The Daughters of the King tea was an sweet afternoon shared between all of the daughters at the chapel.

If you would like full-resolution copies of any of these photos, just email Cassidy at cassidybaker16@gmail.com!

Doing My Part

In my basement, I have a central heater that keeps my house nice and warm. I like knowing that I have a heater in my house and when I’m cold I can crank it up to a nice 68 degrees. Funny thing is if my front door is open, I can feel a burr-y cold draft. Do I immediately suppose that I have lost my heater? No, that would be silly. I simply need to get up from my comfortable chair and go close the door. I might need to lean up against it until I hear it click, to make sure it is closed tightly. But that’s really all the effort required to stop the cold from disrupting the effect of my heater. I still have one, in my basement.

On the night when Jesus’s disciples’ world was about to be turned upside down, He said to them, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27 ESV Even though they possess peace, they still are told to not permit anxiety and fear to disrupt it.

Basically, Jesus is saying to us as well, “I have given you MY peace, now don’t let yourselves get troubled, worried, fearful, anxious, or distraught.”

You see, PEACE is IN the house, but we’ve got to keep the doors closed. How do we keep those drafts of anxiety out? You “close the door” on them by praying.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 ESV

Don’t Be Fooled

“He did not need that anyone should witness concerning man, needed no evidence from anyone about men; for He Himself knew what was in human nature. [He could read men’s hearts.] John 2:25 Amplified Version

“Nothing is [so closely] covered up that it will not be revealed, or hidden that it will not be known.” Luke 12:2 Amplified Version

God is not fooled; we cannot hide anything from Him.

How good were you at deceiving your parents? Not too good if you had a mom like mine, who always seemed to know when I was trying to hide something. None of us are as deception proof as we would like to think. Your kids have most likely succeeded in pulling the wool over your eyes now and then.

They might have us fooled, but they can’t fool Him. I try to take comfort in that, especially when I wish that I could take comfort in knowing that my child’s heart is right with God. The motives of the heart are beyond my scope of discipline and knowledge. So then, how do we impress on our children the practical truth that God sees all and knows all that is in their hearts?

First, let us accept our limitations. Second, let us pray that God exposes our children’s sin, gives them a heart sensitive to the Spirit, doesn’t let them “get away with” deception. Third, let’s show by example that we believe that God indeed reads our own hearts.

The Love Law

Can love be written into a law? Some would say that it isn’t love unless it comes from the heart. It’s not true love if you are obligated to do it. This morning my husband came to poor me coffee and said “unconditional love” and I thought to myself, “is there really any other kind of love that is true?”

“You must not hate your fellow citizen in your heart. If your neighbor does something wrong, tell him about it, or you will be partly to blame. Forget about the wrong things people do to you, and do not try to get even.

Love your neighbor as you love yourself. I am the Lord.”

Leviticus 19:17-18 New Century Version

I’m blown away by the direct simplicity of these statements, “tell him about it, forget about it”. But have you ever purposed to forget an offense, only to find yourself, a few minutes later, replaying every detail over and over in your mind? My flesh loves to circle the event like a movie camera catching every angle all in the name of understanding it better. In the end, I’ve only tied myself into such a complicated knot that I’m too stuck to just obey. My mom used to always tell me that when I gave my daughter a direct order I should be quiet and expect her to obey. I wonder if God expects me to obey this?

When I’ve been hurt by another person, I have two options: tell him or forget about it.

I do neither.

By what standard should I love another? By the standard I apply to myself; and let’s face it, my love for self is a deep well that never refuses me.

Stubborn? Me?

“For Israel has behaved stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer. How then should he expect to be fed and treated by the Lord like a lamb in a large pasture?”

Hosea 4:16 Amplified Version
Doesn’t this remind you of your kids? of your teens? So many times as a mom I felt like I was being taken advantage of, being abused. I would plead for good behavior on the basis of all I did. It seemed logical that my kid would see the great disproportion of goodness going her way and want to restore balance. What a joke! What was I thinking??!!
Our sin nature does not see things this way. We expect those who love us to give selflessly, while we take what is owed to us. Isn’t that how we often approach God?
Are we not guilty of the same disconnect between how we behave and how we are treated?
We stubbornly insist to do as we please, to have things our way, while, at the same time, expect to receive blessings from a loving and gracious God.
Now there is no possible way that we can balance the scales so to speak, but we can give Him obedience. We can give Him the sacrifice of praise. We can surrender our wills to Him. We can try.