There to be a light

The caption on this Good Housekeeping Magazine of 1902 says it all: “His House She Enters: There To Be A Light”

It is not difficult to see that a good home life is grounded in a good marriage. Marriage is as much the foundation of the Christian home as Christ is the foundation of our faith. Hear what Dr J.R. Miller has to say on the importance of a good marriage in building a Christian home..

“Back of the home lies marriage. The wedding day throws its shadow far down the future; it may be, ought to be, a shadow of healing and benediction. In a tale of medieval English life a maiden goes before the bridal party on their way to church, strewing flowers in their path. This was meant to signify that their wedded life should be one of joy and prosperity. Almost universally wedding ceremonies and festivities have some feature of similar significance, implying that the occasion is one of gladness.

In some countries flowers are worn as bridal wreaths. In some they are woven into garlands for the waist, the tying of the ends being a part of the ritual. In others they are carried in the hand or worn in the hair or on the bosom. Music comes in also, always joyous music, implying that the ceremony is one of peculiar gladness. In some places, too, wedding bells are rung, their peals being merry and gladsome.

All these and similar bridal customs indicate that the world regards the wedding as the crowning day of life, and marriage as an event of the highest felicity, an occasion for the most enthusiastic congratulations. Yet not always are these happy prophecies fulfilled. Sometimes the flowers wither and the music grows discordant and the wedding peals die away into a memory only of gladness. It ought not to be so. It is not so when the marriage has been true, and when the wedded life is ruled by love. Then the bridal wreath remains fresh and fragrant till it is laid upon the coffin by the loving hands of the one who survives to close the eyes of the other; and the wedding music and the peals of the bells continue to echo in tones of gladness and peace until hushed in the sobbings of sorrow when the singers sing in dirges and the bells toll out the number of the finished years.

Marriage is intended to bring joy. The married life is meant to be the happiest, fullest, purest, richest life. It is God’s own ideal of completeness. It was when he saw that it was not good for man to be alone that woman was made and brought to him to supply what was lacking. The divine intention, therefore, is that marriage shall yield happiness, and that it shall add to the fullness of the life of both husband and wife; that neither shall lose, but that both shall gain. If in any case it fails to be a blessing and to yield joy, and a richer, fuller life, the fault cannot be with the institution itself, but with those who under its shadow fail to fulfill its conditions.

The benediction that falls upon the homes of a country is like the gentle rain that descends among the hills. A thousand springs are fuller afterward, and along the banks of a thousand streamlets flowing through the valleys the grass is greener and the flowers pour out richer fragrance.

Homes are the springs among the hills, whose many streamlets, uniting, form, like great rivers, society, the community, the nation, the Church. If the springs run low the rivers waste; if they pour out bounteous currents the rivers are full. If the springs are pure the rivers are clear like crystal; if they are foul the rivers are defiled. A curse upon the homes sends a poisoning blight everywhere; a blessing sends healing and new life into every channel.

Homes are the divinely ordained fountains of life. It is not by accident that men live in families rather than solitarily. The human race began in a family, and Eden was a home. The divine blessing has ever rested upon nations and communities just in the measure in which they have adhered to these original institutions and have kept marriage and the home pure and holy; and blight and curse have come just in the measure in which they have departed from these divine models, dishonoring marriage and tearing down the sacred walls of home. by Dr J.R. Miller

Blessings and comfort, Glenys

“I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully” 1 Timothy 5:14

Teacher of good things

I have recently been reading posts and stories of Elisabeth Elliot a wonderful woman of God who lived what she believed. 

Elisabeth died at the age of 88 in 2015 and she left a legacy of writings for today's Christian woman to emulate. She was a true Titus 2 woman, teaching the younger women by her godly example.

I particularly love these two videos on YouTube that I will share for your perusal and pleasure. The titles are A Peaceful Home parts 1 and 2.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veci9jXajOE  part 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM0mcENWkmw  part 2 

There are many wonderful videos and indeed, many books that Elisabeth has produced that are great for growing in biblical womanhood. 

In this depressed climate, it is good to fix one's eyes on godly and Christian teachings, and focus on positive teachings. Unlike Debi Pearl, I find Elisabeth Elliott was scripturally sound, compassionate with women and a woman who exuded Christ in her life and teaching.

This is so critical in mentoring or ministering to women who are seeking to be Christ like in their dealings with others. We are to be encouragers and sharers of biblical principles for women.

Along with many others, we older women are to be gentle and wise as we minister to younger women and we are like Elisabeth, to be a teacher of good things.

