The Perfect Pasttime~ Reading

Here, at the Puebla Ponderosa, we love to read.

"Mrs. Cartwright" has always been an avid reader and has wanted her children to be the same. We teach our children that one of the most important reasons to learn how to read is so that they can read God's Word and learn how to live a holy life.

My littlest, "Inger", yearns to know how to read and is such an eager beaver.

"Marie" has just finished her first chapter book, The Boxcar Children, and has hit that, 'I love to read' stage where everything has finally clicked.

The weather here is finally tolerable and today I found "Little Joe" on the trampoline reading, Little Women.

We always are in the middle of a couple of read alouds as a family. During lunch we are reading, Anne of Green Gables. At bedtime we are reading, The Light and the Glory For Children.

Here are the top five reads of the last year at the Ponderosa:

Twice Freed by Patricia St. John

The Kingdom Series by Chuck Black

Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare

Rachel Saint by YWAM

Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

My New Life Verse

 Jeremiah 17:7-8

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord. For he will be like a tree firmly planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green; and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit".

Do you fear or trust? Even when it seems you are the only tree out there?

Are your roots planted by the living water so even when the heat of the fiery trials come, your leaves remain green?

When anxiety comes, will you continue to yield fruit?

Happy 4th Birthday, "Inger"

    

"Inger's" best buddy, "Cowboy Billy"

"Inger's" cousin reading a card to her

My smallest cowgirl celebrated her birthday yesterday. We had a great time celebrating with friends and family. "Inger" talked about her big brother, "Hoss", all day long. We sure do miss him and I think she knew in her heart that here was a special day and he was not with us to celebrate. I made a new recipe of homemade chocolate cupcakes with mint frosting. They were very yummy. Here is the link to the recipe. Interestingly enough, there was one cupcake left over last night. "Inger" informed me she wanted me to save it for "Hoss", when he comes home. (If you don't know the story, please see past posts.) So I put it into the freezer after wrapping it up several times. Just one more thing to remind us to pray for him.

Thank you to all who came to help us celebrate "Inger's" 4th birthday.

The Place of Crushing

The Garden of Gethsemane. The literal translation is "olive press". For we believers, we know the beauty and agony behind this majestic place. Friend, He was crushed by the weight of the worlds' sin; He was crushed until the precious blood was shed that would be the stripes we would be spiritually healed by; He was crushed by His Father in Heaven for us who are so undeserving.

Are we willing to be crushed to be more like our Savior?
Are we willing to be crushed because it is only in those times we truly depend on the Holy One?
When the crushing seems unbearable will we fall asleep as the disciples did at the time Jesus asked them to pray or will we be steadfast in the hope we have in Him?
When the crushing seems unlovable, do we trust in our Sovereign Creator?

Lord, I know it is good to be crushed; for Your Testimonies will be better than life. Help me to cling to you when all else seems hopeless, but even when all else seems fine. Thank you for being willing to be crushed for me, even though it was beyond painful. Thank you for being obedient to the Father in the Garden and submitting to His will, not your own. Let this attitude be mine as well.

For more on this subject, please pick up and read, The Cup and the Glory,by Greg Harris.

A Morning Prayer

This is what I want to think about today.

Be Encouraged

The Church at Sardis or The western Church

For those of you who read my blog, you probably are getting the correct understanding that I enjoy reading. I love God's Word the most, but have also been edified by men and women of God as they pen exhortation to the Body of Christ.

As I was reading through Because the Time is Near, by John MacArthur, it struck me that the church of Jesus Christ in the western world mirrors the church at Sardis. Listen to what Dr. MacArthur writes:

"The Command: Rev. 3:2a,3 Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die....So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.

Christ addressed the command to the faithful remnant at Sardis. If their church was to survive, it desperately needed life. Christ laid out for them the path to spiritual restoration by giving them five steps to follow.

First, they needed to 'wake up'. There was no time for indifference. The believing remnant needed to look at what was happening in their church, evaluate the situation, confront sin, and make a difference.

Second, they needed to 'strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die'. 'Things' here in the original language does not refer to people, but to spiritual realities. Christ exhorted the true Christians at Sardis to fan into flame the dying embers of the remaining spiritual graces in their church.

The third step was for the faithful remnant to remember what they had received and heard. They needed to go back to the truths of God's Word, remembering the gospel and the teaching of the apostles. By this time, Paul's letters were in circulation (2 Peter 3:15-16) and the rest of the New Testament had been written. The believers at Sardis needed to reaffirm their belief in the truth about Christ, sin, salvation, and holy living.

Fourth, having gone back to the truths of Scripture, they needed to keep them. Correct beliefs apart from obedient lives would not bring about the necessary renewal.

