Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. {Matthew 7:13-14}

A little pearl just jumped out at me from these words of Jesus. There is the Gate, and there is the Way, which lead unto Life. Many, many people respond to God's call and enter in at the Gate (the Door, the Messiah), but many of those forget about the Way. The word way means "a road; by implication, a progress; journey". Isn't that interesting?

Jesus is not only the Door. He is also the Journey beyond! We are to walk the Way, the Road, the Journey, that He instructed us to walk. If you have entered in at the straight Gate, don't just stand there. Walk! :)

Today has been such a great day spent resting, reading and reflecting on God's Word. Today was the Sabbath day, yes, the seventh day that God established from the beginning to be a day of rest.

"And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." ~ Genesis 2:3

For a long time I've wondered about the fourth commandment. When I would think about it, it didn't seem right that it is largely ignored. Do we not hold the Ten Commandments as the foundation of all laws, to honor God and benefit mankind? How is it that we have forgotten the one commandment which begins with, "Remember"?

"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." ~ Exodus 20:8-11

I've heard a few explanations why this one commandment no longer applies to us, or that the Sabbath day was shifted from the seventh day to the first day of the week, and yet I see no mandate in Scripture to make any such change. On the contrary, it was given as a perpetual sign of God's covenant with His people. Are you one of His?

"Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed." ~ Exodus 31:16-17

And, yes, it's even for those who are not born Israelites..

"Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;" ~ Isaiah 56:6

"And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." ~ Galatians 3:29

The Sabbath is not a hard commandment to keep, but it is a pleasure! And it brings God's blessings on the ones who observe it.

"Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil." ~ Isaiah 56:2

I hope that you observe God's day of rest, too. After all, it was made for your benefit!

"The sabbath was made for man..." ~ Mark 2:27

As difficult as it is to deal with the death of someone we love, the Christian has this important consolation: Death is not the end. Death is only the beginning of real living! Because we see things with human eyes, it is easy to think we are bodies with souls within. But is it not better said that we are souls with bodies? In light of eternity, our life in this body is but a "vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away."

...Just a little while, and we will be with our Abba Father. What a precious time awaits!

"So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the VICTORY through our Lord Jesus Christ." (I Corinthians 15:54-57)

This is not the first time I have dreamed of the last days. I believe they are coming (because I believe the Bible), and perhaps we are raising the last generation of Christians. How will we prepare them for the days to come? We must teach them to love Christ above all, to cling to Him when it has become dangerous to their person to do so. We much teach them to walk closely with the Lord. He will be their Guide and their Comfort in times of difficulty and distress. If we would have them stand and not fall, we must pray for them as the Lord Jesus prayed for us. We must train their minds and bodies to endure temptation and hold tenaciously to that which is right. we must teach them to be wise as serpents but harmless as doves. The day may come when the Gospel must be given out in secrecy where you are. (But given out, it shall be!) Will they be wise enough to find ways to accomplish the great commission when evil forces make it (almost) impossible?

Fellow missionaries, think not that you shall always be free to serve where you are. Think not that you have much time to accomplish His will for the people you serve. The world's climate continues to change, and being a carrier of the Gospel will not always be so easy or so popular. Watchman! what of the night? What is the state of your people? Are you preparing them for the judgment to come? Or will their blood be upon your hands?

Are your lamps trimmed and ready? The Bridegroom cometh! He does not come at a time that we think He will. We must watch and be ready at any time.

Fear not the persecution of the Church. History has borne out that the suffering of the saints is the seed of the Gospel, and the true Church will live on. Despise the facade of "religion" that only serves to temporarily soothe the conscience and lull people to sleep. But cling to Christ! Be faithful to the end. Read and memorize the Word, and learn Who will be victorious in the end.