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

Titus 2:4-5 “That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children. To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.”

Fear not!

The world is a scary place right now. If we look at the world and all that's happening, we will be afraid.

If we take our eyes off Christ we will be open slather for the evil one to make our fear palpable. It is of course, the direct opposite of faith.

We need more than ever to pray, read the Word and focus on the Blessed Hope of the rapture of the Church. We must keep the Sword of the Spirit in our hand at all times.

To know the Word of God and what He says in these last days, you have to be in the Word. If we are not, our Sword of the Spirit, the Word is going to be rendered useless.

Our battle in these last days is in heavenly places and the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. But to fight the evil one, we must be clothed in the armour of God and wielding the Sword of the Spirit.

We must remember to Whom we belong and know who we are in Christ. We are His. 

The devil knows we are His and would love to snatch away our salvation if he could. But he can't take it, but he can take our peace and joy.

The days are dark, but The Day is approaching. Cling to Jesus. Take thoughts of fear into the captivity of Christ and fight the evil one with the Word.

We are born again- conquerors over evil through Jesus Christ our LORD.

Let us hold fast to our faith and not grow weary.

Let us speak of our hope and exude strength so that the lost will see that we serve a mighty King Who is coming soon.  Pray for the lost that will come to know Jesus as their LORD and Saviour.

All that is happening is coming to pass as it must. Jesus is coming for us, but while there is yet time, let us pray for a revival with many coming to Christ.

Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us. Hang on to Truth. Devour the Word. Cling to what is good.

Above all, fear not!  Maranatha! 

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

John 14:1-2 Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 

His Cloak of Peace

When my youngest child, Dianne had Acute promyelocytic leukaemia, she was dangerously ill and in ICU three times. At one stage her kidneys were failing. Her body was shutting down. 

They put her on dialysis three times and it was touch and go that she would make it through. You can imagine how I felt when they said they thought she was far too deteriorated to make it.

Naturally, I was asked to leave the ICU whilst they hooked her up, and to be honest, I just wanted to be alone. So I went down to the tea room for the patients and their family. 

It suddenly hit me that I may never see Dianne alive again, and the horror of the last few weeks during which she was on chemo and reacted violently to it, overtook me and I cried.

Slumping down in the corner of the tiny tea room, I gave my daughter to God. He had every right to take her Home, but being a mother, I asked Him to spare her.

Goodness knows, Dianne was only 35 years old, a wife, and mother to three young children. She was needed here. Although she was a Christian and I knew she would be with the LORD, I wanted her here with me.

I prayed fervently, agreeing that whatever be His Will for her, that He was God. It was worse than the despair I felt when I gave birth to still born twin girls at 32 weeks. Up until then, I thought that was the worst thing that I had experienced. But I was wrong. Losing Dianne was something I couldn't endure. 

Still slumped in the corner, I was overwhelmed with a peace that didn't make sense. Here we were in an emotional hell on earth, with Dianne's life hanging in the balance, and I was calm.

It was like a cloak of peace had been placed around my shoulders. It warmed me by routing the fear and it exuded a calm that permeated to my marrow.  I knew it was the peace that passes all human understanding that God promises to us.

Because I was calm, I found my legs could still carry me- they were giving way to me in the tea room. I returned to the ICU where Dianne was on the dialysis. 

I sat willing her to breathe and watching her breathing as if the very act  was too tiring for her. I kissed her hand and silently prayed whilst she slept.

Three days later, she was being taught to walk again on the floor of the ICU and her kidney function was restored.  Today, she is in remission for five years. They say it is extremely unlikely she will get APML back again...

This ordeal has shown me that we do have a Saviour Who is very involved in His childrens' lives. He is a good Father Who comforts His children when all else fails.

If Dianne had been called Home, I would not have lost faith in Him. But mercifully, He allowed her to live. 

The warmth of the Peace He gave me in my most extreme anguished pain, is proof to me that He is a God of His Word. He truly gives us peace that is beyond understanding.

Call on the LORD in your own anguish and see that He is a caring and compassionate Father.  There's nothing like His Cloak of Peace around your shoulders.

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:7

Let your bed lamp shine

We recently talked about wanting to serve the LORD from where we are at: usually for us it's from our bed or recliner. 

But being faithful and serving God has nothing to do with our state of health. It's a state of heart.  The desire for godliness and holiness should still be there regardless of chronic illness.

I have found that the majority of sick Christians still want to serve God but feel that they have nothing to offer Him. They feel they cannot serve because of physical limitations.