Finally, they needed to repent. With great sorrow, the believers at Sardis were to confess and turn away from their sins. These five steps, if diligently practiced, would bring about revival.

The consequences if revival did not come would be severe. Christ warned them 'if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.' The picture of Jesus coming like a thief always carries the idea of imminent judgment (Matthew 34:43; Luke 12:39; 1 Thessalonians 5:2,4). The threat here is not related to His second coming, but that the Lord would come and destroy the Sardis church if there was no revival."

- taken from, Because the Time is Near, by John MacArthur, page 84-85

Oh, how the body of Christ needs to hear this exhortation. Christ demands holiness! Paul was not writing about the Western Church, and yet, we can look at this passage and be warned....

Playdoh - a wonderful imagination

My sister, Melissa, came over one evening to watch my children while Mr. Cartwright and I went out. They got out the Playdoh and what a wonder to watch them go to work. Even Aunt Missy did a fabulous job.

"Marie" at work making ice cream. I'm sure it tasted even better than our homemade stuff.

"Inger" made this spoon all by herself. Her mommy was very impressed.

Aunt Missy should certainly go into the Arts. What a beautiful rose!

Who ever said children need the most fancy or popular toys. Give them a little Playdoh and watch the imagination take over.

My Nature Lover

There are some children, when you ask to go out into nature to scavenger hunt, (especially in the 92 degree Florida heat) that argue and complain. Not "Little Joe". I gave him an assignment for Science to go explore and see what he could find.

He found 2 different leaves, a beautiful blue bird feather (you can't see the blue in the picture, but it is startling how blue it is), and a precious lavender wild flower.

The joy in this is seeing his joy in nature.

These items lying in our yard remind me that there is so much beauty around us and so often we are so busy to see the small things such as wildflowers, bird feathers, cocoons, etc. Take time today to look around you.

"Little Joe", thank you for this reminder. I love you.

What the Meek Do and Are

Kay Arthur elaborates on what a meek spirit looks like in this way:

Looking at Psalm 37, this is what the meek do and are:

1. They trust God. v.3,5 They trust Him instead of being fretful.

2. They do good. v.3, 27 They do not pay back evil for evil.

3. They dwell. v.3 Lots of people react by leaving their situation either physically or emotionally.

4. They delight in the Lord. v.4 Their focus is on the Lord, not themselves.

5. They commit their way to the Lord. v.5 They trust that He's in charge.

6. They rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. v.7,9,and 34 They are will to allow the Lord to bring to pass what He wants to bring to pass in His perfect timing.

7. They take refuge in Him. v.40

8. While the meek wait patiently, they cease from anger and forsake wrath. v.8

9. Finally, the meek look to the future, with eternity stamped upon their eyes.
v.9,11, and 34

-As Silver Refined, by Kay Arthur, chapter five

Let me encourage you to read this Psalm and meditate on how Christ desires for us to respond while in the crucible. It sure is hot, but we have assurance we won't be singed.

Prayers for Mom

As most of you know, my mom, Wendy Stebbins, was diagnosed with lung cancer in May of 2008. She fought well and has had clean check ups every 3 months since then. This last week she had her latest check up and they found a mass in her chest cavitity along with several nodules in both lungs. She will be having further testing next week and then see her doctor for prognosis and treatment options. She is a fighter. Most importantly, she is a fighter because Christ is with her. She has ministered to so many people through her struggle, including family and strangers. I know Christ will give her the strength she needs but I would covet your prayers for her: physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Please also, keep my father, Marty, in your prayers as well. Being one-flesh means he fights this fight as well.

Dad and Mom, I love you.

Jeremiah 17:7-8
"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord. For he will be like a tree firmly planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green; and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit".

It is Good to Be Afflicted

Psalm 119:67,71,and 75
"I know, O Lord, that Thy judgments are righteous, and that in faithfulness Thou hast afflicted me."
"It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn Thy statutes."
"Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Thy Word."

Do we trust our Sovereign Ruler's wise care? When do we run to God the most?

Whatever the situation you find yourself in, God has designed it to make you, not to destroy you. It has been issued by God to mold you into the image of His dear Son, who knows what it is like to be afflicted.

Here is a song we sing at church that speaks to the heart of this discussion. May you find comfort in whatever God has for you in this journey of life.

Sovereign Ruler of the Skies.
Ever gracious, ever wise;
All my times are in thy hand,
All events at thy command.

His decree who formed the earth
Fixed my first and second birth;
Parents, native place, and time,
All appointed were by him.

He that formed me in the womb,
He shall guide me to the tomb;
All my times shall ever be
Ordered by his wise decree.

