Devotion: A Purpose for Suffering #2

1 Peter 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

I used to pencil in a small "T.P." by verses in the Bible that I had tried and proven. This is one of those "T.P." verses. God has used and is using trials in my life to bring about the results listed at the end of the verse. I don't claim to have perfected these things by any means and perhaps that is why God continues to take me through the refining fire.

The word perfect means mature. Looking back at my life, I can see where the trials I've been through have had the effect of helping me to mature spiritually. I have a long ways to go, but I do see where this is one of the purposes of suffering.

"Stablish you" means to set fast or firm. Trials have made me dig into the Word of God and send my roots down deep to take firm hold of the Rock. What a blessing this has been in my life!

"Strengthen you" means to make you strong. I can say that my trials have made me stronger in my faith and trust in God.

"Settle you" means getting you to the place where you come to rest in Him. This one has been a little more difficult, but with each trial that comes my way, I am finding that it is getting easier to let go of my worries and simply trust and rest in His plan and purpose for the trial.

The pain of trials is not fun, but when we bow in humble submission to our loving Heavenly Father, He will bring us forth from the furnace as gold in His hands. Do you see yourself making progress through your trials in these areas? Don't give up! God will finish what He has started in you.

Devotion: A Purpose for Suffering #1

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 ¶ Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

As a child, I got called names like, Buckie Beaver and Bugs Bunny. You can probably guess why. Kids are cruel and will point out the faults of others. Mine was buck teeth. In my diary when I was about 13 years old, I wrote a prayer asking God to make it possible so I could get braces on my teeth. I even wrote that if it required surgery to fix my overbite I would be willing to go through it. Being the object of ridicule is a painful place to be as a teenager who wants to fit in with others.

God answered that prayer five years later. The orthodontists and oral surgeon determined the only way to really fix the overbite was major surgery to remove 7 mm of bone from the upper jaw, and break and move the lower jaw forward. They accomplished the first but not the latter because I swelled too much during the first part for them to adequately see what they were doing for the second part. I was happy with the results of the first part and wasn't interested in more surgery, hospital time and having my mouth wired shut for another ten weeks, so I opted out of having the lower jaw done.

I never dreamed that five years after that I would be working as a dental x-ray tech for the surgeon and orthodontists that did my mouth as well as seven other dentists. Patients who were scheduled for the same type of surgery I had would come in for x-rays and God used me to empathize and encourage them by my own experience.

Now, many years later, I deal with other health issues. But God has helped me to be able to comfort others who also suffer because I am in that place and understand what they deal with. I am able to comfort them with the same comfort God has given me. 1 Corinthians 1:1-3 tells us that He comforts us in our trouble so that we can in turn comfort others with the same comfort He has given us.

We may wonder why we must suffer. It is just part of the fallen human experience, but one of God's purposes in allowing His people to suffer is so that we can be comforters of others in their pain. When we do this, it will prevent us from falling into depression because we will be looking outward toward others instead of inward toward ourselves. God has designed it so it benefits both ourselves and those who we comfort. All praise be to our all-wise God.

Hidden Treasures: Providence

Just finished reading Genesis and the last chapter has this verse:


Genesis 50:19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people  should be kept alive, as they are today. 21 So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.”


It is difficult when in trying circumstances to see God's hand in it, to project into the future and know that God has a purpose in it when all we see at the time is the difficulty of what is surrounding us.  But calls us to not look at what is presently troubling us and instead to look to Him, trusting that He has a good purpose to bring about through whatever trial we are facing at the moment.

A Good Day

This has been a good day. I had to grocery shop and since I was in that part of town I decided to drop in at the physical therapy office to pay a bill. I expected my PT to be there, since he said he would be working on Fridays now until his move is complete. I was disappointed to see he was not there. In talking to the receptionist, I could tell she is having a very hard time with this transition as well. She said what I was feeling. "It's just not the same with out him here. I'm going to miss him so much. It's just crazy. I can't believe he is doing this!"

I really thought it would be much harder visiting the office than it turned out to be. Yes, she and I talked about the situation and we are sad that he is moving away. But I wasn't feeling the same emotions of despair over the situation that I had been several days ago.

