A Beautiful “Valley of Vision” Prayer

Continual Repentance

O God of grace,

Thou hast imputed my sin to my substitute,

and hast imputed his righteousness to my soul,

clothing me with a bridegroom’s robe,

decking me with jewels of holiness.

But in my Christian walk I am still in rags;

my best prayers are stained with sin;

my penitential tears are so much impurity;

my confessions of wrong are so many aggravations of sin;

my receiving the Spirit is tinctured with selfishness.

I need to repent of my repentance;

I need my tears to be washed;

I have no robe to bring to cover my sins,

no loom to weave my own righteousness;

I am always standing clothed in filthy garments,

and by grace am always receiving change of raiment,

for thou dost always justify the ungodly;

I am always going into the far country,

and always returning home as a prodigal,

always saying, Father, forgive me,

and thou art always bringing forth the best robe.

TheWhiteRobe

 

 

 

 

 

Every morning let me wear it,

every evening return in it,

go out to the day’s work in it,

be married in it,

be wound in death in it,

stand before the great white throne in it,

enter heaven in it shining as the sun.

Grant me never to lose sight of the exceeding sinfulness of sin,

the exceeding righteousness of salvation,

the exceeding glory of Christ,

the exceeding beauty of holiness,

the exceeding wonder of grace.

1 Comment
by Joshua C Grenier on September 15, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Other Articles
Tagged , , , , , , ,

Posted by Joshua C Grenier on September 15, 2012

https://greenearsandsham.wordpress.com/2012/09/15/a-beautiful-valley-of-vision-prayer/

Spiritual Comfort Food: Matthew

It probably seems strange, but my favorite gospel writer is Matthew. Matthew was the first account of the gospel I ever read through by myself and it is still the one I am most familiar with. I have been reading it through again slowly with Benaiah and stumbled upon a phrase….twice. Thus, I knew it was significant. Here it is.

Matthew 9:1-13

And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Matthew 12:1-13

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

He went on from there and entered their synagogue. And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse him. He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

As I studied further, I read of similar passages this would be referring to in the Old Testament.

1 Samuel 15:22

And Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.

Hosea 6:6

For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

I came to discover that all of these essential mean the same thing. I like how Adam Clarke’s commentary puts it best.

1st. That God prefers an act of mercy, shown to the necessitous, to any act of religious worship to which the person might be called at that time. Both are good; but the former is the greater good, and should be done in preference to the other.

2ndly. That the whole sacrificial system was intended only to point out the infinite mercy of God to fallen man, in his redemption by the blood of the new covenant. And

3rdly. That we should not rest in the sacrifices, but look for the mercy and salvation prefigured by them.

Nothing tends more to humble pretenders to devotion than to show them that they understand neither Scripture nor religion, when, relying on external performances, they neglect love to God and man, which is the very soul and substance of true religion. True holiness has ever consisted in faith working by love.

washingfeetofjesus.jpgGod’s desire is for us believers to be people of benevolence, kindness, mercy, and, above all, love. If you have not learned this, like I had not, take the advice of Jesus, “Go and learn (for yourself) what this means…”

Grace and Peace,

Josh

Leave a comment
by Joshua C Grenier on September 8, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Personal
Tagged , , , , , , ,

Posted by Joshua C Grenier on September 8, 2012

https://greenearsandsham.wordpress.com/2012/09/08/spiritual-comfort-food-matthew/

B. B. Warfield on the Essence of Christianity

‘Miserable Sinner Christianity’ by Warfield

It belongs to the very essence of the type of Christianity propagated by the Reformation that the believer should feel himself continuously unworthy of the grace by which he lives. At the center of this type of Christianity lies the contrast of sin and grace; and about this center everything else revolves. This is in large part the meaning of the emphasis put in this type of Christianity on justification by faith. It is its conviction that there is nothing in us or done by us, at any stage of our earthly development, because of which we are acceptable to God. We must always be accepted for Christ’s sake, or we cannot ever be accepted at all. This is not true of us only “when we believe.” It is just as true after we have believed. It will continue to be true as long as we live. Our need of Christ does not cease with our believing; nor does the nature of our relation to Him or to God through Him ever alter, no matter what our attainments in Christian graces or our achievements in Christian behavior may be. It is always on His “blood and righteousness” alone that we can rest. There is never anything that we are or have or do that can take His place, or that can take a place along with Him. We are always unworthy, and all that we have or do of good is always of pure grace. Though blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ, we are still in ourselves just “miserable sinners”: “miserable sinners” saved by grace to be sure, but “miserable sinners” still, deserving in ourselves nothing but everlasting wrath. That is the attitude which the Reformers took, and that is the attitude which the Protestant world has learned from the Reformers to take, toward the relation of believers to Christ.

