natalie’s blog

We hosted our annual Ladies Neighborhood Christmas Tea last Sunday. It was such a delightful time of visiting with our neighbors! Naomi is supposed to be working  on a full-fledged post with pictures, but until then, I just thought I would post this picture of the serving table. It was still missing a couple of the food items when this picture was snapped, but Mom does such a wonderful job putting together a beautiful presentation. I’m grateful for the many tips I’ve learned from her about food presentation!

My contribution was the flowers. 🙂 There’s a little flower shop in town that does a “cash and carry” special every Friday. I love concocting reasons to stop in there and bring home a bouquet of fresh flowers!

…sisters [and brother]. 🙂

It has been fascinating lately to delve deeper into history, and to try to gain a better understanding of the events that have transpired since the beginning of time. It’s even more fascinating to try to imagine things from God’s perspective. To try to see the big picture of how He is continually orchestrating people and events to perfectly carry out His plan! Following is a poem in which I’ve tried to capture, in small part, a journey through history that reveals what the Bible repeatedly refers to as God’s “mystery.” At the bottom of the post is a list of specific verses that I drew from for each stanza, along with approximate historical dates. Of course, to get the complete story, just read through the Bible!

Christmas: God’s Mystery Revealed!

The stage was set ere time began,
A perfect script conceived in heaven;
Events unfolding throughout history,
Revealing the clues of God’s great mystery.

A beautiful garden, man’s perfect location,
Forbidden fruit, a serpent’s deception;
Then entered the stage the curse of sin on all flesh,
But then the promise that one day its head would be crushed.

Time swiftly passed; the years rolled away;
A man named Abram was called to the stage;
Blessing bestowed upon him by God’s undeserved mercy,
All the world would be blessed through the seed of his family.

Then Isaac, then Jacob, assumed his role,
And God said, “Now you shall be called, ‘Israel.’”
“Be fruitful and multiply,” He commanded,
So the blessing from generation to generation was handed.

Sibling rivalry ran in the hearts of twelve brothers;
And Joseph was sold as a slave by the others;
Into Egypt he came; to great power he rose,
Sent by God to preserve the people He chose.

Though great were his deeds and many were saved,
There arose a new king who knew not Joseph’s name.
“Let the burdens be heavier, make them serve us!” he cried;
But the people of Israel only multiplied.

Now off in a corner the plot develops;
A bush, seen by Moses, that a fire envelops;
From the midst, a voice, that proclaims, “I AM”;
Then, “My people cry out and redemption is my plan.”

Ten plagues wrought destruction till Egypt was ravaged,
But Israel escapes, the lamb’s blood their passage –
Applied to the sides and the top of the door,
So the Angel of Death passed over, and God brought them forth.

Miracle of miracles the Red Sea was divided,
The way of salvation supernaturally provided;
Now safe and secure, from the mountain was spoken
A covenant of promise that could never be broken.

God’s treasured possession, redeemed at great cost;
To obey would bring blessing, to rebel – great loss;
With heart, soul, and might, their love was His desire,
And to teach to their children the commands He required.

This the point of their failure, for once they were gone,
their children knew not God, nor the works He had done;
Abandoning faith, to false gods they bowed down,
God’s anger provoked, but His patience wore on.

Again the sands of time descended,
New clues emerged, the mystery extended;
A valiant man emerged on the scene,
David – a shepherd, a warrior, a king.

Forever established his throne would be,
The promise declared to David and his seed;
Again words of blessing if Israel would but obey;
Instead the rebellious bride wandered, gave her heart away.

Time after time in compassion God sent
A host of His messengers, but Israel would not repent;
Masterfully scripted, now the part she must play,
But woe to the villain who has entered the stage!

Babylon the Great in pomp and pride,
The bearer of wrath with her arrogant stride;
Fire and sword ruled the day,
Till she emerged triumphant – carried God’s people away.

In the midst of captivity a remnant remained,
Keeping God’s Word, proclaiming His Name;
His promise rang out, “I’ll come dwell in your midst”;
Be faithful, be watchful, and the truth you’ll not miss.

Then the curtain was closed, the stage grew dim,
But the faithful ones still waited for Him;
A promised deliverer would come, they knew,
But the secret was kept until Act Two.