Times the tempter’s power to prove;
Times to taste the Saviour’s love;
All must come, and last, and end,
As shall please my heavenly Friend.

Plagues and deaths around me fly;
Till He bids, I cannot die;
Not a single shaft can hit,
Till the God of love sees fit.

John Ryland

Facing the Stress with Meekness

According to Kay Arthur, in her book, As Silver Refined, the key to facing stress is meekness.

"Meekness is the key to acting versus reacting when disappointments come. Since meekness is the key to a right response in trials, God is at work to build meekness into our innermost beings. And the way He works meekness into our characters is through disappointments and trials. Meekness is born in stress, in trials, in affliction, in conflict....in difficulties. Meekness is born in situations that humble you. This meekness that God so highly values in your life will show itself -prove itself- in oppression and pressure and disappointment. See this in what God allowed His chosen and beloved people to go through---and why:"

Deuteronomy 8:2,3

"And you shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. And He humbles you and lets you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that HE might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD."

Bread of Life, make me hunger for nothing but you. I know I can fill this body with many things that I think will sustain me, and yet I always come back to nothing but You, God. I always am confident of this in the dark valleys. Make me content there...

Disappointment= His Appointment

Disappointment --- His appointment;
change one letter, then I see
that the thwarting of my purpose
is God's better choice for me.
His appointment must be blessing
though it may come in disguise;
for the end, from the beginning,
open to His vision lies.
Disappointment --- His appointment.
Whose? The Lord who loves me best,
understands and knows me fully,
who my faith and love would test.
For like loving earthly parents
He rejoices when He knows
that His child accepts unquestioned
all that from His wisdom flows.
Disappointment --- His appointment;
not good things will He withhold.
From denials oft we gather
treasures of His love untold.
Well He knows each broken purpose
leads to a fuller, deeper trust,
and the end of all His dealings
proves our God is wise and Just.
Disappointment --- His appointment;
Lord I take it then as such,
like clay in the hands of the potter
yielding wholly to His touch.
My life's plan is all His molding
not one single choice be mine.
Let me answer unrepining,
Father, not my will, but Thine.
-taken from As Silver Refined, by Kay Arthur, pg. 30-31

Father, this is my prayer. I know disappointment can lead to discouragement, which can lead to depression. Help me to believe these truths will all my heart.

Dependency in Prayer

I will get back to Kay Arthur's book in the next post, but I read this quote over on Joshua Harris' blog and couldn't resist posting it here. This is one of the best quotes I've read on understanding the conflict between trusting in the sovereignty of God and prayer. Dependency is the key.

"[W]e must keep in mind that the Spirit of God is sovereign over when and how he works through the instruments of prayer. He certainly hears our requests and responds to them. But it's not for us to question the purposes and actions of his sovereign will. Instead we're to submit to and accept whatever he has for us. And as we respond to his answers to our prayers, we must continue to acknowledge our dependence on him through more prayer. As we cycle through our prayers and his answer in this way, our dependency grows. No wonder those who regularly practice this spiritual discipline often speak of there being power in prayer. The more prayer, the more dependency; the more dependency, the more power. The source of power is not the prayer; it is the Holy Spirit, who uses prayer as a means of grace through which he provides the power." - Jerry Bridges & Bob Bevington

Learning to Embrace Life's Disappointments

I am reading a book by Kay Arthur right now. As Silver Refined is an excellent read for those going through any trial. I will be posting excerpts and quotes to encourage us and help remind us all of the power behind these trials as well as the reason that Christ brings us through those dark times.

"Inside a small, walled courtyard under and blue and blazing sky, there stands a refiner of metals. In his hands, gnarled with age, he is rolling and fingering a lump of ore. He watches the sun play on the streaks and veins of lead and other minerals running through this bit of rock chiseled from the bowels of the earth.

His experienced eye knows that, intermingled within this ore, there is silver. He lays the ore on his worktable then builds his fire with care and the wisdom of years. Soon the flames are rising in the pit situated against the courtyard's stone wall. At the worktable he picks up his hammer and begins crushing the lump into small pieces. He pauses occasionally to stare at the fire, as if in study. From time to time he places more fuel upon the already-blazing coals and works his bellows until the flames are in a frenzy.

When the fire is right, he gathers the hammered bits of ore from the place of their crushing and lays them in a small, sturdy container of tempered pottery---his crucible. He places the crucible in the fire and sits down beside it. A long day is before him, and this is where he will stay for as long as the metal is subject to the flames. Silver is too precious to be forsaken in the furnace, too valuable to be ruined through inattention.

