We have three acres, with big shady maples of various variety, fruit trees, and a creek around the back edge.

It is just what I have dreamed of.

Now for the fixing up of this 1873 farmhouse, and hopefully some GOATS! and chickens??

Mrs.MegLogan

“And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out: For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid. And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. For they considered not [the miracle] of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.” Mark 6:47-52

I went to Ladie’s Bible Study this morning and these were the verses for reading. Immediately after reading the verses my questions were “Why didn’t the disciples understand the miracle of the loaves?” (The preceeding verses deal with the feeding of the five thousand, and Jesus praying on the Mountain while He sent the disciples in a boat across the Sea of Galilee to Bethsaida.) And “What was Jesus trying to teach the disciples through those miracles?”

The immediate answer to their lack of understanding is that their hearts were hard (see verse 51). In order to more fully understand this passage, I had to look at some verses in Matthew (16:9-12).

Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? How is it that ye do not understand that I spake [it] not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade [them] not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

So the miracle was to show the disciples the danger of the dactrine the Pharisees and Sadducees were teaching. I don’t know what that doctrine was for sure, but my thought was that it was about how the Messiah would have been coming like a King full of power and glory, to take over the earth and bring peace. Not coming in servanthood, from a poor town, to lay down His life. I believe that the disciples were supposed to learn and realize from the miracle of the loaves that He was the Messiah, the Christ.

They didn’t learn this because their hearts were hardened, most likely by the doctrine of the Pharisees/Sadducees. The disciples were not looking at Jesus as the Son of God, as the Lamb, as the Messiah. Who did they think He was? I cannot imagine. I suppose they were just awed with His power to perform miracles, but the God behind the miracles was not yet realized.

In another series of verses Jesus asks the disciples who they say he is. “He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?” (Mat 16:15 ). Then Simon Peter answered saying “Thour art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” (verse 16) Now here is the striking part, a part that I missed many times while reading these verses before. Jesus calls Simon blessed. This is what He says “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven.” (verse 17b) Previously I had read this to mean that Jesus was blessing him because he knew the answer. But today the Lord graciously opened my eyes, and I read it to mean that the reason Simon knew the answer, was because the Father opened his eyes and revealed it, and that revelation was the blessing.

How often do I forget that His revelation to me is a blessing. That I would not know Him for who He is if He hadn’t blessed me by opening my eyes and softening my heart. I am like these disciples, hard hearted (Mar 6:52 ), focused on rowing against the wind (Mar 6:48 ), not even calling on Him to help me. I am like these disciples, unable to know Him by my own power (Mat 16:17 ), unable to overcome the prevailing winds by my own power. I am like these disciples, not knowing if it is HIM in the mist (Mar 6:49 ). I am ignorant, I am weak, I am lost save for His grace and mercy upon me.

When Jesus came across the water the disciples had been rowing for somewhere between 6 and 9 hours. (see Mar 6:47 which states that they were in the midst of the sea at evening time. Then look at Mar 6:48 which says that at the fourth watch of the night, sometime between 3 and 6 am He came across the water.) They were in a storm that He was aware of. They had been trying to be obedient to His command, they were working on their own power. They were not making any progress (the Sea of Galilee is not big enough to take 6-9 hours to cross.) Jesus waited before He walked out there. Even when He did walk out, He intended to walk past them, verse 48 “and would have passed them by”. But they were terrified, thinking He was an apparition. He had mercy on them, and came to them. This is so like me. I need this mercy. I need Him to come to me, and I am grateful that He does, even when I have not yet called out for help. They were powerless to calm the sea, powerless to row across (obey) and still they did not call out to Him.

This is like my life today. Today, I want to lose 35 pounds. The Lord has told me to do so. I am a help meet, and ought to keep my house in order. The Lord has commanded me to do so. So what do I do? I press on in the head on winds. Never calling out to Him. A scripture has been in my mind lately. I have found many times when I needed to share it. But today, it was for me. The verse is Pillippians 2:13 “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure.” It is HE who will work in me to DO these things. I am powerless even in the most minor things. I cannot stay on course, unless He keeps me there. I cannot obey, unless He calms my storm. I do not even call out to Him so often when I should. I need to stop doing what I think I should do to lose weight, and keep the house neat, and instead run to His feet and ask Him to provide for me to DO. (Obviously I am not saying I need to stop rowing, but that I need to rely on His power and His time and His good purpose to bring me to victory.)

Well, I know that was all round about, but I hope it was useful to someone. The study really opened my eyes. His Word is sharper than any two edged sword, and it is by HIS grace and blessing that my eyes are opened and that I am empowered to will or do anything. In Him all things are possible. Even losing 35 pounds and keeping this house clean.

Praise be to God, who is faithful to complete what He started in me.

