'Nurturing a Heart of Humility'

I am totally Excited for Christmas... and I am really excited about this "Blog"... So I thought... Hmmmm Do I have to stop?

NO I don't!

SO for the month of December I am going to post EVERY DAY (Lord willing!)
I am going to go through....
'Nurtuting a Heart Of Humility, Character Studies- Mary' -by Elizabeth George

I did this book back in 12/07-3/08 there are only 26 devotionals so I will start on next Monday Nov. 29!!
I know you will enjoy it, and please I would love comments if you have time!
Please know I will primarily be quoting the book, and will add my thoughts in at the end!!
If you don't want to receive Email updates about the study let me know and I will remove your name from the list.

Also, I am going to delete most of the "Personal posts". That way if you want someone else to read this Blog for the Month of December you can invite them.

I really hope you enjoy this upcoming month of study! I am really excited!

Hope you all have a GREAT day and a HAPPY Thanksgiving...

( I am going to post Pics of the 20lb Turkey that I am cooking, and the 20lbs of Mashed potatoes, the Place settings/favors that the girls and I made, and the "Bingo" Game that Evelyn and I made! Maybe here but for sure on FB!!)

Gospel Centered Marriage

I am reading this GREAT book On Marriage!!

                    ‘Love that Lasts’ By Gary and Betsy Ricucci

The part that I am going to share is in the First Chapter of the Book. It is compelling and really makes you look at the Gospel and what it means for you Marriage and how it should empower how you to live with and Love your Husband!

Hope you enjoy it! J

“Does your Marriage Find its Hope in the Gospel of Grace?

Jerry Bridges Defines grace as God’s ‘Undeserved Favor to those who deserve his wrath’ Grace redirects our focus from our guilt to God’s Forgiveness, from our Failures to Christ’s Perfect Righteousness, from our total in ability to God’s Complete sufficiency, from all we feel burdened to do to all Christ has already done on our behalf.

NOTHING is More important to your marriage than you Theology (what you believe about God), and nothing is more important to your Theology (and Hence your marriage) than the Gospel.

·        Because of the gospel, Christians have become new Creations 2Cor. 5:17. Therefore in our marriage, our past does not define us, or determine our future.

·        Because of the gospel, we are forgiven Eph. 1:7. Therefore we live free from all guilt and Condemnation for every sin , and we can trust that in God, in all his mercy, will be gracious to us.

·        Because of the gospel, we can forgive, just as Christ forgave us Eph. 4.32. Nothing done against us compares to our sin against God. Therefore ALL offenses, Hostility and bitterness between Christians can be completely forgiven and removed.

·        Because of the gospel, we are accepted by God Rom. 15:7. Therefore we are not dependant on a spouse for who we are or what we need.

·        Because of the gospel, sin’s ruling power over us is broken Rom. 6:6,14. Therefore we can truly obey all that God calls us to do in our marriage, regardless of an circumstance or situation.

·        Because of the gospel, we have access to God through Christ Heb. 4:14-16. Therefore we can at any time take any need in our marriage to the One who can do all things.

·        Because of the gospel, we have hope Rom. 5:1-4. Therefore we can endure marital difficulty, hardship, or suffering, with the assurance that God is working all to our GREATEST good. Rom.8:28.

·        Because of the gospel, Christ dwells in us by his Holy Spirit Gal.3:13-14. Therefore we are confident that God is always with us and is always working in our marriage, even when progress is imperceptible 1Thess. 5:23-24.

·        Because of the gospel, we have power to fight and overcome remaining sin, which continues to dwell and war within us Rom. 7:19-21, 24-25, Gal.5:16-17 This indwelling enemy represents the essence of what is called the Doctrine of sin.

Sometimes it’s not easy to live in the reality of these truths. But it is always possible-and not because of our strength or determination, but because of God’s empowering and enabling grace.

