Mar 31, 07
Just another day in paradise ...
We’ve been reveling in some “home time” and I thought you might enjoy a few pics ...
Our Circus Adventure! (Yes, that’s my THREE YEAR OLD on top of an elephant! She said, “May I please, Mom?” And I thought–"COOL!")
Creative Ways to Avoid Burns While Making Pancakes with Papa (Can you see the mitten?)
Our Poor Tulips! But How Fun ...
Our Circus Adventure! (Yes, that’s my THREE YEAR OLD on top of an elephant! She said, “May I please, Mom?” And I thought–"COOL!")
Creative Ways to Avoid Burns While Making Pancakes with Papa (Can you see the mitten?)
Our Poor Tulips! But How Fun ...
Girlfriends ...
I HATE email forwards. I don’t have time for them and I REALLY don’t want to receive them. (So PLEASE don’t get any ideas from this post and start including me on your “oh this is just so great I have to forward it to my pals” email forwarding list, OK?)
BUT ... all that to say ...
I found this in an OLD OLD file and thought it was just so sweet that I’m posting it for your enjoyment.
Happy Saturday to you all!
(Oh–and thanks for the prayers yesterday. The hearing went well, but has to be continued on Wednesday. Here’s hoping I can get the entire hearing done before Hawaii or else I’ll be arbitrating from a beach, eh?
)
Love to all,
Tara B.
—-
“Young and newly married, I relaxed under a pecan tree on a hot Texas summer day, drinking iced tea and getting to know my new sister-in-law, Estelle. Not much older than I, but already the mother of three, Estelle seemed to me experienced and wise. ”Get yourself some girlfriends, Linda," she advised, clinking the ice cubes in her glass. “You are going to need girlfriends. Go places with them; do things with them.”
What a funny piece of advice, I thought. Hadn’t I just gotten married? Hadn’t I just joined the couple-world? I was a married woman, for goodness sake, not a young girl who needed girlfriends.
But I listened to this new sister-in-law. I got myself some girlfriends. As the years tumbled by, one after another, gradually I came to understand that Estelle knew what she was talking about. I remembered that she had said the word “girlfriends” with emphasis. As I went along, I discovered the subtle difference between friends and girlfriends.
You go to work with friends, go to dinner with friends, go to church with friends, belong to clubs with friends. You send friends greeting cards. You need friends in your life; all girlfriends were once only friends.
But a girlfriend is different. A girlfriend is not “just like a sister.”
Sisters have a distinct bond, sometimes good, sometimes bad. Sisters flow from family attachment, girlfriends choose each other. A sister also can be a girlfriend.
As a thank-you to my sister-in-law and to the other girlfriends in my life, I offer this praise of girlfriends. Here is what I know about girlfriends:
sorrow that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other. I want to tell younger women to take my sister-in-law’s advice.
Get yourself some girlfriends. You are going to need them."
Author Unknown
BUT ... all that to say ...
I found this in an OLD OLD file and thought it was just so sweet that I’m posting it for your enjoyment.
Happy Saturday to you all!
(Oh–and thanks for the prayers yesterday. The hearing went well, but has to be continued on Wednesday. Here’s hoping I can get the entire hearing done before Hawaii or else I’ll be arbitrating from a beach, eh?
)Love to all,
Tara B.
—-
“Young and newly married, I relaxed under a pecan tree on a hot Texas summer day, drinking iced tea and getting to know my new sister-in-law, Estelle. Not much older than I, but already the mother of three, Estelle seemed to me experienced and wise. ”Get yourself some girlfriends, Linda," she advised, clinking the ice cubes in her glass. “You are going to need girlfriends. Go places with them; do things with them.”
What a funny piece of advice, I thought. Hadn’t I just gotten married? Hadn’t I just joined the couple-world? I was a married woman, for goodness sake, not a young girl who needed girlfriends.
But I listened to this new sister-in-law. I got myself some girlfriends. As the years tumbled by, one after another, gradually I came to understand that Estelle knew what she was talking about. I remembered that she had said the word “girlfriends” with emphasis. As I went along, I discovered the subtle difference between friends and girlfriends.
You go to work with friends, go to dinner with friends, go to church with friends, belong to clubs with friends. You send friends greeting cards. You need friends in your life; all girlfriends were once only friends.
But a girlfriend is different. A girlfriend is not “just like a sister.”
Sisters have a distinct bond, sometimes good, sometimes bad. Sisters flow from family attachment, girlfriends choose each other. A sister also can be a girlfriend.
As a thank-you to my sister-in-law and to the other girlfriends in my life, I offer this praise of girlfriends. Here is what I know about girlfriends:
Girlfriends don’t compete.Once we were young, with no idea of the incredible joys or the incredible
Girlfriends bring casseroles and scrub your bathroom when you are sick.
Girlfriends keep your children, and keep your secrets.
Girlfriends give advice when you ask for it. Sometimes you take it, sometimes you don’t.
Girlfriends don’t always tell you that you are right.
Girlfriends might send you a birthday card, but they might not. It does not matter in the least.
Girlfriends laugh with you and you don’t need canned jokes to start the laughter.
Girlfriends don’t yammer about you behind your back.
Girlfriends pull you out of jams.
Girlfriends don’t keep a calendar that lets them know who hosted the other last.
Girlfriends will give a party for your son or daughter when they get married or have a baby in whichever order that comes!
And girlfriends are there for you, in an instant and truly, when the hard times come.
Girlfriends listen when you lose a job or a husband.
Girlfriends listen when your children break your heart.
Girlfriends listen when your parents' minds and bodies fail.
My girlfriends bless my life.
sorrow that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other. I want to tell younger women to take my sister-in-law’s advice.
Get yourself some girlfriends. You are going to need them."
Author Unknown
Mar 30, 07
Do you ever get frustrated by SLOW service?
Does it bug you to have to be on hold for five minutes? Or wait at the post office for ten?
Enjoy this essay by one of my heroes of the faith, Ajith Fernando.
(And please do continue to pray and financially support his ministry at Youth for Christ!)
Yours,
Tara B.
ON WAITING IN A LONG QUEUE
by Ajith Fernando
As things go from bad to worse in Sri Lanka, we need to be looking for ways in which we can preserve the joy of the Lord amidst all the gloom around us, so that our demeanour exhibits the glorious good news of the gospel which we are called to take to our suffering people. The battle for joy was waged this week when I went to an embassy to apply for a visa. I stood in a queue for three hours, most of it outside the building, and then sat for another half hour before I was called for the interview.
Now if Romans 8:28 is true, this experience must work for my good. As I thought about this, I found that this was indeed the case.
First, God spoke to me and refreshed my spirit through some reading I did while standing in the queue. I read two inspiring sermons of Robert Murray M‘Cheyne from his book A Basket of Fragments (Christian Focus) and an immensely instructive booklet by John Stott, The Grace of Giving (IFES and Langham Partnership International. E-mail for orders: international@ivpbooks.com). If truth is the great treasure that the Bible says it is (See Psa. 19:10), then I was earning a fortune while I was standing in line. One of the greatest blessings of Sri Lankans having to “waste time” in queues and offices is that this gives us time to read and reflect—if we take material to help us do that. There is a practice I try to conscientiously follow: never go to a government office without a book!
Second, I had an opportunity to slow down and strengthen my “eternity muscles” which help me face the challenges of life. One of the most blatant expressions of worldliness in my life is the fact that I find too much satisfaction from doing things rather than from the truth that “the eternal God is [my] refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deut. 33:27). If I were fully secure in this knowledge I would relish just being in the presence of God and my life would not be characterised by the restlessness and impatience it often manifests. People like me need to often pray the prayer of W. E. Sangster, “Slow me down, Lord.”
If God’s servants are not proactive in slowing down, the merciful God may order circumstances that will bring us to the inaction that helps slow us down and force us to change gears so as to affirm what matters most in life. Without fighting this angrily we must learn to accept it gratefully. A long wait in the queue becomes an opportunity to remind us that we are creatures of eternity along a journey upward to heaven. Christians should always be thinking about heaven because that is where we are headed. Heaven has a huge part to play in determining the values that will influence our lives.
How do we remedy this situation? By approaching rules the way the Bible approaches them. Rules are a necessary feature in keeping this world a beautiful place. If the world is to be beautiful, nature must obey certain rules. So we can predict when the sun will rise and set; when summer ends and winter starts and when there will be a full moon. It is the same with human life. If there are no rules to guide our behaviour we have anarchy and all of us will suffer. So when we submit to rules even when it is inconvenient, we do so because we know that it contributes to the beauty of this world. Because we love the world and because we are committed to upholding God’s kingdom principles in society we submit, so that others will not be deprived and so that we will contribute to the general well-being of society.
In this context it is very important for leaders to play their part in demonstrating the value of rules. The best way to do that is by submitting to them. When people see those who could exempt themselves from adherence to rules submitting to them they will get the message that there is something good about submitting to rules. They will submit not out of resentment but gladly, to contribute to a making this world a beautiful place to live in. I pray that Christians in Sri Lanka will be known as those who refuse to break rules.
Fourth, I believe I did not fall into sin when I was standing in the queue. Falling into sin is the worst thing that could happen to me; much worse than getting sick or losing earthly treasure. I am often subjected to temptation when I am driving on the road because of suggestive billboards or scantily clad women walking on the road, or when I am watching TV or reading the newspapers, or when I am on the internet. Isn’t it strange that we do not get too aggravated when we the media degrades God’s beautiful gift of sex by inviting us to look for pleasure at persons who are not our spouse? We do not get too aggravated when it degrades the sanctity of life by inviting us to enjoy the cheapening of life through violence. But when we are inconvenienced through a queue or while driving in traffic—do we get aggravated! Inconvenience is an infinitesimally smaller problem than temptation. Inconvenience slows us down a bit for a little time. Temptation can cause eternal loss in our lives. Inconvenience then, drives us to remember the truly dangerous things in life and exposes the scandalous way in which we have got our priorities wrong.
Essentially, then, the experience of being in the queue was good for me. I am not saying that this is the best way for an embassy to deal with potential visitors to a country. That needs to change. If I have an opportunity and a call I should work to alleviate that wrong thing. But I cannot afford to forfeit eternal good to my life because others do things wrong. I must always be a vessel fit for the Master’s use. And anything that helps me to become that is a blessing. It may look like a trial. But as James says, when we face such trials we can do so with “all joy”—joy that is unalloyed, joy without a cloud of regret—because the good God will use this to have a net affect for good in my life (Jas 1:2-4).
And when we follow God, everyday is an opportunity to experience the sufficient grace of Christ; everyday brings with it reasons to be happy.
Enjoy this essay by one of my heroes of the faith, Ajith Fernando.
(And please do continue to pray and financially support his ministry at Youth for Christ!)
Yours,
Tara B.
ON WAITING IN A LONG QUEUE
by Ajith Fernando
As things go from bad to worse in Sri Lanka, we need to be looking for ways in which we can preserve the joy of the Lord amidst all the gloom around us, so that our demeanour exhibits the glorious good news of the gospel which we are called to take to our suffering people. The battle for joy was waged this week when I went to an embassy to apply for a visa. I stood in a queue for three hours, most of it outside the building, and then sat for another half hour before I was called for the interview.
Now if Romans 8:28 is true, this experience must work for my good. As I thought about this, I found that this was indeed the case.
First, God spoke to me and refreshed my spirit through some reading I did while standing in the queue. I read two inspiring sermons of Robert Murray M‘Cheyne from his book A Basket of Fragments (Christian Focus) and an immensely instructive booklet by John Stott, The Grace of Giving (IFES and Langham Partnership International. E-mail for orders: international@ivpbooks.com). If truth is the great treasure that the Bible says it is (See Psa. 19:10), then I was earning a fortune while I was standing in line. One of the greatest blessings of Sri Lankans having to “waste time” in queues and offices is that this gives us time to read and reflect—if we take material to help us do that. There is a practice I try to conscientiously follow: never go to a government office without a book!
Second, I had an opportunity to slow down and strengthen my “eternity muscles” which help me face the challenges of life. One of the most blatant expressions of worldliness in my life is the fact that I find too much satisfaction from doing things rather than from the truth that “the eternal God is [my] refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deut. 33:27). If I were fully secure in this knowledge I would relish just being in the presence of God and my life would not be characterised by the restlessness and impatience it often manifests. People like me need to often pray the prayer of W. E. Sangster, “Slow me down, Lord.”
If God’s servants are not proactive in slowing down, the merciful God may order circumstances that will bring us to the inaction that helps slow us down and force us to change gears so as to affirm what matters most in life. Without fighting this angrily we must learn to accept it gratefully. A long wait in the queue becomes an opportunity to remind us that we are creatures of eternity along a journey upward to heaven. Christians should always be thinking about heaven because that is where we are headed. Heaven has a huge part to play in determining the values that will influence our lives.
My heart can sing when I pause to rememberThird, I was able to reflect on the phenomenon of queue breaking, a thing that is all too common in Sri Lanka. I saw several people trying to break the queue, and I even prevented (I think) two people from doing so! I was able to think afresh about why it is important for Christian leaders not to break queues. Our country seems to be sinking into anarchy as no one seems to respect rules. Rules are viewed as an inconvenience which the rich and powerful do not need to subject themselves to. So when those who are not rich and powerful face subjection to rules they are reminded of their own weakness. Naturally they would resent rules. I have seen this even among our staff. Staff workers get angry when organisational changes bring in new rules which seem to clip their wings and force them to stop their earlier privilege of making decisions without much interference by others.
