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Welcome! I’m Deborah. So glad you’re here!

Here you’ll find encouraging, Scripture-filled posts and Bible study tips. Because theology is for every mom! Get to know me here.

Here’s what I’ve written lately…

Ep. 19 How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe | Practical Motherhood
Ep. 18 Grace Before the Curse | Genesis 3:8-13 | Book by Book
No Knead Artisan Sourdough Bread
Ep. 17 Dressing Modestly | Theology of Clothing
Ep. 16 Snakes, Deception, and Clothing | Genesis 3:1-7 | Book by Book

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After reading his commentaries almost daily for th

After reading his commentaries almost daily for the last few years, you can see from this picture how happy I was to visit John Calvin's Church in Geneva this week! 😍

Happy New Year from us! I am definitely looking f

Happy New Year from us!
I am definitely looking forward to what 2023 will hold for our growing fam. ❤️ And striving to look forward to THE new beginning to come. John Calvin said, "No man has made much progress in the school of Christ who does not look forward with joy to the day of death and final resurrection."

It has been over two years since I laid on a medic

It has been over two years since I laid on a medical bed with the ultrasound wand on my stomach to see what was inside. The last two times brought heartbreak as I saw the empty screens confirming the loss of two little babies I only carried for a few weeks each.

But yesterday? That screen was full.
We're expecting a baby in May 2023.

This pregnancy has already been really different from my first one with my daughter. That is why you haven’t heard from me! I’ve definitely been in survival mode from the nausea and exhaustion. But, of course, I am so thankful for this little one that God has given. I know we often use Job’s famous line when we lose something, but it has been ringing in my head throughout this pregnancy so far:

“The Lord GIVES and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job 1:21

We've lived as expats in Oxford for almost 2 years

We've lived as expats in Oxford for almost 2 years. Coming home from holiday truly felt like coming home. I love Oxford. What a challenging, exciting, and enjoyable chapter of life it is turning out to be. And what a grace from God because I could not have been brave enough to do it without Him. 💗

Our August thus far. This one is just for the memo

Our August thus far.
This one is just for the memories. ❤️

As I stepped down into this ancient Roman prison,

As I stepped down into this ancient Roman prison, I immediately got chills. But not because of the cold.

This dark, damp prison cell that used to be an old spring is the place where the apostles Peter and Paul were held prior to their executions.* Woah! They could have been sitting right here, in chains, singing hymns, and Paul writing epistles.

Earlier this morning I walked through the Vatican and St. Peter's basilica, none of the marble, facades, sculptures, or frescoes compare to being where true believers sat in chains for their faith in Christ and only had their own executions to look forward to.

Acts 5:41 describes the attitude of many believers who endured for Christ as "rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name." (Acts 5:41, ESV) I can imagine rejoicing like this would've been difficult to do locked away in a dark prison cell. But they were sustained by their Savior. May we all be if we're put in similar situations.

*This prison is only believed to be the one where Peter and Paul were held, it's not documented. Even if it's not the actual prison, they would've been kept in one very similar to this.

#churchhistory #christianityinrome #apostlepaul #mamertineprison

Traveling with kids can be hard, but it's a lot of

Traveling with kids can be hard, but it's a lot of fun. I could say a lot on this subject, one day I will. But for now I'll say this: you have to change your expectations. When you travel with your family, mamas, you're still going to be "mom" and your family will still need you to do things for them. You most likely will not be sipping soda all day by the pool soaking up the sun. In order to have a fun trip, you have to be okay with that.
I'm definitely not always good at this! There have been days where I'm just tired of doing so much while away from home and not in our routine. But, after some correction from my husband, I realized that all the hard things of being a mom away from home are opportunities to serve my family.
And even more than opportunities to serve, they are chances to die to myself. Opportunities to mortify the sinful flesh within me. (Romans 6:6)
So, all that to say, the hardness of traveling with kids can actually be very refining for you. And it really is a lot of fun! Don't let having kids keep you from going places, seeing and experiencing the beautiful world our Lord made with my daughter/family has been the best. ❤️

