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6 Simple Swaps | Honoring God with Our Words
Faith

6 Simple Swaps | Honoring God with Our Words

August 3, 2020

Words. We read them, we write them, we treasure them, we disdain them. Most often, we say them. Words matter immensely to us! How we use them can cause life or death (Proverbs 18:21). I’m sure you can think of a time that someone’s words hurt you… or, even worse, when your words hurt someone else.

They are important. And we need to treat them that way. It is very easy to not think about what you say and just say it. But, as I’ve studied the Psalms, I have learned that the Psalmist is constantly turning his heart to praise the Lord. 

I know there are other passages that instruct us in our speech. Specifically Ephesians 4:29, “Let no unwholsesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” And Proverbs 16:24, “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

The Psalms and Our Words

But it has been the Psalms that have convicted me the most in how I talk. Now, just to be clear, I do not go around the house swearing or cursing, spouting profanities. That would definitely not be pleasant, nor wholesome, and not glorifying to God. No, that is not my practice. 

Instead, I’ve realized that I practice a much more subtle way of not glorifying God with my words. While they are usually pleasant to the hearer, maybe even encouraging and full of grace, they are still not including God in my everyday language. I’ve noticed that I use secular, common words in place of praising God or signifying His presence as I talk. And, friend, I am pretty sure you do too.

At first, I didn’t even think that this was a problem. I mean, I’m not swearing after all! But, I was wrong. If all our lives are to be glorifying to God as 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, then ALL of our speech should be too. And if we view God for who He truly is, then our words should be an overflow of that attitude.

The Psalms that have showed this to be true. How could I read verses like Psalm 106:48, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting, And let all the people say, ‘Amen.’ Praise the Lord!” or Psalm 103:1, “Blessed be the LORD, O my soul. And all that is within me, bless His holy name.” or Psalm 109:30, “With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the Lord; and in the midst of many I will praise Him.” and let some of my own words not praise the Lord? Even if they are not “bad” words, they still aren’t bringing Him glory.

So, I have slowly started switching out certain words in my vocabulary for ones that will point me back to Christ so that I can speak of Him in everyday conversations, bring Him glory with ALL of my speech, and, Lord-willing, point other people back to Him as well. 

Here’s what I’ve been working on… Join me!

Simple Swaps

These simple swaps are what I am working on changing in my words. 

1. “Hope” to “Pray”

This first one is very simple. Wherever you would use the word “hope” replace it with “pray.” 

“I hope you do well on your test.”  “I hope your labor and delivery goes well.” “I hope that your dad gets better.” All of those phrases can simply be turned into, “I pray you do well on your test.” I pray your labor and delivery goes well.” “I pray that your dad gets better.” 

Not that hoping or the word “hope” is wrong, it’s fine. But, why not turn a conversation to the Lord by saying you are praying? You could go even further and say, “I pray to God that…” 

Make Sure to Pray

Just a quick note here, if you tell someone you are praying for them or that you’re going to, make sure that you actually pray for them. Take a second when you say, “I’m praying for you,” to actually stop and pray for that person or situation. 

2. “Hopefully” to “Lord-Willing”

The next simple swap is from saying “hopefully” to saying “Lord-willing.” Now this one even has some scriptural backing. James 4:15 says, “You ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.’” So, there is our reason right there. Here are a few examples.

“Hopefully our offer will get accepted.” “I will hopefully make it by 10AM.” “The storm will hopefully not hit us.” Switched to: “Lord-willing our offer will get accepted.” “Lord-willing, I will make it by 10AM.” “The storm will, Lord-willing, not hit us.”

Again, hoping and hopefully getting somewhere is definitely not wrong. But it’s another way to include the Lord in your vocabulary. And, personally, I love starting out a sentence with, “Lord-willing.” What a reminder that it’s not about what we want or think or do, it’s about what God wills for us.