Splitting the silence, word from above!
Not in royal grandeur, but a whisper of love;
Favored one of God, virgin Mary to conceive and bear
Son of the Most High, the promised deliverer.

A shocking revelation, but wait, what’s this?
The throne of David His father will now be His!
A kingdom set up to endure forever,
Over the house of Jacob He – the eternal Ruler.

Unassuming birth, a small town, fulfillment of prophecy,
Short time later brought to the temple was He,
Where Simeon – devout and filled with the Spirit,
Saw Jesus; at once, the mystery – he knew it!

Into the world the answer had come;
God alone in human flesh could make all people one;
Those who were Gentiles at times in the past
Were welcomed into the promise at last.

Though once far off and dead in sin,
The blood of the Lamb brought redemption again;
Applied to men’s hearts by God’s grace alone,
Faith freely given; not by works of our own.

The inheritance now is ours to claim,
Because by adoption we bear Jesus’ Name;
He purchased for us what could never be earned –
A home in heaven, forever preserved.

Not only in this life, but for all eternity
His chosen people, a royal priesthood are we,
Proclaiming His greatness, now we have light –
marvelous, brilliant, gloriously bright!

For ages and generations the clues have been given;
It’s clear that the answer is no longer hidden;
To the world God has fully made known His mystery,
which is Christ in you – the hope of glory!

©2008 Natalie Wickham

Corresponding Scripture passages:
1. Isaiah 46:9-10
2. Genesis 3:14-15 (4004 B.C.)
3. Genesis 12:1-3 (1921 B.C.)
4. Genesis 35:9-12 (1732 B.C.)
5. Genesis 37-45 (1728 B.C.)
6. Exodus 1:8-12 (1635 B.C.)
7. Exodus 3:1-10 (1491 B.C.)
8. Exodus 11-13 (1491 B.C.)
9. Exodus 14, 19:3-6 (1491 B.C.)
10. Deuteronomy 6:4-7 (1491 B.C.)
11. Judges 2:10-12 (1409 B.C.)
12. 2 Samuel 7 (1048 B.C.)
13. Psalm 81:8-12 (1048-606 B.C.)
14. 2 Chronicles 36 (606 B.C.)
15. 2 Chronicles 36 (606 B.C.)
16. Zechariah 2:10-13 (520 B.C.)
17. 400 years between the Old and New Testaments
18. Luke 1:26-30 (1 B.C.)
19. Luke 1:26-30 (1 B.C.)
20. Luke 2
21. Ephesians 2
22. Ephesians 2
23. 1 Peter 1-2
24. 1 Peter 1-2
25. Colossians 1

…reveals a heart that needs to be drawn closer to Jesus, the Source of true contentment.

My brother-in-law is taking a Western Civilization class this semester and was given an extra-credit challenge of identifying the statue pictured above. He sent it to all of us to see if we could figure out its identity. But after hours of searching, we’re all at a complete loss! So, I decided to post it here and see if I happen to have any really smart readers who know who this is. Any ideas? Please? 🙂

…listening to the delightful sound
of a house full of children at play;
…cherishing moments that speak of God’s beauty
wrapped up in an ordinary day;
…enjoying still moments in early morning hours
to watch the sun rise and to pray;
…learning to walk in the power of the Spirit
who produces His fruit in what I do and say;
…thinking each moment on things that are true
so that I might always walk in His way.

…can only be learned in the context of unfulfilled desire.

If you are a homeschooler living in the state of Kansas, you may participate in this contest. I have a free 6-month subscription to The Guardian News – A Kansas Homeschool Newspaper that I’m giving away. If you are interested in participating in the contest, just leave a comment on this post or send me an e-mail. I’ll put all the contestants in a container and draw a winner next Thursday. (Only new subscribers, though, please.)

The Guardian News is a great newspaper that was launched earlier this year by Jeff and Emily Davis. I have been very impressed with the quality and content of the paper and it is a great way to stay up-to-date with what’s going on in the homeschool community in Kansas. (Not to mention that they kindly offered to publish a press release about my forthcoming book, Pajama School, in their most recent issue! 🙂 ) At just $20/year, the subscription price is well worth it! If you are interested in subscribing, you can find additional information and a subscription form on their website.

