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Links from the Week

Mar15

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I managed to catch my little guy posing yesterday with this thoughtful little smirk, and I couldn’t help but caption it with some of his favorite things.

But enough about cute little people, here are some worthwhile places I stopped on the Web this week:

Motherhood is Manna – Erin Davis makes a much-needed point here that though our children are blessings & answers to prayer, we often find ourselves complaining to God as if they are a burden to carry. She says, “I asked God for children. He rained down beautiful gifts, straight from heaven. And my default is to gripe.”  Read the whole thing and then ask yourself the question she presents, “Are you managing your manna well?”

The Most Disobeyed Commandment in the Church? – This one might sting you a little! Have you ever considered granting honor and respect to President Obama in a way that is similar to the honor and respect you give your mother and father?  It seems we should.  Please note that the author uses the Westminster Larger Catechism as his primary support for the point he makes, but let us also note what he explains in a comment to critics:

The catechism is a brief summary of biblical teaching. As other commenters have pointed out, it’s not too difficult to find the verses that support the principle, but the catechism helps to gather together the teaching in a succinct summary – quite helpful for a brief blog post. Romans 13 is an application of the moral principle summarized in the fifth commandment.

Those We Lead – This article is encouraging pastor’s wives, especially experienced pastor’s wives, to care for the women they are leading.  She says, “I am not the leader of these women. They all have so much leadership in them that quite frankly, they could lead me on any given day. Despite my peaches ‘n cream complexion, I am the oldest one here and have the most experience as a pastor’s wife and woman in ministry. Because of that, I try my best to be their friend, encourage them, pray for them and just be there should they need an ear.”

Aspartame in Milk – This article from US News is a few weeks old, but it was just brought to my attention by Jacqueline at Deep Roots at Home.  I try very hard to avoid anything that contains aspartame after realizing how sick it seemed to make my son while he was breastfed.  There are a number of reasons to avoid it, I’ve learned, and I couldn’t believe they were looking to add it to milk as a way to get more kids to drink it!

On that same subject, Jacqueline also shared an informative post on the health effects of sugar vs. aspartame.

Lastly, below is a song that my husband sang in church last week to encourage our widows and widowers who were honored with a luncheon after service.  If you have experienced grief after the loss of a Christian loved one, this song is full of comforting truth.

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The Impact My Life Community

Aug27

If you have been a regular at Lamp on a Stand, I hope that it has been obvious that I have a heart to see Christian women living in obedience to God and seeking to know Him through scripture.  It is my desire that God would use this blog to make an impact on your life by urging you to glorify God in all you do.

One major blessing I have received through starting this blog has been connecting with other bloggers that have similar vision and convictions.  I treasure the moments in which I feel my heart leap for joy as I read well crafted words that affirm the truth of scripture and call women to action, words written by women to women that draw out a whispered “amen” as I am inspired.

A few weeks ago, I came across Elisa Pulliam and the More to Be ministry, and while exploring her website and reading about her mission, I found myself whispering “amen” a dozen times.  Her heart is to see women living in obedience to the Titus 2 Mandate for mentorship, and embracing the call to mentor and be mentored.  This passion has led her to stir up passion in others by providing resources and encouragement for mentoring that are easily accessible and applicable to your individual needs as a mentor.

When I learned she was preparing to publish a new ebook, Impact My Life, I couldn’t resist making myself a part of her ministry by helping put this resource in front of the women to whom I minister here.  I am now part of the Impact My Life Community, and am writing today to introduce myself to the rest of this lovely group of women who are also passionate about impacting lives through mentorship.  Elisa has asked us several questions, and I welcome you to explore my answers while considering joining this community by answering them yourself!

Tell us who you are:

My name is Tyanne, daughter of the One True God, wife to one husband, and mother to one son.  Prior to marriage and motherhood, I studied Sociology and Corrections, completed my bachelor’s degree, and worked in the social work field as a counselor and crisis interventionist.  I love my new role as a stay-at-home mom and wife, and I find joy in honoring God by serving our church body and other believers in a variety of ways. (Please visit the Hostess page to learn more!)

Tell us where you serve our amazing God:

I serve God, first and foremost, by living my life to worship Him, live obediently, and strive towards holiness.  Additionally, I serve God by serving others in my home, my church, and my community.  My highest service priority in this season of life is to serve my husband as his helper, and serve my son by mothering him in ways that honor the Lord.

I serve in our church by singing with our worship team, mentoring, and co-leading our ministry for moms with young children.  Studying God’s word and Writing truth and encouragement here at Lamp on a Stand is another way I am able to serve women in my family, my church, and throughout the world.