This is not true. A faithful servant of God is one who loves God with her whole heart. She turns to Him for her daily survival in a physical world full of tribulation. And she longs to be used of her LORD.

The good news is: we can still be used of the LORD.  

With physical limitations comes more time on our hands, time that can be used to influence others. 

This influence can be from the confines of our bedroom, hospital room, wheel chair, walker, or doctors' waiting room. We can bring Jesus into the same places others occupy. 

When  we walk through the door even while leaning on a walking stick or crutches, we can still bring Jesus to others. Make no mistake, they will be watching.

Pray for opportunities to talk about Christ and the hope that is within you.  Be a blessing by being aglow with the Spirit and let others see that you indeed have Something that they want! 

If we can show that in spite of our outward appearance, we have Something worth having, people will be attracted to us regardless.  

Over the years, I have been in hospital- in traction for two weeks at a time, and I made an effort to pray for the nurses, cleaners, people who came with meals, physiotherapists and people who shared a room with me. 

Goodness knows, I had plenty of time to pray.  And though my prayers were for the most part silent, I believe that people responded to them without even knowing it.  They liked being around me. But it was the Holy Spirit that was the attractive part.  And He made me  smile so much that I was nicknamed "Smiley"

So,  you can sow seeds wherever you go- however you get there. And if you no longer leave your home for appointments or whatever, you can still hold people up in prayer from your home.

Bed is a wonderful place to pray and prayer is the best way you can serve God.  Prayer opens up doors for opportunity to grow, to trust, to care, to love and to find paths to witness for Christ. Service is totally possible. 

Nowhere in life is there a place where you cannot serve God by praying.  So start worshiping and praying Blanket Prayers  if you are bed bound, and read or listen to the Word.   You can always do something for Jesus.  

Let your bed lamp shine! 

 © Glenys Robyn Hicks

Do not neglect the spiritual gift that is in you. 1 Timothy 4:14a 

Chronically ill but faithful

Chronic illness can make us feel that we are incapable of many things. That can be true of physical things which for most of us who are ill or disabled, are now incapable of doing.  But all is not lost as there are still things which are eternal that we can do.

We are told to pray without ceasing and prayer is something we can manage to do. Albeit in a different way to the "normals'" prayers, our disjointed or mumbled prayers are still as powerful and effective.

Just because we are sitting in our recliners, or in our bed, or sitting on a shower chair, in our wheelchair or resting on the seat of our walker- the fervent prayers we offer will reach the Ears of Him Who we serve.

We must never let the lies of the evil one cause us to doubt ourselves and then have us not pray at all. We are never wasting our life when we pray. 

God does not class prayers according to the pray-ers' surroundings. Goodness knows, we have heard of soldiers praying in the trenches under fire and imminent death.  No, our prayers are of equal importance to God. 

Our prayers will drive the enemy away and cause him to tremble, because he knows wherever we pray is holy ground.  He doesn't care about where or even how they are prayed. He hates the fact that we still pray.

Faithfulness is something chronic illness can't take away from us. No matter how hard the enemy tries to convince us that we are wasting our lives, we know he is just using wily and cunning ways to get us to stop praying and therefore serving God.

The prayers of the chronically ill are precious to the LORD, for He knows the battles we face just to be "normal".  But we are more than "normal" as we come against illness and serve Him regardless.

Chronic illness will try to wipe us out physically, emotionally and spiritually if it can: but one thing we sufferers are is not only resilient: we are faithful. 

 © Glenys Robyn Hicks

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27

Blanket prayers

With recent events and a knowledge of the scriptures, one can see that we are living in the end times. We know that Christ is coming for us soon, and we want to be ready.

Part of being ready is to pray for ourselves and for the world who don't know Christ or who haven't accepted Him as their Saviour. We need to pray prayers of repentance on behalf of our land that God will heal it. We need to pray for a revival. We need to pray for the lost. There's not a lot of time.  

We have seen that prayer is a natural part of life for the Christian and we should do all we can to pray. But I know what you are thinking: I am so ill and fatigued, so brain fogged and unfocussed: how on earth can I pray? The good news is: we can pray in comfort and in trusting faith.

From the comfort of our bed, when disability or illness would preclude kneeling to pray, we can practise what I call "blanket prayers".

Not only can we pray in the comfort of our blankets, but we can pray knowing that if our words are jumbled, if we cannot think clearly through fibro fog or medication, if we fall asleep before we finish, that God knows the heart and intent and the Holy Spirit takes over for us.