Leave a comment
by Joshua C Grenier on September 1, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Other Articles
Tagged , , , , ,

Posted by Joshua C Grenier on September 1, 2012

https://greenearsandsham.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/b-b-warfield-on-the-essence-of-christianity/

We’ll get together when?

I’ll just say it….…I tend to stay up late. I can’t help it most nights. It’s like my brain won’t shut down and dozens of thoughts and ideas are running through my mind constantly. To remedy this I’ll drink some hot tea, maybe eat a snack.  I’ll try to read a book or the bible or sometimes just sit and pray and talk to God or myself. In some instances, I’ll tune into the TV and catch the latest boring infomercial. On one of those late nights, I chose the TV. On it was one of those Time Life presentations of music collections, this one being the “Singers and Songwriters” collection.  Curious enough I tuned in just as they showed a clip of Harry Chaplin singing “Cat’s in the Cradle.” As I heard him sing it I wondered what the song meant, because, even though I’d heard the song many times before I had not really thought about the lyrics.  Cats in the cradle…silver spoon…man on the moon?  What does it mean?  Of course the next morning I looked it up.  The video performance I watched was of Chaplin explaining why he wrote the song.  He says, “It’s about my boy, Josh.  And frankly the song scares me to death.” Sadly, Chaplin died in a car crash in 1981, just 7 years after this song was written, leaving his son, Josh, without a father.  To my knowledge, Chaplin was not known for being a Christian, but there is something uniquely reminiscent of biblical wisdom and family values hidden in this song.  Here are the lyrics:

My child arrived just the other day
He came to the world in the usual way
But there were planes to catch and bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away
And he was talkin’ ‘fore I knew it, and as he grew
He’d say “I’m gonna be like you dad
You know I’m gonna be like you”

And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin’ home dad?
I don’t know when, but we’ll get together then son
You know we’ll have a good time then

My son turned ten just the other day
He said, “Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let’s play
Can you teach me to throw”, I said “Not today
I got a lot to do”, he said, “That’s ok”
And he walked away but his smile never dimmed
And said, “I’m gonna be like him, yeah
You know I’m gonna be like him”

And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin’ home dad?
I don’t know when, but we’ll get together then son
You know we’ll have a good time then

Well, he came home from college just the other day
So much like a man I just had to say
“Son, I’m proud of you, can you sit for a while?”
He shook his head and said with a smile
“What I’d really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys
See you later, can I have them please?”

And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin’ home son?
I don’t know when, but we’ll get together then dad
You know we’ll have a good time then

I’ve long since retired, my son’s moved away
I called him up just the other day
I said, “I’d like to see you if you don’t mind”
He said, “I’d love to, Dad, if I can find the time
You see my new job’s a hassle and kids have the flu
But it’s sure nice talking to you, Dad
It’s been sure nice talking to you”

And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me
He’d grown up just like me
My boy was just like me

And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin’ home son?
I don’t know when, but we’ll get together then dad
You know we’ll have a good time then

Oh, how timeless these words, these truths, are.  I find it daunting that even in 1974, without the monstrous burden of cellphones, smart phones, cable TV and DVR, computers, laptops and ipads, facebook and twitter, ESPN on 2 dozen channels 24-7, and nearly every video game console imaginable, that distractions away from the family, especially children, were a great cause for concern.

My only question now is, are they still?

Does this song “scare you to death?”…..It should.

We live in a world with enormously more common disruptions than the world Harry Chaplin sang about.  We have many more planes to catch, many more and larger bills to pay, many more things to do, and on top of it all, the world of entertainment and the internet has saturated our lives so much that most parents, especially fathers, have no real relationship at all with their children. It’s like it’s become a virtue to be so distracted and busy, we don’t know whether were coming or going.  And one day, many of us fathers are going to wake up and see our worst nightmare has become a reality, if we even stop long enough to take notice.

So why is this a problem?  Well, let’s look at a few, but certainly not the only, bible verses on parenting.