Tell us who you want to impact with biblical truth:

The more difficult question is, “Who DON’T I want to impact with biblical truth?” God’s Word holds the key to life, and without His truth we are all dead for an eternity of wailing and gnashing of teeth.  To say there is anyone I do not want to impact with biblical truth is to say I care little about the eternal destiny of those around me.  I desire to see lives changed by faith in Christ, and transformed towards sanctification by living in obedience to God’s commands.  I desire to impact all people with biblical truth, all the time.

I especially see a need for women of all ages to be inspired by God’s Word in huge ways, setting aside our fears and weaknesses to pursue God’s path for us.

Tell us why you’re looking forward to the release of Impact My Life:

I look forward to the release of Impact My Life because I desire to see other women respond to it and take action.  Elisa has taken the time to provide a simple and accessible resource that will challenge women to understand the value of biblical mentorship, set aside their excuses, identify mentoring opportunities, and be intentional in mentoring relationships.  Lives will be impacted by reading this book, and there will be a beautiful ripple effect as women step up to impact the lives of other women and young girls.

Tell us how you think you’ll use Impact My Life: 

At this time, my desire is to share this resource with others who are serving as mentors and those who should be serving as mentors but have chosen not to seek out the opportunity.  I am also currently using it as a personal kick-in-the-pants to step up and mentor more intentionally in my existing mentorship relationships as well as informal mentorship relationships.

Thank you all for taking the time to get to know me! I look forward to connecting with others through the Impact My Life Community.  If you are not currently a part of it, I encourage you to consider reading more about this ministry by clicking on the image above! Also, take the time to like the More to Be facebook page HERE!

Want to increase your understanding of theology?

Jul26

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The other day, I blogged about my own journey towards understanding that theology matters.  As I shared in my post, my husband has served as my greatest teacher and motivator on this topic.  I know that not all of you are married to pastors, and not all of you are married to someone that loves to discuss theological issues.

If you are interested in growing your understanding of Theology but don’t know exactly where to start, I want to encourage you to head over to New Life Steward every Thursday where Mary Beth is writing a great series she calls t{squared} Theology on Thursdays.  She is using Grudem’s Systematic Theology as her primary source, but you don’t need the book to follow along.

Here’s what I love about it:

  • She’s taking it one step at a time, starting with the most basic theological concepts.
  • It’s clear and easy to understand.  Anyone can learn here.
  • She’s taking information from an excellent, but very LARGE, book and summarizing some key concepts for those that don’t plan to read it themselves.
  • It provides accurate references to her source, giving credit where credit is due and telling you where you can go to learn more.
  • There are application points – you won’t leave wondering, “Why does this matter to me?”

Check it out, friends! I hope you find it is worth your time!

 

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Check out the side panel for all the great blogs I link up with from week to week!
If you liked this post you might also enjoy I learned it from my husband: Theology Matters, Submission Recognition II, or A Lonely Calling
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Are you a First Thessalonians Five Woman?

Jul25

Look out Titus 2 and Proverbs 31 Women, there’s a new lady in town.

Don’t worry, friends, the three of you will get along just fine. In fact, I hope you will find that you have a lot in common. Maybe you will even consider adding “First Thessalonians Five Woman” to your Biblical Womanhood resume?

I know, I know. It’s a bit of a long title, and not nearly as pretty in print. “Thessalonians” is just a little chubby to fit in your trendy graphic, right?

Listen up though, and maybe you’ll consider joining the cause. This morning I read out of First Thessalonians five and found myself hovering over the “final instructions,” especially verses 11-15. Here’s a run down:

  • Encourage one another and build one another up. (v. 11)

  • Respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you. (v. 12)

  • Esteem them very highly in love because of their work. (v. 13) (Them referring to those who labor among you and over you.)

  • Be at peace among yourselves. (v. 13b)

  • Admonish the idle. (v. 14)

  • Encourage the faint hearted. (v. 14b)

  • Help the weak. (v. 14c)

  • Be patient with them all. (v. 14d)

  • Always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. (v. 15b)

I don’t know about you, but I hear these verses are saying “step it up, lady!” I challenge you to read through the above list again and ask yourself two questions, “Am I striving to [insert command]” and “Where is God calling me to [insert command].”

If you have ever benefitted from another believer obediently following these commands, you know the impact that a First Thessalonians Five Woman can have within the body of Christ. Can you imagine the work God would do with an army of women standing in obedience to these commands? It might not make a cute graphic, but lives would be changed for the Glory of God.

So I ask you:

Are you a First Thessalonians Five Woman? If not, are you feeling called to “step it up” and become one? I know I am.

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Linking up with Life in Bloom.
Check out the side panel for all the great blogs I link up with from week to week!
If you liked this post you might also enjoy The First of Many: The Titus 2 Woman, A Passage Once Wrestled: Proverbs 31, or A Lonely Calling
Are you are feeling blessed by the content of this blog and want to read more by lamp light? I’d love to see your face on my bright, shiny, and new Twitter and Facebook pages. Join me there for up-to-date lamp news and posts that are hot off the press!