A heart ache here is but a stepping stone.
Along a trail that’s winding always upward,
This troubled world is not my final home.
But until then my heart will go on singing,
Until then with joy I’ll carry on,
Until the day my eyes behold the city,
Until the day God calls me home (Stuart Hamblen)
How do we remedy this situation? By approaching rules the way the Bible approaches them. Rules are a necessary feature in keeping this world a beautiful place. If the world is to be beautiful, nature must obey certain rules. So we can predict when the sun will rise and set; when summer ends and winter starts and when there will be a full moon. It is the same with human life. If there are no rules to guide our behaviour we have anarchy and all of us will suffer. So when we submit to rules even when it is inconvenient, we do so because we know that it contributes to the beauty of this world. Because we love the world and because we are committed to upholding God’s kingdom principles in society we submit, so that others will not be deprived and so that we will contribute to the general well-being of society.
In this context it is very important for leaders to play their part in demonstrating the value of rules. The best way to do that is by submitting to them. When people see those who could exempt themselves from adherence to rules submitting to them they will get the message that there is something good about submitting to rules. They will submit not out of resentment but gladly, to contribute to a making this world a beautiful place to live in. I pray that Christians in Sri Lanka will be known as those who refuse to break rules.
Fourth, I believe I did not fall into sin when I was standing in the queue. Falling into sin is the worst thing that could happen to me; much worse than getting sick or losing earthly treasure. I am often subjected to temptation when I am driving on the road because of suggestive billboards or scantily clad women walking on the road, or when I am watching TV or reading the newspapers, or when I am on the internet. Isn’t it strange that we do not get too aggravated when we the media degrades God’s beautiful gift of sex by inviting us to look for pleasure at persons who are not our spouse? We do not get too aggravated when it degrades the sanctity of life by inviting us to enjoy the cheapening of life through violence. But when we are inconvenienced through a queue or while driving in traffic—do we get aggravated! Inconvenience is an infinitesimally smaller problem than temptation. Inconvenience slows us down a bit for a little time. Temptation can cause eternal loss in our lives. Inconvenience then, drives us to remember the truly dangerous things in life and exposes the scandalous way in which we have got our priorities wrong.
Essentially, then, the experience of being in the queue was good for me. I am not saying that this is the best way for an embassy to deal with potential visitors to a country. That needs to change. If I have an opportunity and a call I should work to alleviate that wrong thing. But I cannot afford to forfeit eternal good to my life because others do things wrong. I must always be a vessel fit for the Master’s use. And anything that helps me to become that is a blessing. It may look like a trial. But as James says, when we face such trials we can do so with “all joy”—joy that is unalloyed, joy without a cloud of regret—because the good God will use this to have a net affect for good in my life (Jas 1:2-4).
And when we follow God, everyday is an opportunity to experience the sufficient grace of Christ; everyday brings with it reasons to be happy.
Through all the changing scenes of life,
In trouble and in joy,
The praises of my God shall still
My heart and tongue employ.
Go boldly to God ...
(More from Sibbes' Puritan classic, The Bruised Reed ...)
Great joy! The greatest.
Though I am CRUSHED by the weight of my sin–
I can scarcely lift my eyes because I am rightfully ASHAMED ...
Christ lifts me up
And covers me.
Christ bears my shame
And gives me His righteousness.
Friends, brothers, sisters ... WE COULD NEVER DESERVE THIS!
But God lavishes it on His children.
May we worship Him today and every day.
Your sister in Christ,
Tara B.
"What should we learn from this, but to ‘come boldly to the throne of grace’ (Heb. 4:16) in all our grievances? Shall our sins discourage us, when he appears there only for sinners?Amen!
Are you bruised? Be of good comfort, he calls you. Conceal not your wounds, open all before him and take not Satan’s counsel ... Go boldly to God in our flesh; he is flesh of our flesh, and bone of our bone for this reason, that we might go boldly to him.
Never fear to go to God, since we have such a Mediator with him, who is not only our friend but our brother and husband. ‘Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy’ (Luke 2:10)."
Great joy! The greatest.
Though I am CRUSHED by the weight of my sin–
I can scarcely lift my eyes because I am rightfully ASHAMED ...
Christ lifts me up
And covers me.
Christ bears my shame
And gives me His righteousness.
Friends, brothers, sisters ... WE COULD NEVER DESERVE THIS!
But God lavishes it on His children.
May we worship Him today and every day.
Your sister in Christ,
Tara B.
Mar 29, 07
"Caught Off Guard" by William P. Smith
Wow! The CCEF guys just keep on hitting 'em right out of the park! I truly believe that these men are writing the BEST books out there for Believers these days. (Although I wish their prices weren’t so crazily high sometimes–but I still whole-heartily recommend everything they ever write!)
I just started William P. Smith’s, Caught Off Guard–Encounters with the Unexpected God, and it is already a delight.
The preface starts out with some illustrations of how often we know a lot about God–but there is a GAP in how we actually live. Let me tempt you with an excerpt:
I hope you’ll check out “Caught Off Guard” and make sure your church library has a copy too!
(No, no, I don’t work for CCEF and I have no ties to them other than praying for their ministry and supporting them financially. No one there has ever heard of me–I just sell hundreds of their books every year at my little events and I love and trust them all vicariously through their writings. )
Happy Thursday, all!
Love you bunches,
Tara B.
I just started William P. Smith’s, Caught Off Guard–Encounters with the Unexpected God, and it is already a delight.
The preface starts out with some illustrations of how often we know a lot about God–but there is a GAP in how we actually live. Let me tempt you with an excerpt:
"For instance, some people talk about God’s omnipotence, yet they have no confidence that he brings this power into their lives when they feel out of control. Others know and talk about how Jesus forgives sins, but they walk around with a guilt that never seems to go away. Still others answer correctly that he does not harbor grudges, but they are afraid to come to him after they have yelled at their kids for the forty-seventh time. They know he is a friend of sinners, but they don’t have confidence that he wants to be their friends.Thank you, Dr. Smith! What a read. What a help.
... I want you to see God’s concern for people in trouble–including those who have brought their problems on themselves. People who sin big, are scared of life, who resist wise counsel, who shy away from the Lord, and are angry with him. In short, people who have no reason to expect his mercy or help. Yet people who get what they don’t deserve in a good sense, because God is so much better than any of us believe. Because they experience his goodness, these people’s lives are radically changed. They have come to know it in their hearts, because they’ve seen his heart expressed in his actions."
I hope you’ll check out “Caught Off Guard” and make sure your church library has a copy too!
(No, no, I don’t work for CCEF and I have no ties to them other than praying for their ministry and supporting them financially. No one there has ever heard of me–I just sell hundreds of their books every year at my little events and I love and trust them all vicariously through their writings.
)Happy Thursday, all!
Love you bunches,
Tara B.
A peek into my life ...
Yesterday I received a sweet note from a young (yes, twenty-somethings, you’re YOUNG to me! ) woman who attended a recent event I did and I thought that some of you might be interested in my response too.
Basically, she asked what “real life” looked like for our family (regarding devotions/worship/etc.) and for me as an individual.
I’ll copy my reply below and I’d love to hear how YOU ALL worship and study and grow personally and in your families too!
Please pray for me today–I have to arbitrate a complex business dispute tomorrow and I have a TON of work to do today to get ready. When you arbitrate, you literally sit in the seat of the judge and what I rule will legally bind all of these parties. So as you might imagine, I feel the weight of my responsibility greatly.
Thank you for praying! And Happy, Blessed Thursday to you–
Yours,
Tara B.
—————————————————-
Dear [name],
Thanks so much for writing and for your kind and encouraging words too! It is exciting to read your testimony as to how God is working in your life and I’m happy to try to answer some of your questions if I can.
First of all, I want to commend you for seeking counsel from members of your local church. I totally know what you mean about not having good role models growing up—and that’s why I glommed onto Christian families in my teen and college/grad-school years. I would literally just ask people if I could spend time with them so that I could observe Christian marriage and parenting and learn from them. It was great and I still encourage singles to do so—plus, it afforded me opportunities to serve them too (babysitting, cleaning, running errands, etc.). It’s great to be in the Body of Christ!
(Oh, and in addition to lay relationships, I strongly urge ever Believer to commit to the ecclesiastical authority of a local congregation. My pastors / elders / church leaders have been “fathers” to me since I was converted and I simply cannot imagine life without their oversight and counsel.)
As far as learning “how” to be a Christian … in addition to relationships and “life together,” I have to say that I kind of “self-disciple” through reading and journaling. I think I’ve always processed the world through words—so I usually read with a pen in my hand and (if the book is any good), I always end up taking notes in the margins and then journaling (now blogging!) about what I’ve read. I used to do this on paper every day, but know I usually type into a password-protected Word doc.
I cannot more highly recommend anything and everything from the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation (www.ccef.org)! Their theology is rock-solid AND they are imminently PRACTICAL for real-life application of what we believe. (In fact, if I’m not too tired, I want to blog about another fantastic book of theirs that I just started tonight.)
I also (strangely?) like to read plain old systematic theology books—although my mind is not what it used to be, so I usually RUSH to find help processing, understanding, and applying what I’m reading. (Aren’t great teachers and preachers just SO wonderful?!)
Oh—and Susan Hunt has some lovely books on spiritual mothering / homemaking that I have benefited from greatly.
As far as WHEN I read, in different seasons of life, I used to read while working out or listen to sermons/teachings. (Not any more—now I veg out with a t.v. show on my portable dvd player!) Now a days, I often read at the end of the day when Fred is bathing Sophia and we’re all just hanging out as a family. And of course (like now), the middle of the night hours are some of my best QUIET hours for reading and reflection. (I get tired when Sophie does so we often end up snoozing together for a couple of hours and then when Fred comes to bed—like tonight, after 11:00—I have a little “burst” of energy for a couple of hours. Not to say that Fred and I never go to bed at the same time! But especially on the weekdays, sometimes we miss each other a bit.) I’m also a total early morning person and he is SO not. But lately I’ve been getting up and hitting the gym first thing, so I don’t usually get much reading/study in during the early morning.
(Please don’t mis-read me, though! I don’t read as much as I used to by any stretch of the imagination. Lately, I’m feeling very pregnant / tired / and I think pretty lazy as the mother of a preschooler! I’ve always struggled with SLOTH and that continues to be a battle for me.)
As far as our family worship and devotions go … (not every day! I’m not that diligent!) … Sophie and I usually get Fred off to work, finish breakfast and clean-up, and then we have “lessons” … a little Bible reading & prayer, something fun and “educational” (she’s very into logic, French, and her “art cards”), and a little violin. Doesn’t take long, but she LOVES it. I have to “make her” stop.
Around that time, I try to spend “my time” in the Word—especially because I want her to “catch me” reading the Bible and praying.
We listen to a lot of worship music and hymns during the day. And Sophie’s “main” spiritual training (besides talking and praying spontaneously during the day—I have a very verbal kid, wonder how that happened?!) is at night. No matter where we are and who is putting her down, we always read the Bible together with her and do “Kids Catechism” (which she ADORES—if we forget, she reminds us to be sure).
(As an aside, it’s amazing how much kids can learn! Of course, only God can regenerate her heart! And all of the knowledge in the world can amount to nothing apart from God’s Spirit at work in her life conforming her to Christ—but man! I just LOVE seeing her mind work as she memorizes and begins to make deductions and “pull things together.” What a privilege to be a mom!)
Oh yeah, most nights (again—not all!), for family devotions, we start with some worship (I play the piano and Fred and Sophie sit on the bench with me and we all sing—very fun!) and then Fred reads to us from a devotional book and the Bible. (We’ve been going through John Piper’s “Taste & See” lately.) And then we pray together as a family. (Family devotions are a great time for Sophie to practice sitting still and learning to control her body and attend to a grown up who is speaking. This is particularly helpful because our church doesn’t have a “children’s church.” Instead, we keep kids in the service the entire time and since our service regularly goes 75 minutes+, you definitely have to work with squirmy little ones to help them learn to sit quietly.)
Last thing I’ll mention is the NECESSITY of REAL (intimate, redemptive, gospel & law & patience) RELATIONSHIPS if we are to grow in the faith.
I can’t tell you how many times I have been confronted and comforted over the years by friends in the church who loved me enough to tell me the truth, but with grace, and with lots & lots of redemptive TIME.
As a dull sheep who is prone to sin greatly, I am DESPERATE for Christ and DESPERATE for help within the Body.
It’s very hard (impossible?) for true accountability to happen apart from relationships … lay friendships and appropriate headship/submission to formative and punitive church discipline. I urge you to run to the Church! We are not created to be alone.
OK. It’s 12:30AM and I should try to start winding down again.
I’m going to post this reply on my blog in case it would be a help/encouragement to anyone else too. (Hope that’s OK!)
Wishing you all the best!
Your sister in Christ,
Tara B.
) woman who attended a recent event I did and I thought that some of you might be interested in my response too.Basically, she asked what “real life” looked like for our family (regarding devotions/worship/etc.) and for me as an individual.
I’ll copy my reply below and I’d love to hear how YOU ALL worship and study and grow personally and in your families too!
Please pray for me today–I have to arbitrate a complex business dispute tomorrow and I have a TON of work to do today to get ready. When you arbitrate, you literally sit in the seat of the judge and what I rule will legally bind all of these parties. So as you might imagine, I feel the weight of my responsibility greatly.
Thank you for praying! And Happy, Blessed Thursday to you–
Yours,
Tara B.