Proverbs 22:6

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

 

Deuteronomy 6:6-9

“These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

 

Ephesians 6:4

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

To simplify, the bible is calling us parents to stop to take the time as daily as possible, every chance we get, to train, discipline, and instruct our children about the Word of God and proper Christian living, while enjoying the life and time we’ve been given together.  This responsibility lies heavily at the father’s feet. Dads, if we are not doing this, we shouldn’t expect our wives to do it for us.  This is not to say that Moms have no responsibility, nor are they useless.  On the contrary, Dads and Moms both are important for the raising of every child. But still, the burden is for Dads to do what their role calls for.  Children are not the burden, but our burden is to behold our children as a blessing from the Lord, and treat them as such.

So what must be done?  As I see it, the first step is to not allow yourselves to have so many bills, or such a demanding job, or so many extracurricular activities for yourselves or the kids that you can’t do your primary job, and that is being a husband/wife and parent, well.  The second is Moms and especially Dads, turn off, turn off, turn off the distractions.  If you have your cell-smart-phone out for hours upon hours, turn it off.  If you are at the computer too much (and this is one I struggle with), turn it off.  If the TV stays on constantly, turn it off.  If you facebook like your life depends on it, turn it off.  If video games consume most of your leisure time, turn them off.  If Sports Center or ESPN runs your life, turn it off.  If these are issues for your children, make them turn them off.

Once you have a time together without distractions, open the family bible, a good devotional, a good Christian book, or any Jesus Christ inspired activity where you and your children can learn about God, and read ,do, watch, or listen together.  Do this as much as possible.  Give your family over to God and His Word, because;

Psalm 127

“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.”

Grace and Peace,

Josh

Leave a comment
by Joshua C Grenier on August 25, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Personal
Tagged , , , , , ,

Posted by Joshua C Grenier on August 25, 2012

https://greenearsandsham.wordpress.com/2012/08/25/well-get-together-when-2/

Give your Husband what he doesn’t deserve…..Respect.

Great, simple, and practical thoughts on being a Godly wife. I am quite happy to let someone else give this advice.

Respect Your Husband

Author: Nancy C. Anderson

My husband, Ron, admits that he used to be jerk, but I discovered a secret formula that turned him into a loving husband: I started treating him like a VIP! Ron always wanted me to respect him, but I mistakenly thought he had to earn it and I had to feel it, before I could do it. Wrong.

We women are very good at pointing out our husbands’ faults and failures and punishing them for not meeting our needs, but that only leads to discontent and distance in our marriages.  We all know that yelling, nagging, and belittling are disrespectful and ineffective. So I’m suggesting a radical concept: Treat him like a king, and eventually, he will begin to treat you like a queen.

Instead of waiting for him earn your respect, behave respectfully and watch him grow into the man God designed him to be.

Twenty five years ago, our marriage was on the brink of divorce. I was controlling, critical and disrespectful so Ron was defensive and angry. We were both Christians but neither of us was living a sprit-filled life. I was letting my emotions determine my actions and thought it was Ron’s job to make me happy. But through a series of miracles (read my book for the whole story) we made a decision to rebuild our marriage.

We went to a Christian counselor who read Ephesians 5:33 “Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband” and said “Nancy, the only way you will win Ron back and stay married is if you begin to respect your husband.” I knew he was right so I swallowed hard and came up with a plan.

Here are three of the ways I began to respect Ron:  They are easy to remember because they spell out the goal—to treat him like a V.I.P.

Respect him verbally, intellectually, and physically.

Verbally

Cut out (ok…cut back) complaining and add in compliments.

If you want to have a peaceful, happy marriage, learn the art of the compliment.  Compliments are like magnets and the more you compliment your husband the more he will be attracted to you. Begin to notice when he does it right and verbally encourage him by complimenting him at least once a day.

If you are having a hard time thinking of anything to admire, consider these categories: physical traits, mental skills, financial strengths, spiritual growth, or healthy relationships with others (children, parents, or friends).

You may be asking “Hey, why should I compliment him when he NEVER compliments me?”  Because, if you want your marriage to grow and bloom, you’ll have to water it with kindness and encouragement. Then, as he sees your sincere efforts, he will begin to change too.  Don’t give up.

If you do need to bring up a difficult issue, place it between two compliments, also known as a “Compliment Sandwich.”  Here’s an example, “Honey, I know how hard you work for our money and that Sally’s braces will be expensive, but I need your decision before her appointment tomorrow. I hope we can do this for her, but if you want to wait, I trust your judgment. What should I tell the orthodontist?”

