---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

The Separation Mentality --- Compassion, Part Four












This is part four of a study on showing compassion to the unsaved.  Part One can be found here, Part Two is here, and Part Three is here

In this fourth posting on showing compassion to the unsaved, I want to share with you a third reason why Christians aren't quick to give that grace to those who don't know Jesus.  It's something called the "Separate Yourself" mentality and many of us use it as an excuse to "get out" of "having" to witness to those around us. 


2 Corinthians 6:14, 17 says: "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" and "Therefore,  'Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.'"

But then, Matthew 28:19-20 says, "'Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Amen."

So, isn't that a contradiction?  Actually, no.  While it's true that we are to be set apart from those who do not live their lives according to God's Word, there is a difference between the "unequal yoke" of 2 Corinthians and the command to go out into the world and make disciples that Matthew is speaking of.  We can't be very good witnesses if we are so far set apart that we have no unsaved people in our acquaintance or circle of influence.  The "yoke" is a joining together: a covenant and strong commitment; such as a marriage or a close friendship.  You can only get so close with an unbelieving friend before the issue of religion gets in the way.

We can be separate but still be witnesses of Jesus' love and character.  In John 17: 14-18, Jesus prays concerning the disciples: "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world."

In fact, by befriending non-believers, (keeping boundaries and self-control in place) we can actually be a positive influence and show Christ's love without initially saying a whole lot.  The Good Samaritan story is a great example of love and compassion in action (Luke 10:25-37).  While none of his words are recorded, the Good Samaritan is remembered by his actions.  Read John 13:34-35: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."  They will know we are Christians by our love!  This relationship built on good character and honest love for our neighbor will open doors for dialogue in the future.

This post was featured in The Christian Home magazine, Issue #52.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Should've Known Better: Compassion, Part Three














This is part three of a study on showing compassion to the unsaved.  Part One can be found here and Part Two is here.

In previous parts of this study, I talked about the importance of compassion in our dealings with those who don't know Jesus.  In this post, I'll share another reason why we Christians sometimes have trouble offering compassion and grace to the unsaved.

In addition to the "sense of superiority" mentality that I talked about in part two, we Christians struggle with thinking that a person who commits an offense "should have known better".  When thinking about this part of the study, I was reminded of a lady that I saw in Albertsons recently.  She had her two little girls with her and they were hanging out of the cart, singing, dancing...generally being obnoxious as she's trying to shop.  It was evening so she'd probably had a long day and her kids were wound up and likely ready for dinner and bed.  As I was bagging countless packages of meat to fill our freezer, I listened to and slyly watched her dealings with her kids.  "Stop it! Stop it! How many times have I told you that?"  All the while, she's looking at meat, checking her list, etc.---not once does she stop to look her child in the eye.  "Since you can't mind, you can just go find some other family to live with.  Go!"  Her 4 or 5 year old little girl goes walking down the aisle away from the cart...

My first reaction was to think something along the lines of, "She should know better than to treat her kids that way.  She's not even looking at them while she's spouting off all this nonsense.  I would never treat my kids that way..." etc...

The verse that got me thinking of this woman was Proverbs 5:6: "She does not ponder the path of life; her ways are unstable, she does not know it."  This is speaking of the immoral woman.  Wow...she doesn't even realize that shes unstable!  She doesn't take the time to ponder life's path.  She doesn't even realize there's a better way---that money, weight loss, or a man cannot make it better.

Often times, people will make comments about our parenting style,  how nice we look, our clean home, our intelligent conversation, etc.  It can be hard not to get puffed up about that.  We can take two directions in our thoughts about this woman---or in other similar scenarios:

                Path 1: "She doesn't deserve those kids.  If they were my kids I'd...  Somebody needs to show her how to parent.  I'm an excellent parent, I'd never treat my kids that way.  Does this woman even love her kids?  She should know better!"