Mrs. Meg Logan

Ten Reasons for American Divorce

After the first two they are in no particular order (because it is hard to say which ones are more frequent).

1

Taking God out of the Family

When God is taken out of the equation of marriage, the end result is a house built on sand. Some might stand, if the storms aren’t too bad. Most, however, will fall to simple waves. Marriages like this might work if other things are met, especially commitment, and proper authority, but throw any of the other causes for failed marriages into the mix and you are unlikely to withstand even the smallest storm. “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh [but] in vain.” Psl 271:1 .


2

Lack of Commitment

It is not uncommon these days to see people conisidering relationships temporary. People date one person after the other, supposedly seeking “true love” or “the right fit”. People think nothing of enjoying sexual relations with those they date so flippantly. This temporary relationship is not only damaging to those who engage in them (emotional upheavals!) but to the marriages of those who have engaged in it (and those who didn’t, but who are watching it happen all around and thinking it normal). When marriage is seen as something that can be entered into and escaped from on a whim, it happens more and more. This is directly contradictory to the Word’s expectation of marriage. “Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” Mat 19:6 .



3

Me-ism

By this I mean the chronic selfishness of today’s society. When people engage in marriage thinking it is all about them, and thinking that they should never have to change, but that the other person should change (first) a marriage is bound to fail. So often I hear people say things like “that is part of my personality, it isn’t going to change” or “if I change that I won’t be the same person” or things like “I won’t change this {whatever} because it’s just who I am” HOGWASH. If it is truly part of your personality at the basest sense, it isn’t going to change. People change alot in their lives, but they are still the same people. I am a completely new creature, just ask my parents! but I am still ME. The problem with me-ism, is that the world doesn’t revolve around ME (YOU) it revolves around God. He told us “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Jhn 15:13 .


4

Material Focus and Financial Irresponsibilit

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Is it any wonder that people are so material minded in this society? TV and Radio and mass production and general wealth have made attaining nearly anything one’s heart desires entirely possible. But to hoard our wealth in toys “He who dies with the most toys wins”, or houses “the bigger the better”, or fancy cars “if it ain’t fast it ain’t for me”, is wrong. It directly contradicts scripture, as I will show in a moment. The way that this corrodes marriage is by pitting each others wants against the other. It plays big time into the Me-Ism mentioned above. A competition ensues, no one wins, everyone loses, and usually they lose in a heap of debt. When a family isn’t competing to have the most toys, but agrees to have many in general, and to enter into debt (credit or otherwise), a weight is hung around their necks. The friction of the debt wears on the couple, and unless they are bound in Christ, and Committed (first two reasons for failure), they are doomed to fail. It isn’t the lack of money, it isn’t the abundance of money, it is the bondage of making money your master that kills this marriage. Some verses: Luk 16:13 “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Luke 12:15 “And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” and the parable of the hoarder Luke 12:16-20 .


5

Belief That There is No Difference Between the Sexes

This leads to the mixed up roles of men and women, which causes no one to be truly happy. When a man is made to act and feel feminine he is stripped of his power and his authority, which in turn robs him of his joy. The same is true for women. If a woman is made or encouraged to act like a man, and to give up her gentle soft side, in favor of the aggressive side, she will not find true happiness. When roles are mixed up in a marriage it causes contention. And the Word says it is awful for a man to live with a contentious wife, “[It is] better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.” Pro 21:19 . When women are very contentious as they are when they try to be men, men do not desire to live with them. Look around you ladies, men leave women who are career minded far more often then those who are home minded. (An article written about that)Women and men are equal in value but different in position and purpose. For women’s role refer to 2Timothy 2, Titus 2, and Proverbs 31. For male roles well, that is pretty much everywhere. For how we are equal see Gal 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”


6

Denying Sexual Relations

MANIPULATION at it’s worst. I really don’t think much needs to be said here. This is not something that is a desire, but is a need, and in the Christian marriage it is a requirement.1Cr 7:4 “The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.”


7

Women Usurping Male Authority in the Home

Women search for things like “total control over husband” and they find my site (why I don’t know!) But if they will stay a while they will find that total control over their husband will cause him to leave! A woman’s rightful place is as a help meet to her husband. When women usurp the authority in the home the man does one of three things, he fights her tooth and nail, he leaves her emotionally (or physically) for another woman, or for work, or he becomes weak and despondant. God created men to lead, He gave them authority over their homes/families and over the earth. When women usurp that rightful role, they bring curses upon their marriage. Obedience to God’s ways brings blessing. (Deu 11:27 “A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day:” shortly after followed by the curses for disobedience.)


