Airhead Moment

I have had them... and if we are all honest, you don't have to be blonde or female to have them. As a matter of fact, everyone has them at some point.

Let me share a phone conversation that I had today...

Me: Hello

Caller: Is there a Jon Nunley there?

Me: That is my husband. How can I help you?

Caller: Was he just at Lowes returning an item?

Me: Yes.

Caller: He left his drivers license here and will need to show a picture ID to be able to get it back.

Me: Ma'am, you have his picture ID and when he comes to pick it up, he will look just like the picture on it.

Caller: Well, he will just need to show me something with his name on it then.

Me: Ummm... do you have any suggestions? Because I am thinking him showing up looking just like the picture on the drivers license that you have in your possession and him telling you that he accidently left it there should be sufficient. What do you think?

Caller: Yes... well that does make sense.

Me: Thank you so much for calling. My husband will probably be there soon. :-)

She Got Rhythm

Do Not You Love Me?

Yes... well that is Shakespeare for ya.
For some reason, it reminds me of Yoda.
The above title of my post is the male speaking.
The female responds, "Why no; no more than reason."

Ensor loves to quote Shakespeare in his Doing Things Right in th Matters of the Heart book and he explains why in the interview I did with him HERE.

This time, I am going to put Chapter 6 and 7 together.

Chapter 6 is titled He Initiates... She Responds

Consider the image above as you ponder the chapter title. What if he initiates the spin and she does not respond? And there is no way that she could initiate the spin and then he respond. Both end up in disaster.
Now, think about Biblical manhood and womanhood... man and woman as God designed them, as God intended. Don't taint it with the view of the world and the advice from magazine's such as Vogue that promote aggressiveness in women to go after their man. That might work for a whirlwind short-term sexual relationship that ends up leaving the girl pregnant and the affair over... disaster. But what about that mutually satisfying, enduring relationship where the man loves her well and loves her steadfastly and vice-versa?
Now you can perhaps grasp what this chapter is about.

Chapter 7 is titled He Leads... She Guides

Again, consider the image above as you ponder Biblical manhood and womanhood. There is equality in their mutual worth before God. But one must lead and one must guide and God has ordained for the man to lead. How does that woman guide? By welcoming the man's leadership; helping him to think clearly; encouraging him to act confidently. The result? A shared victory. If there is a mistake it is borne together. This is where the two become one. This is the complementary exchange where the male leads and the female guides... The wise woman will resist the impulse to lead while looking for ways to help him find his footing and lead as God intended; and the wise man, even if he is convinced that the woman will do a better job leading, will lead.
He leads, and she respects and guides his leadership.

Disagree?

Shameless (Reposted)

Duologos wrote something excellent HERE that caused me to think about my reprinted article included in this post that I wrote in October 2006. Duologus began his post with I was at a prayer meeting one morning - a men's breakfast for evangelicals in my area, and was struck as one fellow, in the context of the conversation, began to remark, "Well, it is just like the bible says,..." - which to me, is a very good beginning to any just about any statement you could make in a mixed company of Christians. Only he followed it up with, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!" He graciously pointed out in his post that the quote was actually not from the Bible and concluded with:

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Give-Away Winners Announced (early)

I decided to have 3 winners.
Sheshe at Light in Earthen Vessels and Nihilo,
Meg at No Shadow of Turning,
and Jenn at Only By Grace.

Thank you for participating in the book give-away of John Ensor's Doing Things Right in the Matters of the Heart. If you haven't already, consider reading my interview with John Ensor HERE. His answers to my questions are very powerful.

Oh... and if you are wondering why I did not wait to announce the winners until Friday, it is because I woke up this morning thinking it was Friday. Apparently I am a bit off. But hey, my husband set me straight... even though I was rather shocked that it was Thursday.

oopsy-do

Another Glimpse into my Brain

Psalm 139:14 "I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works,And my soul knows it very well."

(The white spots are brain lesions from the MS.)

I Peter 3:15 "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."