He had told me at my last appointment that he would only be in the office on Fridays. So I was sort of stressing over whether or not I'd be able to get scheduled on Fridays should I need a treatment. Well, his receptionist told me that he isn't even working there at all unless the schedule got too busy for just one PT. Then he will come in on a Friday if needed. So that told me I don't even need to stress about whether or not I can get booked in when he is there on a Friday, cause he probably won't be there anyway. Business has been very slow.

She did say that she would leave him a note to see if he would come next Friday just to treat me and either he or she would call me back and let me know. I'm not counting on anything.

For the way I have been feeling the past week and a half since hearing the news he was moving, this visit to the office and the realization that my last appointment could very well be my last appointment with him should have sent me over the edge again. But somehow it didn't. I actually walked out of there feeling like a load had been lifted from me.

There is the possibility of one last treatment but maybe not. I am not going to count on it. I guess the load that was lifted is the fact that this is a done deal. He is basically done here. There is a sense of closure in that whether or not he comes in just to treat me next Friday, he is gone and I will need to accept that fact and move on.

I so appreciate the link that will be posted tomorrow Titled: I Can Do All Things Through Christ Which Strengthens Me. I can accept this disappointment and transition in my life because Christ will strengthen me to do it.

So, anyway, I left the PT office feeling like a weight had been lifted. I have had a renewed sense of energy all day today. I know, I had a Starbucks Carmel Machiatto this morning...and I forgot to ask for decaf, so maybe that has helped a bit with the energy levels...maybe or maybe not. I just feel for today, anyway, that God has given me special strength to deal with this disappointment in my life. It's a light at the end of my tunnel, at least.

The Bread of Adversity and the Water of Affliction

Isaiah 30:20-21 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:

And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

I was talking to a friend today about a concern (ok, worry!) that I had. He tried to console me and make me feel better about the situation. I realized that I wasn't trusting God with this situation like I should and told him maybe I should review the notes I took on our New Year's Eve sermon about Proverbs 3:5-6. We quoted it together. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths."

It is difficult to trust God when the going gets tough. All too often we have in mind how things should go and when they don't go that way, we feel God has let us down. We try to tell God how He should order our lives. Yet, it says in Isaiah 30 that the Lord gives us the bread of adversity and the water of affliction. Why? How can God be loving and good and yet give us adversity and affliction? How can this be good for us?

We often have in mind what is temporal. We want bodies that work right and don't cause us pain. We want children who are healthy. We want nice homes and food to eat. We want spouses that are the picture of health. After all, doesn't Romans 8:28 tell us that "All things work together for good to them that love God..."?

I think that God has a higher good in mind for us than the temporal. He is looking at our spiritual good. He doesn't bring adversity and affliction on us to punish us for some sin we have committed (although He will do that if needed), but he brings these things to us to grow us up spiritually and to teach us to depend and trust wholly on Him.

We may go through dark times in our lives, but He is not going to leave us to flounder without direction if we trust Him. Isaiah 30:21 says, "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left."

Trusting God is not passive, it is active. We don't just sit back and do nothing. Trusting Him means we have some work to do on our part. We must stay in the Word, digging for His truth to lead us. We must be in constant communication with Him through prayer and submissive to the Holy Spirit and His will. As we learn to trust Him, He will bring us the direction we need and lead us through the adversity to greater spiritual maturity. God knows what is best for us. Trust Him.

Dear Father, I often worry and fret about things. I get discouraged and depressed over physical difficulties whether it be my own or a family member's. Yet, I fail to really trust You wholly with these things. Help me to trust and depend on You alone to lead me through the wilderness of this life. In Jesus' Name, Amen

How Long?

Psalm 74

10 O God, how long will the adversary reproach? Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever?

This is a question I ask too.

12 ¶ For God is my King from of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth.

16 The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun.

17 You have set all the borders of the earth; You have made summer and winter.

I need to remember Who God is. I should never lose sight or perspective of the God I love and worship even in the midst of wickedness in high places within our nation.

18 ¶ Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O LORD, And that a foolish people has blasphemed Your name.