3. “Lucky” to “Blessed”

As we go through our days, sometimes it seems like there are coincidences and things that happen at the same time and just the right moment. But we know that we serve the Lord who is in charge of every detail of our lives. So there really are no coincidences with Him. Therefore, there is no such thing as luck either. 

So instead of saying, “You are lucky,” when something good happens to someone or to yourself, say, “You are blessed.” Or if you’re telling a story and talking about yourself, say, “I am blessed that…” 

I realize that this word, “blessed,” is used by many as well. But, I still think it is a simple swap because you are turning your heart to God and there is a chance for others to turn to Him as well, or at the very least, be aware of His presence in blessing you.

4. “By chance” to “By God’s Grace”

Chance is another word that is similar to “lucky.” Many today believe that all the world operates by chance. R. C. Sproul said, “Some have taken the word chance, which has no power, and used it as a replacement for the concept of God. But the truth, as the Bible makes clear, is that nothing happens by chance and that all things are under the sovereign government of God, which is exceedingly comforting to the Christian who understands it.” [What Can We Know About God?, Pg. 66].

So, when you’re starting your next story of how you reconnected with an old friend after seeing them at the store or how you just happened to be driving by when your neighbor needed help, say, “By God’s grace” instead of just “by chance.” 

Not only is the statement true, for we live and move and have our being in God (Acts 17:28), but it also opens up another avenue of pointing to God’s common grace in your life which is often left out of conversation.

5. “That’s great!” to “Praise the Lord!” 

When I hear good news from someone, I often use the phrase, “That’s wonderful!” And, while it’s a totally true statement, I would much rather say, “Praise the Lord!” My daughter has actually picked up on this one and she now says “Praise the Lord!” for almost everything… finding roly polies on our walks, taking a bite of a maple donut, getting a package at the door.

It is usually her words that remind me to also praise the Lord for every little thing. All blessings do flow from Him.

6. “Oh my goodness/OMG” to “Wow’

Now, this one might just be the hardest swap of all… I don’t know if I should label it as “simple.” 

Saying “oh my God” is such a common thing nowadays (maybe it’s always been and I just don’t know). So common that I’m sure we say it without even giving it a second thought. Or, if we do give it a second thought, we replace it with “oh my goodness.” I would argue that both of these exclamations are not a good choice. Let’s look at them one by one.

“Oh My God”

Hopefully… I mean, Lord-willing, you can decipher for yourself why I would caution against this phrase. But I’ll give you my thoughts just in case. When we say, “oh my God,” as an exclamation it is really just that, an exclamation. The definition of an exclamation is “a sharp or sudden utterance” in the Merriam Webster dictionary.

Now, what does that definition tell us? That when we exclaim it is a sudden reaction to whatever happened or was heard. So, when we say God’s name as an exclamation we are simply using it instead of another word. We are not referring to God in prayer, or calling to Him for help, or even telling Him about the situation that made us say the words. No, we are just using the phrase as an exclamation. We also use this phrase similarly as an interjection (interjecting it into a sentence or to interrupt someone else because we are astounded by what they are saying.)

As believers we are supposed to lift God’s name up high (see Isaiah 52:13-15), to venerate it, to hold it in high authority over us. One of the ten commandments instructs us to not take the Lord’s name in vain (Exodus 20:7). So if we’re supposed to have God’s name high and lifted up, sacred, then how can we simply, glibly say it as exclamation or interjection?

God and His name should be held in high esteem and treasured. We should not be glibly throwing it around or saying it just because we can’t think of something else to say.

How we treat God’s name shows how we view God. If your view of God is big, you think about how great, awesome, powerful, holy, mighty, and just He is (among other things), you won’t be saying His name at every surprise that comes your way. And the opposite is also true. If you do not see God as high and lifted up, holy and true, it would be easy to throw His precious name around at every turn.

This is why I think it would serve us well to swap out this phrase for something else. We want to carry a high view of God and His righteous works in our hearts at all times so that we can honor Him and point others to Him. 

“Oh My Goodness”

Okay, so, don’t think I’m crazy. But I don’t think you should say “oh my goodness” instead of “oh my God.” I know, I know, you’re probably saying some interjections right now. But let me explain.

God is the definition of good. Because He is the one, true, holy God, He is goodness itself. In theological terms, James Dolezal says, “In [God’s] essence, it is not one thing to be good, another to be wise, another to be powerful, and so on. Rather, the reality in virtue of which all these things are truly said of God is nothing but His own simple divinity. Properly speaking, God is good by virtue of God, not goodness… And when we say that God is goodness itself… we do not mean that these are so many really distinct parts or forms in God, but simply that He is all that is involved in these terms by virtue of His own divine essence as such. … There is nothing in God that is not identical with His divinity, nothing that is not just God Himself.” [All That Is In God, James Dolezal, pg. 43]

So, when we choose to replace “oh my God” with “oh my goodness” and God IS all goodness, we are essentially still saying, “oh my God.” We are still flippantly speaking about God [goodness] and we are not revering God and His name as we should. 

That’s why I do not think we should say “oh my goodness” instead of “oh my God.” To me, it is just as bad as “OMG” and it only serves as filler words with no meaning, which should not be the case when we talk about our Lord and Savior, our holy and good God. 

Instead of saying these phrases, I’m working on saying, “Wow!” “How cool!” or “What?!” This is probably the hardest switch, and I don’t know if I’d label it as “simple.” So, so many people, even Christians, say these two phrases for everything. So I find myself wanting to say it all the time! But it is even more opportunity to turn my heart to the Lord and the true power of His name so that I revere Him and respect Him in what I say.

Our Speech Reflects Our Heart

That is really what this post is all about. I touched on it before, but how we see God in our own hearts directs how we speak and talk. Jesus even said that “out of the heart, the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34).

So, maybe we need to start first by checking our hearts. Do we see God as the one, true, holy God who created the world by His voice, who guides our every action, who sent His only Son to die in our place, who is preparing a wonderful place for all who believe in Him? I pray that we will see God in this way and let our words reflect what is in our hearts. Then we will be able to say with the Psalmist, “With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the Lord; and in the midst of many I will praise Him.”


Give it a try! Make some of these simple switches and let me know how it works in your own heart and life. Just leave a comment below with what you did.

Related Posts:

The Structure of the Psalms | God’s Faithfulness

How to Manage Phone Time | And Why It Matters!

How to Dwell in God’s Word | Even When You’re Busy!

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Selfless Motherhood
Risen Motherhood | Christian Mom Book Review

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. 17 Dressing Modestly | Theology of Clothing
  • Ep. 16 Snakes, Deception, and Clothing | Genesis 3:1-7 | Book by Book
  • What to Watch With Your Children | Naptime Theologian Approved Shows and Movies
  • Ep. 15 Screen Time and Our Kids | How to Glorify God
  • Sabbath Rest | Calvin’s Comments | Genesis 2

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    Deborah Gandi
    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
    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 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 ⬇️⬇️⬇️
    This is 27! 🎉 Pictured: 1) stopping to smell t This is 27! 🎉 
Pictured: 1) stopping to smell the roses at the oldest botanic garden in England, 2) finally learning how to do sourdough bread this weekend, 3) learning the laws of cricket as we watch Dada play, 4) drinking lots of water and meat stock (not at the same time 😆), 5) starting a garden with my friends!
Not pictured: the ups and downs of living in a foreign country, the frustrations and joys of training a 4-year-old, seeing God's faithfulness in little and big ways. ❤️
    I started growing a garden! Here in England there I started growing a garden! Here in England there are allotments provided by the city council so that residents can rent a plot and start a garden. I've really wanted to do one on my own, but decided that that would be too much work for just one person (who doesn't know much about gardening, mind you), so I have joined a couple of friends to work on a full-size plot together. It's about the size of a tennis court! We have already worked hard in the last weeks to get some plants planted for this year so that we can hopefully harvest some veggies at the end of this season. It has been a lot of fun and an excellent way to get outside more! Aletheia enjoys playing while we are planting, digging, and caring for our garden.
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As you can imagine working in the garden is already teaching me a lot, I didn't know much about gardening other than helping my family when I was a child. But it is also teaching me a lot about the Christian life. Isn't it kind of the Lord to provide hobbies that also show us about Him? Working outside day by day in the garden has made me think so much about this word: cultivation.
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Cultivation is a lot of hard work. You have to dig down deep, ruffle up the ground, and pull out all of the weeds and trash and old plants that are in there so that you can grow new ones. Isn't that a good picture of when you become a Christian? The Lord breaks up the rough ground in your heart, starts removing the junk and sin, and plants the fruit of the Spirit within you. All the digging has also made me think, what am I cultivating in my life? Am I cultivating the fruit of the Spirit? Obviously, they are called the fruit of the Spirit because it is God who works in us, but God does call us to "work out our own salvation" and to "walk worthy of the calling to which we are called." That means there's work for us to do as well!
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Making Bible reading a habit is just one way that we can cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in our own lives. That's why I have a brand-new Bible reading plan for you to join me in this summer: Psalms of the Summer 2022! Get it at the link in my bio (and stories). Today, June 1st, is the first day, so let's dig into Scripture together! 
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    Two little lines.  . Two little lines and I kne Two little lines. 

.

Two little lines and I knew,
Knew that in me was a little one: you.
Knew that the rest of my life would be different,
My time would go elsewhere, my choices would be rent.
There'd be laughter and joy, but also blood, sweat and tears,
Trials and triumphs over the years.

But how could I know in that moment of time,
How God would use those two little lines?
I didn't know that this life inside me,
Would humble me quick and force me to see,
That God is the one who gives strength to the weary,
He is the one who knows what each one will be.
He's had a plan straight from the start,
To mold and make His children have His heart.
Each part of our lives, even pregnancy, 
is planned by our Lord. Don't you agree?

When I first saw those lines I may have had doubts,
But Psalm 139 ushered them out.
Beautifully formed in the womb by God, 
This little baby was made to laud.
Honor and glory to God on the throne,
For this little one who made me her home.
I'm so grateful to Him for this journey of mine,
Though at times it's been hard and serpentine,
Each step has been worth it, I cannot deny.
And it all began with those two little lines.

.

.

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13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.   14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.   15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.   16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.   (Psalm 139:13-16, ESV)
    Let's talk about Lilacs. See this gate? It's the o Let's talk about Lilacs.
See this gate? It's the one I pull my bike and trailer out of multiple times a day. Each time, the flag that sticks up from my trailer catches on at least one of those slightly over-hanging branches. Now, I moved into my house last July and that bush was only green, I had no idea what it was. Every day since then I've hit it and tugged my bike flag past it just wondering why it's there, why no one has trimmed it back, and why does it have to get in my way as I head outside... Pretty annoyed with it, honestly!
Well, I felt pretty stupid about my on pettiness when one day last week, all these beautiful purple blooms opened up and now I smell the wonderful scent of lilacs each and every time I pull my bike and trailer past. This whole time I was frustrated and upset about one of the most beautiful things being in my way. Now I'm so thankful it's there for me to enjoy.
Obviously, I would NOT describe bumping into a lilac bush as a hard thing or a trial but it did make me think...
We go through hard things in life and then remember them afterward with sorrow or pain. But then God being the compassionate and merciful God that He is redeems those hard things and teaches us something new. Then we can look back and be thankful for what He's done in our lives and enjoy the gifts He's given through difficulty. This must be part of why Peter encourages us to "count it all joy" when we fall into various trials. He knew they would result in "praise, glory, and honor" to Jesus Christ our Lord.
    This is me, wandering through a 16th-century cathe This is me, wandering through a 16th-century cathedral finding where the light seeps through the stained glass windows. Maybe you're new and wondering how I got here...
1. Married the man of my dreams 7 years ago after meeting in college.
2. Worked full time for Joni and Friends while my new husband was in seminary.
3. Stopped working to stay at home with my new-born daughter after 3 years.
4. Started learning SO much as a new mom that I had to write about it in blog form.
5. My husband finished seminary and got accepted into Oxford University's doctorate program... Was not sure it would work out due to the vid.
6. Amazingly, the Lord saw fit for us to move to England and live here for a few years.
7. Now we run in any and every little chapel or big cathedral we pass... Most are breathtaking, not all have as much stained glass as this one though. 😉
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I am so thankful for all the adventures we've had so far here in England. And I'm thankful to share some of it with you all in these little squares on IG. I always seek to share what I'm learning, struggling with, and discovering about God and His Word (theology), Bible study, and motherhood. We have had many visitors to our little corner of England lately so I've been busy playing tour guide. I'm looking forward to a more normal week this week and getting back into our routine of school and housework.
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 What are you looking forward to this week? Let me know in a comment! Thanks for being here. ❤️
    I love being a mom, but sometimes I love getting t I love being a mom, but sometimes I love getting to watch him be a dad even more. ❤️
    Man, this Spurgeon devotional cut to the quick and Man, this Spurgeon devotional cut to the quick and stepped on my toes. How often do I take sin lightly in my words? Actions? Thoughts? Swipe through to read it all! ❤️
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#spurgeonquotes #spurgeon #devotional #graceupongrace
    “Mothering can seem an isolated occupation unrel “Mothering can seem an isolated occupation unrelated to anything beyond the immediate needs of the family, but there is no more natural way for a mother to influence her world for Christ than through her own children. We will touch few lives with more intensity than the children God has placed in our homes.” – Jean Fleming

Mamas, your home is your mission field. Want to make a difference in the world? Be at home with your children and raise them in God’s ways. I remember being a teenager and longing to go overseas as a missionary. I even took classes in college to learn how to teach English as a second language. Then I got married and later had a baby. So… I’d be stuck at home from now on? Yes, but from now on my home IS my mission field. And how convenient that I don’t have to fly on a plane, eat different food, or take Malaria medication in order to serve there. I simply have to wake up in the morning and say, “Here I am, Lord, on the mission field you’ve stuck me in, use me!”

I simply loved this piece of art at the Ashmolean museum. Here’s a mama impacting her world one baby cuddle at a time. ❤️

#Christianmotherhood #christianparenting #sahm #motheringforchrist #motherhoodquotes
    God graciously created male and female from the sa God graciously created male and female from the same origin. That makes women and men equals. They’re both created specially by God, formed by Him, and formed for a special purpose: to be together.

God also graciously gave us specific roles for both male and female to possess and live out. Because they were created equally, Adam could see himself in Eve, hence the line “bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh.” And because Eve was created out of Adam, she could willingly submit to him knowing that they were created equally by God. Calvin pointed out that if man and woman were created from two separate origins, there would be strife and contention because they would start off pitted against each other. And then Calvin went on to say, “Something was taken from Adam, in order that he might embrace, with greater benevolence, a part of himself.” God graciously created man and woman to have the same origin so that they could live together in harmony.

What are your thoughts?

#genesisstudy #genesis2 #biblestudy #creation #theologymatters
    Remember from Genesis 1 that as God created the ea Remember from Genesis 1 that as God created the earth, He looked back over what He had created and saw that it was good. This is stated multiple times: “God saw that it was good, God saw that it was good, God saw that it was good.”

Then we come to Genesis 2:18 and what do we read? “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.’”

