Pride & Self-Esteem

Insightful words from Driscoll on pride & self-esteem (from the sermon, "Humble Pastors" looking at 1 Peter 5:1-5).

"Pride is demonic. ...Ever since [Eden], pride has been the problem. Most of us don't even understand that it's a problem, because satan also went into the marketing business and he's repackaged pride as self-esteem. Utter nonsense!

'Well You need to have self-esteem.' No you don't! Your identity is in Christ; your joy is in Christ! ... Live for God's glory, not your own!...

'Well what about self-help?' That's the problem! We don't help ourselves; we need Jesus. It's not self-help, self-esteem, self-actualization. It's God, it's Christ, it's grace, it's gospel, it's glory to Him! We miss this totally.

You see this starting at youth. This is like a toxin that's put into your soul from birth. "Oh, you're a snowflake, you're special, there's no one like you." There was a study that came out; they tested American kids versus kids around the world. We score the lowest in geography, scored really low in math, really low in reading, and really high-- among the highest in the world-- in self-esteem.

This is what happens... "you can be anything you want, you can do anything you want to do, you're a snowflake, you can even go to Burger King and get it your way, right away." ... It's crazy-- you live in a insane, demonically-inspired culture that wants to make you the center of the universe, wants to make your glory the penultimate goal of your existence, and wants you to think that everyone should bow down and realize how amazing you are and it's satanic. No help at all. Because God opposes the proud. Think about that. To be proud is to fight God. And God gives grace to the humble....

What we don't need is pride; we need grace. ..."God I need help; I need a Savior. I don't need self-esteem; I need identity in Christ. I don't need to self-actualize; I need to worship You, live for Your glory. I need to get out of myself; I'm addicted to myself. I think about myself. I love myself. All the time, and only my self."

I've said it before, I'll say it again-- there are times and ways that I have failed you. This is utterly condemning: arrogance, haughtiness, boastfulness. I have failed you. I deeply regret ways I have acted, things I have said. I ask your forgiveness. I would ask us all to follow Jesus. I hope by God's grace to grow in this....

We're all so proud. CJ (Mahaney) says the best we can say is: "We are proud people pursuing humility by the grace of God."

"Stepping Heavenward"

Stop over and visit Renee, a mother of 12 and an incredible woman with lots of experience and encouraging words just for moms...here is an exerpt from one of her recent posts:

Somewhere over the years I learned that being strong willed wasn't really a bad thing. After all my husband Jim

is incredibly strong willed. It is what allows him to be such a great employee, husband, father, preacher. He has an incredible drive. What makes his drive a blessing is that his strong will is rooted in godly desires.

As parents of strong willed children do not lose heart. God can and will use their will for His glory if they are yielded to Him. Your little one may be wearing you out. Every day teaching them right from wrong may seem fruitless as you can see little progress being made.

Do not grow weary in well-doing. You will reap a harvest! Instill God's word in their hearts and pray the Holy Spirit will apply it to their hearts. Be consistent in teaching them right from wrong. Enjoy them and play with them and let them know how much you delight in them.

The process of parenting does not always yield immediate results. It is much like the farmer waiting for a harvest. We sometimes have to wait for another season to see all that is happening underneath the soil.

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. Galatians 6:9~

Tea Parties

As part of the "New American Tea Party"

On April 1, 2009, all Americans are being asked to send a TEABAG to Washington, D.C. You do not have to enclose a note or any other information unless you so desire.Just a TEABAG.Many cities are organizing protests.This is great for those who don't like to be out there holding signs - but everyone is encouraged to do this. Your voice regarding how you feel about all the insane stimulus and bailout spending can be heard with a TEABAG. Your one voice will become a roar when joined with millions of others that feel the same way.Why, April 1?? We want them to reach Washington by April 15. tax Day.

Send your tea bag to:

President Obama

1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Washington , D.C. 20500

Go ahead and get the envelope ready to mail, then just drop it in the mail April 1.

HT: http://yedies.blogspot.com/

January in PA

The past couple of weeks have been bitterly cold as a frigid Arctic mass dominated the eastern US, but here at East Point Farm we did not hole up and wait for temperatures to modify. Oh, no....we were outside delivering the first new kids of the year, making sure they were warm, and making middle of the night checks on does as they were getting closer to giving birth.

So far we've had 5 does and 3 buck kids born, and of the 14 does bred last summer/fall, nine still have yet to freshen. We bred a good number of our dairy does to our boer buck (who was quite happy to oblige, lol) and are excited about adding some nice first generation boer cross does to our bredding stock, as well as having nice sized 4-H market wethers for several of our children to take to the fair in August.

Thankfully we did not have any extended periods of blustery winds and the associated wind chill to go with it. A couple of mornings we did hit the negative 20's though. I don't think kidding in January is all that bad. You adjust to the cold, and no one complains of cabin fever. We are currently enjoying a balmy respite of 42 degrees, although the forcast does call for a return to colder temperatures after today.

(L to R)

Wynona meets Cheyenne and her brother

Wynona and her brother (lying down)

Melissa and "Bugs"
(buckling out of "Bunny")

Aspen & Snowflake

Wynona and Reese,

bottle babies

Transformed by Beholding

"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Corinthians 3:18

The greatest characteristic a Christian can exhibit is this completely unveiled openness before God, which allows that person’s life to become a mirror for others. When the Spirit fills us, we are transformed, and by beholding God we become mirrors. You can always tell when someone has been beholding the glory of the Lord, because your inner spirit senses that he mirrors the Lord’s own character. Beware of anything that would spot or tarnish that mirror in you. It is almost always something good that will stain it— something good, but not what is best.
The most important rule for us is to concentrate on keeping our lives open to God. Let everything else including work, clothes, and food be set aside. The busyness of things obscures our concentration on God. We must maintain a position of beholding Him, keeping our lives completely spiritual through and through. Let other things come and go as they will; let other people criticize us as they will; but never allow anything to obscure the life that "is hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3). Never let a hurried lifestyle disturb the relationship of abiding in Him. This is an easy thing to allow, but we must guard against it. The most difficult lesson of the Christian life is learning how to continue "beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord . . . ."

by Oswald Chambers

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