One Quiet Life

"Learn much of the Lord Jesus. For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ. Let your soul be filled with a sense of the excellence of Christ." - Robert Murray M'Cheyne When you think about the deeply narcissistic age in which we live and how much we are tempted and encouraged to be focused on ourselves, M'Cheyne's words still echo in our ears down through the corridors of time. We need to take them to heart every single day. ~ Alistair Begg & Sinclair Ferguson, Name above All Names (37) I look at myself too much. Not necessarily in a mirror, although that is probably true. Throughout the day, I look at myself constantly - internally grading my performance at work, mentally patting myself on the back for my efforts to care for my family, silently berating myself for not keeping our home as clean as I'd like, congratulating myself for any number of trivial things. There is no end to how often I think of myself. Is it any wonder I don...

In a world of endless self-promotion obscurity may seem enigmatic, foolish, and futile. From the moment the serpent enticed Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, mankind has been trying to supplant God; each of us has become the center of our own little universe. Perhaps we want to put God in His rightful place, but we have no idea how to start. We must first understand what it means to actually embrace obscurity. It's "... not about wiping ourselves from existence but rather, voluntarily, becoming nothing in light of everything God is and has promised us. Why? So we can bring Him greater glory. It's about making Him, not ourselves, look good ." (p. 3) Now that we understand the purpose of living a life of obscurity (or, as I call it, a quiet life ), we can begin to think about what it encompasses. Modern technology has certainly reduced the size of the world. News satellites, the internet, and social media put information and relationships at our fingertips. With all o...

Praising the Lord this week for: ~birthdays of family and friends I have the honor to call mine ~a long weekend full of productivity and rest ~ LaColumbe coffee in a pristine white mug ~the rhythms of everyday life ~this reminder and encouragement... What a privilege to have God as our God! What a happy condition when nothing can hurt you! If one loses his name, it is written in the book of life. If he loses his liberty, his conscience is free. If he loses his estate, he owns the pearl of great price. If he meets a storm, he has a harbour; God is his God, and heaven is his heaven. If God is our God, our soul is safe. It is hidden in the promises, in the wounds of Christ, and in the decrees of God. If God is our God, then all that is in God is ours. How happy is he who not only inherits the gifts of God, but inherits God himself! In his wisdom, he is ours to teach us, his power shall support us, and his mercy shall save us. God is an infinite ocean of blessedness, and ther...

Hello, Melissa. We were in a shop at Disney World. I was eight and I'd never seen this man behind the counter before. How did he know my name? I was not young enough to think it was magic; I thought it was creepy. I knew I wasn't in any real danger. After all, my parents were beside me. In fact, when I demanded to know how he could call me by name, they erupted in laughter. I didn't understand. This was not funny. I was on the verge of tears. When Mama realized how upset I was, she prompted me to look down. The day had been so full that I'd forgotten my name was embroidered across the top of my peach-colored shirt. As we left the shop I feigned laughter at my own silliness, but deep down I was unsettled. The world has changed considerably since 1976. Our names are emblazoned on practically everything, our pictures online for the entire world to see. Far from being creeped out when strangers call us by name, we have made them privy to our innermost thoughts. We li...