! Let us pray God's mercy on them!

So.. after a time in God's Word my ruffled feathers are smoothed... and I am resting in God's peace and His sovereignty. When my feathers get ruffled again? Hopefully I will go to His Word quicker than I did today.

For the glory of God, I will end by repeating His Words to us:

Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfullness. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. (Psalm 37:3,7)

yep, I'm preaching this to myself today.

Be encouraged this Good Friday by reading this blog entry by John Piper! Visit his blog:

http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/

A Conversation with Death on Good Friday

April 10, 2009 | By: John Piper
Category: Commentary

CHRISTIAN:

Hello, Death, my old enemy. My old slave-master. Have you come to talk to me again? To frighten me?

I am not the person you think I am. I am not the one you used to talk to. Something has happened. Let me ask you a question, Death.

Where is your sting?

DEATH, sneeringly:

My sting is your sin.

CHRISTIAN:

I know that, Death. But that’s not what I asked you. I asked, where is your sting? I know what it is. But tell me where it is.

Why are you fidgeting, Death? Why are you looking away? Why are you turning to go? Wait, Death, you have not answered my question. Where is your sting?

Where is, my sin?

What? You have no answer? But, Death, why do you have no answer? How will you terrify me, if you have no answer?

O Death, I will tell you the answer. Where is your sting? Where is my sin? It is hanging on that tree. God made Christ to be sin—my sin. When he died, the penalty of my sin was paid. The power of it was broken. I bear it no more.

Farewell, Death. You need not show up here again to frighten me. God will tell you when to come next time. And when you come, you will be his servant. For me, you will have no sting.

O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)

From The Valley of Vision (pp. 76-77),

Christ was all anguish
that I might be all joy,

cast off
that I might be brought in,

trodden down as an enemy
that I might be welcomed as a friend,

surrendered to hell’s worst
that I might attain heaven’s best,

stripped
that I might be clothed,

wounded
that I might be healed,

athirst
that I might drink,

tormented
that I might be comforted,

made a shame
that I might inherit glory,

entered darkness
that I might have eternal light.

My Saviour wept
that all tears might be wiped from my eyes,

groaned
that I might have endless song,

endured all pain
that I might have unfading health,

bore a thorny crown
that I might have a glory-diadem,

bowed his head
that I might uplift mine,

experienced reproach
that I might receive welcome,

closed his eyes in death
that I might gaze on unclouded brightness,

expired
that I might for ever live.

O Father, who spared not thine only Son that thou mightest spare me,
All this transfer thy love designed and accomplished;
Help me to adore thee by lips and life.
O that my every breath might be ecstatic praise, my every step buoyant with delight. . .