…but not from me. 🙂 This morning Dad asked me to read over an e-mail he had written to some friends of ours after finding out that some of their family members were voting for Barack Obama. (He intended to send it yesterday, but forgot to ask me to look over it until this morning, so a few of the statements reference the election results in the future tense.) It was very insightful, so I asked if he would mind if I posted it on my blog. He was amenable to the idea so, without further ado, here are some wise election-related thoughts from my Dad:

Just this week I finished reading a massive, generally excellent book by Paul Johnson titled, A History of the American People. A number of times in the history of our nation, God has tested a new President (or allowed him to be tested); sometimes the President has “passed” and sometimes he has “failed.” Most recently, I think most would agree President Bush “passed” the test in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. (I dread even imagining if Al Gore had been “the leader of the free world” when this happened.)

It could be argued that the test for our next President has already begun, although the feverish, final days leading up to the election have muted its coverage, that being the unprecedented financial collapse and ongoing crisis, which many leaders in our government seem to think they can fix by misspending tax dollars on a scale so great as to be almost incomprehensible.

In my mind there is a direct connection between this latest crisis and 9/11. In Deuteronomy 6 the Lord warns of a phenomenon that could happen in the hearts of His people and has happened many times since throughout history – forgetting God after a season of obedience that ushers in a prosperity which God Himself gives to those who believe in Him and keep His commandments. Just two or three generations after this warning was given, we see in the book of Judges that prosperity gave way to idolatry, and God had to judge His people to get them to return to Him. It could fairly be said, I think, that the World Trade Center symbolically represented the true god of our nation – the accumulation and hoarding of wealth and worshiping the comfort, entertainment, and luxuries which money can provide. And God destroyed our god, using as He sometimes does, enemies more evil and God-less than the ones being judged. Sooner or later, depending on the severity of their judgment, the Israelites would cry out to God for deliverance. But after 9/11, the no-atheists-in-foxholes type pronouncements of a higher power and of the United States being a great nation died down quickly, and there was no national acknowledgment of our idolatry and manifold sins nor of the justice of God’s judgment and there was certainly no call for repentance. So God judged us again, and right in the middle of an election campaign; how rude of Him to interrupt us in this way! One wonders if He may have wanted at least some of those looking for a messiah to recognize that He can create problems beyond any savior’s ability to solve! (As an aside, I suspect Mr. Obama, many more of whose supporters than Mr. McCain’s seem to be worshipers, is keenly aware of his finiteness, but it serves his campaign’s purposes not to let this dirty little secret out – that he can’t fix everything and he knows he can’t – until the election is over.)

Reading through the history of the Israelites (Joshua–Esther), when God brought crises, sometimes the king and the people cried out to Him and He delivered them, sometimes they tried to buy their way out, even selling off items of value from the temple, and this always had a bad outcome. Since God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, I don’t think our effort to buy our way out of this economic mess, which I believe God has brought upon us in judgment, is going to be any more effective for us than it was for the Israelites.

What will be interesting to see, if Mr. Obama wins, will be the reactions of two distinct groups within his camp. (1) Those who are secular to the core and want payback immediately if not sooner for their pet causes – sexual perverts (same-sex “marriage,” homosexuals in military), pro-aborts (FOCA–Freedom Of Choice Act), liberal media (“Fairness” Doctrine), environmentalists (reduce carbon emissions no matter the cost), etc – if he doesn’t come through for them and/or doesn’t remain consistent with their expectations. (2) Those who have been so influenced by his color or mesmerized by his style that they were willing to ignore or compromise on issues of substance. Among these are millions of basically moral black people and, among non-blacks, some gullible Christians and millions of churchgoers and other “good” people who think they’re Christians. If Obama presides in accordance with his historical record of opposing the Biblical position on almost every moral issue, how long will it be before these moral people become disenchanted? And how angry will they get when they realize they have been betrayed, that they have been, as Vladimir Lenin would say, “useful idiots,” discarded now that their usefulness is over? As an example, we need only look back a few years to 2006, though it had been building since 1994, when Christians and conservatives who had been wooed by the Republican party from the beginning of the “Contract with America” and every two years afterward, then promptly ignored after each election, finally decided enough was enough and abandoned the GOP by the millions. My suspicion is that Obama’s “useful idiots” will not be nearly so slow to catch on and far less patient!