Intellectually

Men like to solve problems and fix things. So appeal to his intelligence by asking him to help you solve a problem. Instead of saying “Clean up your camping stuff, this garage is a mess!” Try, “I’d like your help with something. Could you figure out a storage system for all the camping supplies?”

Don’t imply that he isn’t smart.  Instead of saying “I think you are wrong about….” Say, “I’m confused about…please explain it again.” (Remember to keep your tone of voice free of sarcasm.)

Ask for his help on Spiritual matters too.  Ask him to explain a passage of Scripture or ask him to pray for you when you are going through a difficult time.  If your husband is not the spiritual leader in your home, continue to pray for him and ask him if there is anything you are doing that is hindering his relationship with God.

Men don’t give a lot of weight to feelings—show them facts and they’ll be more likely to listen. For example: if he wants to buy a car that you think is too expensive, don’t launch into a hissy-fit, write out your monthly expenses and ask him what other things should be cut out in order to buy his car. Let the facts speak for you.

When you cannot reach an agreement, instead of trying to wear him down by nagging or crying ask him, “Is that your final decision or can I still try to convince you?  If it’s his final decision, then honor it.  It’s freeing—let him carry the responsibility of your family.

Physically

Physically-ask what he would like you to do and then, do it.  Find out what his top three needs are.  Ron likes the laundry done, sex twice a week (guaranteed!) and he likes me to keep my “girly-make-up stuff” off of the bathroom counter. If these top needs are met, he’s content and easy to get along with. I know it sounds simple, but each of us have different things that make us feel loved and appreciated.  You won’t know what he wants unless you ask him.

Be aware of your body language.  You can communicate disrespect by rolling your eyes, crossing your arms, or slamming doors.  Reflect your new decision to respect your husband in your heart, mind, and body.

Change your attitude and actions

Respect is both a verb and a noun: an action and an attitude so begin today to respect your husband in thought, word, and deed. He will be more willing and able to give you the love and affection you need if he is respected and admired. When I began to respect my husband, he was skeptical at first. However as he saw that I was committed to change, he began to treat me differently—lovingly. We now teach at couples’ events, helping others discover the blessings of true love in action.

Ask the Lord to strengthen you as you obey His word.

Leave a comment
by Joshua C Grenier on August 18, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Other Articles
Tagged , , , , , , ,

Posted by Joshua C Grenier on August 18, 2012

https://greenearsandsham.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/give-your-husband-what-he-doesnt-deserve-respect/

Reveling in Humiliation by Tim Challies

Reveling in Humiliation

by Tim Challies

Some time ago I read “Girls Gone Mild“, a book by Wendy Shalit. Shalit’s first book, A Return to Modesty: Discovering the Lost Virtue was published eight years ago and caused quite a stir. Shalit, an Orthodox Jew, made the audacious claim that the sexual revolution may not have been entirely beneficial for women. She decried the lack of modesty this revolution has brought about and, according to TIME defended “compellingly, shame, privacy, gallantry, and sexual reticence.” Of course many people, and feminists in particular, were disgusted with the book and ruthlessly mocked her. In her second book, Girls Gone Mild Shalit investigated a new movement that seems to be growing in strength and is being led by young people. It is a movement back to modesty and back to an understanding of womanhood that is somehow distinctly feminine.

It is not just Christians who are aghast at our culture’s view of womanhood. The sexual revolution has produced a generation of girls who are brazen in their sexuality. We’ve come to a time when girls are offered the choice between being brave and sexual or timid and modest. Culture teaches that it is acceptable to wait to engage in sexual practices as long as you feel you are unprepared. It is those who are comfortable with their bodies who flaunt their nakedness while those who hide their bodies are ashamed. Hence it is the weak who wait and the strong who engage. And countless numbers of girls are engaged, even from a young age.

But that is not all. As girls become increasingly sexual at an increasingly young age, they also become aggressive. Girls have long been taught that traditionally feminine qualities such as niceness and gentleness are a sign of weakness. Girls are encouraged to be tough, to stand for their perceived rights. And girls do this. Bullying among girls has become commonplace in schools. The term “bullycide” has been coined, has had to be coined, to describe people, and often girls, who are driven to suicide by bullying.