                Path 2: Pray.  "Lord, please bless this mother with peace in her home and heart.  Teach her about grace and put someone in her life to encourage her in her parenting and to lead her family to you.  Give her a fresh start tonight and teach her that with just one soft-spoken word, one change in attitude, she can change the whole atmosphere of her home.  Show her that this will lead to the behavior she wants to see from her children."

Another verse on this is Proverbs 4:19: "The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble."  How do I respond to this?  With compassion or with cynicism?  Do I say, "Oh yeah right, surely they know what is making them stumble!"

Think about it:  Why do the lost stumble?  Maybe they didn't recognize the stumbling block as a bad thing in the first place.  Maybe they didn't see it in the road because their eyes were focused elsewhere.  Would their walk have been any better had they had a guide?

Isaiah 30:21 says: "Your ears shall hear a word behind you saying, 'This is the way, walk in it', whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left."  Wow! The unsaved don't have that voice of the Holy Spirit guiding them! Can you imagine?  How sad for them.  Do we have compassion for them?  Do we have enough compassion to do something about it?

This article was published in Issue 51 of The Christian Home magazine.


Saturday, February 25, 2012

One Hour Pillow UpCycle

  Are you here for Pink Saturday?  After you read this one, see my PINK here!

One day, about a year ago, I was shopping at a thrift store in Mount Vernon, Washington, when I came upon this...
I was not just excited because of the neat Regency-era picture, the really big deal here for me was:  I had just discovered printable fabric!!!
Since then, I have found lots of inspiration on The Graphics Fairy's wonderful website and have made a couple pillows on my own. I decided to make one tonight for my March Giveaway Jubilee!

I began by selecting the graphic I wanted on The Graphics Fairy, then I create a correctly-sized text box in Word.  The size of my text box depends on how big I want the picture to be on my pillow.  I insert the picture into the text box, then I print it off onto printable fabric.
Next, I assemble my supplies.  I use Elmer's Craft Bond spray adhesive, which bonds really well right away, so I've got to work quickly once I get that sprayed on.  I find my pillows at thrift stores. I take them home, toss them in the wash, and then trim off any loose strings that might be hanging around...good as new!
I always like to position my graphic onto the pillow to get a feel for how it will look.
Then I peel the backing off of the fabric piece and spray it with the glue.  I do the pillow too.
I very gently tap the picture down.  I don't want any wrinkles at all in the fabric.  I also don't want to smear the wet ink.
I knew my pillow definitely needed something extra...but what?  I quickly decided against paper flowers and moved on to something else.
Yes! Raid the vintage jewelry collection!!
I decided on this vintage gold brooch because the swooping design of it reminds me of a bird (there are birds on the graphic I'm using---click on the pictures to enlarge if you need to).  I also chose this purple and gold earring set.  I can use the second earring on a bottle or something to go with this pillow.
Now what this pillow needs is some trimmings!
I found a length of pretty blue vintage lace.
Then I found this cute eyelet trim for around the graphic...but, OH! There's not enough!
Hooray for thrift store finds...I knew this would come in handy!
But, I don't really like the trim all the way around the graphic after all...so I go back to the way I had it!
Now it's time to glue!
I did end up finding a place for those paper flowers after all---I put them at the ends of the eyelet trimming.  See the pretty pink flowers there?
I think this turned out super cute---what do you think?  

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Homemaking Link-Up Weekend and Pink Saturday

Want to see something adorable?
There's more!

Early this month, Daddy wrote Lynzie (12) and Selah (5) an invitation to the Daddy Daughter Dance!
He made reservations at Le Restaurant Coller, the PINKest place in town!

They ordered their dresses to be made by Madam Coller's Fine Apparel.  A good time was had by all!
Don't forget the quarterly Giveaway Jubilee for the month of March! Would you like to participate as either a giver, a winner, or both?  Click my adorable new button for all the details!
Spring Giveaway 

Jubilee


And...now it's time for this week's Homemaking Link-Up Weekend!