I know some people think I have some strange ideas about certain things. My family and I are not your typical Christian family in many ways, but to be honest, we don't feel that "typical" should describe true believers. Are we not called out of the world to be a peculiar people? (Deut. 14:2; Titus 2:14; I Peter 2:9) Not that we do or don't do things just for the sake of being odd, but when we study God's Word and decide to walk in His ways, we do stand out from the "typical" variety. I would hope that from my blog posts, my ultimate motive comes across: that I want to be a true follower of the Lord Jesus and His Word. If I can share truth, and provoke another believer to consider it, then perhaps I have gained a fellow pilgrim with whom to walk the narrow path.

I think most of my readers know our stand on Christmas and other holidays which have no Biblical origin. It is a lonely stand indeed, but even if it's not popular, I believe it is right. We do not hope to have a lot of company in this, but I must say it is very encouraging to discover that a godly preacher that many hold in high esteem felt the same way about the observance of Christmas as we do, and proclaimed it boldly from the pulpit on Christmas Eve.

"We have no superstitious regard for times and seasons. Certainly we do not believe in the present ecclesiastical arrangement called Christmas: first, because we do not believe in the mass at all, but abhor it, whether it be said or sung in Latin or in English; and, secondly, because we find no Scriptural warrant whatever for observing any day as the birthday of the Savior; and, consequently, its observance is a superstition, because not of divine authority. (Charles Spurgeon, Sermon on Dec. 24, 1871)."

Not that Spurgeon is the all-in-all authority on matters of doctrine and practice of the church. But his points here are true and correct, and biblically sound. Christmas and the traditions that surround it have no place in the homes and hearts of the followers of Jesus.

Did you know that the observance of Christmas was outlawed in Colonial America for years? And it did not become fashionable to celebrate it until the mid-1800's. Why did our godly forefathers feel that way about it?

I challenge you to look into this deeper. Here are some articles to get you started:

The Plain Truth About Christmas Good information from both secular and religious historical sources.

The Pagan Origins of Christmas From a Messianic-Jewish point of view.

YouTube Christmas documentary video

"..What communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial: or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

II Corinthians 6:14-18

NOTE: I do not endorse nor agree with all of the content of the above-mentioned websites, but am taking advantage of the facts they present about the origins of the Christmas festival. I do, however, endorse AND agree with all of the scriptures mentioned above. :o)

I received an email this morning that said this:

"The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you."

Sounds good, doesn't it? But how true is it? That depends on how you look at it.

One way to read that saying is that when you are in God's will, He will protect you from physical harm. Are we always protected from harm? What about my brother, who got punched in the face one time for witnessing to a fellow? Did he suffer harm because he was out of God's will? Are the brave believers who suffer torture and death for their stand for Christ, out of God's will?

While I have heard of and experienced many times God's blessings and protection from harm, I do not believe that being right with God is an automatic shield of protection from physical harm.

Another way to read that saying is that when you are in God's will, His grace can keep you in spite of adverse circumstances! We who are His own can experience security in His grace, whether experiencing a storm or smooth sailing, and peace that no one around us can understand. If you have been a child of God for any length of time, I'm sure you can identify!

Even though we are walking with the Lord (and sometimes because we are walking with the Lord), Christians WILL suffer adversity and hardships. The difference is that those who have a relationship with the Creator are able to rise above those circumstances and ride out the storm with calm assurance instead of fear and uncertainty.

I promised to post the notes from that great sermon we heard at the youth meeting last weekend, and I waited until I could borrow the preacher's notes. I took my own notes at the meeting, but I was holding a toddler in my lap at the time and, well, you can imagine what my notes look like!

So now I have obtained the original outline from the preacher, and guess what. It's the same stuff that I managed to scratch onto the back of my song sheet! I can't believe he preached all that he preached, in between the lines of this simple outline! But, without further ado, here it is, translated loosely from Spanish:

Text: Acts 5:1-11 (The account of Ananias and Sapphira, and their fatal hypocrisy.)

(After reading the passage, the preacher opened with some comments about the sin of Ananias and Sapphira. Their sin was not in holding back a portion of the money from the sale of their property, but rather it was their hypocrisy. They were not true disciples, but hoped to be thought spiritual and benevolent by their act. They were willing to deny themselves IF it brought to them some kind of benefit. They thought they could serve God AND mammon. And they hoped to fool the apostles, the church, and even the Holy Spirit, with their lies. We can learn from this how the God of Truth hates lies, not only direct lies, but also words with double meanings, meant to deceive.)

