Daryl Posts!!!!

Okay, so Daryl got tagged by my brother Jarod, so here is his response (mainly because I've been dying to know how he'd respond, and I must say, I wasn't disappointed - especially in number 3, hee hee...I love him!)...

6 random things about myself:

1. My deepest desire is to delight more in God. I’ve learned many things about Him in my 8+ years as a Christian, but I LONG to delight in Him like the Psalmist (Psalm 37).
2. I love Mac computers, probably more than I should. I used to think they were useless toys, but now there are 3 (!) in our little house. At least we didn’t spend any of our own money on them.
3. I marvel at my wife every day. When I first saw her, I was amazed at how her love for God flowed out of her. Now I get to see that every day and I don’t get used to it. By the way, she’s also smart and beautiful. God is truly generous.
4. I love taking care of our lawn. I want it to be perfectly green and lush, without blemish ☺. Of course, it’s not, partly because I won’t spend the time to make it that way, and partly because I don’t know how. I also love trees. I recently bought a field guide on identifying trees. That probably sounds pathetically geeky, but oh well.
5. I love teaching and writing papers, but I wish I could focus on one at a time so I could do them as well as I possibly could. In fact, I don’t like to do things unless I can do them really well. It might sound wise, but it’s really a manifestation of pride.
6. I miss my Doberman, Simon. He was an incredibly loving, smart, and loyal companion. I hope we get another one soon.

The wicked one in the pride of his countenance will not seek, inquire for, and yearn for God; all his thoughts are that there is no God...

Psalm 10:4 - the Amplified Bible.

This morning I was reading from Romans 1 and came across a startling realization that perhaps would be quite obvious to most. Romans 1:29-32 says this,

"They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them."

What struck me so profoundly though this morning was the why...

"And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done." (verse 28).

Seemingly obvious, I know, but God reveals things to some of us more slowly because we are...well...we have a lot for Him to work on and He's gracious enough to go in stages :) Anyways, I was blown away by the thought that the wickedness in me that I so much wish would be gone is often because I am not acknowledging God. If people think there is no reason to acknowledge God even if He does exist, hopefully that verse will show them there is! The results of refusal are disgusting!

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines acknowledge like this:

1: to recognize the rights, authority, or status of
2: to disclose knowledge of or agreement with
3 a: to express gratitude or obligation for <acknowledge a gift> b: to take notice of acknowledge my greeting> c: to make known the receipt of <acknowledge a letter>4: to recognize as genuine or valid <acknowledge a debt>

In the monotony of my day I often disconnect from God. He never leaves me, but I so often fail to recognize His presence and authority. I so often choose my own way and so I am overcome by the evilness in myself that He has already saved me from.

Thanks be to God for His grace to me as so eloquently put in Titus 3:

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone."

I am so glad that He uses His Word to impart grace upon grace to us and even if we have read it for years and years, He still reveals new things to us in the years and years to come.

Remind me to acknowledge Him. :) This is my reminder to you. And if you have never acknowledged Him at all, my prayer is that His kindness and love would be revealed to you today so that you too would be saved out of His mercy from the wickedness that lies in us all.

If ever two were one, then surely we. If ever man were loved by wife, then thee.

I am a far cry from a perfect wife. There are ways I have behaved that I never thought I would; attitudes of disrespect that I have portrayed that should have never even crossed my mind. But despite all my sin, God has been so gracious to give me a wealth of love and respect for my husband and further gracious to give me a husband who is as worthy as any man could ever be to have it.

I don't know if Daryl will ever even read this blog, but I'm writing it anyways because it burns within me and that often means it needs to be said (or in this case, written).

Ephesians 5:25-30 says, "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourished and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body."

This is a familiar passage but one that is rarely (not so rare among my friends), but rarely still, acted upon. Many husbands may "love" their wives by treating them to dinners out, saying sweet things to them, or holding their hands in public, but I am amazed at my husband's faithfulness to not only love me and give his desires up for me (trading Xbox for emptying trashes, staying up late for coming to bed with me, a relaxing weekend at home for grocery shopping and serving at a leadership retreat, etc, etc), but he, so much like Christ, is ever faithful to speak the word to me in due time in the hopes to help me further become holy and without blemish (God had to give me a man good at this, as I am a piece of work for sure! :) )

Anyways, I just wanted to publicly commend my husband for being so faithful to speak the truth to me in love. He is so generous and kind towards me and surely it would be unkind for him to leave me in a sinful state as that never produces the life God intends for us to have for His glory or our joy. I am so thankful that when my heart is sad or angry or heavy that Daryl asks to pray with me - or for me if I have no energy or words - and so thankful that he consistently points me to trust in God and His ways and to abide in Christ.

There is no perfect man outside of Christ, and my husband knows this and so gets his counsel from Christ and takes me to Him for further assistance :) I am so grateful.

And as I am sure my husband hopes too, I am sure that his faithfulness to "wash me with the word" will over time make me less and less blemished and what a glorious thing that will be for us all! So if you see good in me, thank God first, and then thank Daryl for being a vessel the Lord can count on to scrub the roughness out of me!

Finally, single ladies....Josh McDowell has said that what you are as a single person you will be as a married person. This is true in some regards although I really do believe you change very much in marriage if you are both pursuing Christ - there is no way not to. However, this change takes time and a deep commitment to Christ. Please don't marry a man that is not pursuing God as a consistent pattern of his life. It is never worth it no matter how funny, attractive, charming, wealthy, etc that he is. Marry a man who abides in Christ - then you will have a life giving marriage and one that you are not ashamed to showcase before the world or regretful of before the throne of grace.

Thanks be to God for great things He has done.

Tagged

Here are the tagging rules:
1. Post the rules on your blog
2. Write 6 random things about yourself
3. Tag 6 people at the end of your post
4. If you're tagged, DO IT and pass on the tag

2. Six random things about myself (and unfortunately for you, I'm not very random)...

1) The first thing I saved up to by myself was a stuffed dog named Mutsy. I believe I still have this dog somewhere.
2) I thought I had an honest shot of being on the 2004 US Women's World Cup Soccer Team when I was about 9.
3) I hate sticky floors.
4) My first boyfriend's name was Billy and I broke up with him because I didn't want to french kiss him - wise choice.
5) I am funny about when I like peanut butter and nuts and when I don't. Same thing with milk. For instance, I prefer sundeas and cookies without nuts, but I like nuts plain or in certain chocolate gooey things like Snickers. I don't like butterfingers but I like Reese's. I like milk with my cereal and warm cookies and otherwise not. Go figure.
6) One of my favorite places is the Nemacolin Woodlands Spa.

3. I tag...

1) Carrie Wilson
2) Kadie Blaney
3) Sarah Burgess
4) Meg McGinnis
5) Stephanie Bowman
6) Tara RICKARD (I capitalized that bc that's one of the first times I've gotten to write out her new name!)