One other aspect to elections we have been pleased to discover is that there are alternatives beyond the two the media and the two major parties typically present as the only ones (in logic I think this is called a false dichotomy – thinking you have to choose A or B when there are more options available): voting for candidates from other than the two major parties and/or not voting for anyone for some offices.

Our philosophy is to vote for the person whom we think is the best candidate for an office, regardless of party or elect-ability, unless he/she belongs to a party whose stated position on any moral issue is immoral. (Unfortunately, at this point in history, this means we don’t vote for Democrats.) For this election, for President we voted for Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution Party (if you’re not familiar with the CP, you might enjoy visiting their website (www.constitutionparty.com) and seeing how closely their platform comports with Biblical and constitutional principles). For most positions in our state or locally, we voted for Republicans, but for some offices we didn’t vote for anyone.

Reading about [names withheld] and knowing their Godly heritages, I wonder if they felt they had to vote for either Mr. McCain or Mr. Obama and, of the two, they preferred Obama. Certainly they would be in good company, as millions of God’s people are voting for Mr. Obama today. But as Christians, if Mr. McCain was not a desirable choice, would it not have been better not to vote for anyone for President or to vote for someone like Chuck Baldwin who, although he won’t get elected, requires no compromise of any of our sacred principles? Food for thought for next time, perhaps!

Give thanks. Make known. Sing. Talk. Glory. Seek. Remember. Be mindful. Show forth. Declare. Bring. Come before. Worship. Fear before.

As I read 1 Chronicles 16 this morning, I was inspired and challenged by the realization that these are the verbs that should characterize the life of the people of God. God is the substance of their thoughts, the topic of their conversations, the memory of their past, the source of their joy, the motivation of their actions. God is the essence of their life.

Have I…
…given God thanks today?
…made known His deeds today?
…sung praise to Him today?
…talked of His wondrous works today?
…gloried in His holy name today?
…sought His strength and face today?
…remembered His marvelous works today?
…filled my mind with His covenant and Word today?
…showed forth His salvation today?
…declared His glory among the heathen today?
…brought an offering to Him today?
…come before Him today?
…worshiped Him in holiness today?
…feared before Him today?

Have I lived like one of God’s people today?

In the midst of lots of heavy and serious things to be pondering and discussing these days, I thought some lighthearted pictures would be a nice reprieve. Joey just finished his last season of Upward soccer. Here are some of his action shots from the games:

Going in for the goal…

Joey and Ryan vie for the ball!

This is my favorite – nice air, huh?!

Part of Joey’s devoted fan club. 🙂 We all had lots of fun watching Joey and cheering him and his team on to numerous victories.

Voddie Baucham has posted an awesome analysis of The Homosexual Marriage Debate on his blog. He exposes the logical absurdities of the arguments in favor of homosexual “marriage” and reveals the frightening reality of why most young people today eagerly embrace this redefinition of marriage.

As we pray for the elections that are less than a week away (and in fact are taking place right now through advance voting) let’s cry out to God on behalf of California and our brothers and sisters in Christ who are in the thick of this battle against the rulers of darkness masquerading as wealthy corporations and social elites.

I came across this statement in an article I read this morning:

“The human thinks with his mind. He also thinks with words. That’s why poor language use is clear evidence a person cannot think clearly.”

This provided for some interesting discussion in our house, so I thought I would present it here for the consideration of my readers. Any takers? What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with this assertion?

Either this week or next, advance ballots will be sent out in the mail and American citizens will begin voting in the election that has been garnering attention for almost two years. Hailed as the most important election in our lifetime (haven’t I heard that before?), we have seen many twists and turns and unexpected moves as the candidates have traveled the long road to Election Day. Democrats are more energized than they have been in years and record numbers of new voters are registering and affiliating themselves with the Democratic Party in order to be a part of this historic election. Republicans found themselves scrambling from one candidate to the next in the primary season as one preferred candidate after another was knocked out of the race. Finally they wound up hooking their wagons to McCain’s campaign, which only months before had more closely resembled a dead horse. In a brilliant [read: perfectly calculated political] move, McCain tapped Sarah Palin as his VP and most of the remaining conservative voices who weren’t yet on board with the Republican establishment quickly mounted their own political high horses and threw their full support to the McCain/Palin bandwagon.