Would you like to participate in the party each week but just can't remember to link up?  There's a couple things I can do to help you out with that!  First, there's a cute button at the top of my sidebar that you can put on your blog to serve as a reminder for you---and an advertisement for me!  Secondly, I will send you an email reminder!  I send out a short email to participants who've participated on Wednesday nights to remind everyone about the party.  Please let me know in the comments below if you'd like me to remove you from that list!


I'd love to have you link up your homemaking posts below!  Hope you have a GREAT weekend!

Also linking with:









Sunday, February 19, 2012

Showing Compassion-- Part Two

This is part two of a study on showing compassion to the unsaved.  I posted part one last week---you can read that here.

As I said last week, the Bible says that, as Christians, we are called to compassion.  1 Peter 3:8-9 instructs us in this way:  "Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another;  love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous, not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing."

Unfortunately, we often refuse to show compassion to those around us who need it the most.  There are several reasons for this and, if we're honest, we'll see that we are all guilty of the hypocrisy of ignoring those whom Christ would have us minister to.

One reason why we are not compassionate toward the unsaved is that we have a Sense of SuperiorityProverbs 6:16-17 says this"These six things the Lord hates, yes seven are an abomination to Him:   A proud look..."  There are times when we observe someone who is obviously unsaved and we think things like, "I'm better than that."  "I would never do that."  Etc.  This dangerously prideful attitude is displayed obviously on our faces. 

What's that you say?  You've never had the proud look?  You don't even know what it looks like?  Well, then this would be the perfect time for you to go look in the mirror so you can see exactly what it looks like!  In all seriousness though, think about a time when someone has given you the proud look.  It was very obvious, wasn't it?  They might have been trying to hide it, but you saw it didn't you?  Don't be fooled into thinking you can hide the proud look too!  Something that is so important to remember is that many people, especially those who have been hurt by Christians before, are very discerning of false kindnesses and false behavior.

How can I get rid of my proud look?  It's a simple answer but not so easy to put into practice!  Our proud looks will disappear when the sense of superiority is erased from our hearts!  Once we stop thinking we are "better than that" or that we are "above that behavior" and acknowledge that "all have sinned and fall(en) short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23), we will have no more problems with the proud look because we won't feel superior anymore!

Confession time!  Do you have a problem with a sense of superiority like I sometimes do?  Comment and let me know.  Next time, I'll share another reason why we're not quick to offer compassion and grace to the unsaved in our lives.

Don't forget the quarterly Giveaway Jubilee for the month of March! Would you like to participate as either a giver, a winner, or both?  Click my adorable new button for all the details!
Spring Giveaway 

Jubilee

This article was featured in the 50th edition of The Godly Home magazine.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Homemaking Link-Up Weekend

Really...Need I say more??  Kynthia Joy, 6 months and Michael Wayne, 10 yrs.
Don't forget the quarterly Giveaway Jubilee for the month of March! Would you like to participate as either a giver, a winner, or both?  Click my adorable new button for all the details!
Spring Giveaway 

Jubilee


And...now it's time for this week's Homemaking Link-Up Weekend!

Would you like to participate in the party each week but just can't remember to link up?  There's a couple things I can do to help you out with that!  First, there's a cute button at the top of my sidebar that you can put on your blog to serve as a reminder for you---and an advertisement for me!  Secondly, I can send you an email reminder!  I send out a short email to participants who've requested one on Wednesday nights to remind everyone about the party.  Please let me know in the comments below if you'd like me to do that for you!


I'd love to have you link up your homemaking posts below!  Hope you have a GREAT weekend!

Also linking with:






Sunday, February 12, 2012

Showing Compassion-- Part One

A few months back, I began reading Proverbs again.  I was doing a little "research" for a study I wanted to put together on the wisdom Proverbs provides to women.  I'm sure I'll complete that study one of these days but a couple days into it, my focus turned toward another topic:  showing compassion to the unsaved.  This is part one of a study I shared with a group of women at church recently. 

Let me begin with the question that got the ball rolling for me:  Do I extend the same compassion to others that was extended to me;  not only by Christ, but by His church?