The image on the left is this years MRI and the image on the right is last years MRI. Last year I was in the midst of an exacerbation, apparent by the size of the lesion and the fluid surrounding it as depicted on the image on the right. Since I began the Rebif injections last year, I have not had any major exacerbations, only minor ones that are not obvious to onlookers. It was encouraging to see this years image in comparison to last year. Part of me was hoping they would all disappear... but then, obviously the Lord has a purpose in all of this. Who am I to question God? Trust and obey

Distracting Hidden Challenges

This past week I was so blessed to be able to teach 2nd grade boys at a camp. I got to hang out with K thru 2nd graders, my older boys that were helpers, and I met some pretty incredible adults. I had WAY more fun than I anticipated... and yes, I am exhausted.
There was a little girl there with spina bifida that was a HUGE inspiration to me. During the singing, that little girl fought to stand on her own with a smile on her face. She did all the hand motions. Sometimes she would have to grab the compassionate and willing girls on either side of her to keep from falling over. Sometimes she would fall over and just get right back up... still smiling. She was my hero this week and she left an indelible picture of endurance and a joy in spite of her circumstances. She seemed to embrace every moment.
This post is leading up to the fact that I have to go in on Monday at noon to get my annual MRI.

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Interview with John Ensor

It is a prayerful endeavor to come up with interview questions. Such was the case with John Ensor and I am so honored that he took the time to answer them. Especially considering that just within this week he was dealing with two break-ins at a new clinic in Miami. His hope is that God will use this to advance His grace. I have no doubt that God will abundantly do so. Please consider his pursuit to defend the weak and the innocent through the establishment of pregnancy-help medical clinics, otherwise known as pregnancy centers fervently in your prayers. Remember that quote from Spurgeon that I shared recently? Read it again and as you do, keep John Ensor and his family in mind knowing that they are no doubt on the frontlines of the battlefield.

"...The Saviour is, by His Spirit, still on earth; let this truth encourage us. He is always in the midst of the fight... and as the conflict rages, what a sweet satisfaction it is to know that the Lord Jesus, in His office as our GREAT INTERCESSOR, is powerfully interceding for His people! O anxious gazer, do not look so much at the battle below, for there you will be enshrouded with smoke and amazed with garments rolled in blood. Instead, lift your eyes yonder where the Saviour lives and pleads, for while He intercedes, the cause of God is safe. LET US FIGHT AS THOUGH IT ALL DEPENDED ON US, BUT LET US LOOK UP AND KNOW THAT IT ALL DEPENDS ON HIM..."
--C. H. Spurgeon

John Ensor has rolled up his sleeves to fight, though enshrouded by smoke and garments covered in blood spilled by the innocent life of the unborn. He fights as though it really does all depend on him, yet he knows he must look up to the One whom the innocent take refuge. He Does NOT CONDONE violent action against abortion clinics and doctors that perform abortions. He DOES reflect the COMPASSION of CHRIST on this issue when he fights for those babies' lives.

Here is the interview:

Continue reading "Interview with John Ensor" »

Appropriate Level of Honesty

Challies provided a link to a video of Josh Harris discussing discernment. In the clip, Harris reveals his lack of discernment when he was invited to be on a TV show. I personally appreciate his appropriate level of honesty. (He's also very funny!)

The most difficult thing about being transparent is the vulnerability. Putting yourself out there to be used by God is not easy and I sincerely appreciate Harris for not only his lucidity, but for ultimately bringing glory to God. That is the goal of any Christian's personal testimony isn't it?

I like this definition of transparent: Capable of transmitting light so that objects or images can be seen as if there were no intervening material. When we give our testimony for the sake of displaying the work of God, we are transmitting the light of God so that the "object" clearly seen through us is Christ.

Particularly Superb... another give-away

Even though chapter 5 of Doing Things Right in the Matters of the Heart is less than 3 pages long, Ensor's illustration in this chapter that he feels sums up the entire book is particularly superb. It is so topknotch that I will refrain from sharing it with you here because, as you know, I strongly believe this book is a must-have... so don't miss out.

He begins this chapter with:

There are many things we could use some help with in matters of the heart: how to fight fair, how to communicate better, how to change and grow without drifting apart, how to achieve mutual fulfillment in intimacy, how to divide the chores. None of these things do we get in Scripture. Instead what we get is the heart of the matter: how to achieve unity, how to become one. The rest will work itself out according to personal preferences, gifts, and time... The heart of the matter is unity, two people becoming one. The wisdom and guidance we get from Scripture is that which promotes unity of spirit and shows how two very different people move as one...

This is a Girl Talk book study and we are only 1/3 of the way through the book, so it is still not too late to participate. Just lettin' ya know. :-)