The Week That Was

Ten books. That’s what we featured on this week’s Mid-Mornings. Three were children’s books and the rest covered a divergent group of topics, which is what (I think) makes Mid-Morning so appealing.

On Monday’s “Author! Author!” Robert J. Morgan, author of Then Sings My Soul, called hymns “little portable units of praise,” I treasure their power to lastingly imprint God-truths on my soul.

Come Thou Fount captures the pull to have my own way and my plea for God to mark me with His Spirit until I’m Home:

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

Guide Me, O, Thou Great Jehovah, by its very title, paints a picture of an all-powerful God, whose muscular arm protects, defends, and provides spiritual food for His children. The last two lines are an ardent request and a praise!

Guide me, O thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land. 
I am weak, but thou art mighty;
Hold me with thy powerful hand. 
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
Feed me 'til I want no more;
Feed me 'til I want no more.

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty never ceases to amaze me with its two-sentence explanation of God's will.

Praise to the Lord
Who o'er all things so wonderfully reigneth
Shelters thee under His wings
Yea, so gladly sustaineth
Hast thou not seen how thy desires e'er have been
Granted in what He ordaineth

My husband rarely forwards anything You Tube-ish to me, so when he sent me Wintley Phipps explanation of The Black Keys, I knew it would be worth watching. Trust me, it is.




Tuesday, Zonya Foco, the energizer bunny of nutrition, shared her cold oatmeal recipe, which she promises is delicious. It’s kid- and adult-tested (her 12-year-old son, his sleepover friends, and Zonya’s overnight guests gobble it up). I’ve never met an oatmeal that didn’t trigger my gag reflex, but I’m thinking about giving Zonya’s a try.

Did you catch Wednesday’s show with Dr. John Townsend? The good doctor suggested we do a little role playing. Role playing! Was he crazy? My initial thought was to pull the “I’m-the-host-and-I-don’t-role-play” card. My palms were a sweaty mess. My heart was pumping so hard even my always-cold feet were getting blood. I had to remind myself to breathe slowly so I wouldn’t hyperventilate. But then I did something counterintuitive: I kicked fear to the curb and said, “Yes!” The out-of-my-comfort-zone moment was yet another chance to act on what I know is true: God has given me the call to host Mid-Morning and has/is/will supply what I need to do the job – including ideas for a spontaneous interplay. Who knew my prayer before going on the air that morning, a prayer that included declaring to God, I am ever mindful of the Lord’s presence. He is at my right hand. I shall never be shaken, and I can do all things through God Who gives me strength, would actually be answered that hour?

The One Who knows everything.

If I ruled the world, every current and future mother- and daughter-in-law would be required to read
Why Her? by Becky Hunter and her three daughters-in-law. Thursday’s Mid-Morning was a gentle yet unwavering spotlight aimed at the heart, and the ugly things that can prevent mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law from loving, serving and celebrating each other and the man they both love: her son and his wife.

Check out their blog for more advice. In the meantime, enjoy a few memorable quotes from their book.

"When our sons marry, we should transition from hands-on to “hands up” and celebrate that God loves to meet their needs.”

"Tradition all too easily can switch from being an historical aspect of a family to being the hysterical requirement of a family. When it comes right down to it, you are going to have to decide if the traditions you cherish matter more to you than to the very family that they were meant to strengthen.”

"Is your desire to be a blessing greater than your need to be blessed?”

Who isn’t a bit nervous or uncertain when it comes to sharing Christ with a family member or close friend? Friday’s guest, Randy Newman, author of Bringing the Gospel Home, put things in their right perspective with this gentle, essential reminder: “…the process of witnessing to family needs to begin in our hearts. For us to have fruitful outreach to our family, we need a wellspring of grace flowing from within.”

Ruth Graham (wife of Billy) knew a thing or two about witnessing to family member and learned to stop worrying once she figured out what was her part and what was God’s part in saving those she loved (taken from Prodigals and Those Who Love Them).

My Part (the possible):

Express love
To pray intelligently, logically, urgently, without ceasing, in faith
Enjoy being a mother (father, sister, brother, grandmother…)

God’s Part (the impossible):

Conviction of sin
Creating a hunger and thirst for righteousness
Conversion
Bringing to the place of total commitment
Continually filling us with His Holy Spirit for our sanctification and His service

Thanks, Ruth, for putting things in perspective.

The week-end is beckoning. It’s always nice to kick it off with a good laugh. This should do it.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/U5Bo5xAOXrk"