Girls are being mean because their parents and teachers are teaching them to be mean, expecting them to be mean, demanding that they be mean. Adults are telling the children that it is the aggressive who will inherit the earth. The girls who are nice will be trampled on and will be left behind. Girls are also seeing meanness modeled for them in their entertainment. In discussing this topic, Shalit provided an interesting quote from none other than Erika Harold, who was Miss America 2003 and who is now studying law at Harvard. “A profound statement from a beauty pageant winner,” you ask? Read on.

We live in a culture where reality TV is pervasive, and we’re entertained by other’s humiliation and by pulling on people’s weaknesses and watching a weak person be embarrassed; and I maintain that’s the cause—glorifying humiliation of others—not being good. With bullying it’s about thinking you have the right to devalue other people, and there are some people who think people should just toughen up, grow up. But bullying, I think, is a much more pernicious problem than that. If people don’t value other people, they just see it as acceptable to bully other people.

Last February, just as a new season of America’s favorite program began, I wrote about American Idol and how it so masterfully combines our culture’s twin obsessions with exhibitionism and voyeurism. I thought back to this article as I read the quote by Erika Harold. I thought again of William Hung who, perhaps more than anyone else, typifies the victims of reality television. Hung is, well, just not a very good-looking guy (we’ll leave it at that). He may have thought that he was talented enough to make an impact at American Idol but the cold reality, as we all saw, was that he was utterly untalented as both a singer and dancer. Yet he passed through two levels of auditions and was given the stage in front of the judges where he was promptly humiliated and rejected. He was brought back later in the season for a special “Uncut, Uncensored and Untalented” episode where he performed again. He even released a series of three albums, all featuring his horrendous singing. He was a joke and we all laughed at him, not with him.

It is always educational to see what other reality programs are making waves. There is Hell’s Kitchen where a chef with a serious anger problem screams at potential chefs; there is Big Brother, where people compete to be the last person standing in a house filled with cameras; there is American Inventor where people try to create the next big product and America’s Got Talent where thousands compete in a national talent show with a million dollar prize. And then there is some horrendous show who’s name escapes me where young women and older women compete for the attention of a sleazy bachelor. A popular game show, Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? puts “average Americans” up against a group of 5th graders in a quiz show format. Those who cannot beat the children have to look into the camera and say, “I am not smarter than a 5th grader!”

The common thread with all of these shows is that they glory in humiliation. Some are worse offenders than others, but anyone who has seen the commercials where Chef Ramsey screams obscenities at chefs in Hell’s Kitchen or who has seen advertisements of older women in anguish after being outfoxed by a younger woman on that ugly dating show will realize that the humiliation is as much the attraction as is the challenge of the show. I suspect as many people watch Hell’s Kitchen to watch the outbursts as they do because they find the cooking interesting.

What is wrong with us? Why is it that we glory in the humiliation of others? Would we be as interested in these shows if they were merely about talent or about fascinating plots? I don’t think we would. I think we are attracted to them precisely because they humiliate other people. We are attracted to them, at least in part, because they give us the opportunity to feel better about ourselves at the expense of others. “I may not be a good singer, but at least I’m not as bad as him. I may not be able to carry a tune, but at least I’m not delusional enough to go and audition for the show!”

Read the book of James and you’ll come to the undeniable conclusion that what comes out of a person is a sure indication of what he puts in. This is true physically, emotionally and spiritually. What we allow into our hearts and into our minds necessarily impacts our lives. We may not be able to exhaustively examine our own hearts, but we can surely look to what comes out of us and see evidence of what we’ve been putting into our hearts.

It is impossible for us to revel in the humiliation of other people and not begin to see ramifications in our own lives. Bullying is a problem in schools today and it stands to reason that one of the causes of this behavior is children imitating what they see on television. The adults in these shows humiliate and belittle one another and the children take this as an example of acceptable human behavior. You and I may not be prone to bullying, but if we enjoy watching other people be humiliated, what does that say about us? And, of equal importance, how is that beginning to manifest itself in our lives?

Leave a comment
by Joshua C Grenier on August 11, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Other Articles
Tagged , , , , , , ,

Posted by Joshua C Grenier on August 11, 2012

https://greenearsandsham.wordpress.com/2012/08/11/reveling-in-humiliation-by-tim-challies/

The Beautiful Attributes of a Godly Wife

On May 26, I posted a video and link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcNUQduNiII) of a sermon that was geared toward men and talked about being a Godly man and husband. “Biblical Womanhood”, a sermon by Paul Washer, is an inspiring look at the beauty of a Godly woman and wife. This is useful knowledge for both women and men. If you can, take the time to listen and learn as I have.