Signs of a False Christianity:
as exemplified by Ananias and Sapphira

I. Lack of Pure Motives. Their motives were not to give an offering, nor to honor the Lord, but that others might think well of them. *Why do you do the good works you do? Just to be seen of others?

II. Lack of the Fear of God. It did not matter to them that God saw what they did, because they did not fear Him. *There are people who call themselves Christians yet live as though there were no God at all!

III. Lack of the Truth. They lied in order to accomplish their own purposes. *No lie stands alone; every lie is accompanied by more lies. *Who did Jesus say is the father of lies? *"Ye are of your father, the devil."

IV. Lack of Life. They lost their lives, literally. *Ephesians 2:1 "And you hath he quickened, who WERE dead in trespasses and sins..." *Colossians 3:9 "Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the NEW man..."

A prayer was made at the end for those who might be living a life of hypocrisy, trying to fool God and those around them into thinking they really are Christians, when in truth there is no life in them.

An old friend of mine has got me to thinking about Lazarus, and his sisters Mary and Martha. They are mentioned several times in the gospels, and were very good friends of the Lord Jesus. They lived in Bethany, which was located just about two miles from Jerusalem.

This is the Mary who anointed Jesus with expensive ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair. This is the same Martha who toiled in the kitchen, complaining to the Lord that her sister had left her to do all the work. Both sisters expressed the tiniest smidge of doubt when their brother Lazarus had died and Jesus showed up four days "late," so they thought. It makes me smile when I think of how I can relate to these very human people!

With all their quirks, these three, Lazarus, Mary, and Martha, had a home in which the Lord Jesus felt welcome. Several times when Jesus was in Jerusalem, pressed by crowds, selflessly ministering to people, teaching those who would listen, and being wearied by hypocritical Pharisees asking pointless questions in order to trap him with his words... we see Him at the end of the day, resorting to Bethany to rest in the house of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary.

What was it about these particular people that made Jesus feel welcome in their home?

I think, first of all, they were humble. Humility is willingness to yield. Humility is the absence of pride. When humility hears a Word from the Lord, it says, "I will obey." Jesus could recognize pride immediately, and always rebuked it. No doubt Lazarus, Mary, and Martha must have been humble people.

It follows that they were also obedient. Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." A simple thing, even if it is easier said than done sometimes. There is no clearer demonstration of our love for God, than our obedience to Him.

Due to their obedience, I believe they were people who lived a holy lifestyle. Holiness is very underrated these days, and many preachers never preach about it, because it makes people uncomfortable. "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation [lifestyle]; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."

Lazarus, Mary, and Martha were not without their flaws, as we have seen. But I think the key to having a home where Jesus feels welcome is found in our heart attitudes. We should be aware of our shortcomings, willing to listen to His Word, and ready to yield and make changes as He deems best.

An attitude like that is like a big, cheery sign on the door that says, Jesus is welcome here!

"Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad....

Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples....

[Just hours later...]

Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

And he went out, and wept bitterly."

Matthew 26:31,35,74,75

It is easy to say that I would never deny the Lord. But this passage is a sobering reminder that anybody can fall to the temptation, given the right circumstances.

It is getting more and more difficult to be true Christ-followers these days. The laws of the land are changing, and the direction they are taking is not Bible-friendly, to say the least.

Most likely great persecution is on its way to America, though most Christians think America is immune to persecution of the church. Preaching the truth will soon be "hate-speech", and giving out the gospel in public venues will be against city regulations. People have been and will be arrested for attempting to carry out Christ's commission to His disciples to GO and PREACH the Gospel.

In the book of John, chapter 17, is recorded a prayer Jesus prayed on behalf of His disciples, and several times He prayed for their (our) unity in the truth. We need that unity because we are rejected by the world as a whole. "I have given them Thy Word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world."