Growing up, my family was a moral family.  My parents taught my brother and I the basics of right and wrong and my mom encouraged me to take my troubles to Jesus in prayer, but we weren't practicing Christians necessarily and we definitely were not a churched family.  Although we knew about Jesus, we didn't really know Him.  We were unsaved.  (Happy to say that my parents are now also my brother and sister in Christ!) I can remember many occasions when I'd attend church off and on with friends, that people showed me the compassion and grace that Christ showed those he encountered while on Earth.  While it was obvious by my attire (or lack of it), my character, and the company I kept, that I was not walking with Jesus, the people at church still treated me with respect and dignity.  They invited me to events, talked to me about my interests, and made me feel like I was part of the family.  I credit these compassionate, spirit-filled people for making a big impact on the grounded-in-Christ person that I am today!

(Speaking to Christians here) Most of us come into contact with people, sometimes on a daily basis, who are obviously not walking with Jesus.  Maybe they are saved but are just having a really hard time showing it that day---maybe they're living a life that is obviously not centered on Him.  There are several reasons why we may choose not to show them compassion.  I'll speak to those over the next few days.  The one thing we need to remember though is this:  we are called to compassion.  1 Peter 3:8-9 instructs us in this way:  "Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another;  love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous, not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing."

When we understand and acknowledge what Christ did for us, we will be compelled to extend that same compassion to others.  Consider Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  If Jesus would go so far as to die for us, couldn't we at least try to be a little understanding of those around us who appear to be walking blindly?

There are many things we can do to show compassion to the unsaved around us.  Our character, who we are day in and day out, is the biggest testament to Christ.  Compassion needs to be a character trait and not something we just put on and off on a whim.  In addition to developing a genuine character, we can also:

1.  Think before we speak:  Proverbs 15:28 says, "The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil."  It really pays off to contemplate our words before spewing them out.  Words stick around so much longer than actions and reverberate in our memories...they can build up or break down.

2.  Let our actions do the speaking:  1 Peter 3: 1-2: "Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear."  Now there's a lot in that verse that I won't even go into right now, but the main point is that our actions will speak so much louder than our words when it comes to having integrity and being genuine.  People will be drawn to Christ when they see His character embodied in us, His people.  This is what it means to be "the body of Christ".  We are to be the physical representation of Christ in our words, thoughts and actions.

3.  Practice unselfishness & looking out for others:  Philippians 2:3-4: "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others."  How will my thoughts/actions affect those around me---both Christians and non-Christians---and not only now, but when they're ready to make a decision for Christ?  There are people in our lives to whom we may be the only representation of Christ that they will see.  I can think of one specific person who is very close to me that does not run with a Christian crowd.  I must emulate Christ to this person because I might be the only one who ever will!  We must practice what we preach by giving others grace when they do or say things that offend us.  A holier-than-thou attitude is one of the biggest turn-offs related to Christians!  If we have been a positive and genuine figure in the life of an unbeliever, we may have the opportunity to be the catalyst through which they someday find relationship with God!

Over the course of this study, I'll share some reasons why we Christians are not so quick to offer compassion and grace to the unsaved, as well as share with you how Jesus treated those the Bible calls "sinners".  Please leave a comment, if you've got time, and let me know how you've been affected by Christian compassion---either on the giving or receiving end.

This post was published in The Christian Home magazine, Issue #49

Linking With: A-Wise-Woman-Builds-Her-Home

Friday, February 10, 2012

Girls Day Out and Homemaking Link-Up Weekend

Hello!  Welcome to another great Homemaking Link-Up Weekend!  I sure hope you've had a lovely week!  I don't know about you, but I am SO ready for some relaxation time!  Here is a cute ATC I worked on late last night.  I was ready for bed but knew I had this swap to do and wanted to do ONE more productive thing...so I made this!  The lace at the top was hand-crocheted by a Finland friend's great-grandmother and the feather was found by one of my sweet kids!
Today, Lynzie, Selah, and I went for a LONG shopping day in Eastern Washington!  The girls wanted to dress up like Anne of Green Gables and her friend, Diana Barry. 
While we were in Michael's Craft Store, I came across this cute craft made from terra cotta pots!  Adorable!
However, this awesome microwave at Target takes the cake!  Isn't this adorable??  I wonder how much convincing my husband would need.... (ETA: wouldn't you know it---I told my husband about it and now he's like "GET IT"!!! Ha! Gotta love someone who appreciates my weird quirkiness! :)

