Talk: It gives LIFE or DEATH

I just picked up The Power of Words and the Wonder of God. (I believe it's a book that came out of a Desiring God Conference). The first chapter I'm reading is by one of my favorite authors Paul David Tripp. I could probably quote his whole chapter but I'll just leave you with a few:

"The book of Proverbs is, in ways, a treatise on talk. I would summarize it this way: words give life; words bring death-you choose. What does this mean? It means you have never spoken a neutral word in your life. Yours words have direction to them. If your words are moving in the life direction, they will be words of encouragement, hope, love, peace, unity, instruction, wisdom, and correction. But if your words are moving in a death direction, they will be words of anger, malice, slander, jealousy, gossip, division, contempt, racism, violence, judgement, and condemnation. Your words have direction to them. When you hear the word talk you ought to hear something that is high and holy and significant and important. May God help us to never look at talk as something that doesn't matter." (p24)


"...it is only when I love God above all else that I will love my neighbor as myself. It's only when God is the rightful place in my life that I will treat you with the love that I have received from him. Brothers and sisters, hear this: you don't fix the language problems, communication problems, and word problems horizontally; you fix them vertically." (p37)


"Word problems are heart problems." (p30)


(embolden & underline are my emphasis)

Post Pregnancy Pants

I don’t exactly fit my pre-pregnancy pants…and the ones that I do fit-they aren’t without that cute little muffin top-which means my tops are limited b/c that’s just not something that I want to accentuate.  Honestly, getting ready for church is one of the most frustrating times with that muffin top…it’s so hot in our house at that time of the day and most of the time I started getting ready too late. So it’s typical for me to feel hot, rushed and of course LARGE!

I have to say it’s been a grace of God that I have a friend who gave birth 6 weeks after me-so we feel gross together and I think it gives us a sense of normalcy-but what is it about not fitting into your pants that just really makes something go off inside of you?! It’s H-A-R-D! Post pregnancy body is not fun.

As I’ve talked with her it’s been so revealing. And I can see through my tears and frustration before church that I value so much of the way I look above more things than I’d like to admit. And as my friend asked…Is this something new? Or has it always been there? This vanity of mine- I can’t get away from it. Lord, help me! I think it’s always been there, but it’s post-pregnancy times like this that show me how deep it goes. And it goes deep my friend. Very deep.

So as I was reading from 1 Peter 1: 24, 25 last week I found myself relating to a verse that I thought I’d cling to more when I was maybe 60 years-old or so. Here is the verse:

All flesh is like grass, all it’s glory like the flower of grass.

The grass withers, and the flower falls,

But the word of the Lord remains forever.

And the word is the good news that was preached to you.

(60 years is not when your body really starts to wither…Haha apparently it’s 25.)

 So, Peter, what you are telling me is that my flesh is withering? Okay. For real I get it because when I grasp at it, it slips through my fingers. Note to self: Heather, it’s only down hill from here. Don’t grasp at it like it will last forever and bring you all your happiness, there’s only One that will do that.

Only the Word of the Lord remains forever. And what is the Word? The Good News that was preached to you! Oh man, Lord, help me to remember it and love it! 

Little Dublin girl tells the story of St. Patrick

 If you are looking for something to show your children about St. Patrick this year here are a couple of videos we showed the preschoolers today. The first one is super cute but may be hard for kids to understand b/c of the heavy accent. I love it b/c the story is being retold by a little girl from Dublin in the 1960's. I wish I had the transcripts of everything she's saying. Here is the back ground on it from YouTube:

"This series, including the original Oscar-nominated short, from Brown Bag Films is based upon the 1960s recordings of young children telling Bible stories in a classroom to their schoolteacher. When a film crew arrives at an inner city Dublin National School to record the children, the result is a warm, funny and spontaneous animated documentary, featuring young children telling the story of John the Baptist, The birth of Jesus, the Crucifixion, Saint Patrick and others...."

All things family...

Tell your children what Hitler did- From Desiring God Blog John Piper briefly tells why it's important to your children the atrocities Hitler committed.

How we should think about "Self-Worth" From Desiring God Blog John Piper answers some questions surrounding "Self-Esteem"

Out of the rubble: Courageous Motherhood A story about how one mom lost two legs protecting her children from tornados and how her story reminds us of Christ's love.

What every man wishes his father told him- It's a new book. Read the review here by Tim Challies

Our Children are spring-loaded for worship From Desiring God Blog- John Piper talks about an experience with grandchildren.

The Gospel or Karma: Do your kids know the difference? From the Shepherd Press Blog

Lessons from a Newly-Wed: Husband Worship Guest Post from a Newly Wed on Husband worship. See her very own blog The Nava Nest.

Is motherhood all it's cracked up to be? Guest Post from a new mom on her new experiences and how she is seeing the gospel.

Lessons from a Newly Wed: Husband Worship

Suzie Nava is a newly-wed. As a newly wed she's been going through a lot of change. She's in an entirely different culture! Though she is far, she and her husband are part of our church family, and thought I'd ask her to write about what she is learning out there in La Paz. Here is her encouraging post!

