I forgot to tell some of our real exciting news yesterday. JT was out at the back of our woods to check the trail cam. When we brought in the pictures we were surprised to find a badger very beautifully photographed near where we usually see the bucks! We didn't think that we had badgers in our area, but apparently we were wrong! After mentioning it to several friends, we were assured that they are living in our neck of the woods; not really plentiful, but here, nonetheless. And where there's one, there has to be more! Could he be the culprit in the chicken murders that happened a few months ago while I was gone to church on a Sunday morning? I still think a fox was responsible for that!
Today I'm taking a break from gardening, canning, and freezing. My Kentucky cousins were here to spend the night and just left this morning. There's never enough time to visit, it seems. We will get to see them again on our next trip to Tennessee in the fall.
I was mentioning courtships that have gone wrong on yesterday's post. Because of the nature of courtship--that parents are pretty actively involved in the process--there must be a vibrant relationship with God by all parties involved. When you are in a position of helping someone (your children) discern God's will in such an important decision, you really need to be sure you are close to the Lord. You need to be Spirit-led and not just relying on your own wisdom. As I mentioned before, the one thing that I think is missing in much of the courtship discussions we hear today is this total reliance on Holy Spirit led living. If we as Christians would really be close to the Lord and keen at hearing His voice and living His instructions, we would make less mistakes. This is true for all areas of life, not just courtship.
As I grow older I am realizing more and more that we can do things, make decisions, etc., out of one of two motivations--faith or fear. Maybe there are more, but for now let me make a point on these. Romans 14:23 says in part, "...for whatever is not from faith is sin." This applies to choosing a marriage partner. If courtship is approached by people being led of the Spirit and no fear, selfishness, or other motivation is involved, then the results will be better.
I thought alot about this recently as I pondered "preparedness." In earlier blogs, I posted alot about that since it's a favorite subject of mine. I love to stock pile by canning and so on. It's something I've always done and I guess it was sort of ingrained into me from seeing my grandma's shelves lined with the "fruits" and "vegetables" of her labors! I think that if I had a huge income, I'd still can and freeze and scrimp since it's just part of me and what I do. But if I do it out of faith; a heart that is thankful to God for abundance, a sensibility that wants to be a good steward and not waste, that's one thing--that's like a faith motivation. I believe God gave me good things to preserve. On the other hand, if I do it because I feel I need to rely on my own efforts so I won't starve or I fear I can't trust my Lord to provide, then that is the fear motivation kicking in. We must do all things from faith just like the scripture indicates. And the same goes for courtship. This is where we must rely on the guidance of the Holy Spirit. All parties involved need to be in tune to the Spirit's leading--the couple, the parents, dare I even say, the church? Churches could be really helpful and provide better atmospheres for courtships to occur, but that's another subject!
It's a beautiful, sunny, fall-like day here in Michigan and I hope it's the same where you are. Blessings, LORI
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