19 Oh, do not deliver the life of Your turtledove to the wild beast! Do not forget the life of Your poor forever.

22 Arise, O God, plead Your own cause; Remember how the foolish man reproaches You daily.

Prayer for God to deliver and to act in such a way as to bring glory to His own good name~to plead His own cause is appropriate. However, I need to remember that God doesn't always answer in the way that I think He should. His plans and His thoughts are far higher than mine and He may choose to act in a way that totally baffles me and that I don't understand, yet, He always acts in great wisdom and His plan will prevail in the end. It is times like these when the true essence of trust in God is made clear.

I Should Have Seen It Coming...

...the pain is back.  I have had the blessing of many days without major pain.  Oh, I've had the occasional pain attack in my bunion toe, and the sore muscles in my neck and shoulders.  I've had aches and pains here and there but nothing that really impacts my day.  

But I should have seen the kind of pain that impacts my day and my night coming.  On the Facebook I am a fan of the Bible and each day scriptures and thoughts for the day are posted.  So here are two of them that stood out to me this week:

Thought of the day, May 19

Rejoice in the Difficult Times TODAY'S SCRIPTURE Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance. Perseverance, character; and character, hope...

By:The Bible

Thought of the day, May 21

The Sacrifice of Praise TODAY'S SCRIPTURE "Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name"...

By:The Bible

Rejoicing in difficult times and offering the sacrifice of praise up to God constantly and at all times...the difficult times, the suffering times too.  At the time I read these, I wasn't in any great pain...but I think they were just preparing me for it.  Can I rejoice knowing that suffering produces perseverance and perseverance, hope?  Can I offer up the sacrifice of praise constantly and at all times in spite of pain that impacts my day?

Marsha's Musings: When the Holy Spirit Prompts

Last week I had written a devotional dealing with death. I had planned to send it out to my email group and post it at Beyond Surviving Home School message boards. It was also planned to post here. I had printed a copy and was going to take it to my physical therapist too.

Somehow, I just couldn't publish it. There was nothing really wrong with it. But I just had an uneasiness about using it. It didn't really make sense, but instead of shrugging it off, I "listened". I just wasn't supposed to use that devotional for some reason.

So, Sunday morning, I came here...it had already posted an hour before, but I deleted it and put up the one I intended for next week and sent it out to my email list.

Sunday night, I opened my email to find an email from a lady on my list that I had not heard from in maybe a year or more. She poured her heart out to me about the circumstance she was in and told me how much she appreciated the devotional. She said it was just what she needed to hear.

Now I know why the Holy Spirit put that uneasiness in my heart that made me pull that other devotional off and send the other one instead. Thank you, Lord!

Marsha's Musings: On Hallowing One's Dimishments

I get a magazine called "Neurology Now". The last article of the current magazine had a piece in it written by a lady who has MS. She referred to a small booklet by John Yungblut entitled "On Hallowing One's Dimishments". It intrigued me, so I did a web search on this and found a sermon by a Quaker on the same subject. Here is what I find:

The book "On Hallowing One's Dimishments"...uses the word dimishments to describe any of the ugly and painful experiences we all have...The word "hallowing" means to regard something as holy...it also means to regard it as a trusted companion....

Hallowing means: make holy or set apart for holy use, consecrate; to respect greatly; venerate.

"It was a new and most encouraging idea to me." Yungblut writes, "That one's dimishments could be 'made holy', 'consecrated', 'respected greatly', even venerated."

This dovetails nicely with what I had been reading a couple weeks ago about being a good steward of the circumstances we find ourselves in whether they be good or bad from our perspective. When we accept stewardship of our circumstances, we in effect are accepting them as from the hand of God and that in itself makes them holy. When we realize this it will completely change how we view those things that come into our lives that are from our perspective negative or bad.

I know writing it is easy, but when you are in the middle of a bad circumstance or you deal with ongoing health issues or pain, remembering this is quite another. However, I have found that when I try to think of my circumstances as being from the hand of God to accomplish a specific purpose in my life or the lives of others, then I have moved from simply enduring them to taking stewardship of them and hallowing them.