I do not believe that because we are sick Christians that we are rendered totally useless spiritually. No, we are not bumps on a log. Our prayers of faith can move mountains. Because the prayer of the righteous is of great value, we can lift our prayers up to God, no matter how disjointed or incomplete they may be.

In line with the term "blanket prayers", I believe we can still pray for people simply by lifting them up before the Throne. No need to remember every name and circumstance, but trust the Holy Spirit to remember and make sense of them to God.  A blanket prayer can be very effective too.

By being merciful and gracious to yourself, you can fight in this battle for the LORD and for souls. So snuggle in your blanket and start to pray. Lift up the lost and hurting. Ask for healing. Pray for revival.  We will rout the enemy in any way we can and we will sleep the sleep of the just as we cover ourself and those prayer needs in blanket prayers.

 © Glenys Robyn Hicks

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27

God loves womankind

Women hold a very special place in God's Heart. Many feel that He is a misogynist or woman hater, but nothing could be further from the truth.

God knows that women are entrusted with an eternal purpose of life: to serve Him, love their husband and nurture their children. And to be keepers of the home. "Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house...' 1 Timothy 5:14c

Jesus in fact respected and loved womankind, and entrusted His first visitation after His resurrection to Mary: a woman.Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.  Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brethrenm and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. John 20:16-17

He interceded for the woman who was chided for breaking forth the alabaster jar of precious and expensive ointment, anointing His feet with it and drying them with her hair. It was He Who said that what she had done for Him would be spoken of forever. Love. Respect. Mercy. Grace. (Luke 7:37-50)

Forgiveness and grace were shown to the woman caught in adultery: respect and love from God meant her life was spared. (John 8:3-12)

He created Woman to be loved, to be loving, to be nurturing, to be protected and to be respected. To us He gave to us the ability to bear a child and then to raise it for His glory.  Any man can father a child, but it takes a loving woman to bear and raise it. No small matter. It takes a woman.

God knows that He can entrust women with eternal treasures, that's why He gave us the protection of marriage and the creating and keeping of a home: godly foundations on which to build a new generation of sons and daughters for Him.

Whilst men go to synagogues in Judaism, whilst men go to work and whilst men go to war, it is the women who carry the home, teach the children and bring them up unto Him. A worthy calling.

It is here that God meets with women in the mundane things of life, for He knows that the mundane is of great value, and so is a woman's service. And from love for womankind, comes a God Who meets us where we live: in our kitchen. In our baby's nursery. In the laundry.

To believe that women are forgotten by God is a gross misrepresentation of His love. It is we who keep the homefires burning and keep it all together when the world falls apart. No wonder God loves womankind.

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

“Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.” Proverbs 31:10

Staying busy

In the wake of the Corona Virus, comes anxiety and fear for the future and for a lot of us-(let's be honest-most of us), we don't know what to do with our days.

Being at home is both exciting and challenging and it can leave us unsure of what to do and how to  handle it.

My friend, Mrs Sylvia Britton of Christian HomeKeeper is a very gifted writer. She has blessed me so much with writing her Lists for the chronically ill woman. I follow them most days and they have helped me so much for many years now. 

Sylvia graciously allowed me to post her Lists here and on my other blog and I am eternally grateful.

Recently she has written a post which is so very helpful for us concerning coping with isolation and the Corona Virus.  Once again, she has graciously allowed me to share this with you. Thanks again, my friend.

Here is what she wrote: 

We’ve been in semi-isolation because of covid19 for 4 weeks today. It is very similar to how we live our lives as older, semi-retired people. So, we’re not doing too badly here. I do miss my children coming ’round and I miss all the sweet little grandchildren being here.

It is a little harder for my husband who is newly without a job from being laid off. I say newly, but he’s been without work for 6 moths now. Still, it’s new for him, he has worked all our married lives and longer. So, I think it is a little harder for him to adjust. I, on the other hand have been ‘at home’ for over 35 years.

Since I am an old hand at being at home, I have a work flow, a way of doing things and getting things done, resting, participating in hobbies, chatting with friends online and then doing more work, that he is just now developing for himself. But in all, we’re staying busy.

This is the key to being content during this strange time in our world: staying busy. You remember of course that old saying that idle hands are the devil’s workshop? I also believe that an idle mind is his workshop.

But by staying busy I don’t necessarily mean work, work, work til you drop! What I mean is, your mind needs to be occupied with noble thoughts and good things instead of worry and sin.

It is possible to go sit under the tree outside and rest and still be busy with positive and good things.

Don’t dwell on tomorrow.

Don’t worry about yesterday.

Don’t stress that you can’t do more today.

Just do what you have in front of you to do.

 It might be dishes, preparing a meal. It may be reading a book or drawing a picture.

Write that letter.

So, stay busy friends. Find some project that you would like to have done at your house or in your self and work on it. Whether it is a puzzle that has sat on the shelf for too long or cleaning out a room, starting a new Bible study or weeding a flower bed, now is the time to do it.

This will all end and you’ll be able to do more, go places and enjoy friends again. In the mean time, do what you can and do it well.

Wise words and so encouraging. If you want to be encouraged and are a Christian woman, you might want to join her FaceBook group: Christian Homekeepers

Blessings, Glenys 

Everyone helped his neighbor, And said to his brother, “Be of good courage!” Isaiah 41:6

Are you a delightful cuppa?

Troubling times bring out the best or worst in us. We are all like tea bags sitting in pretty tea cups waiting to be filled with water to make delicious tea.

We all have the tea leaf of our favourite tea in our bag. But add lukewarm water, and we sit largely untouched and of little use or pleasure to the tea maker.

By adding boiled water, we release the flavour that delights the tea maker and is pleasant to the palate.

In our trials, whatever they are, God does not sit aloof but watches with the love of a father to see how we will react. He wants us to turn to Him in our times of trouble and to trust Him.

Because of His great love for each of us personally, His eye of concern is on us and how we respond.  He wants our response to be one of childlike faith. We don't have to understand everything.

It is easy for us to be confident and loving and trusting when little heat is in the water of adversity- but what happens to us when the boiling water of long and extremely harrowing trials come our way?

Do we allow the boiling waters of adversity to steep us in faith, love and trust- or do we give up on our faith and run from God, boiling but lacking tea in our bag?

I don't know anyone who isn't touched by this latest trial in the form of Corona Virus, and I don't know why God allowed it and hasn't intervened. But I can say that even though we are afraid at times, that God is not idly sitting by or caught by surprise.  He is calling us to Him. 

He is watching our reaction, and the world is watching us. How we react to adversity is the benchmark of how much tea is in our bag. Jesus wants us to overcome fear and find our strength through Him.

We don't need much tea: in fact a mustard seed size of faith is enough to move mountains. But we must have tea or we will be useless to others and a misery to ourself because we have no peace.

Let us resolve to keep tea in our bag and to allow the boiling water of adversity to make us stronger! Let's keep close to the Teamaker and be a delight to Him as we lean on Him with the eyes of faith instead of fear.

We want to be steeping in strength through clinging to Jesus!  Are you a delightful cuppa? 

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

"The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him, Who shelters him all the day long; And he shall dwell between His shoulders."  Deuteronomy 33:12

Only His shoulders can carry us through

We are living in a time of global tribulation. Pestilence in the form of the Corona Virus is frightening most of the world and those who aren't taking it seriously are fools. It is a time to sit and ask yourself where your faith lies.

Certainly we can have faith in doctors and nurses who risk their own lives to save those who succumb to this virus. But they cannot save everyone.

We can have faith in the governments of the world who try to contain it. But even so, it is proving difficult.

We need to take on board that God has us all in His Hand. All we can do is comply with what the authorities are telling us to do and trust that God will allow the virus to dissipate quickly with minimum loss of life.

We can only take on the problems of today... and we can only overcome by acknowledging that God is in control, even when it seems that He is not. He is never taken by surprise.

Jesus told us that we would have tribulation in the world and that sufficient unto the day are the problems of the day. We can't take on more than what we are doing in the present. 

We must trust in Him Who bore the sins of the world upon His shoulders. Only His shoulders are broad enough for taking on eternity. We must relinquish our anxieties and trust in Him. He will keep us in safety and carry us through this troubling time.

Our shoulders can't take on more than the worries of today. Only His shoulders can carry us through.

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

Painting by Nathan Greene

"The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him, Who shelters him all the day long; And he shall dwell between His shoulders."  Deuteronomy 33:12

Let's abound in love

We all have seen the craziness of panicking selfish people in the last few weeks of the Corona Virus scare. People have been hurt and nearly killed over something as basic as toilet paper.

But that is not the way of Christians. We are called to increase and abound in love one toward another. We seem to forget that God is called Jehovah Jireh... the God Who provides. And He will.

We must follow the path of our Saviour in being selfless and looking out for others' interests. No loading shopping trolleys full of food or another essential and leaving nothing for others.

Times are stressful and we don't know what each day will bring, but it hasn't caught Jesus by surprise. His promises to be with us and to provide for us are still ours today.