—————————————————-
Dear [name],
Thanks so much for writing and for your kind and encouraging words too! It is exciting to read your testimony as to how God is working in your life and I’m happy to try to answer some of your questions if I can.
First of all, I want to commend you for seeking counsel from members of your local church. I totally know what you mean about not having good role models growing up—and that’s why I glommed onto Christian families in my teen and college/grad-school years. I would literally just ask people if I could spend time with them so that I could observe Christian marriage and parenting and learn from them. It was great and I still encourage singles to do so—plus, it afforded me opportunities to serve them too (babysitting, cleaning, running errands, etc.). It’s great to be in the Body of Christ!
(Oh, and in addition to lay relationships, I strongly urge ever Believer to commit to the ecclesiastical authority of a local congregation. My pastors / elders / church leaders have been “fathers” to me since I was converted and I simply cannot imagine life without their oversight and counsel.)
As far as learning “how” to be a Christian … in addition to relationships and “life together,” I have to say that I kind of “self-disciple” through reading and journaling. I think I’ve always processed the world through words—so I usually read with a pen in my hand and (if the book is any good), I always end up taking notes in the margins and then journaling (now blogging!) about what I’ve read. I used to do this on paper every day, but know I usually type into a password-protected Word doc.
I cannot more highly recommend anything and everything from the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation (www.ccef.org)! Their theology is rock-solid AND they are imminently PRACTICAL for real-life application of what we believe. (In fact, if I’m not too tired, I want to blog about another fantastic book of theirs that I just started tonight.)
I also (strangely?) like to read plain old systematic theology books—although my mind is not what it used to be, so I usually RUSH to find help processing, understanding, and applying what I’m reading. (Aren’t great teachers and preachers just SO wonderful?!)
Oh—and Susan Hunt has some lovely books on spiritual mothering / homemaking that I have benefited from greatly.
As far as WHEN I read, in different seasons of life, I used to read while working out or listen to sermons/teachings. (Not any more—now I veg out with a t.v. show on my portable dvd player!) Now a days, I often read at the end of the day when Fred is bathing Sophia and we’re all just hanging out as a family. And of course (like now), the middle of the night hours are some of my best QUIET hours for reading and reflection. (I get tired when Sophie does so we often end up snoozing together for a couple of hours and then when Fred comes to bed—like tonight, after 11:00—I have a little “burst” of energy for a couple of hours. Not to say that Fred and I never go to bed at the same time! But especially on the weekdays, sometimes we miss each other a bit.) I’m also a total early morning person and he is SO not. But lately I’ve been getting up and hitting the gym first thing, so I don’t usually get much reading/study in during the early morning.
(Please don’t mis-read me, though! I don’t read as much as I used to by any stretch of the imagination. Lately, I’m feeling very pregnant / tired / and I think pretty lazy as the mother of a preschooler! I’ve always struggled with SLOTH and that continues to be a battle for me.)
As far as our family worship and devotions go … (not every day! I’m not that diligent!) … Sophie and I usually get Fred off to work, finish breakfast and clean-up, and then we have “lessons” … a little Bible reading & prayer, something fun and “educational” (she’s very into logic, French, and her “art cards”), and a little violin. Doesn’t take long, but she LOVES it. I have to “make her” stop.
Around that time, I try to spend “my time” in the Word—especially because I want her to “catch me” reading the Bible and praying.
We listen to a lot of worship music and hymns during the day. And Sophie’s “main” spiritual training (besides talking and praying spontaneously during the day—I have a very verbal kid, wonder how that happened?!) is at night. No matter where we are and who is putting her down, we always read the Bible together with her and do “Kids Catechism” (which she ADORES—if we forget, she reminds us to be sure).
(As an aside, it’s amazing how much kids can learn! Of course, only God can regenerate her heart! And all of the knowledge in the world can amount to nothing apart from God’s Spirit at work in her life conforming her to Christ—but man! I just LOVE seeing her mind work as she memorizes and begins to make deductions and “pull things together.” What a privilege to be a mom!)
Oh yeah, most nights (again—not all!), for family devotions, we start with some worship (I play the piano and Fred and Sophie sit on the bench with me and we all sing—very fun!) and then Fred reads to us from a devotional book and the Bible. (We’ve been going through John Piper’s “Taste & See” lately.) And then we pray together as a family. (Family devotions are a great time for Sophie to practice sitting still and learning to control her body and attend to a grown up who is speaking. This is particularly helpful because our church doesn’t have a “children’s church.” Instead, we keep kids in the service the entire time and since our service regularly goes 75 minutes+, you definitely have to work with squirmy little ones to help them learn to sit quietly.)
Last thing I’ll mention is the NECESSITY of REAL (intimate, redemptive, gospel & law & patience) RELATIONSHIPS if we are to grow in the faith.
I can’t tell you how many times I have been confronted and comforted over the years by friends in the church who loved me enough to tell me the truth, but with grace, and with lots & lots of redemptive TIME.
As a dull sheep who is prone to sin greatly, I am DESPERATE for Christ and DESPERATE for help within the Body.
It’s very hard (impossible?) for true accountability to happen apart from relationships … lay friendships and appropriate headship/submission to formative and punitive church discipline. I urge you to run to the Church! We are not created to be alone.
OK. It’s 12:30AM and I should try to start winding down again.
I’m going to post this reply on my blog in case it would be a help/encouragement to anyone else too. (Hope that’s OK!)
Wishing you all the best!
Your sister in Christ,
Tara B.
Mar 28, 07
What a support to our faith!
I just began reading the Puritan classic, The Bruised Reed, by Richard Sibbes, and it has already been a great encouragement to me.
I could quote every line, but let me start with this excerpt:
“As he has beams of majesty, so he has a heart of mercy and compassion.”
Amen & Amen!
Be of good cheer, my friends.
Love,
Tara B.
I could quote every line, but let me start with this excerpt:
"What a support to our faith is this, that God the Father, the party offended by our sins, is so well pleased with the work of redemption! And what a comfort is this, that, seeing God’s love rests on Christ, as well pleased in him, we may gather that he is as well pleased with us, if we be in Christ!As one who “has no means of supply from himself,” I am greatly encouraged. As I hope you are too!
For his love rests in a whole Christ, in Christ mystical, as well as Christ natural, because he loves him and us with one love. Let us, therefore, embrace Christ, and in him God’s love, and build our faith safely on such a Saviour that is furnished with so high a commission."
“As he has beams of majesty, so he has a heart of mercy and compassion.”
Amen & Amen!
Be of good cheer, my friends.
Love,
Tara B.
Mar 27, 07
No one just gives up on Jesus in one day ...
In his sermon last week, our pastor reminded us that no one gives up on Jesus in one day.
That is ... when someone who professes Christ turns away, it usually happens in gradual steps.
Less time in the Word and prayer and worship.
Avoiding church, the gathering of the saints, corporate prayer, godly fellowship.
Increasing time with unbelievers who blaspheme and accuse God and mock His Son.
And before you know it ... “you don’t believe any more.”
I haven’t known that many people who confessed Christ and then stopped.
But I’ve known a few ...
And this pattern did describe them all.
(Just as it could describe me, were I to be caught in sin and hardened in heart!)
It made me grateful for God’s persevering love.
AND for the Church too.
I am so grateful that my friends and leaders love me enough to come after me, if ever I were to turn away from God.
I KNOW that if I suddenly pulled back from fellowship and corporate worship, SOMEONE would confront me.
Put our friendship on the line.
Get our shepherds involved if necessary.
Live out Galatians 6!
Do you have this confidence in your friends and church leaders?
Have you ever helped someone in this way? Loved them enough to confront/gently restore (even though you truly thought it could be the end of your friendship)?
May God give us eyes to see when someone is beginning to be ensnared by the deceitfulness of sin!
And may we be Jesus with skin on to love them and help them to come back to HIM.
Amen & Amen
That is ... when someone who professes Christ turns away, it usually happens in gradual steps.
Less time in the Word and prayer and worship.
Avoiding church, the gathering of the saints, corporate prayer, godly fellowship.
Increasing time with unbelievers who blaspheme and accuse God and mock His Son.
And before you know it ... “you don’t believe any more.”
I haven’t known that many people who confessed Christ and then stopped.
But I’ve known a few ...
And this pattern did describe them all.
(Just as it could describe me, were I to be caught in sin and hardened in heart!)
It made me grateful for God’s persevering love.
AND for the Church too.
I am so grateful that my friends and leaders love me enough to come after me, if ever I were to turn away from God.
I KNOW that if I suddenly pulled back from fellowship and corporate worship, SOMEONE would confront me.
Put our friendship on the line.
Get our shepherds involved if necessary.
Live out Galatians 6!
Do you have this confidence in your friends and church leaders?
Have you ever helped someone in this way? Loved them enough to confront/gently restore (even though you truly thought it could be the end of your friendship)?
May God give us eyes to see when someone is beginning to be ensnared by the deceitfulness of sin!
And may we be Jesus with skin on to love them and help them to come back to HIM.
Amen & Amen
Mar 26, 07
Congratulations to MS!
Just a note to congratulate M.S. from Indiana–she is the latest winner of the $99 Peacemaker Group Study (for joining our discussion board).
I’m REALLY hoping to have some changes and improvements to the board soon (!!) ... sorry that it’s taken so long.
Happy Monday and love to you all!
Yours,
Tara B.
I’m REALLY hoping to have some changes and improvements to the board soon (!!) ... sorry that it’s taken so long.
Happy Monday and love to you all!
Yours,
Tara B.
Temptations & Singleness ...
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my single friends. Some truly believe they are called to singleness and they serve with great joy in their position. Most long for a mate and pray accordingly (even as they strive to be content in all things).
I continue to whole-heartedly recommend Solo Femininity as the best (most gospel-infused, cross-centered, wise, winsome) blog out there for Christian singles (and for those of us who love them and long for them to experience all of the joys and blessings and responsibilities of the covenant family!).
And I pray that my single friends will avoid pitfalls and temptations like:
Well ... after I say this ...
You know, I have been with Fred (in a formal courtship) since December of 1993. If the Lord tarries and neither of us dies, we will have been married for 12 years this coming August. I love him more and more and MORE every single day. He is the kindest person I have ever known. He is a man of integrity, service, intelligence, mercy–and he’s super cute too!
Many times I SHUDDER when I think about “what could have been.” How I could have married a worldly, selfish man; or a rude and demeaning man; or a performance-oriented fraud. But instead, God graciously gave me a man who will never love me more than he loves God; and who will always love me more than he loves himself. A churchman–he loves the Bride! The world’s BEST papa. A better friend than I could have EVER imagined could even EXIST for me.
This is what I pray for my single friends.
And I PRAY that they will not compromise in their dating/courting years.
(Better to be lonely and single than lonely in marriage!)
Remember! God is for His children.
And He is mighty to save.
Compassionate.
Forgiving.
Holy. Just.
And Kind.
I’m off to the gym now.
Love ya, bunches!
– Tara B.
I continue to whole-heartedly recommend Solo Femininity as the best (most gospel-infused, cross-centered, wise, winsome) blog out there for Christian singles (and for those of us who love them and long for them to experience all of the joys and blessings and responsibilities of the covenant family!).
And I pray that my single friends will avoid pitfalls and temptations like:
1. Making an idol out of marriage (i.e., valuing it too much; thinking it was “satisfy” and “complete” those inner longings within);OK. That’s off of my chest. Back to work now–
2. Giving in to sexual sin ("it’s just a kiss," “It feels so good, I don’t care that it’s sin,” "I know God will forgive me once we’re married").
3. Rejecting the counsel and oversight of friends and family. (If you “don’t even want to talk about” any concerns that your friends and family members have with your romantic life/interest, there is a BIG PROBLEM. This is a RED FLAG that something is seriously wrong.)
4. Being willing to COMPROMISE “because he’s such a great guy.” (Thinking he’ll “grow up” and “be a good Christian husband” once you’re married–even though there is very little if not NO fruit that would so indicate in his life currently.)
5. Sacrificing friendship on the altar of your romantic relationship. (Trust me–friendship is important. Don’t give up on lifelong friends just because the thrill of an eros relationship is taking so much of your time and energy and emotion. Work hard to maintain your friendships!)
Well ... after I say this ...
You know, I have been with Fred (in a formal courtship) since December of 1993. If the Lord tarries and neither of us dies, we will have been married for 12 years this coming August. I love him more and more and MORE every single day. He is the kindest person I have ever known. He is a man of integrity, service, intelligence, mercy–and he’s super cute too!
Many times I SHUDDER when I think about “what could have been.” How I could have married a worldly, selfish man; or a rude and demeaning man; or a performance-oriented fraud. But instead, God graciously gave me a man who will never love me more than he loves God; and who will always love me more than he loves himself. A churchman–he loves the Bride! The world’s BEST papa. A better friend than I could have EVER imagined could even EXIST for me.
This is what I pray for my single friends.
And I PRAY that they will not compromise in their dating/courting years.
(Better to be lonely and single than lonely in marriage!)
Remember! God is for His children.
And He is mighty to save.
Compassionate.
Forgiving.
Holy. Just.
And Kind.
I’m off to the gym now.
Love ya, bunches!
– Tara B.
Mar 25, 07
Gossip is ...
In his sermon this morning, our pastor defined gossip as:
How often are we tempted to gossip?
To bear false witness?
Slander and accuse?
Breathe graceless, gospel-less, cross-less words of condemnation?
(Especially when someone hurts and offends us.)