I am a beyond blessed newly-wed to the man of my dreams.     I enjoy every moment of it, even its challenging times, but have much to learn on this new journey of ours. My husband and I have temporarily moved to La Paz, Mexico, where I desperately needed to learn/practice my Spanish speaking skills, as it my major in college. However, along with this move and being married I underwent a lot of change in environment and culture simultaneously. As a result, I encountered some difficulties such as learning how and what it means to be  a wife (which it’s a process), learning to cook, adjusting to the Mexican culture and language barrier, making friendships and finding community, as well as being productive with my time. 

During this time I have been up and down in emotions, yet my husband has been so patient and tender in meeting my needs and helping me to adjust, which just radiates Jesus to me, constantly directing me to Jesus and His sanctifying grace. What an incredible role God has blessed us with in being a husband or wife to be an example to world of God’s perfect love and faithfulness to  His people and  honoring us to mirror this sweet relationship (Ephesians 5:22-33).  But at the same time I have to be careful to not make my husband my savior or idol and be sure to keep my eyes fixed  on the true Savior, Jesus, knowing that He is the only one who will never disappoint me.

And so this brings me to worship and had to ask myself, where is my worship rooted? In What Did You Expect Paul David Tripp discusses worship as “ you attach your identity, your meaning and purpose, and your inner sense of well-being to something” and further explains that we either get these things horizontally (from creation) or vertically (from our Creator and Father in Heaven).  And so this challenged me in checking whom and where I was placing my worship—on the temporary circumstances, my husband, appearance, etc—instead of focusing on the truth and sweet joy of Jesus.  Our sin, well my sin, causes me to focus on myself and make me concerned most for myself, yet we are to “no longer live for [ourselves], but for him who died for [us] and [rose] again” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). Thankfully  God’s grace brings myself to an end in living for the flesh, my  selfishness, and into an identity in Christ, making my meaning and purpose to rest in Him. And through this truth, daily I am able to rest in Christ’s love and learn to love my husband, adjust to change, and make every opportunity a chance to reflect His love to others.

Through the past months I have learned many things like how to be a better wife (and taking joy in every part—even cleaning) and creating a strong deep foundation for our marriage with Jesus being the center. I have come to be so grateful for what I have, taking the littlest things for granted like hot water and embracing a much more simple life as do the citizens here in La Paz do. Or being vulnerable in making friendships and even speaking Spanish when I am out and about, instead of always relying on my husband : ) But thankful to say that I am close to being fluent—it’s just a matter of stepping outside my comfort zone. And of course learning to trust in the Lord always (2 Corinthians 3:14). Yet, like I mentioned above it is still indeed a process, and I am learning to pick up my cross daily. Many blessings!

Need of Grace

Loving me some puritans prayers right now :) This one in particular was especially sweet. Do you ever feel so sinful, so cold, and unable to muster up any affections to the One who saved you from death? This prayer is so real and I love it. Sometimes we feel may that way-maybe for just a day- or maybe for months. May God warm our hearts to his love. May we have the faith to believe in His goodness to us wicked sinners....pray along with me...


O Lord,
Thou knowest my great unfitness for service
my present deadness,
my inability to do anything for thy glory,
my distressing coldness of heart.
I am weak, ignorant, unprofitable,
and loathe and abhor myself.
I am at a loss to know what thou wouldest have me do,
for I feel amazingly deserted by thee,
and sense thy presence so little;
Thou makest me possess the sins of my youth,
and the dreadful sin of my nature,
so that I feel all sin,
I cannot think or act but every motion is sin.
Return again with showers of converting grace
to a poor gospel-abusing sinner.
Help my soul to breathe after holiness,
after a constant devotedness to thee,
after growth in grace more abundantly every day.
O Lord, I am lost in the pursuit of this blessedness,
And am ready to sink because I fall short of my desire;
Help me to hold out a little longer,
until the happy hour of deliverance comes,
for  I cannot lift my soul to thee
if thou of thy goodness bring me not nigh.
Help me to be diffident, watchful, tender,
lest I offend my blessed Friend
in thought and behavior;
I confide in thee and lean upon thee,
and need thee at all times to assist and lead me.
O that all my distresses and apprehensions
might prove Christ's school
to make me fit for greater service
by teaching me the great lesson of humility

-Valley of Vision, Need of Grace ( A collection of puritan prayers & devotions)

Guest Post: Is motherhood all it's cracked up to be?

Doesn't it seem like there are a lot of new babies when you look at your FB friends? Well, I thought I'd ask one or two momma's I know to share their experience as a new mom and how it has pointed them back to Jesus. This is Ysabel. Besides being a good friend, she's also a stay at home mom, and wife to seminary student :) Their son, Adiah, was given to them December 28th 2011 looking just like his daddy. May you be encouraged by her post...

Ysabel & Adiah

Motherhood. It’s what I’ve always dreamed about. Well, to be a wife AND a mother is what I’ve always dreamed about. Now I’m just that, a wife to the most amazing man and a mother to a beautiful baby boy. 