Read the full post »

Leave a comment
by Joshua C Grenier on August 4, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Other Articles
Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Joshua C Grenier on August 4, 2012

https://greenearsandsham.wordpress.com/2012/08/04/the-beautiful-attributes-of-a-godly-wife/

When Does Grief End?

African Lion Wagging Tail

Grief hits us like a ton of bricks,

Flattens us like a steamroller,

Hurls us into the depths of despair.

We know in a flash when grief hits,

But when does it end?

Like the month of March,

Grief rushes in like a lion,

And tiptoes out like a lamb.

Sometimes, we don’t know when grief leaves,

Because we don’t let go of the lion’s tail.

Why do we hold on so long?

Grief offers us safety,

Protection from the world.

We don’t want to let go

Because we secretly fear

That we’ll forget our loved ones,

And we don’t want to forget- ever.

We don’t want to let go

Because we fear the future

And having to face life without our loved ones.

We don’t want to let go

Because we make the mistake

Of measuring our grief with the depth of our love-

When neither has anything to do with the other.

How do we know when grief has run its course?

How do we know when we’ve grieved enough?

Cried enough?

“Died” enough?

How do we know when it’s time to let go of the tail?

We know when we feel joy again, in something or someone.

Joy in living. Joy in life.

We know when we wake up in the morning

And our first thought is on something other than our loss.

We know when we look ahead with a smile

And back with fond memories,

And when we no longer dread the nights.

We know when our life starts filling up with new interests and people,

And we start reaching for the stars.

Grief ends when we let go of the tail.

–Margaret Brownley

1 Comment
by Joshua C Grenier on August 1, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Other Articles
Tagged , , , ,

Posted by Joshua C Grenier on August 1, 2012

https://greenearsandsham.wordpress.com/2012/08/01/when-does-grief-end/

A Letter to Amy

Oh Am’, there is so much to say. I know if I had the chance, I would ask you all sorts of questions about your new and better home now. Are you singing all the time? I’ll bet you at least are doing it a lot. Do they have pianos up there for you to play? Do you get to meet everybody or do you just automatically know them? What is it like being in the presence of the Lord? Are you constantly learning more of the glory of God or was it all known instantaneously? How does it feel to be free from sorrow, free from worry, free from sin? How’s that heavenly body? I know I know I am just being a bit silly. But in all seriousness, the one thing I don’t know that I wish I did, is if you know what is going on down here in the world you left behind. There is so much I wish to tell you. Benaiah is growing up and talking so much more. He certainly remembers his Mommy. When he sees your picture, he automatically knows who that woman was. He is clever and funny and intelligent. Wish I could say all of these qualities are from me, but I know so much of them are from you. He looks more like you every day too. But not all of him is so great. He certainly got some of that ‘redhead’ stubbornness and an active desire to get into things he is not supposed to. So far no gasoline drunk, no rat poison eaten, and no childproof caps popped off any Tylenol bottles. Yeah, he’s a mess, but he is so sweet and cute. He loves all the things boys love: Cars, balls, loud noises, blocks, knocking things over, and….oh yeah, he likes ‘women’. He keeps saying it just like that…’women’…it is so funny. Also, the boy loves babies. I can hardly keep him away from one if they are in the same room as him. I am raising a future daddy, that is for sure. I just pray God leads him to do it all in the right order. “First comes love, then comes marriage, THEN comes a baby in a baby carriage.” I promise to instill this consistently. He misses you, but he is okay, he has been very resilient and has an awesome fun perspective on everything.

Okay what else, hmmmmmm….I should tell you that your Mom and Dad are doing alright. They miss you sooooo much and, like us all, we hate that you had to go. The world is not the same without your presence. But God had his plan, and his plan was to take you home and they know that and as hard as it is to accept, I really believe they are beginning to. They see what a great legacy you left behind in Benaiah and see you in him and that always brings a smile to their faces. I promise to pray for them every day and continue to be a loving and caring Son-in-law and friend. Benaiah loves them both so very much.