Let us hold tight our confession of faith in Jesus. He will not fail us, and we can't fail others. Let us purpose to abound in love one toward another and show the world that we are not only a people of faith, but of love and compassion.

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. 1 Thessalonians 3:12

We must overcome illness

Sometimes it is easy to give into the depression that pain from chronic illness can bring. Especially when we have lost sleep or had an unrestful night. It is so easy to allow the pain that sometimes overwhelms us in the morning to colour our whole day. We must try to overcome that because if we don't, we will make matters worse.

It is true that our thinking patterns dictate how our day to day living is going to be. We can literally talk ourselves into having a worse day than what it is. How? you say... by not clinging to the LORD and taking all of our thoughts into the captivity of Christ. In order to stop the continual downward spiral of depression that pain brings, it is imperative that we try to redirect our thoughts and literally force our focus onto something other than our pain.

We should treat ourselves with the pain relief that our doctor has given us, take our other medications and do whatever else we can to relieve it. Then we must try to focus our attention onto what we can achieve that will lift us up. Because if we don't, we will talk ourselves into such a state that it will exacerbate the pain. Thoughts can and will do that- and serve up a great dish of depression that is hard to shake.

Now please don't throw tomatoes at me for being direct, because I suffer pain in movement and just in breathing every moment of every day. I speak to you on your level and with understanding. That is why I know the reality of pain and its effect on our life. I know that to live a reasonably personally satisfying life, we must overcome the pain by redirecting our focus!

When I am in so much pain that I cannot stand it, I listen to worship music, blog or write my feelings in poetry. Poetry can be a healing medium and a release. Another thing I avoid like the plague is forums for disabled or chronically ill people. Why? Because they force us to focus on others' pain.... this can be too much to bear when we have our own. Believe me, you can dwell too much on your disability and pain and weaken your enjoyment of life.

Enjoyment of life? what enjoyment is there in life? you ask. There is always something to enjoy in life, even in the worst of times. Vision, hearing, touch, love, dear ones, sunshine, birds singing, coffee brewing, soft sheets, warm showers, freshly fallen rain, restful sleep after pain. I am sure you could add to the list. If you don't shift your focus, you will definitely sink into the Pit of Despair. And you *don't* want to go there!

What I am saying is that those of us who suffer from unrelenting pain *have to* make a supreme effort to shift our focus onto something *greater* than the pain. Because pain will be our constant companion, we therefore have to *live* above the pain factor. Easier said than done, you say! Of course it is, but what alternative do we have?

We have to overcome the psychological effects of pain as much as we are able or else our life will be one of constant distress and frustration. Lift your thoughts to a higher place if you can, and lean on God. It will be hard to not make matters worse for ourselves by refusing to accept our illness, but we must be overcomers...

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

[When thou saidst], Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. Psalm 27:8

God values the homemaker

All of us Christian wives who are seeking to live life according to God’s Word, are bombarded by feminist teaching and other unscriptural advice. We are further alienated from our sisters who work part-time because society sees them as contributing whereas it portrays us as parasitic!

So great is the attack on us, that often we sit scratching our heads and wondering if they could be right. As in all things, we would do well to seek what the Word of God says.

I have compiled some feminist and ungodly views and I have answered them with the Word. As always, we see the Truth of a housewife’s value in God’s sight is revealed in His Word. I am sure you can find other verses such as Proverbs 31 and Titus 2 that show how God feels about our work in the home.

Feminist and worldly view

“A parasite sucking out the living strength of another organism…the housewife’s labor does not even tend toward the creation of anything durable…. Woman’s work within the home is not directly useful to society, produces nothing. The housewife is subordinate, secondary, and parasitic. It is for their common welfare that the situation must be altered by prohibiting marriage as a ‘career’ for woman.” The Second Sex, 1949 by Simone de Beauvoir
Isaiah 3:11-13 Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him. As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths. The LORD standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people.

“[The] housewife is a nobody, and [housework] is a dead-end job. It may actually have a deteriorating effect on her mind…rendering her incapable of prolonged concentration on any single task. [She] comes to seem dumb as well as dull. [B]eing a housewife makes women sick.” — Sociologist Jessie Bernard in The Future of Marriage, 1982.
Proverbs 31:27 “She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat of the bread of idleness.”