How I pray that my words will be seasoned with salt, as it were!
A balm of grace.
The kind of love that covers over a multitude of sins ... pure grace.
(You’ll probably be hearing more from me on this topic in the coming weeks and months. I seem to be in the battle a bit concerning a certain relationship. May God have mercy! He does. He does.)
Clinging to Christ–
Who is clinging to me with an everlasting love (and giving me grace to believe)!
Yours,
Tara B.
Sharing something that is true, but sharing only part of the information, with someone who has no right to know and no desire to help.I immediately began to think through a grid of my own speech and how often I fail to live out Ephesians 4:29 (to let “no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs that it may benefit those who listen”).
How often are we tempted to gossip?
To bear false witness?
Slander and accuse?
Breathe graceless, gospel-less, cross-less words of condemnation?
(Especially when someone hurts and offends us.)
How I pray that my words will be seasoned with salt, as it were!
A balm of grace.
The kind of love that covers over a multitude of sins ... pure grace.
(You’ll probably be hearing more from me on this topic in the coming weeks and months. I seem to be in the battle a bit concerning a certain relationship. May God have mercy! He does. He does.)
Clinging to Christ–
Who is clinging to me with an everlasting love (and giving me grace to believe)!
Yours,
Tara B.
Mar 23, 07
Thanks & Sorry & We’ve Been in Helena!
Thank you thank you thank you for all of the sweet congratulations and prayers and encouragement regarding baby #2! It has been SO fun to read your comments and celebrate with you.
I saw my doctor (whom we LOVE!) on Monday and everything looks great so far. I haven’t been sick–just tired–and mostly just enjoying having this little one and praying for him or her every day. (And LOVING Sophia’s prayers for the baby and kisses on my tummy too. )
I’m REALLY sorry that I’ve been a non-blogging-blogger these days. I don’t know that I’ve ever gone this long without an entry. (Usually, if I’m going to be unreachable for a few days I write some entries in advance and schedule them to post each day at midnight.)
I really don’t have any excuses ... ever since I returned from Indiana last Saturday (at midnight! eek!), I’ve just been in a kind of relaxed domestic mode. Watching Fred build Sophia a swing set (a gift from my beloved sister!) ... plowing through eight loads of laundry (OK, not relaxing–but mentally relaxing if you know what I mean) ... OH! And throwing some clothes in a suitcase and hitting the road with Sophie for an impromptu trip to HELENA to see SAMARA & SCOUT & TJ & WILLIAM!!!
(Those of you who know how much I miss these dear friends will cheer with me a big HOORAY!)
We’ve had such a sweet time together ... playing at the park, painting toenails sparkly pink & purple, going to book-time at the library, watching Clifford videos all cuddled up together, Bible reading, yummy pizza, and of course ... THE HELENA CAROUSEL.
We’re heading home in a couple of hours (I’m praying for safety as I have to drive us over the mountain pass again–and I JUST had a nightmare about it last night!) ... but I thought you might enjoy a few pics of our adventure.
Hope you’re all doing great!
Sending you my love–
Tara B.
I saw my doctor (whom we LOVE!) on Monday and everything looks great so far. I haven’t been sick–just tired–and mostly just enjoying having this little one and praying for him or her every day. (And LOVING Sophia’s prayers for the baby and kisses on my tummy too.
)I’m REALLY sorry that I’ve been a non-blogging-blogger these days. I don’t know that I’ve ever gone this long without an entry. (Usually, if I’m going to be unreachable for a few days I write some entries in advance and schedule them to post each day at midnight.)
I really don’t have any excuses ... ever since I returned from Indiana last Saturday (at midnight! eek!), I’ve just been in a kind of relaxed domestic mode. Watching Fred build Sophia a swing set (a gift from my beloved sister!) ... plowing through eight loads of laundry (OK, not relaxing–but mentally relaxing if you know what I mean) ... OH! And throwing some clothes in a suitcase and hitting the road with Sophie for an impromptu trip to HELENA to see SAMARA & SCOUT & TJ & WILLIAM!!!
(Those of you who know how much I miss these dear friends will cheer with me a big HOORAY!)
We’ve had such a sweet time together ... playing at the park, painting toenails sparkly pink & purple, going to book-time at the library, watching Clifford videos all cuddled up together, Bible reading, yummy pizza, and of course ... THE HELENA CAROUSEL.
We’re heading home in a couple of hours (I’m praying for safety as I have to drive us over the mountain pass again–and I JUST had a nightmare about it last night!) ... but I thought you might enjoy a few pics of our adventure.
Hope you’re all doing great!
Sending you my love–
Tara B.
Mar 17, 07
Big News!
Well … it’s official …
Baby Barthel #2 is on the way! Lord willing, we’ll get to give him or her kisses galore around November 12.
(Don’t worry, fall events! Unlike the unsolicited “advice” I received from someone earlier this week—that I ‘SHOULD NOT’ fly after week 24 or something because it would make the baby CROSS-EYED (!!!)—I am very comfortable with my doctor’s guidelines to not fly after a certain date in my third trimester and all of you wonderful September events should be JUST FINE. I actually flew to EUROPE when I was 33 weeks pregnant to teach on biblical peacemaking and hey! Sophie’s eyes are straight as an arrow.)
So it turns out that my feeling so weak and ill last week (during the dvd filming) WAS morning sickness after all. Honestly? I’M SOOOOOOOOOOOOO happy!!! I’m SOOOOOOOOOOO grateful to God!!!
Yes, yes, it’s early on in the pregnancy and only the Lord, the Giver of Life, knows whether all will go well or not. (When we told Sophia the great news, we explained to her that, “Sometimes, God takes babies straight to Heaven. So we’ll pray that the baby loves Jesus and is healthy and we get to have them in our family in this life. But no matter what, God is good and we can trust Him.”)
But we’re lovin’ every day we get with Baby Barthel #2! I love being pregnant and I’m so grateful for this child.
Just wanted to share the great news with ya’ll—
Hope your weekend is going great!
Love you bunches,
Tara B.
Baby Barthel #2 is on the way! Lord willing, we’ll get to give him or her kisses galore around November 12.
(Don’t worry, fall events! Unlike the unsolicited “advice” I received from someone earlier this week—that I ‘SHOULD NOT’ fly after week 24 or something because it would make the baby CROSS-EYED (!!!)—I am very comfortable with my doctor’s guidelines to not fly after a certain date in my third trimester and all of you wonderful September events should be JUST FINE. I actually flew to EUROPE when I was 33 weeks pregnant to teach on biblical peacemaking and hey! Sophie’s eyes are straight as an arrow.)
So it turns out that my feeling so weak and ill last week (during the dvd filming) WAS morning sickness after all. Honestly? I’M SOOOOOOOOOOOOO happy!!! I’m SOOOOOOOOOOO grateful to God!!!
Yes, yes, it’s early on in the pregnancy and only the Lord, the Giver of Life, knows whether all will go well or not. (When we told Sophia the great news, we explained to her that, “Sometimes, God takes babies straight to Heaven. So we’ll pray that the baby loves Jesus and is healthy and we get to have them in our family in this life. But no matter what, God is good and we can trust Him.”)
But we’re lovin’ every day we get with Baby Barthel #2! I love being pregnant and I’m so grateful for this child.
Just wanted to share the great news with ya’ll—
Hope your weekend is going great!
Love you bunches,
Tara B.
Mar 16, 07
Thank you, Ajith & Nelun!
We received an update letter from Ajith and Nelun Fernando today and I do hope that you will pray for this amazing couple as they continue to minister in SO many ways around the world. (Truly, I consider Ajith a HERO of the faith!)
Although I was engrossed in the entire letter, two things stuck out in a particular way:
Happy Friday, all!
Much love,
Tara B.
Several times Wesley talks about the dangers giving children what they ask for by crying. Once he even calls this cruelty:
Here’s a great quote on what it means to be a spiritual parent:
Although I was engrossed in the entire letter, two things stuck out in a particular way:
1. He mentioned how God’s grace was with them both even though, pretty much at every airport, they were called out for a secondary screening and almost every time the TSA personnel were rude, demeaning, and humiliating. Yet, he retold this in the context of how SWEET the fellowship with their hosts was ... not with any anger or bitterness even at this horrible treatments. I was humbled and taught by their example.I’m off to meet my event hosts and their senior pastor now. Indiana is beautiful! I love the Midwest.
2. He ended with some Wesley quotes (because he had been reading sermons on the planes) and especially given the recent discussion thread on our board regarding parenting, I thought you might enjoy a few. I’ll put them at the end of this post.
Happy Friday, all!
Much love,
Tara B.
Several times Wesley talks about the dangers giving children what they ask for by crying. Once he even calls this cruelty:
“Never, on any account, give a child any thing that it cries for. For it is a true observation, (and you may make the experiment as often as you please,) if you give a child what he cries for, you pay him for crying; and then he will certainly cry again. “But if I do not give it him when he cries, he will scream all day long.” If he does, it is your own fault; for it is in your power effectually to prevent it.” (Sermon: “On the Education of Children”).Twice he talks about the dangers of grandparents spoiling children:
“And I charge you grandmothers, before God, do not hinder your daughters herein. Do not dare to give the child anything which the mother denies. Never take the part of the children against the parent; never blame her before them. If you do not strengthen her authority, as you ought to do, at least do not weaken it; but if you have either sense or piety left, help her on in the work of real kindness.” (Sermon: “On Obedience to Parents”).
Here’s a great quote on what it means to be a spiritual parent:
“They are supposed to ‘watch over your souls, as those that shall give account’ [Heb. 13:17], ‘As those that shall give account!’ How unspeakably solemn and awful are those words! May God write them upon the heart of every guide of souls!
“‘They watch,’ waking while others sleep, over the flock of Christ; over the souls that he has bought with a price, that he has purchased with his own blood. They have them in their hearts both by day and by night regarding neither sleep nor food in comparison of them. Even while they sleep, their heart is waking, full of concern for their beloved children. ‘They watch,’ with deep earnestness, with uninterrupted seriousness, with unwearied care, patience, and diligence, as they that are about to give an account of every particular soul, to Him that standeth at the door, to the Judge of quick and dead.(Sermon: “On Obedience to Pastors”).
More Pictures from the DVD Filming
I received a few more pictures from the dvd filming and thought you might enjoy seeing them …
Please keep us all in your prayers as we work on post-production. So much review and editing! And graphic work for the study guide and supporting materials too. We could all use your prayers.
Thanks, friends!
Love you bunches,
Tara B.
Please keep us all in your prayers as we work on post-production. So much review and editing! And graphic work for the study guide and supporting materials too. We could all use your prayers.
Thanks, friends!
Love you bunches,
Tara B.
Mar 15, 07
First Time Riding a Bike
Hi guys! It’s Thursday and I’m off to Indiana. Thanks to some good connections to the Midwest, I get to fly on the afternoon flight (a rarity—usually I have to leave my house by 5AM—eek!) … so we had some super-fun-family-time this morning.
And guess what we did?!? After painting Sophie’s toenails a glittery shade of pink (fun!), we took her on her very first ever big-girl-bike-ride! It was a BLAST. I honestly didn’t know that a kid could learn to ride a bike right away … I assumed we’d just be getting started … but nope! She was off like a rocket within a few minutes. So now she officially can leave me in the dust and I simply CAN’T run fast enough to keep up with her. (How fun! And how FAST time flies too. It seems like only yesterday she was a little lovie-bear-newborn-sweetie-pie.)
Hope you enjoy the pictures!
Love to all,
Tara B.
And guess what we did?!? After painting Sophie’s toenails a glittery shade of pink (fun!), we took her on her very first ever big-girl-bike-ride! It was a BLAST. I honestly didn’t know that a kid could learn to ride a bike right away … I assumed we’d just be getting started … but nope! She was off like a rocket within a few minutes. So now she officially can leave me in the dust and I simply CAN’T run fast enough to keep up with her. (How fun! And how FAST time flies too. It seems like only yesterday she was a little lovie-bear-newborn-sweetie-pie.)
Hope you enjoy the pictures!
Love to all,
Tara B.
Response to “SMB”
(I received an email from someone overseas and I’m just not 100% sure that it would be wise for me to write her directly. So I’m going to post my response here with the hopes that if she visits again, she will read it and be encouraged to put her faith fully in the finished work of Christ.)
Dear S,
Thank you so very much for writing and sharing some of your life story with me. It seems to me, based on what you wrote, that English is not your first language and I must start out by saying, “Wow!” Your English (as a non-native speaker) is phenomenal and I truly appreciate how you persevered in writing such a long email when it must have been quite a challenge. (I wish I could communicate in a second language that well.)
I must also say how very, very sorry I am for the suffering that you have endured in your life, S. This world is truly, “Not The Way It Was Supposed To Be” and the effects of the Fall are always with us. I am truly sorry that so much evil was done to you as a child—and I do pray that God will give you great grace to run to Him, grieve with Him, and trust that ONE DAY, every wrong will be righted because of the life, death, resurrection, and return of Jesus Christ.
One day there will be no more suffering. No more abuse. No more tears. Every injustice will be righted! And the damned will suffer in Hell while those who are in Christ will be pardoned because their just punishment will have been put on Jesus on the Cross.
This is our Hope.
You know, S, all of history is on a timeline … Creation, Fall, Redemption.
God is making things right—ultimately—one day.
But until Christ returns or we die, we suffer. We often suffer.
But we grieve with hope!
Because suffering is not the last word.