My Mom and Dad are doing okay too. It is hard, and some days can be a real challenge, but by the grace of God, they are making it. Your Mom and my Mom switch weekly keeping Benaiah when I’m at work. Mom is really sweet and fun with Benaiah as always. And Dad gets led around by him when he gets home, if Mom and I are talking. Both of our parents are helping out so much. I know I couldn’t do any of this without their helping make the transition. We were both so blessed in our lives to have such great parents.

It seems the rest of both families are getting on well. Everyone is back to life and living on. I have no idea if we are going to see new babies in either family sometime, but perhaps more soon will be a few marriages, Woohoo!!! You know I am keen on both happening as much as possible. One sad thing did happen recently. Aud and Aaron moved to Harrison (sniff, sniff). They will be missed. Aaron got a job offer and Aud now works at Green Forest Public School near there. She will do awesome and I think they will grow to like the area AND being so close to Branson. Can you tell I am excited about that part?

What next? Oh yeah, church! It is going great, you know how much I love it there, the preaching, the fellowship, the people young and old, and the great wisdom of many being shared. We are so blessed to have such a church family. And everybody keeps having boys. Samantha is the only girl so far. Benaiah will be having some competition if he wants to get her attention later on. Talking of Sam, Jonathan and Erin are doing well. They are still my greatest friends and always will be. They miss you, especially Erin. You are just irreplaceable, Amy. You certainly were special to just everyone and we all can’t wait to meet you up there one day when the Lord calls us home as well.

I guess I will finally talk about myself. I don’t even have to say I miss you, you know that I love you and miss you. At times I feel very well and I am perfectly joyful. And other times I feel your loss more profoundly than others. But other times I just feel so blessed to have known you, been your best friend, been your husband of close to 5 years, and become the father of your son. You were a highly valued wife and mother and a blessing that will live on in our future. Somehow I think not only does Benaiah have a part of you, but I have a part of you too; in my heart, the part that will always be yours. I get a kick of breaking your little OCD rules. I always set my alarm to an odd-numbered time and the volume control…you guessed it 17 and 19 are my favorite numbers for it. It is fun to think that it would have been driving you nuts, but now you don’t care. I want you to know also that I have remembered the lessons you have taught me over the years. I am an Amy-made man and I give lots of credit to your patience and work on me in making me a better man.

I am following your instructions and using your memory to bless others and enjoy where God leads us. I have high hopes of finding someone else to share our lives with, just as you would want. And, all in all, things are going very well. We have faced the grief and have pushed through it and now have the pleasure of serving God in a new way and living for His glory. We are very well taken care of, but I really think you know that now. You have no worries, nothing unforeseen, and you are full of life and joy in the Lord. Thank you for marrying me Am’ and giving me this son I get to treasure forever. Thank you for having been a fairly constant unselfish wife. Everyone who knew and loved you has been touched by you forever. You were a special girl!

What the future holds…..I used to say ‘the Lord only knows’, but maybe you know now too.

I will always remember you Am’, always. And I will think of you smiling down on whatever happens next in life.

Until we meet again,

Josh

4 Comments
by Joshua C Grenier on July 28, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Personal
Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Joshua C Grenier on July 28, 2012

https://greenearsandsham.wordpress.com/2012/07/28/a-letter-to-amy/

Chosen to Suffer

On the days prior to Amy’s diagnosis and the sending of her and I and her mother to MDAnderson, Amy and I spent nearly all of that time together praying and talking things through. Even in the unknown period, where all we sorta knew was ‘cancer, probably a blood cancer’, she was preparing me to lose her. And I was preparing her for being lost. Most people wouldn’t believe how strong Amy was during that time. She was incredible. She kept a clear head, talked about important things, told me all the things she really wanted me to know before she died, and we were able to ‘get ready’ for what was to come. In essence, during that time, we had accepted the call of God.

“When God issues a call to us, it is always a holy call. The vocation of dying is a sacred vocation. To understand that is one of the most important lessons a Christian can ever learn. When the summons comes, we can respond in many ways. We can become angry, bitter or terrified. But if we see it as a call from God and not a threat from Satan, we are far more prepared to cope with its difficulties.” from Surprised by Suffering