“[As long as the woman] is the primary caretaker of childhood, she is prevented from being a free human being.” — Kate Millett, Sexual Politics, 1969.
Proverbs 31:28 “Her children arise and call her blessed…”

“[Housewives] are dependent creatures who are still children…parasites.” — Gloria Steinham, “What It Would Be Like If Women Win,” Time, August 31, 1970.
Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes

“[Housewives] are mindless and thing-hungry…not people. [Housework] is peculiarly suited to the capacities of feeble-minded girls. [It] arrests their development at an infantile level, short of personal identity with an inevitably weak core of self…. [Housewives] are in as much danger as the millions who walked to their own death in the concentration camps. [The] conditions which destroyed the human identity of so many prisoners were not the torture and brutality, but conditions similar to those which destroy the identity of the American housewife.” — Betty Frieden, The Feminine Mystique, 1963.
Psalm 127: 3-5 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

“[A]s long as the family and the myth of the family and the myth of maternity and the maternal instinct are not destroyed, women will still be oppressed…. No woman should be authorized to stay at home and raise her children. Society should be totally different. Women should not have that choice, precisely because if there is such a choice, too many women will make that one. It is a way of forcing women in a certain direction.” — Simone de Beauvoir, “Sex, Society, and the Female Dilemma,” Saturday Review, June 14, 1975
Titus 2:4-5 “That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children. To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.”

[I]f even 10 percent of American women remain full-time homemakers, this will reinforce traditional views of what women ought to do and encourage other women to become full-time homemakers at least while their children are very young…. If women disproportionately take time off from their careers to have children, or if they work less hard than men at their careers while their children are young, this will put them at a competitive disadvantage vis-a-vis men, particularly men whose wives do all the homemaking and child care…. This means that no matter how any individual feminist might feel about child care and housework, the movement as a whole had reasons to discourage full-time homemaking.” — Jane J. Mansbridge, Why We Lost the ERA, 1986.
1 Timothy 5:14 I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.

We who make marriage and home our career usually do so at great personal expense. It is much more difficult to make ends meet on one wage and it is often made more difficult because of society’s general view of the stay at home wife and mother.  We become unwise when we look at our life's work in service to God and family through the world's eyes, not God's.  We must bring our thoughts into captivity of Christ....

In order to grasp the freedom and beauty of being a full time homemaker, we must come back periodically to the Word. Only in doing so will we see the true value of our calling in Christ, Who Himself came as a Servant to redeem us...

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: Philippians 2: 7

You can still be a Proverbs 31 woman!

The Proverbs 31 woman is an example of a godly wife. It's not something we are going to be able to do all at once and for some of us, we may never accomplish all she did. But I believe emulating her example is a good thing. We have to have a goal. If you aim for nothing, you are always going to hit it. I used to get up real early, about 4.30 to get my husband off to work. I would have my quiet time then before my 4 children would wake up.

This worked for me when they were quite tiny too and I just carried it through. Until about 22 years ago when illness came in. I don't sleep well and wake up in lots of pain and I find if I try to get into the Word the fibro fog makes it impossible to focus. I don’t glean much from the Word and my prayers are disjointed. I put on some praise and worship music and just thank the LORD for giving some sleep and so on. After a hot shower and breakfast, I can study the Word and pray better. I think anyone with an illness or pregnant, or who has had a sleepless night with a sick child etc, has to be realistic and in tune with their body. She has to know what her own limitations are and modify what is an excellent goal to achieve it.

My modified morning routine now works better for me. And let's face it, any time is a good time to be in the Word! We all have to work out when it is best for us....then do it. My time of choice would be early mornings though. But I have had to learn to modify things in order to achieve them. And later is better than never! I believe that for all of us women trying to live a godly life, the Proverbs 31 woman is a guide of what to strive for. Even if we can't achieve all she has done (and you will notice that she achieved this over seasons of her life- not all at once!), still our hearts will be in the right place.

If women look at the whole picture with the view of doing it all NOW or not modifying it for themselves, they will most likely give up and not even try to emulate her example. Sometimes there are unresolved heart issues that the LORD has to work through with some women who won’t even try to emulate the Proverbs 31 woman. Not even with modifications. It may take some time until they are convinced that this holy calling in their lives is truly for their own good and contentment. Sometimes it takes a lot of washing with the Word before the soil of the world is cleared out of some women's eyes. They just need encouragement as God works in their lives.

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

‘She girds herself with strength, and strengthens her arms.’ Proverbs 31:17

Stand firm

There's no doubt that we are in the end times and that the world is getting darker. It is harder to be a Christian than it was even twenty years ago.

We are not being killed like our brothers and sisters in Christ overseas,  but we are in a place where our freedom of speech and freedom in general is being curtailed.

Often the butt of jokes and criticised for our faith, we are likened to children who believe in a fantasy: a God Who cares deeply for us is a stumbling block to many.