A journalist friend of mine once said that the media doesn’t write the news, but they define what news is. If the media doesn’t report it, it might as well have not even happened as far as most people are concerned. If we could see how much indirect influence the predominantly liberal news media has had on our thinking and decisions, I think we would be appalled. For example, according to the media we have two choices in the Presidential election: Barack Obama or John McCain. How many people even know that there are other candidates running? Ever heard of Chuck Baldwin, Bob Barr or Cynthia McKinney? No? Why is that? Is it because they “don’t have a chance” that the media pretends they don’t exist? Or is it because the media pretends they don’t exist that they “don’t have a chance”? Well, I for one prefer not to let the mainstream media inform my political understanding or dictate my voting principles.

Let’s not forget that we live in a Representative Republic (not a Democracy…and I wish someone would please inform the front runners of that…). As American citizens we have the unparalleled privilege of looking at a full slate of candidates and choosing the one that most closely aligns with our views to represent us at every level of government. Of course it is unlikely that we will find a candidate who perfectly represents our views on every issue, but can I just say that it is an incredible mark of stupidity to deliberately vote for candidates that do not align with our views and positions when there are other candidates running who do. This is how we end up with an elitist, increasingly liberal, pool of politicians ruining, uh, I mean running our country. They are far removed from what are supposedly still the strongly held values of the vast majority of Americans. How can this be? We are voting them into office, that’s how! If we want godly leaders who will uphold righteous laws and punish evil doers, preserve our rights and freedoms, and insure our safety insomuch as is possible, we have to vote for them.

It is the ultimate insult to our form of government and the vision our Founding Fathers had for this nation for us to deliberately vote for candidates who do not represent our views. Let’s look past the propaganda the mainstream media and political establishment so eagerly try to feed us and explore all the candidates. And above all, let’s resolve not to waste any votes this election season!

Links for those interested in exploring all the Presidential candidates:

Chuck Baldwin: http://www.baldwin08.com/
Bob Barr: http://www.bobbarr2008.com/
John McCain: http://www.johnmccain.com/
Cynthia McKinney: http://votetruth08.com/
Ralph Nader: http://www.votenader.org/
Barack Obama: http://www.barackobama.com/

After many hours of writing, researching, praying, and collaborating with friends I am finally ready to announce the title of my upcoming book. Many of you have expressed your support and encouragement as I have tackled this endeavor and it is exciting to be at this point in the process! So, without further ado, may I introduce to you my book:

Pajama School – stories from the life of a homeschool graduate

Pajama School is currently in the final stages of editing. Once the edits have been implemented and the interior design completed, I will be doing a small print run and sending the book out for reviews and endorsements. If you or someone you know would be interested in receiving an Advance Review Copy for review and/or endorsement, please e-mail me for more information. Lord-willing, Pajama School will officially be released and available for purchase in March, 2009. In the meantime, you can find more information on the Pajama School website and stay up-to-date by visiting my Journey to Self-Publishing blog.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support!

BTW, you can also click here to become a fan on my Facebook page. 🙂

[Drumroll please]…I know that everyone has been waiting with bated breath to find out what the title of my book is and what it’s about. I’m finally ready to announce it…next Tuesday, that is. 🙂 It has certainly been quite the journey thus far, and I know I still have a ways to go, but it’s been exciting to see God provide the people and resources to help me each step of the way. My continued prayer is that God would fill me with His wisdom and use this book to turn many to righteousness:

And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

Daniel 12:3

In the busy pace of life
it’s easy to forget
that quiet time alone with God
will leave my soul content.

Content to face the tasks at hand
and not feel overwhelmed,
For God is ordering each day
and holds time in His hand.

Content to dwell in peacefulness
and not give anger place,
For God is watching o’er my tongue
and fills my speech with grace.

Content to take the trials that come
and not complain or murmur,
For God is working through it all
and refines me like pure silver.

Content to act in love to all
and not seek self alone,
For God is changing my old ways
and makes His thoughts my own.

Content to be whom God created
and never to complain,
For God is singing over me
and loves the works He made.

Content to abide in any state
and not wish for another,
For God is acting in His time
and gives great joy and pleasure.

So let me never dare forsake
or fail each day to spend,
the quiet time with God alone
that leaves my soul content.

Blowing, drifting,
       leaves are falling;
Glistening, brightening,
       sun is shining;
Swaying, whistling,
       wind is blowing;
Telling, whispering,
       fall is coming.

Whirling, swirling,
       snow is descending;
Crackling, burning,
       fire is going;
Wafting, caroling,
       voice is singing;
Telling, whispering,
       winter is coming.

Blooming, growing,
       bud is opening;
Smelling, inhaling,
       air is refreshing;
Changing, renewing,
       land is greening;
Telling, whispering,
       spring is coming.

Laughing, enjoying,
       child is playing;
Basking, glowing,
       world is warming;
Walking, strolling,
       pace is slowing;
Telling, whispering,
       summer is coming.

Trusting, obeying,
       joy is abiding;
Knowing, watching,
       God is guiding;
Working, investing,
       day is ending;
Telling, whispering,
       eternity is coming.

For my final four days in Oregon, Nicole, Andy and I decided to tour the Oregon coast. Aside from a bit of rain, the weather was beautiful and the trip was wonderful. Here are some highlights:

Arrival at the coast!

The lush green backdrop against the ocean water was gorgeous!

Nicole and Andy take a romantic stroll along the beach…

Camp site #1. We didn’t have any reservations or specific agenda for our trip. We just headed North along the coast, stopping at little seaside towns when we felt like it and praying that the Lord would provide a place for us to camp each night.

Nicole cooked some beef the night before we left and we placed it on some foil and Andy cooked it over the fire for some delicious beef sandwiches. Yum!

Day Two. We stopped at Seal Rock State Recreation Site where we had a nice visit with the park ranger and explored some of the sites along the beach…there were dozens of seals frolicking in the waves just beneath the surface.

…hundreds of pelicans lined the ledges of the towering crags.

…and a dead shark graced the beach below. Ugh!

We continued our trek northward with a short stop at the Sea Lion Caves lookout point.

Andy’s brilliant idea of requesting scrap lumber from a lumber yard produced a trunkload of dry wood beams that were perfect for our remaining campfires. Andy bought a hatchet for the purpose and had nice-sized firewood in no time at all!

Camp site #2. We had a much more difficult time finding a vacant camp site the second night (due to the holiday weekend and beautiful weather), but entrusted our need to the Lord and eventually ended up at a nice campground, complete with hot showers!

Leftover chicken fajitas that Andy made earlier in the week served as our meal for the second night once we heated them over the makeshift grill. They were delicious!

It just wouldn’t be a camping trip without s’mores. 🙂

The third day, we stopped in a quaint village for a scrumptious feast at The Pizza Garden. The sun was warm and the views breathtaking as we enjoyed our alfresco lunch.

We stopped in Cannon Beach for a smoothie and to get a view of the famous Haystack Rock.

We rolled into Fort Stevens State Park in late afternoon and were thrilled to learn that they had just had a cancellation and had a spot available for us. The park resembled a small village with the massive amounts of people enjoying their Labor Day weekend at the campground. You know the expression, “they brought everything but the kitchen sink”? Well, these people brought everything including the kitchen sink. 🙂 It was quite the sight! We enjoyed our relatively quiet corner at the edge of the last loop.

Fort Stevens is at the very tip of the Oregon coast where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean. In the background of this picture, you can just barely make out the 4+ mile Astoria-Megler bridge that spans the Columbia River from Oregon into Washington.

My new house… 😀

We ended the evening by watching the sunset on the beach and then roasting hotdogs and chasing away raccoons back at our camp site. (Andy discovered a dual purpose for the 2x4s from the lumber yard. I won’t go into details, but I will say that one raccoon went to bed the next morning with a splitting headache…)

We drove through Astoria and across the afore-mentioned bridge into Washington, where we continued our journey along the Oregon coast and into Portland. Nicole and Andy were kind enough to let me visit Powell’s Books – the largest independent bookstore in the world. A booklover’s dream, to be sure! I managed to emerge with only one book in tow and Nicole and Andy survived the ordeal in good spirits. 🙂

Books lined shelf after shelf and shelves lined room after room in the multi-story book emporium. We stayed our final night in a hotel just across the river from the airport and I ended my two-week visit with an early morning flight home to rejoin the rest of my family. I had a marvelous time and am so grateful for Nicole and Andy’s hospitality and friendship. What a great end to the summer!

Upon arriving at the house, I was greeted by this cleverly designed scrabble-style message. It’s good to be back home and I look forward to jumping back into the swing of things this fall.

A couple of years ago, I was at a group get-together and during a game of volleyball I got to talking with one of the guys who was playing. He was unmarried and was not a Christian. We continued conversing after the game and got into a discussion about various outdoor activities and the Electoral College. We obviously had some similar interests and he invited me to go run the stairs with him at the WSU stadium some time. I thanked him for the invitation, but declined. The next week, I received a phone call from him (how he got my phone number is a whole different story…). We carried on a casual conversation for a while and then he invited me to go and run the stairs with him later that week. Again, I declined. Not because I didn’t want to do it, but because of what the Lord had just been teaching me about prudence, which I will define as “choosing not to do something because of where it may lead.”

Proverbs 14:8 – “The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.”

Proverbs 16:20-21 – “He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he. The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning.”

Proverbs 22:3 – “A prudent man forseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.”

It may sound ridiculous, but I had been wanting to run stairs semi-regularly just to change up my workout routine a bit. When this guy invited me to do just that with him, I really wanted to take him up on the offer. I had no interest in a relationship with him, but the prospect of running stairs with someone else was appealing! But the Lord impressed on my mind the realization that to take him up on his offer would be the first step in developing a closer relationship with a young man that could potentially lead me into a situation in the future that was not a path I wanted to travel. Prudence required honestly evaluating the decision before me in light of where the path could potentially lead. A quick journey of my imagination led me to quickly see how far this one decision could lead me to stray from the way of the Lord. All these thoughts flitted through my mind as I ended the conversation, resolute in my rejection of his offer.

Many times, we find ourselves stuck in a hard place or experiencing the heartache of a situation gone bad. Far too often I think this is the result of making careless decisions earlier on without weighing the ramifications or imagining the future situations that may result from those decisions. We reason that if something is not expressly forbidden, it is implicitly allowed; and the result is a foolish decision that ultimately leads us down a path of destruction. Here are three steps that I think will help any Christian avoid placing himself or herself in situations that often result in a great deal of unnecessary pain and heartache.

1. Acknowledge your innate sinful disposition and specific areas of weakness. (See I Corinthians 10:12)

2. When faced with a decision, consider carefully where the path will lead based on which choice you make. (In general, people need to think more. Follow beliefs and actions to their logical conclusion and see if where it leads is where you want to go.)

3. Act prudently, even if it means foregoing pleasures or activities that seem harmless.

Here is how this can play out in practicality:

* I know that I am susceptible to be led astray by false teaching; therefore I choose not to enroll in a university course where I will be subject to inordinate amounts of teaching that is not consistent with God’s Word. [this is a guard against unbelief]

* I know that I can easily become emotionally attached to young men; therefore I choose not to spend time alone with a young man outside of a commitment to marriage. [this is a guard against immorality]

* I know that I have a propensity to overeat sweets; therefore I choose not to eat desserts or high-sugar foods. [this is a guard against gluttony]

* I know that I am easily tempted to become discontent in my singleness; therefore I choose not to read romantic novels that incite unrealistic romantic desires in my heart. [this is a guard against discontentment]

* I know that certain styles of music can lead to emotional instability or draw my heart away from God; therefore I choose not to listen to music that has a heavy rock beat or is excessively dissonant. [this is a guard against backsliding]

No doubt there are hundreds of other applications, and prudence will look different for different people. The important thing is that we present ourselves honestly before the Lord and commit to doing (or not doing) whatever it takes to walk in wisdom and righteousness. Jesus Himself said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). That means that every day I will tell myself “no” to things that I want to do, or I will force myself to do things that I don’t want to do. I will find the strength and power to do this by “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

The presence of Jesus Christ within me enables me to say, “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (II Corinthians 4:16-18).

Someday I will dwell forever in a glorious heavenly paradise where there will be beauty and pleasures beyond my wildest imagination. I am living for that day.