Christ WILL return and we WILL be with Him if we are born again by the Holy Spirit.
I pray for you, S. I pray that you will believe the gospel! (Excerpts from Pastor John Piper’s explanation of the gospel):
Adopted by The One True God, the Perfect Heavenly Father.
His grace can fill such that you will be able to forgive even the most heinous sin—not because the other person deserves it but because you have been forgiven so much.
Oh, S! I pray that you will run to Christ and trust that there is no power greater than God.
Nothing can thwart His purposes!
And it is our call in life to worship Him. Forever.
Thank you again for granting me the privilege of praying for you!
I wish you all the best—
Prayerfully,
Tara B.
Dear S,
Thank you so very much for writing and sharing some of your life story with me. It seems to me, based on what you wrote, that English is not your first language and I must start out by saying, “Wow!” Your English (as a non-native speaker) is phenomenal and I truly appreciate how you persevered in writing such a long email when it must have been quite a challenge. (I wish I could communicate in a second language that well.)
I must also say how very, very sorry I am for the suffering that you have endured in your life, S. This world is truly, “Not The Way It Was Supposed To Be” and the effects of the Fall are always with us. I am truly sorry that so much evil was done to you as a child—and I do pray that God will give you great grace to run to Him, grieve with Him, and trust that ONE DAY, every wrong will be righted because of the life, death, resurrection, and return of Jesus Christ.
One day there will be no more suffering. No more abuse. No more tears. Every injustice will be righted! And the damned will suffer in Hell while those who are in Christ will be pardoned because their just punishment will have been put on Jesus on the Cross.
This is our Hope.
You know, S, all of history is on a timeline … Creation, Fall, Redemption.
God is making things right—ultimately—one day.
But until Christ returns or we die, we suffer. We often suffer.
But we grieve with hope!
Because suffering is not the last word.
Christ WILL return and we WILL be with Him if we are born again by the Holy Spirit.
I pray for you, S. I pray that you will believe the gospel! (Excerpts from Pastor John Piper’s explanation of the gospel):
Romans 1-7 teaches that the most fundamental problem in the universe is that God’s human creatures – all of us – have sinned and fallen short of his glory and are now condemned under the omnipotent wrath of God. There is the problem of our condition called sin. And there is the problem of its consequence called wrath. Another way to say it is that there is real guilt on every person because of sin, and there is real condemnation over every person because the Judge and Maker of the universe is just and holy.Dear S, you can be forgiven! Right with God—FOREVER.
Paul’s conclusion after two chapters of as acting the prosecuting attorney is Romans 3:9, “What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written, ‘THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE.’” Romans 3:22-23, “There is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” And there’s a good definition of what our sin is and why it has mainly to do with God, not man.
When he describes the sins of his own people in Romans 2:24, the climax of the indictment is this: “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” What makes sin sin is not first that it hurts people, but that it blasphemes God. This is the ultimate evil and the ultimate outrage in the universe.
The infinite, all-glorious Creator of the universe, by whom and for whom all things exist (Rom. 11:36) – who holds every person’s life in being at every moment (Acts 17:25) – is disregarded, disbelieved, disobeyed, and dishonored by everybody in the world. That is the ultimate outrage of the universe.
The message of Romans 3-7 is that God sent his Son, Jesus Christ into the world to live and die and rise again to be the ground of our justification and the power of our sanctification. If anyone anywhere in the world is going to get right with God or bear fruit for God, it will be through Jesus Christ alone. And he alone will get the glory. He is the great ground of our justification, and the great power of our sanctification.
No condemnation, because of Christ. And deep transformation because of Christ. One is called justification. One is called sanctification. We take our stand daily by faith on the once-for-all, unshakable rock of our Justification in Christ. And then we give ourselves daily by faith to the sanctifying work of Jesus in our lives. Oh, come and trust him.
Unbeliever, come to him and put your faith in him, and receive him as your righteousness, your pardon, your treasure. Believer, come to him, again and again and again and take him as your treasure, the rock of your righteousness before God, and the power of your love toward men.”
Adopted by The One True God, the Perfect Heavenly Father.
His grace can fill such that you will be able to forgive even the most heinous sin—not because the other person deserves it but because you have been forgiven so much.
Oh, S! I pray that you will run to Christ and trust that there is no power greater than God.
Nothing can thwart His purposes!
And it is our call in life to worship Him. Forever.
Thank you again for granting me the privilege of praying for you!
I wish you all the best—
Prayerfully,
Tara B.
Mar 14, 07
Congratulations, C.B.!
Hi, all! I hope your week is going great ... and I’m excited to announce that C.B. of South Carolina won our drawing for the $99 Peacemaker Group Study. Hooray!
(Oh–and sorry to all that our little “drawing” was slightly delayed. I try to do the drawing exactly one week after the event, but we had an eventful week and I just did it yesterday.)
I’m off to Indiana tomorrow–but we’re forecasted to get snow, so I’m hoping that I actually make it.
Hey–thanks to everyone for your insights and comments on my recent “Third G” post. Here are just a few of the wise comments that were sent to me:
Thanks to everyone for sharing encouragement and wisdom.
Grace upon grace!
With love and hope,
Tara B.
(Oh–and sorry to all that our little “drawing” was slightly delayed. I try to do the drawing exactly one week after the event, but we had an eventful week and I just did it yesterday.)
I’m off to Indiana tomorrow–but we’re forecasted to get snow, so I’m hoping that I actually make it.
Hey–thanks to everyone for your insights and comments on my recent “Third G” post. Here are just a few of the wise comments that were sent to me:
- “You have me on this one! I was right with you on your need to apologize to the airline personnel...we are never to be rude. But on this dilemma of going to someone, it’s very hard. Why? Because of my motives for wanting to go point out someone else’s sin...which is too often to make myself look better! There are situations where ”this is never going to get better" and I do know that there are instances where we must confront. But FIRST I must come to Jesus, asking what HE wants me to learn in the situation. Has God put this person there for my sanctification? Probably so! Have I learned anything from the situation (other than to get really angry with them and find even more faults in them)? No, I haven’t learned anything when I have my “mad” blinders on or my “my way is better” attitude. Yes, I must love that person in the choir who causes me much angst. Yes, I must be charitable toward her even though I “know” (think) I can do it better. Yes, the changes MUST start with me and I must leave the work of the Holy Spirit to the.....HOLY SPIRIT! Still...I understand what you’re saying...there are times to confront, but I haven’t figured out exactly what those times are (or maybe I haven’t come up with the proper way to confront and so then the problems have just been compounded). I’ll keep praying over this one!"Well said, my dear friends!
- I read your blog and could so very much relate with what you said. I find that I overlook when I should go to the person more than I realized. I read this quote as I was going through my Galatians study and sent it out to some friends:"The gospel frees us from the need for people’s approval and adoration so that we can confront and anger the people we love, if that is what is best for them. And although it does not always work, this is the only kind of communication that really changes people. If you love a person so selfishly that you cannot risk their anger, you won’t ever tell them the truth they need to hear. If, on the other hand, you tell a person the truth they need, but with harshness and not with the agony of a lover, they won’t listen to it. But if you speak the truth with lots of love evident at the same time, there is a great chance that what you say will penetrate the heart and heal. A gospel-based ministry is marked by loving honesty, not spin, image and flattery." Tim Keller (Galatians study)
Thanks to everyone for sharing encouragement and wisdom.
Grace upon grace!
With love and hope,
Tara B.
Mar 13, 07
Oooh! That Third G ...
So I guess this is just the week to struggle with understanding and living out the basic peacemaking principles that I claim to believe, teach regularly, and strive to encourage in the lives of the people around me.
Earlier (as you may recall), I was really struggling to live out those pesky Seven A’s of Confession. (Blech! No fun! Ahhh—but ultimately good. It is always good to obey.)
These days? MAN am I in the battle over the “3rd G” (Gently Restores—the G formerly known as “Go and Show Your Brother His Fault”).
I’m really wondering / struggling with / wrestling over / and (amazingly! God’s grace!) PRAYING ABOUT whether I might just be deceiving myself into THINKING I’m overlooking when REALLY I should be gently going to some people in my life to try to talk things out.
(No, no … not the airline employee. I am confident in my convictions on that one. There are other situations and relationships that are causing me this angst.)
I guess I’m really wrestling because I KNOW that I am not the Holy Spirit and I am SO TOTALLY NOT responsible for the hearts of other people.
I don’t think I love them very much. I surely don’t like them very much.
I WANT to remember how kind God is to me and then live out that same kindness to these people but OH IT’S SO HARD.
Still … it is true that remembering how much like them I am; and how merciful God is to me; and how I am just as unlovable as they are; and how the only good thing in me is CHRIST in me … well, yes, that all really DOES help.
And so … I persevere.
Praying for REPENTANCE when I am tempted to treat them as they treat me.
Praying for HOPE—because it sure is easy to write off some people and think, “This is NEVER going to get better.” But oh! How faithless is THAT attitude?
Praying for God’s glory and an eternal view of it all.
This life is my only opportunity to suffer, right?
Dear God, please help me to lay down my life, pick up my cross, and suffer well.
Compared to the suffering of most Christians in the world? This is NOTHING.
Please forgive my petty heart and give me grace to obey and to love even these dear ones who feel more like enemies.
Please give me wisdom from Heaven (James 3!) to discern whether I am called to go to these people and try to talk about some of these difficult things. Or whether You are simply calling me to unilaterally forgive them and demonstrate the same patience towards them that You give me every single day. Please help me, God, because I know that I can be so easily deceived by my own sinful tendencies.
I love You, God!
Thank You for not withholding your love even while I struggle—but instead, for giving me grace upon grace to repent and persevere in You.
Tara B.
Earlier (as you may recall), I was really struggling to live out those pesky Seven A’s of Confession. (Blech! No fun! Ahhh—but ultimately good. It is always good to obey.)
These days? MAN am I in the battle over the “3rd G” (Gently Restores—the G formerly known as “Go and Show Your Brother His Fault”).
I’m really wondering / struggling with / wrestling over / and (amazingly! God’s grace!) PRAYING ABOUT whether I might just be deceiving myself into THINKING I’m overlooking when REALLY I should be gently going to some people in my life to try to talk things out.
(No, no … not the airline employee. I am confident in my convictions on that one. There are other situations and relationships that are causing me this angst.)
I guess I’m really wrestling because I KNOW that I am not the Holy Spirit and I am SO TOTALLY NOT responsible for the hearts of other people.
However … love compels us to speak at times, and I wonder if I am remaining silent because I’ve bought into the “what the use” mentality (that evaluates whether we REALLY need to obey by the likelihood of a “positive” result … rather than just calling us to obey because, you know, God is God and we are under His authority).It’s just that I KNOW that certain people are REALLY not in a place (spiritually, emotionally, physically, mentally) to face certain aspects of their lives and it really WOULDN’T be loving to try to talk with them.
However … I am troubled because I wonder if I’m just trying to justify my flight and avoidance because, well, you know … it feels SO MUCH BETTER in the short run and MAN would I like to NOT be on the receiving end of more graceless criticism, judgment, meanness, and even rage. Eek.‘Course … then I swing around to the “big question” of what does LOVE require? I.e., am I LOVING these people? And actually? Honestly? I think I’m really struggling.
I don’t think I love them very much. I surely don’t like them very much.
I WANT to remember how kind God is to me and then live out that same kindness to these people but OH IT’S SO HARD.
Still … it is true that remembering how much like them I am; and how merciful God is to me; and how I am just as unlovable as they are; and how the only good thing in me is CHRIST in me … well, yes, that all really DOES help.
And so … I persevere.
Praying for REPENTANCE when I am tempted to treat them as they treat me.
(Boy! People can be SO UNCHARITABLE at times. It’s like they think we’re human ATMs and then they require us to be PERFECT human ATM’s … and when we fail to meet their requirements, they are SO QUICK with an unkind word–often to us–but even more commonly, unkind words ABOUT US spoken to OTHERS. Ugh!)Oh … but I KNOW that what I am tempted to do is the very thing they are doing … I am tempted to be uncharitable to THEM; I am tempted to complain and gossip to others about THEM; I am often graceless toward THEM.
So, you know … hello pot! It’s me … a big, huge, honkin’, ol’ kettle.Praying for prayer—to pray for those who mistreat me.
Praying for HOPE—because it sure is easy to write off some people and think, “This is NEVER going to get better.” But oh! How faithless is THAT attitude?
Praying for God’s glory and an eternal view of it all.
This life is my only opportunity to suffer, right?
Dear God, please help me to lay down my life, pick up my cross, and suffer well.
Compared to the suffering of most Christians in the world? This is NOTHING.
Please forgive my petty heart and give me grace to obey and to love even these dear ones who feel more like enemies.
Please give me wisdom from Heaven (James 3!) to discern whether I am called to go to these people and try to talk about some of these difficult things. Or whether You are simply calling me to unilaterally forgive them and demonstrate the same patience towards them that You give me every single day. Please help me, God, because I know that I can be so easily deceived by my own sinful tendencies.
I love You, God!
Thank You for not withholding your love even while I struggle—but instead, for giving me grace upon grace to repent and persevere in You.
My only comfort in life or in death is that I am not my own ...Your grateful sheep,
but belong with all my body and soul to my Savior, Jesus Christ.
Tara B.
Mar 12, 07
A quick response to all of your comments ...
Hey guys! Just wanted to post a super-quick response to the sweet folks who have emailed me about my airport employee / struggling with my own repentance post.