Don't forget the quarterly Giveaway Jubilee for the month of March! Would you like to participate as either a giver, a winner, or both?  Click my adorable new button for all the details!
Spring Giveaway 

Jubilee


And...now it's time for this week's Homemaking Link-Up Weekend!

Would you like to participate in the party each week but just can't remember to link up?  There's a couple things I can do to help you out with that!  First, there's a cute button at the top of my sidebar that you can put on your blog to serve as a reminder for you---and an advertisement for me!  Secondly, I can send you an email reminder!  I send out a short email to participants who've requested one on Wednesday nights to remind everyone about the party.  Please let me know in the comments below if you'd like me to do that for you!


I'd love to have you link up your homemaking posts below!  Hope you have a GREAT weekend!

Also linking with:


Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Shabby Chic Chandelier --- Guest Post

I am so happy and honored to have my good friend Rachel from Bubbly Nature Creations here guest posting today!  I have been inspired countless times by her unique creativity and bubbly personality!  So many of you have commented on how much you love my blog design---we have Rachel to thank for that, as she is the one who put it together for me!  Enjoy the tutorial and be blessed!
 Hi everyone!  My name is Rachel from Bubbly Nature Creations and  I am
so excited to be featured here on Sarah's blog!!!  She is such a
sweetie and I love her
kind and gentle spirit.  She lifts me up in so many ways and I am so glad to be
her friend!  I also love her blog and wanted to share with all of
you over here how to make a regular chandelier, or other type of hanging light, into a
cute Shabby
Chic Chandelier just in time for Valentine's
Day!  



what you will need: 
strings of pearls and beads- fake or real if you wish... mine are
totally fake! (make a color scheme from these) 
a few yards of lace
ribbons in coordinating colors 
 First take your strings of pearls and beads and wrap them around
the inside so that they hang down the middle.  It doesn't have to
be perfect either! 
Then take your lace and start hanging it between the lights... tie the
two ends of the lace together and just adjust how they hang down from
there.  Next tie little ribbons to the light posts and then you
have your cute shabby chic chandelier!!! Wasn't that so easy?!?
I really love the way
that this turned out!  I am thinking of going to the
dollar jewelry store for some Easter colored
beads
next! 
Happy Creating!!! 
Bubbly Nature

Be sure to visit my
blog
this week to find out more about my Valentine's
decor... I will be offering a tutorial on how to make
these: 
and I also have a great post about a Valentine's Themed
Iced Coffee Party
  which shows everything that I
have made for Valentine's decor... well so far! :P
Thanks for letting me come and
share
this with you today!!! 

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Doll Dress Origami: I Actually MADE something I pinned on Pinterest!!!

My good friend and seasoned Pinterest pinner, Audra, told me this about Pinterest last night as I was lamenting the fact that I keep pinning and never creating:   "Pinterest newbies - pin, pin, pin, pin - repeat excessively. Pinterest regulars - pin, try something, pin, pin, try something, go about life, pin, try something..."

So, as my official graduating act, I am pleased to announce that I've actually MADE something that I saw pinned on Pinterest!  These little dresses were in a tutorial by Dreadlock Girl

I was commissioned to make a poster for our church to display pictures from a recent Women's Ministry event.  I had ideas forming in my mind all week long and, this afternoon, I began this (you can click the pictures to enlarge them):


Everything that's done with book pages is made from pages of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility.
I could just make those dolly dresses all day long!  How sweet!

Do you love Giveaways?  How about joining in my Giveaway Jubilee March 1-31st?  Click the button below for all you need to know!
Spring Giveaway 

Jubilee

Linking up with: 







Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...