Carefully he watches the fire. It must be maintained at exactly the right temperature for the right duration of time to accomplish its purpose. Slowly ore softens. The silver, with its greater density and lower melting point, liquefies first, hissing and bubbling oxygen is released. The still-solid impurities rise to the top of the molten metal. This is the dross, and the refiner skims it off.

Now he adds bits of charcoal inside the crucible. He knows this will enhance the sheen of the silver. The carbon of the charcoal will keep the refined metal from reabsorbing oxygen from the air, which would only dull its finish.

He tends the fire, adds more fuel, and applies more air from the bellows. Amid the relentless heat surrounding the crucible, more dull impurities, newly revealed, rise to the surface of the mixture. Again the refiner carefully skims away the murky, smudgy metal floating at the top of the crucible. Gazing down upon the molten surface, the refiner sees at best but a dim reflection of himself.

The refiner works and watches and waits. The heat and its effect continue. More impurities rise to the surface, and again he skims them off. He never leaves the crucible unattended, never steps away from the fire he has formed to do its work. The finished product he cherishes demands this process. Only his guided and guarded refinement will yield the promised and precious metal.

And he is not yet satisfied.

He lets the fire cool. Eventually he sets the crucible aside.

Then once again he builds up the fire, and the process begins all over. This time the skilled refiner makes the fire hotter. Within the crucible, new impurities are released, brought to the surface, exposed for what they are, and then skimmed off.

Finally, his leathery face breaks into a smile, for now as he gazes into the liquid silver his reflection is apparent--not yet sharp, but more distinct than before.

More hours pass as he perseveres in his anxious and delicate work.

And then.....once more he bends over the crucible, and this time he catches his breath. There it is! In the silver he sees what he has waited for so patiently: a clear image of himself, distinct and sharp.

Delight banishes his frown. His task is done. The impurities gone. The silver is refined.

He has his treasure.

He has "choice" silver, the most lustrous of all metals, beautiful and highly valued. It's as pale and shining as the wings of a dove, as brilliant and splendid as the moon, worthy to become a coin or trumpet or ornament, worthy to grace the king's table or to reflect sunlight in a crown upon his head.

The refiner has taken what was impure and made it pure.

He has taken what was dull and made it beautiful.

Potential value has become actual value.

And the fire--guarded, guided, relentless fire--made the difference. The fire allowed ordinary ore from the earth to be transformed into treasure.

All under the refiner's watchful care, for all the while he never left it unattended."

----pgs.1-3

I love The Silversmith.

Her 2nd Happy Gotcha Day

Our dear "Inger",

You have brought so much love and joy to this family. We can't believe we are there, at your 2nd year of being with us! There are so many things that you bring to our family. Your deep, robust laugh makes all who hear it laugh. It is amazing you have already discovered the importance of a sense of humor, and this make us laugh so often. You have an eagerness of learning that is invigorating. It is wonderful to hear, "We do preschool, Mommy?" every morning. Large, round, brown eyes greet us each morning with anticipation of the day to come.

We know this year has been tough for you, being away from your oldest brother. We pray that through this time of misunderstanding and questions that you can't put into words you would see our faith in Jesus as the key to living. Remember, Jesus is the only one who can heal your hurts, no matter how deep.

Keep giving those magnificent hugs. They make your Mommy's Day!

Perfect Peace

This song has been one of the things helping us to keep focused on Christ in the midst of this storm we find ourselves in.

Praise God for holding us in His hand.
Praise God for His strength that compares to no other.
Praise Him for His trustworthiness that we can count on.
Praise our Gracious Lord for His perfect peace.

The Courage to Go On

Many tears

Confused thoughts

Strength in the Word of God

Other childrens' gifts of love

Straining to focus on my other precious cargo

Sea billows of guilt

Fear of the future

Carefree thoughts that need to be reigned in

A thick fog that needs to dissipate



Thank you, Jesus, you know all these thoughts before I say them. Please give me the strength to say, "It is well with my soul". You are the maker of all new things.

A Prayer from "Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright"

Our Prayer for "Hoss"

He doesn't know his worth
Wears the saddest smile on earth
But he denies it
Love is reaching out to him
But he won't let it in
He defies it
He defies it

Refrain
He's not ready
He's not on his knees yet
He's too strong to be weak
Show him mercy
He's not on his knees yet
Let him break him please
Make him better
Put the pieces back together

He thinks that he's alone
I have walked the road the he's on
And I know he's searching
Looking everywhere but up
He can't fill his empty cup
So he keeps hurting
He keeps hurting

Refrain
He's not ready
He's not on his knees yet
He's too strong to be weak
Show him mercy
He's not on his knees yet
Let him break please
Make him better
Put the pieces back together
Help him please
He's not on his knees...
Yet