Workers can be dismissed for mentioning Jesus (although it is fine if they are using His Name as a curseword) and in some countries nurses have been dismissed for praying for a patient or simply wearing a cross around their neck...

We of all people are most misjudged and vilified by the world. When we stand up to society about matters that go against God such as same sex marriage, abortion and infanticide, we are told we are judgemental, unloving and biggotted.

What can we do? We can stand firm. Even if we can't stand physically, spiritually we stand firm. Our foundation is the Blood of Christ and His Word.

We live a life of faith and we aspire to be more Christ-like daily. We pray for ourselves, others and the world that it comes to a saving knowledge of God.

In our daily living, we stand firm in our convictions, no matter what the cost. This can be so difficult.

Shining our light in a dark world is never easy, but we must continue to shine. We must win the lost through our example, and our example should be Jesus.

Many have fallen away and backslidden. We must pray for them and pray daily for our own strength and commitment to Christ to stay firm.

It is imperative that we Christians, able bodied or not, stand firm. And we can. We have the Rock to cling to and the firm foundation of His Word. Will you stand firm?

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.  Matthew 10:22

Resting in the promises of God

When we are constantly bombarded with health problems and in constant pain, it is very easy to fall into the self-pity trap. We feel nobody understands us or that nobody cares and we can't live as we want. This makes us feel overwhelmed and we go down straight into the Pit of Despair.

Anyone who suffers chronic pain knows that the Pit of Despair is a real place that seeks to keep its guests captive. It is a very hard place to be in and a hard place to leave.

Once we have arrived at the Pit of Despair, we find that we have packed extra suitcases of Sorrow that we didn't realise we had packed. We knew that we had Sadness, False Guilt, Anger, Resentment and Disappointment on board in the luggage department, but we usually are surprised to find Desperation, Disbelief, Doubt and Denial have hitched a ride in our bags as well.

As the doorman greets us and the bags are carried up to our rooms, we feel sure we hear evil laughter in the background....

We can be sure that the Evil One delights in our arrival, for he knows that sooner or later, he will be able to torment us with doubts about his greatest enemy, God. He will torment us with thoughts that will shake us to the very core. For he knows that in times of trouble, we need to cling to Jesus.

By our arrival at the Pit of Despair, Satan knows that we are prime targets for Desperation, Disbelief, Doubt and Denial of the most extreme order: attacks on our Spirit and belief in Christ- doubts even whether God loves us and even if He has saved us.

To be sure, those thoughts have come fleetingly prior to entering the Pit of Despair, indeed, they have helped to lure us there. It is just a matter of time before those thoughts are so well entertained there that they threaten to overwhelm us in their intensity. For in times of trouble, where else can a Christian go than to the LORD? If Satan can get us to feel alone and that God doesn't care, then we are at the Pit's doorstep!

To avoid going to the Pit of Despair, it is imperative that we cling close to Jesus on a daily basis. Even when illness precludes bible reading or even listening to scripture, we should have enough of the Word inside of us to remember and to use against the Evil One. For we know that no matter what: God is for us and loves us!

We must put on the armour as described in Ephesians so that we can withstand the darts of the Evil One. And we must do this on a daily basis so that in the time of trouble, we WILL stand!

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:13

How does one get out of the Pit of Despair? you ask. By taking our thoughts captive and choosing to walk by faith and not by sight. Therefore [we are] always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 2 Corinthians 5:6-7

We must stand firm on the foundation of Christ Who loves us in spite of what our emotions are telling us. Emotions can and do lie. We have to learn to stand of the firm and solid foundation of the Word and not the sinking sands of emotion.

I know this sounds simplistic and as a fellow sufferer who has periodically visited the Pit of Despair, I know how easy it is to let your guard down and succumb to despair. But having been there, I can tell you that you can find your way out, but only with storing the Word in your heart to guard your mind and heart in times of trouble.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

The Pit of Despair has its doors open 24/7...it is a place that no one wants to visit. Don't unintentionally start packing your suitcases by allowing self-pitying thoughts control you! Make sure that you don't go there, stay close to the LORD, immerse yourself in the Word and prayer...that in the time of trouble, instead of finding yourself unsure of your place in Christ's affections, you will run to Him as a child to its father. You have His Word and promise to you that He will be there waiting for you, His Child. That's a Promise!

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Romans 8:15 For thou hast been a shelter for me, [and] a strong tower from the enemy. Psalm 61:3 The name of the LORD [is] a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. Proverbs 18:10