When away from home, I often read Spurgeon's devot

When away from home, I often read Spurgeon's devotionals. This one really stuck out to me and made me think about how I often give myself glory when it really belongs only to God. Read it for yourself:

"Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name.”
—Psalm 29:2

God’s glory is the result of his nature and acts. He is glorious in his character, for there is such a store of everything that is holy, and good, and lovely in God, that he must be glorious. The actions which flow from his character are also glorious; but while he intends that they should manifest to his creatures his goodness, and mercy, and justice, he is equally concerned that the glory associated with them should be given only to himself. Nor is there aught in ourselves in which we may glory; for who maketh us to differ from another? And what have we that we did not receive from the God of all grace? Then how careful ought we to be to walk humbly before the Lord! The moment we glorify ourselves, since there is room for one glory only in the universe, we set ourselves up as rivals to the Most High. Shall the insect of an hour glorify itself against the sun which warmed it into life? Shall the potsherd exalt itself above the man who fashioned it upon the wheel? Shall the dust of the desert strive with the whirlwind? Or the drops of the ocean struggle with the tempest? Give unto the Lord, all ye righteous, give unto the Lord glory and strength; give unto him the honour that is due unto his name. Yet it is, perhaps, one of the hardest struggles of the Christian life to learn this sentence—“Not unto us, not unto us, but unto thy name be glory.” It is a lesson which God is ever teaching us, and teaching us sometimes by most painful discipline. Let a Christian begin to boast, “I can do all things,” without adding “through Christ which strengtheneth me,” and before long he will have to groan, “I can do nothing,” and bemoan himself in the dust. When we do anything for the Lord, and he is pleased to accept of our doings, let us lay our crown at his feet, and exclaim, “Not I, but the grace of God which was with me!”

--Charles Spurgeon

Yesterday at church the preacher said that we must

Yesterday at church the preacher said that we must speak to ourselves as David did in Psalm 62. David is encouraging himself and exhorting himself in God's truth. The preacher also said that we must remind ourselves of our ignorance and tell ourselves what to do. That has stuck with me this morning. I may feel offended, but I have to remind myself to get over it and not be. I may feel unhappy in life, but I have to tell myself that God has my good in mind no matter what. I may feel like I can't go on, but I have to tell myself that God is always with me. And, I am so thankful that usually it's not just me telling myself these things. My sweet husband is often there to tell me these things as well and I am grateful for his careful instruction... I need it!
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5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. 7 On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. (Psalm 62:5-7, ESV)

Posting and ghosting on this one, friends! I try t

Posting and ghosting on this one, friends! I try to take a long break from social media once a year and that time has come again. I'll be off for the rest of the month of July. If you've never taken a break like this, I definitely recommend it! I always feel refreshed and ready to encourage people again. You can read all my social media suggestions on my blog, linked in bio. July is also going to be a busier month for me... I'm out of town for two weeks and then moving to a new house down the road, so I don't need the distraction! But I'm happy you're here and I love connecting with all of you. Check out my highlights and feel free to send me a DM about anything, I will get back to you! 😘

So, what is grace? This word is used so much in Ch

So, what is grace? This word is used so much in Christianity. And so many little girls grow up with this word as their name. But what does “grace” actually mean?

Well, a simple definition is this: Grace is getting what you do not deserve. Or even simpler, Grace is undeserved favor.

God, out of His kindness and love, treats us better than we deserve. That’s grace. He is constantly showing us His grace each and every day.

We see grace in all good things that God gives to us. We don’t deserve anything good, only death and destruction because, again, we are sinners. But God gives us grace in our lives by treating us better than we deserve. We get to enjoy creations, food, marriage, children, and many other beautiful things in our lifetime. That’s all because of God’s grace. Because He hasn’t given us what we deserve. This is sometimes called common grace because it is available for all people in the world despite their sin, not just for Christians. Unbelievers also enjoy the planet and human relationships which are instances of God’s common grace in the world.

The Bible also uses the word grace in another way. First Corinthians 15:10 says, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.” This is God’s grace described in another way, as power for living out the Christian life. We see this also in 2 Corinthians 2:9 where Jesus says to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” This is God’s grace working to help us in our lives. We don’t deserve His help or encouragement, but He gives it to us because He treats us better than we deserve. This is grace.

But the ultimate, saving grace of God is found in Jesus. As I said before, we know from Romans that the wages of sin is death. We also know from Romans 3:23 that all have sinned. So we all deserve death because we are all sinners. But God doesn’t treat us that way. Instead, He made a way for us to be forgiven for our sins through Jesus’ death and resurrection. That’s grace. Continue reading in comments ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Sometimes I’ve struggled with the practical side

Sometimes I’ve struggled with the practical side of being a wife and mother. Not struggled to get things done, but struggled to find value in doing those things. I think I’ve always found more value in studying the Bible and knowing more about God. And, of course, those things are valuable! But in my head I sometimes separate the mundane things from the spiritual things. And then I see the mundane tasks I have before me simply as things I need to get out of the way before I can really glorify God by studying His Word.

But that's not biblical. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:31 that we are to do all things to the glory of God. That means even my mundane tasks at home are to be done for His glory. We also read of the Proverbs 31 woman in the Bible. She had many, many mundane and normal mom-duties that she did each and every day. Her example shows us that those things are important things to do well for your family and that they are done for God’s glory.

I personally love bonding with other women about practical things in our lives and our homes. But I don’t always make the connection to having those things glorify God each day. Maybe it’s the stark juxtaposition between scrubbing muck off the floor and reading a 16th century commentary on a book of the Bible. The mundane to the majestic. That is sometimes a big jump for me to make. But I’m really trying to focus on God’s glory in every moment of my life, even the mundane ones. Because the reality is that He deserves the glory for each moment, whether it’s mundane or majestic. And His grace and regeneration in my life makes any mundane moment majestic.

So I want to encourage you today, friend... The small things in our lives are not things we have to do before we can bring glory to God. If they’re in service of others, in service of your home, and quite simply the things that God has given you to do, then doing them brings glory to God. And that makes them important.
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Do you struggle with this connection too, though?

A truth I've been mulling over and over again: "T

A truth I've been mulling over and over again:

"There's not an hour that He is not near us; no not one, no not one."

I will wither and fade like these beautiful flowers. "What is man that You are mindful of him? And the son of man that You care for him?" (Psalm 8). And yet, Jesus promises, "Lo, I will be with you always." What grace!

No matter what we face, tears or triumphs, joys or sorrows, health or pain, Jesus will be there. Wherever we go, we cannot get away from Him. Even the remotest part of the sea (Psalm 139). Even if we are all alone, we aren't. For there's not an hour, not a minute, not a second, that He's not near us. No not one, no not one. ❤️

I've recently picked back up the Gospel Primer by

I've recently picked back up the Gospel Primer by Milton Vincent and have been reading it every day again... Wow! It's so good! Here's what I read today:

"Boldness is critical. Without boldness, my life story will be one of great deeds left undone, victories left unwon, petitions left unprayed, and timely words unsaid. If I wish to live only a pathetically small portion of the life God has prepared for me, then I need no boldness. But if I want my life to bloom full and loom large for the glory of God, then I must have boldness - and nothing so nourishes boldness in me like the gospel! The gospel gives me boldness first by banishing my greatest fear, the fear of God's eternal wrath. Indeed, Christ bore God's wrath upon Himself, not simply so I could escape that wrath on some future day, but also that I might be released from the daily fear of such wrath as I think ahead to judgment day. Because this fear hinders the ongoing work of God in me, the love of God continually expels this fear (whenever it appears) and nurtures within me a confident eagerness to face God on judgment day. Living in the daily relief of this fear frees me up to continue being perfected in confidence by the love of God, and it also serves to put all other fears, especially the fear of man, into perspective.

Additionally, the more I experience the life-transforming power of the gospel, the more confident I am in speaking it to others, both saved and lost. I know what the gospel can do in people's lives if they would believe the fullness of it, because I see what it is doing in me and in others. Therefore, I have increasing boldness to speak the whole gospel to others, even amid opposition...

Preaching the gospel to myself each day nourishes within me a holy brazenness to believe what God says, enjoy what He offers, and do what He commands. Admittedly, I don't deserve to be a child of God and I don't deserve to be free of sin's guilt and power. I don't deserve the staggering privilege of intimacy with God, nor any other blessing that Christ has purchased for me with His blood. I don't even deserve to be useful to God. But by the grace of God I am what I am and I have what I have."

Mighty God, I humble myself for faculties misused,

Mighty God,
I humble myself for faculties misused,
opportunities neglected,
words ill-advised,
I repent of my folly and inconsiderate ways,
my broken resolutions, untrue service,
my backsliding steps,
my vain thoughts.
O bury my sins in the ocean of Jesus' blood
and let no evil result from my fretful temper,
unseemly behaviour, provoking pettiness.
If by unkindness I have wounded or hurt another,
do thou pour in the balm of heavenly consolation;
If I have turned coldly from need, misery, grief,
do not in just anger forsake me;
If I have withheld relief from penury and pain,
do not withhold thy gracious bounty from me,
If I have shunned those who have offended me,
keep open the door of thy heart to my need.

Fill me with an over-flowing ocean of compassion,
the reign of love my motive,
the law of love my rule.

O thou God of all grace, make me more thankful, more humble;
Inspire me with a deep sense of my unworthiness arising from
the depravity of my nature, my omitted duties,
my unimproved advantages, thy commands violated by me.
With all my calls to gratitude and joy may I remember
that I have reason for sorrow and humiliation;
O give me repentance unto life;
Cement my oneness with my blessed Lord,
that faith may adhere to him more immovably,
that love my entwine itself round him more tightly,
that his spirit may pervade every fibre of my being.
Then send me out to make him known to my fellow-men.
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-- from The Valley of Vision
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📸: Cirencester Church, Gloucestershire

Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me all who a

Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." We need immense help with the weighty job of parenting and nurturing our children. So go to Jesus who promises rest. ❤️ How do you go to Jesus? Read His Word, try Psalm 1 or the gospel of John. Pray to Him, he hears you and will answer. Ask Him for help and rest along your parenting journey.

Satan first just gave Eve a hint by planting that

Satan first just gave Eve a hint by planting that seed of doubt: “Did God really say you shall not eat from any tree of the garden?” That’s exactly what the serpent does with us today. “Did God really say you have to put others before yourself or is a little more ‘me time’ exactly what you need?” “Did God really say you have to submit yourself to your husband even when you don’t feel like it?” “Did God really say you need to discipline your children with humility and kindness or is your raised voice understandable because you’re upset?”

All it took was that one little question for Eve’s heart to decline from faith, as Calvin puts it. He is describing the fall and how that small seed of doubt planted by the serpent grew into sin. He says, “Eve could previously behold the tree with such sincerity, that no desire to eat of it affected her mind; for the faith she had in the word of God was the best guardian of her heart, and of all her senses. But now, after the heart had declined from faith, and from obedience to the word, she corrupted both herself and all her senses, and depravity was diffused through all parts of her soul as well as her body. It is, therefore, a sign of impious defection, that the woman now judges the tree to be good for food, eagerly delights herself in beholding it, and persuades herself that it is desirable for the sake of acquiring wisdom; whereas before she had passed by it a hundred times with an unmoved and tranquil look.”

Eve went quickly from looking at the tree without a second thought, to desiring it for herself. We see that in her first response where she has already changed what God originally told them not to do in chapter 2. She added that they were not to touch the tree, God never said anything about touching the tree. Do you see how quickly we can be deceived into thinking that God’s ways are not best?