Marsha's Musings: Here I Sit

Here I sit, sick again. This time it's not just sinus junk and feeling bad, this time it's in my chest with a deep cough. My daughter is sick too. My son is walking around the house with a container of disinfectant wipes in hand, wiping down anything he plans to touch and scurrying to stay three feet away from me as if I have leprosy or something. But, he is not sick yet. So maybe he is on to something here.

I am wrapped up in a blanket with heat packs on and a humidifier spewing mist over me, the lap top on my lap and Quartto Geletto playing on the DVD player. Apple cider Vinegar water sits next to me as well as Echinacea lozenges. I think I am all settled in for some time on the couch...I also have a stack of Cosby DVD's, Agent Cody Banks 2 movie and a Ken Davis comedy DVD. I even have the phone here so I don't have to get up to answer it! The only thing I need to get up for is to change the DVD, make lunch and use the bathroom.

Last night I did my study for the women's book study at church. It's tomorrow night, but I doubt I'll be able to attend. But it was an appropriate study for me. Jerry Bridges in his book, Respectable Sins, talks about anxiety, frustration and discontent. It was good that I did this study just before getting sick. It has given me new perspective on difficult circumstances. He points out Psalm 139:16 which says,

"Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them." (NKJV)

Jerry Bridges points out that God preordained my days before they even started. He knows all about me and He knows the plans He has for me each day. It is tempting for me to get upset and frustrated about the fact that each time I have set about to get my house in order, I have either gotten sick or ended up "wasting" time at therapy or chiropractic for my neck/upper back. But as I read what Jerry Bridges says and what the Bible says about God planning my days out ahead of me, it changes the way I look at being sick right now and all that is not getting accomplished around the house like I had planned. Obviously, God has other plans in mind for me that are different than my plans right now.

Marsha's Musings: Election Night

I have mixed feelings about the elections results. On one hand I am dismayed and my heart is sinking to my toes. I do not feel Obama has enough experience to lead our nation in a responsible way. I do not feel that he will uphold morals that would be God honoring in our nation. I do not feel that he will act in any way favorable toward Biblical, God fearing people. In my heart I feel that the next four years or more will bring change alright. But it will not be the kind of change that is good or positive. And so my heart sinks.

But I remember what I read in my Bible reading for today.

Lamentations 3:21-26, 31-32 ¶ This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. 22 It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. 25 The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. 26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. 31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever: 32 But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.

Lamentations 3:37 ¶ Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? 38 Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?

I learn from this that God is sovereign. God is in control of who got elected president. He has his purposes for doing what He has done. He is faithful, so no matter what comes of this presidency, I can be assured that He will be with me and His mercies will sustain me through it. I will hope in Him.

Marsha's Musings: God is Faithful

This has been a very difficult week and it would be tempting to dwell on all the negatives, but I am trying to think on the positives.....

1. My mom is doing much better
2. I've been learning patience
3. I've been learning to lean on God's strength in my weakness
4. My dad, while having complications, it's not serious.
5. My son and I have had opportunity to help out with some yard work.
6. I've been feeling pretty good in spite of being exhausted.
7. God is still good even when life throws me lemons.

Devotional: A Purpose for Suffering #8

1Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

The refiner sits when he purifies the silver and gold.

Malachi 3:3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.

He heats it up over the fire and the impurities come to the surface where they can be skimmed off. The fire must not be too hot or it will harm the precious metal, but it must be hot enough to cause the impurities to rise to the top. And so the refiner sits by the gold or silver to make sure it is not harmed in the process and the heat is just right. He skims the impurities off as they rise to the top and he knows the process is finished when he can see his own reflection in the gold or silver.

So it is with us. When the heat is turned up in our lives through either physical affliction or difficult circumstances, it is then that we discover the hidden sins of our hearts. They come to the surface just like the dross that the heat brings up from the depths of the gold as it is refined and purified. Our Lord sits, as the refiner, next to us and helps us work on those sins so that we might be purified. Our sin, past, present and future is forgiven through the blood of Jesus shed for us on the cross. Knowing that our sin is already forgiven frees us from the bondage of guilt so that we can face those sins in our lives and work on getting victory over them with God's help.