First of all, THANKS for caring so much about me. I appreciate your kindness AND the time you took to email me. I take your counsel seriously and I do appreciate you.
In response to the, “You didn’t have anything to apologize for anything, Tara” comments ... well ... I feel compelled to gently explain that, in fact, yes I did. I know that I did sin against her; I was grouchy and rude; and even if she were “99%” in the wrong and I was only “1%,” I am still responsible before the Lord. (PLUS–I really think I was way more than 1% responsible. Remember–my exhaustion doesn’t give me an excuse to violate the Second Greatest Commandment.)
In response to the, “You should complain / what about customer service / help her with her speck” comments ... well ... I guess I will just say, yes, I will pray about what you’ve shared. And OF COURSE I believe that there is a time and place to share constructive feedback. (For example, I recently spoke with an employee and manager of a place we visit a lot and though it was a hard conversation for the woman (employee) to have, she has actually been quite responsive and I see her trying very hard to overcome some of her tendencies. I am so grateful to the Lord for pressing it on my heart to speak with her! In my feedback, I shared from my own struggles and failures as an employee and how people have helped me to grow over the years; and also how I truly hoped that she would receive the feedback, trust that I am cheering her on to grow and change, and that she would enjoy great success in her years to come.)
But this airport situation is different. With the other employee, I had observed her over and over and over again. I was confident that what I was doing what loving of God and neighbor. I only wanted her best! I simply can’t say those things about the airport employee–I don’t know if it’s a pattern; if I had talked with her about her offense, it really would’ve been motivated by ME being offended and annoyed by her, not by love. And so, for now, I remain silent. And prayerful.
(And repentant of my own sin! )
All that to say ... I hope that helps to respond to all of you sweet private (and public) commenters. And I hope it sheds a little light on how I am striving to love God and love neighbor in my own small sphere of influence.
THANKS for caring!
Thanks for sharing your counsel with me!
I appreciate you all–
With love,
Tara B.
PS
And in response to an unrelated post ... (hoe down!) ... I didn’t identify the little boy because I don’t feel that I have the authority to share identifying information about other people’s children without their parents' express permission. Hope you understand! (I can tell you that he is a wonderful little six-year old, a member of our church, and his family is incredibly precious to ours.)
First of all, THANKS for caring so much about me. I appreciate your kindness AND the time you took to email me. I take your counsel seriously and I do appreciate you.
In response to the, “You didn’t have anything to apologize for anything, Tara” comments ... well ... I feel compelled to gently explain that, in fact, yes I did. I know that I did sin against her; I was grouchy and rude; and even if she were “99%” in the wrong and I was only “1%,” I am still responsible before the Lord. (PLUS–I really think I was way more than 1% responsible. Remember–my exhaustion doesn’t give me an excuse to violate the Second Greatest Commandment.)
In response to the, “You should complain / what about customer service / help her with her speck” comments ... well ... I guess I will just say, yes, I will pray about what you’ve shared. And OF COURSE I believe that there is a time and place to share constructive feedback. (For example, I recently spoke with an employee and manager of a place we visit a lot and though it was a hard conversation for the woman (employee) to have, she has actually been quite responsive and I see her trying very hard to overcome some of her tendencies. I am so grateful to the Lord for pressing it on my heart to speak with her! In my feedback, I shared from my own struggles and failures as an employee and how people have helped me to grow over the years; and also how I truly hoped that she would receive the feedback, trust that I am cheering her on to grow and change, and that she would enjoy great success in her years to come.)
But this airport situation is different. With the other employee, I had observed her over and over and over again. I was confident that what I was doing what loving of God and neighbor. I only wanted her best! I simply can’t say those things about the airport employee–I don’t know if it’s a pattern; if I had talked with her about her offense, it really would’ve been motivated by ME being offended and annoyed by her, not by love. And so, for now, I remain silent. And prayerful.
(And repentant of my own sin!
)All that to say ... I hope that helps to respond to all of you sweet private (and public) commenters. And I hope it sheds a little light on how I am striving to love God and love neighbor in my own small sphere of influence.
THANKS for caring!
Thanks for sharing your counsel with me!
I appreciate you all–
With love,
Tara B.
PS
And in response to an unrelated post ... (hoe down!) ... I didn’t identify the little boy because I don’t feel that I have the authority to share identifying information about other people’s children without their parents' express permission. Hope you understand! (I can tell you that he is a wonderful little six-year old, a member of our church, and his family is incredibly precious to ours.)
Mar 11, 07
SoloFemininity on "Killing Intimidation"
Another stellar post by Carolyn McCulley over at SoloFemininity.com.
I hope you’ll check it out!
Love ya bunches,
t
I hope you’ll check it out!
Love ya bunches,
t
Mar 10, 07
Our Church’s Variety Show
Sophia played a “hoe down” at our church’s variety show this evening and I thought you might enjoy seeing the show.
Here are a few pics:
And I’ll put a YouTube video of the actual performance below.
Hope you enjoy! And I hope you have a wonderful Sabbath tomorrow.
Much love,
Tara B.
Here are a few pics:
And I’ll put a YouTube video of the actual performance below.
Hope you enjoy! And I hope you have a wonderful Sabbath tomorrow.
Much love,
Tara B.
Mar 09, 07
John Piper’s Father Died
Please take a few moments to read Pastor John Piper’s journal entry from this week:
And please do keep this precious family in your prayers.
Thanks, all!
Love,
t
Hello, My Father Just Died(He wrote it from Greenville, SC–the very city where I just was serving and taping the dvd series. I found out because one of my friends there has a child whose teacher is a relative of the Piper family.)
And please do keep this precious family in your prayers.
Thanks, all!
Love,
t
Mar 08, 07
Trying to live out the Seven A’s of Confession ...
Today I have to drive BACK up to the airport and apologize to an airline employee because yesterday, I was disrespectful to her.
This is what–BY FAITH–I will say:
So I guess I’ll stick to the first one and confess my sin (because it WAS rude and unloving of me to turn and walk away) and not worry about the speck in her eye.
It’s hard though, isn’t it?
This obedience and faith stuff is HARD.
Please help us, Lord, to bridge that gap between what we claim to believe and how we actually LIVE.
For your glory, I pray!
Amen & Amen
And blessed, happy Thursday to you all!
With love from your slightly-less-grouchy friend,
Tara B.
PS
It’s 6:45AM and I’m home again. (Still on east coast time since my last three events were all in that time zone, I was up at 4:30AM, went to the gym, and quickly popped up to the airport–which is only like 5 minutes away–to apologize.)
Can I just say this: Obedience is sweeter!
Yes, it is easy to be TEMPTED to think that “justifying” my rudeness is appropriate ...
And yes, giving in to my anger (even if just in my HEART!) had that temporary sweetness so often associated with sin and wickedness ...
BUT ... I’m so grateful that I could simply apologize, own my part, and be right with God and right with her inasmuch as it depended on me.
(Thank you, Jesus!!)
Maybe one day I’ll get to know her better and serve her/help her ... but maybe not.
All I know is that her rudeness was NOT the cause of MY rudeness–it was simply the occasion. It simply brought out the sin in my heart.
And as I tell Sophie all the time, “I know you’re tired, love. And I want to give you a special measure of grace because I know that when we’re tired, it can be THAT MUCH EASIER to be grouchy/sinful. BUT TIREDNESS IS NO EXCUSE FOR OUR SIN.”
So anyway–I’m home now and about to climb back into bed so that when Sophie and Fred wake up I’ll be in the prime snug-snug-snuggle position of my happiest-Momma-thank-You-God-life.
Be blessed, my friends!
Love to you all,
t
This is what–BY FAITH–I will say:
"I’m sorry I was rude to you yesterday. There’s no excuse for me to have just turned and walked away like that yesterday afternoon. Will you please forgive me?"But what I WANT to say is:
"I’m sorry that, having been up since 2:00AM and having spent the entire DAY involuntarily re-routed on various airplanes to various cities (because of the AIRLINE’S mess-up, NOT weather or my error or whatever) ...Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm ... I don’t think that I’d be living up to the very things I profess about a God-honoring and loving-of-neighbor confession with THAT ONE, do you?
And having JUST found out that my BEST FRIEND and her ENTIRE FAMILY were in a major car accident on an icy mountain road (and still SHAKING from the image of those children suspended by their seatbelts with the car overturned!) ...
With my mom AT THAT MOMENT under the knife in surgery (and me VERY concerned because it’s not like after you have a heart attack and a history of health problems even something “minor” like knee surgery is automatically a piece of cake) ...
And with me utterly EXHAUSTED having been traveling out of state for five of the last six weeks; having not seen my husband or three-year old in eight days; with me VERY SICK–either because I’m at the very beginning of a pregnancy (and having almost DIED in my FIRST pregnancy) or because my monthly cycle is completely and utterly messed up due to stress and exhaustion ...
(As an aside to you blog friends–remember how I THOUGHT my period had started on Monday? Well ... I just had that one little “bloop” of discharge and I’ve had NOTHING since. So, not to get my hopes up or anything ... but I keep thinking, “Maybe implantation bleeding??” ... I’ll let you know!
SO ... all that to say, Miss Airline Employee, ... I’m really sorry that having walked the ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE AIRPORT, shaking because I felt so sick ...
And having been turned away from the Delta counter (the airline that my boarding passes were actually PRINTED on and whose numbers my MISSING LUGGAGE were assigned) ... and having been turned away from the Northwest counter (the airline that actually ISSUED the ticket) ... when you, United employee, told me that I had to WALK ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE COMPLETE OTHER END OF THE AIRPORT and wait in line (it ended up being for over half an hour) and file a claim with your lost baggage department ... that I had the audacity to just turn and walk away and start (shakily) heading toward baggage claim.
(Of course, your chasing after me and YELLING AT ME in front of everyone in the airport as I tried not to cry–and you have to understand, regularly flying ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND MILES A YEAR, I’m used to a lot of air travel inconveniences and I am NOT a crier in those situations–I guess that was “justified” by my incredibly, awfully RUDE behavior of having turned and walked away.)
So ... United employee lady, will you please forgive me?"
So I guess I’ll stick to the first one and confess my sin (because it WAS rude and unloving of me to turn and walk away) and not worry about the speck in her eye.
It’s hard though, isn’t it?
This obedience and faith stuff is HARD.
Please help us, Lord, to bridge that gap between what we claim to believe and how we actually LIVE.
For your glory, I pray!
Amen & Amen
And blessed, happy Thursday to you all!
With love from your slightly-less-grouchy friend,
Tara B.
PS
It’s 6:45AM and I’m home again. (Still on east coast time since my last three events were all in that time zone, I was up at 4:30AM, went to the gym, and quickly popped up to the airport–which is only like 5 minutes away–to apologize.)
Can I just say this: Obedience is sweeter!
Yes, it is easy to be TEMPTED to think that “justifying” my rudeness is appropriate ...
And yes, giving in to my anger (even if just in my HEART!) had that temporary sweetness so often associated with sin and wickedness ...
BUT ... I’m so grateful that I could simply apologize, own my part, and be right with God and right with her inasmuch as it depended on me.
(Thank you, Jesus!!)
Maybe one day I’ll get to know her better and serve her/help her ... but maybe not.
All I know is that her rudeness was NOT the cause of MY rudeness–it was simply the occasion. It simply brought out the sin in my heart.
And as I tell Sophie all the time, “I know you’re tired, love. And I want to give you a special measure of grace because I know that when we’re tired, it can be THAT MUCH EASIER to be grouchy/sinful. BUT TIREDNESS IS NO EXCUSE FOR OUR SIN.”
So anyway–I’m home now and about to climb back into bed so that when Sophie and Fred wake up I’ll be in the prime snug-snug-snuggle position of my happiest-Momma-thank-You-God-life.
Be blessed, my friends!
Love to you all,
t
Mar 07, 07
Congratulations SG! You won!
Hey Pennsylvania! I did your DRAWING for the $99 Peacemaker Group Study and S.G. won!
Hooray!
!!
I hope that we continue to hear from ladies in South Carolina! I’ll do their drawing next Monday morning–so be sure to join our discussion board and email me by then if you’d like to be included.
I’m ALMOST home right now. One more flight.
I’m actually sitting in COLORADO because my second of three flights was canceled and I was re-routed on a different airline through different cities. Ahhhhh–air travel.
Hope you’re all doing well!
Oh–and THANK YOU for the encouraging blog comments you’ve posted in the past few days. They were incredibly encouraging to me when I got home from the dvd taping last night. I was tired (but happy). Content (but eager to be home). And all of your words were truly a BALM for my heart.
Love to you!
God bless you–
Yours,
Tara B.
Hooray!
!!I hope that we continue to hear from ladies in South Carolina! I’ll do their drawing next Monday morning–so be sure to join our discussion board and email me by then if you’d like to be included.
I’m ALMOST home right now. One more flight.
I’m actually sitting in COLORADO because my second of three flights was canceled and I was re-routed on a different airline through different cities. Ahhhhh–air travel.
Hope you’re all doing well!
Oh–and THANK YOU for the encouraging blog comments you’ve posted in the past few days. They were incredibly encouraging to me when I got home from the dvd taping last night. I was tired (but happy). Content (but eager to be home). And all of your words were truly a BALM for my heart.
Love to you!
God bless you–
Yours,
Tara B.
Mar 06, 07
Eeek! Who would’ve thought THIS would happen?!?
Many thanks to all of you who have called and emailed to let me know you are praying for me as I film this dvd series. I am SOOOOOOOOOOO grateful!!
Day one of filming (yesterday) was LONG and HARD ... but the feedback was that I did OK on four of the five sessions.
Guess which one I did NOT teach very well?!?! The introduction to the Peacemaker Ministries material! (I.e., the material I know BEST.)
Isn’t that just strange????
Maybe I was presuming it would go OK and didn’t try as hard? (I don’t think so–but maybe????)
Maybe it was a combination of the last session of the day, we were all exhausted, the commuters airplanes started crisscrossing overhead (and we have to STOP and START) every time that happens ... maybe ... maybe ... maybe ...
But who knows?
I do know I tried my best. And MAN! Did every single person involved POUR THEMSELVES OUT to honor God and have the best product we could create! (I’m not sure you can even IMAGINE how hard these wonderful, godly, generous, AMAZING people are working. Wardrobe, makeup, lights, cameras, sound, the AUDIENCE (having to laugh and look attentive even when they’ve heard it all like, you know, FIVE TIMES now!!!).
I’m humbled and amazed.
And I truly hope that the – let’s see – TEN people who ever see this study (?? ??) will be blessed.
We have three more sessions to get through today and then a Q&A/discussion segment.
So here’s hoping things go well!
I am grateful for you all! Thanks again for praying–
Yours,
Tara B.
PS
Just found out this morning ... no baby this month! So in addition to being a little sad (but trusting in God’s sovereignty), you know what THAT means as far as a pretty UNCOMFORTABLE day of filming on “day 1 of mr. monthy visitor.” Blech. Hope the day goes OK.
PPS
Here are some pictures so you can envision what we’re doing.
Day one of filming (yesterday) was LONG and HARD ... but the feedback was that I did OK on four of the five sessions.
Guess which one I did NOT teach very well?!?! The introduction to the Peacemaker Ministries material! (I.e., the material I know BEST.)
Isn’t that just strange????
Maybe I was presuming it would go OK and didn’t try as hard? (I don’t think so–but maybe????)
Maybe it was a combination of the last session of the day, we were all exhausted, the commuters airplanes started crisscrossing overhead (and we have to STOP and START) every time that happens ... maybe ... maybe ... maybe ...
But who knows?
I do know I tried my best. And MAN! Did every single person involved POUR THEMSELVES OUT to honor God and have the best product we could create! (I’m not sure you can even IMAGINE how hard these wonderful, godly, generous, AMAZING people are working. Wardrobe, makeup, lights, cameras, sound, the AUDIENCE (having to laugh and look attentive even when they’ve heard it all like, you know, FIVE TIMES now!!!).
I’m humbled and amazed.
And I truly hope that the – let’s see – TEN people who ever see this study (??
??) will be blessed.We have three more sessions to get through today and then a Q&A/discussion segment.
So here’s hoping things go well!
I am grateful for you all! Thanks again for praying–
Yours,
Tara B.
PS
Just found out this morning ... no baby this month! So in addition to being a little sad (but trusting in God’s sovereignty), you know what THAT means as far as a pretty UNCOMFORTABLE day of filming on “day 1 of mr. monthy visitor.” Blech. Hope the day goes OK.
PPS
Here are some pictures so you can envision what we’re doing.
Mar 04, 07
Hi to South Carolina!
A happy & grateful HELLO to all of the ladies I met in South Carolina this past weekend! It was so wonderful to share fellowship with you. Thanks again for inviting me to be with you all.
Also: I truly hope that you will consider joining our discussion board in the next WEEK (and dropping me a quick email to let me know!) so that I can enter your name in our drawing for a $99 Peacemaker Group Study.
(Remember! I will never give your contact information to anyone.)
Also, if ANYONE is willing to review my book on Amazon, I’d love to send you a THANK YOU. Please just let me know if you’d like a set of CD’s, a copy of Ken Sande’s book (The Peacemaker), or my book–or whatever resource I usually stock that might bless you.
I’m leaving in less than 30 minutes to meet the Southside Fellowship DVD Study team. (I’m so excited! But nervous too ... hope I do OK.)
BTW ... did you know your pastor took photos of me for the DVD project? WHAT an example of servant leadership, eh?
Do you guys like any of these???
I hope you’re enjoying a wonderful Sabbath!
Sending you my love,
Tara B.
Also: I truly hope that you will consider joining our discussion board in the next WEEK (and dropping me a quick email to let me know!) so that I can enter your name in our drawing for a $99 Peacemaker Group Study.
(Remember! I will never give your contact information to anyone.)
Also, if ANYONE is willing to review my book on Amazon, I’d love to send you a THANK YOU. Please just let me know if you’d like a set of CD’s, a copy of Ken Sande’s book (The Peacemaker), or my book–or whatever resource I usually stock that might bless you.
I’m leaving in less than 30 minutes to meet the Southside Fellowship DVD Study team. (I’m so excited! But nervous too ... hope I do OK.)
BTW ... did you know your pastor took photos of me for the DVD project? WHAT an example of servant leadership, eh?
Do you guys like any of these???
I hope you’re enjoying a wonderful Sabbath!
Sending you my love,
Tara B.
Mar 03, 07
The “Young Peacemaker” and Toddlers ...
We’re having an interesting discussion over at the discussion board on the topic of Peacemaking and Toddlers.
(Hope you’ll join in!)
Since I know more of you read this blog than the board, I thought I’d post just my reply here.
Please let me know what you think and how YOU parent those toddlers! (Especially regarding peacemaking–but really any parenting wisdom.)
Love to all!
– Tara B.
————
Hi JTS! And how exciting that you got the YP set! I can’t wait to hear how the Lord ministers His grace through you and your twins with these biblical, gospel-infused, Christ-exalting concepts. Hooray! And Yeah, God!
As to specifics ... I would have to say that the foundational principles we worked on with Sophia when she was two (and that we’re still working on now because they are so foundational) were:
We then helped her to see that “the way of the sinner is HARD” and “there are BLESSINGS that come in obedience.”
Then we worked with her to understand that we all demonstrate our LOVE for GOD by our obedience to Him … and this includes obeying the authority HE has placed in our lives.
We help her to see that NO ONE wants to submit or obey. We ALL have a hard time with this. But that’s why Jesus had to come and live and die and be raised again for us.
So when children get caught in those “MONSTER WANTS!!!!!!” (a “Young Peacemaker” term), there are painful consequences at times, and lots of gospel and grace at times, and usually a combination. (Just like in OUR lives, right?)
(It’s God’s KINDNESS that leads us to repentance.? BUT ... the way of the sinner is HARD. And kids understand the presence of a painful consequence or the removal of a “treat.” It really drives the lesson home and brings out their “me-centered” hearts. Just like OUR me-centered hearts. We all need Jesus. We RUN TO THE CROSS.)
So, for example, in our home ...
(Oh! How I wish every Mom and Dad would understand the BLESSING of teaching this concept to toddlers and preschoolers! It makes for SUCH a nicer / happier / more content home. And LOTS of opportunities to talk about sin, the Cross, Jesus, our Hope!)
Preeminently, our heart’s desire is that she would come to know Christ and trust in Him with saving faith. (That she would see her heart and her need for Christ; that she would repent; that she would be regenerated by God; and she would taste that OBEDIENCE IS SWEETER! That we are called to obey God—not because it feels good, but because He is God.)
Pieces of that puzzle are:
This is why I love Shepherding a Child’s Heart and The Young Peacemaker curriculum. They minister the gospel to MY heart! And they give me tangible ideas and resources and examples to help me (hopefully!) minister the gospel to Sophia as well.
Oh–and one of the key aspects of peacemaking for toddlers/preschoolers, it seems to me ... is the WONDERFUL FULLNESS OF COMPLETE RECONCILIATION.
So ... when the discipline/painful consequence is OVER ...
And she has asked God to forgive her and asked Mommy/Daddy to forgive her ...
It is DONE.
Her sins are removed as far as the east is from the west; they will NOT be counted against her; we will NEVER bring them up again ...
It is OVER. And we can go on into our day fully reconciled and happy and BOY! Is that GREAT.
(Watching Sophie go into the throws of an idolatrous Monster Want “fit” over some treat/pleasure; then watching us discipline/rescue her–or hearing us through a wall if we’ve removed her from in front of people to guard her confidentiality–and then seeing us be able to come out fully, joyfully, happily reconciled ... this has ALL been a HUGE testimony to my unbelieving family. Because prior to watching us (IMPERFECTLY!) discipline and love Sophie in this way, usually when a kid in a different family throws a tantrum, everyone gets ANGRY and MAD at each other and “the day is RUINED” and even after someone YELLS and someone CRIES ... everyone is still STUCK, TRAPPED, FEELING JUST AWFUL.
But see–Jesus came to save us from our sin!
The tantrum sin of the kid.
The angry/frustrated/you’ve embarrassed me sin of the parent.
The defiant heart of the child.
The proud, harsh-toned, selfish heart of the parent.
We ALL need a Rescuer!
We ALL need a Savior!
We ALL need Jesus.
Isn’t it Dan Doriani who says, “Parenting is just big sinners helping little sinners.”
To that, I say, “Amen!”
Oh–and I’d better sign off now.
I’m teaching peacemaking in just a couple of hours here in SC.
Please pray for me if you have a moment!
What a privilege to serve.
Love love love to all!
Yours,
Tara B.
(Hope you’ll join in!)
Since I know more of you read this blog than the board, I thought I’d post just my reply here.
Please let me know what you think and how YOU parent those toddlers! (Especially regarding peacemaking–but really any parenting wisdom.)
Love to all!
– Tara B.
————
Hi JTS! And how exciting that you got the YP set! I can’t wait to hear how the Lord ministers His grace through you and your twins with these biblical, gospel-infused, Christ-exalting concepts. Hooray! And Yeah, God!
As to specifics ... I would have to say that the foundational principles we worked on with Sophia when she was two (and that we’re still working on now because they are so foundational) were:
1. Authority and SubmissionWe helped her to see that authority is a GOOD thing and that EVERY PERSON is under authority. (Mommy, Daddy, Pastor Jason ... everyone.)
2. Immediate Obedience (without delay and without complaint)
3. Respectful Appeals
We then helped her to see that “the way of the sinner is HARD” and “there are BLESSINGS that come in obedience.”
Then we worked with her to understand that we all demonstrate our LOVE for GOD by our obedience to Him … and this includes obeying the authority HE has placed in our lives.
We help her to see that NO ONE wants to submit or obey. We ALL have a hard time with this. But that’s why Jesus had to come and live and die and be raised again for us.
So when children get caught in those “MONSTER WANTS!!!!!!” (a “Young Peacemaker” term), there are painful consequences at times, and lots of gospel and grace at times, and usually a combination. (Just like in OUR lives, right?)
(It’s God’s KINDNESS that leads us to repentance.? BUT ... the way of the sinner is HARD. And kids understand the presence of a painful consequence or the removal of a “treat.” It really drives the lesson home and brings out their “me-centered” hearts. Just like OUR me-centered hearts. We all need Jesus. We RUN TO THE CROSS.)
So, for example, in our home ...
If I say, “Sophia, come here please.” She must stop what she is doing immediately and “come right away, without delay, and without complaint.” PERIOD.HOWEVER ... the Young Peacemaker also teaches the concept of a respectful appeal.
(She can’t say, “But I’m playing with my dolls.” Or, “Just a minute, Mom.” Or, “But I want to finish this puzzle!” As Sophia herself would explain to you, the “only appropriate response is, ”Yes, Momma," followed by obedience.)
(Oh! How I wish every Mom and Dad would understand the BLESSING of teaching this concept to toddlers and preschoolers! It makes for SUCH a nicer / happier / more content home. And LOTS of opportunities to talk about sin, the Cross, Jesus, our Hope!)
Let’s say Sophie is deep into a puzzle and only has ONE more piece to be done. And right then, Fred said, “Sophia, come here please.”Now you may be reading all that and think, “Why?! Why would you train a two year old that way?”
Sophie may NOT say, “Just one more piece, Dad!” (Nope. She would tell you that such a response is DEFIANCE.)
But–we love to bless her! We enjoy giving her grace. And we ALL know how fun it is to finish a puzzle and put in that last piece. So what would happen?
“Sophia, come here please.”
“Yes, Dad.” And Sophie starts HEADING TOWARDS FRED.
(This is obedience.)
And WHILE SHE IS IN THE PROCESS OF OBEYING (on the way to Fred, cheerfully), SHE MAY APPEAL:
“Dad, may I appeal?”
And Fred may say, “Yes, you may appeal.” or “No, you may not appeal.” And Sophie has to submit to his decision.
But if Fred says, “Yes, you may appeal,” then Sophie would say something like, “May I please put the last piece of my puzzle in and then come right away?”
And Fred may say yes or no–and in either case, Sophie must cheerfully obey without delay.
Preeminently, our heart’s desire is that she would come to know Christ and trust in Him with saving faith. (That she would see her heart and her need for Christ; that she would repent; that she would be regenerated by God; and she would taste that OBEDIENCE IS SWEETER! That we are called to obey God—not because it feels good, but because He is God.)
Pieces of that puzzle are:
1. She is created in God’s imageDoes that kind of make sense?
2. She is tainted by the Fall / she is sinful
3. Her sinful tendency is just like MY sinful tendency and DADDY’s sinful tendency ... all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God ... and that sin is in our HEARTS and it comes out in our words and actions
4. Yes, it is pleasant and “good” to turn away from disrespectful tones of voice, whining, complaining, defiance, rudeness, meanness, etc. BUT ... our prayer and hope and why we parent the way we parent is that we would be calling Sophia to examine her HEART (the “desires that battle within her” when she DOESN’T GET WHAT SHE WANTS)
5. That she would turn away from her “monster wants” and love God more than she loves herself, or that doll, or that treat, or that “after-nap-one-VIDEO” (a frequent struggle and temptation these days)
This is why I love Shepherding a Child’s Heart and The Young Peacemaker curriculum. They minister the gospel to MY heart! And they give me tangible ideas and resources and examples to help me (hopefully!) minister the gospel to Sophia as well.
Oh–and one of the key aspects of peacemaking for toddlers/preschoolers, it seems to me ... is the WONDERFUL FULLNESS OF COMPLETE RECONCILIATION.
So ... when the discipline/painful consequence is OVER ...
And she has asked God to forgive her and asked Mommy/Daddy to forgive her ...
It is DONE.
Her sins are removed as far as the east is from the west; they will NOT be counted against her; we will NEVER bring them up again ...
It is OVER. And we can go on into our day fully reconciled and happy and BOY! Is that GREAT.
(Watching Sophie go into the throws of an idolatrous Monster Want “fit” over some treat/pleasure; then watching us discipline/rescue her–or hearing us through a wall if we’ve removed her from in front of people to guard her confidentiality–and then seeing us be able to come out fully, joyfully, happily reconciled ... this has ALL been a HUGE testimony to my unbelieving family. Because prior to watching us (IMPERFECTLY!) discipline and love Sophie in this way, usually when a kid in a different family throws a tantrum, everyone gets ANGRY and MAD at each other and “the day is RUINED” and even after someone YELLS and someone CRIES ... everyone is still STUCK, TRAPPED, FEELING JUST AWFUL.
But see–Jesus came to save us from our sin!
The tantrum sin of the kid.
The angry/frustrated/you’ve embarrassed me sin of the parent.
The defiant heart of the child.
The proud, harsh-toned, selfish heart of the parent.
We ALL need a Rescuer!
We ALL need a Savior!
We ALL need Jesus.
Isn’t it Dan Doriani who says, “Parenting is just big sinners helping little sinners.”
To that, I say, “Amen!”
Oh–and I’d better sign off now.
I’m teaching peacemaking in just a couple of hours here in SC.
Please pray for me if you have a moment!
What a privilege to serve.
Love love love to all!
Yours,
Tara B.
Mar 02, 07
DVD Sessions & Descriptions
What do y'all think of these titles & descriptions/summaries for the dvd project we are filming Monday and Tuesday?
!!
Love you and–really now!–G'nite!
– t
Living the Gospel in Real Life
A Reminder, Help, and Encouragement
for Christian Women
by Tara Klena Barthel
1. What does it mean to “live the gospel?” Isn’t it enough to just be a Christian? I always thought “the gospel” was something we shared with unbelievers so that they could be saved. What does it really mean for a Christian to “live the gospel?” And why is this so important?
a. Introduction / women’s study skeptic / gospel not law / grace to others
b. Begin my testimony (past) / sticky brain / warped view of God and self
c. Preach truth to sticky brain unbelief / God chose us (Eph 1)
d. Biblical theology / not for but from / because we are His
e. End: HW focus = Warped view of God? Self? / Arise My Soul
2. What happens when I have a warped view about God? About myself? I know how to say all the right things about God … but how do my thoughts, words, and actions reveal what I really believe about Him? And what about how I view myself? I know who I claim to be. But sometimes, I feel like such a fraud. It’s almost like I’m two different people! Who is God really? And Who does He say that I am?
a. The Cross Chart / temptation to legalism and libertinism
b. God is holy AND compassionate / justice & mercy satisfied at the Cross
c. Functional identity / My Testimony after salvation
d. Who am I? Justification and Sanctification
e. End: HW focus = What is at the root of my struggle to be defined by the gospel? / Jesus Lover of My Soul
3. What is really my problem? I’m a Christian! But sometimes there is a huge disconnect between what I claim to believe and how I actually live. Sometimes it just seems like I will never get over a habitual sin or be able to obey God in a certain area of my life. Truth be told—I’m not even sure exactly what I need to repent of! What is going on? And how is God calling me to repent?
a. Video (Repentance) / Luke 6 (our hearts) / The Three Trees
b. Idolatry / James 4 / Fear of Man
c. Identify idols / Intelligent Repentance
d. Ongoing battle / difference between conviction and condemnation / remembering as first step of change
e. End: HW focus = identify idols; worship God rightly / Taste & See
4. * Why are redemptive, gospel-infused relationships so important? Sometimes I just can’t believe that unity, grace, and love could actually be reflected in my relationships. It’s hard to be around other people! One part of me longs for friendship and another part dreads it. How is God calling me to value relationships within the Body of Christ and persevere in the hard work of repentance, confession, and forgiveness?
a. Introduce PMM / Relationships Matter / John 17
b. Slippery Slope / Video (Slippery Slope Denial)
c. Briefly introduce 4 G’s / Glorify God / Three Opportunities
d. End: HW focus = tendency on slope/hardest “G”?
5. *With my heart fixed on glorifying God, what are the next steps I need to take when I’m in a conflict? What does it look like for me to own up to my contribution to the conflict and “get the log out of my own eye”? Could God really be calling me to go to the other person and talk about what happened?
a. Get the Log Out / 7 A’s / Video (But I’m Really Sorry)
b. Gently Restore / Matthew 18 / Effective Confrontation
c. End: HW = confessions; prep for confrontations & forgiveness
6. *Is it really possible to work through conflicts, forgive, and be reconciled? What if the other person never repents—but instead continues to treat me badly? It is a fact of life that sometimes we are called to be in relationships that are very, very painful. The person might be a brother or sister in Christ who has an area of blindness, immaturity, or sin. We may have family members or coworkers who are not believers and who treat us horribly. What does it mean to forgive? How are we called to persevere in these difficult relationships? And why are reconciliation and unity so important to God?
a. Ephesians 4 / Go and Be Reconciled / Four Promises
b. Always a shock to be attacked / Romans 12 / God’s love (taxicab)
c. More like them than unlike them / their struggle in context of ours
d. Sovereignty of God (God’s hands) / 1 Peter & Psalm 57 (wing)
e. Conflict with Judy Dabler writing Peacemaking Women
f. End: HW = prep for relationships/friendships / Video (Why not rather be wronged?) OR Jesus I My Cross Have Taken
7. But I don’t like her very much! I have lots of relationships where I’m not in any conflicts with the other people—I just don’t like them very much. What does it mean for me to accept and even love people that I don’t instinctively enjoy? How does this glorify God and what practical steps can I take to “love my neighbor as myself”?
a. Hard Work & Messy / Sin Corrupts
b. Faith Produces Love / Love People & Trust God
c. Accept One Another (Romans 15) / Mountain Climber-Guide
d. Grace-Colored Glasses / Growth Over the Long Term
e. Develop Redemptive Friendships / Confront (confess/complain)
f. End: Video (Peacemaker Junkie)
8. How can I move beyond temporary, surface-level changes and actually live out the gospel every day of my life? Even though I might have a long history of wrong thinking, habitual sin patterns, or broken relationships, God’s grace is greater still! And the truth is this: The gospel of Jesus Christ is at work changing me—and in this, I rejoice.
a. Reminded of the Gospel / Hope is in Christ
b. Culpable & Forgiven / Reject the Myth of Chronic Uniqueness / Renewed vision for the Role of the Church
c. Eternal Perspective / Change WILL Happen / Grace-Truth-Time
d. End: Come You Sinners
!!Love you and–really now!–G'nite!
– t
Living the Gospel in Real Life
A Reminder, Help, and Encouragement
for Christian Women
by Tara Klena Barthel
1. What does it mean to “live the gospel?” Isn’t it enough to just be a Christian? I always thought “the gospel” was something we shared with unbelievers so that they could be saved. What does it really mean for a Christian to “live the gospel?” And why is this so important?
a. Introduction / women’s study skeptic / gospel not law / grace to others
b. Begin my testimony (past) / sticky brain / warped view of God and self
c. Preach truth to sticky brain unbelief / God chose us (Eph 1)
d. Biblical theology / not for but from / because we are His
e. End: HW focus = Warped view of God? Self? / Arise My Soul
2. What happens when I have a warped view about God? About myself? I know how to say all the right things about God … but how do my thoughts, words, and actions reveal what I really believe about Him? And what about how I view myself? I know who I claim to be. But sometimes, I feel like such a fraud. It’s almost like I’m two different people! Who is God really? And Who does He say that I am?
a. The Cross Chart / temptation to legalism and libertinism
b. God is holy AND compassionate / justice & mercy satisfied at the Cross
c. Functional identity / My Testimony after salvation
d. Who am I? Justification and Sanctification
e. End: HW focus = What is at the root of my struggle to be defined by the gospel? / Jesus Lover of My Soul
3. What is really my problem? I’m a Christian! But sometimes there is a huge disconnect between what I claim to believe and how I actually live. Sometimes it just seems like I will never get over a habitual sin or be able to obey God in a certain area of my life. Truth be told—I’m not even sure exactly what I need to repent of! What is going on? And how is God calling me to repent?
a. Video (Repentance) / Luke 6 (our hearts) / The Three Trees
b. Idolatry / James 4 / Fear of Man
c. Identify idols / Intelligent Repentance
d. Ongoing battle / difference between conviction and condemnation / remembering as first step of change
e. End: HW focus = identify idols; worship God rightly / Taste & See
4. * Why are redemptive, gospel-infused relationships so important? Sometimes I just can’t believe that unity, grace, and love could actually be reflected in my relationships. It’s hard to be around other people! One part of me longs for friendship and another part dreads it. How is God calling me to value relationships within the Body of Christ and persevere in the hard work of repentance, confession, and forgiveness?
a. Introduce PMM / Relationships Matter / John 17
b. Slippery Slope / Video (Slippery Slope Denial)
c. Briefly introduce 4 G’s / Glorify God / Three Opportunities
d. End: HW focus = tendency on slope/hardest “G”?
5. *With my heart fixed on glorifying God, what are the next steps I need to take when I’m in a conflict? What does it look like for me to own up to my contribution to the conflict and “get the log out of my own eye”? Could God really be calling me to go to the other person and talk about what happened?
a. Get the Log Out / 7 A’s / Video (But I’m Really Sorry)
b. Gently Restore / Matthew 18 / Effective Confrontation
c. End: HW = confessions; prep for confrontations & forgiveness
6. *Is it really possible to work through conflicts, forgive, and be reconciled? What if the other person never repents—but instead continues to treat me badly? It is a fact of life that sometimes we are called to be in relationships that are very, very painful. The person might be a brother or sister in Christ who has an area of blindness, immaturity, or sin. We may have family members or coworkers who are not believers and who treat us horribly. What does it mean to forgive? How are we called to persevere in these difficult relationships? And why are reconciliation and unity so important to God?
a. Ephesians 4 / Go and Be Reconciled / Four Promises
b. Always a shock to be attacked / Romans 12 / God’s love (taxicab)
c. More like them than unlike them / their struggle in context of ours
d. Sovereignty of God (God’s hands) / 1 Peter & Psalm 57 (wing)
e. Conflict with Judy Dabler writing Peacemaking Women
f. End: HW = prep for relationships/friendships / Video (Why not rather be wronged?) OR Jesus I My Cross Have Taken
7. But I don’t like her very much! I have lots of relationships where I’m not in any conflicts with the other people—I just don’t like them very much. What does it mean for me to accept and even love people that I don’t instinctively enjoy? How does this glorify God and what practical steps can I take to “love my neighbor as myself”?
a. Hard Work & Messy / Sin Corrupts
b. Faith Produces Love / Love People & Trust God
c. Accept One Another (Romans 15) / Mountain Climber-Guide
d. Grace-Colored Glasses / Growth Over the Long Term
e. Develop Redemptive Friendships / Confront (confess/complain)
f. End: Video (Peacemaker Junkie)
8. How can I move beyond temporary, surface-level changes and actually live out the gospel every day of my life? Even though I might have a long history of wrong thinking, habitual sin patterns, or broken relationships, God’s grace is greater still! And the truth is this: The gospel of Jesus Christ is at work changing me—and in this, I rejoice.
a. Reminded of the Gospel / Hope is in Christ
b. Culpable & Forgiven / Reject the Myth of Chronic Uniqueness / Renewed vision for the Role of the Church
c. Eternal Perspective / Change WILL Happen / Grace-Truth-Time
d. End: Come You Sinners
Mar 01, 07
Makeover Tara ...
Wow! I’m having SUCH a wonderful time in South Carolina ...
Not just getting to serve and teach, etc.
BUT ... I’ve had a makeover too!
These pictures don’t do the color justice at all ...
But here I am with short hair:
Fun fun!
Hope you enjoy–
(& hope Soph doesn’t miss playing with my long hair too much )
Love & g'nite,
t
Not just getting to serve and teach, etc.
BUT ... I’ve had a makeover too!
These pictures don’t do the color justice at all ...
But here I am with short hair:
Fun fun!
Hope you enjoy–
(& hope Soph doesn’t miss playing with my long hair too much
)Love & g'nite,
t
On Modesty ... (Thanks, Carolyn!)
Another must read from Carolyn McCulley.
Don’t miss this amazing article on modesty!
Oh–and Happy Thursday to you all–
Love,
Tara B.
Don’t miss this amazing article on modesty!
Oh–and Happy Thursday to you all–
Love,
Tara B.