Let true believers be unified by the Truth, that we may stand faithful as times get more difficult! And let us pray for one another.

It's been a long, busy day today, and I am just weary. Classes at the Seminary resumed this morning, and they always have a special chapel service on opening day. Our whole family got to participate. Daniel directed all the music, I played piano, and the children sang beautifully with us, "O Worship The King" and "He Hideth My Soul".

How those songs minister to me! They are precious old hymns that I learned growing up, because my family went to a good church where they sang them. Our hymnbooks never got dusty (tattered, yes, but not dusty), and I tell you, the exquisite language and rich Bible Truths contained in those hymns were written on my heart early in life.

I will take a humble old hymnbook over all those rock-music, vain-repetition, flesh-feeding "praise and worship" songs in the world.

My Dad was always my music director until I reluctantly left the nest. My favorite songs were songs that he sang. He led the church in singing hymns that minister to the soul and not the flesh, and many of those I can sing today from memory, verse by verse. Thank you, Daddy!

I guess I should get to the title of my post! My brother called me today to let me know that my Dad was admitted into the hospital. He and Mom had gone in to their doctor for a check-up, and they detected an irregular heartbeat from Dad's heart. They wanted him admitted in order to observe him and try to get his heart regulated, and that is all I know at this point. I would appreciate it if Christians would pray for Bro. Graham, my dad. Thanks so much!

And now, a couple of verses for you, Dad, from what we sang this morning (but in English :o)...

"A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord, He taketh my burden away,
He holdeth me up, and I shall not be moved,
He giveth me strength as my day!

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He hideth my life in the depths of His love,
And covers me there with His hand,
And covers me there with His hand."

from He Hideth My Soul, by Fanny J. Crosby, 1918

And this one...

"O worship the King, all glorious above,
O gratefully sing His Power and His Love;
Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days,
Pavilioned in splendor, and girded with Praise.

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
In THEE do we trust, nor find Thee to fail;
Thy mercies how tender! how firm to the end!
Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend!"

from O Worship the King, by Robert Grant.

This will be short and sweet!

I've been thinking about the burning bush that Moses saw in the wilderness (Exodus chapter three). It was brought up in the book I was reading, "The Saving Life of Christ," by Major Ian Thomas. What about that bush? What was special about it? Why wasn't it consumed? Moses was wondering the same things when he turned aside to see about it. That's when God spoke to him, and turned his whole wilderness existence around.


All too early in Moses' career, he had blown it by jumping the gun. He was to be God's chosen leader to guide His people out of the bondage of Egypt. When he went out and saw an Egyptian mistreating a Hebrew man, he decided to do things his way, killed the Egyptian, and hid his body in the sand. God had another, better plan to redeem his people!

Then Moses drifted for forty years of uselessness in the dessert, far from his calling. He was all burned up, a heap of useless ashes. When he saw that burning bush that was not consumed... what a wonderful thing! So what was it about the bush that kept it burning, yet never consumed?

The answer is that GOD was in that bush! If the bush had sustained the flame with its own resources, it would have turned to ashes within a minute. But it was God who sustained the flame, not the bush. The bush was just available.

Do you see what I'm seeing here? Are you a Christian who wants to be used by God? Are you trying to do it in your own power? You will only burn yourself out. We are to be still, await our orders, and be ready and available for His use every day. What does God want me to do today?

...And by the way, God can use a short bush, a full bush, a scraggly bush, and even a dry bush. Any available bush will do!

Have a blessed day!

Photo is of the beautiful artwork of Arnold Friberg, prints of which are available HERE.

We've had two good tremors lately. One happened during church last night, and one happened early this morning (about 2:30 a.m., local time). It has got me to thinking about emergency preparedness, and as I lay in a quaking bed this morning, I wondered what we would do should the house collapse.

I'll be looking up some safety and survival information, as well as packing an emergency kit today. Meanwhile, I'd like to take this opportunity to remind my fellow Believers of this:

3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

8 All these are the beginning of sorrows....

I challenge you to read all of Matthew 24 today.

Know the signs of the times!

That seems to be the theme around here as we are trying to finish the top of our house! It was just a flat concrete terraza with a half-wall, and when it rained the water just sat there, causing dampness and mildew in the rooms below. So we are completing the walls with wood and adding a graded roof to throw off the water. I can hardly wait until it's done! Right now, it's cold and wet up there on the terraza, but soon it will be a dry, habitable place.

I think you will agree that there's a lot of peace, safety and comfort within walls. Think of the ark that Noah built, wherein his family found shelter and safety from the storm of God's wrath. Can you imagine the security they felt within those walls? They had been carefully built according to God's specifications, a sure ticket to safety. "And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of..." said the Lord, and "Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he." What if Noah had taken some shortcuts when he built the ark? I'm sure the Lord would have spared their lives in spite of it, but they might have been bailing water for several months!

I think of Nehemiah when he saw the sad state of the walls of Jerusalem.

And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me...and viewed the wall...

Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.

(from Nehemiah 2:12,15,17)

What is the state of the spiritual walls of my own family? I know that as a wife and mother, I have the power to build them up and make my home a safe haven.

"Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands." Proverbs 14:1

Is there an area of the wall that's a bit broken down and sadly neglected? Shall I just sit and shake my head, despairing at the state of things? What did Nehemiah say? Come, and let us build up the wall! I will arise today, and build!

From Genesis 29 and 30:1-24

Daniel's Sunday sermon inspired me to set the record straight!

Sisters. I never had one, but have often wished I did. Many times when I've expressed that wish to someone, they emphatically say something to the effect of, "Be glad you didn't have a sister!" While I still think it would have been neat to have had a sister, now that I have daughters of my own I have an idea of the unique complexities that present themselves between sisters.

Two well-known sisters in Bible history are Leah and Rachel. I actually had to change the title of this post, because I originally listed them, "Rachel and Leah". Isn't that the order in which they are always mentioned? Why is that? Leah was the firstborn. She also became Jacob's wife first. Upon the most casual Bible study, one realizes that she was by far the more virtuous of the two sisters. But the fact is that Rachel was the favored one, in spite of the fact that all the good we see in her is her beauty.

Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain...

It is not recorded that Jacob ever consulted the Lord in choosing a wife. Evidently, Rachel's charm and beauty were blinding to Jacob, and she maintained the facade for seven years while Jacob worked in order to gain her for his wife. Either he didn't really know her character, or he didn't care that he was marrying a spoiled brat, albeit a beautiful one.

(I know, I know, Jacob deserved her. His character wasn't exactly flawless, but that's another post.)

But take a look at Leah. "Tender-eyed," yes, but also quiet, long-suffering, and acknowledging the hand of the Lord in her life. Jehovah opened her womb and blessed her with sons. She named her children with her eye on the Lord and/or her husband. (Rachel named hers with a green eye on her sister.)

I believe Leah was God's choice wife for Jacob, and he should have been content with her, even if he was fooled by Laban into marrying her first instead of Rachel. We know that from the beginning, God created one woman for one man, and that is His perfect design.

God in His sovereignty and goodness gave Jacob the better woman. Jacob bought himself a lot of trouble when he married the second time. (That's a lesson in being content with what God gives us!) It is true that Rachel and the handmaids brought forth some of the twelve sons of Israel, but there is no doubt in my mind that God could have given all twelve tribes of Israel through Leah alone.

Setting the record straight: Though Rachel was favored by those around her, Leah was favored by Jehovah!

...But a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

When one becomes a Christian, one has not yet "arrived". We are redeemed, bought by the blood of Jesus, and called to serve a purpose in His kingdom. What is yours?

Like many others who read here, I am called to be the help meet for a husband, and mother to our children. And while the world downplays the importance of those roles, they are still the most important roles a married woman can fulfill.