Is the heat turned up on you today? Take heart. The Refiner is there sitting right beside you. He knows exactly what He is doing and what His purposes are in your life. Persevere through the trials and you will come forth as gold.

Homeschool: Drive Through History

We watched Drive Through History Ancient Greece with David Stotts tonight. For the first time my kids actually enjoyed learning history! This is a great series! It is put out by Focus on the Family.

The thing that impressed most was learning that God used Alexander the Great, a wicked man, to pave the way for the Apostles to spread the Gospel. Because Alexander the Great wanted to conquer the then known world, he spread a common language along with his conquests. This made it easier for the Gospel to be spread.

It's neat to think on this. God uses wicked people to advance His plans and purposes. I have no need to be anxious about the coming elections because God will still advance His plans and purposes in spite of who gets in the White House. It doesn't mean everything will come up roses. Sometimes God uses wicked leaders to bring down judgement on nations that reject Him. But it does mean I can have peace knowing that whatever happens, God is in control and Satan is on a leash.

Marsha's Musings: Teen Agers & Mom's Worries

Ok, I admit it. I don't have a handle on worry! My daughter went with six other girls two hours drive away to Silverwood/Boulder Beach Amusement Park & Water Park Thursday. I honestly tried to hand it all over to God to take of for me, but when the dark of evening came, I found myself fighting mild little panic attacks, wondering if they were all ok. The drive after dark is what bothered me more than anything else about it.

The phone rang at 9:30pm and it was my daugher. "Mom we got a late start leaving the park. We won't be home until around 11:30pm." She was supposed to be home around 11:00pm. Well, ok, I was relieved she called.

11:30pm came and went. I tried to occupy myself with my story on my MP-3 player and played a game of word poker at the same time. After 11:35pm, none of that worked anymore. The phone rang again. "Mommy, we are about 15 minutes outside of town and we need to drop the others off at their houses. I should be home in half an hour."

Midnight came and went. I started to pace the floor a little. I went and opened the curtains so I could sit on the loveseat and watch for cars. My heart was starting to race a bit. Headlights! They turned into my driveway! I was so happy she was home at last.

The college student that drove them came to the door with her. She was so appologetic I thought she was going to get down on the ground and grovel at my feet. I felt sorry for her because she was obviously exhausted and embarrassed half to tears for not getting my daughter home at the time she said she would. I told her, "it's ok...go home and go to bed", she gratefully accepted.

We are just getting a good start on the teen years...my daughter is 15. Does a mom's worries get worse as time goes or does it get easier????

I know God is in control, but somehow those worry demons keep popping their nasty heads up and saying things like..."yes, God is in control, but what if He decides to allow a disaster? What if???? What then????" Yikes! God isn't going to allow anything to happen to me or my family that He and I can't handle together and He will bring good out of what ever happens. But why can't I seem to keep this straight in my head when it is past midnight and my daughter still isn't home?

Marsha's Musings: God's Timing is Perfect

I have been taking some of my older writings and scheduling them to post on different days this week. My son is now 12 that I wrote about in the previous post here.

I had no idea that the previous post would be so appropriate to my situation now with my foot being injured and having to hobble around on crutches and change my original plans.

God's timing is perfect. These were some thoughts I really needed to review. Thanks, Lord!

Marsha's Musings: Still Waters & Green Pastures

Psalm 23:1 ¶ The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.(KJV)

Just a month or so ago my family doctor told me he was worried about me because I have too much on my plate. But how was I going to take any time off? I homeschool 11 months out of the year, am responsible for the homeschool yearbook publication, planning a speech class for the highschoolers this fall, am involved with my church, and am a taxi mom to one teen and one pre-teen, deal with chronic pain issues, must reaarrange my schedule to travel whenever my husband's boss decides to call a meeting, which is about once a month because he can't drive long distances alone. This doesn't cover all the hats that I wear.

How was I going to get anytime off to rest? The Lord had that all figured out. Last week was family vacation week. Normally, family vacation week is stressful for me because I have to plan all the food and pack it (food allergies/Celiac Disease prevents eating out much), figure out how it's all going to fit in the car and then while traveling, I still have to fix all the meals, only without a kitchen to do it in. It's not a vacation, just a change in routine.