Is it all it’s cracked up to be? Yes and no. 

I love being a wife! I’m married to a man who loves me endlessly, who reminds me that my righteousness is not in my ability to keep a clean house but in Jesus. Who encourages me to have dreams and to pursue them. Who is such an example to me by how he loves our Savior! So yes, marriage was exactly what I thought: pure bliss!! So why wouldn’t being a mother be the same?? That’s where I was dead wrong! From the time he implanted in my uterus, it has been the start of a VERY sanctifying journey.  

Being a mom is very hard work. It’s a round the clock kind of work. There are moments when I think, “I really wanted this??” or “if he cries another minute, I’m gonna cry,” “sleep. That’s all I want, sleep.” Then there are moments where I look at him and my heart feels like it will burst because I just love him so much that I can barley handle it. Or when he’s snuggled on me and sleeping so sweetly I think “Please, please don’t ever grow up.” I’m such a bag of mixed emotions these days.

But one thing is for certain, idols are being exposed! Like One. Right.  After.  Another. One of the many is my need for comfort. Pregnancy was the most uncomfortable 39 weeks. Recovery after having him wasn’t fun either and being sleep deprived hasn’t been a walk through the park. But what I’m learning and having to be reminded of is that I’m not promised a comfortable life nor am I entitled to one. There is one thing in this life that I am entitled to and that is hell (Rom. 3:23). When I think of that I’m reminded of my NEED-my need for someone bigger than myself and my lack of sleep. I’m reminded that I need something that has more strength to get me through the day than my tall iced coffee. One who will make my idols “fall to the ground on their faces” (1 Sam. 5:3-5).That One is Jesus. His life didn’t revolve around what made him most comfortable and if anyone was entitled to a comfortable life it would have been Him. He suffered a horrific death on the cross so that a selfish sinful girl (me) could be forgiven (1Cor. 15:3-5).  So motherhood may not be all that I dreamed it would be, no, but it is refining me and making me cling to the Gospel more than I ever have before, so I’ll take it! :)

God is in Control of Rosie's Life

When you have a newborn it's almost expected that you keep her home from the filthy germs of the outside world for about month before bringing her into public places. (Actually the birthing class instructor recommended more than that). However, the more I read about it, it seems more like on old wives tale more than anything. My pediatrician and the classes I took from Kaiser never said anything about this. And the pregnancy bible (What to Expect when you are expecting) said that unless it's under 20 degrees , over 90 degrees, or during the flu season, there's really no need to keep a newborn indoors. BUT, for some reason I felt that it was the right thing to do, and seasoned mothers even praised us for it.

Our thinking was challenged by someone who loved our souls enough to challenge it. He asked us to search our hearts and make sure we weren't keeping Rosie home to give us a false sense of being in control of her life. Does that make sense? When our intentions were questioned it was hard but good. I just started crying to James and said "But what if she catches something and dies?" As I thought about it more, I realized she was home with me when James was at church b/c we didn't want people touching her yet, or holding her. I was home with Rosie b/c I thought thats what good moms do (I was also in quite a bit of pain). But the truth was that, she could have got sick at home, or hurt at home.

An encounter with a spider made this even more clear to me. I left her on the bed to nap for a bit.  When I came in to check on her, there was a nasty looking spider chillin by her head. I smacked it with my hand immediately and texted James about how Rosie didn't get a bite.  His text back to me was "I guess God really is control, huh?" Yea, I guess so!

We kept her home, as means to be in control of her health...but the truth is anything could happen to her at any moment. Whether it happens at home or out of the home, God is control of her life, not me. Whether you keep your baby home for a bit after she's born or not, remember God is control of her life, not you. May that sweet truth release you from the expectations of others, and worries of your mind.

Side Note: I don't look down on anybody who keeps their babies home! I know each situation is different and after you give birth to a baby just walking around is not an easy task-so home sometimes is just better. But it's so good for us to check our hearts or have our hearts checked by someone that loves us so that we don't think we are in control of the lives of our precious little babies. 

All things Family...

I don't have time to read every single post of the blogs I follow but before clearing my blog roll I always skim for topics about family life-especially parenting and children. Here are the ones that I found and liked this past week or so. Hope you find some helpful.

Some Thoughts on Guns and YouTube Scoldings as Parenting Tools Remember that video of a Father putting his daughter on blast b/c she wrote badly about her parents on FB? Here are some thoughts on that as a response.

How Shame and Guilt can Enter Into Parenting "You're not going to eat after I worked so hard on it?" "There are starving children in Africa" "Do you know how I hard I work to put food on your plate?" Sound familiar? Here's a great video on why those things can be destructive and devoid of the gospel.

How to help your husband when he's crticized C.J. Mahaney and his wife, Carolyn, talk about how to be a helper to your husband when he is being criticized by the church/family/friends. Good things to keep in mind!

Kids Feel What Parents Expressively Feel A video by John Piper on an experience he had with his grandchildren.

Teach Children the Bible is Not About Them (Thanks Chrisha) A great post by Author Sally Lloyd Jones of The Jesus Story Book Bible