Read/listen to the full post on Genesis 3 and Eve's deception at the link in my stories.

We only have so much time in general. But time wit

We only have so much time in general. But time with your kids? Even less. I want to use my time to be with my family, with my daughter, serving them well and providing a happy, healthy home for them. There's no other place I'd rather be. I know I'm made to be her mama and I'm so thankful for the opportunity to be with her. The Bible says that children are a blessing and gift from the Lord (Psalm 127:3). I pray I never take my time with my daughter for granted! ❤️🙏

We don’t have to look far to find immodesty in o

We don’t have to look far to find immodesty in our culture today. Simply switch on the TV, flip through a magazine, or walk through the grocery store, immodesty is everywhere. Our over-sexualized culture celebrates clothes that do not cover and garments that glitter. Clearly, our culture cares about what you wear. The art, music, and literature of today want to empower women by self-expression in scanty clothing. Their message is that it is more inspiring, feminine, and acceptable to show off our bodies than to cover them up, that shame of any sort regarding our physique is not appropriate, and that women should be free to dress however they desire.

The Christian must ask, “does God feel the same way?” “Does God care about what you wear?”

We don’t have to look far to find modesty in the Bible. In the opening chapters of Genesis, we find God as the very first clothing designer. Adam and Eve have just sinned, and they are now ashamed of their nakedness in the garden. They attempt to cover up their shame by stringing leaves together into loincloths (Genesis 3:7). When God later came to the garden and found Adam and Eve, He first addressed their sin, but then addressed their shame.

Genesis 3:21 says, “The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.” Their little loincloths were not sufficient to cover the shame of their sin, so God made them garments, or tunics, to cover up their bodies. This was not because their bodies were imperfect, rather they were exposed. The point of clothing in this passage is to cover up Adam and Eve’s shame, the shame of the first sin. They were naked, utterly exposed, and God gave them dignity by providing proper clothing for their bodies so that they were no longer ashamed.

We are exactly like Adam and Eve, stuck in the shame of sin. It’s not until Jesus stepped into the world and took our place on the cross that it all changed.
Read the full article on forthegospel.org or click the link in my stories.

Does God Care What Women Wear?

Yes, God uses snakes. ☺️ The first character m

Yes, God uses snakes. ☺️
The first character mentioned in Genesis 3 is none other than the serpent. The text says, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.

Maybe this seems like a small question, but I had never thought about this before. Why did Satan use the serpent instead of any other animal that God had created? The Bible clearly states that the snake or serpent was already cunning and crafty on its own, that’s how God made it.

In John Calvin’s commentary on this verse, he points out that Jesus actually tells the disciples to be “prudent as serpents” in Matthew 10:16. So, we shouldn’t read this first verse of chapter 3 with a negative tone. Rather, Moses is highlighting an aspect of God’s creation in describing the serpent as crafty. And even though it’s Satan who is using the snake in this passage, remember that Moses is actually pretty familiar with God using snakes for His own purposes. We have the first reference to this later in this chapter to God sending someone to “crush the head” of the serpent in Genesis 3:15.

Then in Moses’ personal life God used snakes as well. In Exodus 4 Moses’ staff is turned into a snake to show God’s power to Pharaoh. Then, in Numbers 21, snakes attack the Israelites in judgment from God and Moses is told to make the bronze snake that’s lifted up and when the people look to the bronze snake, they are healed. So, Moses knew from personal experience what snakes were like and it makes sense for him to include this note at the beginning of Genesis 3 about snakes being crafty.

That bronze serpent that Moses made is actually in the Bible two more times, once during the time of the kings and it’s referred to in the New Testament by John. In 2 Kings 18, Hezekiah has just come onto the throne as king of Judah and it says in verse 4 that “he removed the high places and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan.” ... Continued in comments ⬇️⬇️⬇️

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