Providentially, the Lord made it necessary for me to have a minor surgery during vacation week that required sedation. Because I am sensitive to anesthetics with epinephrine and it wasn't an option this time, I was given twice as much sedation as most people for this procedure. As it turned out, I slept the better part of a day and a half. I was waited on hand and foot for those two days by my family. After I recovered from the sedation, I took over the cooking responsibilities again, but it was much more relaxed...I didn't have a time committment to keep since my husband had the week off and wasn't on a schedule. The rest of the vacation week my husband took the kids to several movies and shopping and one afternoon we spent the afternoon lazing around at the water park. I spent a lot of time alone at home just resting and relaxing.

This was the green pastures and still waters that I needed. A needed a break in my busyness. The Lord had it all planned and yet before hand, I was stressed about the surgery and what the week would be like. I didn't need to stress. God knew what He was doing. He was giving me a much needed break. It was a great time for me to pray, read uplifting material and listen to audio books on my MP-3 player .

As an added blessing, I discovered classic Christian audiobooks at Sermonaudio.com that I can download for free into my MP-3 player. Now I am able to get tons more housework and chores done as I listen to spiritually uplifting and challenging books by authors such as J. C. Ryle, and Andrew Murray and Pilgrims Progress and many others. What a deal! I love to read but rarely find time for it, but now I can listen to books while I work. I might have not discovered this had it not been for me looking for things I could listen too while I was recovering.

God truly is good.....even when I wonder what He is trying to accomplish at times....if I just trust Him, I find He knows what is best.

Marsha's Musings: "Why Did God Decree the Fall?"

This is a great message by Arden Hodgins, my previous pastor. If you have ever wondered about why God allowed sin to enter the world in the first place, this message will help you come to some understanding of the issue, although we will never know completely why God allowed sin in the world. One of the statements he makes in this message that stood out to me was the fact that if we as humans try to think that we can understand everything about God, then we are really committing the same sin Eve committed in the Garden when she fell for Satan's suggestion that she could be as God.

The Five Dilemmas of Calvinism
By: Craig R. Brown
Ligonier Ministries / 2007 / Paperback


Product Description
After a brief survey of the historical development of the theological school now known as Calvinism and a comparison of Calvinism and Arminianism, Brown turns to a consideration of five dilemmas that Arminians typically associate with Reformed doctrines. The author then attempts to demonstrate that these "problems" are largely misunderstandings of Calvinism.
Written in a winsome and engaging style, Brown's work is an excellent primer on Calvinism and some of the critiques that have been leveled against it. As such, the book provides both apologetic help for Calvinists and answers for Arminians with honest questions.

I just finished reading this little book to our family in our nightly family time. I would highly recommend it for anyone who wants to learn more about the Reformed Faith. It is written in an easy to understand style. You will come away from it with a new understanding of what Calvinists and Arminians believe and how they differ. But most of all you will come away with a renewed sense of how great our God really is. It is a book that puts the glory of God first. It stimulated some good conversation within our family and caused us to pause and think.

Marsha's Musings: Reflections on Sunday's Sermon

1. All that I do as a wife, mom, homemaker, volunteer, home-school teacher is to be done with Christ in mind...all to the glory of God.
2. I can submit to my husband's authority and any other authority in my life by looking past him to Christ. I am submitting to Christ not my husband or other authority in my life. Looking at submission in this way, helps me with my attitude when my human nature is not wanting to submit and it helps me to submit as God has commanded I should.
3. What circumstances am I in? God has placed me there. Whether my circumstances are good or bad, God has a good purpose for them.
4. God cares about how I respond to my circumstances and that I respond in a godly manner.
5. What is my calling? It's right now. It's where God has placed me at the moment. My calling is to be a wife, mom, homemaker, patient, volunteer, listener, etc with a view to honoring God in all I do. This means watching my attitude, tongue and heart at all times.

Colossians 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. 18 ¶ Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.

Colossians 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

1Peter 2:13 ¶ Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; 14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. 15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

Romans 13:1 ¶ Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: