Gems in the Web 10/25/13

But this is the way that I see it. Those things that I consider part of my personality – loving to decorate, loving to cook, wanting things to be beautiful and organized and perfectly crafty and satisfying. I believe in these things. But I believe in them as things that I can use to honor my Creator. Back in the days when I wasn’t being challenged, these things came naturally, and I believed in them because I could cobble together reasons that they were good. But they primarily came from my own strength. I could be that way without really any pushback. So God brought the push back. He made it take more than the capacity I think I have to do these things. He said to me, “I know you like it, and you think you believe it. Now I’d like to see you do it without yourself.” God isn’t interested in my strength. He is interested in my obedience in weakness. Do you hear that? God said enough with my hobbies and my preferences. Lets see about her obedience and her faith.

Read the rest of Gel Pen Faith over at the Femina blog.

A woman wrote: “I was raised with this idea that being at home is best just as you believe. So I have been at home with my babies since I was twenty. I don’t know that this was the right choice for me but then again it wasn’t really a choice for me, it was expected from me by all our homeschooling conservative friends and family….I was told this was the best way and I would be content at home. 15 years into it I’m tired. I know that homeschooling and homemaking don’t fulfill me…Please give your girls the freedom to make this choice for themselves.” -Katie

But what about this letter from a man? “I was raised with this idea that providing for my family is best just as you believe. So I have had a job since I was twenty. I don’t know that this was the right choice for me but then again it wasn’t really a choice for me, it was expected from me by all my friends and family….I was told this was the best way and I would be content working. 15 years into it I’m tired. I know that providing for my family doesn’t fulfill me…Please give your boys the freedom to make this choice for themselves.”

Read the rest of The Funny Little Thing About Women’s Choice at Generation Cedar.

Remember way back when President Obama declared that “America is no longer a Christian nation.”? The chatter in Christian circles was, for the most part, indignant. How could he say such a thing? Of course America is a Christian nation! Aren’t we here?

The headlines should have read “Obama Tells First Truth of Political Career”, or “Christians Outraged at Unexpected Truthfulness from Politician”. Instead, on right-leaning websites, I recall (if my memory serves me) article after article insisting on the historical and current Christianity of the citizens of our nation.  But, as Jesus said, you will know His followers by their fruits, and the fruit of this nation is 4,000 unborn killed every day, unjust wars, an ever-expanding debt, lurid entertainment raking in hundreds of millions of dollars a year, yearly celebrations of death, and sexual immorality of all kinds, while the only known public moral code is “Whatever, man. No right to judge.”

Read the rest of Homeschooling to Change the Culture at Get Along Home.

The Bible is not silent on the subject of masturbation. It does not leave us guessing. It’s true that Scripture never mentions masturbation specifically. However, because the Bible does speak thoroughly and explicitly about sexuality and sinful lust, it doesn’t have to speak explicitly about something so closely related as masturbation.

Let’s look at two ways we can know that the Bible speaks to masturbation without ever naming it.

Read the rest of God’s Truth on Your Secret Sexual Sin over at the Lies Young Women Believe blog.

Good storytelling should not wring from us an embarrassed grin, but a thunderous shout of glad rejoicing. For in telling stories, man is like his Maker. Our imitations are feeble, yes, but imitations they remain. The imago Dei is scarred, battered, and broken, but it is there nonetheless, and it is not easy to forget. “How is it possible to delight in stories?” they ask. “How is it possible not to?” we reply. So the question is turned on the accuser and the warrior falls on his own sword.

Read the rest of Casting Out Pearls: Men and Reading Fiction by 18 year old Cory Poff

Grace and peace to you this week end!