This is called a malediction. You’re probably familiar with a benediction, where you get blessed at the end of the church service. But when God said, “It is not good.” That is a bad saying, or a recognition of something bad. So the very first thing in the Bible that receives a bad saying or a malediction from God is human loneliness.

Now we all want to be alone sometimes. And I especially think of moms with young children when it comes to wanting peace and quiet and aloneness. But that is not what God is saying is bad here in Genesis 2:18. What He declares to be “not good” is that Adam doesn’t have anyone like him with which to live.

The rest of the Genesis chapter 2 tells us how God graciously created woman to be the perfect helpmate to man. New blog and podcast linked in my stories.

#genesis #Genesis2 #bookbybook #theologyforeverymom
    Here I am standing in my kitchen full of groceries Here I am standing in my kitchen full of groceries. And here are my top 5 tips for you to get some time in the Bible today:
1. Pull out the alarm clock and wake up before your family. It's hard, but worth it.
2. Pull out your Bible and let it fall open on either the dining room table or your kitchen counter. It'll most likely fall to Psalms where you can easily read a chapter in 1-2 minutes.
3. Pull out the pencils, crayons, and paper and read a chapter to your kids while they color. 🖍️
4. Pick a Bible verse to memorize with your kids and teach them hand motions. Maybe the fruit of the Spirit? Maybe Ephesians 1? Go for it!
5. Pull out your smartphone and download the Bible.is app, now you can listen to Scripture being read to you while you wash dishes or put the groceries away like me. 🙌
I find that Bible reading often doesn't happen because I haven't trained myself to think that even a little bit of the Word each day is better than nothing for it's the Bible that is "living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." I definitely need it throughout my day! 
What's your go-to way to get the Bible in your day? Leave a comment to let me know!
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(Hebrews 4:12)
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#biblestudy #proverbs31mom #motheringforchrist #christianmotherhood
    If you ever feel scatter brained and wonder what y If you ever feel scatter brained and wonder what you are going to make for dinner, you need to go through my stories today! Meal planning has really saved me so much time as a mom/homemaker. It also helps me to stay in our budget. Speaking of budgets, this is not my table, it's from Blenheim Palace. 😉 Blog post linked in stories.
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#homemakingtips #wearehomemakers #homemaker #mealplanning #proverbs31mom
    Someone at church on Sunday asked me what my job w Someone at church on Sunday asked me what my job was and when I said that I stay home with my daughter full time she said excitedly, "Ooh! That is the dream job!" I was surprised by her comment, but she's definitely right! Being at home to nurture my daughter and care for our family is definitely my dream job. And I'm so blessed to share what I'm learning with you all here on IG. ❤️ Some of my favorite things about being a SAHM are:
-waking up with my toddler next to me.
-making breakfast with her on the counter.
-reading through the Bible together and answering her questions.
-trying out new gluten-free recipes.
-fixing her hair into braids.
-cleaning the bathroom together.
-no rush to be places or to work on time, my work is right in front of me all day.
What's your favorite thing about being a SAHM/homemaker? Let me know in a comment! 😘
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#sahm #stayathomemom #traditionalmom #traditionalwife
    Have you read the whole Bible? What about the whol Have you read the whole Bible? What about the whole Bible in a year? What about reading the whole Bible in just one month?! Well, I was able to get through the whole Bible last month and I have to tell you all about it. 

This past month of January, I took up a challenge to read the whole Bible in one month. To be honest, I didn’t plan to do this and jumped in rather spontaneously. But now that I’ve come through to the end of the month and the end of the Bible reading, I am very thankful I got to give it a try. 

Reading through the Bible in a month (or about 30 days) was very different than how I’ve read my Bible before which helped me learn a lot, and I think if you were to challenge yourself to read the whole Bible in 30 days, you’d learn a lot too. So today I’m sharing 4 lessons that I learned by personally reading the Bible in about one month. New blog and podcast linked in my stories.
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#biblestudy #biblereading #biblereadingplan #deeplyrooted #womenintheword
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