Amy was chosen to suffer; it was her ministry to others. And she ministered well to all of those who knew her previously and got to know her because of her battle. What is interesting is neither Amy nor I were totally shocked by the fact that God had chosen to bring this. Maybe it was because of the miscarriage we had had. Where, during that very rough time of a very trying trial, we got to see God at work, His providence in all things come about and make sense, and our faith in God tested. We knew of another child, that because we lost our baby, very possibly this other child was spared. We also saw how God used Amy’s testimony of that trial to help other women who later faced the same thing. It made her stronger and more confident and closer to her Heavenly Father than before. So when the day came and we heard the bad news about her health, she was prepared, her heart was prepared to be a sufferer for the greater cause of her Lord and Master. She often called her cancer a “blessing” and that our family was “blessed” because “God was going to use this disease to further His kingdom”. He was definitely at work in her at that time. I was so proud of her. Never was there but a few moments of very understandable weakness, where she broke down to say how unfair it all was, but those times didn’t last long. She knew God was getting all the glory for her suffering and she bore it well, better than almost anyone. What a woman God gave us all in her. What an amazing creature with such a strength of character. She truly amazed me and I miss her so.

For me also, the path was apparently always set to be ‘not the norm’. Ever since I was a young man, I always knew I was called for something different in this life, I just didn’t know what it was. I never thought that I would face this sort of difficulty, of course, but I somehow knew I was not meant for all-the-time easiness. It’s hard to explain, but it became something I grew to expect over time. I didn’t know what the harder times would be, but I believed they would come. This is probably do to several factors in my life. But a unique one specifically comes to mind. As a young man, I became attached to the story of C.S. Lewis and his writings. He became something of a hero, a man I admired much. His books gave me wisdom of the reason for God, the reasoning of God, human thought and the Christian defense, love, glory, joy, forgiveness, miracles, suffering, grief, spiritual warfare, and child-like wonder, enchantment and imagination. I also grew to admire the true love story of him and his wife, Joy; how they met, how they befriended and fell in love, and how he loved and married her in spite of her sickness and even certain death ahead. That simple connection to him, his books, and his life story, changed me forever. So when I heard the news of what Amy was going to face, I was shocked, but then, not completely.

That very moment, while it was a moment that took place over several days, was the most real and vital thing to ever happen to Amy and me. Where were we going to turn? Who were we going to trust? How are we going to respond? It took away every guard, every notion of certainty, all the strength, all the desire for action, all of what was outside of the focus the news brought and it brought it all down to one core reality….the reality that God is Sovereign. God had chosen us to be ministers in suffering, Amy’s leading to death. And we faced it. Not perfectly, of course, but we did, with the glory of God as our banner, and trusting Him to do what He had chosen was best for us both.

 “Your afflictions and desertions only prove that you are under the Father’s hand. There is no time when the patient is an object of such tender interest to the surgeon as when he is under his knife. So, you may be sure that if you are suffering from the hand of God, His eye is all the more focused on you.” Robert Murray McCheyne

So how about you, fellow Christian? Are you ready to be chosen for suffering for the glory of God? Are you ready to minister for Him, to show your faith in Christ during that time? Oh, how little time we have on this earth. How little time that we think so little of and take for granted. This world is passing away. Go out there and love stronger than you ever have before. Give up more than you do. Serve faithfully and joyously. And, if God calls you to it, suffer, suffer for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I will leave you with one of my favorite hymns. It is by a Swedish woman who was a paralytic from the age of 12 and watched her father drown right in front of her at the age of 26. Day by Day was one of 14 hymns that poured from her pen after that tragedy occured. She later became known as ‘the Fanny Crosby of Sweden’.

Day by day, and with each passing moment, Strength I find, to meet my trials here; Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment, I’ve no cause for worry or for fear. He Whose heart is kind beyond all measure Gives unto each day what He deems best— Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure, Mingling toil with peace and rest.

Every day, the Lord Himself is near me With a special mercy for each hour; All my cares He fain would bear, and cheer me, He Whose Name is Counselor and Pow’r. The protection of His child and treasure Is a charge that on Himself He laid; “As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,” This the pledge to me He made.

Help me then in every tribulation So to trust Thy promises, O Lord, That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation Offered me within Thy holy Word. Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting, E’er to take, as from a father’s hand, One by one, the days, the moments fleeting, Till I reach the promised land.

—Karolina W. Sandell-Berg

Grace and Peace,

Josh

4 Comments
by Joshua C Grenier on July 21, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Personal
Tagged , , , , , ,

Posted by Joshua C Grenier on July 21, 2012

https://greenearsandsham.wordpress.com/2012/07/21/chosen-to-suffer/

« Older Posts
Newer Posts »