8

Independence = Good/Right, Dependence = Bad/Wrong

We were not made as independent beings. We are meant to be dependent on God and on each other. In our society being independent is the highest ideal. This effects both men and women in marriage, by causing them to think that they do not need each other. But God’s way is better. Gen 2:18 “And the LORD God said, [It is] not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” and that women are to depend on their husbands. Gen 3:16 “Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire [shall be] to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.” [emphasis mine]. Dependance is a good thing. This one goes hand in hand with the fact that there are differences between men and women in purpose. We are to serve each other, laying down our lives for each other, and women are to submit to their husbands. (Eph 5:20-21) As humans and especially as Christians we are to consider others better than ourselves, outside and inside of marriage. Inside of marriage it goes further to establish order. The woman submits to the husband, the husband lays down his life for her as Christ did for the church.

9

Sexual “Liberation”

Again with the sleeping around! By declaring “free love” sex was passed around like it had no value. The emotional intimacy that is shared so flippantly is lost in a marriage. I cannot even begin to tell you how many people tell me that they struggle in their physical intimacy with their husband, and when they do inevitably they were unfaithful prior to marraige. Sometimes that unfaithfulness was with their (at the time) future spouse and no one else, and sometimes it was with others, small or great. It always causes trouble in the marriage. There is also this idea that pornography is not adultery (it is adultery look –> Mat 5:28 “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”) Or the feeling that if one is not satisfied sexually in marriage they can then look else where. But putting your spouse away from you in divorce and marrying another is adultery Mat 19:9 “And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except [it be] for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.”


10

Co-Habitation and Causualness of Relationships

This one plays very well into the Lack of Commitment. Because people treat relationships so temporarily, they find it ok to live together “for a while to see how it goes”. This co-habitation is used as a way to “try out marriage” and “see if it could work”. Problem with that is, marriages rarely work without serious effort, that effort really comes when you can have serious commitment. Without commitment marriage fails. Living together before marriage does not increase the survival rate of a marriage, but instead decreases it.

and here are two extras for consideration:

a. No safeguards against emotional infidelity
This one goes with the causualness of relationships. Men meet women at work everyday, conversations between men and women are no longer considered dangerous, but are a “right” we have. When needs are not met at home, conversations started with co-workers, (or others) can lead to emotional intimacy that exceeds the intimacy at home. If that intimacy is given outside of marriage it doesn’t start to happen spontaneously inside of it. Don’t vent to your buddy, you mother, your daddy, your co-worker about your spouse. Don’t do it with the same gender, and don’t do it with the opposite gender. Emotional Infidelity doesn’t have to happen with the opposite gender, and it doesn’t have to lead to physical intimacy to be infidelity, and a detriment to a marriage.

b. Hollywood Love/ Romance

This is the idea that love is romance. That you can fall into and out of love. That love is temporary. That love is based on emotions. LIES LIES LIES. Love is a choice we make. We can even choose to love our enemies. Love is expressed in actions, when you are committed to behaving lovingly, then your emotions can follow after.

Well, that is a very long list. It took me tons of time to write. My hands are cramping up! So, I’m going to end here kind of abruptly. Comments are always welcome.

Mrs. Meg Logan (happily married btw!)

I really want a feminine full cover apron like the ones from Little House on the Prairie. A half cover apron like June Cleaver’s would be acceptable too, as long as they are gathered and feminine. These aprons are really nice, I call them half cover, because the skirt part is short. A full cover to me is one that goes to the top of ankle boots, and covers your whole skirt. Since I mostly wear pants these days, I will probably make a half cover apron first.

Here is an article by Maggie at Hill Billy Housewife, about the virtue of aprons.

I think perhaps today I will gather up some material and make an apron. How hard can it be really??

Mrs. Meg Logan

My parent’s generosity was overwhelming, and I am still coming down from the snacking high! LOL We ate wonderful steaks which my father so lovingly prepared on the grill, and some fantastic french toast which I made on my new griddle. Why do I have a new griddle? Well, because right before my parents came to visit, my stove and oven kicked the bucket. HA! what a great way to cook for company! We went out and got a griddle to cook on temporarily until we decide when and what to replace the old stove with.

The kids’ got some new clothes and my son got some toys, but he has only seen one toy so far. I don’t like to overwhelm him with things during visits, as it makes him quite bratty, and demanding. I got a new griddle, and some pilates DVD’s, I mean it generally felt like Christmas around here!

Speaking of Christmas, we will be going up to visit them around then, and I am so excited.

All in all, the time was well spent, in fellowship with one another, playing Spades, and talking about what God is doing in our lives. We had a few good Bible Studies, and my parents attended our new church with us. They seemed to really like it, and thought it was a wholesome church, which satisfies me deeply.

Can’t wait to get back into the swing of blogging.
See you all in my next post, soon!

Mrs Meg Logan