When we Grasp the depth of God’s Love for us revealed in the Gospel, when we rest in the joys of Gods Forgiveness toward us in the gospel, when we experience God’s Transforming power in us through the gospel, and  when we begin to emulate the pattern of humility and obedience we see in the gospel, what a wonderful difference this will make in our live and marriages! Nothing is more essential to a marriage, and nothing brings more HOPE, than applying the gospel of Christ Jesus.”

Hope you all have a blessed weekend!!

~ Apryl Yoder

The Fountain of Youth

1 Peter 3:4 -  let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.

That is what I want to be Precious in God's Sight... Not just but VERY Precious.
To have the eyes of my Loving Father looking at me knowing he is there Loving me watching me.
An Imperishable beauty. There is the Fountain of Youth! We Ladies have Found it!! It isn't Physical for us but... it is expressed Physically! (The way we talk, walk and reach out to our Family and our Christian Family.)
So what do I need to Put off, so that I can Put on this Beauty?

My Tongue/tone, James 3:1-12
My Pride, Is.66:2
I needed these words today! I Hope this helps you as the week is only half way through and I need to have a Quiet Spirit and a Gentle Spirit with my family!


(This is one of my favorite "Things". I read this almost monthly anymore. So rich are her words, and how I need them! Hope you can Enjoy her Thoughts also!
http://www.elisabethelliot.org/newsletters/march-april-95.pdf
(Can't copy n' past... and I don't have time to type it all out. Just read the first page of this Newsletter. that is what I do! [I actually Have it printed off and I have it in a notebook so that I can read it any time!] )
~ Apryl

Day 4 Psalm 103:1-5

 ¹ Bless the LORD, O my soul;
         And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
 ² Bless the LORD, O my soul,
         And forget not all His benefits:
 ³ Who forgives all your iniquities,
         Who heals all your diseases,
 ⁴ Who redeems your life from destruction,
         Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
 ⁵ Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
         So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

I have really been thinking and focusing on Joyfulness and Blessings this month and today I read to the girls our little book that we are going through 'God's Alphabet For Life'
And today's Letter was 'M' For 'Make a Joyful noise unto God all ye lands' Ps.66:1
It proceeded to tell us about How the Birds wake up and sing Praises wholeheartedly to the Lord and how that is the first thing that they do every morning! "Are my first thoughts of God Thanking him for his Son and the Gospel and that I wake up to a new day?"
God is Good I know that and that we read that everywhere but do we really believe it? Do we live it? Not just for our selves but for our kids Everyday? I know I don't and that I need to teach them a thankful heart in everything! Not making a list and telling them what the next thing that they need to do. ( I do this SO much that Evelyn now does it to me!) We need to stop and Thank The Lord. Being holy... is also having a heart that recognizes our unworthiness and having thankfulness for being saved from ourselves!

Praying that out Family becomes Little birds that sing to the world the Greatness and the Goodness of our GOD!! (May we NEVER be annoyed with birds waking us up! May it remind us to Give Thanks!)

These are thoughts for me and sometimes it is etched more heavily in my heart if I type it ALLout!

Hope you all had a Great day in the Word!
~Apryl

Day two in Gratitude Col.3:2-4

Read in Colossians The verses that were AMAZING...

Colossians 3:2-4

2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
3For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Brought tears to my eyes!! I am only who I am in Christ and He died to take me to the Father!
Oh Hard heart of mine, will you never cease to meditate on this truth till my heart is as flesh. Till it is only sealed to your arms. Till my eyes and heart oly look to your glorious appearing!
~ Apryl
By the way I have a great Song to go with it!! :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsp-WuZR40g

In the Valley

Please take time to listen!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT8aTjVZHVI

In The Valley/ All Joy in All Trials

I know that this is a longer post, but I really wanted to put more up.
Please take time to listen to the song after you read this post... it has carried me through
some of my darkest moments!
Hope you all have a Lovely weekend!

"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."--James 1:2-4.

"Because the trial of your faith brings honor to the Lord, therefore the Lord Himself is sure to try it that out of its trial praise may come to his grace by which faith is sustained. Our chief end is to glorify God, and
if our trials enable us more fully to answer the end of our being it is well that they should happen unto us.

Afflictions find out our weak points, and this makes us attend to them. Being tried, we discover our failures, and then going to God about those failures we are helped to be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Moreover, our trials, when blessed of God to make us patient, ripen us. I do not know how to explain what I mean by ripening, but there is a sort of mellowness about believers who have endured a great deal of affliction that you never meet in other people. It cannot be mistaken or imitated. A certain measure of sunlight is wanted to bring out the real flavour of fruits, and when a fruit has felt its measure of burning sun it develops a lusciousness which we all delight in. So is it in men and women: a certain amount of trouble appears to be needful to create a certain sugar of graciousness in them, so that they may contain the rich, ripe juice of a gracious character. You must have known such men and such women, and have said to yourselves, "I wish I could be like them, so calm, so quiet, so self-contained, so happy, and when not happy, yet so content not to be happy; so mature in judgment, so spiritual in conversation, so truly ripe." This only comes to those in whom the proof of their faith works experience, and then experience brings forth the fruits of the Spirit. Dear brothers and sisters, there is a certain all-roundness of spiritual manhood which never comes to us except by manifold temptations. Let me attempt to show you what I mean. Sanctified trials produce a chastened spirit. Some of us by nature are rough and untender; but after awhile friends notice that the roughness is departing, and they are quite glad to be more gently handled. Ah, that sick chamber did the polishing; under God's grace, that depression of spirit, that loss, that cross, that bereavement,--these softened the natural ruggedness, and made the man meek and lowly, like his Lord. Sanctified trouble has a great tendency to breed sympathy, and sympathy is to the church as oil to machinery. A man that has never suffered feels very awkward when he tries to sympathize with a tried child of God. He kindly does his best, but he does not know how to go to work at it; but those repeated blows from the rod
make us feel for others who are smarting, and by degrees we are recognized as being the Lord's anointed comforters, made meet by temptation to succour those who are tempted.”

All Joy in All Trials, February 4th, 1883, by C. H. SPURGEON

Funny how this is labeled under 'Joy' and Not 'Trials'.
If you would like to read the whole sermon...
http://www.biblebb.com/files/spurgeon/alljoy.txt

"We love him, because he first loved us."—1 John 4:19.

"There is no light in the planet but that which cometh from the sun; there is no light in the moon but that which is borrowed, and there is no true love in the heart but that which cometh from God. Love is the light, the life, and way of the universe. Now, God is both life, and light, and way, and, to crown all, God is love. From this overflowing fountain of the infinite love of God, all our love to God must spring. This must ever be a great and certain truth, that we love him, for no other reason than because he first loved us."

"Love, then, has for its parent the love of God shed abroad in our hearts. But after it is divinely born in our heart it must be divinely NOURISHED. Love is an exotic; it is not a plant that will nourish naturally in human soil. Love to God is a rich and rare thing; it would die if it were left to be frost-bitten by the chilly blasts of our selfishness, and if it received no nourishment but that which can be drawn from the rock of our own hard hearts it must perish. As love comes from heaven, so it must feed on heavenly bread. It cannot exist in this wilderness, unless it is nurtured from above, and fed by manna from on high. On what, then, does love feed? Why, it feeds on love. That which brought it forth becomes its food. "We love him because he first loved us." The constant motive and sustaining power of our love to God is his love to us."

Love - December 19th, 1858 by C. H. SPURGEON (1834-1892)
Read the whole Sermon   http://www.biblebb.com/files/spurgeon/0229.htm

This Thought always brings me to my knees!! The fact that He Loves these rags!
Had to share it with you all today!

My your heart sing this Hymn today!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o’er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o’er them from the throne!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!
’Tis an ocean full of blessing, ’tis a haven giving rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ’tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!

O the Deep Deep Love