Current Reading – Adopted for Life

Jun2

What’s on your book shelf?

Adoption has been a topic of discussion lingering in our home from the beginning of our marriage.  It started as simply something we could “see ourselves doing someday,” but was brought up as a distant possibility that I’m sure many young couples consider but never actually pursue.

Then, as I entered a career that required me to work closely with children in the foster care system, I found myself losing sleep at night as I considered the environments in which these children were living day-to-day.  Compounding with my sadness for these children was the undeniable realization that my husband and I were uniquely equipped to provide a home and a loving environment for children in need.  At that time we were not yet trying to become pregnant, and adoption was something we had bought into as something a family does AFTER they are unable to have children “of their own.”

When my husband and I discussed it then, I could sense the hesitation in his voice as he mentioned the challenges that would come with entering into a foster care relationship.  Ultimately, he made it clear it was not a choice we were ready to make.  I knew he was not yet open to the idea, and I accepted that it was something I needed to put aside, continue to pray about, and see what the future would bring.

I know that at that time I was viewing adoption in two ways: 1) An act of charity done for someone I took pity on, or 2) a last resort road to parenthood.  Either way, my attitude towards adoption was not only self-serving and ignorant, but worldly and immature.  It was true that God had prepared us in many ways to become suitable foster parents and the need for fit homes was (and will continue to be) extremely great.  However, God wants the desires of our hearts to be pure and our motives to be centered on him in the decisions we make.  It is not enough for us to simply meet a need because we have the ability or resources to meet it.  We need to be grounded in gospel truth and fueled by the power of the holy spirit as we approach God’s plans for our lives, not our own.

In the fall of 2010 I was pregnant with our first and only child.  I attended a women’s ministry event where a keynote speaker was going to present on the topic of adoption.  She was a respected member of a nearby church who had dealt with years of infertility and has since welcomed two daughters into her family through adoption.  I fully expected to hear a testimony of God’s timing in building her family and a moving tale of the heartache of empty arms followed by the joy of motherhood at long last.  To my surprise, her personal adoption story was wrapped up in the first five minutes in a professional fashion.  We then received the handouts that accompanied what she really planned to talk about, our adoption into the family of God through Christ.  She used scripture to show us the ultimate model for adoption and helped us to understand that we as Christians can not fully grasp earthly adoption until we have a clear picture of heavenly adoption.  It was a light bulb moment for me, and I’ll admit I was embarrassed to have not considered such an obvious parallel before that night.  Adoption was not about building an all-american family dream or giving in to guilt and pity felt towards a needy child, it was about the Gospel.  It was about living out the gospel and being the light of the world, desiring to raise up disciples and building the kingdom of God.

Still, we were anticipating the birth and blessing of our first son.  Our family vision was clouded with the excitement of pregnancy and baby preparation.  We continued to talk about the possibility of foster care and adoption in our future, but still viewed it as a very far off step.  First, we thought, we would finish having biological children and raise them to an age at which they could “handle” the stress of welcoming new children into our home.  God has since changed our thinking dramatically as we have parented our son through his first year of life and been exposed to more teaching on the topic of adoption.  It has been encouraging to see God clearly revealing the plans he has for us by affirming our desire to adopt through consistent teaching and biblical understanding.  A few months ago, my husband was reading the story of David Platt’s church stepping forward to meet the foster care needs in their community in the book Radical Together, which I had also read months earlier.  God used this story and others to take our conversation on adoption to a more serious level.  For me, a recent Bible study lesson challenged my thinking in regards to protecting my biological children from the risks of foster children and has led me to re-evaluate my heart in this matter.  (I hope to share more about this later on.)

We have since been talking about adoption as something we plan to do, and relatively soon, rather than something we “could see ourselves doing” in the distant future.  We have started letting friends know that we desire to pursue this, and we have asked for prayer in how we should go forward.  We are asking ourselves new questions: Where are these children God wants us to adopt and how does he want us to do it?  When will we adopt? And how does this impact our desire for future pregnancies?

So I would consider us to be in the earliest stages of pursuing adoption.  By early, I mean we are still learning and discussing, but not taking any official steps forward.  We have questions that we need to answer together and we need to pray for clarity in planning and direction.  All of the above has been a really long way of telling you that I have recently started reading Adopted for Life by Russell Moore after hearing from several friends that it was a book well worth reading.  I am confident that it will be one more source of affirmation in our desire to adopt and I hope to share some of my “take-away” lessons when I’ve finished reading.  Adoption is such a beautiful thing, both theologically and as we live it out in our families, and I am excited to share more on this topic as we continue down this road.