I plan to add a photo of us as soon as I can figure out how to.

My husband and I celebrated our 18th anniversary last weekend, so the subjects of this post are fresh in my mind though the original material was written some years ago.

Love and Pride

Four Facets of Love [based on 1 Corinthians 13:7]

Love bears all things...

Blessed is the LORD who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. Our God is a God of salvation; and to God, the LORD, belongs escape from death. [Psalm 68:19-20]

...believes all things...

He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him. [John 3:36]

...hopes all things...

Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. [Hebrews 10:23]

...and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. [Romans 5:5]

...endures all things.

...looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. [Hebrews 12:2]

And then there is pride.

Pride is nothing to take pride in, secretly or openly.

Pride is a cancer, deadly, duplicating life while eventually taking life.

Pride is the first thing we are encouraged to develop, under various guises, such as self-confidence, self-assurance, and self-esteem.

Sometimes pride wears the mask of humility. It is never honest, however, being of the same father as lies are.

Pride is the opposite of love.

Pride keeps track of wrongs suffered.

Pride looks out for its own interests, first, last, in between.

Pride does not forgive.

Pride is not patient, unless patience as a virtue feeds its ego.

Pride is not kind, unless kindness will serve another end.

Pride does not bear all but rebukes all, sometimes openly, sometimes silently.

Pride does not believe all, except whatever strengthens pride.

Pride does not hope all, for pride will not wait for what is invisible.

Pride does not endure all, for that is more than pride can stand.

Pride does not what love does, and does what love does not.

Remedial Discipleship

Remedial Discipleship
MONDAY
Another day of
"Remedial Discipleship 101"
Of holding tongue with
Both hands (so to speak of
Not speaking)
Not to use it as a sword blade
Or fire blaze
Not to use it as
Anti-praise
Not to use it to slash and daze
But to discipline that fleshy member
To bring it to heel, and heal.
Quite a big deal
In view of its seeming size
How full it is of surprise!
TUESDAY
Another day of
"Remedial Discipleship 101"
Of holding tongue with
Both hands (so to speak of
Not speaking)
Not to use it as a sword blade
Or fire blaze
Not to use it as
Anti-praise
Not to use it to slash and daze
But to discipline that fleshy member
To bring it to heel, and heal.
Quite a big deal
In view of its seeming size
How full it is of surprise!
WEDNESDAY
Another day of
"Remedial Discipleship 101"
Of holding tongue with
Both hands (so to speak of
Not speaking)
Not to use it as a sword blade
Or fire blaze
Not to use it as
Anti-praise
Not to use it to slash and daze
But to discipline that fleshy member
To bring it to heel, and heal.
Quite a big deal
In view of its seeming size
How full it is of surprise!
THURSDAY
Another day of
"Remedial Discipleship 101"
....

We often think of what James 3 states regarding the difficulty in taming the tongue, but these selected verses from the book of Proverbs are also apt:

Proverbs 10:19
When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.

Proverbs 13:3
Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

Proverbs 17:27-28
Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.

Proverbs 18:13
If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.

Proverbs 21:23
Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.

Proverbs 29:20
Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Have you ever given much thought to the man whom God chose to write the first five books of the Bible? Moses was known as the friend of God, a humble man, yet Moses was very much human. When I began to put these things together, it left me breathless in one sense and more determined to engage in prayerful obedience in another.

MOSES

The name means "drawn out" and was given by Pharaoh's daughter when she found him in the river.
He spent a third of his life in Egypt, being trained for leadership in that world.
He spent a third of his life in Midian, being trained for shepherding in that world.
He spent a third of his life in leading God's people to His world.

Moses was a believer, faithful, humble, respected.
He was logical yet impatient, and given to anger.
Moses was a reluctant leader, too.

Moses: most humble,
Reluctant, faithful leader;
Anger lost the promised.

Moses: God's chosen;
Rejected Egypt yet lost
The promised entrance.

Moses: impatient,
Unbelieving believer;
Still God's chosen.

Moses: if he then,
We must be more fearful yet,
Trustfully obey.

Every Idle Word

Every idle or careless word,
Whether spoken or unheard,
God knows and will judge,
Accurately, no place to fudge.

Every word thrown out unthinking
Will with recklessness be sinking
For God keeps track as is His right
And the time will come when from His height
He will call me to account--
And oh, my wrong words, how they mount!

Words I've even only thought
Will weigh fully as if fully wrought
As my wickedness is in full light
God my judge will be in right
To punish me for each I've used,
For every word I have abused.

God will forgive--but will He forget?
Every idle word its day will get
When I have to face, answer, admit
This word and that which did not fit
This word and that in anger spoken
This word and that which His law have broken.

How wretched now I see why
Even these caused Christ to die.

How can I escape the righteous penalty prescribed?
At the cross, repent; in it, hide.

Aging gracefully and gratefully

"Aging gracefully" seems to mean adapting to changes to our bodies--or someone else's.
Aging gracefully is more than a physical thing for believers.
Aging gracefully means aging within the grace of God,
Holding fast to the Father with both hands--trust and obedience;
Holding fast to the Word in flesh and the word in print;
Holding fast to the Spirit who holds fast to us--our seal of present salvation and future glorification [Christ likeness].

Aging gracefully means facing the truth of His word and embracing it:

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things which are unseen. For the things which are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

"For we know that if the tent, which is our earthly home, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened--not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

"So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him" (2 Corinthians 4:16-5:9; ESV).