Reading from Matthew 10 this morning, I found so much encouragement that I wanted to share it! Jesus was commissioning his disciples to do a task that was humanly impossible, but He made it clear that they would never be alone. While I am not called to go out and preach and heal all manner of diseases, my calling at home is just as important in the eyes of God. (Come to think of it, I do preach a little, as well as do a little healing. ;o)

** "He gave them power" to do what He commanded them to do. Are there not times when the task seems overwhelming? Sometimes I tell myself, "I just can't do it all!!" and then I hear Someone whisper in my ear, "Then just let Me do it through you." He doesn't tell His disciples to go out and do a great work in their own power, but the power to do His will comes from the Lord. We are to seek the Source, and upon receiving, we are to spread it all over our families. If we don't seek the Source, however, in whose power do we perform the task we are called to do? Forced to draw upon our own meager resources, we soon exhaust ourselves physically, mentally and spiritually. We must not try to do God's work without God's power.

** I am to "freely give", and not hold back. Jesus said, "Freely ye have received, freely give." Wives and mothers, too, are to be a conduit of God's power and the Holy Spirit. A good word to sum up a wife & mother's calling is "Giving". This does not come naturally for most (it doesn't for me), but a woman who gives and does by faith will joyfully realize that every effort put forth to do the task is equally replenished by the Source of her strength!

** "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves." (No, the wolves aren't the children. ;o) But Satan is the wiley one that we have to watch for. Ungodly influences tend to sneak into the home and snag the hearts of our children. We are to be "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." Be careful what music you allow into the home, what you set before their eyes, and what attitudes you allow them to harbor in their hearts. Get your wisdom from the Lord and his Word! Share it with your children.

** "It shall be given you...what ye shall speak." What power the tongue wields! With it, we can build up our families, or tear them down. Death and life are in the power of it. The virtuous wife and mother "openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness."

** "Fear ye not therefore." If God sees and takes care of the sparrow, then He certainly knows you, and cares for you! It is our loving Heavenly Father who sets the task before us, and He "knoweth our frame, that we are dust". Fear not.

** "He that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." Loving the Lord supremely is not neglecting husband and children. Rather, it makes us better wives and mothers. Putting God first will always be the best thing for our families!

** "He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." Many a woman today struggles with "losing" her identity, saying she wants to "have a life". Many for this reason pursue careers outside the home, preferring meeting her own wants instead of her family's needs. A Christian woman can trust that when she loses her life in Christ, therein will she find real Life!

** "And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water...shall in no wise lose his reward." Being a wife and mother often does not involve many huge, monumental tasks, but rather many small, menial tasks. Be Jesus to your family when preparing a meal, or straightening up the living room, or wiping a nose. It is not so much the enormity or "importance" of the task that concerns Him, but it is our faithfulness in the little things. Just do it in His name... there will surely be a reward!

"But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient [proper]: but rather giving of thanks." Ephesians 5:3-4

"But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil." Matthew 5:37

Not too long ago, my husband and I discussed these words of Jesus from the book of Matthew, and just this morning they were in my daily reading. Only late in life have I attempted to become a "Yea or Nay" person; I am a natural kidder, and a tad sarcastic. All in fun, of course!

But is it okay for a Christian to jest? Is sarcasm becoming of a saint? Not according to the above Scriptures, and several others. In fact, the verses in Ephesians puts jesting and foolish talk in some pretty bad company: covetousness? filthiness? fornication?? Ouch!

It's not that a Christian can't say funny things. Many times it's the true things that are the funniest! (You should live in my house and watch my children sometime, ha, ha.) But fooling a person with a joke, or being known as someone who speaks the opposite of what they mean (which is sarcasm), is simply being untruthful when you break it down.

"Truth is such a rare thing, it is delightful to tell it." ~Emily Dickinson

Have you ever seen a jokester who it seemed could never be serious? They might be funny for a little while, but it quickly starts to wear on people in their presence. The mirth they bring is not the same thing as true joy, and I suspect for many it is only a mask to hide something.

On the other hand, do you know someone who is candid and truthful, and says things that edify, and knows how to use light humor, weaving it appropriately throughout the conversation? Refreshing! I think this is how Christians ought to be.

So, I won't be an April Fool. And I won't make one out of you, either.